Deception
Red Glittery Lip Gloss
Cassie rejoined the table where everyone except for Joey and Ramona were sitting down and eating.
Cassie noticed that it looked like everyone was finishing up, too.
“Why didn’t anyone tell me food was ready?” Cassie asked, looking at Tre who was scarfing down a hotdog.
“Sorry.” He said with a full mouth, mustard dripping down his chin.
Billie had been eating a beef burger and was only halfway through but when Cassie had arrived at the table, he set it down on his plate and left without an explanation.
“Um…” Brittney watched Billie leave and the sentence she was beginning faltered. “What I was about to say was, Cassie, we saved heaps of food for you so you’re not missing out. We’ll all sit with you while you eat anyway…apart from Billie Joe. I wonder where he went?”
“Maybe he’s got the runs.” Mike chuckled, slapping Tre a high five and receiving a dirty look from his wife.
“He mentioned that he had an important phone call to make before, so he’s probably making it now.” Adrienne explained while she wiped ketchup off Jake’s face with a napkin, much to his disdain.
“Or dad might just be seeing where Joey and Ramona are.” Jake offered, his voice muffled by the napkin.
“Yeah, Cassie, see, those two kids are yet to eat anyway.” Tre tried to defend his insensitive actions.
“How about I see where the kids are?” Without waiting for an answer, she made her way over to the sprawling house and went inside.
She had been here many times and knew her way around, so she just walked straight to Stella’s room where Joseph and Mona most likely were.
“Mona? Ramona are you in here?” Cassie called tentatively from the doorway.
“Cassie?” Came a breathless reply.
“Yeah, can I come in?”
“In a sec!” This time it was Joey’s voice sounding completely breathless.
Silence. Then Mona’s voice.
“Cassie, you can come in now.”
Cassie walked inside Stella’s bedroom which was decked out in pink, purple and blue and looked for the kids, she could not see them.
“Guys, where are you?” Cassie placed her hands on her hips in confusion.
“Uh, in the closet, Aunt Cassie.” Joey answered.
Cassie strode over to the walk in closet door to find Ramona and Joey sitting next to each other in the middle of the shaggy carpet.
It didn’t escape her notice that Joseph had Mona’s favourite red, glittery lip-gloss all over his face.
“So, what were you kids doing?” Cassie asked with a sly smile.
“Turns out I’m in love after all, so is Mona. We’re boyfriend and girlfriend now. Right, Mona?” Joey announced, a huge grin spreading over his face.
“Ah, yeah. If that’s OK, Cassie.” Ramona asked shyly.
Cassie thought for a second, thinking how adorable these young teens were. She would love to have said yes, but since Ramona was not even her step daughter officially, Ramona would have to get her father’s approval.
“You’ll have to ask your dad, sweetie. If it were up to me, like I said, I would let you guys date.”
“Oh, OK.” Ramona began to blush.
“I’ll need to talk to you for a minute though.” Cassie said, her maternal instincts setting in.
Cassie noticed that it looked like everyone was finishing up, too.
“Why didn’t anyone tell me food was ready?” Cassie asked, looking at Tre who was scarfing down a hotdog.
“Sorry.” He said with a full mouth, mustard dripping down his chin.
Billie had been eating a beef burger and was only halfway through but when Cassie had arrived at the table, he set it down on his plate and left without an explanation.
“Um…” Brittney watched Billie leave and the sentence she was beginning faltered. “What I was about to say was, Cassie, we saved heaps of food for you so you’re not missing out. We’ll all sit with you while you eat anyway…apart from Billie Joe. I wonder where he went?”
“Maybe he’s got the runs.” Mike chuckled, slapping Tre a high five and receiving a dirty look from his wife.
“He mentioned that he had an important phone call to make before, so he’s probably making it now.” Adrienne explained while she wiped ketchup off Jake’s face with a napkin, much to his disdain.
“Or dad might just be seeing where Joey and Ramona are.” Jake offered, his voice muffled by the napkin.
“Yeah, Cassie, see, those two kids are yet to eat anyway.” Tre tried to defend his insensitive actions.
“How about I see where the kids are?” Without waiting for an answer, she made her way over to the sprawling house and went inside.
She had been here many times and knew her way around, so she just walked straight to Stella’s room where Joseph and Mona most likely were.
“Mona? Ramona are you in here?” Cassie called tentatively from the doorway.
“Cassie?” Came a breathless reply.
“Yeah, can I come in?”
“In a sec!” This time it was Joey’s voice sounding completely breathless.
Silence. Then Mona’s voice.
“Cassie, you can come in now.”
Cassie walked inside Stella’s bedroom which was decked out in pink, purple and blue and looked for the kids, she could not see them.
“Guys, where are you?” Cassie placed her hands on her hips in confusion.
“Uh, in the closet, Aunt Cassie.” Joey answered.
Cassie strode over to the walk in closet door to find Ramona and Joey sitting next to each other in the middle of the shaggy carpet.
It didn’t escape her notice that Joseph had Mona’s favourite red, glittery lip-gloss all over his face.
“So, what were you kids doing?” Cassie asked with a sly smile.
“Turns out I’m in love after all, so is Mona. We’re boyfriend and girlfriend now. Right, Mona?” Joey announced, a huge grin spreading over his face.
“Ah, yeah. If that’s OK, Cassie.” Ramona asked shyly.
Cassie thought for a second, thinking how adorable these young teens were. She would love to have said yes, but since Ramona was not even her step daughter officially, Ramona would have to get her father’s approval.
“You’ll have to ask your dad, sweetie. If it were up to me, like I said, I would let you guys date.”
“Oh, OK.” Ramona began to blush.
“I’ll need to talk to you for a minute though.” Cassie said, her maternal instincts setting in.