So in the last on I do believe ER just got into a fight with Matt about what she called Charlie and then took off. Ben found her took her to dinner and then to Fulton's. While standing outside of the house Jack Burton comes up and offers to take her for some ice cream but retracts the offer when he finds out she's dating Portman. Then Fulton asked them to come inside. I own nothing.
Chapter 9: Hot guys
"Come on inside." Fulton said.
"Hi Mrs. Reed." Charlie and I said as we passed through the kitchen.
"Hi kids," she replied not looking up.
"Mom," Fulton said trying to get her to look up.
"Yeah?" She said still not looking up.
"Mom," Fulton tried again.
"What," she asked.
"Mom," He said.
"What do you want Fulton?" She said finally looking up at us. "Oh ER welcome back you visiting Charlie? And who is this?
"No I'm here at the old house well now Matt's house, which pisses my mom off but we're not really that concerned about it. Oh and this is my lovely and amazing boyfriend Dean Portman who happens to be Fulton's best friend." I answered.
"Nice to meet you ma'am." Portman said strangely polite.
"Mom we're going upstairs probably for the rest of the night." Fulton said.
"Fulton," she said in a warning tone.
"What," Fulton asked sweetly.
"You know what." She said.
Fulton shook his head. "I swear no funny business, it's like you don't trust me Mom." I said throwing in the mom bit just to remind her that I knew my dad had given her full privilege to discipline me.
"You I trust, these two I'm not too sure I can." She said pointing at Fulton and Portman.
"I'll keep them in line I promise besides I don't think they would even be thinking about that." I said smirking after seeing the confused look on Fulton and Portman's faces.
"Just holler if you need anything." She said dismissing us. We went up to Fulton's room and I noticed the only thing that had changed was the fact that it was a complete mess and there were clothes everywhere and he had more posters on his walls.
"What was all that about?" Portman asked.
"Not much, I call her mom because my dad has given her full disciplinary authority over me when he's not around and she's more of a mom than I've ever had."
"How'd you know she was talking about funny business?" Fulton asked.
"That's a stupid question. How much have you told her about Portman's rep?" I asked flopping down on the futon.
"Nothing really, just that a lot of girls like him and he's a lot like me." Fulton replied.
"Well think about it. She's 16, and your mom was 16 once she knows what ER's thinking and besides I think that she knows that the two of you are extremely hormone driven. So yeah I do believe your mom wouldn't trust the two of you with her in this room with no adult supervision." Charlie said.
"Hello what are you thinking? You think I would actually do that much in front of my best friend and my girlfriend's cousin, not likely." Portman said.
"Hey Fult where's the clicker?" I asked referring to the remote control for his TV.
"Velcroed (I know it's not a word) to the bottom of my mattress where it's been for the past few years." He answered sitting on my back.
"Comfy up there big guy?" I asked turning the TV on.
"Yup you make a nice seat." Fulton answered as I flipped through the channels.
"You're gonna squish her." Portman said protectively. "And I'd rather not explain how my girlfriend got squished by our best friend."
"He ain't gonna squish me, he's actually lighter than Ben who makes it a habit to sit on me at least once every time he sees me. Fulton here is just popping my back to which I am quite thankful for and thank you for caring." I answered stopping on a Mickey Mouse movie.
"Aw not this movie again you've seen it a thousand times." Fulton complained.
"Shut up and stop dissing my mouse friend or you will meet your floor again." I said staring at the TV. I turned the volume up and put the remote back where it belonged.
"Lizzy tell us what happened." Charlie prodded.
"Matt pissed me off, I met Jack, Hannah, and Melissa at Crabtree's orchard, Ben came and took me to dinner then brought me here." I said warily.
"There's more to it." Fulton said stroking the part of my back he wasn't sitting on.
"That's all that happened Powder." I threatened.
"I'm sorry ER I know I shouldn't of said that and now I got a sore shoulder to remind me." Charlie said looking at the floor.
"I know you're sorry." I said
"I forgot again I'm not sorry but I do apologize for what I did and said." He corrected.
"You're forgiven just try not to forget again. I love you Spaz."
"I love you too Skater."
"Oh and I apologize for what I said at dinner and it ain't true I was just really mad."
"I forgive you too. Now what else is there?" Charlie replied.
"I'm not to sure. I mean I'm just torn up. I love Mattie to death but he's just so upsetting. I don't know why he's doing this. I don't want him to be dad. I don't need that Char. All I need from Matt is the 21 year old I lost. Ben says Matt's trying and he's doing this because he thinks I'm still 11 years old but that I haven't made it any easier."
"You really aren't the same girl you were the last time I saw you Lizzy, you're different. Everyone we know sees that. You have two choices. You could revert back to that 11 year old and figure out just what Matt was like that made you like him and try to bring that out in him or you could approach him like you did Luis, or Russ, or Portman and get to know him. Well not really Portman 'cause you already knew what he was like." Fulton said.
"Exactly why Portman would be the perfect example, she already kinda knew him and she kinda knows Matt. So just like Portman Matt has some things about him that she doesn't know. Like for instance did you know that Portman hates, absolutely hates the movie 'Rescuers Down Under'? He's scared of the mice, or the fact that Matt doesn't like chili. He can't stand the beans." Charlie added.
"No, I didn't know either of that but I did find out that Fulton has seen 'Beauty and The Beast over a thousand times in the past two years, Charlie loves blasting country music when no one's around, and me well you find out enough of my embarrassing secrets about me from these two, Dwayne, and my brothers soon enough." I said.
"Like...?" Portman asked.
"Like the fact that she squirms like a little school girl and turns incredibly red if you let her..." Charlie started.
"Spazway don't say it or else." I put in.
"Or else what Skateraid?"
"Remember that one time with the ice and the bare bottom."
"Shutting up."
"That's what I thought." Fulton looked over at Portman and nodded. Then he got off me and sat on the floor after telling me to sit up. I did so and Portman sat down next to me.
He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and I leaned against him. "Don't worry about it babe you'll figure something out."
"I know, now are you gonna let me watch this movie or are you gonna force me to talk?"
"We'll shut up." Fulton said turning around to face the TV. Somehow when the Mickey movie was over a Chuckie movie was put on and I lay down in Portman's lap. He started stroking my hair and that put me into a nice dream and comfortable sleep.
When I woke up and looked out the window it was just starting to get light. The clock read 6:30 am. I looked around and noticed that Charlie was gone, Fulton was on the floor in a pair of shorts partially covered by a blanket and the futon had been pulled out to make more room for me and Portman to sleep. The only way I knew that was because it was laying flat and Portman's arms were around me. I curled close to him but I just couldn't get back to sleep.
Three hours later I was still lying there and both boys were still asleep when Fulton's mom pushed the door open. I turned my head to look at her and she said "I better not find out you two did anymore than that last night."
"Good morning to you too Mom. How have you been? My life went down the tubes about five years ago thanks for asking." I said sarcastically.
"I'm sorry I guess we have a lot of catching up to do by now, but I don't want you getting hurt by either of these guys."
"I know."
"Why don't you come downstairs and help me make some breakfast for these guys and we'll catch up."
"I would love to Mom but you see I don't think I can get out of Portman's grip if I tried and if my life depended on it without waking him up."
"Watch this." She said then came over and very slowly and gently pried his fingers apart just far enough for me to slide out and I put one of Fulton's stuffed dogs in my spot.
Standing at the door I looked up and asked "Do you think he'll notice?"
"Not till he wakes up." We went down to the kitchen and made muffins, biscuits and sausage gravy.
"So how'd you know how to do that?" I asked.
"What his grip? My friend Rebecca was dating a high school hockey enforcer until she went to college and met a baseball pitcher."
"My dad pitched baseball in college?"
"What makes you think that?" Mrs. Reed asked hurriedly.
"Chris told me last night that Alicia isn't our real mom, that my real mom died about 9 minutes after I was born, and that her name was Rebecca."
"You weren't supposed to know about that, now Alicia's gonna be mad. You..."
"Look I don't particularly care what that bitch wants, I know what I want. I want to know about my real mom."
"You sure have her quick temper but you got your dad's stubborn streak."
"Thanks."
"Look I really just want what's best for you but I don't know if filling your head with stories about Becky is what you need right now."
"Fine I'll just call my dad I know he'll love to talk about her again."
"Alright calm down I'll tell you after breakfast."
"Morning mom." Fulton said.
"Morning Mrs. Reed, baby." Portman said stopping behind him.
"Morning kids." Mrs. Reed answer.
"Guys, when did Charlie leave?"
"About 10:30 last night." Fulton answered.
"Which reminds me; he called this morning and asked if you three would come down to the duck pond around 2:30 today."
"Sure I'll give you guys a lift if you want." Fulton and Portman nodded. "He said they were gonna practice right?" Mrs. Reed nodded and brought breakfast to the table.
"ER can we talk to you about last night?" Portman said.
"What about it?" I asked.
"You know what happened at dinner." Fulton put in before shoveling food into his mouth.
"Alright well you know about the fight between Charlie and I so that's why I said what I did, I blew up at Matt because of well you know that too. And you see when I was born apparently it stressed my mom out too much so she died about 9 minutes later. I don't remember anything about her, Seth and Ben remember only what they've been told, and Matt and Chris remember her just about as well as my dad. Sometime shortly after that he started dating again and somehow Alicia talked him into marrying her. He thinks it's because I needed a mom but she admitted to Matt she did it because she just wants the cash, big shocker she doesn't get any when he dies." I said then ate part of my breakfast. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Fulton and Portman having a conversation with their eyes. It was along the same lines of the looks Fulton gives me when he's trying to convince me to ask someone something. Portman kept shaking his head.
I sighed. "What about Jack?" Portman finally asked. I should have known one of them would have brought that up. I looked at Mrs. Reed but she only gave me a half smile and went back to breakfast.
"What about him? He seems like a nice guy, but you saw it unless you're blind, he won't be flirting with me anymore."
"But you didn't turn him down you just said you couldn't believe he'd ask you out in front of the three of us."
"I didn't have to turn him down he took back his offer when he found out I was dating you. There's no big deal here." I said daring him to come up with something.
"But..."
"Stop it both of you. Portman if she didn't like you then she would have automatically said yes instead of saying what she did and wouldn't have fallen asleep with you last night and ER the only reason he's doing this is because he doesn't want to lose you." Mrs. Reed said butting in.
"Yes Mom." We both said, well I think he might have actually said ma'am but it sounded the same.
"So what do you want to know about Rebecca?" She asked as we cleared the table and the boys disappeared upstairs somewhere.
"Well I know that she was a lot like I am but did she love my dad? Was she into sports? When did they meet?" I asked.
"Your mom loved him so much dear, don't you dare let anyone ever tell you different. She told me once that she was so in love with him she would have married him even if he was dirt floor poor. She was only 28 when she died so young but yet so in love."
"Wait a minute that would mean she was 18 when Matt was born."
"And your dad was 19."
"My dad went to college to become a lawyer and had a kid his freshman year, then 3 years later Chris came along. So how could he afford it? College tuition, my mom, and 2 other mouths to feed?"
"When I said Becky went to college that's what I meant, I never said she graduated. When she found out they were gonna have a kid she came to me. I told her that she would have to tell Rob and hope and pray that he didn't hate her and that he would help her through this. Thankfully he did, he partially worked his way through college and half of what he made went to pay for a roof over their heads and food on their table. What he couldn't pay for he begged his parents to pay for and they did. When Becky couldn't take being pregnant and in school anymore she begged her parents to let her drop out. They let her and Rob got a small two bedroom apartment not that far from the campus. Becky worked during the day at Mickey's diner and Rob worked nights at a bar. The way they worked their schedules there was always someone home with Matt at first and then Chris when he was came along. And if for some reason one of them couldn't be either me or Casey, or our friend Tom would be called in."
"When did my grandparents find out?" I asked butting in.
"What that he was still in school and had a family? The year Seth was born. Or at least your mom's parents and brother did. Your dad's parents on the other hand didn't know about it until about three months after he graduated and got a job and Ben was already a year old. When he finally fessed up your grandparents got mad but he calmed them down by explaining that he had everything under control."
"Did my parents...I mean were they ever married?"
"Yes about a year after Matt was born, that was the only way that Rob could convince the Dean that he needed to live off campus. Matt wasn't at the wedding but the rest of your relatives were. They got Tom's current girlfriend to baby-sit Matt."
"So he's the bastard. And who is Tom?"
"In the literal sense of that word yes, in the slang sense no. Matt is a great guy although he tries to hard sometimes he gets that from your dad. Tom is an old friend of your dad's they were so close it was like they were brothers. Tom was even best man at their wedding. Now as for your other questions they met when they were in their first month of college, she was a friend of his roommate's girlfriend."
"Yeah I can see that. Hey Rob my girlfriend says you need to get out some more. She suggested we go out on a double date. To which I'm sure my dad would respond yeah sounds great except for the fact that I don't have a girlfriend and no one will be free tonight no just go without me. And his roommate replies that's ok my girlfriends got this friend of her's that's been moping around because her boyfriend broke up with her right after he found out he was going to a school out of state. My dad replies not a blind date you know I don't like them. And the other guy's like come on just this one and I promise I'll stay out of your love life forever. Finally my dad gives in and they go and my dad meets my mom and things just went from there." I said sarcastically.
"Well actually it was more of my girlfriend is going to a party tonight and is dragging her moping friend who got dumped right before school started because her boyfriend got accepted to a major hockey school and she wanted to know if I would bring you and kinda hope the two of you got along. Then they met and life just exploded in front of them three weeks later boom they were going steady and about a month after that your dad turned 19 and as luck would have it bam she was pregnant with Matt. Haven't you ever noticed Matt's birthday is almost nine months after your dad's? Well nine months and 19 years."
"You can't be serious Matt was conceived on my dad's 19th birthday?"
"I'm dead serious. And no, she wasn't really into sports, she skated off and on but she never had the love for it like her mom or her brother did. She said the only thing that was great about sports teams was the hot guys."
"To which I kinda agree. I mean sure to be on a team you kinda got to be in shape but sports are a lot of fun to be played."
"Yeah I thought you would say that."
"Mom do you know anything about the history between Portman and Jack Burton?" I asked.
"Nope sorry Fulton's never mentioned it just that they have a strong mutual disliked for each other." She answered.
There you go another chapter done and I think it's good. But as the writer I always think the chapters are good. I'm going to get lunch so the rest tune in next time to When Ice and Dirt Mix.