:)
The rest of the day people continuously came up to me and Sarah asking if they could come, or that they're excited. It almost blew our cover. There were some people who I firmly believed didn't know what a surprise party meant.
I was at my locker at the end of the day, when Sarah met up with me, "So, here's the plan for tomorrow." She stated.
"Plan... paintballing, then party. Right?"
"Yeah, but I found some things that might complicate it a little."
"Like?"
"Tomorrow, Lolo will meet at my house before we go paintballing. While you get your present for him, drop it off at the hotel with everything else that you need. That way he won't suspect a thing." She explained.
"Okay." I shrugged.
We walked out of the building, when we saw the boys at the car. Lolo jumped up and down like a little girl when we walked up, "Hey, you guys ready for tomorrow?"
"Oh, you guys told him abo—"
I interrupted Fabien just in time, "About the paintballing, yes."
He looked at me confused for a minute until he got the gist. Lolo jumped, "You should come!"
"Nah. I can't. I got stuff to do." Fabien confessed.
"Stuff, it's a Saturday."
"Doesn't mean anything to Aunt Joce and Uncle Vic." He shrugged.
"Damn, bummer."
In reality, Fabien managed to get some of his friends that he's made around here—I know, I was shocked too that he has friends his own age—to agree to help set up the party tomorrow, while Sarah and I distracted Lolo. They agreed wholeheartedly.
It's gonna be a long day tomorrow.
"What are you guys up to now?" Lolo averted his eyes between the two of us.
"I got to run some errands before I get home." I answered.
"Oh," He nodded, "Alright, I guess we'll see you tomorrow." He flashed a smile.
Fabien and I got in my car, while the two got out of the way for my car to back out of the lot. Before I started my engine, I reached into my glove compartment, and took out the next fifty bucks for the payment for the present.
"So that's what you meant about 'errands'." Fabien realized as he saw the money.
"Yep. Gotta make the next payment."
"Let's go then." Fabien said, buckling his seatbelt.
///
We arrived at the shop and I quickly hopped out of the car, "I'll just take like five minutes. I'm not planning on staying long."
I went through the doors and met up with Dean behind the counter while Kat was helping a customer out.
Wow.
There's someone else in here besides me.
"Hey Skye." He greeted.
"Hey Dean. I got another fifty for ya." I gave him the cash and he rung it up.
"Alright then, fifty more to go." He smiled.
"Thanks, I'll see you guys tomorrow." I said as I ran out of the exit.
///
My car finally pulled up to the driveway of the house and we trudged inside. However, when we walked through the front door, we immediately smelled something sweet.
"Aunt Joce must be baking something." I said, following the scent to the kitchen. Fabien trailed behind me.
We stepped foot into the kitchen when lo and behold, it was Uncle Vic. He was wearing a cheesy chef's hat and a floral apron. The man had his hands on his hips and had a little flour on his face.
"You know, Mr. Mom, you really need to talk to someone about this very bold fashion statement." Fabien joked, "Are you trying to tell us something?"
Uncle Vic ruffled Fabien's hair, "Hello to you guys too. And I make this look good." He said suave-like.
"Uh huh." I laughed.
"Whatcha baking?" Fabien asked peering over the island.
"Heh, more like, what aren't you baking?" I laughed, taking a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie from its tray. He made cookies, muffins, and raisin bread. Where were these when I was eating breakfast this morning? I could've done well on these than that cold cereal I had this morning. I took a bite off the cookie, "So, what is all this? And are Fabien and I on clean-up duty?"
"Oh, your aunt volunteered us, or me, to bake something for this charity benefit her friend is putting together." He answered, "And no. You won't be."
"Good. And I guess we'll all be out of the house tomorrow."
He shrugged, "I guess so." He opened up the oven as the timer went off and another batch of freshly baked cookies came out, "Brownie cookies, my specialty."
"Can I get one?" Fabien asked.
"One." Uncle emphasized.
Fabien did so, and moaned, "Oh, these are good." He knitted his eyebrows together, "Wait, why isn't Aunt Joce the one baking these?"
Uncle let out a hearty laugh, "Your aunt can't bake to save her life."
Fabien and I busted out laughing, as Uncle Vic put another batch of raw mix into the oven. I think they were oatmeal raisin this time.
He closed the oven door, and chuckled, "Well, I'm serious. When we first got together, your aunt tried to bake me cookies. It was horrible, I mean, it was one of those, burnt on the outside but still raw in the inside type cookies. To this day, I still don't understand how that's chemically impossible. So instead, our date ended up being me slaving over a hot oven to correct a batch of cookies."
"Okay, it wasn't that horrible." Aunt Joce said, coming into the kitchen.
"Uh, yeah. It was." He scoffed.
Fabien and I were just enjoying the show that the two were putting on. Leave it to Aunt Joce and Uncle Vic to break that gender stereotype. I was laughing as the two went at it, and the fact that Fabien managed to sneak another cookie; when I realized something. I cleared my throat to get their attention, "Uh, guys?" They looked at me, and I felt my cheeks heating up, "I need to talk to you."
///
"Part-time?" Aunt Joce questioned as the three of us sat down at the dining table.
I was twiddling my thumbs, "Yes."
"At a music shop?" Uncle Vic smiled.
That's a good sign right?
I just nodded my head.
"I think that's a brilliant idea." He beamed, "Builds character." While he said that, Aunt Joce gaped, but he continued, "This can teach you many valuable things. Besides this isn't even your first job is it?"
"Well, no. Not if you count the under-the-table jobs I had. This'll be my first job in retail."
"You see? Not her first job." He smiled
But she still had that unsure look on her face, "Is this something you really want?"
"Actually, yes. As a first real job? Absolutely." I confessed.
"Alright, you have my permission, and you obviously have your uncle's too."
"YES." Fabien cheered, fist-pumping near the oven with his back turned toward us.
The three of us looked at him, and he turned around blushing, "Sorry."
I slid the work permit across the table and handed Uncle the pen first, "You guys gotta sign this."
The both of them wrote down their signatures and initialed on the dotted lines.
Guess it's official.
I grabbed the slip again, and folded it neatly, "Thank you."
"But Skye..." Aunt Joce folded her hands on the table, "If ever your grades slip because of your responsibilities, you are to quit. Understand?" She eyed me.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Good."
"Honey, I don't think she'll have any problems. That's all what Bubba and Chrissy talked about; their academic achievements." Uncle Vic vouched.
"Yeah, besides, Mom and Dad would threaten to lock my instruments away if I let my grades slip—so Fabien and I weren't born this way; getting good grades didn't come with the package." I shrugged.
"That's a great idea. We'll keep that in mind. If your grades slip regardless, we're locking up the pool house, and we're taking away your car keys."
"Wait, Mom and Dad bragged about us?" Fabien asked, leaning across the island helping himself to another cookie.
"Oh yeah." Uncle Vic scoffed, "And those are for tomorrow, Man. Keep your grubby hands off them." He went back to explaining, "Getting your parents to shut up was the tricky part."
"Kids, all you two have to know is that your parents treasured you. They would battle through Hell and back for you two." She smiled, and her eyes began to gloss.
Oh no.
I stood up and immediately hugged her, and Uncle Vic joined. She rubbed her eyes with the heel of her palm. I keep forgetting what happened to her and Uncle Vic all those years ago.
We let go and she gave a small smile, "I'm sorry." She whispered, while Uncle Vic kissed her forehead.
"It's okay." I stepped back and let the couple console each other, "I'm going to my room if anyone needs me."
Fabien followed me out of the kitchen as I scurried, "What was that about?" He whispered as we got to the bottom of the steps.
"Not here. Follow me." I ordered.
I climbed up the stairs with him trailing behind me. We got to my room and he closed the door behind me. I sat on my bed while he sat at the desk chair. He swung it around and had the back face him and he leaned his elbows on it, "So?"
I sighed, "Mom and Dad never told you this, because—well, you never asked."
"What is it?"
"Well, technically, Aunt Joce and Uncle Vic are supposed to be parents. A girl, a year or so younger than me."
"Really?"
I nodded.
"Well, what happened?"
"When I was two, obviously, you weren't born yet, and Aunt Joce was pregnant. But unfortunately, she had a miscarriage during her second trimester."
"I thought that wasn't possible?"
"Oh it happens. Just not frequently."
He stayed silent, but you can still see the stunned expression on his face.
"Then one day... a year after you were born, she and Uncle got into a car accident. Mom and Dad left us alone for a few day with Grandma and Grandpa."
"What happened then?"
"Mom and Dad said that at the time of impact, it maimed Aunt Joce's stomach? I guess? I don't know the terms for it. Anyway, She had to have an emergency hysterectomy."
"Meaning?"
"You know how women are the ones carrying the eggs?"
"Yeah?"
"Well, there aren't any more, or at least there's no place for them to go."
I couldn't put it anymore simpler. How else can I explain what the hell happens inside a female's body to a fourteen year old Freshman? I mean, I've researched it once before for a health class, it involves the uterus and everything but God damn, I don't need to go back to that. Too much for one lifetime; I get enough from what happens with Mother Nature when I'm on my period.
"Did they not wanna adopt?" He asked.
"No."
"Wow."
"Yeah, so now you know the story." I sighed, "Let's just keep this between us. I don't think Aunt Joce wants to be reminded of this."
He nodded agreeing.
With that, the both of us stayed in my room, just hanging out. Fabien was listening to music, while I was scrolling through my phone, when a knock came on my door, "Come in." I said.
The door opened and Uncle Vic entered, "Hey guys." He smiled.
"Hey Uncle!" Fabien yelled. He had earphones on blast and we could hear the song blaring—thus the guy can't hear himself speak.
He laughed, "So, what are you guys up to?"
"No we don't have any homework due!" Fabien yelled answering, staring right at Uncle Vic's lips, trying to read them.
I rolled my eyes, "We're just sitting here."
"Ahh." Uncle sat down on my bed and the mattress dipped down on his side. He grabbed my froggy pillow that I had gotten from him many years ago that was sitting with my pillows. It was the one item I couldn't part with when we were in the plane over here.
"I can't believe you still have this." He said, playing with it.
"Well, you should. It's gonna be a family heirloom. I'm gonna be passing that down to my future kids—if I ever have any—it's gonna be timeless." I laughed.
"Your dad said you never wanted to go anywhere without it."
"I still don't."
Fabien took the earphones off and sat on my bed with us, "So, what brings you here?"
"Well, I live here..." He smirked.
"I meant here, in Satan's domain."
"You mean Hell?"
"Exactly."
"Hey!" I shoved Fabien, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing."
Uncle Vic laughed, "I got done with most of my paperwork, so I just thought I'd see what my favorite niece and nephew are doing."
"Your only niece and nephew, Uncle." I corrected.
"Exactly, which makes you my favorite." We all laughed, then Uncle Vic saw my family photo on my nightstand and grabbed it. He traced his fingers on our faces, "We were gonna name her after your mom." He whispered.
"Who?" Fabien asked, glancing at the photo too.
"Your unborn cousin all those years ago."
"You were gonna name her Christine?" I asked.
"Your aunt and I made a deal; we'd keep the baby sex a secret until it's birth. If it was a girl, she'd name her. If it was a boy, I'd name him. It turned out that our firstborn was going to be a girl—just like you Skye. Your aunt picked the name." He sighed, "Christine Margaret Brooks. She was going to have your aunt's grandmother's name as her middle name."
"That's beautiful." I whispered.
We stayed quiet until he took my iPod and unplugged the earphones letting its built-in speakers blast. He scrolled and looked at me and Fabien, "This is a song that stuck with me. It's mine and your aunt's song from when we first started dating. It even played on our wedding day."
It was "My Girl" by the Temptations.
We let the song soothe us when Aunt Joce's voice came out of nowhere, "That was one of the happiest moments I've ever had." She was leaning against my door frame with her arms crossed and a smile on her face.
"Well then, my dear. May I have this dance?" Uncle got up and bowed.
"I'd be delighted." She grabbed his hand.
"Skye, if you'll please start this song over?" He asked me.
"It'll be an honor... oh, hold on." I grabbed the iPod and plugged it into my stand-alone speakers and started it from the beginning.
I've got sunshine, on a cloudy day. When it's cold outside, I've got the month of May... it began
"I guess, you'd say, What can make me feel this way?" Uncle Vic sang.
Then Fabien and I sang along, "My girl, my girl, my girl. Talkin' 'bout my girl..."
Aunt Joce and Uncle Vic were dancing in circles around my room. It was so cute.
The rest of that night, was just a pizza and a movie. The four of us were in the living room just being us. It was a nice time.
I can't wait 'til tomorrow though.
[Edited]