52 Impudence - Part 1 (1/2)

A luxury car with tinted windows pulls over in front of our front porch.

Witnessing it happen first hand, the scene is kind of bizarre to me.

I didn't think any middle- or upper-class person would have the courage to drive such an expensive car through a dump like this.

Or maybe the driver doesn't really understand how bad this place is?

Oh well, I'm sure it'll be fine.

The front seat window on the right-side winds down, and out comes Scarlet Sterling's head.

”Hey Chase, hurry up! We're gonna be late!”

Why is she yelling like that? Does she not realize how early it is? I'm getting a headache just listening to her…

”Uh, that's our ride.”

”That's… our ride?”

Chloe has a look of pure disbelief on her face.

Hard to blame her though, who would've expected that kids like us would be picked up in such a cool car?

Not that it matters to me though. All cars are good for is damaging the environment. This one just happened to look way cooler than most others.

”Come on Chad, let's go.”

After grabbing Chad's hand, I lead the three of us outside the porch and toward the backseat door.

”Woah, you've got a lot of siblings. Lucky for them you probably took all the loser genes.”

”Really? This is how we're starting the day off?”

”Hehehe.”

I sigh and open the door.

First Chloe gets in, then Chad so she can help him get in and settled with his seatbelt, and finally I enter last and close the door behind me.

Once inside, I'm greeted by that new car smell, coupled with the cool air conditioning that's clearly been circulating throughout the insides for a while now.

That combined with the leather seats makes me feel like I'm some kind of celebrity after the life I've been living these past few years.

”Is everyone settled in?”

The voice belonged to Scarlet's mother, who peeked at the rear-view mirror to check in on us.

She looks a bit young for someone with a fourteen-year-old child. I'm being generous when I say that she doesn't look near forty yet.

”Yeah, we're good here.”

”Okay. Let's go then.”

Yeah, she doesn't sound old either. I can't exactly ask a woman her age, but I wouldn't be surprised if she were about… 32 maybe?

But still, to be driving such an expensive car at that age even after having a kid fourteen years ago…

Before I could finish the thought, she starts up the car and takes off into the streets.

”…”

Well, this certainly is relaxing.

AC, comfy chairs, no worrying about strangers pick-pocketing us, this is heaven compared to that old train. I could fall asleep right here and now.

Yeah, I'll just sleep.

I've had to use all of my free time to work on that stupid speech after all. No one could fault me for doing that.

”Hey Chase. Aren't you going to introduce me to your siblings?”

Well, almost no one anyway. I forgot how energetic this woman can be sometimes.

”Ah, sorry. Um… these are my siblings, Chad and Chloe.”

”Nice to meet you two. I'm Scarlet. You can call me the best thing to ever happen to your brother.”

”Seriously…?”

She really won't let up, huh?

Chloe seizes her up for a split second then responds.

”Oh. So you're the ex-girlfriend I keep hearing about all the time?”

”Ex…? Chase, have you been bragging about me to your sister?”

”Uh…”

That's all it took.

Just that one sentence from Chloe was all it took for that condescending grin to form on her face.

Her ego had gotten so big that I felt like it had inflated through the entire car and was pushing me against the leather seats.

”N-no, listen… I was just using you as an example for something…”

”Oh, don't be modest Chase. It's normal to brag about dating cute girls. C'mon, just admit it.”

Admit it? How could I?!

In front of your mom and my sister?!

”Chase, why's your ex being so mean to you? Are you like a huge cuck or something?”

”Ahahaha! He is, isn't he? Chase is the biggest cuck in Sunchester High!”

”Well, he's for sure the biggest cuck I've ever met.”

”Can you two not team up and call me that?!”

I knew their personalities were similar, but… This is too much!

”Maybe we'd stop calling you a cuck if you admitted to bragging about me to your sister.”

”Cuck! Cuck! Cuck!”

”Look! Now you guys made Chad say it!”

”Ahahahaha! Even your cute little brother agrees!”

Moments like this make me wish I were an ostrich.

”Seriously though, could you stop? You're embarrassing me in front of your mother.”

A cute giggle comes from the driver's seat.

”Don't be embarrassed hun. She might talk big, but you're the cutest guy she's ever been with too.”

”O-only by default! Whose side are you even on, mom?!”

”Oh don't be like that. Having your boyfriend fight three versus one doesn't sound like fun.”

”H-he's not my boyfriend anymore!”

”Oh really?”

She grins as if to say ”I'll leave it at that then.”

”You should take some hospitality tips from your mom, Scarlet. She knows more about having a boyfriend than you apparently d- ow ow ow ow.”

She yanks my ear my from the front seat.

”Wow. You guys are like a married couple.”

Chloe's words only make the whole thing worse.

”W-who would want to marry this loser?!”

”Ouch, geez dude, okay. I get it. No need to put it like that.”

”Seriously…”

Scarlet lets go of my ear and slumps back into her seat.

Well, I'm glad that situation got defused.

Thanks Scarlet's mom. You really are the hero of today.

Now I can sleep in peace…

…

….

”Hey sis…”

Somewhat uncharacteristically, Chloe calls out to Scarlet in a timid voice.

Actually, does she mean sister-in-law? She really isn't dropping this, is she?

”Sis huh? Ehehe, it has a nice ring to it… What is it Chloe?”

Not that Scarlet seemed to notice.

In any case, she might be trying to ask about that thing she was curious about on Friday.

About that guy she likes.

”How…”

She pauses out of nervousness.

Come on Chloe, you can do it!

Just squeeze it out!

”How do I… um… ..t my cr..h to n..ice me?”

Well, I kinda heard her at least.

I wonder if Scarlet did too?

”Huh… you want me to… huh?!”

”I-I don't want to say it again! It's embarrassing!”

”Ah sorry sorry, I was just a little surprised. Umm… getting your crush to notice you, right? Well the truth is, it's actually kinda easy. Take it from me, and I've tried lots of things. Chatting with him, trying to be funny, ignoring him, helping him out…”

Seriously? What's with all the variety? That guy must think you're a nutcase.

”And… which one worked?

At Chloe's question, Scarlet giggles.

”None of them. What I realized is that like… if you tell him upfront then he's forced to give you an answer. If you don't do that, then while you're messing around someone else might come and take him away.”

”… That's scary. I don't know if I can do that.”

”Yeah. It is. But it's better than losing him forever.”

”But… what if he says no?”

”I dunno. I haven't been rejected yet. But at least it's closure right?”

”… I see.”

Chloe turns away to look outside the window.

I'm guessing she has some self-reflection to do.

Well, it was nice seeing her get along with Scarlet for a little bit. Seems like those two are even more alike than I thought.

Still, Scarlet said something strange there.

She hasn't been rejected ”yet”.

I wonder…

…

My mind wanders as the cool interior of the car does nothing to help reduce my drowsiness.

In a way, this car is worse for keeping me awake than the train is.

Oh well, nothing wrong with drifting off…

…

…

…

”By the way Chase. Scarlet tells me that you're running for Class President today?”

Scarlet's mom awakens me from my slumber with an innocent question.

I'm running for class president today…

…

”Ah, I forgot!”

Chloe's situation got us completely sidetracked.

Wait, fifteen minutes have already gone by since then?! Ah, dammit. We were supposed to go over the speech!

”Uh, here Scarlet!”

I hastily reach into my bag and pull out the finished campaign speech.

The result of my weekend of slaving over this notebook.

”Give me that.”

Before I could even hold it out for her, she snatches it from my hand.

”You could've at least said thank you…”

With a sigh, I lean back into my chair lethargically.

”Hahaha, Scar be nice to your boyfriend.”

”He's not… oh whatever.”

She opens the notebook and begins her reading.

”…”

After not even five seconds, she turns back to face me.

”What's with this ridiculous opener?”

”Ridiculous?”

”Of course it's ridiculous! No one's gonna laugh at this!”

”Weren't you the one who told me to be a stand up comedian…? Besides, Nick laughed.”

”Yeah well, that cockroach wouldn't know a good joke if it knocked the glasses off his stupid face. You're not telling this 'joke'.”