chapter two » scooby gang
CHRISTINA stared ahead, still rubbing her tired eyes since she was woken from her sleep only a few minutes ago. "So, what do you think?" Fred asked and Christina glanced over at her stepdad and mom before at the driveway to see a 1960 Dodge Dart parked behind Fred's car.
"You got me a car?" She questioned him back, stepping down from the porch to see the red, fresh and squeaky clean car, practically shining from the sun above them.
"Yeah, you're mother thought it was best." She turned to look at her mother before at the car again. That's probably one problem she had with Fred and that was that he loved to flaunt that he was rich- or at least had money. That's why everyone thought Kim married him. Fred was a bit older than Kim, seeing as she was only about to reach 40 as he was in his young 50s. His friends and neighbors thought that she was mainly after his money, but Christina knew the real reason she was with him and that's because she actually loved the old man.
"Do you like it?" Kim asked as she stood next to her daughter, showing the expression that Christina was supposed to have when she saw the new car and that was happiness.
She met her mother's eyes and cheeky smile before smiling herself, "It's great," She looked back at Fred, "Thank you both."
He nodded and put his hand in his pocket before pulling out the keys to hand to her, "You can take it for a spin if you'd like. There's pub that's pretty cool nearby."
"Okay," She agreed, but stared at her pajamas, "Maybe after I get changed and actually process the fact I have a car."
They nodded and Christina turned on her heels to head back in the house to go to her room. Some boxes were still stacked up around her room, but she was in no rush since she was here only here a day. Her mother, however, was quick to get settled into their new home and it made Christina slightly sick to her stomach. She just felt that everything was happening too fast.
When Christina got dressed and fixed herself up, she went to her window to stare at the car outside. It was a beautiful car and she couldn't deny it, but she was less excited to have it then she would have expected. Any teenager would jump for joy to have a vintage car like that, but Christina wasn't really the car type.
She groaned slightly and moved from the window, grabbing her roller skates after putting down her new car keys before going downstairs to the kitchen where Lim and Fred sat.
Kim smiled at her child, but noticed the skates in her hand, "Are you not taking the car?"
"No, I don't want to ruin the car just by taking it to some pub," She explained, looking at Fred, who held a slightly confused expression, "I'll drive it later, I promise."
They only nodded at her reassurance before she left the kitchen and the house, quickly taking in the spring sun. She walked down her porch steps but sat on the last one to put on her baby pink roller skates that her mom got her for her birthday. Before her dad left them, he chose to teach her how to drive and Christina chose to think that was all he was good for besides walking out.
Her father also wanted the American dream that everyone outside of America dreamed of, but Kim didn't want it at the time he did. At the time, she was like her daughter, believing America wasn't the best that it seemed and that it was exaggerated for those who had never been. And because she was like that, she taught Christina that their home and their town is all they need.
Christina assumed she changed her beliefs once she met Fred.
Christina had noticed the pub as they drove to Fred's house, so as she strolled down the street, she tried her best to remember the way they came. She hummed to herself, thankful that she found it after five minutes because she slept late which caused her to missed breakfast and was now craving French fries instead. When she opened the door, she took in the liveliness of the pub, even in the middle of the afternoon.
She looked around the room, watching a foreign kid mess with the pin ball machine before groaning and going over to his friends that she recognized as the kids from across the street yesterday. They noticed her too, but mainly Hyde as she went to the counter to order her meal.
"That's the new girl," Eric mentioned before the gang looked at Christina.
"Wow," Hyde commented as he lifted his shades up a bit to eye her. He noticed her baby pink skates as they contrasted against the bright yellow top she wore with blue jeans, "You were right, Kelso, she is a babe."
"You think she's hot, Michael?" Kelso's girlfriend, Jackie, asked after following Hyde's gaze. Kelso looked at her before meeting the eyes of his friends, who were amused to see what his answer would be. He chewed slowly on his fries as she crossed her arms, waiting impatiently for his answer, "I'm waiting, Michael."
"Of course not, Jackie, damn." He muffled out, stuffing his face with more fries as Hyde and Eric smirked.
"But, Kelso, aren't you the one who told us about her?" Eric asked and Kelso's eyes went wide.
"Nu-uh." He shook his head hurriedly as Jackie now glared his way. He then turned to his girlfriend, who he happened to want to break up with for weeks now, "He's lying. Red just hit him on his head too much today ."
Jackie only rolled her eyes as Donna then finished her soda to speak up, "Let's invite her over to Foreman's place."
"Don't you think there's already enough foreigners here?" Jackie asked, motioning over to foreign friend, Fez, who sat comfortably in his chair as he munched on tater tots. "How many exchange students are we even allowed to have this year?"
Hyde then scoffed before standing up, looking specifically at Kelso, "I'm going to go talk to her."
Kelso then shot up from his seat, "Why do you get to talk to her?" At his question, Jackie quickly gave him a look along with everyone at the table before he scratched the back of his head, "I mean.. it was Donna's idea, why can't she do it?"
"And why can't Steven do it?" Jackie remarked, keeping her arms crossed briefly before pulling Kelso back down in his seat. Hyde grinned widely at his friends before turning on his heels and making his way to Christina, who was now waiting for her order of fries.
When he got close to her, he smiled a little, seeing a tiny tattoo on the back of her left shoulder of a lightning bolt before clearing his throat, "I hope you ordered yourself some fries."
She turned a looked at his with a raised brow, "Yeah, and why is that?"
He couldn't contain his smile, enjoying the distinctive accent she had. Her mother made her as Americanized as they come, even if they never stepped foot in the US. She had no choice but to learn English and speak it like her grandmother taught her mother, believing that was the only way to make it in the world.
Hyde then messed with his sunglasses slightly, pushing it up the bridge of his nose, "Because Wisconsin isn't good for much besides the fries."
"That's all this town is good for?" She asked, chuckling lowly before she received her fries, "Good thing I got it."
He then held out his hand to her, "Steven Hyde, but my friends just call me Hyde."
She glanced down at his hand only to grasp it cautiously and shake it, "Christina. I just moved here." She didn't feel comfortable exploiting her entire name to him yet.
"Oh really?" He asked, but laughed lightly, "You're the girl who lives with Mr.Lewis now, right?" She nodded and he hummed, before glancing back at his friends, who watched them intently only to look away and make up a conversation, "You want to hang with me and my friends for a bit? We're just gonna hang in Foreman's basement."
"Basement?" When he gave a simple nod, she looked at his friends, before hesitantly giving an answer, "Sure, why not?" She saw them staring at her with interest, so she held onto that as Hyde then directed her to his friends that were trying to shush each other quiet.
"Guys," Hyde spoke up when they got close to them, "This is Christina. Christina, this is the guys."
She waved at them and they waved back, before Eric spoke up, "You can call us the 'Scooby Gang', if you'd like. Makes us sound cooler."
"Okay," Christina nodded, but smirked, "Can I ask which one of you is Scooby?"
Everyone looked at each other in the group, but then pointed their index finger at Kelso, who was eating more fries, not even acknowledging the conversation until seconds later. He looked up, his shaggy hair almost covering his eyes as his looked around his friends, "Huh?"