Chapter Twelve: Normal People Activities
"I've been away for ages, but I've got everything I need. I'm flicking through the pages I've written in my memory." -One Direction: Don't Forget Where You Belong.
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We spill out of the car to be met by a chilly wind. My sweatshirt does little to keep the cold from my skin. The car beeps when I lock it before I pocket the keys. The four of us begin walking to the building.
"You got the lists?"
"Yeah, they're in my pocket."
"All four of them?"
"All four," Bucky confirms.
"Sheesh, do you think we're going to be able to fit all the bags in the car?" Steve looks over at Alex as we cross the parking lot.
"If not, we'll just strap Natasha to the top to make more room," I joke.
"No, I think Bucky is pretty good about the top of cars," Natasha jokes.
"Ha," Steve laughs.
"Not funny," Bucky glares at him.
Since there are a total of eleven of us, we have been going through food like no one's business. Within the week we have cleaned out my grandparents' refrigerator and pantry. Last night we had a lovely dinner of canned fruits and canned soup. That evening it was decided that it was best to make a run to the store the next day. A piece of paper was passed around for everyone to write down what they needed. Everyone submitted a list. Now before lunch, Bucky, Steve, Natasha, and I make the trip to the supermarket.
We're greeted by a blast of heat as we enter the grocery store. Natasha and Steve grab a cart. Bucky hands Natasha two of the lists. I recognize a mischievous gleam come over his eyes. He jumps onto the front of the cart.
"Buck, no," Steve groans.
"Come on, just to the first aisle," He smirks.
"You are such a kid," Steve rolls his eyes but continues to push the cart.
"Meet up at the front when you're done?" Bucky asks from the front of the cart.
Natasha and I nod before we go our separate ways. Natasha says that boxed foods are first on the list. My grandma took the time to organize everything we put on the list into categories. We make our way up and down the rows of shelves grabbing various bags and boxes of foods. Natasha reads off the list as I throw the packages into the cart.
Our cart is already half full by the time we finish the list of boxed foods. Last on the first list are dairy and other animal products. We head to the left back corner of the store. After loading up on eggs, milk, cheese, and milk, we find the freezer containing yogurt. Natasha tells me what to get and I begin piling the different containers of yogurt into the cart.
"I never thought eleven people would ever want this much yogurt," I dump an armful of it into the cart.
Natasha hums in response as I go back to get another armful of Steve's wanted Greek yogurt. Another woman comes up a few feet away from me to get her own groceries. I am skillfully balancing a pack of yogurt on a tub of it as I grab two of the individual containers when the lady speaks up.
"Monica? Monica Potts?" She turns to me.
I expect the woman to be someone that saw me on television and connects me with Tony. However, I am surprised to be met by a familiar face, "Mrs. Hannick?"
"Oh, please, you graduated almost five years ago, I think you can call me Sarah," She laughs. Sarah Hannick was my sophomore chemistry teacher in high school. She is also a very good friend of my grandmother, for they both go to the same church.
"Sorry," I chuckle, "Funny running into you here."
"Yes, I didn't know you were home! I just stopped by your grandmother's last week and she didn't think you'd be back for a while."
"Well, circumstances change," I hum with a polite smile.
"Now you're up in New York living the big life. Just to think that a girl from Oakley was secretly Tony Stark's child still blows my mind," She smiles, "I always thought you were a smart student, but never half of what you really are! What are you up to now these days?"
"I graduated college over a year ago and now I just live with my parents in New York and cause a bit of mischief," I answer, "How have you been?"
"Good, I haven't been able to find a better pianist thought for the church since you left! How long are you in town?"
"Indefinitely, if I'm here this Sunday still I think I'm going to go to church with my grandparents."
"If you'd be interested, I know the music ministry would be delighted if you joined them for one service."
"That would actually be wonderful. I was just thinking, well, it was like a year ago actually, that I should play because my grandma hasn't heard me in a few years," I unload the yogurt into my cart, "I'll let you know."
"Sounds good! And-" Sarah notices Natasha for the first time, "Hello, I'm Sarah."
"This is Natasha, she's a friend," I answer as both of the women smile politely.
"Well, Monica, we better go get all of the frozen foods," Natasha pulls out the second list.
"I bet Bucky and Steve aren't even halfway finished of their first list," I kid.
"It was nice to catch up with you, Monica!" Sarah takes to her cart in the opposite direction.
"You too," I wave.
Natasha and I head to the frozen foods. She asks who that woman was. I tell her who Sarah Hannick is as we go up and down the freezers. I throw in bags of various frozen vegetables, fruits, meats, and meals. We are barely halfway down the list when our cart begins to overflow. I have to precariously balance the boxes and bags on the mound so they do not topple over. I'm putting in a bag of frozen corn when I feel my phone vibrating in my back pocket. I check the caller ID before answering.
"What'cha want, Daddy-O?" I answer.
"Ha, guess who showed up?" He chuffs.
"Seriously? Is he staying with us?"
"Yeah, and it's not just him; Erik, Jane, and two interns named Darcy and Ian are here too. Jane is staying; she has an RV out on the curb. The two interns and Erik are leaving soon though. You might want to grab mutton for Thunder Arms while you're there."
"No way, we have way more than enough food for thirteen people," I reply. Natasha gives me a questioning look. I mouth "Thor" to her. "What made him show up? How did he know where we were?"
"He said the Bifrost has been repaired so he was visiting Jane. The bombings were on the news so he decided to find us. With help from Jane, he called the Avengers Tower. Jarvis told him where we're at and now they're here."
"Wow.... Okay, we'll be home shortly," I exhale loudly.
"Alright, the circus will be waiting," Tony responds.
With that said, I hang up. I repeat the information that Tony has told me to Natasha. She seems unfazed by the added guests as looks over the final list. She announces that we have everything on the list. I cheer briefly as we head to the front of the store to checkout. Tony gave me his credit card since nearly a thousand dollars of daily groceries are enough to take make a dent in one's S.H.I.E.L.D. bank account.
Steve and Bucky are not there by the cashiers when we get there. Natasha and I wait a few minutes to give them time. We begin to get impatient, so I decide to call Steve.
"Where are you guys? Natasha and I are done and up front," I inquire.
"When your grandma writes 'steak', what kind of steak does she mean?" Steve ponders.
"You're on meats?" I exclaim, "That's like the beginning of your second list."
"The first list was all drinks, pastas, and breakfast foods; that's a lot!"
"Not more than us! You still have all the fresh produce to get!"
"We'll get it! Just tell me what steaks we should get!"
"Sirloin," I answer.
"Thank you," He says before I click the button to end the call.
I gripe to Natasha that they're just starting their second list. She groans softly. We stand in the front of the supermarket for another twenty minutes. Natasha mindlessly pushes the heavy cart back and forth. I find entertainment in standing on the front of the cart while she pushes.
Finally Bucky and Steve come with a cart even fuller than ours. We start the long process of putting our goods onto the conveyor belt. When the man in front of us takes his receipt and leaves, we can see the cashier. I recognize the boy at the cash register; he was in my class in high school. I really hope he does not recognize me, for I cannot remember his name and I don't really want to talk to him.
To my luck, he does not say anything as he begins scanning our things. He does keep staring at me, however. It takes a while for all of our purchases to be scanned. No one dares to get in line behind us as they know it will take a while before we will be finished. Bucky takes the bags as they come and place them back into the carts. The cashier looks grateful as he scans the last item. I swipe the credit card and sign as Tony. A very long receipt is pushed out by the printer.
"Have a good day," He still eyes me as I take the receipt.
"Thank you," A few of us reply as we take our carts.
We cross the parking lot back to where we parked. We open up the trunk and put down the back row of seats. We put all of the bags in the trunk and the first row of backseats. I push the carts to the cart return. I shiver as I head back to the car. I slide in the driver's seat and turn on the car. Since I am an Oakley native, it is easier for me to drive since I know where everything is. When I turn to look behind me as I back out, I notice that it looks like a sea of white plastic bags in the backseats. White surrounds Bucky and Steve who sit in the middle of it all.
"I hope we don't stay here long enough to have to do that again," Steve comments as I drive out of the parking lot.
"I haven't been grocery shopping in years," Bucky comments.
"Same here," Natasha agrees.
"Watch us have to leave tomorrow and leave only my grandma and grandpa with all of this food," I speculate.
"They would never have to grocery shop again!"
"And for us it will only last us a week."
We fall into silence after Natasha's last comment. I turn on the radio to not make anyone deal with the quietness. Some pop song comes playing through the speakers. It is only a short ten minute drive before I turn onto my grandparents' road. The center console lights up with an incoming call.
"You're on with everyone," I answer the call through the Bluetooth system.
"Where are you guys?" Tony asks.
"About to pull in to the driveway, why?" I respond.
"You need to come to your garage as soon as possible. You have to see this."
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Sorry for the short chapter. I hope you still like it! We can't leave out that Monica is from Oakley. She left her entire life there when she joined SHIELD.
Dedication to @Marveldowneyjr <3
x JLG