CHAPTER 4
I was waiting outside as Gemma and Clay were saying their goodbyes when I saw a dark blue car roll into the driveway. My father had left a bit ago to go home so that Tara would be free of ‘the boys’, as he called them. But they were my brothers. I don’t know why I hadn’t met them yet, but I was guessing that everyone wanted to meet people in baby steps. One at a time. I was fine with it, I just wished that I knew more about my half brothers. They sounded very young how Gemma and my dad talked about them.
I saw a semi tall brunette woman with long hair step out of the car before her eyes went straight to me. I could only guess that this was the ‘Tara’ what everyone mentioned this morning. She was pretty. She looked kind of surprised to see me, but still nervous at the same time. I knew that feeling, it was weird. It usually happened when you met someone new.
When she was in front of me, the woman sighed and said, “you must be Sidney.”
I nodded and the brunette gave me a small smile, “you look like him…you’re dad I mean. A bit of Gemma in you too.”
It was weird. Everyone was saying that I looked like Jax, but I couldn’t see much except for my blonde hair. Was I wrong?
Nodding again I asked, “I’m guessing you’re Tara?”
The brunette nodded, “Yeah, your step mom.”
We both nodded this time and she looked down over me again. It was awkward. I wondered if she liked me. I was a sudden surprise, but I wasn’t her surprise. I was my dad’s surprise. Tara had to get dragged along for the ride for this.
I was thankful when Gemma stepped out and looked at us, smiling, “well I got cash and credit so we should have enough. I thought that it would be easier to take your car, Tara. We’d be bringing all of the stuff back to your house anyway.”
Tara nodded and looked at me, “we have a bedroom set out too, if you want to get things to fill it. Gemma told me that you only have two pairs of clothes. We’ll worry about that first.”
I nodded. Thank goodness for Gemma. She could steer the situation and try and get rid of the awkwardness. I still had to get to know Tara and she still had to get to know me.
All three of us got into the car, me going into the back seat. Tara had moved some of the car seats to the side so that I would fit. I looked at them. There was one for a toddler and one for a baby. I was right, my brothers must be very young.
Gemma looked back at me after Tara started to drive off, “where do you want to head sweetheart? We have a couple of shops downtown.”
I nodded and Gemma asked, “I also just thought of this, do you have any allergies?”
I shook my head, “No.”
“Good. We don’t need to find anything particular for lunch then,” Gemma stated as she turned and looked out front. I looked through the window. It was a sunny day and it was a bit hot, but I got used to heat. I actually loved it. I was wearing white shorts with a beige coloured sweater with a black elephant on it with a white beanie on my head. I had to wear the same shoes as last night. They were still soaked, but I wouldn’t complain.
Tara’s voice got me out of my thoughts as she asked, “how old are you, Sidney?”
“Seventeen,” I answered.
“When’s your birthday?” Tara asked, still trying to show interest while learning more about me. Small talk. I guess it was the way that she worked.
“December 4th,” I answered.
Tara nodded. Sadly, that wasn’t any time soon. I wanted to try and wait until I was eighteen before finding my father, but I couldn’t take it at that house for another six months.
I saw Tara pull over on the street in a parking spot and all three of us got out. I placed my hands in my pockets and looked around before I heard Gemma ask me, “we can go window shopping, see what stores spark your interest honey. Don’t worry about money. Your dad and I are going to have that all covered.”
Looking around, I noticed that there were a good number of clothing stores, but they were more uptight and expensive. That wasn’t my taste. I kept looking around until I saw on the other side of the road a store that kind of looked like a thrift store, or at least well used clothing store. I smiled. Perfection.
I looked back at my stepmom and grandmother before saying, “what about that one?”
Tara and Gemma looked up and saw her choice. Gemma asked her, “you sure honey? I told you that money isn’t a problem. There are lots of clothing stores around.”
I shook my head and said, “I would like to go there first.”
Gemma and Tara looked at each other before they shrugged and walked across the road with me. I went into the shop, smiling as I looked around at the clothes. It was perfect. Most teenagers hated used clothing, but I liked it. It’s where you would find the real gems that are my style. That’s where all of my stuff in my closet back at the old house was. It was what I was wearing now. I did have new things included, but not much.
I instantly went to the sweaters, looking through them as I found nice knitted ones with weird colours that most people would find ugly. After finding a multi-coloured and multi-pattern one, I picked it up and smiled, placing it over my other sweater since it was so baggy. I liked ones that were bigger. I looked in the mirror near me. It was a bit of a weird shape since I was wearing a thin sweater under this one, but I knew it would fit. I smiled and saw Gemma and Tara walk up to me and look at me in the sweater. Gemma chuckled, “baby girl, I think you are the only one who can wear that and make it look good.”
I smiled, blushing a little before taking it off and placing it over my arm as I picked out another sweater, this one a darker shade of green with a fox face on it. I looked over at Gemma and asked her, “what’s my limit for money.”
Gemma shook her head, “no limit. Especially if you are getting stuff in here.” She was glad to see that Sidney was in her element of clothing and if it was used things, it would be cheap. Gemma knew that she wouldn’t complain about that. It would leave even more money to get things.
I nodded excitedly and kept going through the sweaters, picking up some knitted cardigans as well before my grandmother told me, “you know, we are in California. Aren’t you going to get hot in those?”
I shook my head, moving through the things still, “nah. I like heat.” Morely though, she liked covering herself up.
Gemma nodded and said, “well, get some t-shirts at least so that not everything in your closet will give you a heatstroke.”
I nodded and picked up a light blue tanktop that had the words ‘Pink’ on it. I smiled, “no worries.”
Tara chuckled before looking over the clothing as well.
***
I was on my way back to Gemma’s house. We just needed to drop her off before Tara would take me to my dad’s home. It was a long day. It was dark and Tara had to call my dad to tell him that we were all fine, just busy.
I had enough clothes. After the first store we went to a couple of others to get boots and some other shirts and pants before going to another store to get bras and underwear. I was embarrassed to go with the other girls, so Gemma gave me her credit card to use as her and Tara stayed outside.
Once all that was done, we went to get supper since we skipped through lunch. We went to a restaurant style place so it took a little longer to eat and then go home. I told them that I didn’t want too many things to decorate my room with because the social worker would probably take my things from my old house to my dad’s. I didn’t see the reason to waste money and buy another copy of everything.
Tara and I got along pretty well. The awkwardness left throughout the day with the help of Gemma. So when Gemma left, I wasn’t nervous to talk with Tara again. Gemma waved goodbye to me once more before leaving the car and going inside. Because there was lights on in the house, I assumed that Clay was there to welcome her home.
Tara drove off again in a direction that I didn’t know. She looked back at me and asked, “you sure that you don’t need anything else?”
I shook my head, “no, but thanks Tara.”
She nodded and let out a sigh before asking, “did Jax tell you about your brothers?”
I shook my head again, “no, but I guess from the car seats that they are pretty young.”
She chuckled and answered, “yeah. Abel and Thomas. There are both your half brothers. Both blondes like you and your dad.”
I smiled. I’d never known that I had siblings and apparently I did. Two blonde brothers like me. I saw Tara pull up to a house and she looked back in the mirror after parking and shutting the car off, “well, this is it. Home sweet home I guess.”
I smiled and got out of the car. I took with me as many bags that I could carry. Tara did the same but I knew that we would have to make at least one more trip. Tara walked up to the door and opened it. After stepping inside, I could feel the warmth and I smiled. I saw my dad walk towards us and looked at our bags, “I see we went all out.”
Tara chuckled, “there is still plenty more in the car.”
Jax nodded and he said, “you can take your shoes off there Sidney, then I can show you your room.”
I took my shoes off with my feet before stepping inside a bit more. I walked past the kitchen where there was a lot of papers on the desk before going down a small hallway and Jax turned left at the second door. I looked around the room. It had a single bed by the corner, a closet, nightstand, bookshelf, and dresser with a tall mirror on a stand to the side. The walls were a weird beige colour and the sheets were blue and white. It looked cosy enough. My dad looked at me and said, “this can be your room if you want to stay. I know that it’s pretty bland right now. It’s a guest room, or was, but you can add your touch to it. We can paint it, get you new sheets.”
I nodded and looked at him before telling him, “it’s fine.” Walked over to the bed and placed my bags on it before I sat on the bed. He nodded and I saw Tara place the bags on the bed too before my dad told me, “I talked with an officer today. He’s going to make the report to your foster parents tomorrow. He couldn’t get in contact with the constable up there today. He gave me some tips about what we should do, but he’s coming tomorrow to talk to you and I directly.”
I nodded and Tara looked at Jax and told him, “enough of making her stressed. Lets show Sidney her brothers.”
That put a smile on my face and even Jax’s lips tugged up a bit. He nodded and said, “they are in the living room. I tried to keep them awake for you to see them.”
I got to my feet and Tara mentioned that she would get the rest of my things as I followed my dad around the house past the kitchen again to the living room. I saw a little boy there, maybe two or three playing with some toys and a little baby who was watching him in a play pen. I smiled wider and saw the boys look up at me. Jax stopped and told me, “Sidney, these are your brothers, Abel and Thomas. Abel can you say hello? This is your sister Sidney.”
The older boy looked up at me and waved. I giggled before waving back. Jax told me, “they are both shy, but I’m sure by tomorrow night they will be used to you.”
I looked down at them, still smiling. They were adorable. My baby brothers.
((to give you an idea of Sidney's style and what she bought, I posted some of the things on my tumblr, so just use these links:
http://rebloggingwhat-i-like.tumblr.com/post/104516905835
http://rebloggingwhat-i-like.tumblr.com/post/104516899340
http://rebloggingwhat-i-like.tumblr.com/post/104516894140
http://rebloggingwhat-i-like.tumblr.com/post/104516912650 ))