The blonde & The bad

Chapter twenty-eight

'The love of a family is life's greatest blessing.'

“My daughter, Jamey-Moon Rouge, is not coming to school today. She is very ill.” Hugh covered the phone with his hand and let a small laughter escape. “Yes very ill.” He paused and nodded, rolling his eyes. “Will do, OK. Bye then.” He ended the call and gave me one of his annoyed looks.

“What a horrible woman. Is she really sick? What does she have? She has been absent multiple times in the short time she has been on this school. Are you sure she’s ill.” He threw his hands in the air. “I was about to yell at her ‘goddamn woman I’m trying to call my daughter in sick so we can go to a theme park, but you just won’t shut up now would you?’.” He paused taking a deep breath. “But I didn’t, praise me.” I laughed at my father, the man could get really funny when someone got on his nerves.

“I’m mentally praising you, Hugh.” I said, my fingertips ticking on the sides of my head as I squinted my eyes at him.

“Did you just call your father by his first name? What are we? The royal family?” Pete angled his entire body towards me and looked at me disapproving.

“No, if we were than no way there would have been two dads in this family.” Marc laughed and Pete shifted around in his seat, turning back to looking out the window. We were already in the car on our way to the theme park, when Marc realized he hadn’t called me in sick.

“Do you know your baby sister has a lover?” Hugh turned around in his seat to look at Pete, a big smirk across his face. I tried to give him the ‘What the heck’ look, but he remained looking like a excited puppy.

“Now does she?” Pete turned back to me again and I looked at Minny as a reflex.

“Ah let me guess, that Dave guy that stole your cookie is your lover. Right?” I gave Minny a sweet smile, and when the little girl got all red and looked down nervously. I felt guilt all in my body.

“Told you so.” I turned back to my brother and father, before I looked back at Minny. Shaking my head at her nervously.

“James.” Pete turned me around by pulling my shoulders. I let my head drop when he tried to look me in the eyes and suddenly I heard Hugh laughing. I snapped my head up and looked at him.

“Aw come on, Jay. Just tell the boy you are madly in love with this brown haired god and that you write his name everywhere you can.” He was talking about Guy and I winced. I bit my lip as I tried to think of a way to get out of this.

“Well, it’s-“ I paused and scratched the back of my head.

“It’s a blonde haired god.” Marc said, with a loud sigh at the end. “And he’s teacher.” I started couching, as the spit I was trying to swallow got in the wrong part of my throat. I felt blood rush to my cheeks and my vision got blurry.

“He’s what?” I vaguely saw Hugh turn around in his seat, and when I felt Pete’s hand pat my back I slowly found myself getting air again.

“You know?” I pushed Pete’s hand off my back and leaned in closer to Marc and Hugh.

“Why did no one tell me about this?” He crossed his arms in front of his chest and squinted his eyes at me and Marc.

“We had a meeting with the guidance counselor before you started school, and when I saw him yesterday kissing you goodbye. I knew enough.” I looked down and slowly leaned back in my seat again.

“I’m sorry.” I whispered looking at Hugh and back down.

“I give you my blessing.” Pete whispered in my ear from besides me and I couldn’t help but smile.

“That blonde guidance counselor?” I saw Hugh think as he placed his index finger on his chin. His face turned from anger into a smile as he thought about Damon.

“You don’t have to be sorry, dear. As long as he makes you sincerely happy.” Marc said looking at me through the rear-view mirror and I saw Hugh nod his head in agreement.

“Thank you.” I said feeling better knowing that secret is out. I realized that in the small amount of time that I had been in this town, a lot of my secrets have been revealed and accepted. Well for as far as I know.

“And he does.” I added after a moment of silence had passed and I could still feel Pete’s eyes burning a hole in the side of my head. Pete shifted around in his seat next to me and when I felt my cheeks get red again, he put his hand on my leg.

“Be thankful you found someone who has accepted you.” I frowned at him. “Oh god I didn’t mean it like that, but you know what I meant.” I smiled and shook my head at him, he was indeed a moron.

“So how is your love life, Peanut?” He crunched and put the hand, which was still lying on my leg, on his head.

“If you keep calling me that, you’ll never know.” I laughed and softly patted his leg.

“It was nice knowing you.” I said before I pulled my hand back, looking at the road ahead.

“Hah, as if you could ever live without an awesome person like me in your life.” The cockiness in his voice was obvious, but still he was speaking the truth.

“No you’re right.” He smiled at me, happy with his victory. “But that’s why I have Minny.” I said looking at my half asleep sister next to me. I heard Pete chuckle next to me and Minny slowly opened her eyes at me.

“Why are you staring at me all the time?” She said as the grip she had on her doll tightened.

“Because I love you.” I said, and she backed up a bit.

“IIEEL don’t.” I rolled my eyes at her, her child thoughts ruining the moment.

“Awesomeness written all over her face and those words she speaks, so deep.” Pete whispered in my ear and I bowed my head down.

“Thanks a lot Min.” The little girl gave me a smile before she closed her eyes again.

“Just wait till she’s all grown up, she’ll be better than both of you.” Hugh interfered with our conversation, his eyes on Minny.

“Wouldn’t hope for it, Paps.” Pete said when he put his arm around me, squeezing my body into his side. “We’re awesomeness itself.” He said while he ruffled my hair, I let out a deep sigh as I let Pete do his thing.

“Getting a bit cocky now aren’t we?” Marc said as he quickly glanced at Hugh, a smile on his face.

“We got that from both of you.” I said, pushing Pete’s hand out of my hair.

“Just like you got your awesomeness from us, especially from me of course.” Hugh said, turning in his seat a bit so he could look at us. Pete’s arm was still around me and I didn’t bother pushing it off.

“No, not really.” Pete shrugged and he lifted his arm off me, turning to look outside the window. The sober way he said it was the funniest part of it all.

“You hear the master.” I said, laughing at Pete.  Pete lightly cocked his head to look at me and a big smile was on his face.

“See that’s a nickname I do like.” And suddenly the whole car was filled with laughter, four different laughter. Pete’s, Marc’s, Hugh’s an my laughter all mixing up together in a small space, giving me that blissful feeling of joy inside.