Meeting the Parents

I'll just pick up where Lucy left off. I was driving home from Wal-Mart, or Wally world, with Lucy. I had just met her mom who seemed rather cold to Lucy. I didn't like Mrs. March, but she didn't seem as bad as Mr. March so I can't complain too much. Now Lucy was going to be staying at my house for a couple of days.

"Lucy, are you sure you don't want to grab any of your things before we head to my house?" I asked.

"Yes, very sure, dad can't be sober or friendly right now so let's just stay clear." Lucy answered.

"Alright, then lets get out of here." I said as I started the car. I set the CD player to play and Evanescence began to blare through the speaker system.

I drove out of the parking lot and set off down Holder Boulevard.

"You like this kind of music?" Lucy asked.

"Yes, yes I do. This happens to be one of my favorite bands." I answered

"My favorite band is Queen."

"Hmm I don't think I've heard much of them."

"I think you have, you just don't know who they are."

We sat in silence for a while.

"Rachel, have you ever moved?" Lucy asked quietly.

"As in place of residence? Yes, I have, a couple times." I answered.

"What was it like?"

"Well, I had more time to get ready than you have now. I was sad to leave my room, house, and friends behind. What got me through it was viewing the whole thing as a new adventure."

"A new adventure?"

"Yeah, ya'know, meet new people, have new experiences. That makes it an adventure."

"I guess you could say that, but I don't if I want this new adventure."

That statement confused me. How could she not want to get away form her dad? I only met him once but he reeked so much of alcohol that when I got home my parents thought I had been drinking. It was obvious he used her as a punching bag; heck, there were bruises on her neck from where he choked her this morning. What could she possibly gain from staying?

"Why?"

She hesitated. "I, uh, don't know if anyone will talk to me. I'm just crazy remember? No one takes me seriously. I'm a joke."

Then it hit me, she was afraid of being lonely.

"Lucy, everyone is crazy, I take you as seriously as possible and everyone is a joke."

"You're just saying that to make me feel better."

"This is true, however I also meant it."

"I guess," She said quietly.

I pulled into my subdivision.

"You live in a suburb?" Lucy asked.

"Yes, yes I do."

"What's it like?"

"Friendly, I guess, I don't really walk around that much."

"Why not?"

"I am a bit scared of a couple of our neighbors."

"Oh,"

I pulled up to my house and parallel parked in front. It was just another two story house on a quarter acre plot of land just like the ones around it. I grabbed my Wal Mart bag and got out of the car. Lucy stepped out to. I walked over to her side of the car and offered my arm.

"Shall we?"

She looped her arm through mine.

"We shall."

With that we walked to the door. I opened the front door and held it open while Lucy stepped through.

"Mom, I'm home!" I shouted into the house.

"Ok honey!" My mom shouted from upstairs.

"I brought a friend home!"

"Who?"

"Lucy March!"

I heard an office chair roll upstairs, a dining chair slide and a bedroom door open. With in moment my mother, brother and sister were standing in front of Lucy shaking her hand and staring at her as if she was the first blond they'd ever seen. Lucy didn't seem to mind, she seemed as happy as ever.

My mom has auburn hair like mine but her roots have turned gray; her eyes are dark brown. She's about 5 feet 5 inches tall. She's a bit chubby but not too bad.

Jared, my older brother, is 6 feet 4 inches tall with light blue eyes, just like dad.

Samantha, my younger sister, is about 5 feet 7 inches. Yes, my little sister is taller than me, big whoop. She also has mom's eyes.

"It's nice to meet all of you." Lucy said politely. I could tell she had barely experienced this kind of attention without it being negative.

"How long are you staying, Lucy?" My mom asked.

"Um, about that, her mom is taking her and her brother to Chicago in two days; we were hoping she could stay here until she had to leave." I said cautiously.

I could tell Lucy suddenly felt scared and unsure.

"Of course," my mom said after a moment. "Where will she be sleeping? And where are her things?"

"She'll be staying in my room." I started

"I didn't bring any of my things, ma'am, I forgot them at home." Lucy finished.

"Right, well, then I guess she can use some of your things." Mom said to me.

"Of course," I responded.

"Okay, well, dinner will be at 5:30."

"Thank you, ma'am," Lucy said.

"Alright let's let our guest be, you two get back to whatever you were doing." Mom said to my siblings.

Then they scattered.

"Make yourself at home," I said; then I realized that home probably a good thing for her. "Or more comfortable, I um..."

"Just stop, I know what you mean." Lucy reassured me.

"Good, I'm going to my room to charge my phone, feel free to join me."

"I think I shall."

"Okay," I climbed the stairs and walked to the last door on the right and pushed open the door.

My room was the same as ever; a plain desk in one corner, opposite the door, with my computer on it and an office chair in front of it. Along the wall by the door my futon sat in couch form; Tigger, my orange cat, slept on the end opposite my pillow. My closet was on a wall at the far side of the room; the doors were closed at the moment thankfully. Between the desk and the closet a table held my stereo.

"Nice," Lucy said as she looked around.

"It's alright." I said. I crossed the room and plugged my phone in by the stereo.

"May I?" Lucy asked, motioning toward the couch.

"Sure,"

Lucy sat down on the couch, waking Tigger.

"Sorry," she said as she petted his head. "What's his name?"

"Tigger, because his tail curls," I said as I sat down in my office chair.

"Coolio,"

"Lucy,"

"Yes," She responded taking her eyes away from Tigger to look at me.

"You don't really want to go with your mom do you?"

She turned her gaze back to Tigger. "I'd probably be better of with her."

"But you don't want to go with her,"

She looked me in the eyes. "I stand to lose more than I seem to gain."

I leaned forward in my chair. "What would you be losing? I mean, your dad won't be able to beat you anymore."

"True as that may be, I'd lose you and that's not really a thought I'm fond of."

I was taken aback.

"What?"

Lucy turned back to Tigger.

"Lucy, you can't keep living with your dad just so you can be near me." I got out of my chair and sat on the floor in front of her. "You won't lose me by living with your mom. If your moms a lawyer she makes a fair amount of money, right?"

"Yes," Lucy said quietly.

"Then she can buy you a phone. If you have a phone you can call or text anytime."

Lucy turned her gaze back at me; her eyes were beginning to water. "It's not the same."

"No, it's not, but it's something. I can't feel okay knowing that you are staying with your dad just to be near me."

"But, Rachel, mom is going to send me to public school, do you have any idea what will happen to me there?"

"Yes, I do. Just remember this, those who pick on you only do so because they are unhappy with their home lives. If things start to get overwhelmingly suckish, you can talk to me about it. Just because you're moving doesn't mean we stop talking."

"I guess so," She said hanging her head.

This conversation was not lifting the mood. Then the idea hit me.

"How 'bout we listen to some Queen?" I suggested.

She lifted her head and gave me a shy smile; I took it as a yes.

I moved back to my office chair and fired up my laptop. I typed into the address bar and waited.

"Any particular song?" I asked Lucy.

She stood and came to stand behind me. "How about Ragdoll by Aerosmith instead." She suggested.

"As you wish," I typed it into the search bar and clicked on a video.

With in moments the song was playing loudly. Of course Lucy began her own little dance to the song. Rhythm was never really a part of Lucy's dances but she seemed to have fun so I never criticized her. It was a good song, I started to feel it. In moments I was up dancing like an idiot too. Lucy knew the song better so her dance was better than mine.

When the song was done we both just dropped to the floor laughing.

"That song rocks!" I offered.

"Ooo I know what we should listen to next" Lucy said just before she stood.

"And that would be?" I asked as I stood.

"Don't Stop Me Now by Queen."

"As you wish,"

I returned to my seat a typed it into the search bar. Then I clicked on a video. In a few moments the opening piano notes began. The song seemed oddly slow then it exploded. Lucy was dancing again and I was starting to bob my head to it. Lucy joined in with the backing vocals every time they sang and played air guitar at the solo. When the song began to slow down she feigned falling asleep. I couldn't help but giggle. Tigger woke to realize he had turned into Lucy's pillow. He responded by licking her hair. Lucy opened her eyes and gave me a puzzled look.

"Tigger is never satisfied with human hair hygiene."

Lucy shrugged and accepted it as if it happened all the time. I just smiled.

"Rachel," Lucy said quietly.

"Yes, Lucy"

"Will you help me pack my things?"

"Of course,"

She seemed satisfied for a moment we were silent.

"If my dad shows up while we're clearing out, I want you to make sure mom and Nate get out while I distract him,"

"Lucy…"

"I'm serious, Rachel," She looked me in the eye. "I can get him away from all of you but you have to get what is needed and get out as fast as possible."

"Okay," I said, there was nothing else I could think to say. It sounded like she was asking me to leave her to die.

"Dinner's ready!" I heard my mom shout from down stairs.

Lucy sat up.

"What do we do?" She asked.

"First we fix your hair, Tigger seems to have messed it up quite a bit." I answered.

"Okay,"

I went to my closet and found my brush and handed it to her. She brushed out her hair with a fair amount of effort. When she was satisfied with its lack of knots her hair fell flat down her back.

"Huh, I didn't know your hair could be flat."

"That's because this is the first time you've seen it brushed."

"Coolio,"

"Rachel! Dinnertime!" My mom shouted up the stairs.

So we went to dinner.