“It’s good nothing serious happened with it or you. So I guess it’s going to be a whole day thing, you guys working on it?”
“Yeah you have a problem with me working on it?” he asked.
“Nope I’ll sit outside with you guys and do some of my homework. I’m just glad you’re here, so if you want to work on it all weekend I don’t care. I like watching you rebuild you car. I did it the first time you rebuilt this one, remember.”
“Yeah it used to drive my Dad nuts having you there just watching us,” Seth said laughing.
“He really doesn’t like me, does he?”
“It wasn’t that, it was how you could be content just to sit there day after day and just watch us.”
“I am content to just watch you; as long as we are together I’m content. You being away now has thrown my world in a spin and I don’t know if I can get off the wild ride it’s been since you left.”
“I know, he just doesn’t get us or our feelings for each other. Hell sometimes I don’t either, but I know one thing I don’t ever want to lose you,” he said grabbing her hand and squeezing it.
“You know, who would have ever thought the tough, Seth Rossetti, would be like this,” Lia stated.
“Only around you,” he smiled.
“It better be around me only!” she exclaimed smiling.
Seth pulled into the driveway around Lia’s Dad’s car and stopped right in front of the garage. She looked at him with a puzzled look, “Special privileges? How do you rate parking in front of the garage?”
“I have an inside source,” he teased. “Actually your Dad said to pull it up here when we brought the parts back. He said it didn’t make sense to cart all the tools out and down the driveway, where my car in pieces would be in the way.”
“It does make sense, surprised my Dad has any where you’re concerned. Wonder how long that will last?” Lia said.
“I just want to get the car fixed and then spend whatever time is left this weekend with you. I don’t care how long him being nice will last; it never made a difference to me to begin with.”
“I know that. I’m just waiting for the explosion to come. He avoided me most of the time when he was mad at you and he’s still the same way with me and he’s talking to you. Just don’t get it, I guess I never will,” Lia sighed. “Well you get started on the car and I’ll go change and be back out, with my homework.”
Seth turned toward the garage and saw Cris pulling the big tool chest over to his car. Pulling out tools he knew they would need to take the door off. They planned to take everything off that was dented to see if they could hammer any of it out. The door was a complete loss so they put it to the side to where they would put all the pieces that were no good to take back to the junk yard.
They did take the inside of the door off to put onto the new one they got so the interior matched even if the outside didn’t match, until the paint job was complete. The fender they tried to hammer out the dent and it was looking good until they got to the part that matched up to the door, the way it was hit it wouldn’t match the contour of the body correctly. They tried several things to get it to mold back to the original shape, but after an hour of working on it Seth said, “Give it up, it’s not going to look right. We’ll just have to put the new one on.”
Lia’s Dad walked out of the house and over to the car, “I wouldn’t try to put that old fender back on with the new door they’ll keep rubbing against each other and then ruin your paint. Did you get the new ones off the same car?”
“Yeah, Dad we did. We’re not going to use the old one we can’t get it to fit right.”
“Make sure you check everything on that side just to make sure nothing else is bent or broke. Do you need the truck anymore I have some things I got to do?”
“No not now. We checked and the only thing bent is the one hinge that bolts onto the frame, we’ll probably have to heat it a little to hammer it back in place, if that don’t work he’ll have to get a new one, and we can get it in my car.”
“Thanks, Mr. Lombardi for letting us use the truck to get the stuff. Cris we have to get the windshield out of the bed of his truck before he goes,” Seth said.
“Oh yeah, give us a second to get it,” Cris replied.
“Fine let me know when you’re done. Where’s Lia?” Mr. Lombardi asked.
“Here Dad doing my homework under the tree,” she yelled from the other side of the driveway.
He walked around the car and saw her spread out on a blanket doing her homework. “What are you doing?” he asked.
“Biology homework. Want to help?”
“No, I couldn’t stand it when I was in school why would I torture myself again,” he said.
“Dad science is fascinating I love it,” she replied.
“Well good for you, maybe you can become a scientist make good money and support your parents when we’re old and gray,” he teased.
“Yeah, maybe I can work for one of the pharmaceutical companies and come up with some great cure for cancer, or AIDS,” she said.
“Is that what you really want to do when you go to college?” he asked.
“I don’t know yet I just know I want to go to school for something to do with science, not sure what field I want to study yet, still doing research on that.”
“I’m sure whatever you decide you’ll excel at it, you were always good in school. Well it looks like they got the windshield out of the truck I’ll be back soon,” he said walking to the truck.
Seth looked at Lia and smiled, “Hey can you get us something to drink, Lia,” he called.
“You know where the drinks are, I’m studying,” she called back.
Her Dad just smiled and shook his head, one thing for sure was, Lia wouldn’t let Seth walk all over her and that he was glad for. Seth came across to everyone as a hard ass kid, but deep down he knew they were suited for each other. He just hoped they didn’t ruin their lives by getting engaged too young. Even though he loves Lia’s Mom with all his heart, he wondered what it would have been like if they didn’t married right out of high school. He wanted both his kids to go to college and then get married.
He was glad she had a good head on her shoulders and was a strong person; God only knew she would need it with someone like Seth. He reminded him of himself when he was that age, but with the right person hopefully his rough edges could be rounded a little. And if he knew his daughter she would be the one to do it for him.
“Come on Lia. We’re both dirty and Mom will kill us if we mess up the kitchen,” Cris grumbles.
“No, Mom won’t kill you, I will since I’m the one who cleans it all the time,” Lia said. “I’m not going in I have a big test this week and I have to study.”
“Fine!” Cris bellowed. “I don’t want to hear it about the dirty hand prints on the refrig.”
“Whatever, if you make a mess you’ll clean it up,” she yelled. Looking back down at her books she tried to study some more, but her attention was sidetracked. “Thanks a lot guys for getting me out of my study mode.”
“Well now you can get us something to drink,” Cris replied.
“Oh I’ll get you a drink alright,” she said storming into the house. She got the biggest cup she could find and filled it with cold water. She slammed back out the door and walked up to her brother and proceeded to dump the whole cup of water down his back. “There’s your drink. You think it’s a joke to interrupt mw when I study. Like I’m not doing anything! Just because you can care less about you grades doesn’t mean I don’t!”
“Lia! I’m gonna kill you!” Cris roared jumping up the minute the cold water hit his back.
“Oh, no, you don’t,” Seth said standing up. “You deserved that, Cris. You know how she gets.”
“You started this; Seth by asking her to gets us a drink. Maybe I should kill you for this,” Cris roared.
“I just asked her. She said no. I let it go. You had
to keep it up,” Seth said.
“I’ll get you back, remember that,” Cris promised.
“Leave it go. It’s only water,” Seth said annoyed.
“Yeah, freaking ice cold water. If it was summer it would be fine, but it’s not and it’s cool out and now I’m freezing. I’m going in to change, MAYBE I’ll be back,” Cris said stomping into the house.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to make him stop working with you,” Lia said hugging him to her. “Don’t be mad, he just ticks me off sometimes.”
“He’ll come out and if not then you’ll have to help me,” Seth said.
“I don’t know anything about fixing cars,” she whined.
“You should have thought about that before you pissed your brother off. I need help holding up the fender so I can bolt it on,” Seth said.
“Alright, but I don’t want to hear any complaining if I can’t hold it right,” she said.
Seth stopped her before she bent to pick it up; he pulled her to him and kissed her long and hard. When he pulled away he said, “Go inside and get your brother, you’re not holding this fender up.”
“Yes I am so put into place and I’ll hold it. If I go in there now he’ll probably attack me or something.”
“I never thought I’d see the day that you would be afraid. I guess there’s a first for everything,” Seth teased her.
“I’m not afraid! I just don’t want to be all soaking wet. He’ll make a mess in the kitchen and then I’ll have to clean it up,” she replied.
“Just go in there and take what he dishes out, it’s better to get it over with or he’ll stalk you forever,” Seth said.
“Fine,” she said picking up her books. “If he ruins my books I’ll kill him. I’m going to my room to study, let me know when you’re done, if you get it done today.”
“Don’t be like that Lia,” he said to her retreating back.
She opened the door and was hit with a huge bucket of water the minute the door opened. She was soaked from head to toe and her school books were soaking wet. She let out a scream so primeval Seth went running to her.
He stood there as the water dripped off her and the books, he wasn’t sure what to do so he reached out and took the books from her grasp, they were completely drenched and her note book looked ruined. The minute he took the books from her hands she jumped on Cris’s back and started pounding on him as hard as she could and screaming, “Those are my school books and notes for my test this week! You ruined them! I’m gonna kill you! If I have to recopy them you better look out!”
Seth put the books down and ran for her trying to get her off Cris’s back. He was pulling her when her Dad pulled into the driveway. He rushed out of the truck and yelled, “What the hell is going on here?”
Lia stopped hitting Cris and let Seth pull her off of him, he felt her trembling, and wrapped his arms around her to calm her down. Cris stood there not saying a word.
“Why are you soaking wet, Lia?” her Dad asked.
“Cris threw a whole bucket of water on me, just because I put a glass of water down his back, for annoying me. It’s not me I care about, but my school books and notes for my test that he ruined,” she said pointing to the stack of books.
“Stop it the two of you and go put the books in the sun to dry out,” he Dad said to her. When she walked away with her books, he looked at Cris, “You just have to start her don’t you.”
“Dad,” Cris started.
“Don’t want to hear it. If those books are ruined the two of you are paying for them,” he said and then turned to Seth and said, “See what you want to live the rest of your life with.”
“I know, but that’s why I love her. She’s who she is and I don’t want to change her. She deserved what she got she started it,” Seth said. “I’m the one who has to put up with her bad mood later. Come on Cris, thanks for putting her in a great mood, now help me get my car fixed.”
Chapter 27
Lia went upstairs to take a shower and change after she put the books in the sun to dry. She was glad the books weren’t ruined only the covers got wet; it was her notes that were smudged from the water. She’ll have to rewrite them. Hopefully she’ll be able to read them.
After her shower she sat in her room and thought about everything that has gone on in the past month since Seth left. She couldn’t believe it was almost a month that he left. She felt in ways it actually brought them closer together, if that was at all possible, but it made them grow up some. She still had to take that pregnancy test and didn’t know how they would handle it if she was.
She was relaxing on her bed, when the next thing she knew it was dark in her room. She must have fallen asleep while trying to figure out what they would do. She got off the bed and walked to the bathroom, her stomach was queasy again, and she wished Seth was up here to get her something to eat. She laid back down on the bed when she came out of the bathroom, picked up her phone and called Seth.
“Babe, are you still working on your car?” she asked in a faint voice.
“Yeah were almost done. Are you ok? You don’t sound too good,” he said.
“My stomach is queasy. Can you bring me some crackers, bread or something?” she asked.
“Yeah I’ll be up in a minute or two. Putting the last bolts on now,” he said.
About fifteen minutes later he walked into her room with a plate full of food; crackers, cheese, lunchmeat, pickles, and a bag of chips under his arm. “Sorry it took so long, the last two bolts wouldn’t align up right and we had to keep shifting the door to get it on right.”
“It’s ok, what took so long to get it back together?”
“We sanded them down first and put two coats of primer on them. Then we had to wait for them to dry. In the mean time we checked everything out underneath; nothing else was broke or bent. I came up here a while ago to see what you were doing and you were sleeping so I let you go.”
“Yeah I didn’t plan it, I was sitting here thinking about some stuff and the next thing I knew it was dark out. How are you working in the dark?”
“We pulled it into the garage. We have to check on the windshield to make sure it set alright. Then I’m all yours for the night. Finish eating and come down and look at it,” he said.
“Ok I will, wow I’m starving,” she said.
“Did you eat anything for lunch?” he asked.
“No.”
“Tomorrow we’ll go to the cabin and take that test. But tonight I want to go out and get something to eat and just hang out with everyone. I’ll take a shower in a little and then we’ll go.”
“Okay are we going to the pizza shop?” she asked.
“Is that what you want to eat?”
“No let’s go somewhere else to eat then hang out there. You know what, call Mr. Grayson and see if he ate yet. We’ll bring him food and stay for a little then go hang out with everyone. I know he’ll want to see you,” Lia said.
“Ok come down then. I’m going to check on the windshield make sure there’s no leaks in it.”
“Be right down. I want to change,” she said.
~~*~~
“You guys did a really good job with this. If it wasn’t for the gray primer you’d never know it was hit. It’s a good thing you want to have your own garage, Seth. You do great work,” Lia said.
“Yeah, but it’s not going to be only a shop for body work, it’s going to be for everything, from doing oil changes, to major rebuilds, to the body work. I want to do it all in one shop, but I want my business degree first so I handle the financial end of it too. While I’m in college I want to find a garage to work at so I have that experience under me.”
“Sounds like a great plan you have there,” Lia said. “Do you know where you want to have it?”
“Nope have to find where you get a job with your science stuff first,” he replied.
“What do mean my science stuff?” she asked.
“You??
?re not sure what you want to do in that field, so we don’t know where we’re going to be living. I can have my business anywhere,” he said.
“You thought of everything, didn’t you?”
“No, not everything, a lot of it, yeah. If we stay here in this town fine, but if not we’ll go where your job takes us and I’ll start my business there.”
“I love you,” she said hugging him tight. “So is the windshield set, no leaks?”
“None that I can see. The real test will be when it rains. I’m going to take a shower, and then we’ll pick up food and take it to Mr. Grayson, I called him and he seemed pleased that we’re coming over.”
“Good I feel bad I didn’t get to go over there since we were there last. It’s just a busy time of the year.”
“He’ll understand I’m sure,” he said giving her a kissing and running in the house to take a shower.
Lia walked around the house to get her books and see if they dried yet. She saw that they were stacked and sitting there, but her notebook as missing. She looked around and didn’t see it anywhere in the yard. “Great, just great,” she mumbled.
Taking her books in the house she plopped them on the table and called into her dad in the living room, “Dad did you see my notebook anywhere? It must have blown away it’s not with my other books.”
“Nope didn’t see it. I don’t think I blew away, Lia, there’s no wind out today,” he replied.
“Then I wonder where it is?”
“Don’t know, did you ask the guys?”
“No, Seth’s taking a shower and I have no idea where Cris is,”
“Well ask them when you see them.”
“I will,” she mumbled as she went up to her room to put her books in there. When she walked into her room there was a notebook on her bed that wasn’t there when she left. Picking it up she looked inside. It was her notes, but not in her handwriting, it was Cris’s handwriting. She started to read them and realized it wasn’t her notes, but Cris from when he took the class.
She walked out of her room and into Cris, “Don’t you ever knock? he demanded.
Walking over she hugged him, “Thanks for your notes. You didn’t throw mine away did you?”