Wildflowers

Chapter 7

Chapter: 7

As soon as I enter the house I drop my stuff at the kitchen island and open the fridge. I pour myself a glass of orange juice. I lean against the sink and take a small sip. Shit what a great day.

I finish my juice and put the cup in the sink. I grab my stuff and head upstairs. I decide to put in a load of laundry so I grab my basket and head down stairs to the basement. I walk down the iron spiral staircase that is covered with a dark orange shag carpeting. The walls are covered in warm wood paneling. There is a wall covered in stone with a fireplace in the middle. In front of the fireplace there is a black leather sofa. There is a room off to side where we keep our deep freezer and a washer and dryer. I load the washer with all my clothes from the week including swim suits, jeans, tee shirts, a dress and my red dairy queen romper. I put some soap in and turned on the machine. As I head up the stairs to the living room I hear laughing and loud talking. Of course my mom brought all her friends home with her after dinner. I guess card night is happening here. I consider the ways of avoiding them and none of them see possible. I slowly walk upstairs and see that there are 5 ladies including my mother sitting around the dining room table playing cards. I tip toe hoping to sneak past them going upstairs.

'Jo, darling come here. Say hi to everyone' My mom says to me as she catches me.

I slowly I turn around and walk towards the table. 'Hi guys, mom. How was your day?'

'Oh fine honey, how was your day? Did you work today?' She asks me 'Jo works down at the Dairy Queen. She practically a manager there, she has been working there for 4 years now. Isn't that wonderful?' My mom tells her friends, clearly trying to brag to them.

'Oh how nice and responsible' one lady with a brown bob haircut says 'and so pretty too' I smile slightly.

'She works with my daughter Molly, they are best friends you know. Jo, you're such a good influence on Molly.' Mrs. Wells says.

Molly's mom, Janet is wearing a red and white striped skirt with a matching solid red sweater. Her dark hair is shoulder length and was curled out and flipped out at the ends. You could definitely see where Molly gets her looks from. My mom on the other hand, dyes her hair dark brown almost black so we look nothing alike. Tonight, she wearing a pair of bright green pants that flare at the bottom with a white top that ties at the collar. She has a classic look but always buys the newest and most stylish clothing and bags. All the ladies my mother is friends with are very stylish and also very wealthy.

'Hi Mrs. Wells' I say with a slight smile 'Wow are you?'

'Good honey thanks for asking.' Janet says 'Actually dear can you make me another g&t? Thanks sweetheart' I smile and grab her glass. I walk to the bar cart and fill her glass with a little bit of gin.

'Don't be shy with the gin dear' Mrs. Wells shouts and I turn and smile a little.

Jesus, I bet you're not shy with any liquor, I think to myself. I put a little but more gin in the glass and then fill in with some more ice. I top it off with a little tonic water and squeeze a lime into it. I walk over to the table and set down the drink next to Mrs. Wells.

'One outgoing g&t' I tell her with a small smile.

'Ha, so funny! Outgoing? How cute' Janet says taking a sip 'Well if you decide to not go to college you would have a career in making drinks.'

'Thanks Mrs. Wells' I smile 'Mom, can I go upstairs? I'm tired. I think I got too much sun'

'Sure honey, no problem' she says, smiling.

'Oh by the way mom I put in a load of laundry in the washer. I'll switch it over when it's done' I tell her before going upstairs.

I go into my room and flop down onto my bed. I lay there for a second before rolling over and getting up. I grab a change of clothes and head to the bathroom. I turn on the shower and get in. I let the water cascade over me and my thought roam to Patrick. I can't believe we did that, touching each other like that. I'm not an overly sexual person but I think because Patrick and I have been friends for so long, I feel more comfortable with him. I know we agreed to wait to have sex and hopefully he doesn't think I'm slutty, now. Shit, I'm over thinking this, aren't I?

I turn off the water and wrap the towel around me. I brush through my hair and change into some white shorts and a light blue sweatshirt. I braid my hair in two low braids before I walk back to my room and put on my "Beggars Banquet" by The Rolling Stones and I nod, while I listen to "Sympathy for the Devil". The Stones might be my favorite band right now, but it changes all the time, depending on my mood.

After a few songs, I pause it and walk downstairs to check my laundry. I walk past my mom and her friends still drinking and playing cards and down to the basement. I put all the clean wet clothes into the dryer and turn it on. I turn around to go back upstairs and my dad is standing there.

'Fuck, dad you scared the shit out of me' I tell him holding my chest, trying to catch my breath.

'Ha, sorry kid, I didn't realize anyone was down here. I was trying to escape your mother's friends' he says walking over to the bar in the corner.

'Yeah I don't blame you, they are a lot to handle' I tell him sitting on a bar stool by the bar. I sit there picking at my nails.

My dad fixes himself a whiskey and then looks at me 'Want something? I won't tell your mother'

'Sure, you got a beer back there?' I ask knowing there was one back there.

My dad hands me a beer and I open it and take a sip. He looks at me and then asks 'Coming to the office tomorrow?'

'Yeah if that's okay' I tell him before taking another sip 'I have someone picking me up at 6 if that's okay.'

'Is this someone a boy?' He asks me filling up his glass again and raising one eye brow.

I glance at him and smirk 'Wow, Mr. Fancy pants detective where did you get that scoop?' I smile.

'Haha very funny, but really who is it?' He asks me

I glance at him before answering 'Patrick O'Neill, he goes to my school, we are going to dinner'

My dad looks at me and smiles 'Cool. You know I trust your judgement with dating. I'm sure he's a lovely young man with good values' he laughs under his breath.

'Thanks, Dad' I smile and I finish my beer 'Wanna do me a favor?'

'Depends?' He tells me.

'Wanna take my clothes out of the dryer when the timer goes off?' I ask him 'Pretty please, with sugar on top?'

My dad rolls his eyes and says 'Yeah Yeah Yeah, get out of here kid' he says with a smile. I give him a kiss on the cheek 'Thanks pops'

I head back upstairs. I walk past the now drunk women who have given up on playing cards and now they are just gossiping and smoking cigarettes. I get upstairs and go into my room and I turn back on the Black Sabbath record and I grab my seventeen magazine. I flip though the pages and I fold down the corners of the pages of items that I think are cute. I have always done this since I was little. I like seeing things before I buy them.

Luckily, my mom is into fashion so we go to the mall a lot. I'm also happy that I work hard at Dairy Queen to buy the things I like. I have been trying to save for a car since I turned 15. I have almost enough to buy a 1970 Mustang convertible in a baby blue color. I can just imagine myself driving to the beach with my board in the back listening to music and wind in my hair. After about a hour or so there was a knock at my door.

'Laundry Delivery' my dad says as he opens the door. He sets down the basket on the floor.

'Thanks, pops. I owe you one' I say.

'No trouble. I'll see you in the morning for work. Willy is coming to pick us up around 10 am' he tells me.

'Sounds good, see you tomorrow' I tell him before he closes the door.

I grab the laundry basket and set it down on the bed. I sit Indian style behind the basket. I pick out the clothes one by one and folding them. Once I am done I put away all the folded clothes into my dresser and hang a few things in my closet. A little while longer I turned off my record player, turn off my lights and lay back down. I fall asleep right away.