by Maria Writes
"You shouldn't have talked to her like that, she's your mom."
"Step mother."
She didn't say anything and just look around the area. The Reeds' house is very homey and has a very cozy vibe. Not to mention the nice view it has. They party is very boring to be honest. It's full of oldies and she thinks that only her, Jesse, and Caroline are the only one who are aged 30 below here.
Chloe went up and look for the powder room and touched herself up. It didn't take her long to finish and when she exited the powder room, she saw Jesse, Caroline, and Nate waiting for her. What is Nate doing here?
She looked at them weirdly. "Is there a problem?"
"Yes, there is a problem, Chloe. This party, it's boring. That's the problem. So, let's head inside the house and play some game. But not here." Caroline said.
They all headed in the living room where Caroline brought out tons of board games. Really? What are we, preschoolers? Jesse came back from the kitchen with a bottle of bourbon and a couple of glasses. He sat beside her on the floor and started assembling the scrabble board.
Okay, here we go.
Both Nate and Caroline sat in front of them and started the game. It was very fun to spend time with her friends and her man. She felt kinda fancy for playing board games in their dresses and suits.
"You're cheating Chloe. There's no word like that." Caroline said while looking at the tiles she placed on the board.
She took her phone out of her purse and gave it to her. "Search it."
Caroline did and when the smug look on her face disappeared, she knew that the word she placed exists. Caroline threw her phone back to her which she luckily caught before it hit her face. Her friend is now looking at her with no emotion on her face and she looks like she's ready to punch her in the face.
"You're cheating. 'Eunoia' is Greek not English. Remove your tile Chloe."
Oh, it's Greek? She didn't know. "It's still a word, Care. That will do."
The game continued with Caroline still scowling. And it pisses her off every time she places tiles on the board that are not English. The game kept going until it was Jesse and Caroline left. Both of them are very competitive. But in the end it was Jesse who one.
Caroline rested her head on the center table. Nate was laying on the floor and so is her and Jesse. They don't know how long they stayed like that. She felt that she fell into a nap. And only woke up when she felt that someone is sitting her up. She opened her eyes and saw the other standing up, ready to leave.
Jesse laid her hand for her to support herself as she stands up. They exited the house and went back to the tent. The people are already eating. They were right in time as she was already starving.
They sat back on the table they left earlier where the waiters brought them foods. Their dinner is very fancy and it'll surely satisfy her very hungry belly. Jesse's parents are now sitting on a long table in front of tent. They look so madly in love with each other and it made her remember her parents.
Both of them are still in Europe, travelling. That is why they didn't make it to the party. Looking back at Jesse's parents, she can see that they are very happy with each other, and Chloe is hoping to have that kind of love in the future. She is not sure if Jesse and her will be endgame because she doesn't know what the future has to tell. But if they are, she will be very grateful that she will have that moment that she can treasure for the rest of her life.
"Your parents looked very happy." she told Jesse while still looking at his parents sitting in front of everyone.
"You mean my dad and his wife." Jesse looked at her with boredom in his eyes. What's up with him? Chloe knows that Jesse is not close with Caroline's mother but why does it feel like his holding grudges against her?
"Why are you like this? She's a good person you know." She clung her arm with his and lean closer to him. "Is there a problem? You know you can talk to me." She's pushed back his hair that's been covering his face and looked at him intently. "What's bothering you, Jesse?"
"I hate that my mom died lonely. It should have been her who's sitting beside my father, not Emily." Jesse said half whisper, half shouting. It looks like he still doesn't like the thought of his father having another wife instead of his mother. Well, his parents aren't really married in the first place.
But no child will be happy to see their parents apart. And she gets where Jesse is coming from. However, if he continued this kind of attitude, there will be people he will hurt sooner or later. Even talking about her parents separating is not good for her ear. But Jesse has to accept and understand that his father is now happy with Emily and her mother is already at peace.
She looked closely at Jesse who is just staring at his food. It must have been very hard to lose a mother at a very young age. Plus, the fact that his father married someone without even knowing that your mother is pregnant. She may not feel the pain Jesse is feeling, but she knows she can do something to ease him of the pain.
Jesse stood up and went outside, she excused herself to Caroline and Nate who are flirting with each other and followed Jesse. He's approaching the car and she wants to go with him, but she cannot just leave Blake's car here. Never mind.
"Jesse." she called after him but he never looked back. So she removed her shoes and ran after him. Chloe was panting when she reached Jesse's car. He went inside and start up the car but he never drives it. Maybe he was waiting for her. She looked around and saw a huge pot nearby. Chloe walked toward it and shoved Blake's car key inside then she hopped in Jesse's car.
He started driving and she didn't dare to speak. It felt like he is not in a good mood now. She took her phone inside her bag and gave Caroline a text while Jesse is still driving very fast.
"Care, Jesse and I already left, please tell your parents. Jesse is not feeling well. And there was a car key shoved inside a pot in your parking lot. Outside your house, there's a black Bentley parked near the gates. That's Blake's. Drive it home. See you."
Chloe thought that they will head to the boarding house but Jesse is driving a different path. But then again, she didn't talk or do anything. She just let Jesse drive them to anywhere he wants. She felt like they've been driving for hours. Finally, the car stopped and Jesse removed his seatbelt. She looked outside the window and was surprise to see that they are in a cemetery.
When she first saw the outside of the area, she doesn't have any idea why they are here. But when Jesse opened the door of a mausoleum with the word 'GRAHAM' written on the top of the door. So, we're here to visit his mom.
He sat in front of his mother and just stared at it for a long time. She sat beside him and placed her head on his shoulder. There was a picture of his mother near her tomb plate. She looks young. Maybe in her late 30's or early 40's. She looks so fantastic.
"Mom, this is Chloe Celestia King, my girlfriend, my Ginger. Chloe this is my mom/best friend, Ally Graham."
"You didn't have to tell her my full name, Chloe will do. Your mother is very beautiful. No wonder you're good looking." Chloe can't help but touch his mother's picture. She looked like a girl version of Jesse. She's all him, her eyes, her lips, her smile.
Jesse moved his head to kiss her forehead. "That is what you said the first time you see a picture of my mom, remember? Inside the drama hall. You were giving me a tour around the campus that time."
Really, she did? She scrambled through her mind to remember everything that happened in that day. And yes, she remembers telling him that his mother is beautiful. "Yeah, I did. But I also remember denying that you look good."
Both of them laughed and talked about anything under the sun. "I brought you here so you'll know why I don't like seeing my father with Emily. It's not just because she's more stunning than my father's wife but because her love for him is unmeasurable. She's been uttering his name until her last breath."
"Until now I blame him for her death. He should have their beside her. But no, he left her alone not even knowing that he got her pregnant. She should have be
en alive until now but instead, she's locked up in a coffin."
She took her purse and get the piece of paper she always has with her. It's a poem she wrote for him when she first saw him. Chloe unfolded it and passed it to Jesse. "Here, I made it for you. I hope it will liven up your mood."
Jesse took it from her hand and stared at it for a while before he folded again and put it in his pocket. Now Jesse has a small smile in his lips.
Now she understands why he doesn't like Emily. But he has to try and get to know her, too. And maybe they could have formed a bond that will get them to be closer to each other.
However, she cannot dictate what Jesse wants, it's his decision. Whatever he does, she'll just have to support it and be at his back no matter what.
That's all she could ever do. Support him through thick and thin. And be on his side, ready to hold his hand. If she's thinking of spending the rest of her life with him, she'll have to understand everything about him. Accept their differences. And embrace all his imperfections.
CHAPTER 18:
Don’t Provoke the Witch
"Hey, Chloe! Thank goodness I caught up to you. Look, we are going to have a party. Halloween themed. Be in your best costume. Bring your team. Here's the detail. Be there. I'll be expecting you and your people." Barry gave her a flyer about the party his throwing. And it's tomorrow night. How can she find the perfect costume for that party?
She took a glance at her wrist watch and look at the time. It's 2:30 pm, she still has a class to attend. She needs to make an appearance at Mrs. Clarkson's class because there's something important she needs to discuss with her professor for their play next month.
The only one who can help her is her mother. She took her phone and dialed her mother’s number while walking to class. It took her mother a very long time before answering her call.
"Chloe, are you all right? Does anything bad happened?" her mother asked, literally being hysterical. Her mother is always over acting.
She sighed before speaking to her mother. "No, mom I'm fine. I need your help. There's this party I'll attend tomorrow night and I don't have anything to wear. I'll send you some pictures of what I want. Can you send it to the boarding house for me? I need it tomorrow morning. And also, some for Jesse. Please, thank you. I love you. Bye."
Chloe ended the call just right in time for her to enter the classroom. She took her seat at the end of the room where Blake is sitting. Every time she has a class, she'll always sit at the back because sometimes she uses her phone which their professors doesn't allow.
"Hey, Chloe. I saved you a seat." Blake pointed the seat beside him. She put her bag on it and sat the same time Mrs. Clarkson entered the room and the place was filled with her oh-so silent voice. She took out her phone sneakily and searched their group's chat room.
'Yo, people. Party. Tomorrow night. Halloween. Need to go." she send it then kept her phone before Mrs. Clarkson caught her using it. For the first time since she entered in this school, she really enjoyed the class she attended. Maybe because she loved what they are talking about or maybe because adrenaline is pumping in her veins due to so much excitement for the party.
Her mother didn't disappoint. She brought her four different costumes as well as Jesse. She quickly took a bath and wear the costume her mother made. Her mother got her a black, floor length gothic dress that is off the shoulder. She toped it with a white long wig and a black tiara with rubies embellished on it. She looked like a gothic witch.
She took one of the costumes and shove it in a bag. Just in case I'll have a change of heart. She took the back and head downstairs. Everyone is ready, all in their respective costumes. Jesse is looking cute in his Beetlejuice outfit. While Caroline is wearing a same dress that is somehow similar than her. But hers is white.
"We looked like twins." she said while fixing Caroline's long black hair which she is very sure that it's wig. "Black hair suits you."
"You mean, any hair color suits me?" Caroline winked at her then head out of the house. All of them followed Caroline and hop on the cars. In their car was her, Jesse, Paul, Allie, and Caroline. Then the rest used other cars. It was just a two-minute walk away from their boarding house, but there's so many of them. So, they decided to use cars.
Jesse finally stopped the car at Barry's place. The music is beating and shouts are heard from outside. They hopped of the car and head to the door. Caroline ran the door bell and they all waited for the door to open. But it's been a minute but no one did so she tried to turn the door knob and luckily, it's unlocked.
All of them walked in the room, and as cliché as it might sound, people looked at them as they enter. Well, they're a bit late that's explained the people's stare they are receiving right now. Well, thanks to Jesse again and his hair. She doesn't know why he still have to style his hair. The Beetlejuice costumes she's seen on the internet had messy hair.
"Chloe, Chloe. You're here." Barry approached them in his Dracula costume, talk about being cliché. "Please have fun, drinks over there, as well as the foods. You can do whatever you what. Wreck whatever you want. Just, enjoy."
Barry left them and they all split up to do anything they want. She drags Jesse to the bar and ask for drinks. Both of them just kept on drinking until they get a little tipsy. They were just having fun, just drinking and talking about anything they want.
The party behind them was totally forgotten as they were trapped in their own private bubble. Seeing him happy, she knows that she's doing what she's doing what she's supposed to do. And when he smiles, she loves every single of it.
"You know your mom sent be a Batman and a mummy costume? It was hilarious when I am trying them on earlier. I don't know what's got into her head to got me those."
She laughed at the thought of Jesse in a mummy costume. Why on earth would her mother sent him those. Chloe cannot stop laughing as the picture of Jesse in a mummy costume still lingers her mind.
"My mother got crazy costumes as well. She sent me a mermaid costume and a fairy. I don't know what's wrong with my mother but maybe she thought that we are attending a kids Halloween party."
Jesse laughed with her and pushed back the strands of hair that's been covering her face. "White hair suits you. You're not a ginger anymore. You look like a radish."
Her face fell and shown no emotion. Jesse stopped laughing and looked at her nervously. She's still staring at him with no emotion on her face. When she saw that Jesse is getting really nervous, she started cracking up.
That was hilarious. I really love messing with him.
"I'm just messing with you. You know I love it when you call me ginger. It just irritates me at first. But I already got used to it." Chloe is still laughing at Jesse's face when she felt the need to go to the restroom. "I'll be back. Can I borrow your keys?"
She walked outside to get her bag from Jesse's car and head to the restroom. She had to squeeze herself through the crowd and waited for the people to step off her dress. Chloe waited a while in line before going in the restroom.
It took her five minutes to finish and stared at herself in the mirror. Her makeup is already fading so she touched it up a bit. Chloe took out her make up pouch from her bag and started doing her makeup. She applied more black lipstick on her lips and applied a little bit more powder and some eyeliner.
When she's finally satisfied with how she looks, she head out of the restroom. She's walking towards the bar where Jesse is waiting. There was a girl standing in front of her. She's wearing an over-all black leather outfit with a bunny headband, cliché slut outfit for Halloween costumes.
The girl faced her side a bit and saw that it was Selena, or Selene, whoever she is. She has no idea because the two are identical. Chloe is boiling mad but she's trying her best to calm down.
She went back to the restroom and threw her bag on the sink. She took her phone from the bag and call Caroline, Rebeca, and Lauren. Chloe needs their help. She waited for them to arrive and good thing after a minute or two the doo
r of the restroom opened and in comes the three of them.
"Is there something wrong? Why are you here?" Rebeca asked. "I saw Jesse with someone out there. I mean I saw him pushed her away, but she's so persistent. Aren't you going to shave her head?"
"I know, that's why I called you here. I need your help. I'll change my costume and I need you three to help me fix myself."
The three nodded at her and started to help her change her costume. It took them a little longer than expected. Caroline helped her with her very fitted costume, Rebeca's assigned with her makeup, while Lauren helped her with her hair.
After half an hour, she's finally ready. She's getting kinda nervous, but she's grateful that her mother got her this costume. The three who helped her already left together with her bag and went back to the party while she's still staring at the mirror.
She'd had enough of those two slutbags. Her patience with them is wearing thin. They've been testing her since day one, and now she'd had enough.