Chapter 5: welcome to my empire 2
Pepper wasted as much time as she could at the diner but she knew that sooner or later, she would have to go home and by home, she meant her grandparents' house.
It was unavoidable and it was better she got over with it. Pepper grabbed her bag and laptop after dropping a couple of bills on the table. She was almost out of the door when Mrs. Mateo approached her.
She was holding a hand fan and she was doing that thing that disgusted Pepper. She was fanning her armpit again. Pepper shook her head. The woman was better off in a bat cave than Winslow, Arizona.
"You are fanning your armpits again, Mrs. Mateo. I don't know a polite way to say its disgusting"
"Ayish!" Mrs. Mateo came closer "So, can you call the cops on my husband too? He snores and...."
"Good night, Mrs. Mateo!" Pepper chuckled and pushed the door open.
She could still hear Mrs. Mateo bargain that it was only for one night.
Pepper entered her car and drove off. It would take her about five minutes to get to the house she grew up in.
She parked the car and came down. Pepper was reluctant to enter. She knew what might be waiting for her on the other side of the door.
The building had good structure. Pepper watched the white house with red roof that she grew up in and it was a little bit cliché. It was like those perfect houses that one would normally see in a story book, with white picket fence.
Pepper opened the gate and entered but instead of entering inside, she walked to the backyard and sat on the swing. She was obviously too big since her feet were touching the ground.
The swing was both a good place and a bad place. It was the place her gramps broke the news about her parent's death to her. It was also the place she had her first kiss. Aiden from two houses down the road and it was a good enough kiss until Pepper caught him kissing another girl a week after and broke his nose.
Pepper's phone vibrated and she took it out. It was June.
"Hey, June!"
"Go inside and stop avoiding Gigi and Gramps"
"I am not....how did you know that, Junie?"
"Does the earth revolve around the sun? Yes and right now, you are sitting on that swing avoiding them. Just go inside and get it over with" June advised.
"Get what over with? Junie, what are you not telling me?" Pepper asked.
"Okay" June exhaled "Gigi might have told me that she was setting you up with a guy"
"Junie!" Pepper was mortified "Why didn't you tell me?!"
"Because I knew you would try and get out of it." June answered.
"I don't want my grandmother setting me up with a guy. You should have told me. You broke the Bff's code" Pepper yelled at her.
"Fine, I will buy you an ice cream cone. Just try, okay?"
"What I really want is a roommate? Maybe you should help with that instead" Pepper rolled her eyes.
"Here is a thought, ask Gramps for money. It's going to be yours anyway"
Pepper saw a popup on her screen. Someone was asking to meet and see the apartment.
"Oh great! I think I have a potential roommate but the upside is they are asking to see the house now. Do you think it's a good enough excuse to ditch this ridiculous blind date?" Pepper asked her best friend.
"Have you met your grandparents?" June said in a way of answer.
"I need this. I have to go and meet them, Junie"
"Fine. I will do it for you. Text the potential roommate's details to me and I will go on your behalf. And I have better taste anyway" June replied.
"Thanks Junie. You are the best. I just forwarded the details to you"
"Go inside and enjoy yourself" June hung up.
Pepper dragged herself up and entered the house through the side door. She wondered how many times she has to tell her grandparents to always lock the back door before they listened.
"Gigi! Gramps! I am home" Pepper dropped her bag on the table in the kitchen.
"Callie, come to the living room!"
Pepper followed the voice and she almost made it to the living room when two set of hands grabbed her and urged her to move faster.
"Wait, Gigi...I am not..."
Pepper was pulled into the living room and she came face to face with a man. She recognized him. He was the dentist's son and they had history.
"Hey, Aiden!" Pepper waved reluctantly at him.
"Hey, pepper. You look..." Aiden was interrupted by Gramps.
"I think the word you are looking for is...hot!"
"Gramps!" Pepper turned to glare at her grandfather.
But instead the old man grabbed Pepper's face like she was a piece of ugly art on display that needed some convincing to be bought.
"I told you she will outgrow the baby fat. Did I lie?" Gramps turned her face from side to side for Aiden to inspect.
"The double chin will disappear soon enough as soon as she hit the gym..."
"I don't have a double chin, Gigi!" Pepper couldn't help but quip in.
Gigi turned and held her lips with her fingers.
"Hush, be quiet!" Gigi turned to Aiden with a big smile "She is slightly flawed..."
"Yet she is perfect just the way she is" Gramps quickly added.
"Thanks Gramps" Pepper said and rolled her eyes.
"And you two will make a great couple. Maybe have a couple of kids..."
"Before we expire" Gigi completed for Gramps.
"And I remember it like yesterday. You two shared your first kiss together" Gigi said with nostalgic smile.
"She broke my nose a week later" Aiden managed to quip in.
"Oh that is just lover's spat. It's nothing and she grew out of her violent streak, Aiden" Gigi replied with a smile.
"She almost ran my cat over two days ago" Aiden answered. He looked fairly uncomfortable.
"Oh, please! I didn't kill the stupid little thing!" Pepper glared at him
"She lost her leg!" Aiden said and he was clearly upset.
"No, it lost a paw" Pepper quickly corrected.
Aiden stood up like she had just said the most unforgivable thing one could say. "She is not a… it! Sorry Mr. and Mrs. Hart but your angel is really a heartless cat killing... inhumane being!"
Aiden turned and raced out of the house.
Gigi turned to her granddaughter and she smacked her softly on the back.
"Ouch, Gigi!"
"You just chased away a potential husband!" Gramps told her.
"He was a Buffoon! I am hungry. I want food"
Gramps left her to sit on the sofa. Gigi made a face and yelled "No food until you get a husband!"