How Do We Do This?

Thirty Three

"Riley, let's go kid, time to get up!" Jay said as he knocked on Riley's bedroom door.

"I'm up," she sighed, jumping off the platform and opening her door as she usually did every morning.

"Get ready. I have to drive you today, your car needs an oil change and I'm taking it after work,"

"Fine," she grumbled, going to her bathroom to brush her hair and her teeth.

After she was done with that, she went and got changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt before throwing on her hoodie and heading downstairs.

"Good morning sunshine," Hailey chuckled, hearing her come down the steps before she saw her.

"Morning," she smiled, kissing Paislee's head as she got her little comb.

"You doing her hair this morning?"

"Yeah I can," she nodded, easily brushing Paislee's hair into a ponytail.

"Thanks, honey,"

"Will you make me a bagel?"

"In the toaster already," she chuckled. "Talk to Bristol last night?"

"Yeah we talked until 10:30 or so," she smiled, looking up at her mom as she finished securing Paislee's hair. "Do I really have to go with dad, why can't I just take my car to get an oil change later?"

"Because he's taking it to a place where we can get a discount,"

"Thought you weren't allowed to do that," Riley chuckled, sitting at a barstool as Hailey handed her the butter and her bagel.

"He's taking it to a garage that works with CPD so we can take the discount from there," she explained, putting more cheerio pieces in Paislee's bowl.

"And I can't take the truck?"

"You cannot," she nodded, "So you take the bus or dad drives you,"

"I'll choose dad," she sighed, giving in as she took a bite of her bagel.

"I thought you might," she chuckled.

"You ready Ri?" Jay asked as he came out of the living room.

"Yeah, just let me get my bag," she said as she got her things and headed out to the truck with him.

"Alright let's go," he nodded, both of them getting in the truck and heading toward the school.

"You work everything out with Bristol?"

"Yeah. We talked a lot last night. She was right and I should've just trusted her," she shrugged, looking at her phone as Jay drove.

"Good, she's a good friend for you kiddo,"

"She was the first friend I made here," Riley shrugged, "I don't think I'll ever get rid of her now,"

"I wouldn't if I were you" he smiled, turning into the school parking lot a short 10 minutes later. "Alright, have a good day kid. Catch a ride from your coach to soccer and mom or I will come get you from there,"