Chapter Forty-five: The Cat That Got Out The Bag.
So my plan to get in Cassandra's head was on hold which was good news too because it meant I didn't have to deal with her and her cronies today.
They weren't so bad but they were still a handful.
Now I was just trying to update my best friends on the latest happenings in my life, you know, like the fact that I just bagged my second boyfriend ever, but I still couldn't reach Susan, and Annie had huge, spicy family drama going on at the moment.
"So Aunt Shanda still went to your dad's office after basically sleeping with two of your uncle's?!" I gasped as I tossed "old" clothes into a trash bag.
"For money too! And keep in mind that Uncle Bernard barely drops presents at Christmas and my other Uncle, Ray-ray invited everyone to his 'birthday party' which turned out to be a plot to make us all clean his raggedy house!"
"What?!"
"I know. If this doesn't convince my mom to keep Abbie away from our crazy extended family, I don't know what does." Annie sighed through the phone and Violet could hear the noise of argument in the distance.
"The worst part, my grandma keeps supplying them snacks, doesn't she know they'll keep this up forever if she keeps feeding them?"
I hauled the full trash bag over my shoulder and held my phone in my free hand to go down the stairs. "I'm sure she loves the company! Isn't this the first time everyone's meeting together in some years?"
"I guess..." She trailed off for a while before asking, "What's with the huffing and puffing? You sound like you're trying to blow a house down."
"I'm packing up all the clothes Hale ever got me and sending them off to a thrift store." I said, panting and dropping the bag next to two others. "Damn, he really did get me a lot of clothes. And I just noticed they're kinda all in the same style."
"Oh goshhh, I wish I were there for this!" Annie groaned, "we could have burned some together!"
"So dramatic." I laughed.
"It's in the blood, apparently." Annie sighed. "You know my aunties make fun of me now? For dating Jason. Especially since they know about the 6th grade fiasco.... anddddd because he's white."
I rolled my eyes. "Oh please, they're just jealous that you're basically one of the few people in your family who have their life together and can keep a man. How many times has Aunt Shanda been married again?"
"Frice."
"See what I me- Wait, did you just say 'frice'?"
"Yeah; four times." Annie chuckled and I laughed so hard I had to sit on the stairs.
"Just because you have a social life and I don't doesn't mean you have to make it my problem!" Dad called from the living room.
"Jealous!" I called back before turning back to my phone. "Honestly, I'm going to ask Mom to take him on a date or something."
"Tell me how it goes." Annie replied.
"Oh yeah, speaking of dates..."
A loud noise came from the other end of the line which seemed like someone banging on a nearby door.
"I know you in there Mary-Anne, you ain't escaping this!"
"Lord have mercy." Annie murmured.
"Come on out or we finna go through all your baby pictures again!"
"I don't care!" Annie screamed back so loud I had to hold my phone away from my ear. "Anything's better than watching y'all diss my man! And right in my face too!"
"Okay then, suit yourself." The voice faded away and Annie swore.
"Oh man, she's serious. I gotta go, Violet. We'll talk at school tomorrow!"
Before I could even reply, the line went dead. That was fine. I had to get ready for my shopping spree with mom anyways.
The bell rang just as soon as I thought that.
"I got it." I told Dad as I passed the living room door and this time I made sure to check the peephole first. Luckily, no popular girls were on my porch.
Mom wasn't wearing shades today.
She looked even lovelier than Friday with her hair up in a ponytail and the knitted scarf around her neck the perfect dark red color to contrast her black hair.
"Mom, hey! You're early." I said, very suddenly aware of how sweaty and icky I was from all the heavy lifting. The cool air was helping at least.
Hopefully, I was loud enough for Dad to hear me and tidy up the living room before we got there.
"Am I?" Mom glanced down at her watch and chuckled. "Sorry, my love, I must have been too excited... I can...call you that, can't I?"
"Don't be weird, you don't have to think too hard about it." I scratched the back of my head. "I'd hug you but I probably smell like... Oh!"
She literally pulled me into a hug and lifted me off the ground and I laughed so hard I probably snorted a few times which was fine, because she snorted too and that just made us laugh some more before she put me down and proceeded to pepper my cheeks with kisses.
"Mom, eww! I'm so gross right now!" I laughed, squirming away from her.
"You'll get over it." She grinned and walked past me so I could close the door.
"Oh! Moo is that you?!" Mom gasped as Moo approached her with the longest meow ever before rubbing against her legs.
"Looks like she missed you." I said and Mom bent over to pick her up.
"I've missed you too little Moo-Moo!" Mom cooed in her baby voice as the cat rubbed faces with her. "You really are chunky now, eh? My cute cuddly-wuddly, fuzzy-wuzzy..."
Dad peeked into the corridor with a raised brow and I nodded at him.
"Just give it a minute."
Eventually, Moo had enough and Mom had to let her go before she got slapped in the face.
And that meant she had to face Dad now.
"I'll go get ready!" I said, not even wanting to know if it'd be awkward or not. "See you in a few."
Unfortunately, I didn't escape in time to miss Dad try to be smooth by letting out a: "Sooooooooooo! How's it going?"
He was definitely where I got my awkwardness from.
ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ
"...and then he kissed my hand and it was the absolute sweetest thing ever! Then you know what he said after?" I asked, pausing a bit to build the anticipation.
"Tell me!" Mom urged, munching on the mouthful of chips I put in her mouth for her because she had her hands on the steering wheel.
"He said...he said all he wanted to do was..." I sighed dreamily and sagged against the passenger seat. "Oh I can't even say it without floating away. It was amazing Mom. Even when I thought I'd ruined everything, it still turned out perfect."
"Sounds like a dream." Mom said, smiling.
"You think so too, huh?" I asked, inspecting a potato chip absently with a smile. "I've been dying to tell someone the whole thing since Friday."
"Is that the whole thing?" Mom asked before turning to me and wiggling her eyebrows. "What did you do when you weren't talking, or falling on your face, or staring at the stars, hmm?"
I could feel my face burn up, "Uh... regular... stuff..." I said.
"Ooh! I love regular stuff! Like kissing right?"
I think I screamed as I slid down my seat.
"Or is there another trendy name you call it now? Was it just kissing or was it like making-out, or oh my goodness, was it se...?"
"Chips!" I yelled and practically shoved some in her face.
There were crumbs all over her designer coat now but she was still laughing heartily while chewing as fast as she could so she could torment me more.
"Just try not to choke." I mumbled.
"Oh my, haven't laughed like that in ages." Mom said, wiping a tear. She held back another laugh when she saw me glaring at her. "Sorry, sorry, I won't tease you like that often."
"I'm keeping the rest of my story to myself." I told her.
"I deserve that." Mom nodded and then she suddenly let out a gasp and slammed on the brakes. "30% off and at Brittany's too?!"
"What's that?!" I looked out my window where Mom was staring in excitement and I could see the bold sign hung over a boutique where a group of girls were waiting for the doors to open while chatting.
"Come on, Violet, we're getting new clothes anyways so might as well go for it?"
"What? No!" I hissed, "I'd rather go to the mall. This is about to be a war zone."
The moment I said that, the doors opened and chaos itself was unleashed. Friends became rivals, sisters were torn apart! Clothes and earrings and shoes were flying everywhere, one girl even got socked in the face but she kept going.
"Ohhh to be young again, struggling for miniskirts." Mom bounced in her seat, longingly watching the girls fight for clothes. "Violet are you sure you don't want to get something?"
I winced as their voices carried over to us.
"It's mine!" "Let go, I was here first!"
"Very sure." I nodded and Mom shrugged before driving off.
The mall was more my element, peaceful, classy, even more glamorous since I was with Mom and she was paying for us to get massages, mani-pedis, facial treatments, a new haircut and those expensive snacks they serve at the salon.
Who knew the snobby attendants at Francine Noir could be so nice?
I took a few pictures, posted them and tagged my friends but Angelo seemed to be the only one available because he immediately liked the photo.
So of course I texted him.
Me: Looks like someone's finally free!
His reply was almost immediate.
My Angel-Boy: I wish. I just took a five minute break to stretch out my back. My first one since 7am.
I pouted, this was about midday now.
Me: Wish I knew what you were working so hard on. Also, could you please take more breaks than that?
My Angel-Boy: Your concern is refreshing, my darling. I'll take more breaks if you keep sending me pictures.
I grinned so hard the lady doing my nails noticed.
Me: You have yourself a solid deal. Say hello to Tio Damien for me! You're at the hotel, right?
That was all I'd found out about his "work". It was at the hotel and Tio Damien was involved. Maybe he'd tell me more on Monday.
Ooh, I couldn't wait for Monday.
For now, I could still do something nice for him.
A while later, Mom and I got ourselves engrossed in the gossip the attendants were making about their Boss's promiscuous son who'd gone overseas for studies but was kind of not studying.
"Madame Noir was crying day and night for that boy child, and he knew he was putting his mother through all that stress." One attendant said in distaste.
"I'd disown him if I were her." Another added.
"He's her only son though." Mom said pitifully.
"Ma'am, Didier used his tuition fees to buy a car just so he could cruise the streets with a bunch of girls." My nail tech said factually.
"Whoa!" I gasped and you'd think it couldn't get worse.
"Then he crashed it a week later!" They chorused before bursting into snickers when our jaws dropped.
I could have face palmed but my new nails were being filed.
Soon enough, my phone rang and I had to tune out of the "misadventures of Didier Noir" conversation to answer it.
"Do you miss me that much, Angie?" I asked with a tiny smile.
"Even more so now that you're being an absolute sweetheart." He said and heavens above, his voice. He must have been laying back or something because he sounded so relaxed and tired and... edible...
"You'll ruin your nail polish." My pedicurist warned quietly with an amused look and I realized I'd curled my toes.
"Uh...what do you mean?" I asked Angelo, feeling my face get so hot it was a wonder my facial mask didn't melt right off.
"Playing coy? This has your name written all over it."
I chuckled.
So I may have tried to anonymously send him lunch from the restaurant, but he'd guessed right.
"Hope you like it, I told them to put some hot sauce in there because I know how much you like the burning feeling, can't say I get it, but still."
"Ugh, I so love the heck out of you right now, you don't understand." He said and I heard the sound of paper bags being rumpled. "You even got noodles..."
I couldn't help but giggle at how pleased he sounded and I noticed Mom give me a look from my peripheral vision.
"Angelo who are you talking to?" An accented voice that belonged to Tio Damien asked from the other end of the line. "When did you order food?"
"I didn't, it's the woman of my dreams." Angelo informed him with a mouthful, it sounded. "Uh... comamos." He added awkwardly.
Tio Damien replied with an amused "gracias" before sending me a greeting. "¿Violet, como estas?"
"Estoy bien, Tio!" I replied, happily. "Um...how do you say...? Oh yeah! Buen provecho...!" (Enjoy your meal...!)
"Wow, someone's been practicing their Spanish." Angelo said and I shrugged.
"I try." I said, looking at my nails. Tio Damien started talking about something else I couldn't decipher and I guessed it wasn't to me. "Work talk?" I asked.
"Work talk." Angelo sighed. "Can I call you later, my darling?"
"Uh, yeah sure." I choked out, heating up all over again.
"You're doing it again." The manicurist chided.
"Doing what?" Angelo asked from the other end.
"Nothing! Kisses! Bye!" I hung up immediately and put the cucumber slices back over my eyes so I didn't have to look at anyone, especially Mom who was definitely snickering the most.
(~‾▿‾)~
I'd gotten rid of practically everything Hale had ever gotten me. Everything but the car.
Now it just sat in my garage, dusty, sad, alone.
I still couldn't use the poor thing.
"What do you think I should do with it?" I asked Dad as we stared at it together on Monday morning. Dad had been dropping me off ever since I got back from Hotel Lotus since he had early days as well.
"We're going to have to return it." He said.
I cringed. "Can't we sell it to the junkyard or something?" I didn't want to have anything to do with any Frances ever again.
"Don't worry," Dad said and tried to ruffle my hair, but I dodged right on time. I did not spend all that time restyling my new haircut just to have him mess it up for me. "You don't have to return it, I could drop it off myself, or even better, your Mom's driver."
"Hmm." I shrugged and turned to open the passenger door of Dad's car, but then another familiar vehicle rolled to a stop in front of our yard. It wasn't just any car, it was my favorite car.
"Angie?" I called with a grin as I bounded over with my satchel and everything I was about to put in Dad's car. "What are you doing here? You know how early it is? Hi!"
Angelo got out, brushing his golden hair back out of his eyes as he watched me from above the roof of his car.
"Letty."
I opened the door on my side and stood on the threshold so I was the same height as he was. "What?" I asked, smiling.
He blinked and from this angle, the sunlight seemed to make his eyes glow a pure silver, it was eerily beautiful, like something out of a fairytale.
"I'm about to ask if you're real." He murmured, those eyes holding mine.
I glanced down for a second, blushing. "Could ask the same of you." I replied and his eyebrows raised in slight surprise. "Now what time did you get up to make it here by this time?"
Thinking about it seemed to make him yawn. "Ridiculously early. Don't know how you do it."
"Aww, you shouldn't have," I cooed, resting my chin on my hands.
"Oh, I did it to help Jimmy, wouldn't mind taking his lovely daughter off his busy hands." Angelo said and sent a wave to Dad who was still behind in the garage. "¡Buenos dí-! Wait, that doesn't sound right. Good morning, Jimmy."
Dad replied and I snorted.
"Good call, because somehow, he doesn't understand a word of Spanish. Would you be doing that often? Breaking into another language mid-sentence?"
"Judging by how much time I spend in the Ramirez household? Sí."
"Ooh! How exciting!" I squealed gleefully and hopped down so I could sit in the car and shut the door before waving through the window. "Bye Dad! Have a nice day at work!"
"What do you do when get to school at the crack of dawn, anyways?" Angelo asked as he got in and started the car so we could drive off.
"Uh...study? I don't know, just chill, I guess. I really like going to school early." I shrugged. "Get to do that more now I don't have to make someone the perfect cup of coffee every morning... Hey, let's get breakfast!"
"Oh?"
"Yeah, pancakes or something, I know you didn't get something to eat yet."
He looked my way for a second. "You don't have to change your plans for me, you know?"
"And you don't have to wake up extra early to pick me up." I replied, watching him with a small smile. "That's very kind by the way."
"Touché." Angelo nodded. "So, where do you have in mind?"
"It's just down this road, we'll get them to go and be in and out in like five minutes." I said.
〜(꒪꒳꒪)〜
We did not get in and out in five minutes. We didn't even make it to school until we had to count down the seconds to the first bell.
"How did this even happen?" I asked, trying to gather all my things from the car seat in my arms. "Argh! Why don't I have pockets?"
"Why exactly do you have so much stuff?" Angelo asked trying to help, but he couldn't seem to tell apart the important things I put in there and the important stuff I just forgot to take out of my bag.
"They're for emergencies!" I defended my trash.
"What do you need last year's textbook for?" Angelo asked, hurriedly sorting them out. "And three tubes of lipgloss?!"
"Actually that's lip balm, lip stick and lipgloss." I explained, putting all books in my satchel first. "They're all important!"
Angelo ran a hand down his face and the warning bell rang. "Christ! Just put them all in here, hurry, hurry..."
He let me dump all the extra stuff in his satchel, including the make-up.
"You're the best boyfriend ever, I'll get a purse soon, I promise!" I gushed, giving him a quick kiss which kind of landed on the corner of his mouth and he paused.
"Well, if that's what I get, you can hold on with the purse." He said with a slight smile.
"Ha!" I grinned and opened the door.
We'd made it to the main doors when I realized I had left a lipgloss print on his face.
"Ahh! Wait you can't walk in there like that!" I said, grabbing his arm to stop him from walking before reaching for his face, but he ducked right on time.
"Hold still!" I hissed.
"Nope." He said and I just knew he'd known the whole time. "Everyone's gonna see this." He said smugly.
"What? No, not like this! Get back here!" I whispered, hurrying after him as he walked through the school doors.
"It's my face, not yours." He said aloud. In the hallway. Where everyone could hear.
Lucky for me, they were minding their business, but it was only a matter of time it seemed. "I swear I'll never talk to you again if you don't-! Oh, please, please, please come back!"
When I finally caught up to him I somehow managed to pin him to a locker and the gleam in his eyes was so big I wondered if he let me.
"So vigorous." He cajoled.
"You are the most annoying person on the face of the planet right now!" I grumbled and grabbed his jaw so I could wipe the ridiculous kiss mark off his face.
"You know," Angelo said, his voice taking the same tone as the pleased purr of a cat as he slipped a hand around my waist and leaned down so I could wipe it better.
"You should have just left it the way it was, darling."
His words took a minute to register and by then it was too late.
"Whoa, you guys," Susan said, and I froze before turning slowly to look at her. "I know you guys flirt a little, but I've never seen you flirt this hard." She said with a confused chuckle and scratched her head.
"That's crazy, it's almost as if you're dating for real, which is odd because I'd have been one of the first people you told..."
I stepped back from Angelo and stared at her wide eyed. "Uh..."
"Right?" Susan blinked.
"You were unavailable all weekend and I really wanted to-!" I blurted and Susan gasped so loud she had to take a step back.
"And here we go." Angelo murmured.
"Wha-? What?!" Susan whispered, looking around to see if anyone else had heard me and sure enough, people were tuning in their ears. "It's happening... it's...I can't even- I think I'm gonna... Oh shoot, I need to-"
"Susan, I'm gonna need you to calm down." I pleaded, holding my arms out. But this was Susan we were talking about.
"OH MY...GOD!" She screamed, holding her forehead and grinning like crazy. "You guys are DATING?!"
A//N: The story continues right from here in the next chapter! Enjoy!
Also, triple update, not bad eh? (I should be studying...)
Rhodes.