Soon I was given the job of carrying the bags to the car since Jermey is too tiny for these sacks. Once I was done, I made sure to get my backpack and 'school books' with me as I sat in the front of the car. My mom started driving. Jeremy decided to take the AUX and play some music(He has horrible taste in music.) As time went on, I then noticed mom was not driving in the direction of the central park.
"mom" I started "the central park. It's not this way." I told her. It was 7:46 PM. I was running out of time.
"Huh? What do you mean?" she asked giving me a glance.
"I mean we are going in the false direction. The central park isn't from here?" I replied.
"Yeah, yeah I know," mom said and paused as she was concentrating on the road "you can give the school or your friends the books another day," she said.
"But- but like, the school is going to implement a fine on us for the late return," I told her.
"who's fault is that?" she glanced at me "If there is a fine, then get a summer job. You're eighteen. I do not need to be fixing these sort of mistakes," she said. Mom seemed to have a dilemma with me being 18. It's as if she suddenly viewed me as someone who should take responsibility. Just two months ago I was her baby boy.
And now what? I cannot tell her to pull up. She won't do it either way.
---
' "Pull up," I told her.
"What??" she questioned giving me multiple glances as she tried to focus on the road. Jeremy looked worried.
"I said pull up. I have something to do and I cannot stay here" I told her.
"No? These books aren't worth being rude to the people who were always standing up to us." She said in rising temper "And since when can you even give me orders? I am your mother! Vincent Vex, watch your mouth from now on or you will be grounded for eternity!" She warned.
"I don't care. Just let me out! I have to go" I yelled back. It's 7:50.
"You know what? Get the hell out of my car" She pulled up in some empty road "go on" she said calmly yet in a very threatening manner. "You are no longer a son of mine-" '
---
"Vince!"
"Huh? Yeah," My attention was bought back from this random scene in my head of me asking mom to pull up o reality. It was either a very realistic portrayal of how mom would react to my request or a very overthought version of how she would react. I cannot tell.
"I said, go out and get us snacks from the store." Mom said. We pulled up! We pulled up? Oh, we pulled up in the gas station. Take Jeremy with you" Mom added.
"uhh, alright" I unbuckled the seat belt and so did Jeremy. I checked my watch. It was NOW 7:50. I still needed a plan to get away.
Soon Jeremy and I were entering the store. Jeremy started picking out his favorite chips and sweets while I was too busy thinking about what to do. I snapped my fingers and Hannah and Ross appeared before me.
"I need to get to the central park" I whispered. "Can you manage that for me? and quickly?"
"UHHHH" Ross was trying to think quickly. "Yes sir," he said before disappearing quickly going to god knows where.
"What should I do?" Hannah asked.
"I don't know" I was too frustrated to speak to her at the moment.
Too soon did Ross teleport back to us "So?" I started.
"There is a backdoor" Ross mentioned " You can sneak out, take and cab then go"
"Hey, I am done picking!" Jeremy comes squealing with a smile.
I turned to face him. "Oh, that's cool Mijo" That was his nickname "Can you take them by the counter and pay for us?" I picked a random soda can and gave it to him. He juggled to the counterman to pay.
"This cannot work. It's 7:55." I told Ross in frustration and shook my head. Central park was around 15 minutes away from here. I would never make it in time. "I guess that's it," I told Ross and Hannah "No meeting Lunar. No Night Kingdom." I was disappointed and I got been more disappointed when I saw the relief on Hannah's face. I did not address it. I did not get why she doesn't like me going to the Night Kingdom.
When Jeremy was done paying, we walked back to the car.
"Got everything you need?" Mom asked as I put on my seatbelt. I nodded and sighed in frustration. She started driving to the farm and it was a long long ride.
During the ride, we listened to music. Occasionally, I took the AUX from Jeremy and played some music of my style. I would open the laptop, one that Jeremy decided to get to play video on, to do some research on that college I was meant to attend or any random thing to distract my mind. When I got bored, I decided to snap my fingers. In the back of the car sat Ross beside Jeremy. I looked at the back mirror at him. I did not need to order him for him to understand that I simply wanted the company of someone who gets why I was upset.
We sat in silence before Ross decided to break it. For obvious reasons, I could not speak to Ross in front of mom and Jeremy.
"You know" Ross started "Hannah and I really think Lunar wouldn't send to you randomly after like 7 years to a chit chat. " He paused "which is why we think he will definitely contact you again. Maybe then you can go the Night Realm."
I smiled then so quickly tried to hide it so mom wouldn't see it.
"But like" He continued "That is the point. He wants something from you; from us. I really think you should either reconsider going or at least take huge percussion from what Lunar might ask you. He might *force* you to do something even against your will. He was too much power."
I was now frowning. I hated the fact that he was right. I liked to hear what I want to hear.
"But like, don't worry. In all cases, we will have your back. Maybe Hannah and I are overthinking this."
I hoped so.
"Anyway, good luck man," Ross said and I did not grasp correctly what he meant until I actually looked in front of me through the glass of the car just so see that we finally reached the farm with non-other than the Johson family standing outside of the main house with bright smiles-except for Laila- with decorations around the are. There were a lot of fairy lights. The family members were dressed in overalls or jeans and simple shirts. The family consisted of the mom, called sally, the father, called Kendrick but I called him sir, the kids: Laila, who is the oldest and 17 years of age, another kid called Jeremy who was 15 years of age, and Mika who was a fostered child and of 7 years of age. They all looked like they stood out for more than ten minutes because their dark skin was gleaming from sweating in the car lights. Maybe I was not dreading something after all. The Johnsons were nice enough to host us, foster a child and make us a party. Perhaps I was overthinking their inclusiveness of me all the time. Maybe they were just trying to be nice. Actually, there was no evidence to say they are actually being rude to me. They never fully acknowledged our differences. Sometimes I thought that they might have simply pitted us as a family, me as a teenager growing up without a dad only to come to a farm in radical clothing. Perhaps I might have looked like a depressed child to them and that's why they included me too much? They were eager. That was what I knew.
Mom waved to them from the car.
Now was the cue to get out and greet them.