Picture: Tito
"Tito!" I shouted.
The large sac of muscles that was Tito emerged from the silver Toyato with a chesire cat worthy grin smeared across his face.
After hanging up on Rose, I called Tito and told him I was in town and he immediately agreed to come get me.
I jumped up from the curb I was sat on, and ran towards him where I was immediately enveloped in a warm bone crushing hug.
Tito picked me up and shook me back and forth crushing my ribs in the process.
"Tito." I squeaked as best as I could. "Lack.... of..... oxygen.... over.... here."
He quickly released me and I took a large breath and smiled at him through my panting. The dude was huge with beefy arms, legs, and well.... everything basically.
Tito was an old friend from back home. Our parents were best friends and we basically grew up together. He moved to California about a year and half ago and I've missed him like crazy. He's almost 5 years older than me and, he's always been like the big brother I've never had.
"Whats up kid?" He chuckled.
"I've missed you, you idiot. Why haven't you came back home, yet?" I screamed punching his chest.
He stretched his large arms and sighed. "I've been kinda busy, tryna make a living out here and everything. But I missed you Shortie."
Tito swept me into a gentler hug this time and I relished in the familiarity of it. The hug quickly turned into a headlock as he vigorously ruffled my hair.
My futile attempt to escape must have been quite amusing to the bystanders surronding us. I should've know better.
"I heard about your moms shipping you out here and all. Still getting into trouble I see." He smirked releasing me from the headlock, but not getting off without and kick in the shin.
Faking a tear, I grinned up at him. "You know me so well."
He walked towards the car opening the passanger door for me to slide into the leather interior. He jogged around the hood and slipped into the drivers seat.
"Hungry?" He question.
I grinned and strapped up my seat belt.
"Always."
****
"No way." I gasped.
Tito's dark brown eyes shined as he recounted the story of how he got himself a girlfriend.
I shook my head furiously. "Nope. I don't believe it. The almightly playboy Tito has been tamed?"
He nodded solemly. "I know. Hard to believe, but this girls special 'Nae, I swear."
I squinted into his eyes, trying to discern if he was telling the truth or if this was another one of his episodes.
Genuine sincerity coated his dark orbs and a small shy smile played at his lips. I had only seen him like this once before, with his high school sweatheart Allison.
"You really like her don't you?" I exhaled. He nodded shyly and I laughed. This was so not Tito. "Then obviously I have to meet the girl. It is a girl right?" I joked.
He narrowed his eyes and flicked a piece of his pie at me. "I am not amused."
Tito drove us to a local cafe and we were sitting in a booth eating literally, the best pie I've ever tasted.
"You'll meet her when I'm sure you won't scare her away."
I feighed offense and slapped my hand over my heart. "What? Little ole' innocent me?"
"Little yes. Innocent?" He scoffed.
"Not even close."
***
I spent most of the day at the cafe with Tito and he brought me back to the Robinsons house at around 6:15.
I used the key Nicolas had given me to open the door and walked into to an eerily silent home.
Why was it so quiet? It was barely 6:30. Did rich people really go to bed this early?
I walked into the kitchen intending to fetch a bottle of water and go back up to my room. As soon as I stepped foot onto the gourmet kitchen's linoleum floors, I could practically feel the tension in the room.
Daniel, Rose, and Dustin were all sat at the table eating what looked like chicken and rice. Rose's cold stare met my eyes and my brows furrowed.
"Maybe I didn't make myself clear over the phone." Rose hissed quietly. "When I instructed you to get into the car and head home immediately you were to do as you were told Lanae."
Her shoulders were tense and hunched and her eyes were narrowed and alight with anger. Nothing like the bubbly women I met earlier.
"You're not my mother Rose." I exclaimed. "God. Why did she send me here!"
Rose quietly stood up and made her way over to me. She stood 6 inches away from me and looked me dead in my eyes.
"Do you have any children Lanae?" She asked.
I looked at her sideways and furrowed my brows. Of course I didn't have any children. "No."
She nodded once. "Then you do not understand what it's like to feel as if you have failed as a mother. To feel so lost and so hurt that you can barely care for yourself, let alone another person, to feel so helpless that you have to resort to sending your child away in hopes that she will learn something somewhere else, from someone else."
My eyes widened as I stared at this women.
"Your mother sent you here in hopes that you would learn something from me Lanae. Thats why she sent you hear." She continued. "And in order to do that, you must abide by my rules. Can you do that Lanae? For your mother?"
At a loss for words I simply nodded mutely.
A large smile appeared upon her face and her entire demeanor shifted into the women that boisterously greeted me at the door. "Good." She spun on her heel and resumed her seat at the table. "You hungry?"
****
I looked down at my phone.
14 missed calls.
All from my mother. I was exhausted by now and honestly couldn't deal with the yelling she was sure to do. Rose was probably giving her hourly updates.
I walked outside of my room and stepped into the elevator pressing the '5'. I still couldn't believe these people had a freking elevator in their house.
The elevator doors opened and I suddenly remember Nicohlas saying nobody was allowed on this floor. I paused for a moment to contemplate if I cared. After deciding I didn't I continued down the dark hall.
Switching on the flashlight from my phone, I used it to guide me down the hallway. I walked until I approached a door with a 'Keep Out' sign stuck to it.
I knocked once. Then twice. Then three time. Then my knocking turned into banging.
The door swiftly swung open and my fist connected with a solid mass of human.
My eyes traveled up the chiseled bare chest and came in contact with a pair or stormy brown eyes.
"What the hell are you doing here?" He hissed. His low voice resembled velvet and it was an utter shame such a beautiful sound, could come out of such a henious person.
I frowned up at him. "No need to be rude. I just wanted to see how Nicholas was doing. It is kinda my fault."
He lifted a thick eyebrow and his dark emotionless eyes bored into mine. "Kinda? You nearly killed him."
My green orbs narrowed into slits. "Yes, thank you. I understand that."
He stood up a little straighter making himself seem even taller than he already was. "He's going to be fine, no thanks to you. Now get the hell off my floor and don't come back."
With that he slammed the door in my face nearly taking my nose off. I humped and roughly kicked his door before spinning around and retreating back to my room.
***
I stretched out in the warm bed and bundled under the heavy comforter. My first day here was pretty exciting, if I do say so myself.
I drifted off to sweet dreams of punching Daniel in his face and being back at home with my mom and best friends.
Boom. Another update. Im so proud of myself.