The Fiche List

Chapter Seven

60. Messy paint twister

   I knocked on Jase’s door. More like, stood there tapping out the beat to the tune in my head for a good twenty seconds. I was really getting into it when the door swung open abruptly and Jase stood there scowling at me. 

I smiled sweetly.

“What?” he snapped.

“I need a ride. Can you take me to work? Please?”

“Why can’t you get there yourself? You normally do. Otherwise you wouldn’t have a job.”

“Hilarious.”

He raised an eyebrow. 

I sighed. “Just because I can drive doesn’t mean I have something to drive. I don’t have a car, and I normally borrow Lea’s or ride with her, but she’s out with Sean… and I missed the bus. I could take your car—“ he frowned— “but you don’t like me driving your car. So can you take me to work please?”

He sighed like I just asked him to climb Mount Everest with me. “Fine.” He turned back into his room and started pulling on a pair of jeans discarded on the floor. I crossed my arms and leaned into the doorframe. “I don’t let you drive my truck because it’s my baby and I don’t trust you with her.”

I rolled my eyes as he swiped his wallet, phone and keys off the bedside table. He pushed me out of the way and shut the door behind us. “You’re pathetic,” I retorted as I followed him out of the house.

“Gee, sis, did you forget who came knocking on my door five minutes ago?”
“No.”

“You coulda fooled me.” He bent down and kissed the bonnet.

“Oh my god, really? No wonder you don’t have a girlfriend— that void is already full.” He through me a look over his shoulder as he got in the truck. I walked around to the passenger side and opened the door. “I’m not sure I want to get in. I feel like I’d be intruding… nobody likes being a third wheel.”

“Get in the car, Fiche,” he said, amused.

“If you insist.” I gently tapped the dashboard. “I’m sorry, Bertha,” I whispered conspiringly. 

“Bertha? Really?” he burst out laughing, cranking the car and backing her down the driveway. 

“What’s wrong with Bertha?”

He shot me a look. 

“Not cool enough, huh? Like Roxy, Candy, Ruby, Trixi, Starla are any better!”

He laughed again. “Seriously? Those are what you come up with?”

I crossed my arms. “What’d you call her then?”

“Reese.”

“Huh.” I stuck my tongue in my cheek. I actually liked that name. Damn. “So I was interrupting your beauty sleep was I?”

He smiled smugly, knowing why I’d changed topics. “No, I’m already beautiful enough. I don’t think the world could cope if I looked even more handsome— hey!” he laughed when I smacked his arm. 

“Smart guy.”

“Thank you.”

“It wasn’t a compliment.”

“I know. Fiche?”

“Hmm?”

“You’re just too amusing.”

“Uh huh…” I raised my eyebrows. Then decided to play adorable-modest-girl-who-just-received-a-compliment. My shoulders curled forwards and inwards, I looked off to the left and let a tiny smile complete it. And then made an ‘aw-shucks’ sound.