the various chances

chapter twelve

Jeremy

Four of us were making our way down to the parking. I head out towards my car when Julie says, "Mom and I got dad's car. So we will be riding in it" -she clicks her tongue and gestures between me and Lily- "you 2 will be riding together."

I swear to God the more she stays with Aaron and Lorenzo the more destruction she brings.

I open my mouth to decline the offer and put in the suggestion of all of us riding together when Mom says, "I mean, it's fine if we ride along don't you think Jeremy?" Ahh! Mom knew me better! Lightly smacking Julie on head I say, "car-pooling you fool!" and open the car door.

All while this Lily has been silently following us. Usually her stubbornness gets in the way but I knew she won't be able to refuse my mom. I don't know if I should be happy that Lily was in her normal form or worry about the fact that mom and Julie might jump upon the concept of her sudden disappearance.

Mom sits beside me in the passenger seat while Julie and Lily were sitting at the back. I give in the ignition and start the ride after asking the directions from Julie. The silence in the car was thick. From the mirror above my head I see Lily gulp once and her eyes constantly out the window.

Julie clears her throat, "So, Lily how have you been? Sorry for my manners though!" oh my ears, did I just hear Julianna Hazel Langford apologize that too to Miss Elizabeth Lily Pierce? Lily chuckles lightly, "its fine, I have been in London for past few years came back like a year or two ago."

"you have relatives in London?" Mom asks. I watch from the mirror that Lily nods and says, "my grandmother is there." I hear Julie make an 'oh' sound. I sigh, the restaurant better pull up fast before Lily thinks these people were making her uncomfortable. "How is your grandmother doing, hope she is alright!" mom exclaims.

"umm...yes. She keeps herself busy at the café so I have the relief there. Though sometimes her old age speaks instead of her, but she is fine."

"what kind of café?" Julie asks. "like a coffee place in general but also has these baked stuffs and some sandwiches and cakes and all that... you know."

"wow, seems nice!" Julie says. "yap" Lily replies.

My eyes were on the road but I could feel people boring holes in my head. The actual concern that needed to address here was that these people knew Lily a little too well. She'd been at our house a few times and by that I mean that those few times could be counted on fingers of a hand. And to add on the misery Lily was probably the only female specimen I'd brought home and introduced to my family as a friend, in reality we were far from it. I don't even know if I could put a label on what we have between us. Honestly I'd rather not!

"you completed college in London?" mom asks after a second of silence. "yes, I was out of choices so yeah, I had to", Lily replies. Julie opens her mouth and I regret this lunch date for us, "if you don't mind what brings you back?" -she shrugs- "I mean London could be a better option, you know."

I saw the hesitation flash through Lily's eyes from the mirror. She bites on her lower lip, as if holding back something. Now that I think of it, Julie pulled the question well enough. If one was to take a wild guess Lily will answer half the truth and not utter the rest to avoid complications for her but if she were to be dumb she'd straight lie on our faces. I knew Lily better, yet she could carry her own secrets.

"Well, I thought I had a family member here so I came back looking for the same but got trapped and also lost a lot of money while same so I couldn't make it back."

Last I knew she had a sister who died in some fire incident at home. Her father had been missing since and mom had died long time ago. Who could she be possibly referring to because up to my knowledge she never had a good relation with her father? Her father had remarried when they moved to New York and I had met Lily in the high school, her step mother was one hell of a gold-digging bitch- Lily's words not mine. And her step brothers were not interested in their step father's kids.