Finding Claire

Chapter 17

It wasn't long until I started to regain consciousness. I only knew that a couple of minutes had passed because we were still in the living room and my dads worried face was all I saw.

"Are you ok? Why did you faint?"

"Yeah I'm fine..... It was just.... shock I guess. This is moving way to fast dad. I just met him not even a couple weeks ago."

"Well you can't stop your mother. She's a freak of nature."

"I heard that!" I heard her voice snap from somewhere and I smiled. He flinched and gave me a grin before placing his finger to his lips and made a zipping noise.

"I'll be in my room. I need to process all of this," I murmured as I heard my phone beep. He nodded and I slowly stood up from the couch, grabbed all my stuff and zombie walked to my room.

How in the world did my mother find out about you??? Even if he wasn't the only number I texted to, I would automatically know it was him without looking at the name.

I'm sorry. It was sort of my fault but my mom called your mom

What!?! Why??

She saw the necklace and it's not like I could say I bought it. My parents automatically assumed it was a guy and then our conversation ended with you.

If this wasn't weird, I would say "Awww. You were talking about me? I'm flattered." But for once, I don't want to be the topic of a conversation.

I'm sorry about this. When my mom insists on something, it gets done.

My mom is the same. I think they ended up being best friends by the end of the phone call.

Ugh! Parents. Just..... Don't say anything about the week before midterms. They don't know about that.

Wasn't even gonna think about it

Thanks..... I guess I'll see you in 5 days.

It's a date.

I didn't respond. I dropped my phone and pushed my head into the pillow, letting out a frustrating scream.

Why oh why was this happening?

*

*

*

"Ooh! Wear your red dress! Oh and your contacts! Oh and let your hair down! Maybe you should-"

"Mom! Enough! You are meeting my friend not my fiancé. So stop overreacting over everything! I will wear whatever I damn want to wear!" I yelled at her.

"Who has a fiancé? Over my dead body!" my dad finally decided to intervene as he walked out from their room, freshly showered after his shift.

"Nobody has a fiancé and no one is telling me what to wear. Let's just get this day over with so we can get on with our lives!"

"Claire Rosalyn Cross..... How dare you say that? And specifically with that tone!" my mother half whispered, half shrieked.

"I never wanted this to happen. You are overreacting mom. He is just a friend and that is all he is ever going to be."

"You never know," she murmured to herself so softly, I almost didn't hear her. I rolled my eyes and sighed while I crossing my hands.

"If I do this-"

"You are doing this," she interrupted me but I continued.

"-and wear what you want me to wear, will you make me a promise?"

"Depends on what that promise is," she huffed.

"Please..... just don't embarrass me. No talking about us going out or anything because that is not happening. Don't make this any worse then it is."

"I'll try my best...."

"That's all I ask," I sighed and hugged her. My dad finally spoke again and hugged us both.

"Are you sure you're going to be able to handle that honey? I can practically see the wedding you have in your mind. And there is definitely no wedding going on."

"Don't worry daddy. I won't get married until I'm forty. Remember my promise?"

"Yes. And you better keep it."

*

Oh man. I was going to puke. Why was I this nervous? I was only introducing Nathan to my parents. Well Nathan and his family. The family I have never met. Oh god....

"They are here!" my mom practically squealed and turned away from the window. Yes, instead of us going to them or everyone meeting at some place, my ecstatic mother decided to plan everything in our house. So now Nathan knew where I lived and he could come kill me after this was all over.

Yaaaayyy.......

It took them a couple of minutes to actually reach the door and even before they knocked or rang the doorbell, I could hear them bickering.

"They seem like family already," my dad joked and I rolled my eyes. The bell rang and everything went into slow motion as my mom opened the door to reveal the Williams family.

Right in front of our door, a very excited and literally jumping woman stood, trying to balance the dish that was in her hands as she tried to contain her joy. Her short, brown locks were pulled back slightly by some pins and her bright hazel eyes screamed out "Hello!" Even though she hadn't spoken a word.

"Hello! Welcome to our home! Please, do come in!" my mom squealed and I heard my dad silently groan.

"Tell me about it," I said under my breath and from the corner of my eye, I saw him nod.

"Thank you. We brought desserts and fireworks. Can't celebrate New Years without fireworks!"

Wow! She was excited. Definitely the type of person my mom would hang out with. As they slowly came in one at a time, I got to see the rest of his family before he finally came in behind his father.

Right behind his mother stood a short, but adorable girl with long, wavy locks of dark brown hair. Her hazel eyes -which I assumed she got from her mom since a quick glance at her father revealed he had Nathan's eyes- were wide as she took everything in and then when they landed on me, she smiled. I smiled back and she looked down, playing with her hands as I took a good look at her dad.

He was practically an older version of Nathan. Dark, brown hair and those light blue eyes that were surrounded with the wrinkles every father had with age. If you just removed the wrinkles and reduced the age about 20ish years, you literally had the face of the boy standing behind him.

".....Prue, my husband Matt and of course, my son Nathan," I heard the last of Nathan's mom introduction. Everyone murmured their hellos and I took a quick peek at Nathan, who was still staring at me with wide eyes.

As my mom introduced us, I looked down and scooted closer to my dad as I felt his eyes move with my every movement. Yeah I knew he was going to stare, but that didn't mean I was prepared for it. I wasn't the person he was used to seeing -average height girl, big ass glasses and huge hood that covered every inch of her body. Instead, he was looking at an average girl, contacts instead of glasses, black-straight hair surrounding her face, soft and very little makeup and the slightly lose red-long sleeve dress that my mom wanted me to wear.

I was the total opposite of what he was used to.

"My! No wonder you never told us about her Nathan. You were hiding her beauty from us weren't you?" I heard Nathan's mom say and I quickly looked up, only to blush as I saw all eyes on me.

"I wasn't hiding anyone. Claire is my friend, not my girlfriend so I had no reason to bring her over," he spoke since he got here. I gave him a small smile and grabbed the dish from his hands before dragging him to the kitchen as everyone followed.

He understood.