A Known Stranger

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

                The day Aunt Paisley, Uncle Nick and Noah showed up in town was the day that I had decided to sleep in late. The night before I had gone out with the girls, attending a house party that got a little too out of control. By the time I had gotten back home it had been around four in the morning, my mother working and my father spending the night at the base, so it wasn’t like I would have gotten in trouble. But that was beside the point.

                The point was that I had been in the middle of an amazing slumber when the doorbell rang. Turning my head to the side I slowly opened one eye and glanced at the clock on my night stand that said it was half past two in the afternoon. I groaned and buried my face deeper into my pillow, hoping that whoever was at the door would go away.

                After three rings, I realized that whoever was at the door wasn’t leaving anytime soon. Throwing the covers aside, I slipped my feet into my pink slippers and padded my way downstairs. Turning the corner I passed the large square mirror that hung on the wall and stopped, taking a few steps back until I could see my reflection. My hair, that had been up in a nice tight bun last night was now to one side, hanging sloppily; brown curls in my face. The make-up that I hadn’t bothered to remove was smudged, my black eyeliner smudged and in random spots. My white shorts were wrinkly, my white tank top that I wore to sleep at an awkward angle revealing my peach colored bra.

                The doorbell rang again, making me jump a bit since the bell was right behind me. I quickly wiped away the smudged make-up and pushed back my hair, taming it as much as possible before opening the door. Just as I was a few steps away they started banging on the door.

                “I’m coming!” I screamed, getting annoyed.

                Unlocking the door and twisting the knob I flung the door open. The glare that had taken over my features right before I had opened the door disappeared the moment my eyes landed on a short, blonde woman in her mid thirties.

                “Aunt Paisley!” I exclaimed, flinging myself at her before she could even notice that I had answered the door. Stumbling back, she chuckled, her arms wrapping around me as I hugged her. Even though I called her my aunt, she was really more like an older sister to me. Her carefree attitude was what I loved the most about her, but even though she was the coolest thirty year old I knew, she had her moments when her mother instinct kicked in and she became over motherly.

                “Hey Fae,” she laughed, patting my back.

                Pulling away, I looked behind her, my smile growing. “Hey Uncle Nick!”

                Uncle Nick waved as he leaned back against the porch, a smile on his face. “Hey Fae, have fun last night?” he asked. I gave him an odd look, wondering how he knew I had gone out last night. “Cause it sure looks like you did.” He laughed.

                I rolled my eyes, remembering my reflection from earlier.

                “She looks like a hung-over hooker.” A deep voice said, footsteps stomping down on the porch steps.

                And that was when it all began.

                “Noah,” Paisley warned. “Don’t start.”

                “I’m not starting anything,” he said, coming to a stop next to his father. His blonde hair swept across his forehead, hazel eyes covered by a pair of black Ray Bans, he wore a pair of white cargo, a red Hollister shirt that hugged his chest and biceps in all the right places and made his natural California tan pop. I wondered how he managed to pull that off, living in New York.