Estelle, chapter 3
Joey
So Ramona's coming. We haven't seen her in like five months. She's the same age as me, and we're friends even though we don't see each other that much. Actually, she's three months older than me, but it's not that big a difference. She's pretty crazy, like her dad, and she has a similar sense of humor, too.
She's so fun to hang out with. Every time she's been here we had an awesome time together. But the last few times she's been here she's only stayed for a few days, so we didn't really have a chance to catch up on anything.
I can't believe her mom is actually letting her go. And from what I've heard her step dad is kind of an asshole, so I'm surprised he let her go, too.
I'm still trying to avoid my parents up in my room. My dad was absolutely fuming when I came home last night. He went on about how I could have hurt Estelle and Serena and that I'm the one who needs to be responsible since I'm older than them. He's right, but I don't regret doing it.
When we started to become drunk last night I remember looking at Stella. She became drunk much faster than I did. Normally she is practical and thoughtful, but last night she was yelling out anything that popped into her head. She laughed harder than I've ever seen her laugh, and I love seeing her like that.
I never actually thought of Stella as being attractive. I mean, I kind of always thought of her as my sister, or this younger girl that I could never possibly have deeper feelings for. But last night I realized that she's actually not that much younger than me, and that I was seeing this other side of her that I never knew was there. I think the reason that I didn't remember Serena kissing Greg was because I was staring at Stella.
I noticed that she's actually kinda pretty.
***
Ramona
I hate long plane rides. Thankfully, I was so excited about traveling alone that I didn't really notice how bored I was. I also had my ipod to occupy me for a while. I think a few people were staring at me when I was head banging to Sum 41's 'Fat Lip. '
When I arrived at the airport, I went to the baggage claim. I got my bags, and began to look around for my dad.
Suddenly I saw him. I don't know how I recognized him, because he had on these dark sunglasses and a hat to disguise himself. But I knew it was him because of the funny way he stood. A moment after I recognized him he saw me.
"Mona!" he yelled, smiling.
"Hey dad," I said as I ran up to him. He gave me a big hug.
"I missed you so much!" he said, pulling away.
"I missed you, too," I said. I was so happy to see him. He always had this energy that made me want to do something crazy, like run around with underwear on my head or something. I mean, I'm already pretty crazy as it is, but with my dad around, it was a double threat.
"I didn't know you were staying all year," he said, looking at all my luggage.
I laughed. "Shut up and help me with these," I said.
"I think I better listen to you, because that Mickey Mouse shirt is freaking me out," he said.
My dad has always had a strange phobia of Mickey Mouse for some reason. My shirt was especially scary because it was Mickey Mouse wearing a spike choker and looking really angry.
We finally got all my bags into the car. We got in and my dad started driving.
"So, how is everything, Mona?" Tré asked.
"Good," I said. "I mean, Mom is pretty happy. She is occupied with Rob most of the time, so she rarely has time to worry about anything else."
"And you?" said my dad. "How are you?"
I sighed. "I'm fine, I guess," I said. "I mean, I love mom and living in New York and all, I have great friends, I like my school. But... "
"But..." Tré said, encouraging me to continue.
"But, I hate being so far away all the time," I said. "From you, from Frankito, from everybody. I just feel like I'm missing out on everything."
"Does that mean you want to move here permanently?" my dad asked.
"Well, no, not exactly," I said. "I just kind of feel ripped between two places I love, you know?"
My dad nodded. "I know, Ramona," he said. "But, let's just talk about this later, ok? I think there's some people waiting to see you," he said as we pulled into the driveway of our house.
"Wha... " I started to say. I was smiling as we walked into the house.
I saw Frankito first.
"Mona!" he yelled. He ran into my outstretched arms. I laughed as I spun him around and set him on the floor.
"Look at you!" I yelled. "You're so big!"
"I just turned ten," he said. He's small for his age, so he could have passed for an eight year old.
Next I saw Claudia. She smiled and gave me a hug.
"How are you, sweetie?" she said.
"I'm great, now that I'm finally here," I said.
"Frankito has been talking about you ever since he heard you were coming," she said. "We so happy to see you, Ramona."
"You too," I said. "It's been too long!"
She nodded. I could tell she was getting ready to leave because she kept eyeing the door. I guess she thought it would be weird to stay since Tré was there.
"Well, I have to go, Sweetie," she said. "But I'll see you later, ok?"
"All right, Claudia," I said, giving her another hug. "Take care."
As she went out the door, I saw Jakob standing next to Frankito.
"Well, look what the cat dragged in," Jakob said, smiling mischievously.
I rolled my eyes. "Thanks, now I really feel welcome," I said sarcastically. I gave him a hug and ruffled his hair.
"What is it with people and messing up my hair?" he whined.
I heard a laugh, so I turned to see who it came from. I looked into the blue eyes of Estelle.
"Stella!" I screamed. We enthusiastically hugged each other and pulled away. We both had huge smiles on.
"I missed you so much!" she said.
"I missed you too!" I said. "I can't believe I'm here!"
Estelle looked so different. The last time I saw her she looked much younger, like a preteen. Now she looked like an actual teenager. She was wearing ripped jeans and a black Ramones t-shirt. She was wearing a little bit of eyeliner, too, and it really made her eyes stand out. She had grown taller, so now she was the same height as me.
Right as I was about to ask Estelle how she was, I noticed a tall figure standing near her.
"Hey Ramona," said Joey, smiling.
"Joey!" I said. I ran up to him and hugged him.
Joey, looked different too, but it wasn't as obvious as with Stella. With him, it was like he looked just a little bit fiercer than he had five months ago.
As I pulled away from our hug, I looked at both Joey and Estelle at the same time. I stood there for a second.
"Aw, I really missed you guys," I said. "Come here."
They smiled and we had group hug.
Then I saw Adie. She looked like she was about to cry. Joey saw her, too.
"C'mon, mom, why did you have to pick now to get emotional?" he said, rolling his eyes.
"It's just so sad how you guys are so far away from each other all the time," she said, sniffling. "Oh, come here, sweetie," she said to me.
She squeezed me so hard I almost couldn't breathe.
"C'mon, don't kill her already, she just got here!" I heard a familiar voice say.
I loosened myself from her grasp, and saw Billie Joe smirking a few feet away.
"Does that mean you're going to kill me later?" I laughed as I approached Billie Joe.
"Damn, how did you figure it out?" he said as he pulled me in for a hug. "Mike, you told her, didn't you?" he accused Mike, who was standing a few feet away.
Mike was smiling. "Hey, Ramona," he said as he approached me and gave me a hug. "Did you have a nice flight?"
"Um, I wouldn't exactly call it nice, but it was ok. I'm just glad to be here," I said, looking around at everybody.
And wasn't it the truth.
So Ramona's coming. We haven't seen her in like five months. She's the same age as me, and we're friends even though we don't see each other that much. Actually, she's three months older than me, but it's not that big a difference. She's pretty crazy, like her dad, and she has a similar sense of humor, too.
She's so fun to hang out with. Every time she's been here we had an awesome time together. But the last few times she's been here she's only stayed for a few days, so we didn't really have a chance to catch up on anything.
I can't believe her mom is actually letting her go. And from what I've heard her step dad is kind of an asshole, so I'm surprised he let her go, too.
I'm still trying to avoid my parents up in my room. My dad was absolutely fuming when I came home last night. He went on about how I could have hurt Estelle and Serena and that I'm the one who needs to be responsible since I'm older than them. He's right, but I don't regret doing it.
When we started to become drunk last night I remember looking at Stella. She became drunk much faster than I did. Normally she is practical and thoughtful, but last night she was yelling out anything that popped into her head. She laughed harder than I've ever seen her laugh, and I love seeing her like that.
I never actually thought of Stella as being attractive. I mean, I kind of always thought of her as my sister, or this younger girl that I could never possibly have deeper feelings for. But last night I realized that she's actually not that much younger than me, and that I was seeing this other side of her that I never knew was there. I think the reason that I didn't remember Serena kissing Greg was because I was staring at Stella.
I noticed that she's actually kinda pretty.
***
Ramona
I hate long plane rides. Thankfully, I was so excited about traveling alone that I didn't really notice how bored I was. I also had my ipod to occupy me for a while. I think a few people were staring at me when I was head banging to Sum 41's 'Fat Lip. '
When I arrived at the airport, I went to the baggage claim. I got my bags, and began to look around for my dad.
Suddenly I saw him. I don't know how I recognized him, because he had on these dark sunglasses and a hat to disguise himself. But I knew it was him because of the funny way he stood. A moment after I recognized him he saw me.
"Mona!" he yelled, smiling.
"Hey dad," I said as I ran up to him. He gave me a big hug.
"I missed you so much!" he said, pulling away.
"I missed you, too," I said. I was so happy to see him. He always had this energy that made me want to do something crazy, like run around with underwear on my head or something. I mean, I'm already pretty crazy as it is, but with my dad around, it was a double threat.
"I didn't know you were staying all year," he said, looking at all my luggage.
I laughed. "Shut up and help me with these," I said.
"I think I better listen to you, because that Mickey Mouse shirt is freaking me out," he said.
My dad has always had a strange phobia of Mickey Mouse for some reason. My shirt was especially scary because it was Mickey Mouse wearing a spike choker and looking really angry.
We finally got all my bags into the car. We got in and my dad started driving.
"So, how is everything, Mona?" Tré asked.
"Good," I said. "I mean, Mom is pretty happy. She is occupied with Rob most of the time, so she rarely has time to worry about anything else."
"And you?" said my dad. "How are you?"
I sighed. "I'm fine, I guess," I said. "I mean, I love mom and living in New York and all, I have great friends, I like my school. But... "
"But..." Tré said, encouraging me to continue.
"But, I hate being so far away all the time," I said. "From you, from Frankito, from everybody. I just feel like I'm missing out on everything."
"Does that mean you want to move here permanently?" my dad asked.
"Well, no, not exactly," I said. "I just kind of feel ripped between two places I love, you know?"
My dad nodded. "I know, Ramona," he said. "But, let's just talk about this later, ok? I think there's some people waiting to see you," he said as we pulled into the driveway of our house.
"Wha... " I started to say. I was smiling as we walked into the house.
I saw Frankito first.
"Mona!" he yelled. He ran into my outstretched arms. I laughed as I spun him around and set him on the floor.
"Look at you!" I yelled. "You're so big!"
"I just turned ten," he said. He's small for his age, so he could have passed for an eight year old.
Next I saw Claudia. She smiled and gave me a hug.
"How are you, sweetie?" she said.
"I'm great, now that I'm finally here," I said.
"Frankito has been talking about you ever since he heard you were coming," she said. "We so happy to see you, Ramona."
"You too," I said. "It's been too long!"
She nodded. I could tell she was getting ready to leave because she kept eyeing the door. I guess she thought it would be weird to stay since Tré was there.
"Well, I have to go, Sweetie," she said. "But I'll see you later, ok?"
"All right, Claudia," I said, giving her another hug. "Take care."
As she went out the door, I saw Jakob standing next to Frankito.
"Well, look what the cat dragged in," Jakob said, smiling mischievously.
I rolled my eyes. "Thanks, now I really feel welcome," I said sarcastically. I gave him a hug and ruffled his hair.
"What is it with people and messing up my hair?" he whined.
I heard a laugh, so I turned to see who it came from. I looked into the blue eyes of Estelle.
"Stella!" I screamed. We enthusiastically hugged each other and pulled away. We both had huge smiles on.
"I missed you so much!" she said.
"I missed you too!" I said. "I can't believe I'm here!"
Estelle looked so different. The last time I saw her she looked much younger, like a preteen. Now she looked like an actual teenager. She was wearing ripped jeans and a black Ramones t-shirt. She was wearing a little bit of eyeliner, too, and it really made her eyes stand out. She had grown taller, so now she was the same height as me.
Right as I was about to ask Estelle how she was, I noticed a tall figure standing near her.
"Hey Ramona," said Joey, smiling.
"Joey!" I said. I ran up to him and hugged him.
Joey, looked different too, but it wasn't as obvious as with Stella. With him, it was like he looked just a little bit fiercer than he had five months ago.
As I pulled away from our hug, I looked at both Joey and Estelle at the same time. I stood there for a second.
"Aw, I really missed you guys," I said. "Come here."
They smiled and we had group hug.
Then I saw Adie. She looked like she was about to cry. Joey saw her, too.
"C'mon, mom, why did you have to pick now to get emotional?" he said, rolling his eyes.
"It's just so sad how you guys are so far away from each other all the time," she said, sniffling. "Oh, come here, sweetie," she said to me.
She squeezed me so hard I almost couldn't breathe.
"C'mon, don't kill her already, she just got here!" I heard a familiar voice say.
I loosened myself from her grasp, and saw Billie Joe smirking a few feet away.
"Does that mean you're going to kill me later?" I laughed as I approached Billie Joe.
"Damn, how did you figure it out?" he said as he pulled me in for a hug. "Mike, you told her, didn't you?" he accused Mike, who was standing a few feet away.
Mike was smiling. "Hey, Ramona," he said as he approached me and gave me a hug. "Did you have a nice flight?"
"Um, I wouldn't exactly call it nice, but it was ok. I'm just glad to be here," I said, looking around at everybody.
And wasn't it the truth.
