Rum and Coke

The drive back to Huntington Beach wasn’t long- maybe half an hour at the most. During that time, Ellie was lost in her thoughts. She was trying desperately to sort out all this new information. Did she really leave with my father? Did he really take her out of that shitty place? What happened? Why did she return? Was it because of me? Because she was pregnant with me and my father didn’t want me? Is that what happened? So many questions…I wish that someone would just give me an answer for once! And, I already knew that I looked like my dad (it was pretty obvious growing up that I only had my mother’s eyes). These thoughts kept racing through her mind.

Her stomach rumbled as she came up to a red light. Looking around, she saw that there was a grocery store on her right. She smoothly merged into the correct lane and found a parking spot near the front of the store and got out. As she walked into the brick building, her fingers sped over the keypad as she dialed a familiar number.

“Ellie, are you okay? Where are you? When will you be home? You weren’t here when I got up!”

“Mark, calm down. I’m at the grocery store getting some food, seeing as how you pigs ate all of it.”

“Oh.”

“Yea. Anyways, I called to ask what you guys wanted since I’m actually feeling kind of generous.”

“Oh, the usual stuff I guess.”

“Gottcha. I’ll see you in a few.” She quickly ended the call and steered her cart to the direction of the pasta aisle. When she was finished getting everything, she made her way over to the counter, where a rather bored cashier was waiting.

“Did you find everything you wanted?” she asked in a very bored tone.
Ellie had always wondered why they asked that. Clearly, she had everything that she wanted if she wasn’t bugging the piss out of everyone in the store.

“Yea,” Ellie replied lightly as the cashier began scanning her items.

“Ok, that will be- holy fuck!” the cashier finally gasped, finally getting a good look at Ellie. “I didn’t know they had a daughter! Can I take your picture?”

Ellie took a step back. “What?”

“You’re Brian and Michelle Haner’s daughter right? Twin to little Brian? My parents went to school with yours.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. My mom’s name was Danielle. How much do I owe you?”

“Oh, it’s $25 even. Are you sure you’re not Brian’s daughter? You look exactly like him…well, except your eyes.”

Ellie handed the cashier her money. “I’m positive. Have a good day.” Ellie snapped back coldly. That had to be one of the weirdest conversations that Ellie had ever had. She threw the bags into the passenger seat and ran her hands through her hair as she sat down in the driver’s seat. She rested her head on the steering wheel as she thought through everything that had happened in the past week. You have to admit- it was pretty damn crazy.

She looked up to see a billboard flashing the return of Avenged Sevenfold. Their faces stared back down on her as tour details scrolled beneath them. His eyes seemed to bore right into her. “You look exactly like him,” The girl’s voice echoed in Ellie’s head. She quickly pulled down the visor and looked into the mirror before looking back at the face that was looking right through her.

“You have to be shitting me,” she muttered under her breath. She quickly looked back into the mirror. Even a blind person could see the similarities. Ellie was flabbergasted- she had hundreds of pictures of him stored away in her room, how come I’m only now seeing the possibilities? Not being able to stand it anymore, Ellie quickly flipped the visor up and tore off down the road before arriving at the packed Santa Monica Pier. She pulled up into the lot and walked down to the shore.

She let the waves roll over her bare feet as she sat in the sand and looked out at the breaking waves in front of her. She blocked out the screaming children and other noises around her. Her mind was a-buzz with all the thoughts swarming through her head. It was hard for her to take everything in. To keep everything straight. She was so close to officially knowing the truth about her father- all she had to do was confirm his association with her mother. Part of her was ecstatic- it had always been a dream of hers to find him- while the other part was terrified. Did I really want to know? Did I really want to mess up his happy family? Her thoughts became too much so she whipped out her cell phone and dialed the only person who could help her.

“What is it, Ellie?”

“It’s Brian Haner, isn’t it? You know, my father?”

Ellie heard his sharp intake of breath.

“Uncle Kale?”

“Hang on a sec.” In her mind, she could see him get up from his desk and shut his office door. “How did you figure it out?”

“So, it’s true?”

“Yea, it is. So, how did you figure it out?”

Ellie shrugged, even though she knew that he couldn’t see her. “Just hanging out around here, you know the usual. We went to the audition- we got it, by the way…I met the band…”
“Is that how?” Kale knew that it wasn’t. He knew that she was hiding something.

“No, I didn’t realize it until I went to the grocery store.”

“The grocery store?”

“Yea, the cashier said that I was the spitting image if him.”

“Oh.”

“Yea, I also went to The House of Wolves.”

“Why the hell did you go there?! Ellie, I told you that it was dangerous! Do you not realize what could have happened?!”

“And obviously I’m fine! Nothing happened, Uncle Kale. I just went there to get some info. It’s still broad daylight outside. It’s not even twelve-thirty for goodness sake!”

“Fine. Fine. Obviously you got some of the information that you wanted.”

“Yea, but nothing is really adding up. I’m still missing a lot of stuff.”

“You would be.”

“You’re not going to tell me anything are you?”

“It’s not my story to tell.”

“No, she’s dead and six feet under!”

“Ellie, do not be mad at your mother. She only did what she thought was best for you. So, did you confront him yet?”

“No, Matt’s hosting a BBQ in a few hours and we’re invited. Something about ironing out details in a casual atmosphere.”

“Yea, that sounds like the guys.”

“Yea, well, I better get going. I have pizzas and milk and such in the car. I’ll talk to you later. Bye.”

Kale laughed. “Okay, I’ll let you go. Bye. I love you.”

“I love you, too. Bye bye.”

Was I ready?