Appleberry(Completed)

Ch. 12: Dinner at Bodhi's

"So, did we have to take the truck? We could have walked. It's literally walking distance." Frankie jumped out of the truck.
I was out behind Franks. "Dad, must want to have a clean get away."
We both snickered looking at dad. He was not amused. "Are you sure we should do this?"
Frankie and I both hooked our arms with his. "Yes. You need to get out of the house and meet some people."
We stood in front of the door. "Well who is going to knock?"
"Sloane, you can do it." Frankie nudged me.
"Fine." I knocked a few times in a row.
The door slung open. "Sloane, Sloane's family, do come in."
Bodhi was all smiles. She pulled me back to a standstill. "You didn't tell me your dad was hot?"
I scrunched up my nose. "Ew, no, he is a good-looking man. But hot? Really?"
"Well, my mom will defiantly be flirty tonight." She laughed dragging me into the kitchen.
When we walked in, Frankie was standing at the counter looking like she wanted to gag herself. I could see why. The parents were drinking wine and being flirtatious.
Bodhi cleared her throat. "Are we ready for dinner mom?"
Her mom stopped laughing at whatever my dad had said. "Yes, let's eat. Andrew, will you please help?"
He grinned. "Yes, Grace."
All us girls looked at each other, grabbing something, and following them to the dining table. We all sat down.
"Dad, do you and Ms. Devlin know one another from when you lived here?" I asked passing the sweet potatoes to Bodhi.
Dad smiled. "Yes. Grace and I were friends back in the day."
Ms. Devlin laid a hand on dad's arm. "He was such a sweet guy back then. I was bit of a loner who got picked on. He came in and saved me. We were friends ever since. It killed me when he left."
Dad blushed. I couldn't believe this was happening. I was so excited that dad was finally smiling and being human instead of a zombie. I honestly hoped something would happen.
"Sloane, how are you liking senior year?" Ms. Devlin smiled.
"I am liking it much better Ms. Devlin." I took a bite of chicken.
"Oh, honey, call me Grace. Ms. Devlin makes me sound old." She laughed.
Grace looked at Frankie. "How about you sweetie? Are you enjoying school?"
Frankie smiled. "Yes, I am. I am doing track this year. I haven't done it in a long time. So, I am happy that I'm getting back into it."
Dad looked at Frankie. "You didn't tell me that. I am happy for you Franks."
Frankie swallowed back what I seemed were tears. "Dad, I told you that a couple of weeks ago."
We all went to an awkward silence. Bodhi spoke up. "Mom, why don't you tell Andrew about what you do."
She grabbed Bodhi's hand. "Yes, I paint. I'm an artist. We still practice natural medicine and all. But I decided one day to pick up a brush and then it was like the next day I was having my art being showed in art galleries. It was truly a blessing."
"That is amazing, Grace. I am happy for you. I wondered if you ever picked up art after school." Dad looked at us. "She used to draw these amazing pictures when we were kids."
I perked up. "Really, maybe you can give Franks some pointers. She loves drawing. If she isn't running, she is stuck in her room drawing."
Grace perked up. "That is amazing. I would love to see your work Frankie. If that is okay with you, of course?"
Frankie beamed. "That is more than okay."
Bodhi looked at me then to her mom. "Mom, if it is okay with you, we will go up to my room. We have some homework to go over before Monday."
"All right. Just don't forget, tonight it's your turn to do the dishes." Grace patted her hand.
Bodhi got up. "Yeah, mom, how would I be able to forget."
That made everyone laugh, including my dad. I was happy to see him smiling again. It was a big change from how it had been for two years.
We ran up into Bodhi's room laughing. "Okay, your dad and my mom are digging one another."
"Yeah, I didn't expect them to get along so well. Hell, I didn't even know they knew each other. I mean, I guess I should have." I sat in the chair by the window.
Frankie sat down on the bed. "I didn't even know dad had friends when he was younger. He was so secretive about the past. Never told us anything."
Bodhi and I looked at one another. "He just probably didn't want to bring it up because it hurt too bad or something."
Bodhi sat by Franks. "Yeah, parents are just weird about things. Especially when it comes to the past."
I nodded. I got up and started to look around Bodhi's room. It was very hippy and her. She had a style of being a rocker and hippy all at once. Her room showed the exact same thing. I looked on her mirror, she had pictures of her and the fleet. Along with pictures of her and Jett. They were adorable. I had never seen a couple so loving and protective of one another.
I looked over to Bodhi and Franks. "So, how did you and Jett end up together?"
Bodhi looked over at me and realized I was looking at the pictures. She got up coming over a light shining from her. The happiness radiated off her.
She took one of the pictures of her and Jett off the mirror. "We were in ninth grade. We had all known one other. But for some reason that year, it was me and Jett against the world. One thing led to another. She kissed me, and I kissed back. We haven't left one another's side since then."
Franks made an awe sound. "That is too sweet Bodhi."
I looked at Bodhi. "My sister lives for romance."
"That is a good thing. There is nothing wrong with romance." Bodhi went and sat by Frankie letting her see the picture.
Franks gushed over it. I had no clue how Frankie and I were even sisters sometimes. She believes in love and light when I was in my own world of darkness and didn't think love really existed. I guess some of the way I think happened when mom got sick and dad lost the love of his life.
How can love be great? When something like that takes them away? When you think you have forever? But that forever becomes such a short amount of time. I couldn't ever wrap my head around it.
"You ready to go see Zeke and his grandfather tomorrow?" Bodhi broke me from my thoughts.
I went and sat back in the chair. "Yeah, I am going to get dad to come."
Bodhi leaned her head towards Frankie and made an eye motion. "Frankie, you are coming too. I think it would be good for you to come."
She smiled. "Okay. Question, does Zeke have a girlfriend?"
I could feel the blood boil in me. "Don't you even think about it Franks. He is older than you."
"Only by a couple of years. Plus, dad will won't grandchildren one day and we know you won't give him any." She stuck her nose to the air.
I rolled my eyes. "Who says I won't fall madly in love and have kids? You don't know how the future will end up."
Bodhi stuck her hands up in defense. "Okay. You two are too much. Both of you may be right. Try to think of the positives people."
I picked up one of the books beside Bodhi's chair. "I can't promise you anything there. But Franks probably can. She is all about positivity."
Bodhi looked to Frankie. "You and my mother are going to get along more than I think she gets along with me. You remind me of her."
Franks grinned. "Thank you."
"Girls, your dad is ready to leave." Grace stuck her head in.
"All right Grace." I got up walking to the door with Frankie following me.
"Sloane, wait a minute. I have something for you." Bodhi grabbed my hand.
"Go down Franks. I will be there in a minute." I walked back over to the vanity with Bodhi.
She picked up a box. "This is old. It is a ring. But I think you should have it. Since you are a part of the coven now. It was your grandmothers."
I opened it up. It was gorgeous. A silver ring with a black stone with blue stones within it. "She knew we would come back, didn't she?"
Bodhi smiled proudly. "Yes. She gave me two rings. One for you and one for Frankie. But I wasn't supposed to give them to you two until you knew the truth. Frankie will get hers when she comes around to the fact that all of it is real."
I gave Bodhi a hug. "Thank you, so much. I am glad my grandmother came to you."
"I am too. I knew we would be friends as soon as she started telling me about you. Your dad would write her letters and send pictures." She let go of me.
I wiped the tear from my eye. "That man is going to have some questions from me after tomorrow. It may not be pretty."
"Let's just try and get through tomorrow first." She tried to give a cheesy smile of reassurance.
After we got home, everyone went their separate ways. Dad headed to bed, as did Frankie. I tried going to sleep but I just knew what was waiting for me in the attic. I got up and went up there.
I started looking around at everything. There were so many books of spells and potions. There were also books with some family history. Along with picture albums. Gypsy had everything for Frankie and me to use when it was time to use it.