Chapter 13: Car Ride

I sit down on the hood of Brandon's car as he paces back and forth, talking on his phone.

"Yes… wait, never mind. Turn that over to the generation firm… no the other one, genius!" He exclaims into the phone. I shush him.

"Don't wake up the entire apartment complex!" I whisper-shout at him. He smirks apologetically. We decided to leave at six in the morning because we wanted to beat some traffic on the way. It was a six hour drive so we should be in Georgia by noon, not including potty breaks.

Brandon was currently ordering Sky about how to run the business for a week. He agreed that no business calls or texts or even emails were allowed on the trip. So I guess it's better for him to get in his last minute directions before leaving Alfea Corporations in Sky's hands.

I glanced at my watch to see it was now 6:30. We are getting way too far off schedule. I slapped Brandon on his shoulder and pointed to my watch. He seemed to get the message as he sighed and said his last comments to Sky.

"Alright I have to leave now… Don't screw this up Sky… I'm not kidding! If I come back and anything wrong happened… Yeah, yeah. I'll tell her," He muttered and hung up the phone.

"Sky said hello," He tells me and walks over to the passenger's side of the car, opening the door for me. I bypass him and walk to the driver's side of the car. He gives me a confused look.

"Uh, Stells? What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm driving. Like we agreed yesterday," I replied simply. He was already shaking his head as he walked to my side.

"No, no, no. I believe the deal was that I would drive and you would give directions."

"Oh, come on, Snookums! That was a stupid deal. I'm not a damn GPS." I crossed my arms, making sure I put some extra attitude in it. Maybe his nickname would soften him into letting me drive this time. "At least let me drive for 30 minutes."

"I explained this before, Gorgeous," Brandon sighed. "You don't understand all the mechanics that go into driving this type of vehicle."

I rolled my eyes. "It's a Mercedes. Anyone could drive it." I punch him in the shoulder lightly. He over-exaggeratedly winced.

"How about this," he put his hand on the small of my back and begins guiding me back to the other side of the car, "I'll let you drive 30 minutes on the way back if you let me drive all the way there. Deal?"

I'm pretty sure that was as good as it was going to get so I just shrugged in agreement. At first I thought he just didn't want me to drive because he didn't think I was good at it, but now I think it's just his weird attachment to it. I'll never understand men and cars.

"I have to pee," I complained to Brandon.

Brandon arched an eyebrow. "It's only been an hour and a half. I thought you went to the bathroom before we left."

"That was after you took a thirty minute phone call. So technically, I haven't peed in two hours," I defended.

"I told you not to drink that energizer drink. Now you'll have to wait for the next exit," Brandon conceded and I nodded. He did tell me not too, but I was thirsty. Now that I think about it, I probably shouldn't have drunk it this earlier in the morning anyway.

Brandon rubs his shoulder for like the tenth time. I don't think he knows I've noticed.

"Hey, is your shoulder okay? Didn't know I hit you that hard," I teased half-heartedly.

He gave me a rueful look. "My shoulder always gives me trouble. I forgot to take my meds this morning."

"You're taking medicine? What kind is it? Just painkillers?" I asked out of concern.

"Yeah, something like that," he replies in a tone meaning to end the conversation. Okay,then.

I cross my legs and bite my lip. When I have to go to the bathroom, I really have to go. Maybe a distraction will get my mind off of my bladder.

I snap my head over to Brandon. "Let's play a game."

Brandon arched an eyebrow but kept his eyes on the road. "Uh, alright. What game did you have in mind?"

I raced through my brain for fun car games that my mom and I used to play. I started thinking we could play 'I Spy' but Brandon had to concentrate on the road, not look around everywhere else.

Brandon spoke up with an idea of his own. "How about story time?"

I frowned. "I'm not trying to take a nap, Brandon."

"I know but I have a question that I wanted you to explain to me. How about I ask you something and you do the same."

I pondered this for a moment. There definitely was something I have been itching to know about him, but I'm not sure he wants to talk about it. He never seems to want to talk about it. "I can ask you anything?"

He nodded. "But I get to ask you first."

"Okay, what do ya want to know?"

Brandon waited a few moments before asking, "What exactly happened with your step-mom?"

"What do you mean? I told you she was evil," I stated.

"Yeah but you never said why she was so evil. Plus, I need to know more about what I'm dealing with before I meet her."

"I didn't know that needed an explanation," I mumbled but sat up straighter. "I was a bunch of stuff she used to do like burn my food or shrink my clothes in the dryer. On purpose."

"Well… how do you know it was on purpose?"

"You just know these things. She would always make these snide comments about my hair or my face, too. She always criticized me like I wasn't good enough to be considered part of her family, even by marriage. One time she said my eyes looked like bug eyes. I didn't think they were that big, but she just had to put her two cents in." I frowned. "That's how I got the nickname 'bug eyes' for the rest of my life. She and that wicked step-sister of mine called me that forever."

"Wait, they still call you that?" Brandon asks incredulously.

I nodded. "Yep. Well, right until I left. I haven't even spoken to them since I left to come to North Carolina."

"Hmm," Brandon hummed, soaking in the new information. Then, grinning, he grasped my hand and said, "Well, I think you have the most gorgeous eyes I've ever seen."

I rolled my eyes but blushed slightly at his compliment. "Aren't you the charmer," I teased.

He shrugged. "That's what they tell me."

I smiled and bounced in my seat a little bit. "Okay, now it's your turn. Ready?"

"I'm actually kind of scared what you're about to ask," Brandon says warily.

"Oh, suck it up. I want to know the full story on Mitzi."

Brandon groaned. "How did I not know you would ask me that question?"

I shrugged and waited for him to continue. It took a few minutes but he finally sighed and said, "Didn't I tell you part of it already?"

"I remember you saying that she was pretty bad on drugs and one night some guys came to your house when your parents weren't home… but that's where you stopped."

"Uh, well it was just me and Flora at home. The drug dealers broke down the damn door and started yelling at us, wanting to know where Mitzi was. I didn't know but I guess they didn't believe me since the first man slapped me half-way across the room."

I sucked in a breath. Oh, how much I hated tis man I didn't even know.

"Flora screamed and one of the guys started walking towards her. I got up and ran to stand in front of her. That's when the other guy pulled out a gun."

"A gun?" I squeaked out.

"He threatened to shoot us if we didn't tell where she was. I could tell he was bluffing: he didn't look like the killing kids type of guy. The first man unfortunately did. When Flora screamed at them that we didn't know anything, the first guy snatched the gun from the other guy and the first guy pointed it at Flora. I wrapped myself around her the best I could before he shot. After that, I guess they got scared that they actually shot a kid and ran."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. He shot Flora?"

Brandon shook his head as he turned towards the exit leading to a gas station. "No. He shot me."

I guess I was still in shock since I was gaping like a fish. "I… wha… are you serious?"

"Not something I'd joke about, Gorgeous," he said gruffly.

"I know! I'm just can't believe that happened."

Brandon shrugged slightly. "It happens." Um…not really. "Flora was going crazy afterwards. After my surgery, she wouldn't leave my side for months. Apparently I was her knight in shining armor." He grinned fondly of his little sister.

You are, I thought but didn't say it out loud. Based on his shoulder problems, I'm guessing I already know where he was shot.

"So that's what the meds are for, right?" When he nodded I asked, "How long have you been on them?"

"Well, I started them at fifteen so... about ten years. I still go to my doctor to get my medicine dosages adjusted. I'll most likely be on them for the rest of my life. The bullet nicked some type of nerve that can't be fixed."

I squeezed his hand. I hate even imagining Brandon in the kind of pain. Even at a time I didn't know he even existed.

"Anyways, eventually my parents forgave her. How that happened, I'll never know. They got her into some secluded rehab center to keep her out of the newspapers. If people got wind of this drug scandal, it would ruin the family reputation. Even Flora let her back in her life. All I know is that she's no sister of mine."

I was silent for a few moments. "I don't blame you but... I don't think holding all that hate in your heart is good for you."

"Who said I hated her?"

I snorted. "You didn't have to say it. Your actions towards her spoke loudly enough to let me know that."

"I could say the same about you and your step-family."

Damn. I hate it when he had a point. "Touché."

He smirks just as he parks the car next to a gas tank. "You can use the bathroom while I get gas," he states as if he didn't just talk about a very difficult subject for him. I reached across the seat, grabbed his face in between my hands and smacked a full-on kiss to his lips. He smiled against my mouth but responded nonetheless.

I pulled back and smiled before jumping out of the car. I looked back at the window to see him shaking his head and grinning to himself.

"Stella, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Why?"

"Your legs and feet are shaking so hard that you're vibrating the whole car."

I stopped my legs at once. I hadn't even noticed my subconscious shaking.

"Sorry," I say sheepishly. Brandon reaches across and places his hand on my knee.

"Are you really this nervous?"

"I'm not nervous," I snap. "I'm just… you know…. I haven't seen my Dad since… forever ago and…"

"You haven't seen your step-family since then either, I'm guessing."

I shrug. "I would love to skip on seeing them," I mumble.

"Come on, Gorgeous. They may have changed since five years ago." I snorted and didn't respond. I highly doubt they changed; evil like that tends to stay the same. Brandon may think that I was being a bit of a drama queen or exaggerating about them but he had no idea what he was in for. I seriously hope this trip won't spook him away from me.

"Is it the next left or right?" He asked. I wanted to tell him the next right so it would delay us from the real direction of the house but what's the point in delaying the inevitable?

"Next left." He squeezed my knee and put his hand back on the wheel to turn the car.

There it is. The second house on the right. 4794 New Palace Place. Brick house with two flower beds out front. Neatly trimmed green grass with a gnome right beside the mailbox. The only difference to my previous home seemed to be the colors of the roof. Must have been Cassandra's idea. Who in the hell paints a roof? Let alone paint it lime green.

As soon as we pulled up to the drive-way, my father steps out of the house, tailed by Cassandra. My dear step- sister isn't with them yet. I'm hoping she isn't in the house either.

My father gave me a huge, joyful smile as I walked over to him. He wrapped me in a hug, lifting me up off my feet.

"Welcome home, Baby Girl!"

A/N: THANKS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH FOR THE CONTINUED SUPPORT OF THIS STORY!

Sorry for the lateness of this chapter as well as the shortness. School has definitely been kicking my butt lately and I have to get that education, you know? Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

How was Brandon's story of Mitzi? Did you expect that to be what happened? Do you think Brandon should eventually forgive Mitzi? Do you think Stella is going to stay out of it?

Next chapter is Thanksgiving dinner! Aren't you excited? I surely am. I'm going to have a ball writing that chapter... But of course, you must tell me if I even should write the next chapter.

So...Review!