On My Way To Mr. Right

Chapter 44

“I can’t pick up anyone now. Butch has the car. No other vehicle in the garage runs right now.”

“Well, you know I don’t have a car to drive,” B speaks, taking her out of the equation.

It all came down between me and James. We know who was the designated driver most days.

“How about ya’ll’s date?” He asks, and I wonder why he wasn’t volunteering to pick us up and drive all of us to the formal. He usually didn’t have any problem driving all of us. Besides, he was going to pick me up, anyway. That we had planned beforehand.

“I don’t have Daniel Lee’s phone number. But I’ve also seen him come to school on his mountain bike, so I don’t think he’ll be of use to our situation.”

“Please don’t make me ask my scary date to pick us all up. I’m even terrified of the thought of having to text her for her address,” Charles begs, which actually made James chuckle.

His date was really scary. She wasn’t the typical, sad, emo kid. She was hardcore emo. Like the ones that scare children into crying type. Charles’ fear is rational.

But then again, it left James and me in the equation.

“I can borrow my dad’s car. We’ll all fit there, and he’ll be home before six anyway, so we’ll have plenty of time to pick people up and make a fashionably late entry,” I told him to ease the anxiousness in his face.

“No, I told you I’d pick you up. It’s just that I don’t have the truck right now. I swapped it for a week with my cousin, and I have his car. But I don’t think a Vintage Ferrari F50 is gonna fit the six of us.”

Our jaws drop simultaneously.

“A Ferrari?!” B and I squeal.

“A Vintage Ferrari?!” Charles followed in the squealing.

“Boo! Don’t ride some cool car without me, Lottie. I’ll consider that a betrayal,” Ross sticks her tongue out like a child.

“Rossalyn,” I called to her attention, smirking. “I love you, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I promise you we’ll call and talk again later. Byeeee!” I sang as I kicked her off of the call.

Everyone let out a nervous chuckle. But I ignore it. I’ll deal with Ross later. She has her soft side reserved for me.

“So, that’s it? We have four drivers and no car?” I concluded as everyone was left silent on the call.

“What do you need a car for, Charlotte?”

I snap my head up to see Alex enter the house with Adrian in tow. They both stopped in front of us, hands on hips and faces somber.

“Uh, nothing. I have this winter formal tonight, and as it turns out, we don’t have a car to drive all six of us to the venue,” I explained to him.

His face looked like it was beaten in the bushes. Random twigs and leaves stuck out from his hair. His eyes were dead and black. Underneath them, hid bags of fatigue and restlessness. I wasn’t a fan of his relapses, but it was none of my business, as my whole family has consistently shown me. I usually just step out of the way, never interfering. I let my parents handle him and the situation.

“Have Charles take my car. James should pick you up,” He casually directs, throwing over his car keys which he fumbled in my hands.

I was left stunned for a moment until Adrian chuckled at my expression.

“Aren’t you going anywhere tonight?” I asked.

“No, but if I am, I’ll take dad’s car. Mine’s prettier, anyway.”

“Are you sure you trust us with this?” I shouted back, not confident about this plan. I know Charles can drive, or even B if she’s willing to hike up her emerald cocktail dress, but Alex has a way with his car that only he understands.

Like James and Charles, who are car fanatics, Alex was obsessed with his car. He got it from an old chop shop two towns over. It was beaten up. Merely the engine or its exterior were left unharmed. But with his dedication and determination, it took him no time to transform it into a beauty. He was 15 at the time. He’s 22 now, and he still drives that car.

Not to mention, he was a reckless driver most of the time. Worse than James even. He literally used to drink and drive in that car, but no damage nor dent can ever be found. That Toyota Avalon has been spotless ever since. I’d hate to be the one to mark her. I’d be horrified even further if one of my friends did it because I would never ever hear the end of it from him and my parents.

“I trust myself with Daisy even when I’m high as a bat and mad as a hatter. She’ll take good care of your friends. As long as you take good care of her, too. Text me when you're home though.”

Yes, that tough, old beaten car was named Daisy.

“Are you sure you want Lottie’s boyfriend driving her around though? I’ve heard he can be a pretty careless driver,” I heard Adrian whisper to Alex.

I was about to jump over to kick his ass but Alex stops me in my tracks, with his casual dead eyes and a straight face.

“Listen here, Adrian, you might be Charlotte’s old childhood friend, and she might let your ass slip past here and there with those smartass digs and gossip. But I don’t listen to bullshirts. Do you hear me? That Tucker boy is as best as she can get. I know she dated your ass, for whatever reason she saw in you. But James takes care of her like a fragile little cupcake, and I’m thankful for that every day. Thankful that she dumped a loser like you and got herself a real man who takes care of her. I trust that kid just like I trust my own sister. So, shut your petty little mouth.”

I wasn’t even taken aback. I was their precious younger sister. No one was going to mess with me, not in my own home.

Adrian was silenced by Alex’s words, which cut sharp like a knife. He purses his lips in discontent and probably fear. Discontentment with not being able to talk back, and fear of being physically hurt by Alex, who towered over his 5’9 figure.

“I’m sorry, man. I’m just looking out for your sister. You know we’ve had history,” he weasels his way out.

I spit out a laugh. The way he spoke of that history as if it meant something to him other than something he could casually lord over my head, like it was some damn great blessing that he became my friend and recently dated me.

“Thanks, brother,” Alex smiled wide and I almost thought he was backing down on his stance on standing up for me. “But Charlotte can look after herself. No one raised her to be such a pus-sy like you. Goodbye.”

With that, he slammed the door on Alex’s stunned face and walked away to his room, not even giving me a second glance.

Then, I noticed that the group call was still on, which means James and Charles must have heard everything.

"Are they gone?" Charles spoke after the long silence. “Lottie, do you have the keys to Alex’s car?”

“Yes.”

“Yes!” I heard Charles celebrate in excitement at the other end of the call.

“So, we’re on for tonight?” James clarifies.

“Yes, we are.”

“I’ll be sad we aren’t riding together, though,” I tell B, but we shrug it off.

“We are going to the same event anyway.”