Have You Heard...

Chapter 9

The next day Cairi’s phone rang.  She picked it up and pressed the button to answer it.

“Hello?” Cairi said.

“Hey.  What happened to you last night?” Rhea asked her from the other end of the phone.

“Oh.  I’m sorry.  I got Benny to come get me,” Cairi said.

“Oh, well that’s cool.  You should come back over today.  My family is doing a big dinner thingy for my brother and it’d just be nice to have a friend here who doesn’t think he’s the hottest thing to walk the earth.  I swear,  that’s all they ever talk about,” Rhea said.  “You think you can make it?”

“Sure,” Cairi said.  “I’ll find a ride.”

“Oh don’t worry about it.  I’ll come get you,” Rhea said.

“Okay.  I’ll see you soon then.”  Cairi hung up the phone and went to get ready.  She looked for her best outfit.  She wanted to fit in with Rhea’s family and look as high class as they were.  She found a cute black, knee length skirt and a nice white top.  When she was done getting dressed, and fixing her hair and make up, her phone rang.  It was Rhea telling her that she was there.  Cairi went outside to the car.  The driver stood at the door and opened it for her.  Cairi got into the backseat with Rhea.

“Hey,” Rhea said.  “Ooh, love that shirt.”  She reached out and felt it.

“Thanks,” Cairi said.  “Hey.  I didn’t know you had a brother.”

“Yea.  It’s his first day back,” Rhea told her.

“Back from what?” Cairi asked.

“Military school.”

“Why was he in military school?”

“Cause of Jenny.”

“How is it Jenny’s fault?” Cairi asked skeptically.

“Well, he wouldn’t go to school when he was here.  He would always skip with Jenny and she would lie to my parents and tell them that he went.  It was stupid of her cause of course they were going to find out anyways.  So they made him go to school by sending him away and now he’s back to try and go to school like normal.”

“Oh…”

“Yea.  He’s the screw up of the family.”

They arrived at Rhea’s house and went inside.  Cairi followed Rhea to the dining room where her family was waiting.  Her mom and dad sat at the ends of the table and she had a younger sister on one side sitting next to her mom.  Rhea and Cairi sat opposite from her sister. 

“This is Cairi,” Rhea introduced her to her family.  “And this is my mom, Mackenzie, and my dad,” she introduced them to Cairi.

“Hi,” Cairi said.

“It’s so nice to meet you,” Mrs. Simmons said.

“A pleasure,” Mr. Simmons said.

Cairi looked at Mr. Simmons for a moment.  She knew she had seen him before.  She was sure it was that weekend when she went to church with Michael’s mom.  Mr. Simmons knew that she recognized him.  He cleared his throat uneasily and looked away from her.

“Hi.  I’m six,” Mackenzie said.

Cairi smiled and laughed with Rhea’s family.

“Where is that boy?” Mr. Simmons asked.

A few seconds later, Rhea’s brother came strolling into the dining room.

“And that would be Seth,” Rhea said to Cairi.