Chapter 3: Eternally Grateful
My mom's Mercedes was nearly indistinguishable from every other silver Mercedes lining by cul de sac. As I pulled into the driveway behind my mom's car, I happened to glance at my neighbor's front lawn, which looked like Mother Nature threw up flowers from the roof to the mailbox in front of Mr. Ashton's house.
"Jace!" My mom was sitting by our kitchen island while I was throwing my wet shoes into our shoe bim, leaving the three in the car. "Where have you been? You're fifteen minutes late from coming home as usual, I began to worry and thought something bad must have happened to you." She said.
"I know, I know. I'm sorry." I said, but I didn't have time to look at her upset face. I was running upstairs to grab some spare clothes and towels.
"You're not going to tell me how your performance went?" Her voice echoes from below.
'Is this t-shirt too big?' I thought to myself when I found my dad's old t-shirts.
"Well?" Mom asks, all loud and peppy.
"Great!" I offer. As if to prove my point, I smile like she was in front of me.
The faces of Peter, Rose, and Starfire float across my mind. The performance went perfect but I was here worrying about those airheads.
Despite being tired, I felt good. I felt different and I liked it. Taming my wavy hair, I pulled half of it up and pinned it behind my head. Straightening sounded like too much work today. Back in my room, I pulled on a hoodie and was ready to go.
There was a knock on my door. "Yep?" I called.
The door opened and my mom came through. I didn't like the look on her face. "Jacey, is there something you want to tell me about?"
Panicked lists streaked through my head. What had I done? Did I get back too late? "Uh, don't think so," I replied, trying to sound calm as my heart picked up its pace.
"About those strangers in your car, maybe?"
Lightbulb. "Oh yeah," I groaned. "They need some spare clothes, they helped performing with us today."
She watched me disapprovingly. "I'm surprised you forgot to mention it. It has always been the three of you in the band. Be honest, Jace."
I would have much preferred to have just said they're are foreign exchange students and needed some tutoring. "It was last minute, their costumes went well with our theme, and we needed some chorus," I explained.
"I'll invite them in," She sighed. "Try parking in the back of the lot, Jace."
"Mom, it's winter," I protested. "I don't want to park out in the middle of nowhere and freeze to death walking inside. Not to mention, my car is small. He'll camouflage in the snow and I'll never find him."
"You're wearing a skirt," she observed. "It's perfectly warm outside with a little water."
I huffed. "Not for long."
She frowned again. "Well, I don't know what to tell you. Have fun with Brit today." She handed me a credit card. "Be reasonable. One dress. And get yourself lunch while you're out. You look tired, and I don't want your blood sugar to get too low. You know what a grouch you become when you don't eat."
I smiled. "Thanks, Mom."
'Wait...did she say "I'll invite them in?"?????'
"Wait Mo-"
Right on cue, I heard our large front door open.
"Well, well, well, I didn't know Jace was a noble." I heard from below.
"A noble?" My mom answered back questionably.
When I ran downstairs with all the clothes, my mouth falls open. The three stepped inside and looking around my home, grinning from ear to ear.
Oh yes, it can get more humiliating.
"Hey, Jace," Peter says. He nods to me like us two are best buds. I didn't nod back. Mom smiles up to them.
"I don't think we've met," she says. "I'm Rumiko Beckett."
"Starfire," She said, "And these are my siblings, Rose and Peter."
"Siblings? You guys hardly look alike." I said.
My mom quickly turns her head to me, "Jacey, you need to apologize," she says under her breath.
"Mom."
"Now."
Rose stepped in, "It's okay Miss Beckett. We're adopted." She scans my mother's appearance, "You guys don't look so alike to me." She said innocently.
My mom looks at me again and laughs from Rose's comment, "Your friends are so funny Jacey." She commented and laughed some more, "We get that a lot, she got most of her looks from her father." She said, "Please, come in. I will make some tea for everyone." She gestures them to come inside.
One, I was just planning on giving them some dry clothes and drop them off from who-knows-where. Two, I know I don't know them but I was just trying to be nice! Three, I can't believe I lied to my mom, and if we start up some kind of "Tea Time Conversation". I'm done for.
"Mom, they actually have to go back home. Their parents would be worried if they're late too."
"Why not?" She said to me in Japanese.
Peter made this little smile, "It's okay, we have to go anyways." He said back, in frickin' Japanese.
My eyes widened, his voice was seriously familiar the minute he spoke Japanese. But my mom was surprised too, but she laughs once again, "Well, that's too bad then. Let me at least grab some cookies I just baked."
Since my mom was busy getting to the kitchen, I turned around and gave the three a "listen-to-me-or-you're-going-to-regret-it". I pushed them towards the front door and jabbed my finger at my car. "Go back in the car." I said through gritted teeth.
"Can we borrow some umbrellas at least?" Starfire asked.
I rolled my eyes, "Fine." I said, grabbing three umbrellas from the storage closet and threw it at them. "Now go!"
The three shrugged at each other and listened to what I said, walking quickly to my car. While I was putting my shoes back into my feet, my mom noticed the three amigos outside.
"Leaving already?" She said to me.
"Yeah, like I said, they need to go." I said hurriedly, "I'm gonna come back a little late tonight. I'm gonna meet with Evan and Brit at the mall and then go to the movies."
She crossed her arms, "Make sure you use that card." She said, and gave me a kiss on my forehead, "I love you." She said, handing me a container of cookies she baked.
"I love you too." I rushed out of my house, the extra clothes and cookies in my hands, and got inside my car.
My car moves at last. I resist looking through my mirror or on my right to check on the three as I push through the throng of cars in front of me. "So you guys live close to the school right? Since you guys were walking." I asked kindly.
No one answered my question as we stopped on the stop light, and even before I could ask them the question again my phone started to ring. It was Brit.
I clicked on the Bluetooth button and it made a little bleep, reminding me that it was connecting with my phone. "Heeeeey girl. What time are you coming to the mall? I'm almost there."
"Sorry Brit, I'm gonna be a little late." I said, avoiding to tell her the reason why.
"She's driving us around Brit!" Starfire yelled loudly into the speaker.
Peter laughs from behind, "I think she can hear you clearly."
"No. Way." Oh no, "Jace you have the new students in your car?!" Brit exclaimed.
I gave Starfire a ugly look, but she didn't seem to realize why I was so upset, "Yes, Brit. I'm just dropping them off and then I will go straight to the mall alright?"
"Okay, seriously?! Even that hot one in the cosplay?"
I gasped, "Brit! You're on speaker! He can hear you!"
"Oh, I wasn't talking about the scarlet haired girl." She said and giggled, "So you think he's hot?!"
My face flushed with heat.
"I'm gonna hang up, and then I'm gonna hang you Bridget Rhodes!"
She giggles again, "Well you can't, I'm immortal." She said, "See you at the mall! Maybe you can take your hottie with yo-"
I jammed my finger on the screen and hung up immediately. Air escaped out of my nostrils as I tried not scream, from anger and embarrassment.
"Jace, what time is it?" Rose asked.
"Don't any of you at least have a watch?" I said, no one answered, again. "Anything?" I realized that I was aimlessly driving around, the buildings disappeared and the big, green Seattle trees replaced them, "Great, now I don't know where I am."
"Actually," Peter said, "Here is perfect, we just live in a cabin close by."
Drawling in my uneasiness, I didn't look at him in his eyes. I was still embarrassed about earlier. He gave me a quite smile, one that amplified the gentle contours of his face, the curve of his lips, the little line beside his right eyes that appeared when he smiled - a smile I felt I'd seen a million times before.
"Oh, okay.." I waited, looking at the mirror, "Are you guys sure? I can drop you guys off at your place if it's not far." I suggested.
"We will be fine, Jace," Starfire said, "We will be eternally grateful of your kindness." She said, and bowed in respect.
I looked at her a little surprised, "N-no problem." They stepped out of my car and waved goodbye under my umbrellas and I waved goodbye as well.
"We hope to see you around!" Rose said in her chirpy voice.
As I drove away, something was telling me that I would. But who was I kidding? They're not really interested in me, not someone like me.