NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 1.3
Even though I was a little uncomfortable with her overbearing affection, I bore with the hug, my hands hanging lamely by my sides.
"Great, as if we needed more men here with all the ones Jasin brings in." muttered Davian just loud enough that I could hear her.
"Well, that's settled then," said Bryce. "Alfreda will get you all sorted out. You'll feel right as home here."
The butler nodded her head. "That's right, young sir. Follow me please, I'll show you the way to your chambers."
My room was large and luxurious. There was a tiger pelt that acted as a rug on the floor. Armor, shields, Aztec masks, and other antiques adorned the walls. But, the best of all was the massive, curtained bed.
"This is amazing." I gaped.
"Oh you should see the basement…" mentioned Alfreda with a sly smile.
After checking out the room I went down again.
The Baines were having some of the food Alfreda had made some hours ago, warming it up on the microwave.
The amount of food they were eating was disturbing. I'd never seen girls eat so much. They were devouring a banquet.
When they noticed me come in, I spoke up, "Hey, um, I wanted to let you all know that I'm thinking of going out." I had to check what happened to my family. After all our good memories together and their support, the least I could do was check if they were alive or not or if they needed my help. "There's something important I have to check up on."
"I don't think that's a good idea." answered Bryce. "It's too late. The streets are dangerous, particularly since you are a boy."
"What do you mean?" I asked puzzled. That was a strange expression she used.
Annoyed, Jasin spoke up, while chewing some food vulgarly, "Come on are you stupid? Do people have to spell it out for you? A cute doll like you with a big ass and dick walking at night would be like throwing blood at sharks. You and whoever you are with will get attacked before you know it. You'd think that after dying once, you'd have some Goddess damned sense." Then, as if she couldn't resist, she added a curse. "Fuck!"
What the hell? What was going on? I didn't even know anymore.
Seeing my confusion, Bryce spoke up again, "While I wouldn't have put it that way," she said, glaring at Jasin, "She is right. The streets of Gothic City, despite our efforts simply aren't safe. Sexual deviancy is at an all time high and women do not respect when a man says no."
Something weird was definitely afoot, but I couldn't name it, felt like it was on the tip of my proverbial tongue. "But…but I need to check this…" I protested.
Vick came to my rescue, "I can go with you! I know a move or two so I'll swat the girls off you like flies!" she said, grinning and making a few silly karate moves.
With that settled, I waited for Vick to finish scarfing down her food and then we both made our way to the garage.
I should be used to it by now, but I couldn't help but gasp when I saw the many expensive cars lined up in the garage.
Vick gave me a vulpine grin, "Sweet innit?" she said. "Pick your poison."
There were so many good choices that was momentarily paralyzed by indecision: lamborginis, bentleys, mustangs, they had it all. However, once I saw the 1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse, I had to go for it. What can I say, as a guy, racing movies are something I love.
"Huh," said Vick, when she saw my pick, "For a boy you sure know how to pick em."
Again with those weird phrases. "What do you mean?" I told her, "What's up with your family and boys, huh? Are you a feminist or something?"
Vick panicked a little, "No no! I was just joking, you know. We aren't sexist or anything. It's just, I mean, most boys I know aren't interested in cars, that's all."
I didn't know what kind of guy wouldn't like cars. What were they, gay?
"Mhm," I said noncomitally.
"A-anyways, let's hop in this bad girl." she said, trying to change the subject. She pressed the button to unlock the doors.
When we were both finally inside, inserted the key and reved up the engine, pressing the accelerator a few times and making the engine roar.
---
Let us just say that Vick drove…recklessly. Don't get me wrong, I loved speeding, but there's a fine line between going fast and driving like a maniac. I had to hold onto the grab handle for dear life.
When we finally reached our destination, I was sweating, my heart palpitating.
While I recovered, Vick went around and opened the door for me, offering me her hand to stand up.
I shakily got up with her help, but immediately fell.
"Whoa, I got you," she said, catching me.
Due to her being a head taller than me, my face ended pressed against her chest.
Now, unlike what you might imagine, my face didn't go all read. I simply ignored the situation, not commenting on it, so as to not make this weird for her. I thanked her once we disengaged.
Still with her smirk, I couldn't help but feel I had given something away, some tell, that made her realize I enjoyed her breasts.
"Let's go," I pointed to my family's house a ways down the block, distracting her.
The house was different than what I remembered. It looked better, more expensive. There was also a security camera monitoring it.
When I rang the doorbell, a woman that looked somewhat like my mother, but different enough to be a sister opened the door.
She was tall, lithe, and had long, silky blonde-white hair. Her eyes were a light blue, almost turquoise and with a predatory look about them. When she caught sight of me they widened in shock, but only for a moment, they turned calculative the next.
I spoke up, breaking the silence, "Uh, sorry for ringing your bell in the middle of the night like this, but I have something important to ask: do you know where I can find the Parker's? You see I'm Avery Parker and I'm looking for my family."
The woman considered the information that I gave her for a moment and then said, "Oh, Avey," she said, her expression turning distraught, "I can't believe you wouldn't recognize you own mother! What happened to you?! Did you injure yourself?!"
Her change in demeanor was so fast that I couldn't even react before she enveloped me in a warm, motherly hug.
"Are you his friend?" my mother asked Vick, "Thank you so much for returning him to us. We…when he dissapeared…well, we thought the worst had come to pass… What happened to my little Avey?!"
Vick cleared her throat. "Well, it's a sensitive subject, so I'll let him explain. All I can say is that we would have contacted you sooner but he wasn't registered in the city records, no ID, nothing. Why is that?" asked Vick innocently.
My mother put on an embarrassed expression, "Oh, well, our family is old fashioned like that. We believe in the American values of liberty, freedom, and self. We don't agree with the way the government does things and this is how we protest that…but that is an unimportant subject. In behalf of our family, I thank you for returning him to us. We are forever in your debt, so please, tell us: how can we thank you?"
"Oh, there's no need, for that, miss." answered Vick. "A good deed is its own reward."
My mother put her hand in her heart as if in relief, "I'm so glad Avey managed to find himself such a good friend! Girls like you are in short supply these days, I tell you." After she said that, she turned back to me, "Son why don't you say bye bye to your friend and come on inside? We can eat--mommy made your favorite cookies!--and you can tell me what happened to you. We have so much to catch up on."
"Ah, before that, please let me have a short word with your son." said Vick, grabbing my hand.
"Yes, of course." she said, but she didn't move to give us privacy.
Vick leaned down and began whispering on my ear. "This is a bad idea, Avery. Come back with me to the manor. We can visit them tomorrow during the day together, but don't do this alone. I know you lost some of your memories, but there must have been a reason you never told me about your family, why you didn't have them in your contacts."