Disclaimer~ Hi!!! I'm Back!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry it's taken so long for me to
update, but here I am!!! This'll be my last update for a few weeks. My Mom
has to have surgery on Friday, and I'm gonna take care of her till she's
better. Okay, you know the drill, on with the story!!!!!!!! Okay, I know
there might be some mistakes in the last chapter, but it was late when I
wrote it, so forgive me!!!!!!!!!! Oh, and Lou, shirtless Ace just for
you!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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"Storm! Phone!" Vern called to me from the kitchen.
"Who is it?" I called back, walking down the stars.
"I dunno. Some girl."
I took the phone from Vern. "Gee, you're a huge help Vernon. Now get the fuck out of the kitchen."
"Go screw." He told me, heading out the back door.
I rolled my eyes. "Hello?"
"Hi, Storm? This is Lou."
"Lou! Hey, what's up?" I pulled a stool up to the counter to sit down. It was Saturday, our first weekend after the start of school.
"Oh, nothing. I was just wondering if you wanted to come over? I mean, if your not gonna be hanging out with Eyeball."
I shook my head, then realized I was on the phone and Lou couldn't see me. "No, I'm not hanging out with Eyeball. Him and Ace are working in Ace's dad's garage. Sure, I'll come over. Where do you live?"
Lou gave me her address and I promised to be right over. "Uncle Dan! Can you drive me to a friends house?" I asked.
"Yeah, I guess I can." Uncle Dan smiled at me and I smiled back. He really was a nice guy, despite what my Mother had said about him. "You ready to go?"
"Yes." We sat in the car, not really speaking. I didn't know what to say to him.
"So, um, Charlene tells me you're dating that Chambers' boys, Richard." Uncle Dan commented.
"Uh, yeah, I am." I replied, praying a lecture wasn't about to follow.
"Oh, well, thats good. You're dating, making friends. He seems like a nice boy. I went to school with his Father, you know."
I turned to him in surprise. "You did?"
Uncle Dan chuckled. "Don't look so surprised, Storm. Drew Chambers was a year ahead of me. He had a crush on your mother, too."
"What?! On my Mother!? Did she go out with him?"
"Camille? No way. She was waiting for a ticket out of this town and Drew wasn't it." Uncle Dan smiled a sardonic smile. "That's where your father came in."
"Did you know him? My father, I mean." I asked. I couldn't help but be curious.
"Yeah, I knew Luke. He was my best friend. Then he swept your mother off to California and I never saw him again. Some friend, huh?"
Wow. Talked about some undying feelings. Uncle Dan sounded pretty pissed off at both my parents. How could I blame him, though? If my best friend had run off with my sister(if I had one)I'd be pissed too.
"Which house does Lou live in?" Uncle Dan asked, as we pulled onto Weston Drive. I guess he didn't want to talk about it anymore.
"Uh, the fourth white one, on the left." Uncle Dan pulled into her driveway. I could see Lou on the front porch. She waved at me. I quickly kissed Uncle Dan on his cheek, something I had never done before.
"Thanks for the ride, Uncle Dan. And thanks for telling me a little about my dad." I told him.
"You're welcome, Storm. Have fun."
"I will." I replied, as I climbed out of the car. "See you later."
He nodded and drove away.
"That your Uncle?" Lou asked.
"Yep. So.................this is your house?" It was two story, white, and kinda plain.
"Yeah. I know, it sucks. Come in, and you can meet my Mom. Thankfully, the stepdick's not here. I hate him." Lou said as she led me into their house. "Mom! Come meet my friend!"
Her mom appeared practically out of no where. She looked almost excatly like Lou. "Hello. I'm Linda Patrick, Lou's mother. You must be Storm."
"Yes Ma'am, I am."
"Oh, honey, don't call me 'ma'am'. Call me Linda. All Lou's friends do." She told me. Her slight Southern accent annoyed me.
"Um, okay Linda."
"Let's go up to my room." Lou said. She practically pulled me up there. "I hate it when she acts like that! I'm so embarassed."
"Yeah, she's........." I trailed off, not knowing how to end that sentence.
"I know how she is. She wasn't like that till she married Ryan." Lou sat on her bed. She had a nice room. It was simalar to mine, without the pink.
"Ryan's your stepdad?" I asked as I sat beside her.
"Yeah. He's only 28. That's ten years younger than her! He hates me and Karen. He tried to get Mom to leave us behind when we moved, but Mom wouldn't do it. Sometimes I wished she had." Lou looked so sad. I had to do something to cheer her up.
"Then you wouldn't have met me......or Ace."
She giggled. "That's true. So, what do you wanna do?"
"Oh, I don't know. We could walk over to the Merrill's garage, if you want." I suggested, lifting my eyebrows.
Lou turned red. "Well, maybe we could."
"Maybe? What's maybe? We have to! Now, come on!"
We giggled as we headed down the stairs. "Mom, we're going to hang out with some friends! Be back later!"
"Okay!" Her mom answered.
We walked to Merrills Garage, which wasn't that far, just a few streets away. When we entered the garage, Ace was bending, shirtless, inside the hood of a red Chevy car, and Eyeball was laying underneath it on one of those rolling things. I knew it was him, because I reconized his shoes. I had written 'HI!' in bright blue ink pen on the white, rubber sole of his left shoe just the day before.
"Hey guys!" I said. Ace jumped and hit his head on the hood.
"Ow! Shit!" He said. Lou and I giggled. "It's not funny, you guys! Stop laughing! I demand you two to stop laughing!"
That just made us laugh harder. Eyeball pushed himself out from underneath the Chevy. "What's going on? What's funny?" He asked. I tried to talk but couldn't catch my breath.
"These two clowns won't shut up!" Ace said. Lou stopped laughing immeditly.
"He bumped his head." I told Eyeball, finally able to talk. "And he's pissed because we laughed."
"Oh. Okay." Eyeball apperently didn't think it was too funny. "So what are you guys doing here?"
"We were bored, so we decided to pay you guys a visit." I replied, sitting down in a metal folding chair. "Is it just you two manning the fort?"
"Yeah." Ace said. He was talking to me, but he was looking at Lou. She seemed to notice for the first time that he had no shirt on. She blushed.
Something that always irratated me about Ace, even though he was nearly an adult, he had no hair on his chest. None. I mean, sure, Eyeball wasn't some hairy gorrilla, but he did have SOME hair around his bellybotton.
"So, do you shave you chest, or what?" I asked Ace. He rolled his eyes.
"Grass doen't grow on a playground." He replied, pulling some soda's out of the freezer. He offered one to Eyeball and on to Lou.
"What about me?" I asked.
"No." Ace said. "You made fun of my hairless chest. You can't have one."
I pouted. "Eyeball can I have yours?"
Eyeball shook his head. "No way. It's hot and I'm thirsty. Besides, my bottles almost empty." He shook it a little.
"You guys!" I stomped my foot. "Fine! Ace, I'm sorry. I'm sure you'll grow lots of chest hair soon! Can I have a soda?"
"Whats the magic word?" Ace asked, grinning a bit.
"NOW!!!!" I said.
"Close enough." Ace handed me a soda.
"Finally. Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Lou and I spent the rest of the day watching Ace and Eyeball work on that dumb Chevy. Actually, it was fun. They told stupid jokes and kept us supplied with soda's. Finally, at 5:00, Ace closed the shop.
"Ready to go?" He asked us. "I'm driving us home."
Eyeball and I climbed in the backseat. Lou looked at us helplessly, then got in the front.
"I'm gonna drop you off first, Lou, okay?" Ace told her as he got in the drivers seat.
"Alright." Lou practically whispered. It only took a few minutes to get to her house. When we got there, Ace walked Lou to her front door.
"Why do I feel like we're intruding on a date?" I asked Eyeball.
"I don't know, but I feel like that too. Weird, huh?" We watched Ace talk to Lou. Her eye brightened and she nodded. He kissed her cheek and she went in the house.
"Did you ask her out?" I demanded of Ace as soon he got back in the car.
"Yeah. Is that a problem?"
"No, I'm glad you asked her. The poor girl needs a little cheering up." I told him.
"I think I could be the one to do that." Ace said. I had a vague idea of what he meant by that, but I didn't pay any attention to it. Maybe I should have.
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"Storm! Phone!" Vern called to me from the kitchen.
"Who is it?" I called back, walking down the stars.
"I dunno. Some girl."
I took the phone from Vern. "Gee, you're a huge help Vernon. Now get the fuck out of the kitchen."
"Go screw." He told me, heading out the back door.
I rolled my eyes. "Hello?"
"Hi, Storm? This is Lou."
"Lou! Hey, what's up?" I pulled a stool up to the counter to sit down. It was Saturday, our first weekend after the start of school.
"Oh, nothing. I was just wondering if you wanted to come over? I mean, if your not gonna be hanging out with Eyeball."
I shook my head, then realized I was on the phone and Lou couldn't see me. "No, I'm not hanging out with Eyeball. Him and Ace are working in Ace's dad's garage. Sure, I'll come over. Where do you live?"
Lou gave me her address and I promised to be right over. "Uncle Dan! Can you drive me to a friends house?" I asked.
"Yeah, I guess I can." Uncle Dan smiled at me and I smiled back. He really was a nice guy, despite what my Mother had said about him. "You ready to go?"
"Yes." We sat in the car, not really speaking. I didn't know what to say to him.
"So, um, Charlene tells me you're dating that Chambers' boys, Richard." Uncle Dan commented.
"Uh, yeah, I am." I replied, praying a lecture wasn't about to follow.
"Oh, well, thats good. You're dating, making friends. He seems like a nice boy. I went to school with his Father, you know."
I turned to him in surprise. "You did?"
Uncle Dan chuckled. "Don't look so surprised, Storm. Drew Chambers was a year ahead of me. He had a crush on your mother, too."
"What?! On my Mother!? Did she go out with him?"
"Camille? No way. She was waiting for a ticket out of this town and Drew wasn't it." Uncle Dan smiled a sardonic smile. "That's where your father came in."
"Did you know him? My father, I mean." I asked. I couldn't help but be curious.
"Yeah, I knew Luke. He was my best friend. Then he swept your mother off to California and I never saw him again. Some friend, huh?"
Wow. Talked about some undying feelings. Uncle Dan sounded pretty pissed off at both my parents. How could I blame him, though? If my best friend had run off with my sister(if I had one)I'd be pissed too.
"Which house does Lou live in?" Uncle Dan asked, as we pulled onto Weston Drive. I guess he didn't want to talk about it anymore.
"Uh, the fourth white one, on the left." Uncle Dan pulled into her driveway. I could see Lou on the front porch. She waved at me. I quickly kissed Uncle Dan on his cheek, something I had never done before.
"Thanks for the ride, Uncle Dan. And thanks for telling me a little about my dad." I told him.
"You're welcome, Storm. Have fun."
"I will." I replied, as I climbed out of the car. "See you later."
He nodded and drove away.
"That your Uncle?" Lou asked.
"Yep. So.................this is your house?" It was two story, white, and kinda plain.
"Yeah. I know, it sucks. Come in, and you can meet my Mom. Thankfully, the stepdick's not here. I hate him." Lou said as she led me into their house. "Mom! Come meet my friend!"
Her mom appeared practically out of no where. She looked almost excatly like Lou. "Hello. I'm Linda Patrick, Lou's mother. You must be Storm."
"Yes Ma'am, I am."
"Oh, honey, don't call me 'ma'am'. Call me Linda. All Lou's friends do." She told me. Her slight Southern accent annoyed me.
"Um, okay Linda."
"Let's go up to my room." Lou said. She practically pulled me up there. "I hate it when she acts like that! I'm so embarassed."
"Yeah, she's........." I trailed off, not knowing how to end that sentence.
"I know how she is. She wasn't like that till she married Ryan." Lou sat on her bed. She had a nice room. It was simalar to mine, without the pink.
"Ryan's your stepdad?" I asked as I sat beside her.
"Yeah. He's only 28. That's ten years younger than her! He hates me and Karen. He tried to get Mom to leave us behind when we moved, but Mom wouldn't do it. Sometimes I wished she had." Lou looked so sad. I had to do something to cheer her up.
"Then you wouldn't have met me......or Ace."
She giggled. "That's true. So, what do you wanna do?"
"Oh, I don't know. We could walk over to the Merrill's garage, if you want." I suggested, lifting my eyebrows.
Lou turned red. "Well, maybe we could."
"Maybe? What's maybe? We have to! Now, come on!"
We giggled as we headed down the stairs. "Mom, we're going to hang out with some friends! Be back later!"
"Okay!" Her mom answered.
We walked to Merrills Garage, which wasn't that far, just a few streets away. When we entered the garage, Ace was bending, shirtless, inside the hood of a red Chevy car, and Eyeball was laying underneath it on one of those rolling things. I knew it was him, because I reconized his shoes. I had written 'HI!' in bright blue ink pen on the white, rubber sole of his left shoe just the day before.
"Hey guys!" I said. Ace jumped and hit his head on the hood.
"Ow! Shit!" He said. Lou and I giggled. "It's not funny, you guys! Stop laughing! I demand you two to stop laughing!"
That just made us laugh harder. Eyeball pushed himself out from underneath the Chevy. "What's going on? What's funny?" He asked. I tried to talk but couldn't catch my breath.
"These two clowns won't shut up!" Ace said. Lou stopped laughing immeditly.
"He bumped his head." I told Eyeball, finally able to talk. "And he's pissed because we laughed."
"Oh. Okay." Eyeball apperently didn't think it was too funny. "So what are you guys doing here?"
"We were bored, so we decided to pay you guys a visit." I replied, sitting down in a metal folding chair. "Is it just you two manning the fort?"
"Yeah." Ace said. He was talking to me, but he was looking at Lou. She seemed to notice for the first time that he had no shirt on. She blushed.
Something that always irratated me about Ace, even though he was nearly an adult, he had no hair on his chest. None. I mean, sure, Eyeball wasn't some hairy gorrilla, but he did have SOME hair around his bellybotton.
"So, do you shave you chest, or what?" I asked Ace. He rolled his eyes.
"Grass doen't grow on a playground." He replied, pulling some soda's out of the freezer. He offered one to Eyeball and on to Lou.
"What about me?" I asked.
"No." Ace said. "You made fun of my hairless chest. You can't have one."
I pouted. "Eyeball can I have yours?"
Eyeball shook his head. "No way. It's hot and I'm thirsty. Besides, my bottles almost empty." He shook it a little.
"You guys!" I stomped my foot. "Fine! Ace, I'm sorry. I'm sure you'll grow lots of chest hair soon! Can I have a soda?"
"Whats the magic word?" Ace asked, grinning a bit.
"NOW!!!!" I said.
"Close enough." Ace handed me a soda.
"Finally. Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Lou and I spent the rest of the day watching Ace and Eyeball work on that dumb Chevy. Actually, it was fun. They told stupid jokes and kept us supplied with soda's. Finally, at 5:00, Ace closed the shop.
"Ready to go?" He asked us. "I'm driving us home."
Eyeball and I climbed in the backseat. Lou looked at us helplessly, then got in the front.
"I'm gonna drop you off first, Lou, okay?" Ace told her as he got in the drivers seat.
"Alright." Lou practically whispered. It only took a few minutes to get to her house. When we got there, Ace walked Lou to her front door.
"Why do I feel like we're intruding on a date?" I asked Eyeball.
"I don't know, but I feel like that too. Weird, huh?" We watched Ace talk to Lou. Her eye brightened and she nodded. He kissed her cheek and she went in the house.
"Did you ask her out?" I demanded of Ace as soon he got back in the car.
"Yeah. Is that a problem?"
"No, I'm glad you asked her. The poor girl needs a little cheering up." I told him.
"I think I could be the one to do that." Ace said. I had a vague idea of what he meant by that, but I didn't pay any attention to it. Maybe I should have.