Fake Girlfriend

I rest my head on the steering wheel briefly. Okay, so yelling at Thisbe? Bad move. Getting out of bed this morning? Also bad move. I felt like shit when I got up, and I still felt like shit. And not in the “I’m such an ass” way. It was more of a “I’m about to faint or puke right now—or maybe both, if that’s possible” way. I felt light-headed. My stomach was twisted. And not to mention, my jaw hurt.

I looked at my jaw in the rear view mirror and touch the nasty bruise. I didn’t think it would be that bad. How did I not notice that? No doubt it had been there since before I picked up Thisbe. I rubbed my neck and frowned. Mrs. Lovette would have a heart attack if see saw it when I went over to pick Joy up. Joy would ask, too. She was a smart little girl.

I sighed and turned on to the road that would take me to the one place I could always go to to make me feel better.

***

I pulled up to the car shop and parked amongst the other cars in the employee spots. Lex wasn’t here, but that wasn’t a surprise. Neither of us worked weekends, and I’m pretty sure he told me Wednesday that he was going to meet up with Stella this weekend. No doubt I’d hear all about it tomorrow.

Now sure, going to the car shop was probably not a good idea when I was possibly sick, but I refused to acknowledge that something was wrong. I don’t get sick. I don’t have time for that. I strolled inside, the smell of oil and gas and sweat hitting me like a wave, which did nothing to help my headache. For a Saturday, the big, open, concert garage was rather full.

“Cole, honey,” Lisa, one of our only female mechanics said, “what are you doing here?”

I shrugged. “I thought I just stop by. I’ve got nothing to do,” I lied.

“Probably here to check on that ‘new’ car of his,” Peter said with a snicker. He emphasized ‘new’ because to him, it was pretty much a junker. But that’s why I liked it. I guess I just had a thing for the cars people said had no hope. There’s always hope. One just needs to sit and work at it, like I was with this car.

I smirked. “You caught me,” I said.

Another mechanic, Lupe, laughed. He and Lex were the only two in the shop that spoke fluent Spanish, and so they’d talk about God knows what. “And you didn’t bring Cabeza de Fuego with you?” he asked, his voice thick with a Spanish accent. Even three years of failing Spanish class was enough to know that that meant ‘Fire Head’, and no doubt he meant Lex when he said that.

“Nope,” I said.

I walked over to my car, which I had bought for little to nothing for. Of course, it didn’t even work when I bought it, so the owner was just trying to get rid of it, so it wasn’t a wonder why I got it so cheap. Even so, it was better than my old truck. It was younger, didn’t make the loud noises the truck made, and had seatbelts. All good qualities. Plus, it had character that I couldn’t even begin to explain. Honestly, with a good paint job and a little magic, I could guarantee, the guys at school would look at it in envy. I smiled, sliding myself under the car to check something.

Suddenly, I felt someone kick my leg gently with their foot. “Cole?” my uncle’s voice asked.

“Hey, Ross,” I said from underneath the car. Technically speaking, Ross wasn’t my uncle. He was my stepdads brother, but my dad was an only child from only child parents who were dead as well, and my mother had been disowned my her parents for obvious reason. So really, I had no actual family, so if I had to consider anyone my family, Lloyd’s family would have to do (and Mrs. Lovette, of course). I didn’t see most of Lloyd’s family, but Ross was one of them I actually could say I liked. He was a middle-aged man, a hard worker, and a trustable friend. He and Lloyd were also pretty wealthy. Ross ran the three car shops, all he bought out with his own money on whim that it would be a good investment, and he got lucky. My stepdad was some sort of engineer. I didn’t know what kind, but he traveled a lot.

“Lloyd around?” Ross asked, as if reading my mind.

My brows furrowed. “Ah, no. Don’t think so. He probably went to Texas already.” And that was fine with me.

Ross squatted down so he could look at me. “Ah.” I glanced at him, having to crane my neck up from the floor. Ross was frowning. “Cole, you do know it’s Saturday, right?”

I snickered. “Uh. Yeah, why?”

“You don’t work Saturdays.”

I laughed. “Yeah, I know. What? You want me to leave?” I asked.

“No, but isn’t there a place you’d rather be. Lex tells me you got a new girlfriend? You’re not hanging out with her?”

I frowned. “No.” I slipped from underneath the car and stood up. Ross stood up straight as well, flinching as his knees cracked from squatting too long. The problem with Ross is that he was 47 and thought he could still do what he did when he was 20. “Ross, if I’m in the way, I’ll leave,” I said.

His face was a little shocked. “Oh no. That’s fine, Cole,” he said. “But you’re young! You should go enjoy it! G—“ His eyes suddenly narrowed at me. “Cole,” he said suddenly. “You look awful.”

I chuckled. “Well thanks, Ross.”

“No, I’m serious. You look—Is that a bruise?” he asked.

I covered it with my hand. “It’s nothing.”

“Cole Philmore Ramsey,” Ross said, strictly. I shuddered at the use of my middle name. “Boy, if you’re getting into fights, we’re going to have an issue.”

“I didn’t! It’s nothing. I just… got hit by a car door,” I lied. I couldn’t tell him… “It’s not a big deal.”

Ross didn’t seem to buy it. “Under your chin?” he asked, suspiciously.

“…Yeah.”

Ross sighed. “Cole, you told me you wouldn’t get into any more fights,” he said. “It’s that attitude of yours, isn’t it?”

I groaned. “I’m fine, Ross.”

He rolled his eyes. “Fine. Bruise or no bruise, though, you look miserable.” He tapped my forehead with the back of his hand. “And you’re burning up.”

“I don’t get sick,” I said, stubbornly.

He chuckled. “Mhm. I’m driving you home.”

***

I tilted the passenger seat of Ross’s nice little black mustang back, so that I could rest my head. So maybe I was a little sick, but if Ross expect me to just lie around at my house, he’d a hard time keeping me there. But then again, that was probably one reason he was driving me home. My borrowed car and my almost-complete fix-up car were both at the shop. No car meant I was going nowhere. Whatever. I’d just call Lex to pick me up. Oh wait, he’s on a date. Darn.

We pulled onto my street. I turned my head to look at Ross. “Hey, can you drop me off at the house across the street? Joy’s over there.”

“Yeah, no problem. Want me to take Joy off your hands for a little bit?”

I shrugged. “If you want to.” Ross really liked watching Joy, which was funny, because he really didn’t like little kids much. He was a bit on the serious side a lot of the times, so one could understand that little kids weren’t his forte, but with Joy it was an entirely different story. He was more her father than her actual father.

He drove into Mrs. Lovette’s driveway. “Wait here. I’ll go get Joy, then drop you off at your house.” That was fine with me, considering I really didn’t feel like moving much, anyways.

He went up to the front door and rang the doorbell. Mrs. Lovette answered with a smile, and from the looks of it, Ross introduced himself. Joy popped out, too, and gave her uncle a hug. Mrs. Lovette and Ross looked back at the car—at me--, and I gave a little wave, with a smirk. Mrs. Lovette frowned, and she and Ross, with Joy skipping along behind them, came over to the car.

As they came closer, I heard Ross say, “Are you sure that’s alright?”

“Oh yes,” she said with a smile at him. “I can’t just let him me in the house all by himself when he’s sick.”

They were talking about me.

Mrs. Lovette opened my door with a smile. “Cole, sweety, would you like to stay over? I can make some soup.”

I laughed. This is why I loved Mrs. Lovette. She was always so worried. “I’m not that sick. Really,” I insisted.

Even with her small, frail state, she pulled me from the seat. “Oh, nonsense. You look awful.”

I chuckled. “Yeah. That’s what I keep hearing…”

Joy grabbed my leg. “Brother, you sick?” she asked.

“Just a little bit,” I answered, looking down at her. “I’m fine, so go have fun with Uncle Ross, okay?”

She grinned at me. “M’kay. Get better!” She plopped in the front seat of Ross car and buckled herself in. “Let’s go Uncle Ross!” she said, bouncing up and down.

Ross chuckled, looking at Mrs. Lovette and me before getting in. “Thank you, Charlotte,” he said to Mrs. Lovette. “I can tell you do a great job watching over my niece and nephew.”

She laughed. “It’s not a problem. Have fun, Joy!”

“Kay!” Joy said, giggling in excitement.

Ross’s black mustang drove off.

“Come on, Cole,” Mrs. Lovette said, a hand gently on my arm as we walked to the door.

My head really hurt, but I hated making Mrs. Lovette worry. “I’m not that sick,” I said.

She held the door open for me, and I trudged in. “You’re not fooling me,” she said, smiling. “Just go sit in the living room, and make yourself comfortable. I’ll make some soup. Chicken noodle or vegetable?”

“Uh. Chicken noodle, please?” I said.

She chuckled. “Coming right up.”

I walked into the familiar family room and plopped down on the couch a little too fast. I held my head in pain. I pulled the blanket that was folded nicely on top of couch down and wrapped it around me with a shiver. I sighed. Alright, so maybe I was more than a little sick.

I looked at the wall opposite me at a picture hanging over a small table holding nothing but a vase with a rose. The picture was of someone I knew. Mr. Ike Lovette. I hadn’t known him too long, but it I still cried when I heard he died. He had gotten cancer soon after I was taken by social services, and he died of it before I came back. Apparently, Mrs. Lovette had lost a lot of weight due to stress and depression, and she never gained it back. I was sometimes afraid for her. She was so tiny; it seemed almost unhealthy.

I nestled my head on the couch pillow, and I slowly drifted off to sleep.