Chapter 35: Coal Digger II
I went to answer the door, where Haley, Marissa, and Summer were waiting.
"Wow, another nice house," Summer looked around. "No wonder you spend more time here than in class during school hours," she added sarcastically.
"Hmm, one week with me and you already learned sarcasm, Sunny girl," I noted, giving her a quick peck on the lips.
"Yeah, one week and you're already introducing me to your family?" she smirked.
I was about to greet Marissa, but after hearing what Summer commented, I turned back to her again. "You tease me again, and what you'll be introduced to will be my bedroom," I said with a grin wider than hers.
She paused for a moment, trying to find a retort.
"And what are you staring at, Marissa? Want to be introduced too?" I saw Marissa looking at me differently.
"No!" she replied flustered.
"To my family," I continued evenly, pretending innocence. "What's wrong with you?"
"Forget it, Coop, we can't win against him on this one," Summer whispered to her. "But I'll get back at him," she promised, narrowing her eyes at me.
I pulled Summer closer and kissed her
"Can you stop doing that in front of us?" Haley complained.
"You're just jealous that Dylan isn't here," I said, giving her a light hug
I went to present them to the family, and while we were in the kitchen, we saw Claire, Gloria at the counter, and Phil in the corner having what seemed like a serious conversation.
"Sometimes when you see me, you make that face," Gloria spoke to Claire.
"What face?" she asked.
Gloria tilted her head slightly, "Like this," and pouted her lips.
"I don't-" Claire began, but I interrupted her.
"That is so Claire," I laughed, stepping beside her.
"Jake!" she snapped, but her expression shifted as she noticed the newcomers. "Oh, hi," she greeted, then whispered to me out of the corner of her mouth, "Which one?"
"That one," I pointed at Haley, earning a slap on my hand and a glare from Claire.
"I thought you asked which one I liked the most, and it's still Haley. Family means everything to me," I said mockingly.
Then I introduced, "Claire, Gloria - meet Summer and Marissa", and the four exchanged polite smiles
"Gloria's like a second mom to me," I spoke affectionately. "And Claire sometimes too - especially when she runs out of people at home to yell at and needs a fresh victim."
Gloria, Phil and Haley burst out laughing, while Claire was also smiling lightly, though with a look that said she'd give me a lecture later.
Then, Manny, seeing the two girls, stepped forward. "My name is Manny Delgado."
I cut him off, "Save it, champs. Everyone here has a boyfriend."
"Do I?" Summer whispered, taking my hand.
I just ignored her and turned to Gloria and Claire. "You can keep doing whatever it was you were doing," I said casually.
I pulled the girls along and introduced them to the rest of the family until the four of us sat down on the chairs in front of the pool.
I was resting my head on Summer's body as she gently ran her hand through my hair
"Wait, you've been dating Luke since fifth grade?" I asked, surprised when Marissa revealed how long they had been together.
"Yeah, since a visit to the Museum of Tolerance," she confirmed. "You are not a big fan of him, right?"
I thought for a moment. "I don't like his pompous attitude."
Especially because he has nothing to back his arrogance
"In that regard, I'm much more of a Dylan fan," I added.
Dylan has a big heart... the complete opposite of his brain.
"You were hanging out yesterday with that geek Seth, eww," Summer made a face at me, "...and Ryan."
"You just don't like Ryan because he's friends with Taylor," Haley joined the conversation.
Then Marissa changed the subject before the bickering could start, "Next month will be my fashion show fundraiser in Pacific Palisades. Are you all going?"
"Yep," I agreed. "Grandmother invited me and summoned my dad and uncle."
"I really want to," Haley said, "but I don't know if my mother will let me." She turned to me. "Help me, cousin." She pleaded
"I can help you, Haley. But not with Dylan." Then I got an idea. "Marissa, why don't you have Haley help organize the fashion event, and I'll invite someone I know who can help with donations?"
She looked at me. "Hmm, sure," she agreed without thinking much.
"Really?" Haley exclaimed excitedly.
My cousin might have some talent for working in the fashion world.
We kept talking for a while until we went back into the kitchen. Everyone was already gathered there.
"Oh, we can learn so much from the children," Phil said, resting his hand on Luke and Manny's shoulders, who had already made up since we went for ice cream.
"Bet it seems kind of silly now what you were even fighting about, huh?" he continued.
"I made fun of his accent," Luke confessed.
"What accent?" Gloria intentionally thickened hers.
I smiled; I had gotten used to her accent (Manny has much less of it). I think part of Gloria's charm comes from it.
This time, it was Manny who spoke up. "I made fun of him for having the same thing for lunch every day."
"Eegh!" Gloria lightly mocked.
"I made fun of him because his mom used to dig coal," Luke went on.
I frowned.
"What?" Gloria asked.
"He said you were a coal digger," Manny explained to his mother.
"Okay, I think we can move on," I tried to intervene, but Gloria had already understood and pressed further.
"Who said I was a coal digger?" she asked again.
"That's what my mom told me," Luke said
Alex turned to her dad. "What's a coal digger?"
"Sweetheart, he heard it wrong. It's 'gold digger,'" Phil explained a little too loudly.
"I really don't think I remember ever saying that," Claire tried to defend herself.
"Well, you said it in the car. You said it at Christmas. You said it in the Mexican restaurant-" Luke started listing.
Claire cut him off with a stern face. "Okay, Mr. 'Leaves His Sweatshirts at School Every Day... Suddenly Remembers Everything,' thank you."
"And it was all in my head, huh?" Gloria looked sarcastically at Claire and walked out of the kitchen.
"Oh, listen, Gloria, it was... like, a year ago, before I knew you," Claire tried, but Gloria had already left.
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