Meet the Easterbrooks prt1
"Princess, wake up."
I hate when people tell me to wake up.
"Joey shut up," I grumble.
"Miss Jackson, we are preparing to land."
I listen this time. "Thank you, Carlos."
I finally open my eyes. I fell asleep on Joey's shoulder and my neck hurts like a little...
"Maybe you should invest in a neck pillow." The brown skin Latino laughs at me.
"I don't like you." I breathe out.
"Feelings mutual princess." He nags me.
I pop a piece of gum in my mouth to help with the dropping altitude. At least my ears didn't pop.
I thank all of the crew members on board. I don't think they know how much I appreciate them all.
It is so hot getting off of that plane. After we get through security and customs we exit the airport.
"My cousin Bruno should be here at any moment," Joey says. My security dispersed after we got off the plane. May I say they are doing a great job at not being seen. I'm impressed.
"Is he actually your cousin or are you just saying he's your cousin?" I ask.
"Everyone's my cousin." He sings.
Joey greets his cousin in Spanish. And I'm just awkwardly standing there
"You must be Izzy," Bruno takes my hand and gently kisses it.
Bruno is has a much lighter complexion than Joey. He has sleeves and a chest of tattoos.
"Joey tell me your family isn't full of a bunch of flirts," I ask already creeped out.
"Eastbrook Mafia territory. You won't last a week." Joey whispers.
I groan, "Joey, I will not believe your joke. Your family is not a ma-"
"Princess, don't shout the word. I'm joking, calm down." He uncovers my mouth.
We are going straight to Elena's home.
Throughout the whole ride Bruno tries to I don't know... seduce me in Spanish and Joey thinks it is the funniest thing ever. He claims that he can do better and I want no participation in that.
"Can I abuse my power on him?" I sigh.
"No, because Bruno is crazy." He says with unneeded hand gestures.
We take one step out of the car when we arrive. Joey freezes and I follow his gaze to a lady holding a slipper.
Joey starts to run.
"Joey! I said no running!" I chase after him. He gets to his peak and his pace shifts, I can catch up.
"What the heck dude! I said no running until you fix the alignment of those feet." I fume.
He doesn't say a word. He's not even looking at me, he's looking behind me.
And from behind us, I hear, "Joey you didn't tell me you were bringing home a girl." I immediately turn around.
I am face to face with a woman who doesn't look a day older than 29.
"Princess meet Elena Easterbrook."
"Mhmm...I don't believe you. You want me to believe that this lady is your mother? She doesn't look like she more than three years older than us-" and now I'm being dragged by his mother.
"Joey she's a smart girl where did you find her?" She says.
"Ma, leave her alone."
In an instant, she lets go of me and Joey is on the ground begging for mercy.
"Ma I didn't mean it. Don't hit me!"
I am going to love this month.
"Get up! Go help your father in his shop." She orders him and he gets up nodding.
Joey tried to take my hand and Elena slaps his hand. "I said go! I'll watch her."
Joey eyes me closely before walking away silently.
I am pulled inside a beautiful home. And there are a lot of people in this place. It's like 7:45 in the morning why are there so many people up?
A young boy approaches me, "you're Isabella Jackson, the one who was on tv with Joey."
"Isabella Jackson?" Multiple other people question. All of a sudden I don't see Elena anymore.
I chuckle softly. I am feeling shy, "Hey everyone, yes I'm Isabella Jackson-"
"So you're the girl sleeping with my brother," I turn around to see a girl glaring at me.
I begin laughing, "if you think I'm sleeping with Joey I think you are funny. Joey and I don't get along outside of track and field. You must be his younger sister?"
"It's Olivia."
"Well, Olivia I can assure you that Joey and I do not have an intimate relationship." I try to reassure her.
She walks up to me and whispers, "I see you near him and I'll have it out for you."
I think not!
I smile at her, "the only reason he's here is that I told him I would come and monitor him. I am his trainer and I respect myself. I'm not some girl you can walk over, so f-" my mouth is covered. I tilt my head up to see Joey.
"Princess don't finish that sentence." He lets go.
"I don't like this, can you go change, people will think this was planned." I hiss at him. Wait a damn minute, "I thought you left?"
"I saw my dad and he said that I should go home because my sister is planning on killing you." He looks at Olivia.
"Joey you cannot be serious." He's trying to scare me.
Olivia touches my head, "nice hair who did it. Aaliyah?" She's so fake.
"No Joey did." I chime.
Several people around us gasp including Olivia. Why does the world hate me today? First Bruno, now Olivia?
Joey summons his mother and all three of them have what seems like an argument in Spanish.
I try slipping away yet Joey tightens his hold on me. He leans towards my ear, "Princess, you won't get away so easily."
During this moment I realize that Joey's Canadian accent is fake. He has a natural Spanish accent.
I kind of like it.
"Can we go train before I go insane," I whisper to him.
The argument continues.
"Yes but I think you'd want to change first." He gently pulls me away, avoiding contact with all people.
We walk down a couple of halls and make it to a room.
We walk inside and I immediately assume that it's his childhood bedroom.
"Your bags are on the bed, you can change through that door, it's a bathroom. I'm sorry about my sister, she's a bit possessive over me, she thinks she knows all that's best for me and what not."
I nod pulling out a black athletic shirt and a pair of track shorts. Along with my toothbrush.
After I get ready, Joey and I walk to a garage.
"Choose your pick." He says.
I am looking at three beautiful expensive-looking cars, and I don't want to be in any of them.
I turn around and see a Honda Civic parked on the side of the road. I point to it, "that one."
"You've got to be kidding me." He says under his breath.
He grabs the keys off the wall and we are off. I'm not into a lot of flashy things.
"So where are we going? Mister, I don't do gyms."
He grins, "we're going to my Abuelito's farm."
Grandfather. I know very very simple words in Spanish.
Let's also consider the fact he said it in a Canadian accent.
When we get there I see a lot of children.
The army of kids surrounds Joey and me.
I don't like being swarmed by adults much less children.
"Princess, scared of a bunch of kids under the age of 10?" I really don't like this man.
The children chant Joey's name and bombard him with questions.
"Hey!" I look up and see a man walking towards us. The kids scram.
The man walks up to Joey and whacks him upside the head.
"Princess this is my Abuelito," Joey grumbles.
"Hi, I'm-"
"Isabella, nice to meet you. I am Frank Pérez."
I laugh, "I feel like I just don't need to introduce myself anymore. Everyone in your family just knows who I am. It's nice to meet you too Frank."
"What brings you two to the farmhouse?" We begin to walk.
"I told Joey that I want to train and he brought us here," I say.
"We are here for the stacks," Joey adds.
"Then I'll leave you to it when you're done go apologize to your Abuelita for what you did to her the last time you were here." Frank points at Joey and glares at him.
We walk into the barn and I see stacks of hay...
"Joey what did you do to your grandma?"
He scratches the back of his head, "uh I lost her horse..."
I furrow my brows, "how do you lose a horse?"
"I took her on a ride in the night, specifically the night I was coming to Toronto... and the maned wolves came out. I couldn't control the horse, I was knocked off her back and she ditched me."
"And why is this horse so special?"
"The generations of that single horse goes back to my great great grandmother. And I lost the last female."
Yikes, that's bad...
"Okay moving on. I think we should start with the box in this case hay jump."
I stack two bundles for myself and three for Joey.
"How many times? And why is mine higher?" Idiot.
"Your taller, my stack would be as high as yours if I was as tall as you! And we stop after 45. One only counts if you spring up then spring down. Let's start."
Joey jumps up once and falls.
"Did you really expect to squat up with your feet together?"
"Whatever." He mutters.
We get through our reps and do various other workouts that consist of pike jumps, vertical jumps side to side, power steps, and deep mountain climbers.
We also scaled up the barn supports. While I was climbing Joey purposely pulled my foot off the post and I went flying into the hay.
It became a competition. Who can get to the top first?
Long story short neither of us made it to the top. We both pushed our limits.
We decided to chill in the hay until our heart rates slow.
We lay next to each other.
Joey moves a bit closer to me and I turn my head to look at him, "Princess you have..." he trails off as he catches my eyes. There a streak of light that's shining on his eyes. They are brown but they are so dark.
It's so pretty.
"Joey?" I breathe out.
He raises his hand to my head, "y-you have a piece of hay... in your hair." He slowly pulls it out without breaking eye contact with me.
"¿Mijo?" A voice enters the barn, Joey jumps up. "Abuela..."
Joeys grandmother doesn't speak much English. But this family is a feisty bunch.
Joey's family hits him at every chance they get. When his grandma hit him I chortle.
They both turn towards me. It's like they forgot I was there and just saw me.
I wave at the elderly lady. Who am I kidding this whole family has found the fountain of youth because no one looks like they hit middle age.
After more bickering between the two.
Joey walks towards me.
"This is my grandmother, her name is Maria. She's angry at me because I haven't fed you. We are going back to my mom's place." I stand up and turn to Maria.
"Hola, me llamo Isabella." I know basics... only basics.
Maria said so many things at once really fast. I could only pick out certain words, like hola, Hermosa, cómo estás and such. Joey has to translate this.
"She said hello, and that you are beautiful. She's wondering how you are and she wants to know how poorly I'm treating you because I'm a son of a...gun." He seethes out the last part between his teeth.
I give Maria a hug. "I love your family."
"How are you going to say you love my family when you despise me and my sister, and creeped out by Bruno?"
"Okay, I love your mom and your grandparents." I laugh.
"Whatever let's go." He pulls my hand to the car.
"Adiós Abuela."
She gives us a wave goodbye.
I look at the time and we were at the farm for a good six hours. It's already two in the afternoon.
When we get back to Elena's beautiful home. We both take a shower because I think it's disrespectful if I am smelly and sweating in front of the Easterbrook family.
I told Joey I would be around his mom when he's done his shower.
So Elena and I were in the kitchen.
She apologizes to me, "Isabella, I'm sorry Joey tried to embarrass you on live television."
"Elena, call me Izzy. And it's alright, Joey, and I have a complicated, companionship."
"Princess, I'm hurt, aren't we friends?" Joey comes waltzing in.
"Oh my gosh. This cannot be happening. Let me see what you packed because there is no way we are matching again!"
I'm wearing a grey tank top and black basketball shorts. He has the same thing going on.
"I think you need to stop shopping in the men's section," he laughs.
"I wear whatever I want. And I feel like you are doing this on purpose."
"Remember Princess, my house, my rules." And he walks away with a bounce in his step.
So what do y'all think of Joey's family so far?
Ladies and gentlemen I do not speak Spanish. 🙃
Anyways I forgot yesterday was Tuesday....
Well there will be another chapter tomorrow so it's okay 😂