The Boy with the Hazel Eyes

chapter 3

Dedicated to Flora and all her wonderful Flarry-ness :)

This one's a bit shorter than the others, and I apologize.

-

"You've got to be kidding me."

"And why in the lord's name would I do that?"

"Because this...this can't be a car!"

"I can assure you, hun, this is one hundred percent car."

"But it doesn't even look safe!"

"Oh come now, don't be mean to little old Vera."

Vera. The name of what I guessed was supposed to be an old-fashioned Volkswagen but really just looked more like the result of something that had been in a car crash and then shoved trough a metal grinder. After being run over by a semi. Twice.

The yellow paint was peeling in multiple places, the bumper was being held up by several layers of duct tape, the handle of the driver's side door was hanging loosely, and both of the back tires were in desperate need of a change. The whole thing appeared to be standing just by the force of Valerie's will. And a hell of a lot of duct tape, of course 

But yet, my grandmother was staring at it lovingly as if it was a work of art worthy of Michelangelo.

"And you really believe this scrap of junk is going to get us to your house?" I asked, staring at her in disbelief.

Valerie looked away from the Punch Buggie long enough to give me a glare through narrowed brown eyes. "This "scrap of junk" has a name, Harper."

Cue eye rolling. "Fine. Do you believe Vera is going to get us to your house?"

Valerie shrugged. "She got me here, didn't she?" she replied. "Now, c'mon! You don't wanna spend the night at a stinky airport, do you?"

I didn't mention the fact that it was only, like, two in the afternoon. Somehow, I had a feeling that wouldn't score me any brownie points anytime soon.

As my grandmother hobbled towards the driver's side, I just stood there. When she finally noticed that I hadn't followed her, she turned around. "Well? Are you waiting for an invitation?"

I gestured to my suitcase. "Uh...I kinda need a place to put this first..."

Valerie blinked.

"Vera...does have a trunk, right?"

She snorted and stalked forward, slapping her wrinkled hand on the front of the car. "Right here."

I gaped at it for a minute before just shaking my head and rolling my luggage towards it. I was beyond done with questioning shit at the moment. 

Once I was settled inside the Bug, Valerie turned the key in the ignition. To be honest, I half expected Vera to not even twitch. But once again, I was proved wrong. Even though it seemed as if the entire universe (gravity and all) were against her, Vera roared to life. Of course, the sound wasn't anywhere close to the soft purr of, say, a Ferrari, but the fact that she'd started at all shocked me.

Catching my eye, Valerie said smugly, "Told you so."

"If she makes it to your place, then I'll take back every mean thing I've said about Vera," I stated dryly.

She shifted into drive and slowly pulled out of the parking spot. "Just you wait and  see, Harper. Just you wait and see."

o.o.o

We broke down.

Granted, Vera had lasted longer than I'd thought she would and we only had about fifteen minutes till we reached town. But the fact still remained:

We. Broke. Down.

"Well," Valerie said as we stood on the side of the completely abandoned two-lane road. "That was unexpected." 

I glanced at her. She had her hands on her thin hips and her face was drawn into a look of such bewilderment, I had to fight not to laugh. "I think it's my turn now to say I told you so."

Valerie waved a hand dismisively and began digging through her giant purse that was as loud and tacky as the rest of her outfit. Honestly, where did this woman shop? After a few seconds she pulled out her cellphone and flipped it open. She pressed a few buttons and then put it to her ear.

"Giovanni? Hi, dear, this is Valerie Stone...no, no I'm quite alright."

I scoffed at that and she scowled at me. 

She returned her attention back to whoever she was speaking to. "Listen, hun, could you maybe come out here and help me? I got myself in a bit of a pickle with Vera. No, nothing like that, don't you worry! Alright...okay, thanks baby." And with that she slammed the phone shut and shoved it back in her purse.

I waited a minute, wondering if she was going to tell me what was going on. Apparently not. "So..."

Valerie turned to me, raising an eyebrow. "Yes?"

I threw my hands up in exasperation. "So, what's going on? Is someone coming to help or what?"

"Well of course someone's coming, Harper." She said this in a what are you, stupid? kind of voice.

Another minute passed.

Oh for the love of God. "Valerie," I all but growled, enunciating each syllable. "How long until someone comes to help us?"

So help me, my grandmother shrugged. "Heck if I know. Whenever Giovanni has a free minute. Could be twenty minutes or  a couple of hours."

I laughed, figuring she was shitting me. But when I noticed that she was peering at me like I was the crazy one, I realized she was utterly serious. "B-but...you...Valerie we might as well walk to town if that's the case!"

Valerie snorted and carefully lowered herself onto a a thick log that was lying near the car. "If you wanna walk, knock youself out. As for me, these old bones ain't in no shape to be doing such a thing."

I gazed up at the sky, grateful that it was overcast and that the sun wasn't in full scorch mode. I'd be burnt to a crisp within minutes if that was the case. Then again, with my luck, it would most likely start down pouring any second now. 

I looked back over at Valerie who was hunched over and staring at the trees on the other side of the road as if they held all the secrets to the world and she was trying to figure them out. 

You're not going to just leave her, are you?

Damn my conscience to the fiery pits in the deepest level of hell. 

I sighed wearily and ran a hand through my tangled hair before walking towards my grandmother and plopping down on the spot next to her.

Might as well get comfortable.