Did y'all watch Private Practice last night? I won't give it away if anyone didn't see it yet but we finally got some interesting Charlotte back story-wow! Enjoy this chapter!
CHAPTER 29
Chase meets Tess at the entrance to the pier. Tess's wearing a blue tight dress and heels. Her straight blonde hair reaches her shoulders. Her long bangs swoop to the side.
"How did you get here?" Chase asks as he approaches her.
"My brother dropped me off. He's picking me up at ten."
"Didn't he want to meet me?" Chase asks.
"Uh…no…why would he want to do that?"
"You look nice." Chase tells her
"Thanks."
Chase chuckles and tells Tess, "I should have warned you not to wear heels to the Pier. It's like wearing heels to the carnival."
"I'm not an idiot, Chase. I've passed by the Pier a dozen times. I know it's like a carnival."
Chase shrugs it off. "What kind of rides do you like? They have a roller coaster, a ferris wheel, a scrambler."
"I'm up for anything." Tess says. "The more dangerous the more I like it." Tess points to the Pacific Plunger. "How high does that go up?" She asks Chase.
"That ride goes up about nine stories and then it drops you." Chase tells her. He's been to the pier enough times since he was a kid to know all the rides.
"I wanna go on that one."
"You have to try the Pacific Coaster. It's my momma's favorite ride."
"Are you here with your momma or me?"
Chase is taken back by that. "With... you." He answers quietly.
"So, why do you wanna go on your momma's favorite ride if you're with me?"
"I was just sayin'...- we don't have to go on it."
"It's okay we can go on it. I just don't want to hang out with a dude who talks about his momma all the time. Momma's boys are pathetic."
Chase swallows. He doesn't know how to answer. So he changes the subject. "I'm studying for my drivers test. If I was driving already then I could have picked you up." They walk along the pier and stop to buy tickets for the rides they want to go on.
"When do you turn sixteen?" Tess asks.
"Next month." Chase takes the tickets and they continue to walk.
"I turned sixteen two months ago. I just moved here so I haven't had a chance to take the driving test yet." Tess tells him. "We'll see who gets their license first."
"I've was practicing every day with my dad until he went in the hospital two weeks ago."
Tess teases him,"I can teach you after I get my license." Then she stops and asks, " why's your dad in the hospital?"
"He had a heart attack and had to have major heart surgery."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry, he's coming home from the hospital tomorrow. Do you just want to go on the Pacific wheel first since it's right here and there's no line?" Chase asks.
"Okay." Tess nods.
"Hey Chase!" Lila comes running over. "Do you want to hang out with us?" She points to Marley, Cole Jr. and Noah who are playing the long range basketball throw game.
"Sorry, but I'm hanging out with Tess tonight."
"Oh." Lila looks Tess over. "Are you on a date?"
Chase looks at Tess, he's not sure if they're on a date or if they're just hanging out as friends, he decides to play it safe. "We're just friends."
Tess's face falls a little. She turns away not to let it show.
"You and your friend can hang out with us." Lila tells him.
"We want to go on the Pacific wheel. Maybe we'll run into you later."
"Okay. Meet up with you later." Lila runs back over to Noah and the other kids.
"Who was that?" Tess asks.
"Lila, she's a friend."
"She likes you." Tess tells him as they board their bucket seat of the Ferris Wheel.
"She's only thirteen besides my younger brother likes her so that wouldn't be cool." The ride starts moving.
"How do you know her?" Tess asks, watching Lila from the top of the Pacific wheel.
"We've known each other since we were babies. My parents and her parents are best friends."
"I still think she has a crush on you. I could tell."
"Well, I don't like her, not in that way. I like older women." He winks at her since she told him she turned sixteen already. She's three months older than him.
"You're looking for a cougar?" Tess teases him.
"Yeah sure." Chase shrugs and looks over at the sunset. "Isn't that wild?"
"What the sunset?" Tess looks over at it too. "It's awesome."
"Yeah." Chase agrees.
"Not just the sunset but it's awesome bein' here with you to watch it with." Tess tells him, her southern drawl more noticeable now that she's allowing herself to relax a bit.
"Really?" Chase asks. "You think I'm awesome?" Chase winks at her to lighten the moment. He's feeling a little overwhelmed that this gorgeous hot girl thinks he's awesome.
"I think it's awesome that you can wink. When my brother and I were little we used to try and wink but we could never do it right. We looked like cyclopses when we tried."
Chase laughs. "I don't have to try. Remind me to teach you when you come over next week." He winks at her again.
"You're adorable when you do that."
Chase moves closer to Tess. He wants so bad to kiss her but he's afraid how she'll react so they sit close and watch the sun set from the Ferris wheel.
Noah wins a prize from the basketball throw game. "You just got lucky, man." Cole Jr. tells him.
"Noah's on the school basketball team. He should have won for shooting hoops." Lila informs.
"Oh…how cute?" Cole Jr. teases. "Noah picked out a teddy bear for his prize."
"It's not for me." Noah hands the teddy bear to Marley while Lila's face falls to a frown.
"Thank you." Marley beams. Marley has long wavy dark hair and looks just like her mother Jolie.
"Can I talk to you a minute?" Lila pulls Noah to the side.
"What?" Noah asks.
"Why did you give that bear to Marley?" Lila asks. "Do you like her or something?"
"I had to pick between the two of you. I wasn't about to give it to Cole."
"Why'd you pick her?"
"I don't know, I just did." Noah shrugs. "If it bothers you so much, I'll play hoops again and win something for you."
"It doesn't bother me. I was just wondering why you picked her over me? Do you like her?"
"Maybe a little."
"I thought so." Lila marches off back to the game area. Noah follows her. "You can't be mad at me, Lila, I like who I like and besides you have a crush on Chase. Everyone knows that."
"Chase is here with some hot blonde girl." Lila shoots.
"Really? Chase has a date? Finally, I was beginning to wonder about him." Noah smirks.
"There they are!" Lila points. "They're getting off the Pacific wheel now."
Noah looks her over. "You weren't joking. She's is hot."
Lila pouts and walks away from Noah. "Wait up, Lila." Noah follows her back to where Marley is standing with her twin Cole. Marley gives Noah a hug.
"Why'd you do that?" Noah asks.
"Cuz, you won me the bear, c'mon." Marley grabs Noah's hand and leads him to the Ferris wheel.
"I hate this night." Lila tells Cole Jr.. The two of them continue playing games, trying to win something.
It gets close to ten pm. Chase shares a funnel cake and an icee with Tess while they wait for her brother to pick her up. "Here he is." Tess tells Chase. "Do you need a ride home?" Tess asks hopeful.
"Lila's dad is picking us up in a few minutes." Noah notices Tess's smile fall. "On second thought why do I want to hang out with a bunch of thirteen year olds? I'll ride home with you." Chase texts Lila that he found another ride home.
Lila pouts when she reads the text and doesn't bother to text Chase back.
Tess sits in the passenger seat while Chase sits alone in the backseat as Tess's brother drives them home. They tell her brother about the Santa Monica pier. Tess's brother pulls up to the Freedman house and Chase gets out. Tess opens up her car door and gets out too.
"What are you doing?" Chase asks.
"I'm walking you to the door." Tess tells him.
"Oh. I never had a girl walk me to the door before." He never actually went out with a girl before.
"Maybe when you get your license you can drive me home and walk me to my door." Tess grabs his hand and tells him.
Chase swallows. "I can't wait for that day."
They reach the front steps. Tess surprises Chase when she suddenly presses her lips into his. Her lips are soft on his. She lets her lips linger on his until he kisses her back softly. This is new for Chase, his first kiss and he was caught by surprise.
"Thank you." Chase says after the kiss and then realizes that might have sounded dumb or desperate. He's too nervous to think of anything else to say so he just says, "I'll see you at school Monday."
"See you at school." Tess pulls him in one more time and gives him another kiss of the same type, this one lasting a few seconds longer. After she breaks the kiss she says "bye" and tries to wink as she walks away.
Chase can't help but smile at her attempt to wink at him. He walks in the front door. "Oooooh! Chase has a girlfriend." Andie teases. "What's her name?"
"You were watching?" Chase asks Andie.
"Me and momma were looking out the window to see who that strange car was that pulled in the driveway. We saw you get out with that girl and kiss her."
"She kissed me." Chase tells Andie. "Momma saw?'
"Yep."
Charlotte walks in the room smiling. "Something you want to tell us, Chase?"
"Not really."
"What's her name?"
"Tess. She just moved here last week from Georgia. I met her at school."
"She's from Georgia? I like her already." Charlotte tells him. "Your father's coming home tomorrow so make sure you don't make a mess. I want the house looking good when he comes home from the hospital."
"Yes, momma." Chase calls out to Charlotte as she walks back into the kitchen.
Chase joins Andie on the couch to watch a movie and eat some popcorn. "Where's Nicky tonight?"
"His band had to play at a wedding tonight so I got to hang out with momma and Drew."
"That's cool."
"No." Andie munches her popcorn. "We were cleaning the house all night, even though the house was already clean to start with." Andie rolls her eyes.
Chase laughs. "Momma just wants daddy to know she can handle things without him. She wants us and the house to be in perfect order when dad gets home."
"Why does she want him to think that? What is she so worried about?" Andie asks.
Noah walks in the door. "Boy… is Lila mad at you!" Noah tells Chase.
"Why?"
"Cuz, you went home with that hottie you were at the pier with."
"So, what's the big deal. We're friends." Chase shrugs.
"Looked like you were more than just friends to me by that kiss, no, I mean those kisses." Andie teases Chase.
"You kissed her?" Noah asks.
"She kissed me." Chase boasts. "Twice."
"Ohhh….Lila's going to be so mad. She likes you."
Chase answers while eating popcorn. "Lila's only thirteen. I'm going to be sixteen next month. It would be like robbing the cradle if I liked her."
Andie answers. "No it's not. Nicky's three years older than me. Age shouldn't matter."
"Aha!" Noah calls out. "I thought you were still seeing him."
"I'm not." Andie lies to her younger brother. "I was just sayin' when we were seeing each other it didn't matter to me that he was three years older."
"But it's different if it's a thirteen year old and a sixteen year old." Chase explains. "Thirteen is a baby compared to a sixteen year old. It's sick to even think of a thirteen year old dating a sixteen year old."
"Lila has a crush on you." Andie teases. "Can't a little girl dream?"
Chase shrugs and tells Noah. "Look at it this way, if Lila is mad at me, maybe she'll like you now."
"I like Marley."
"You like Marley?" Andie asks. "Why? Marley is a mini Jolie."
"She's hot and nice, I like her." Noah shrugs. "She's a lot of fun."
"Mom's not going to like that." Andie teases. "You're going to have to sneak around if you date her."
"We're not dating. I just said I like her."
"Does she like you?" Chase asks.
"I think so. She hugged me and held my hand after I won her a teddy bear."
Chase high fives his little brother, then says. "I bet Lila didn't like that."
"Lila was okay with it until you texted her you were getting a ride home with that hottie. Then her horns came out." Noah tells them. Andie and Chase laugh.
Charlotte comes out of the kitchen. "What are y'all laughing about?"
"Nothing, momma." Chase says.
"Can I watch the movie with you?" Charlotte sits down on the couch.
"Sure." Noah tells his mother and the kids are all suddenly quiet. They all munch on popcorn and watch the movie.
"Why'd y'all get quiet when I came in the room?" Charlotte asks.
"I don't know." Andie shrugs. "We just want to watch the movie."
Charlotte sighs and wonders what Cooper would do.
A/N- I want to give a shout out to all of you! I have the most awesome, wonderful readers/reviewers! =)
Keep giving me feedback, positive, negative. It keeps me motivated to write for y'all. You all rock!
