Serendipity

Chapter Nine

"She wants you over for dinner."  My back leaned against the wall, as I flipped around the phone in my hand.  

"What?"  Remi asked.

"My mum.  Yeah, she wants to meet you."

She finsihed folding up the jacket she had on at school today, and slyly slid into another long sleeve t-shirt.  "Harry, I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Why not?"

"Parents don't normally like me."

"What are you talking about?  Was it your last boyfriend?"

She froze before staring at me in the eyes, inflicted with a sharping pain.  "Like friends."  Remi mumbled while tracing her thumb up and down her left arm, as if it calmed her down.  "Friends' parents don't normally like me."

"My mom will like you, just be you."

"I need to take my nose ring out, and dye the red back to brown.  I'm sorry I have to go to the store and get-"  She bent down to slip on her shoes, but I stopped her as she tried to make her way through her door.

"Shh babe listen to me, it's fine.  They're just parents."

"Yeah but they're your parents."  Remi sat on the bed and peeled off her shoes.  "You're going to tell me they want me over tonight, right?"

"Yeah, kind of."

She released a long sigh as she melted into her sheets.  I layed right down beside her.

"You don't have to if you don't want to.  But I'd really like if you did."  I said with a smile.

"No, it's fine.  I'll do it.  I'm just not good at first impressions."

"No one is."

"You're right."  She hopped up to pick something new out for the night.  "Hopefully this will work."

I placed my hand over my eyes as she changed, just like I knew she wanted.  She didn't tell me when she snuck out the door to touch her makeup, but I wish she hadn't put any on to begin with.

"It's getting late Remi, we should head over."  My lengthy legs carried me to her bathroom with the door shut tight.  She opened when I knocked lightly, shaking like a dog left in the cold for too long.

"I'm really nervous."  She said as I pulled her into a hug.  "Like really really really nervous.  I want them to like me."  I grabbed her hand and walked her along the sidewalk, and across the street to my big, white house than beamed in Beverly's moonlight.  "I just want them to like me."

Shh, don't worry about it I-"  My mum swung open the door to cut off my sentence.

"Darling!  You must be Remi, I'm so glad to meet you.  I've heard a lot."

She blushed as well as I as my mum led us into the dining room.  

"You're a bit late, so is it okay if we go on and eat?  I'm Mrs. Styles by the way, Harry's mum."

"Nice to meet you."  Remi said.

I walked to the other side of the table to pull her chair out for her.  My dad gave a look of approval.  Like I was finally doing something right.

"So Remi, do you go to school?"  My mum asked between bits of her cooked mashed potatoes.

"Yes ma'am."

"Which university?"

"Oh no no."  She set down her fork.  "I'm still in seondary school, the one Harry went to."

"Oh."  My mum said a bit taken back.  "Are you doing well there?"

"I'd like to think so.  I don't know too many people so it's not like I get distracted by talking to others in my classes."

"You know, the key to life isn't just what you do in class...in the time you're given.  You must put time in away from school to be successful.  Do not focus on just what you do in class, but merely how you apply yourself elsewhere."

"Anne."  My father butted in.

"Sorry.  Remi, back to you, I'm sorry honey.  Tell us more about school, what maths are you in?  Harry completed every maths the school had to offer with an A* by 9th grade so he had to take online classes."

"I take Geometry right now."

"Harry what year did you take that?"  My mum asked.

"I was her age."  I lied.

"I thought you took that your first year of secondary school..."

"No.  You must have them confused."

"I could of sworn..."

"Thanks for dinner!"  I popped up and looked across the table.

"Yeah um,"  She scuffled, "It was really good."  Remi stood up, and walked with her plate between her hands over to me.  

"I can teach you how to cook sometime.  Can help a girl like you when you have to become a mum."

"Thank you."  She said as we headed to the kitchen and placed our dishes in the sink.  "I might take you up on that, but I have to go now."  Her tiny body continued to tremble as she neared the door and slipped on the pair of worn out converse that I could tell fought as many battles as she had.

"Bye!"  Both my parents called, and she returned the same.

"Thanks for having me over for dinner."  She added.

I opened the door for her and followed her out into the dark of the night.  

"You don't want dessert?"  I asked softly, sticking my hands into the pockets of my kahkis.  

"Fuuuuuuck!"  She yelled, tangling her shaking palms into the now mess of her hair.  I could hear her tiny feet patter into the street, but lost her figure in the dark.

"Remi!"  I cried chasing after her.  "Where did you go?"  My body bumped into a smaller one, a smaller one hunched over no where near a sidewalk.

"That was awful!  I told you didn't want to do that!"

"It wasn't that bad love, it was fine."

"You're mum hated me.  It was like she had an animal in the house."

"Don't say that, it's not true."  I grabbed onto her shoulders and brought her up to what I guessed was her full height.  I searched for her eyes in the unknown, giving me the answers by noticing the small drops of water that formed in her eyes and shone in the moonlight.  

"He was right."  She whispered.

"What?"

"I always fuck things up."  

"Who?"

"No, God!"  She shook loose of my grip and ran towards her house.

"Remi!"  I called again, chasing after her.  "Come on, come back!"  I found her again, and wrapped my arms around her dainty figure.  "Let's get you home love, come on."  Our hands met without much of a search, and entangled in humility and disbelonging.

Once we stood on the doormat following the stairs that lead up to her porch, I brushed my lips against hers for just a second.  She didn't return the favor, or seem to have really acknowlege the fact.

She opened the door wide open and stepped in.  Final words escaped our lips before she closed it again.

"Thank you Harry."

"Sleep well, good night."