Bad Olives
1796 Words
Amelia
“So, how was your first day?” Bethany asks as she approaches me.
I am waiting for the elevator down to the parking garage. It has been an eventful first day at Keaton Industries. My head has hurt all day, but I endured the stares and sneers from Jordan all day. Everyone else in the office was friendly and helpful.
“Oh, it was good,” I respond. “Everyone is nice,” I say.
“Cool,” Bethany chuckles. “I wish I could say the same thing. This chick, Megan, seems to have it out for me already.”
“Oh,” I laugh. “I had one of those two,” I say as the elevator doors open.
“Do you want to go get drinks?” Bethany asks.
I look at her, and she seems really lovely. I could see myself being friends with her. I bet she would get along great with Kylie. “I wish I could, but I promised my mother I would have dinner with her and my father. She is a little bummed about my brother moving.
“Oh, right, because he is going to Arizona,” Bethany wonders.
The door opens, and we step into the humid and smelly garage. I feel a little sick from the smell, and my headache worsens.
“I went to Arizona once for a cheerleading competition. It’s brown,” She makes a face, and I laugh.
“Yeah, so I have heard. My best friend Kylie has gone there a few times,” I mention.
“So, drinks another time?” Bethany asks.
“Sure,” I smile. “That would be great.”
We start walking among the rows of cars.
“Where is your car?” Bethany asks.
I look around, trying to remember where I parked. I hit the key fob and hear the car beep. “Over there,” I point.
Bethany does the same thing, “Oh, my car is close to yours.”
We walk together towards our cars. Something smells rotten, and I nearly barf. I hold my mouth.
“Are you alright, Amelia?” Bethany asks.
“I just feel a little nauseous,” I state. “Like something smells really bad.”
Bethany inhales, “I don’t smell anything.”
The smell seems to dissipate, but I still feel queasy. “Hopefully, it will pass by the time I get home. My mother will be angry if I cancel.”
“She sounds like my mom,” Bethany chuckles. “I have three brothers and two sisters,” She mentions. “My brothers all work on the family farm while my sisters got married to farmers and had lots of babies.”
“Geez,” I scoff. “I just have two brothers. My older brother Junior went into the family business.”
“What sort of business?”
“We own a butcher shop. It’s been in business forever,” I explain. We reach the car, and I stumble against the one beside it. “s**t,” I mumble.
“Can’t seem to keep your hands off my car, huh?” Jordan appears suddenly with a scowl on his thin face.
“It was an accident,” I respond.
“Mmm,” Jordan sneers. “Just keep your damn hands off my car from now on.”
I roll my eyes as he gets into his car.
“What a prick,” Bethany snorts.
“Tell me about it,” I mumble. “It was nice meeting you, Bethany. Hope to see you tomorrow.” We must move as Jordan backs out of his spot really fast. He speeds away, causing a cloud of exhaust to choke us. I almost upchuck, and I lean against the car.
“What an asshole,” Bethany shakes her head. “We should say something to someone.”
“No, it’s fine,” I mumble while holding my stomach. “See you tomorrow, Bethany,” I say.
“Bye, Amelia. Don’t let that guy get to you. He’s not worth it,” she grins.
I get into the Kia and turn it on. Soft rock blasts out of the speakers, but I turn it down. My head is pounding, and I hope I can handle the drive to my parents’ house. I find a bottle of water on the floor. I chug it, and it makes my stomach feel a little better. I then pull out of my spot and head for the exit.
It takes almost an hour of frustration to reach my parent’s house. It’s a nice house with four bedrooms and three bathrooms. Lots of flowers adorn the home, with a big oak in the front. The backyard is nicely landscaped with a pool. I pull into the driveway, and my dad is smoking a cigar on the porch.
“Hi, Dad,” I greet him as I walk up.
“Hi, sweetie,” He stands up to hug me. He is wearing a stained white Bears t-shirt with a pair of sweats. The smell from his cigar makes me gag. “What?”
“Your cigar stinks,” I mutter as I back away from him.
He narrows his eyes, “You sound like your mother.”
“Sorry,” I frown.
He pats my back, “I’ll be inside in a minute.”
I nod and walk into the house. It smells like Mom’s famous spaghetti. It doesn’t smell as good as I expected for some reason. I hear her talking to someone in the kitchen and enter to find her with the next-door neighbor, Annie.
“Amelia,” Annie greets me. Annie and her husband Frank have lived next door to my parents since I was five. They are like an aunt and uncle to my brothers and me. She has three kids that all hung out with us. “How was your new job?” Annie asks.
“It was great,” I say as I approach my mother.
She looks up from what she is stirring on the stove, “Your brothers are supposed to show up soon.”
“It smells good, Mom,” I tell her.
Mom turns her attention to me, “There’s something different about you, Amelia.”
“Um, no,” I laugh. “Ernesto trimmed my hair, but that’s it.”
“No,” Mom shakes her head. “There is a glow about you.”
I give her a strange look and grab an olive from a tray on the counter. “A glow?” I bite into the olive and gag. I usually love olives, but this one tastes rancid. I spit it out. “What’s wrong with the olives?”
Mom snorts, “Nothing. Those are fresh from the store.”
“I got them earlier,” Annie says.
I pick up another olive, which tastes like the first one, “They just taste strange.”
Mom picks one up and pops it into her mouth, “Tastes fine to me.”
I hear a commotion coming from the living room. “Oh, the boys are here,” I say and exit the kitchen. I am grabbed by Junior, who ruffles my hair and kisses my cheek.
“Hey, sis,” He grins and lets me go.
“Aunt Amelia,” Trey runs up to me with his siblings.
“Hey, kiddos,” I wave.
Jonathan enters with Lane on his hip and Monica behind him. “Hey, Amelia.” Jonathan sets Lane down, who runs over to Junior’s kids.
They all start squealing and running around.
“Why don’t you kids go downstairs,” Junior suggests. My parents converted their basement into a playroom for them.
Mya walks up to me, “How was work?”
“It was good. Just mostly learning and meeting new people,” I say as I cringe, thinking about Jordan. “There was one jerk, but the rest were all nice.”
“Where are you working again?” Junior asks.
“Keaton Industries, Andrew,” His wife responds and shakes her head. “Men,” She scoffs.
I laugh, “Yeah.”
Junior rolls his eyes. “Whatever.”
Dad walks into the house with Frank. Frank is a tall man with black hair who owns a restaurant that Dad supplies.
“That pork tenderloin you got was premium stuff, Drew,” Frank says to Dad. He stops and grins at me. “Amelia,” He pulls me into a hug.
I cringe as he smells like various foods, and I have to keep from throwing up. “Hi, Frank.”
“Paisley was asking about you,” He states as he pulls away. His brown eyes narrow. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I say. “Excuse me,” I mutter and run for the bathroom down the hall. I slam the door shut and heave. I haven’t eaten since lunch, so hardly anything comes out. I finish and rinse my mouth. I look at myself in the mirror, and I appear pale.
“Amelia,” Mom knocks on the door.
I open it to her standing in the hall with Mya and Monica. “I’m fine, Mom.”
“I heard you in there,” She puts her hands on her hips.
“I’m fine,” I repeat and brush past her towards the kitchen. I stroll over to the fridge, grab the orange juice, and take a sip.
“Amelia, did you use protection when you had s*x after going to that club?” Mom asks.
“Mom,” I huff and put the juice back in the fridge.
“Don’t put that back after you drank out of it,” She admonishes me.
I say Nothing as she pushes me out of the way. “Mom,” I whine.
Mom pulls the juice out and sets it on the counter, “I am serious, Amelia.”
I shake my head.
“Since when have you started going to clubs?” Annie asks.
“I don’t,” I mutter. “I went a few weeks ago with my friends to celebrate my degree.”
“And you had s*x?” Annie questions.
I sigh, “Yeah,” I say as I try to recall Ez. I smile, thinking about his handsome face.
“Do you know his name?” Annie asks.
I shrug, “It was a one-night stand.”
Mom and Annie exchange looks while my sisters-in-law laugh. “I think so, too,” Mom says.
“You think so, what?” I ask with a scoff.
“You are pregnant,” Mom responds.
“No,” I deny wholeheartedly.
- Writer
