Chapter 3
Author`s note: This is it; this is where it all begins. Three words: Sam. Meets. Greg.
I would like to thank all the wonderful people who have reviewed, followed and favourite the story for your support. God bless you. And moreover, I would like to apologize for the break and if it had frustrated and annoyed any of you. Not going to give you any excuses because it`s never going to add up to the attention and time you people have given me by reading the fic.
Now enjoy!
To wake up early and be in the midst of dead silence and calmness of Mother Nature is truly a rewarding and exhilarating experience. Sam wiped off a bead of sweat from her brows with the towel she had around her neck with a satisfied smile. It was a fine, cool morning and she had just finished jogging around the areas in Beach City. It was a great start to a beautiful new day and Sam was just about to get her breakfast.
Jogging was a ritual Sam had kept up since she was sixteen years old to ease up on the stresses of daily life and keep herself fit at the same time. And so far, it`d done nothing but worked wonders on her body and stamina. Earlier, Sam had chosen to leave her car at the mansion and decided to explore the areas around Beach City while she jogged. And just with her luck, she had even met another regular jogger; the blond boy that served the counter at the fry place she visited yesterday, and learned that his name was Pee Dee.
Another day, another new friend: Pee Dee was friendly, a habit he explained that had come from interacting with customers all day as he worked in his father`s shop. He was a good conversationalist to have a discussion with. He said that usually there would be another fellow jogger- one of the girls working at the pizzeria, Kiki. But today it was just them. Pee Dee was the youngest son of the Fryman family and with his older brother, Ronaldo, not actually interested in the family business; he was probably next in line to inherit it as well. He was 12 years old, going on 13. Pee Dee had offered to become Sam`s official jogging tour guide and with no better deal on her side, Sam had gladly accepted.
He`d shown her around his usual route, and explained some of the others that were available to her that were longer and had better views. Sam had laughed and mussed up his hair; in to which Pee Dee had groaned crossly in return. Pee Dee then invited Sam over to the Big Donut, which was his breakfast stop every time he was done with jogging.
"Hey Pee Dee, you know what? What about I treat you for today?" Sam asked as she pushed open the door to the establishment and they entered into the air-conditioned room. Pee Dee shot her an odd, pleased smile and rubbed at the back of his neck. "R-really? Wow, gee, y-yeah. Okay, if it`s not troubling you, then yeah, sure."
Sam chuckled and the both of them made their way to the counter. There, a short, teenage girl with blonde hair awaited them with an easy, calm smile. "Welcome to the Big Donut. How may I help you? And Pee Dee, good morning. You want two of the usual?"
"Morning, Sadie." Pee Dee greeted and glanced up at Sam. "Nah, I think I`m up for something else today. Oh, and this is Sam. Sam; Sadie."
Sam held out her hand. "Nice to meet you, Sadie."
"You too. So, what can I get for you guys today?" Sadie replied as she shook the hand with her own. Sam was slightly surprised by how strong the girl`s grip was. Pee Dee ran his half-lidded gaze over the menu.
"Hm, get me that two-in-one flavour special donut with sprinkles. What do you want, Sam?"
Sam squinted her eyes in focus towards the menu, before she shrugged. "Meh, I`ll have two of your glazed donuts and a cup of fresh Joe."
Sadie gave them their order and Sam got out some money from a small pouch-belt she wore around her waist. "You can get some coffee over there." Sadie said and pointed them to a couple of water containers marked 'coffee' and 'tea'. Sam said her thanks and took her drink, before she and Pee Dee headed for the tables outside to enjoy their breakfast.
They sat themselves across each other and started their breakfast in silence; with Pee Dee enjoying the blow of the morning wind on his skin and Sam pulled out her phone from the pouch and inspected her social accounts. She had several new likes in InstaPics for some pictures she`d taken of Beach City and a comment from her best friend that made her wonder the last time they`d met each other. Jasmine was her best friend; they`d studied in the same class together back in school; they were in a band together, once, with her acting as lead guitarist and singer and Jasmine played the keyboard.
Now Jasmine`s working in taking care of her own family business, and she`s way halfway around the world. Sam could remember clearly how they used to joke around and cause trouble, and how she used to cry on the other girl`s shoulder in the middle of the night over how much worse her father had treated her during their most recent meetings.
Oh how much had Sam`s life changed since then.
Sam scrolled the page lower and paused as she spotted a beautiful picture of a darling little girl, looking about five years old, with a mane of wavy blonde hair and rosy cheeks and the cutest little smile, dressed up in a pastel-white and cream coloured dress. The girl`s wide, grey eyes were wide and alight with delight as she looked on towards the photographer in front of her. She was standing barefoot in what seems to be a garden, with a bouquet of mixed flowers in her hand.
Sam sighed and traced her thumb over the picture affectionately, and was momentarily lost in her own world while taking bites into her donut breakfast.
"Hey Sam?"
Sam snapped out of her reverie and turned her attention to the blond boy, who was holding onto a bottle of mineral water from nowhere.
"You okay there? Seems like you`re quite a bit into your head for a moment there. You didn`t even notice when I got up to buy a bottle of water from the shop." Pee Dee inquired with a look of concern and a small feeling of guilt appeared in Sam`s chest. That, and slight embarrassment because of her ignorance over the young boy`s actions.
"I`m okay," Sam assured him with a small smile. "Hey Pee Dee?"
"Yeah?"
"I… you`re a local, right?"
Pee Dee looked at her curiously. "Yeah, you know that."
"I was wondering… look, um, do you know all the people living in Beach City?" Sam asked and Pee Dee raised an eyebrow over her question. "I like to think that I do." He answered her. "What`s this about, Sam? Are you looking for someone?"
Sam hesitated for a moment before she steeled herself and decided to just go for it. This was her chance. "Yeah," she nodded. "It`s definitely a someone alright."
Pee Dee scrunched his forehead and looked at her with concern. "You`re not… going to hurt them, are you?" he questioned her. "I mean, it`s a totally ridiculous question… a-and I get that we`ve only just met this morning and everything but I just wanna make sure-"
Sam couldn`t help the chuckle that escaped her lips over the boy`s concern. "No, kid. Let`s just say he and I… we`ve got a whole lot of things unsettled between us."
Pee Dee seemed to consider this for a moment before he gulped and sighed. "Okay then; let`s hear it. Who are you looking for?"
"I`m looking for a man- Gregory Universe?"
Pee Dee`s forehead scrunched up in surprise and there was a curious glint in his eyes now. "Gregory, as in Greg Universe? Like, long brown hair, farmer`s tan and uh, fat?"
Long brown hair she gets, but farmer`s tan? Greg was kind of stocky back then, but his body was always like that. He got that from their mother, just like everything else. She, on the other hand was more of their father than she, herself, would willingly admit. Somewhat tall for her size, and demeanour, which Sam likes to think, she inherits from spending her whole life trying to shape up into his expectations.
"I beg your pardon?"
"Uh yeah," Pee Dee replied sheepishly. "That`s the only Greg Universe living in Beach City that I`m aware of. He works at the local carwash."
Sam crossed her arms in disbelief. "The… carwash. Really?"
"Uh, yeah."
There was a tense moment of silence between them as Sam contemplated her next move. "And do you know where he lives? His house?"
Pee Dee looked a bit embarrassed, like he was feeling a bit uncomfortable in revealing other people`s details to a practical stranger. "Uh… I think he lives at the carwash? In his van."
Sam couldn`t believe her ears. She could feel a headache coming along. Greg, her older brother Greg, works in a carwash and lives in a van? Where did that come from?
"Let me get this straight; Greg Universe… lives in a van?"
Pee Dee pulled at the collar of his sleeveless shirt. "Yeah. Look Sam, I`m really sorry but I`m feeling a bit… uncomfortable about this. I feel like some people`s information are… private? And it`s really not my place to tell."
Sam was about to protest, she was about to say that knowing her older brother, he wouldn`t really mind if someone blurted out his greatest secret right out in front of a random stranger; hell, he`d not even enough decency that he would probably wash himself in the ocean! But Sam took in a deep breath and steadied herself. Pee Dee was a good kid; considerate, sensitive, kind; and Sam would hate to ruin it for him by taking her anger out on somebody innocent.
"…Okay, Pee Dee. I understand. Really, I`m sorry for making you feel uncomfortable in the first place."
Pee Dee wore a look of guilt but accepted her apology with a wave of his hand. Things were easing out for the moment, the atmosphere lightened and Sam sighed before she took in a sip of her coffee. Then Pee Dee cleared his throat.
"Um, Sam? I have a question, uh, that is, if you don`t mind me asking."
Sam closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. "You want to ask me how I know Greg Universe."
Pee Dee`s eyes widened and his cheeks darkened. "Y-yeah."
"Well, Pee Dee. I`m gonna tell you something you have to keep from everyone else until I say so, got it?"
Pee Dee`s eyes widen and he waved his hands nervously. "W-wait, Sam! It`s okay if-if you wanna keep it private! You don`t have to tell me!"
Sam took another sip of her coffee and raised her palm to signal that it was alright. "Nah," she replied. "It`s okay. You earned it, I think. You helped me find him and that deserves a little reward."
An awkward pause settled in the conversation, with Sam looking at Pee Dee with narrowed eyes and the other looking everywhere but towards Sam, which eventually led to the older woman cracking up. Pee Dee looked shocked. "Loosen up, kid! It`s not that serious, really! He`s my brother."
Pee Dee was just about to comment about how it was fine again but froze when those words came out of Sam`s mouth. "B-brother?!"
"Chill, kid. I told you how I don`t want anyone knowing yet."
Pee Dee had a held a hand to his chest. "H-how-"
Sam laughed. "Dude," she chirped and gestured her hand down her body. "Can`t you see the resemblance?"
Pee Dee frowned as he eyed the woman from head to toe. There was a little bit of resemblance in their body structure, but she must be, like, as tall as Greg is! Greg`s hair was a lighter shade than the woman`s but they do share a hint of similarity in the way they smile? Pee Dee shrugged. "Kind… of?"
Sam shook her head in amusement. "Whatever kid. But thanks for your help."
"You`re welcome."
They shared another pause, this one of comfortable silence before Pee Dee cleared his throat again. Sam shook her head. "No, Pee Dee. What happened between us is a story for another day."
"What?! But-"
Sam shot the younger boy a sly grin. So cute, so predictable. She turned her attention to her coffee, all mysterious-like and took another sip.
"Trust me, champ. I know these things."
…
Sam turned her attention from the screen of her phone back to the man standing in front of her, dressed in faded-blue, jean overalls and an old worn-out cap. "So… I just go straight up this road and turn right around the corner, then left?"
"Yeah," he answered her. "Sounds about right."
Sam nodded and thanked him, before rolling her driver`s seat window back up. Sam placed her phone back on its stand on the dashboard and went back on her way. After meeting Pee Dee and seeing him go, Sam had went back inside the Big Donut and asked the Sadie for numbers for the plumber and electrician for the mansion. Sadie was a nice kid- she named a few people whom she thinks could be of help to Sam, and the older woman ended up with three numbers of electricians and five of different plumbers in the neighbourhood. Sadie gave her number for housekeeping service as well, one that she herself trusted, and it earned her Sam`s respect and instant friendship.
Sam had went back and made an appointment with the plumber and electrician and cleaned herself up whilst waiting for her arrival. After meeting them and explaining the house`s situation, Sam called the housekeeping service company and made an appointment for that one as well. She went along to the store and bought groceries as the workers she hired patched up the house- food, cleaning liquids, detergent- and returned back to the house to put away the groceries and monitor the men`s progress.
Then the cleaning service arrived and she paid them off to an instant thorough cleaning of the house from top-to-bottom and re-did her research about Greg, a.k.a. Mr Universe to ready herself for their meeting.
It took about more-or-less roughly about four hours for everything to be done and to say that Sam was deeply satisfied with their service was an understatement. All the circuits and water cycles were going as smooth as marbles and the house gleamed from dusting and mopping and sweeping everything. The fact that the house wasn`t actually in bad condition in the first place helped but it impressed Sam just the same that everything was done in a shorter time than she`d expected.
When the time was a couple of hours after noon, Sam started her car for the search for her brother. Dressed in a pair of cream-coloured pants, a black and white striped t-shirt and a pair of black, and beige running shoes, she turned on the ignition and went about her way. Initially, Sam wanted to locate her brother using her phone`s GPS system, by keying in the Beach City Carwash onto her search box but eventually resulted to asking the locals when identifying which road was which became a problem.
Sam followed the man`s instructions and to her slight surprise, she found the carwash easier than she`d expected. Sam parked her car at the side of the road and killed the engine. This was it. The moment she`d been waiting for since she arrived in Beach City. She rolled down the driver`s seat window and peered out. The establishment was empty and seemed dead; Sam figured that the business must be slow when it`s not during the holidays. A van was parked at the side of the building that was white and had colourful, abstract designs on its frame.
Was Pee Dee telling her the truth earlier? Seems like it so far, though Sam still couldn`t quite accept the information about her brother living in a van. Even the very idea of it sounds ridiculous! However disturbing that revelation may be, it was not important. All she needed to do now was get out of her car and meet Greg.
She cracked her knuckles and her neck muscles and unbuckled her belt, before popping her car door open. Coincidentally, a fat man exited the car wash whistling to a tune, and Sam`s eyebrows narrowed to a crest between her eyebrows in a mix of shock and disbelief and her mouth fell open. It… it`s really him, Sam`s heart whispered.
It`s Greg.
Pee Dee was telling her the truth. Her brother was fat and had a huge bald spot at the top of his head with long, unkempt brown hair was sun-bleached to a much lighter colour than it was originally and he had a beard. He wore a white tank top and a pair of short, grey, ripped pants that showed his farmer`s tan with a pair of light blue sandals.
Sam`s mind was blown and she couldn`t get even a single thought straight. She watched silently as Greg got the turned on the hose and began spraying water onto the white van. She swallowed a lump that appeared in her throat. He looked poor but happy.
It took a moment for Sam to finally get back to her senses but when she did Sam sighed and ran her hand down the back of her head. She didn`t know whether to be nervous, for finally meeting someone she hasn`t set her eyes on for a very long time; or laugh, for this… hilarious situation she had found herself and Greg in.
Finally, she made up her mind to just go with it and walked to the front of the wash. Greg hadn`t notice her and a plan formed in Sam`s head to surprise her older brother.
Sam walked up to him, yet keeping a safe distance between them so that she wouldn`t get wet from the hose for if he might drop it in shock, and cleared her throat.
"So, Greg Universe," Sam called. "This isthe life of freedom and popularity you always talked about?"
A tensed pause settled between them as Greg froze before he turned around to face her. Dark grey eyes met black and she gave him a playful smile that he hadn`t seen in years. Greg Universe dropped the hose he was holding onto the road and his face had disbelief written down all over it.
"S-Sam?!"
The woman chuckled and nodded.
"Don`t wear it out, brother-man."
That last part was really fun to write! I couldn`t actually imagine being in Sam`s place and seeing such huge differences in Greg from last she saw him, but I try to make do. I`ve introduced a couple of new minor characters in the story and one of them will play a huge role in determining the course of Sam`s decisions and actions. Can you guess which one?
Reviews; please and thank you!