Chapter 5
"Don't worry about her, Ethan. I'm sure it was an accident. It will take some time to convince Luis though, so I better go and start. You two have fun." Pilar said smiling.
"Thanks, Mama." Teresa said.
"Thank you, Mrs. Lopez-Fitzgerald."
"No problem." She told them.
"I'll talk to you later." Teresa told Ethan.
"Wait, I want to talk to you."
"Right now, Ethan, I just want to be alone. Clear my head."
"Can I call you later then?" He asked.
"That won't be so wise with Luis and all."
"Well, when will I be able to see you?" He asked Teresa.
"I don't know." She ran out of the house very fast.
She didn't know where to go. She hardly knew the town. She remembered though when she drove here at first that she saw a cafe. She would try there. When she arrived there, she looked inside before entering. She saw so may people that were happy. Her life was like hell. Daddy and Antonio were gone, and she was in love with an engaged man. She really just wanted to escape it all right now. She stepped inside and went to the counter.
"Hi can I help you?" The girl asked.
"I wish." Teresa held under her breath, but the girl heard her. "One coffee."
"Decaf?"
"I guess." Teresa said sounding depressed.
"Okay. I'll bring it to you. Go have a seat."
Teresa found a corner where no one was. She sat there and let out a few tears. She saw the girl approaching, so she dried her eyes. The girl noticed her wipe away her tears though. The girl placed the coffee in from of Teresa and took a seat.
"Hi." She said. "Do you wanna talk about something?"
"No offense, but I don't know you, and you don't know me."
"I know. You're Teresa though. Right?"
"How did you know?" Teresa asked.
"Harmony is a small town. My family is friends with the Bennett's. They told us that you were moving here. I'm sorry to hear about your family."
"It's okay."
"By the way, my name is Whitney."
"Hi, Whitney."
"So you're in 12th?"
"Yeah. What about you?"
"Same. If you want I could show you around school."
"I'd love that. Why are you being so nice?" Teresa asked suspiciously.
Whitney was laughing and said," Because I want to be your friend. You look like an interesting person."
"Really?" Teresa asked starting to smile again.
"Yes. Listen I'm off now, do you want to go meet my family? You can even stay for dinner."
"Sounds great! But would you mind stopping by my house? I have to let my mom know."
"I don't mind. So tell me about your family?"
"Well, Antonio, my oldest brother, disappeared right after my father. Luis, is next also my brother. He protects me too much. He still thinks I'm a little girl."
"I know what you mean. My dad is the same way." Whitney informed Teresa.
"I'm next after Luis. You'll get to know me fast. People usually do. Finally there's Miguel, my youngest brother. He's 16."
"Oh, then he'll go to school with my sister and Kay Bennett."
"I'm sure he'll like that." Teresa said laughing.
"Oh I know." Whitney said.
"Well all that's left are my parents. Mama is going to work at the Crane mansion. And Papa disappeared."
"Wow! I'll tell you about my family on the way to your house. We should get going."
"Okay."
The girls left then to go to Teresa's house. Luis was on his way to the Book Cafe. He was speeding because he wanted to get something to eat before he would meet Chief Bennett. It started to rain outside then. It was really coming down hard, it was more like hail. He couldn't really see anything. Next thing he knew, he hit another car.
"Oh no!" He screamed.
He got out to see if the other person was okay. He knocked on the window. The window came down. His breath was taken away. He stood there in the rain looking like a fool.
"May I help you?" She asked politely.
"I think I hit your car." He said mesmerized.
"As long as I'm okay we can forget about it." She said.
"That's very nice of you....?"
"Beth. Beth Wallace. Are you knew in town? You must be Luis."
"Yes. Yes I am."
"It's nice to meet you. Why don't I meet you at the Book Cafe and we can talk." She suggested.
"I'd love to, but.."
"Oh your seeing someone." She cut him off. "It's okay then."
"No! I'm not. it's just that I have a meeting with Chief Bennett. Would you like to come over for dinner?"
"I'd love to."
He handed her his address and then left. He thought that she was an angel on earth. He couldn't wait to see Chief Bennett and get home.
Meanwhile Teresa and Whitney made it to Teresa's before the storm.
"Wow! It's really gonna storm." Teresa said.
"Yeah. Maybe I should just go and you could come over another time."
"Don't be silly! I won't let you leave in weather like this. Call your parents and ask them if you can spend the night?"
"Is it okay with your mother?" Whitney asked.
"I'll go ask. Stay here." She told her.
There found her mother in the kitchen baking.
"Mama, I made a friend and it's bad outside, do you think she could sped the night?"
"Oh course, Mija. What's her name?"
"Whitney Russell."
"Oh Eve's daughter. Of course she can.
"Thank you, Mama." Teresa then kissed her mother.
She ran into the living room and told Whitney she could. Whitney dialed up her number.
"Hello." Eve answered.
"Mom, it's Whitney."
"Oh hi, dear! You really should come home. It's getting bad outside. Phone polls are being knocked over and their are so many accidents that I have to go into work."
"I was. But Mama you know the Lopez-Fitzgerald's, well I met Teresa today. She's very nice. I'm at her house right now. She wants to know if I could spend the night. I have extra clothes from practice. Could I, mom?" Whitney asked.
"Yes, that's fine with me. Pilar is a very nice woman, and I'm sure her family is very nice. Call me in the morning though. Your father wants you to practice some more."
"Okay, mom. I love you."
"I love you too." Eve said.
"I could stay" Whitney told Teresa once she hung up the phone.
"Yes!" Teresa shouted excitedly. "We are going to have so much fun. We can stay up and talk, watch movies, tell me about school. We're gonna be like best friends."
"I like that idea!" Whitney said.
"Let's go help, Mama se the table." Teresa said.
"Okay."
"Don't worry about her, Ethan. I'm sure it was an accident. It will take some time to convince Luis though, so I better go and start. You two have fun." Pilar said smiling.
"Thanks, Mama." Teresa said.
"Thank you, Mrs. Lopez-Fitzgerald."
"No problem." She told them.
"I'll talk to you later." Teresa told Ethan.
"Wait, I want to talk to you."
"Right now, Ethan, I just want to be alone. Clear my head."
"Can I call you later then?" He asked.
"That won't be so wise with Luis and all."
"Well, when will I be able to see you?" He asked Teresa.
"I don't know." She ran out of the house very fast.
She didn't know where to go. She hardly knew the town. She remembered though when she drove here at first that she saw a cafe. She would try there. When she arrived there, she looked inside before entering. She saw so may people that were happy. Her life was like hell. Daddy and Antonio were gone, and she was in love with an engaged man. She really just wanted to escape it all right now. She stepped inside and went to the counter.
"Hi can I help you?" The girl asked.
"I wish." Teresa held under her breath, but the girl heard her. "One coffee."
"Decaf?"
"I guess." Teresa said sounding depressed.
"Okay. I'll bring it to you. Go have a seat."
Teresa found a corner where no one was. She sat there and let out a few tears. She saw the girl approaching, so she dried her eyes. The girl noticed her wipe away her tears though. The girl placed the coffee in from of Teresa and took a seat.
"Hi." She said. "Do you wanna talk about something?"
"No offense, but I don't know you, and you don't know me."
"I know. You're Teresa though. Right?"
"How did you know?" Teresa asked.
"Harmony is a small town. My family is friends with the Bennett's. They told us that you were moving here. I'm sorry to hear about your family."
"It's okay."
"By the way, my name is Whitney."
"Hi, Whitney."
"So you're in 12th?"
"Yeah. What about you?"
"Same. If you want I could show you around school."
"I'd love that. Why are you being so nice?" Teresa asked suspiciously.
Whitney was laughing and said," Because I want to be your friend. You look like an interesting person."
"Really?" Teresa asked starting to smile again.
"Yes. Listen I'm off now, do you want to go meet my family? You can even stay for dinner."
"Sounds great! But would you mind stopping by my house? I have to let my mom know."
"I don't mind. So tell me about your family?"
"Well, Antonio, my oldest brother, disappeared right after my father. Luis, is next also my brother. He protects me too much. He still thinks I'm a little girl."
"I know what you mean. My dad is the same way." Whitney informed Teresa.
"I'm next after Luis. You'll get to know me fast. People usually do. Finally there's Miguel, my youngest brother. He's 16."
"Oh, then he'll go to school with my sister and Kay Bennett."
"I'm sure he'll like that." Teresa said laughing.
"Oh I know." Whitney said.
"Well all that's left are my parents. Mama is going to work at the Crane mansion. And Papa disappeared."
"Wow! I'll tell you about my family on the way to your house. We should get going."
"Okay."
The girls left then to go to Teresa's house. Luis was on his way to the Book Cafe. He was speeding because he wanted to get something to eat before he would meet Chief Bennett. It started to rain outside then. It was really coming down hard, it was more like hail. He couldn't really see anything. Next thing he knew, he hit another car.
"Oh no!" He screamed.
He got out to see if the other person was okay. He knocked on the window. The window came down. His breath was taken away. He stood there in the rain looking like a fool.
"May I help you?" She asked politely.
"I think I hit your car." He said mesmerized.
"As long as I'm okay we can forget about it." She said.
"That's very nice of you....?"
"Beth. Beth Wallace. Are you knew in town? You must be Luis."
"Yes. Yes I am."
"It's nice to meet you. Why don't I meet you at the Book Cafe and we can talk." She suggested.
"I'd love to, but.."
"Oh your seeing someone." She cut him off. "It's okay then."
"No! I'm not. it's just that I have a meeting with Chief Bennett. Would you like to come over for dinner?"
"I'd love to."
He handed her his address and then left. He thought that she was an angel on earth. He couldn't wait to see Chief Bennett and get home.
Meanwhile Teresa and Whitney made it to Teresa's before the storm.
"Wow! It's really gonna storm." Teresa said.
"Yeah. Maybe I should just go and you could come over another time."
"Don't be silly! I won't let you leave in weather like this. Call your parents and ask them if you can spend the night?"
"Is it okay with your mother?" Whitney asked.
"I'll go ask. Stay here." She told her.
There found her mother in the kitchen baking.
"Mama, I made a friend and it's bad outside, do you think she could sped the night?"
"Oh course, Mija. What's her name?"
"Whitney Russell."
"Oh Eve's daughter. Of course she can.
"Thank you, Mama." Teresa then kissed her mother.
She ran into the living room and told Whitney she could. Whitney dialed up her number.
"Hello." Eve answered.
"Mom, it's Whitney."
"Oh hi, dear! You really should come home. It's getting bad outside. Phone polls are being knocked over and their are so many accidents that I have to go into work."
"I was. But Mama you know the Lopez-Fitzgerald's, well I met Teresa today. She's very nice. I'm at her house right now. She wants to know if I could spend the night. I have extra clothes from practice. Could I, mom?" Whitney asked.
"Yes, that's fine with me. Pilar is a very nice woman, and I'm sure her family is very nice. Call me in the morning though. Your father wants you to practice some more."
"Okay, mom. I love you."
"I love you too." Eve said.
"I could stay" Whitney told Teresa once she hung up the phone.
"Yes!" Teresa shouted excitedly. "We are going to have so much fun. We can stay up and talk, watch movies, tell me about school. We're gonna be like best friends."
"I like that idea!" Whitney said.
"Let's go help, Mama se the table." Teresa said.
"Okay."