Strangers When We Meet

Once Shannon had returned they followed me home in their rented car. I got out and waited by my car, squinting my eyes in the sun as they emerged from their car and made their way up the driveway to follow me. Mom's and Andrew's cars were both there.

This was going to be interesting.

Shannon looked down at me and a thought popped into my head. “Even you're taller than me.”

A small smile touched his lips, “Not fun being short, huh, kid?”

“You get used to it. Plus I'm a girl, so I could always wear heels.”

“And that would make you, what, five foot even.” He teased.

“Ha.” I said dryly.

Jared watched our little exchange with a smile. He saw me look his way and the smile vanished. What did I do?

“Come on.” I said and led the way to the porch. I opened the door, the guys stepping in behind me, and called out for my mom.

“Brie? What's wrong?” She quickly came out of the living room. When she saw the two Leto boys waiting just by the door, she stopped walking.

“Mom, they want to speak with you.”

She folded her arms over her chest, her face was guarded. She tried not to show any emotions but I knew she was upset. “I can see that.”

“Catherine, is everything okay?” Andrew said, following mom out of the living room. He too stopped, looked behind me and his eyes narrowed. “Haven't you caused enough trouble?” he said to Jared.
The younger Leto scowled and moved closer to me. “Excuse me? What did you-”

“Hold up.” I said before anyone started fighting. I knew Jared was like me and could be set off easily. I needed everyone to remain peaceful. I put a hand close to Jared's chest as if to hold him back but I didn't touch him. I could feel Shannon tense up behind me. “Andrew, no disrespect, but you don't have anything to do with this.”

“This is my wife.” he said, gripping my mothers shoulders, protectively. “It has everything to do with me.”

“Well, she's my mother, that's my dad and my uncle.” I hooked my thumb behind me. “So you stay out of it.”

I wasn't the only one shocked that I had just said the words dad and uncle. I pretended that I didn't feel all weird, walked over and took moms hands, pulling her slightly away from her husband.

“Please, do this for me.” I pleaded.

She met my eyes, and after a pause she nodded. Andrew backed off, not at all pleased, and with a bit more coaxing, mom came out onto the porch where the Leto's had retreated to. Jared gave her a sad smile. “Hello, Kate.”

“Jared.” she murmured, her face still guarded.

“Hey, Katie.” Shannon said, happily. I could tell he was really happy to see her. And by the look on moms face, the feeling was mutual. They hugged.

“Shannon. It's so good to see you, again.” I noticed that they were the same height, but moms shoes had given her an extra inch or two. She was short like me.

“I see you've done well for yourself.”

“I have. So have you. You rock star.” She said with a smile.

“You could have been a star too, Katie. If only you had kept up with your drum lessons.”

She laughed. Genuine laughter, not the forced kind I sometime heard her use to be polite. “I was horrible and you knew it.”

I tried to picture my mom doing anything musical, and just couldn't. “Not horrible, just... uncoordinated.”

“Sure. Right.”

“Mom.” I looked behind her at Jared. Her smile was gone.

“Come on, little Katie.” Shannon said, placing a hand on my shoulder, “Show me around.”

I invited Shannon in, leaving my parents alone to talk on the porch. God that was a weird thing to say. Parents, plural. I was so used to it being singular. I took him to the empty kitchen after a short tour of the place. Andrew was hovering in the living room, trying to keep his eye on mom and me both. I'm not sure what he thought was going to happen but he kept looking at Shannon funny.

“How's he really handling this?” I asked as I sat a two glasses of ice and two soda down, one for me, the other for the drummer.

“It would be a shock to anyone. Finding out that you've got a kid. Then finding out that the kid is nearly an adult herself. He's going through the motions. Happy, surprised, disappointed.”

“Disappointed?”

“Yeah, Brie.” He popped open his pop and poured it slowly into his glass as he spoke. “He's missed out on your life. It could have been different. He could have been there to see your first steps, hear your first words. Told you bedtime stories, teach you how to play guitar, tell you how to keep those boys away, mend your first broken heart. Your first day of school, your first recital, your first loose tooth. Your first... everything. He missed it all. It hurts him, because it didn't have to be this way.”

I hadn't thought about what he had missed out on. I knew the pain I had felt. I had thought all this time that I had been unwanted, undesired, unloved. But now, to know that there was a man who would have been in my life if he had been given the chance made me feel... different. Not quiet loved more. No, Jared didn't know me well enough to love me. But we both had a chance to make things right. Better later than never, right?

Don't get too excited, Brie, I told myself, we'll see how things play out.

“He said he wants me to meet your mom. To be there when he breaks the news.”

He took quick sip from his glass and nodded. “Yeah. I know she'll love you.” He sounded so sure of that.

“Sure.” I said, unsure, wrapping my hands around my cool glass.

I couldn't see his eyes through his glasses, but I knew he was looking at me even though his head was turned slightly, in the direction of Andrew who stood in the hallway outside of the kitchen. “You don't have to come, unless you want too.”

I waited a moment before saying, “I'll think about it.”

“How are your friends?” he asked after a pause.

Thankful for the change of subject I said, “Frankie and June? Good. Great.”

I hadn't spoke to them since early yesterday. Before all this revelation started. I know they were pissed at me. And what about Oli? God, I might have ruined it with Oli. Gee, what a girl thought to have at a time like this.

He removed his glasses, his hazel eyes on my blue ones. “Did she have her baby yet?”

“No. She's got a few more months. But she's kind of huge now.”

“That's not nice.” But he chuckled lightly all the same.

“Well, she is. She even waddles when she walks.” I paused, then said softly. “What's he like, really?”

I really wanted to avoid all topic Jared, but I just couldn't, not for long. It was the elephant in the room, after all.

“From what I've heard you've got some of his personality traits. You've got a bit of his temperament.”

I felt embarrassed all of a sudden. “I kind of noticed.”

“He's a good man. The best man I know.”

“High praise. But I can't take your word for it, you like him too much.”

He smirked. “I mean it, though.” and by the look in his eyes, I knew he was being truly sincere. “But get to know him yourself, and see.”

“Can I ask you something? Do you think your brother is really ready to be a dad?”

I didn't get more than a shrug because just then mom and Jared walked in, together but separate.

“So, did you two actually talk?” I asked.

Both nodded. Mom spoke, “I invited your- I invited Jared over for dinner tomorrow evening. I'm hoping you'll come too, Shannon.”

“I'd be my pleasure.” the drummer said.

“Really? Dinner?” I said, frowning at my mom.

I saw the uncertainty in her face when she spoke. “Yes, really. I think it'll be good for all of us.”

Or it would be a disaster.

“I can't wait.” I said, uncertain myself. This was not going to be good.

Jared and Shannon didn't stay much longer, with a wave they left. Andrew was happy about that, a part of me understood his resentment towards them, but it really wasn't his problem to sort out. I watched the brothers go, thinking I wouldn't blame them if they didn't show up tomorrow night. I kind of didn't want to myself.

♫♪♫♪♫

“What I am about to tell you must be kept secret. Really, absolutely secret. Can I trust you?”

Frankie scoffed. “Are you serious? Can you trust us? If you can't trust us, then who can you trust?”

“I'm serious. This does not leave this room. Got it?”

“Oh my god, you're pregnant.” The very pregnant June said, throwing a hand over her mouth in shock.
“Has pregnancy made you slow?” Frankie asked. “She's still a virgin, Juney. Unless it's immaculate conception, there's no fucking way.”

Yup, that's right. I was still a virgin.

And not one of those fake virgins who had oral and thought that didn't count. I was purely a virgin. Kind of lame, really. Not that I wasn't kind of proud of that status but not many people my age, especially at my school, hadn't given it up.

Not that I hadn't ever come close to going all the way, it just wasn't the right time. And no, I wasn't one of those people who was saving it for marriage. It just hasn't happened yet. But surprisingly Frankie and June had never teased me about it, and they both had been deflowered long ago.

“Oh, right.” June giggled. “My bad.”

I shook my head.

“So, out with it, Pixie. What's been going on? You haven't talked to us in days.”

“Life had been happening. Picky promise me.”

“Aren't we too old for that?” June asked.

“Nonsense.” Frankie stuck her picky out. I gripped it with my own, and stuck my other out for June to take. She did and locked her other with Frankie. We were in a circle of sorts.

“Swear it.”

“We swear not to tell a soul.” they both said in unison. The first time we had done that was about four years ago when we first became friends and Frankie was about to tell us about losing her virginity to an older guy.

“Thank you.”

“Spill it, Pixie.”

“Well... I found my father.”

They were speechless for all over five seconds, then they bombarded me with questions. “How did that happen?” “Did your mom finally tell you the truth?” “Where is he?” “Have you met him, yet?”

“Shut up!” I exclaimed, and they actually did. “Let me tell you what happened.” I told them everything, save for his name. I decided to keep that for last.

“You're mom is crazy.” Frankie said when I had finished.

“No shit. But you won't guess who he is.”

“A millionaire.”

I paused and said, “Well, yeah, but I meant his name.”

“Does it matter? He's loaded. You're finally a trust fund baby.”

“Frankie.” I sighed.

“Sorry. Who is he?”

I paused. “You've met him.”

“No.” June said, knowing whom I meant. “No. Jared? Seriously.”

I nodded. “Wait. What made you say Jared?”

She shrugged.

Frankie's mouth was open. “Jared Leto? Your dad is Jared Leto. You're a Leto?”

My brows furrowed. “No. I'm a Taylor.”

“Sweetie, you're a Leto. Told you your mom had a thing with one of them. Told you.”

“What are you going to do?” June asked. “What's he gonna do?”

“We're gonna try, I guess. Actually, mom invited them over for dinner tonight before they head back to L.A. We'll go from there, I suppose.”

“They?”

“Oh. Yeah. I forgot to tell you. Shannon's here too.”

“Shannon's here?” They both said.

“He asked about you guys.”

“Really?” June said, a grin spreading across her face, while at the same time Frankie said, “Holy shit.”

They both looked pleased. I leaned back on the bed. June's hazel eyes were on my face, her smile faded. “Aren't you happy? You found your dad.”

“Yeah. But I'm seventeen now. Does it matter now?”

“He's willing to try, right? Let him try.”

“Nothings gonna happened. He'll be all talk, no action. He'll go back to LA, go back to his life, and forget about me. I might get a birthday card, or something, if that.”

I suddenly felt depressed. Reality was hitting me hard. And I didn't like the look of it.

“I'm gonna need back up tonight, because I get the feeling that things are gonna get all weird and awkward. So wanna hang out with me and my weird new family?”

“Is your mom cooking?” Frankie asked.

“Yeah, she-.” I paused when a thought hit me. “Shit.”

“What?”

I pulled out my phone and dialed up my mom. She answered on the second ring. I knew she was still at the grocery store. “Brie? What's wrong?” She sounded like she was angry. What had I done now? Or maybe she was just feeling frustrated.

“Mom, I need you to add another dish to the meal tonight.”

There was a pause, and it sounded like she had switched the phone to another ear. “And just why would I do that?”

“Because Jared's a vegan. You've got to find something for him to eat.”

Another pause. “And you're telling me this now? And just why didn't he tell me that himself when we discussed dinner. Did he think that I was supposed to know that already.” She had an new edge to her voice. God. Don't kill the messenger.

“Mom, calm down.” I said before her rant got longer. “Look, are you still at the grocery store? I'll come over and we'll figure it out. I'm at Frankie's, I'll b-”

She cut me off. “You're at Frankie's?”

I gulped. I'm not sure why but I got the feeling that she didn't want me here. “Yeah.”

“So you told your friends about this. This is a family matter, Brie.”

Oh here we go. “Mom.” I took a deep breath and exhaled. “Please. Just stay there and I'll come and help you.” I repeated. “Don't leave, I'm on my way.”

I hung up. I knew it didn't win me any points with her, but I just didn't want to hear any more.

The girls had been watching me the entire time. “What's her deal now?” Frankie asked.

“Tell ya later. So you guys on for tonight?”

“If the Leto's are there, I'm in.”

“Me too. Plus there will be food.” June added.

“Free food, which is good because I need to keep all the money I've got. Did I tell you I sort of got fired yesterday?” Frankie looked at me innocently.

I raised an eyebrow at here. “Really?”

“What? It wasn't my fault this time. Honest.”

♫♪♫♪♫

I found mom in the produce department, staring at broccoli. She looked at me from the corner of her eye as I approached. “He's a vegan.” She said through her teeth.

“It's not that bad, mom.”

“A vegan.”

“I looked up a few recipes.” I held up my phone. “And you only have to make a dish for him. In fact I'll do it. And then you could make whatever you were planning on making. He's the only one. Shannon's cool. Oh, and Frankie and June are coming too.” I added on in a rush.

“I sort of figured as much.” she straightened her face and grabbed a stalk of celery. “He seriously doesn't eat meat?”

“No animal products whatsoever.”

“Unbelievable.” She might have rolled her eyes. “Gone all Hollywood. Hmm.”

“Mom, he hasn't gone all Hollywood. Geez-Louise, he did it for his health. Why are you being so judgmental?”
She didn't say anything for a few minutes. I was really regretting this dinner thing even more. “I'm sorry, Brie. I'm just... a little wound up.”

“I understand.”

“Do you? We haven't actually talked since... you know.” She looked a little uncomfortable. “I know you're mad at me, and believe me, I deserve it, and we will really have to sit down and talk about this. I'm just hoping that you don't take what I'm about to say the wrong way.”

“Go on.”

“Jared is.” She stopped for a moment more, as if trying to find the right words. “He's got a life of his own. And I'm just hoping you won't be to disappointed if when he leaves he doesn't...” Another moment to consider her words, but I knew where she was headed. I was thinking the same thing.

“I won't get my hopes up. So back to dinner.” I said, not wanting to have this moment, not here right now.
She nodded and asked, “Alright, what do you have in mind?”