Pearls, chapter 5
Fast forward 2 years after Evan. Joey and I were talking regularly, Evan was gone and life was a giant lollipop, yummy and dandy. I had a steady job at the local vintage shop, had about 13 credit cards and a vintage Mustang.
That's right, I was the proud owner of a 1963 vintage Mustang customized by West Coast Customs. It was black with a giant silver star on the hood, cream leather seats, and polka dot seatbelts. Did I mention that it was a convertible? I was terribly proud of my car. Oh and I was officially "been pimped."
I also had a teensy-weensy itty-bitty crush on Joey. Okay, a huge crush. But I doubted he felt the same way, and I'd rather die than admit it to Stella. I think she sort of knows, but she's quiet about it. Anyway, Joey grew hotter. When I met him he was a tall, lanky kid but now he was a bit more buff, longer hair and plugs. I wasn't the only one who had a crush on him. All of the female freshman population dreamed about being taken to the school dances with him, sophomores went into giggling fits if he smiled, juniors were constantly drawing little hearts with their name added to his name and seniors were too busy thinking about college. So, does a girl who rejected him 2 years ago have a chance? Nope, didn't think so. Anyway enough talk, on with the story!
AT THE ARMSTRONG HOUSEHOLD
Joey, Jakob, Stella and I burst through the front door and closed it right on time in front of a die-hard Green Day teenie. You could still hear her through the door about how she was going to have amazing sex with Billie Joe. I snorted. As if. Pamela Anderson could have flashed him and he would have been bored. He's got Adrienne and that's the way the cookie crumbles. Speak of the devil, Adrienne came through the kitchen.
"Rough day?" she called.
"Nope, I was just chased by a die-hard teenie who was screaming about amazing sex with Billie Joe and the guy I'm in love with doesn't know," I called.
Woops-a-daisie. That didn't mean to come out. I waited for the chain reaction.
"You're in love?"
"With who?"
"Why didn't you tell me! OH MY GOD IS HE CUTE?"
"I wanna lick you from your head to your toes-"
"DAD!"
Joey and Jakob ran to their parents for a hug while me and Stella pretended to cry.
"Oh my golly gee good, look it's the Partridge family!" Stella cried.
Stella and I burst out laughing at that while the Armstrongs just stood there.
"Anyway to the point Chloe, who you in love with foo?" Stella said in a fake black accent.
"I'll tell you later g-unit," I replied in a businesswoman voice.
Stella nodded and we all trooped into the kitchen, started out homework and ate Adrienne's cookies that she made. Of course, being that I should have graduated high school 2 years ago, I helped them with their homework. Joey needed the most help so I was basically at his side the whole time.
"Wait, so the whole point of the story is aimed at Communism? I thought it was for like, PETA, or something," Joey asked, confused.
I threw up my hands.
"DIOS MIO JOEY!! LET ME EXPLAIN TO YOU IN SIMPLEST TERMS AS POSSIBLE!! ANIMAL FARM IS GEORGE ORWELL'S OPINION ON COMMUNISM!!" I yelled.
Billie Joe poked his head through the kitchen.
"You've actually read Animal Farm?" Billie Joe asked curiously.
"Yeah, it's my favorite book after Catch-22 and Harry Potter," I replied.
"Wow. I dropped out of high school, and I never read the books or anything. Look where I am now!" Billie Joe exclaimed.
"Your point?" I asked, a little annoyed.
"None," he replied and his shoulders slumped while he walked into the kitchen.
I rolled my eyes and continued to help Joey, our legs occasionally nudging into each other. As Joey wrote his report I studied his face. He had his father's eyes, bright and sparkly green. His lips were full, and he just screamed rebel without a cause. Except hotter. I guess he felt my gaze boring into his and he looked up from his report.
"Yeah?"
"Nothing, nothing," I hastily replied to cover up the fact I was totally checking him out.
He shrugged and continued with his report. I glanced at Stella and she had a satisfied smirk on her face. She moved her eyebrows twice and gave a twitch in the direction of Joey. I moved my eyebrows once to signal yes. She suddenly gave a scream and started jumping up and down. Everyone looked at her like she was crazy.
"I KNEW IT!! I KNEW IT!! OH MY GOD YOU GUYS WOULD BE SUCH A CUTE COUPLE!!" Stella screamed.
Joey and Jakob looked curious.
"Who is it?" Jakob asked.
"NO ONE! STELLA, Joey's room NOW!!" I said through gritted teeth.
We marched up the stairs into Joey's bedroom and sat on the bed.
"I KNEW IT! But how are you going to tell him?" She asked.
"I'm not," I said flatly.
"But-"
"Stella, I rejected him two years ago. TWO YEARS. Please tell me, if you were in his spot, would you still like that girl?" I screamed.
"Yes, and I'm not saying because I'm your best friend. He's still in love with you Chloe, that's why he never had a girlfriend for 2 years! Because he's still in love with you! Jesus Christ! TELL HIM!" Stella yelled.
"I CAN'T STELLA!! I REJECTED HIM! AND I DON'T WANT TO GET BROKEN AFTER I TELL HIM!! DIOS MOTHERFUCKING MIO!" I screamed.
"Fine, your loss. But Chloe, you've never seen the way he looks at you when he talks. He's head over heels in love with you! And your ego is in the way!" Stella said simply.
I was thrown back by that statement.
"I don't have an ego! And I want to tell him Stella, but FYI I don't know how. It's not like I can go up to him and tell him 'Hey sexy, I wanna be your Dominated Love Slave, got condoms, where's your room?' How do you know for a fact he likes me anyway?" I asked.
"I know," Stella said.
"You better be right Stella, or I'll shove your dad's bass up your ass," I sighed and fell back on the bed.
+
Unbeknownst to the two girls, Joey Armstrong was listening to every word outside the door.
That's right, I was the proud owner of a 1963 vintage Mustang customized by West Coast Customs. It was black with a giant silver star on the hood, cream leather seats, and polka dot seatbelts. Did I mention that it was a convertible? I was terribly proud of my car. Oh and I was officially "been pimped."
I also had a teensy-weensy itty-bitty crush on Joey. Okay, a huge crush. But I doubted he felt the same way, and I'd rather die than admit it to Stella. I think she sort of knows, but she's quiet about it. Anyway, Joey grew hotter. When I met him he was a tall, lanky kid but now he was a bit more buff, longer hair and plugs. I wasn't the only one who had a crush on him. All of the female freshman population dreamed about being taken to the school dances with him, sophomores went into giggling fits if he smiled, juniors were constantly drawing little hearts with their name added to his name and seniors were too busy thinking about college. So, does a girl who rejected him 2 years ago have a chance? Nope, didn't think so. Anyway enough talk, on with the story!
AT THE ARMSTRONG HOUSEHOLD
Joey, Jakob, Stella and I burst through the front door and closed it right on time in front of a die-hard Green Day teenie. You could still hear her through the door about how she was going to have amazing sex with Billie Joe. I snorted. As if. Pamela Anderson could have flashed him and he would have been bored. He's got Adrienne and that's the way the cookie crumbles. Speak of the devil, Adrienne came through the kitchen.
"Rough day?" she called.
"Nope, I was just chased by a die-hard teenie who was screaming about amazing sex with Billie Joe and the guy I'm in love with doesn't know," I called.
Woops-a-daisie. That didn't mean to come out. I waited for the chain reaction.
"You're in love?"
"With who?"
"Why didn't you tell me! OH MY GOD IS HE CUTE?"
"I wanna lick you from your head to your toes-"
"DAD!"
Joey and Jakob ran to their parents for a hug while me and Stella pretended to cry.
"Oh my golly gee good, look it's the Partridge family!" Stella cried.
Stella and I burst out laughing at that while the Armstrongs just stood there.
"Anyway to the point Chloe, who you in love with foo?" Stella said in a fake black accent.
"I'll tell you later g-unit," I replied in a businesswoman voice.
Stella nodded and we all trooped into the kitchen, started out homework and ate Adrienne's cookies that she made. Of course, being that I should have graduated high school 2 years ago, I helped them with their homework. Joey needed the most help so I was basically at his side the whole time.
"Wait, so the whole point of the story is aimed at Communism? I thought it was for like, PETA, or something," Joey asked, confused.
I threw up my hands.
"DIOS MIO JOEY!! LET ME EXPLAIN TO YOU IN SIMPLEST TERMS AS POSSIBLE!! ANIMAL FARM IS GEORGE ORWELL'S OPINION ON COMMUNISM!!" I yelled.
Billie Joe poked his head through the kitchen.
"You've actually read Animal Farm?" Billie Joe asked curiously.
"Yeah, it's my favorite book after Catch-22 and Harry Potter," I replied.
"Wow. I dropped out of high school, and I never read the books or anything. Look where I am now!" Billie Joe exclaimed.
"Your point?" I asked, a little annoyed.
"None," he replied and his shoulders slumped while he walked into the kitchen.
I rolled my eyes and continued to help Joey, our legs occasionally nudging into each other. As Joey wrote his report I studied his face. He had his father's eyes, bright and sparkly green. His lips were full, and he just screamed rebel without a cause. Except hotter. I guess he felt my gaze boring into his and he looked up from his report.
"Yeah?"
"Nothing, nothing," I hastily replied to cover up the fact I was totally checking him out.
He shrugged and continued with his report. I glanced at Stella and she had a satisfied smirk on her face. She moved her eyebrows twice and gave a twitch in the direction of Joey. I moved my eyebrows once to signal yes. She suddenly gave a scream and started jumping up and down. Everyone looked at her like she was crazy.
"I KNEW IT!! I KNEW IT!! OH MY GOD YOU GUYS WOULD BE SUCH A CUTE COUPLE!!" Stella screamed.
Joey and Jakob looked curious.
"Who is it?" Jakob asked.
"NO ONE! STELLA, Joey's room NOW!!" I said through gritted teeth.
We marched up the stairs into Joey's bedroom and sat on the bed.
"I KNEW IT! But how are you going to tell him?" She asked.
"I'm not," I said flatly.
"But-"
"Stella, I rejected him two years ago. TWO YEARS. Please tell me, if you were in his spot, would you still like that girl?" I screamed.
"Yes, and I'm not saying because I'm your best friend. He's still in love with you Chloe, that's why he never had a girlfriend for 2 years! Because he's still in love with you! Jesus Christ! TELL HIM!" Stella yelled.
"I CAN'T STELLA!! I REJECTED HIM! AND I DON'T WANT TO GET BROKEN AFTER I TELL HIM!! DIOS MOTHERFUCKING MIO!" I screamed.
"Fine, your loss. But Chloe, you've never seen the way he looks at you when he talks. He's head over heels in love with you! And your ego is in the way!" Stella said simply.
I was thrown back by that statement.
"I don't have an ego! And I want to tell him Stella, but FYI I don't know how. It's not like I can go up to him and tell him 'Hey sexy, I wanna be your Dominated Love Slave, got condoms, where's your room?' How do you know for a fact he likes me anyway?" I asked.
"I know," Stella said.
"You better be right Stella, or I'll shove your dad's bass up your ass," I sighed and fell back on the bed.
+
Unbeknownst to the two girls, Joey Armstrong was listening to every word outside the door.
