I Will Always Be There For You, chapter 4
Everyone was laughing and having a good time. I had come out an hour ago and it was quiet at first but everyone seemed to tell I felt better. We were just old friends having a good time.
"Well, I can't thank you all enough for this, guys. It really was nice and unexpected but it's getting late and we should be getting our things moved in," Lisea said.
"Don't thank us. It's what friends do," Adrienne smiled.
"Yeah. We can help anyways that's part of why we're here," Billie said amused.
"Oh. Great!" my mom laughed as the guys went outside to start bringing in things.
We all helped out. Adrienne and I brought in lighter things like some boxes or lamps while the guys brought in the furniture. Mom directed everyone around like a general telling them where everything should go.
"We're your own personal movers!" called Mike as he and Tre brought in another side table.
Eventually, everything was in its basic spot and the "welcome wagon" moseyed on out with mom flooding them with thank you's. Tr came back to talk to me before he left. "Hey," he said excited.
"Hey, yourself,"
"I was gonna ask you...Since you're gonna be living in the same state again...."
"Not to mention city,"
"If you ever wanted to just drop by...."
I stared at him, "You serious? I wouldn't bother anyone? Heck. I'll be there tomorrow."
"Of course you wouldn't bother anyone! Claudia and Frankito would love to see you!"
"Awesome!"
"Okay. Well see ya, babe."
I laughed, "Bye, daddy poo." He gave me a look, "What? You're the one calling me babe!"
"Fine. Note to self: Call Ramona bitch from now on."
"Hey!" I called after him as he ran off. He stuck out his tongue and I stuck mine out back at him.
***
"Do you think this picture looks better over this table?" mom walked over to the tv, "Or the tv?" I was laying off the side of the couch with my head grazing the floor eating some Doritos. It was dark out and we had just had dinner. Mom was trying to get my opinion on where to put the little stuff.
"Um...." I tilted my head, "What's it a picture of?"
"A statue in a park."
"Over the table, definitely," I said, helping myself to some more chips.
"Yeah," she answered. She went around putting other things here and there. After putting a candle on the coffee table she stood back, admiring her skill with her hands on her hips. "I think this place will be very nice."
"Sure," I stuck up my thumb. She headed off to the bathroom. I rolled back over to sit on the couch and stare at the door. A spider was crawling down the cracked wall beside it. When she came back from the bathroom I asked her, "Hey, mom."
"Yeah, Mona?" she said absently messing with her hair as she turned on the tv and sat down besides me.
"When's Keith moving in?"
She looked at me weird. I don't really know what it was. "I thought you didn't want him here."
"Well, I changed my mind. I've been too negative lately. Maybe I should give him a chance."
She just gaped at me. I took the chance to change to MTV."Are you feeling well?" She put her hand to my forehead.
"Yeah. I'm fine. It's just I was talking to dad and-"
"Oh, of course. Your father always wants to make sure everyone's happy." She got this sort of weird look in her eyes. Conveniently, as if on cue, Green Day's American Idiot video came on.
We laughed. "Yeah. That's dad alright." I rolled my eyes.
"He'll be coming tomorrow."
"Great," I sighed.
***
"How soon does school start?" I asked Frankito. We were sitting watching some stupid cartoon. I had spent as much time as possible at his house. When Keith had come all he wanted to do was spend time with me. I said I wanted to go see my real dad and they both got upset and I left before they could say anything. This was a week later and Keith was still trying to win me over. I think we were supposed to go to the zoo or something later. Whatever.
"Um...You'd have to ask Joey. I'm still going to the elementary with Jake," Frankito said, eyes still glued to the screen.
"Oh...well maybe dad knows," I said looking around, "DAD?" I hollered.
"What?" came Tre's voice from far away.
I got up and went in the direction of his voice. I found him in the kitchen. "When does school start?"
He gave me a look like 'why-would-you-wanna-know-that?' but said, "Um...pretty sure it's next week."
"Oh. Cool." Man are we boring. I must apologize, readers. This isn't as enthralling as one might expect. Ha. I looked over to a Hispanic woman cleaning the counter. "Uh...who are you?" That's more like it
She turned around, startled. Dad just continued eating his sandwich and reading the paper, "Oh. I see we haven't been introduced yet?" Dad half shrugged, "Well. I am Rosita. I'm the maid."
"Oh. We have maids now?"
"No. Just me." she didn't catch my sarcasm. Of course there'd be a maid in this mansion of a house owned by a rockstar.
"Yeah. Okay then." I said. I went back to watch more cartoons with Frankito.
***
"Ramona?" dad hollered from the entryway, "Your mom and her boyfriend are here to pick you up!"
I sighed, "I'm not here!" I hollered back at him.
"Ramona! Get your ass out here now!" he yelled.
I ran out there. "Come on, Ramona. We're supposed to be going out to eat." my mom said.
"Okay," I sighed.
"Hey, Ramona. How was your day?" Keith asked all enthusiastic.
"Alright...." Until you came
"Thanks for watching her, Tre," mom said.
"No prob," he said.
Watching me? I ran to his house and he just let me stay.
We walked to Keith's car. When we got to a stoplight I asked, "So...where are we going?"
"It's a surprise. But we need to talk to you, Ramona," mom said.
"Yeah. You do."
"You do not go running off to your father's house for the day without telling us, okay?" she said.
"Sure," I sighed, "Sorry."
***
I shifted in my seat. We were waiting for our orders. Turns out we were eating at Outback Steakhouse...my favorite restaurant that mom isn't so crazy for. Something was up.
"So...didn't you say you needed to talk to me?"
"Yes...." my mom looked at Keith. They smiled and took each other's hands.
"We have an announcement, Ramona," Keith started.
I nearly screamed, "YOU'RE ENGAGED?"
They looked startled, "Yes..." mom began.
"We are."
I stared at them.
"Oh, honestly, Ramona. We've been dating for nearly two years now," mom sighed.
"It's just...I just. I don't like you!" I pointed to Keith. Oh, boy.
"Yeah. I noticed that. And, I've been trying-"
"We've," mom chimed.
"Yes. We've been trying to fix that," he finished.
"Fix? How can you-"
Mom interrupted me with a sigh, "Mona. Mona...please...." There was something about her voice that made me feel like I had been an ass again. Why do I always do this?
"You know what. I'm sorry, mom. I don't know why I don't like Keith. I guess you're right. I don't want him to replace dad and-"
"I won't replace your dad, Ramona. I know how it feels. My parents got divorced too and my mom got remarried."
"Yeah...I guess I forgot about that. I'm sorry. I do think you'll make a good stepdad."
"So you approve?" mom said cautiously.
I sighed, "I guess..."
"Well, I can't thank you all enough for this, guys. It really was nice and unexpected but it's getting late and we should be getting our things moved in," Lisea said.
"Don't thank us. It's what friends do," Adrienne smiled.
"Yeah. We can help anyways that's part of why we're here," Billie said amused.
"Oh. Great!" my mom laughed as the guys went outside to start bringing in things.
We all helped out. Adrienne and I brought in lighter things like some boxes or lamps while the guys brought in the furniture. Mom directed everyone around like a general telling them where everything should go.
"We're your own personal movers!" called Mike as he and Tre brought in another side table.
Eventually, everything was in its basic spot and the "welcome wagon" moseyed on out with mom flooding them with thank you's. Tr came back to talk to me before he left. "Hey," he said excited.
"Hey, yourself,"
"I was gonna ask you...Since you're gonna be living in the same state again...."
"Not to mention city,"
"If you ever wanted to just drop by...."
I stared at him, "You serious? I wouldn't bother anyone? Heck. I'll be there tomorrow."
"Of course you wouldn't bother anyone! Claudia and Frankito would love to see you!"
"Awesome!"
"Okay. Well see ya, babe."
I laughed, "Bye, daddy poo." He gave me a look, "What? You're the one calling me babe!"
"Fine. Note to self: Call Ramona bitch from now on."
"Hey!" I called after him as he ran off. He stuck out his tongue and I stuck mine out back at him.
***
"Do you think this picture looks better over this table?" mom walked over to the tv, "Or the tv?" I was laying off the side of the couch with my head grazing the floor eating some Doritos. It was dark out and we had just had dinner. Mom was trying to get my opinion on where to put the little stuff.
"Um...." I tilted my head, "What's it a picture of?"
"A statue in a park."
"Over the table, definitely," I said, helping myself to some more chips.
"Yeah," she answered. She went around putting other things here and there. After putting a candle on the coffee table she stood back, admiring her skill with her hands on her hips. "I think this place will be very nice."
"Sure," I stuck up my thumb. She headed off to the bathroom. I rolled back over to sit on the couch and stare at the door. A spider was crawling down the cracked wall beside it. When she came back from the bathroom I asked her, "Hey, mom."
"Yeah, Mona?" she said absently messing with her hair as she turned on the tv and sat down besides me.
"When's Keith moving in?"
She looked at me weird. I don't really know what it was. "I thought you didn't want him here."
"Well, I changed my mind. I've been too negative lately. Maybe I should give him a chance."
She just gaped at me. I took the chance to change to MTV."Are you feeling well?" She put her hand to my forehead.
"Yeah. I'm fine. It's just I was talking to dad and-"
"Oh, of course. Your father always wants to make sure everyone's happy." She got this sort of weird look in her eyes. Conveniently, as if on cue, Green Day's American Idiot video came on.
We laughed. "Yeah. That's dad alright." I rolled my eyes.
"He'll be coming tomorrow."
"Great," I sighed.
***
"How soon does school start?" I asked Frankito. We were sitting watching some stupid cartoon. I had spent as much time as possible at his house. When Keith had come all he wanted to do was spend time with me. I said I wanted to go see my real dad and they both got upset and I left before they could say anything. This was a week later and Keith was still trying to win me over. I think we were supposed to go to the zoo or something later. Whatever.
"Um...You'd have to ask Joey. I'm still going to the elementary with Jake," Frankito said, eyes still glued to the screen.
"Oh...well maybe dad knows," I said looking around, "DAD?" I hollered.
"What?" came Tre's voice from far away.
I got up and went in the direction of his voice. I found him in the kitchen. "When does school start?"
He gave me a look like 'why-would-you-wanna-know-that?' but said, "Um...pretty sure it's next week."
"Oh. Cool." Man are we boring. I must apologize, readers. This isn't as enthralling as one might expect. Ha. I looked over to a Hispanic woman cleaning the counter. "Uh...who are you?" That's more like it
She turned around, startled. Dad just continued eating his sandwich and reading the paper, "Oh. I see we haven't been introduced yet?" Dad half shrugged, "Well. I am Rosita. I'm the maid."
"Oh. We have maids now?"
"No. Just me." she didn't catch my sarcasm. Of course there'd be a maid in this mansion of a house owned by a rockstar.
"Yeah. Okay then." I said. I went back to watch more cartoons with Frankito.
***
"Ramona?" dad hollered from the entryway, "Your mom and her boyfriend are here to pick you up!"
I sighed, "I'm not here!" I hollered back at him.
"Ramona! Get your ass out here now!" he yelled.
I ran out there. "Come on, Ramona. We're supposed to be going out to eat." my mom said.
"Okay," I sighed.
"Hey, Ramona. How was your day?" Keith asked all enthusiastic.
"Alright...." Until you came
"Thanks for watching her, Tre," mom said.
"No prob," he said.
Watching me? I ran to his house and he just let me stay.
We walked to Keith's car. When we got to a stoplight I asked, "So...where are we going?"
"It's a surprise. But we need to talk to you, Ramona," mom said.
"Yeah. You do."
"You do not go running off to your father's house for the day without telling us, okay?" she said.
"Sure," I sighed, "Sorry."
***
I shifted in my seat. We were waiting for our orders. Turns out we were eating at Outback Steakhouse...my favorite restaurant that mom isn't so crazy for. Something was up.
"So...didn't you say you needed to talk to me?"
"Yes...." my mom looked at Keith. They smiled and took each other's hands.
"We have an announcement, Ramona," Keith started.
I nearly screamed, "YOU'RE ENGAGED?"
They looked startled, "Yes..." mom began.
"We are."
I stared at them.
"Oh, honestly, Ramona. We've been dating for nearly two years now," mom sighed.
"It's just...I just. I don't like you!" I pointed to Keith. Oh, boy.
"Yeah. I noticed that. And, I've been trying-"
"We've," mom chimed.
"Yes. We've been trying to fix that," he finished.
"Fix? How can you-"
Mom interrupted me with a sigh, "Mona. Mona...please...." There was something about her voice that made me feel like I had been an ass again. Why do I always do this?
"You know what. I'm sorry, mom. I don't know why I don't like Keith. I guess you're right. I don't want him to replace dad and-"
"I won't replace your dad, Ramona. I know how it feels. My parents got divorced too and my mom got remarried."
"Yeah...I guess I forgot about that. I'm sorry. I do think you'll make a good stepdad."
"So you approve?" mom said cautiously.
I sighed, "I guess..."
