Finnegan was at Elise's house at exactly 7 o'clock. Elise's mom had already left, but Elise was waiting outside by the front door. It was beginning to lighten outside, but it was still pretty dark, and a thin fog hovered in the air. Finnegan was going to get out and open Elise's door, but she got in before he got his seatbelt off.
"Good morning, Mo Cuishle," she said cheerfully. It didn't lilt off her tongue like it was supposed to, but she didn't know that. It didn't matter because she was so adorable saying it. She called him 'Her Darling'. He would be her servant and protector. He would help her rise, and he would make her his High Priestess.
"Good morning, Mo Cuishle," I said to her trying to emphasize the correct pronunciation without making her self-conscious of the way she said it.
Once she was settled with her seatbelt on, Finnegan reached over and took her hand so he could press a long kiss on the back of it, breathing in slowly before releasing her. Her hands smelled like soap, but she was cold.
He forgot that he liked the cold, and often forgot to turn his heater on in his car unless it was colder than 30 degrees outside. He turned on the heater, on low at first, to let it warm up, then on a higher setting so that she could uncurl her arms from her chest. He started driving slowly, for though the fog wasn't thick, it made everything look blurry.
...
It was so cold outside, but my mom left about ten minutes before 7, so I thought I should wait by the door so he wouldn't have to knock on the door if he decided to come early. She wore a light coat because it was the time of year where it would be cold at night and in the morning, but it would be almost hot by 11 AM, and she didn't want to have to carry her coat the rest of the day. She had too many books in her locker to be able to shove anything else in there.
She was shivering slightly by the time Finnegan arrived, so she quickly got into his car. It was slightly better, but his heater wasn't on. At least, she stopped shivering. She greeted him, happy to see him, but still too cold to loosen herself up. He took her hand and kissed it, like he had done before, but he lingered. His breath was warm against her hand, and she warmed slightly more all over. She was grateful that he turned the heater on her after he released her hand.
On the way to school, he drove slow, but by the time they got farther down the road, and then to the main road that went all they way through town, the fog had cleared and the sun was all the way up, and they were driving straight into it. They didn't say much because Finnegan was trying to concentrate, but when Elise got warm enough, she reached for his hand, which he willing accepted.
When they got closer to school, it was still early, so Finnegan pulled into the drive-thru of a little coffee kiosk that was made from a reconstructed shed. There was a line of cars, so they waited.
"Do you want a coffee? I need one."
"Oh, um..."
"It'll warm you up."
"Ok, but, I don't know what to get."
"That's ok. Do you want one? I'll pick for you." The cars had started moving forward, and they were next. Finnegan rolled down his window.
"Yes, please. Thank you."
They pulled up, and Finnegan ordered a dirty Chai latte and a Mayan Mocha when the barista pulled the window aside. She went away for a few seconds, and when she reappeared, she took Finnegan's outstretched money and a punch card and disappeared again. A few moments later, a different barista leaned out the window to hand them their drinks. This new barista turned to her side, then produced Finnegan's change. He thanked her and handed her a tip after he handed my drink to me. She cheerfully wished us a nice day, and we drove away.
The coffee was too hot to drink, but the overwarm cup was welcome in my hands. Finnegan's cup sat in the cupholder until we got parked in the school parking lot. He parked far from the building. It was still 20 minutes until the first bell. We sat in the car sipping our coffees.
Mine was sweet and had some kind of spice that left my throat warm even after I swallowed.
"Do you like it?" Finnegan asked between sips of his own coffee.
"Mmmhmmm. What is it?"
"That one is called Mayan Mocha. It's a mocha latte with a dash of cayenne pepper in it. It sounds weird, but it works. I like that one on colder days."
"I can see why. Thank you."
"You're welcome."
We sat holding hands and drinking our coffees. I still didn't know what to say about everything, but I felt like I had to say something. "Mo Cuishle?"
"Yes," he said, looking sideways at me over his coffee and giving my hand a wee squeeze.
"I'd like to wait until I have my car and can come visit you more often before I explore deeper into paganism with you. Until then, I just want to enjoy being with you when I see you. This weekend is kind of big for me, but we can do something next weekend. Next Sunday is my birthday."
"I understand. I am not going anywhere. Take all the time you need, Mo Cuishle. And that's right. September Twelfth, right? You're a Virgo."
I nodded.
"I guess, that doesn't really mean anything to you right now, so forget it. We should start walking in." Finnegan drained the rest of his coffee, but mine was still half full. I was busy pulling my bag up out of the floorboard when Finn opened my door and took my bag from me so I could get out more easily. He held my coffee for me when I stood up so I could put my backpack on, then we walked hand in hand to to school building. The bell rang when we reached the door, so Finnegan didn't have time to walk me to my class. We parted ways, and the coffee started kicking in. I was buzzing with energy, so it seemed like the time just flew by.
The day passed uneventfully, for the most part. I saw Finnegan between class and at lunch. Weston sat with us, but Kimber and Ashley sat a few tables away. During lunch, I received a text from Ashley saying she was grounded and wasn't allowed to have the sleepover anymore. I can't say I was too disappointed, but I really thought they were nice. Either way, whether they really wanted to be my friend or not, Finnegan was mine. He promised he wasn't going anywhere, and neither was I.
After school, Finnegan and I walked the long walk back to his car, and he gave me the notebook.
During the ride, I told him about the sleepover being cancelled.
"If it's alright with my mom, would you like to go to the park or something?"
"I'm sorry, I was expecting you to be busy with the sleepover, so I made plans to do some solitary work, but maybe we can talk on the phone for a little while after dinner?"
Elise was a little disappointed, but she didn't blame him. "Ok. That's alright. My mom might want to do something together anyway. Especially since I'll be starting my new job soon, and I won't get to see her very much after that if I have to work on the weekends."
She didn't linger in his car when they got to her house. Finnegan drove away, and she went inside to preheat the oven and get started cleaning up the house before her mom got home.
Her mom came in, carrying several bags of groceries. Elise was just finishing sweeping the kitchen floor when she walked through the door. While her mom put everything away and got started making dinner, Elise vacuumed the living room and bedroom floors. Norma arrived just as her mom was taking the food out of the oven, so Elise greeted her at the door to help her carry her bags. Norma was an older lady, in her late 60's, so she groaned every time she moved. She had white hair and was heavier set with really large breasts that made her seem even wider.
"Hi there, honey. Thank you. Ogh. I just had another knee surgery, and I move a little slower now. Ogh." Norma came in and I closed the door behind her. Then, I moved past her to put her bag in the living room on the floor by the couch.
"Hi, Norma!" My mom's head popped around the corner from the kitchen. "Make yourself comfortable there at the table. It's almost ready."
"Ooooohh," Norma groaned as she lowered herself into the chair. "Alright. It smells lovely. How are you doing, Lin?"
"I'm doing fine. Elise! Will you set up the tv tray in the living room for yourself. Norma and I will sit at the table."
Elise did as she was bid.
"Well," Norma said, loud enough to carry into the living room where I was, "Elise, are you doing well in school? Your mom mentioned you had a science project."
"Yes," I told her, coming into the small area that passed for a dining room. "I had to work with a partner. We've spent quite a bit of time together, and now he's my boyfriend."
"Oh, well isn't that something. Well, I'll tell ya, you watch out for them boys. I've had three husbands, and my Jim was the best one out of all of 'em. It just took me 53 years to find him. And after my Jim died, I said 'no more'. I'm too old now, and I've got grandkids to try to keep up with. Say, after dinner, if it isn't too dark, do you wanna take the car out for a test drive?"
"Yes, please. And thank you so much. You have no idea how glad I am to finally be getting a car. I got a job at Subway! I can't start until I have my license, but I'm excited to almost be able to drive."
"I bet. I remember my first car. It was a, let's see here, uh..." Just then my mom came in with two plates. She placed one in front of Norma and told me to go fix a plate before she sat herself across from Norma at the little bistro table.
"Well, anyway, that's very exciting for you, dear. Oh boy, Lin this looks great. Oh, I guess I need something to drink."
"Oh, Elise. Would you mind to get Norma some ice water?"
"Ok, Mom. Do you want one too?"
"Yes, thank you."
I walked my plate to the tv tray, then went back into the kitchen to make the drinks. Norma prattled on about this or that in between bites, and my mom just listened and affirmed she was listening while she ate. I watched tv while I ate. When I finished, I went and took up my mom and Norma's plates and washed them in the sink.
"Oh, I guess if we're gonna test drive this old jalopy we better get going. Heh heh" Norma leaned back in her chair before propelling herself forward to rise up out of the chair, steadying her hand on the tabletop and groaning.
The car was a Lincoln Town Car. Norma had cleaned out the car so it wasn't cluttered, but it smelled a bit like her, like powder, prescription meds, and peppermint candy. My mom rode shotgun, and Norma groaned her way into the backseat. I buckled my seatbelt and adjusted the mirrors. Norma explained that the brakes were sensitive and the heater and air condition worked real well. The radio was ok, but the cassette player was broken. There wasn't a CD player, and it had a very big trunk, which came in handy if you wanted to take a road trip. Lots of space for luggage.
My mom didn't like that suggestion at all, but she wouldn't say that to Norma. She just made a face at me and shook her head slightly. I put the car in gear, and took off. My mom was gripping the handle above the passenger door, sitting tensely and trying not to overreact to my driving. Norma sat comfortably in the back, commenting on everything we passed. By the time we got back to the house, my mom couldn't get out of the car fast enough.
"Oh, Lin-Ogh- cut her some slack. She did very well. You should have had to ride in the car with my son, Tony. You would be needing some new undershorts by now if he was driving. That boy was always a speed demon."
"I know, she's just my only baby, and I worry too much about her."
"Aww, Mom!" I leaned over and pulled my mom into a hug with one arm as we walked up to the door.
"Well, it's true. Listen, Elise." We all went directly into the living room to sit on the couch. "I already talked to Norma about this. I'm going to buy the car from her today, and she is going to sleep here tonight. After we drive her home tomorrow, we can go take your driving test before you go to your sleepover with those girls. Remember what I told you about taking good care of it."
Norma got up to go to the bathroom saying,"OOOh, that water just hit my bladder. Excuse me." She waddled away, and I leaned over to hug my mom.
"Thank you, Mama. And, I forgot to tell you. Ashley told me today she got grounded, so she can't have a sleepover anymore. Would it be alright if I went over to Finnegan's? I promise to be home by 8."
She sat with her mouth twisted up like she wasn't happy about it, but she was thinking about it. "Ok. Those girls don't sound like the right kind of friends anyway if they get in trouble a lot. And here's another thing. If you're going to be driving around, you will have a curfew. Eight o'clock is fine. If you have to work, you can stay out until your shift ends, but I want you to come straight home. And when you go to this boy's house, I want you to call me and let me know where you are. You hear me?"
"Ok, Mama. Oh shoot, I forgot."
"What?" my mom asked, looking worried. Norma returned and picked up her bag.
"Lin, is it alright if I get changed in your room? This bra is killing me, and I want to put my jammies on," Norma said, already posed to head the direction of my mom's bedroom.
"Yeah, that's fine, I'll get you a pillow and some blankets. Will you be alright on the couch, or would you like me to get out the air mattress?"
"Oh, no, no. Don't fuss over me. The couch will be fine. I'll be right back."
My mom looked back at me, waiting for me to continue. "I forgot Finnegan said he would be busy until later. I won't be able to go over there right after my driving test, if I pass."
My mom looked at me reassuringly. "Oh, well, sweetheart, I think you'll do fine on your test. Would you like to go shopping tomorrow then? I don't know if we'll get a chance once you start working. You'll be able to call your boss and start on Monday, since you'll have your car."
"Ok, mom. I would like that. I'm gonna go get ready for bed too."
...
Norma was laying on the couch under covers, trying to get comfortable, grunting when she changed positions when I came out of the bathroom from brushing my teeth. I went to my mom's room to tell her good night, and thanked Norma again as I said good night to her on the way into my room.
Even if Ashley and Kimber wouldn't help me, I still meant what I said about trying a new style. I was suddenly feeling mysterious and independent. Tomorrow, I would try to find some clothes to express this new change in myself.