Dirty Little Secrets

Chapter 9

   I had fallen asleep, waiting for Cara. Jason stayed awake. Cara didn't know about the cave behind the waterfall. She thought we were hiding under the bridge.

"Hey. You two have a nice time?"

"We're wet, we're engaged, and all e did was talk and kiss."

"You're engaged?!" her eyes widened when she saw the ring.

"Isn't it perfect for her?"

"Antique?" she asked.

"Yeah," I said.

"It was my mom's."

"Can we go now? It's cold and I'm wet and I wanna go home."

"Oh, yeah," we went home."

   My parents decided to invite Jason's parents over for dinner. When we walked through the door, everybody stopped talking, and looked at us.

"Did you ask her  yet?" Andrea squealed.

"I present to you the future Mrs. Jason Todd," he held up my hand with the ring on it.

"Oh, my god! Amy, you have to let me be your maid of honor! I can do your hair and your make up and, we can go dress shopping!" Andrea was wired.

"Andrea! Calm down!" my father said.

"It's okay, Daddy. Sorry, Andy, I already told Cara she could be my maid of honor."

"Andy?" she whispered. "You haven't called me that since before the incident."

   I only called her Andy when I was really sorry about something. The last time I called her that was when I spilled juice on her favorite book. That happened when we were five, about to turn six.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" I heard my mom say. "Let me see the ring."

"You might not like it. It's not a normal engagement ring," I handed her my ring. "I don't like typical engagement rings. I like things that are unique and antique."

"Sounds about right," Alex said. "Unique fits, considering you're the unique Adams' family member."

"Real silver, a sapphire. How much was it?" my mom asked.

"I don't remember. I was about their age when I bought it for Melissa," Mr. Todd said.

"You said it was between a buck and a buck fifty, Dad."

"Sounds about right."

   I was waiting for my mom to call him a cheap man, being a prep. To her, it's about how many karats it is, and how much it costs. My grandparents were rich, so she was used to having really expensive things. Even Dad gives her expensive things. She would probably spend a fortune on my wedding.

"Don't say anything, Mom. It's unique and antique and it's something I always wanted. Jus because it doesn't cost a fortune, does not mean it's not an engagement ring. I'm not like you and Andrea. I don't like rings with huge diamonds that cost a lot of money. If I had a ring like yours, I would sell it, and but a car or clothes."

"What kind of car? Lexus? Mercedes? Bentley?" Andrea asked.

"No. Something simple, American, like any other middle class person."

"Coming from Amy, probably a muscle car like Dodge, Chevy or Ford. Judging by the posters in her room, and the shirts she wears, probably a Mustang, Camaro or a Charger."

"Challenger, most likely."

"Welcome to the family, Amy. You're a Todd already," Mrs. Todd said.

"We love Challengers," Jason said.

"What's that? An SUV?" my mom's face lit up. "Or some other sports car?"

"It's a muscle car, Mom. Dodge Challengers are muscle cars."

"Well, excuse me if I don't like anything besides luxury and sports cars."

"You would," I said.

"Amy, what kind of wedding do you want?" Jason asked.

"A small one with just friends and family," I looked at Andrea. "Like Annabelle and, uh, what's his name? Ben. Maybe a couple preps. As long as they don't judge, and not every single one shows up. And I want it in the backyard. It's big enough."

"Anything for my little girl," Dad kissed my forehead.

"And nothing that's, like, twenty grand."

"Definitely not an Adams," Alex joked.

   I tolled my eyes at Alex, and went upstairs to change with Jason closely at my heels. he shut and locked the door behind him I walked into my closet to look for my Challenger T-shirt. Cara had given it to me after working at a car show. It was tight and black with a blue Challenger with red racing stripes on the front, and on the back it said the dates and the town name. I found an old pair of black denim shorts in my dresser. I threw them on along with my high tops and motorcycle jacket.

"How do I look?"

"Like a Todd," he kissed my neck.

   He changed into the basketball shorts and T-shirt he always borrows when he doesn't plan on spending the night. Andrea doesn't like when neither of us spending the night because it's usually when she tries to paint my nails anything other than black, red, dark blue, or deep purple. When we do plan on him spending the night, Andrea has to spend the night at a friend's house or downstairs in the guest room. She volunteers to sleep in the guest room because she wants us to think she's giving us our private time when really, she's listening the floor boards.

"Amy, Jason, can you come down a moment? I want to show you something," my mother called us.

"Spend the night?" I whispered.

"Of course. I'm not gonna let you make any decisions without me," we went downstairs.