The Hooded Girl (on hold)

||Chapter 12||

Tate

I walk into the kitchen to see my mom whistling and smilin', which was weird. She rarely smiled after work and she was never home.

"Hey mom" I walk up to her and give her a kiss on the cheek "Whats going on?," I ask.

"Your brother brought a girl home" she smiles clapping her hands.

Wtf? My brother brought her home.

I storm off into the dining room to see Elena and River with their backs to me as they lean in to each other.

I hear her laughing as everyone exchanged glances.

I feel Bianca walk in behind me.

"Ohhhhh this is great," my mom says walking in.

"Both my sons here with two lovely gorgeous girls" She sits down with a batch of brownies.

"Oh come sit sit sit," she says to me and Bianca pointing to the chairs in front of her.

I see River looking at us with his arm behind Elena's chair.

I take a deep breath before pulling the chair out for Bianca. I slide into the one next to her and clear my throat.

I look up from my hunched position to see my mom staring at me.

"What?" I ask trying to sound as polite as possible.

"What a gentleman" she smiles.

"So I've already met Cecelia here and you are just so gorgeous dear" My mother almost squeals.

Cecelia looks up from her lap and smiles "Thank you Annette" wow first name basis.

"And you must be the 'beautiful' Elena Tate has his study dates with he talks about you non stop," my mom says placing her hand on the table near Bianca.

I turn a bright red and look up to see Cecelia snickering. I roll my eyes and correct my mom.

"No mom this Bianca shes uh..." I barely knew Bianca so what was I supposed to introduce her as.

"I'm a friend. A new friend" she looks at me then smiles at my mom.

"Oh," my mom says raising her eyebrow.

"Well nice to meet you...Bianca" she pauses and shakes Bianca's hand.

Although my mother was a bit much she was a kind lady and was always welcoming. Maybe it's because of all the showboating she and my 'dad' did.

"So what were you two doing," Bianca says wiggling her eyebrows.

"We uh...we were talking about the trip" Cecelia replies picking up a brownie.

She takes a bite and moans "Mmm" she opens her eyes and smile like a cute little kid having sweets they're not allowed.

"Good?" River looks at her and smiles. she nods her head and wipes away the loose crumbs. Just like that River swoops in and kills another moment I was enjoying.

I hated this. It's only been a week and I hate not being able to talk to her in the middle of the night when I'm awake and can't sleep. She's the only person who remotely understands the way I felt, the weird dreams I had, the random music I listened to.

"What trip," I say blinking out of my thoughts

"Cecelia is coming with me on the camp of Edendale trip," my brother says turning and looking at me straight in the eye with his arm still around Cecelia.

"That's great," Bianca says smiling.

I look at Cecelia still biting into that single brownie.

"Isn't it" My mom says distracting me from Cecelia.

I look at my mom to see she was staring directly at me.I look away afraid of what theories she was coming up with in her head.

"Brownies are good huh" my mom smiles at Cecelia.

"Amazing" Cecilia replies with a smile "A girl who can eat what man wouldn't want that" she looks at River but I knew she was talking about me.

"Anyways I better get Cecelia home her little sister has her first ballet class," River says sliding his chair back. I didn't know Olivia was starting ballet.

I remember Cecelia telling me about her younger sister Olivia and how much she loved ballet. I always thought she never went cause they couldn't afford it but now I was doubting everything I knew about her.

"I better get going as well could I get a ride," Bianca says walking behind Cecelia.
River nods.My mom stands too and walks them to the door.

"It was lovely meeting you Annette," Cecelia says kissing each of my mother's cheeks "likewise dear," she says with her hands on Cecelia's arms.

"Bye Tate," Cecelia says glancing at me briefly before turning to the car.

River and Bianca wave goodbye as they drive off.

I walk back into the house and close the door behind me."Tatum get in here," my mom says sweetly but also motherly.
"Yeah, mom," I say walking into the kitchen.

"What is wrong with you," she says with her hands on her hips "N-nothings wrong with me?" I say walking over to the cupboard and getting out a glass.

"Now don't give me that Tatum I may not be around much but I know my boys and you mister are in love with that girl," She says walking over to me.

I look down at her considering she was only about 5 feet tall "Mama I barely know that girl why would I be in love with her" I knew I had some sort of feeling for Cecelia but I just assumed it was me missing our friendship not 'love'.

"Oh pshhh whatever you keep telling yourself all that non-sense but one of these days someones going to come along and sweep that nice young girl up and you aren't gonna do a damn thing about it" I roll my eyes and get the juice out of the fridge.

"What if she ends up with River, huh you gonna be the best man at their wedding?" She says pointing at me.

Wedding? Who was talking about weddings??

"Now I don't know who this Elena is but if I were to meet her id imagine you'd be looking at her the way you look at Miss Cecelia am I right?" She says looking at me waiting for me to agree with her.

"N-no that's not me that's how River looks at her and it's him that wants her and it's him that going to get her," I say raising my voice? which I never did to my mom.

"You're getting really worked up for a girl you don't care about. I'm just saying" she shrugs her shoulders.

I put the juice back in the fridge and take a sip out of my cup.

"Can I tell you something son?" she says with a sad smile "I love both my sons equally and trust me I really do love River with all my heart but he is a fool and so are you if you think he loves that girl like you do" she leaves me with that and walks out of the kitchen.

I despised how smart my mom was, I also hated how 90% of the time she was right.