Firsts Part 6
Pet names
A few days before the 'Ericson's' arrived, Clementine found herself in Baltimore, kneeling in front of a locked garage door, concentrating as she picked the lock.
"How long has he had this place?" Asked Clementine, glancing at Ava.
"He's had it for years." Answered Ava, leaning over Clementine, "since his marriage of his first wife, I think he forgot about it until he got that clearance notice."
"What's he got here?"
"I think he's forgotten." Answered Ava, straightening up, "I'm going to check the car, since he keeps insisting the keys are in there."
Mariana watched as her Stepmother walked to the car, before looking at Clementine, "So," Clementine looked at Mariana, "What pet-names do you a Gabe have?"
"We don't." Responded Clementine, as she fiddled with the lock.
"What couple doesn't have pet-names for each other?"
"Me and your brother, apparently." Answered Clementine, as the lock twisted, "Got it!"
Lifting the door up, Clementine and Mariana stared at the mustang in front of them.
"It's alright," Said Ava, as she jogged up to them, "I found…the…keys…"
Clementine looked at Ava, "This is his car?"
F
Jesse rolled his eyes as Justin got Alex in a headlock and Louis and Marlon egged them on. Minerva and Violet were curled up in the back of the bus, Sophie was staring at Louis, Tenn and Willy were watching the landscape go by, Brody and Mitch were sharing headphones, Omar was watching a cooking show on his phone, and Aasim was looking at Ruby with mooneyes.
Glancing at the front, Jesse saw Ms. Martin on the phone, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Yo, Jess!" Jesse looked towards Enid, "What d'ya think our new stomping ground'll be like?"
"Like a normal school." Scoffed Jesse, he didn't tell them he'd already been there or that his quote-unquote 'missing' sister was there. He wanted to see Louis get the shit kicked out of him.
"Apparently," Bo butted in, "there's some bitch that thinks she's hard there."
"That's bullshit." Snorted Violet, "Who told you that?"
"I heard Ms. Martin talking about her."
Jesse glanced at the nurse, he had a feeling they were talking about Clem, but he wasn't sure.
"How'd finding your sister goin'?" Asked Minerva, looking at Jesse.
"I found her." Jesse's reply made the bus go silent.
"Fuck off." Said Sophie, taking her eyes off of Louis.
"No, really." Jesse looked around, "Y'know Javi?"
"Mr Publicity Stunt?" Asked Marlon, "Who doesn't?"
"Yeah, well, y'know he tried to foster before, but it was some psycho who stole, crashed and torched his car," Jesse, looked at Bo, "turns out that was my sister."
"That happened seven years ago." Said Aasim, frowning, "You said 'Clemmy' was a year younger than you. She would've been nine."
"Yeah," Shrugged Jesse, "I didn't believe it either, until she hotwired a car."
"And she wasn't arrested?"
"No, she asked the owners permission." Responded Jesse, "She didn't even wait for them to unlock it."
F
Clementine idly spun her 'borrowed' car in circles. Mariana and Ava sat off to the side, waiting for Gabe and David to arrive, Clementine had a feeling David wouldn't be happy she hotwired another one of his cars, but they had to entertain themselves until Gabe and David got her.
Ava spotted a car coming towards them, recognising it as David's mothers. After stopping the car, David got out and watched Clementine donut.
"Is," David glanced Ava, "Is she driving backwards?"
"She's alternating." Said Ava, "She offered to drive it back to your mom's place, but, well, knowing some of the cops around here…"
David nodded, before glancing at Clementine, "…She hotwired it, didn't she?"
F
"So, how did you and Gabriel meet?" Clementine froze as Gabe's grandmother looked at her.
"We, er, we met at school?" Clementine nervously glanced at Gabe.
"Abuela." Groaned Gabe, as the old woman frowned.
"I don't suppose you know the name of the animal that attacked him?" She gave Clementine a piercing look.
"Er…" Clementine glanced at Gabe, "Kinda?"
She looked at Clementine expectantly, prompting Gabe to speak, "Well, I did provoke them."
"I'm just trying to find out how she went from hating you to dating you."
Clementine glanced at the open window, before glancing back at the old woman looking at her expectantly. In the blink on an eye, Clementine threw herself out of the window, rolling off the van roof and onto the ground.
Gabe winced as his grandmother raised an eyebrow at him, "It's..er…complicated?"
"I was actually going to ask if she was okay." Said his Abuela, getting another wince from Gabe.
"R-right." Gabed hurried out of the room, down the stairs and out the door. He found Clementine leaning against the van, holding her shoulder, "Are you alright?"
Clementine looked at him, "I think, I've just dislocated my arm." Her arm swayed uselessly as she moved.
David looked over Gabe's shoulder, before sighing.
/*/
"Okay," Ava placed a hand on Clementine's arm, "Three, two-"
She roughly relocated the arm, prompting Clementine to release a short scream, "Son of a fuck!"
"You okay?" Asked Gabe, wincing.
"Oh, yeah, I'm great, Babe." Grumbled Clementine, rotating her shoulder.
Gabe let out a snort, while rolling his eyes.
F
The drive back to Tennessee passed quietly, Mariana had chosen to ride with David in his car, while Ava took Gabe and Clementine.
"You called me 'Babe'." Said Gabe, making Clementine look at him.
"What?"
"You called me 'Babe'." Repeated Gabe, making Clementine blush.
"No, I didn't."
"Yes, you did."
"Nope. I didn't."
"Yes, Clementine," Ava interjected, "you did. And after you said you and Gabe don't have pet names."
"Aw, Amor." Teased Gabe, smirking at Clementine.
"Really?!"
"Come on, Baby."
"Gabe, I swear to god-"
In the car behind them, David and Mariana frowned as Gabe laughed at something Clementine did.
"So," David glanced at Mariana, "how long have the pet names been a thing?"
"A couple months." Shrugged Mariana, "I don't think they even realise they're using them yet."
F
Jesse frowned as he looked around the Brooke's Garden. AJ had wandered up to him and just stared at him before running over to Clementine. Dropping down next to one of Clementine's friends, he thought her name was Sarah, and looked at her.
"You're older than I am." Jesse frowned, looking at Sarah.
"I was held back a couple years." Answered Sarah, flipping through a book.
"Okay, so you were held back, Clem was pushed forwards, your friends with your old bully and the only normal one is an idiot." Summarised Jesse, think on what Rebecca had told him.
"I wouldn't call Duck an idiot." Defended Sarah, looking up from the book.
"He's got his head stuck in a bucket," Jesse pointed out, "and he trying to squish his head in an attempt to remove it."
Sarah looked over at Duck, who, like Jesse said, had his head and hands in a bucket. Jesse looked over at Clementine, freezing when he saw her Latino friend come up behind and wrap his arms around her.
"What's he doing?" Hissed Jesse, glaring at Gabe.
Sarah frowned at him, "He's hugging his girlfriend, what does it look like he's doing?"
"His what?!"
"They've been dating for a few months now."
Sarah was prevented from saying anything else by a clump of snow being thrown at her, "Gill, you son of a-!" Sarah grabbed a pile of snow and threw it at Gill.
Jesse felt a snowball hit his shoulder, before another hit his leg.
"Great shot, Babe!" Yelled Clementine, as chaos erupted around them.
"Thanks, Amor!"
Rebecca pulled the window shut, just as AJ threw a pile of snow at it. The toddler poked his tongue out, as Duck grabbed him and slid behind the shed. Jesse joined Duck, AJ and Gill behind the shed, while Clementine, Gabe, Becca and Sarah rolled the table onto its side.
"Oh, I've been meaning to ask," Gill looked at Duck, "how's your mom?"
"She's been in the hospital for a bit," Shrugged Duck, having started calling Sarita 'mom' shortly after Rebecca and Alvin adopted Clementine, "they're hoping this pregnancy will last."
Gill hummed, as AJ stuck his head out from around the shed, just as Becca ran across the garden to grab something, only to skid on some ice and body slam the fence.