Chapter 15: Girls (and Turtles) Night Out
The Turtles piled into the truck one by one and Leo grabbed his spot next to me.
I began checking the mirrors, adjusting the heater, setting the wipers and all that
fun stuff before driving off. I looked to
Leo as he buckled himself in.
"You're in charge of the radio. I can't be playing around with stations and driving at the same time. I have back speakers so try to find music we can all agree on."
"How about I just leave it off?"
"Well, you can do that, too. But I always listen to tunes as I drive. Or sometimes I pop in a tape."
Leo decided to leave it off. I shrugged and pulled out of the parking garage,
seeing the rubble that once used to be my home as I drove by. The yellow tape that
surrounded the site whipped and
spun around from the high winds. Objects were still littered within the shattered
walls; possibly other people's belongings that were pointless to be retrieved by the
police. I can imagine these people
may return to find whatever items are still left and what shape they're in. Before
the storm damages them. But what's the point? The damage has already been done
by the bomb. Not just destroying
our belongings. Destroying our lives in the process. I leaned forward in my
seat to stare out my front window at what was left of the building. I then stopped
the truck and looked out from my side
view window, feeling a sort of emptiness cross over me. My apartment. It
wasn't much but it was mine. We worked so hard and ended up with this. I
stared in utter silence. The Turtles were
hardly breathing behind me. They must have known exactly how I felt. I
continued to stare, tears finally blinding my vision.
"Um, Jewel?"
I turned my head to meet Leo's gaze. He looked sympathic.
"Are you alright?"
I wiped my eyes and sat back in the seat.
"Yup. I'm just allowing the car to heat up, that's all."
"Mm, hmm." He nodded. He looked to radio. "How about some music?"
"Sure."
Leo turned on the left switch that was tuned in to a soft, contemporay station. A well-known artist was singing as the radio clicked on.
If I could tell the world just one thing it would be, we're all ok. And not
to worry cause worry is wasteful and useless in times like these. I won't be made
useless. I won't be idled with
dispair. I will gather myself around my faith for light does the darkest most fear.
My hands are small, I know. But they're not yours they are my own. But
they're not yours they are my
own. And I am never broken.
The song played on and I looked to Leo whom said nothing. I looked in the rear
view mirror to the others. They said nothing. I sighed and stared at the
steering wheel. The rain continued to
pour on the glass and the windshields tried desperately to keep the droplets from falling
down. I looked up to see another car drive passed me with it's bright lights
flashing over my eyes as it drove
by. I could see the people stopping near the desecrated building and step out with
umbrellas. Didn't look like any familiar neighbors I'd know. They walked
around the area and pointed to ruined
furniture that layed soaking wet in the heap.
In the end, only kindness matters. In the end, only kindness matters. I
will get down on my knees and I will pray. I will get down on my knees and I will
pray. I will get down on my knees
and I will pray.
You said it, Jewel. And I wasn't talking about myself either!
I drove down 7th Avenue and stared at the cross streets as I passed them. West 50th Street, West 49th Street until I came up to West 47th and saw an Olive Garden. I suddenly craved pasta.
"Welcome to Times Square. Oooh, do you guys want to eat at the Olive Garden?"
"Do they have pizza?" Came Mike's voice from the back.
"Sure do! And delicious pasta dishes."
The Turtles agreed in unison and I got to the traffic light and made a U-turn back to the restaurant.
The parking lot was full so we had to park in the back row. I opened the car door
and regretted to see it was still raining hard. I took my umbrella and waited for
the Turtles to join me.
All five of us walked closely under the umbrellas toward the restaurant's entrance.
A young girl opened the door for us and we saw there were people waiting to be
seated. Great. I got up to the front
and the lady greeted me.
"Hello. How are you this evening?"
"I'm fine."
"How many?"
"Five. How long is the wait?"
"Uh, about five to ten minutes. Is that okay?"
"That's fine."
"Okay, can I get your name?"
"Um, just put Jewel."
The lady scribbled it down. "Okay, just have a seat and we'll call your name shortly."
"Thank you."
I turned around to see the Turtles were standing up against the wall near the seats which were all filled up. I went and stood up against the wall beside them. I happened to only see Leo and Mike only.
"Where's-"
Mike pointed to the Men's room behind him.
"Oh. I should go too."
I walked across the room to the women's and went in. It was a beautiful marble
stone bathroom with about 5 stalls. I decided to check my hair which was a bit damp
from the rain. I stepped out again to
now see Don and Raph there but Leo and Mike disappeared. They were able to sit down
since a large group that filled up the seat had left. Don scooted over and I sat
down. I leaned back and crossed
my arms, putting one leg over the other. Must be date night. There were a lot
of couples and a few families. I watched people go by in both directions to awaiting
seats. Don and Raph watched also.
One woman and her husband looked dressed to the nines. They probably were going to
see a musical. I smiled as they passed by.
Leo and Mike stepped out and I scooted down again. Mike sat next to me followed by Leo. We filled up the entire row. I watched Mike place his gloves back onto his hands.
"Henderson, party of four." The lady said from the podium. A man
and woman stood up with two teenaged boys. Another girl pulled out four menus and
the group followed her down the hall to
a table. We watched in silence. I started to tap my foot quietly. I
looked over to the other seat to see the nicely dressed couple waiting patiently.
"I think their name will be called next. Then we go." I looked to Mike whom nodded. "Are you hungry?" He turned to me and grinned.
"Famished."
"Austin, party of two." The lady sang out. The other couple sat up and the girl grabbed two menus from the bin. "This way, please."
We watched as the hall got empty. A waiter walked passed us carrying a armload of
wrapped silverware in burgundy napkin cloths. The lady came back and read the list
at her podium, highlighting
something on it. Minutes seemed to pass.
Don leaned over to me. "Is this place expensive?"
"Don't worry about it. I'll use my card. You can order what you want."
"Jewel, party of five." She looked over as we all stood up. She
went and grabbed five menus and started to walk down the hall. I followed behind her
as she directed us to a table near the back with a
window near it. It was crowded tonight as we passed by other tables with eating and
chatty guests. The girl stopped at the table and gestured for us to sit down.
I sat down first and Leo grabbed the
next available seat on my left. Raph sat to the right of me with Mike on his right
and Don near Leo's left side. The girl placed the menus down in front of us which we
all picked up simultaneously.
"There you go. Would you gentlemen like to remove your coats?"
Leo looked around the table then up to the girl. "No, thank you. We're fine."
"Okay, a server will be with you in a few minutes. Enjoy your meal."
"Thank you." I smiled at her as she left us. A bus boy came up
and placed 5 glasses of water for each of us. I glanced through the menu, recalling
that the portions were fairly huge. Edward would usually
split meals so that we wouldn't have to bring any home. And I knew for a fact none
of these guys wanted to split with me. They would probably get a pizza and split it
up together. Typical.
"Jewel, do want to share the Seafood Alfredo with me?" Leo glanced over at me.
I stared at him wide-eyed. "You mean split? As in half and half?" Okay, so I was wrong!
"Well, yeah. That's what sharing means, doesn't it?"
"Sure. That sounds good. Okay. Do you want to get soup or salad?"
"Ummm...." Leo glanced back at the menu. "Does it come with that or is it extra?"
I looked as well. "It comes with one order of soup or salad but you can make an extra order if you want one as well."
"Nah. Just the pasta will be fine with me."
"Okay. Then I'll just get one order of Minnestrone soup. It's to die for." I leaned over to my right. "What are you getting, Raph?"
He stared up and down at the menu. "I dunno. I've never been here before and can't seem to decide what I want."
"You might want to try the Chicken Scampi. It's grilled chicken tenderloins with bell peppers in a creamy garlic sauce over angel hair pasta. It's a lot of food but it's very delicious."
Mike put the menu down. "I'm going to get the Classic Spaghetti with Meat Sauce." I nodded to him and he grinned. "And you thought I'd get a pizza, huh?"
I shrugged. "It's good to try new things. You'd be surprised."
Raph put his menu down next and sighed. "Um, I may just get a pizza instead. I'm not familiar with any of these other dishes so I'll stick with what I know."
"That's fine, Raph. Which pizza were you going to get? Chicken Alfredo, Roma Garden, Meaty Italian, Spicy Sausage and Peppers or Create Your Own?" He only looked at me and groaned.
Don put his menu down last and looked at Raph from across the table. "I'm
not sure what I want either. Do you want to split the Meaty Italian, Raph? It
says: 'Meatballs, Italian sausage and pepperoni
layered with mozzerella cheese in chunky tomato sauce.' Want to get that?"
Raph nodded and sipped his water. "Sure. Do you want soup or salad? It comes with it." Don shook his head. "Me neither."
The waiter came up to our table and threw coasters down on the table and sat a large bottle of blood-red wine in front of us.
"Good evening, folks. I'll be your waiter, Brian, for tonight. Can I interest any of you in a glass of red wine to start?"
We all shook our heads and said no.
"Okay, then can I start you off with some drinks then?" He looked to me first.
"I'll have a Strawberry Daiquiri. No spirit, please."
"Alright." Brian wrote it down and turned to Leo. "For you, sir?"
Leo glanced at the menu. "Umm, I'd like an Ice Tea, please."
"Okay" Then turned to Mike. "And for you?"
"Umm, I'll have a Coke. Or Pepsi. Whichever it is."
"Coke then. And for you." He looked to Raph.
"Coke's fine."
"Alright, and how 'bout you sir?" He looked at Don.
"Hmm, that Strawberry Daiquiri sounds good. I'll have one of those, too."
"You got it." Brian took one last look around. "Are you ready to order or can I interest you in some appetizers? Artichoke Spinah Dip or maybe Stuffed Mushrooms?"
"Ummm, no appetizers." I looked around the table. "Are you
guys ready to order or do you need a few more minutes?" They nodded and said to
start so I turned back to Brian. "Okay." I pointed
to Leo. "Him and I are going to split the Seafood Alfredo and I just want one
order of the Minnestrone soup."
"Alright. And for you sir?" Brian turned to Mike.
"I'd like the Classic Spaghetti with Meat Sauce."
"Uh, huh. Excellent choice. And for you?" He looked at Raph.
Raph pointed to Don. "Um, him and I are splittin' the Meaty Italian Pizza. We don't want any soup or salad, though."
"No problem. Okay, I'll get your drinks out to you as soon as possible." Brian grinned and walked away with the bottle and wine glasses.
I sat quietly and drummed my fingers on the table, looking around at the other people
sitting near and far from us. Here I sat looking casual with four guys in rain gear.
No one questioned them yet and I
hoped it would stay that way. They were able to remove their rain coat hoods and
wore hats underneath but that was as far as they went. They all wore gloves on their
hands so that there was no hint
of their green skin showing except their faces. I sat back in my chair and crossed a
leg over, watching their expressions. They just sat calmly and waited for Brian to
return. I was one for usually talking at
the table but I could assume they weren't brought up that way. I leaned forward
again and crossed my arms on the table. Time to break the ice.
"So, what do you think of this place? Nice, huh?"
"It's no Vinnie's Pizza but it will do." Mike said.
"But don't you think it's a nice sit-down restaurant? It's one of my favorites."
Leo sighed. "Jewel, you're able to eat at restaurants like this. It's kind of tough for us to be dining out in public places."
"Plus the fact that these prices are unbelievably outrageous for our limits." Don added.
"I already told you, I'm paying for this meal. Besides, when you split
orders, it makes the bill even less. Trust me, I've done it before with Edward many
times. As far as your appearances,
no one has said anything so that's a good sign that you're able to sit comfortably in a
place like this."
"Hey, when you're here, you're family!" Mike grinned. He obviously has seen the commercials.
Brian returned with a tray full of drinks. He placed my Daiquiri down in front of
me, handed Leo his Ice Tea, two Cokes for Mike and Raph and another Daiquiri for Don.
Which so happened looked
different compared to mine. "There you go, folks. I'll be right back with
your soup." He smiled and left again. I leaned over to Don.
"Um, did you get a Strawberry Daiquiri too?"
He looked up. "Uh, huh."
"And did you say, no alchohol?"
He looked down at the weird-shaped glass compared to my regular glass. "Uh, I guess not." He took a sip and his eyes squinted. "Whoa! That's strong. What is that in there?"
I closed my eyes and looked away. "It's got Bacardi Rum mixed with it. A true Daiquiri with spirit. Let's just hope he doesn't ask you for I.D. Okay?"
"Right."
Mike leaned over and sniffed the drink. "Whew! That is strong. Can you handle it?"
Don looked down at it. "I think so. It's only one drink. I'm not driving, anyway."
I took a sip from mine which had whipped cream on top. I watched Leo take some
sugar packets and add them to his drink, stirring the liquid with a spoon. Raph and
Mike quietly sipped their Cokes
and Don looked as if he was praying over his Daiquiri. He really seemed to dislike
it.
"Why don't you just drink your water, Don? People usually have a glass ready in case they to drink something in a hurry." I suggested.
He nodded and pushed the drink further away and took his water glass. I shook my head and put my hand under my chin. Poor Don! Probably his first and last alcoholic beverage in one lifetime.
The evening went on. Our food arrived and we ate in quiet content. It was
delicious as always and I decided to leave a big tip. Each of the guys chipped in a
dollar to help out and I handled the bill
with plastic power. I flipped open my purse and took out my weapon. Just hope
I had enough in the bank to cover the expenses. This was not a cheap meal even
though we split two meals. I closed
the black folder with my card and handed it to Brian as he swung by to retrieve it.
I pushed the chair back and placed my leg over the other, feeling so full.
"Can we walk to Lucy's house? Leave the car parked here and then come back."
Leo laughed a little bit and looked to his brothers. "How can you be full if we split our food? Guess you don't want dessert, huh?"
I exhaled and placed my hands on my stomach to indicate my answer. "Oh, don't get me wrong. Their desserts are wonderful. I would suggest a lighter dinner at home and coming in for dessert only."
Brian came back with a smile.
"How was everything?" We nodded and said everything was good. As
always. "Does anyone have any room for dessert?" We shook our heads
and Brian placed the black folder down with a pen
and two receipts. "Alrighty, then. Here's your receipt. You keep
one copy and leave the other for us, alright?"
"Gotcha."
"Thanks again." He turned and left to pick up empty dishes at another
table. I added in the tip by15%, according to how many we were and the cost of the
meal. I signed my name and closed the
black folder with the receipt and pen. I placed my card and receipt into my purse
and calmly waited for Brian to return.
Leo almost stood up. "Ready?"
I placed a hand toward him. "Wait. I don't like leaving until the waiter gets the receipt. It has my card number on it and I want to make sure he gets it."
Leo nodded and got comfortable again. Brian walked by with an armload of dishes full of food. I waited till his hands were emptied before giving him the folder.
"Ah, thank you. You folks have a nice evening. Thanks for coming."
I stood up and smiled. "You're welcome. Take care."
The Turtles walked out single file and I took up the rear toward the exit. I
checked my watch as we stopped in the lobby. 7:35. I had enough time to slip
into the ladies room real quick. I tapped Leo
lightly on the back and pointed at the women's door.
"Just incase you didn't notice, I'm going in here."
Leo nodded and pointed to the exit. "We'll wait outside." He then nodded to the girl who held the glass door for him as he left. "Thank you."
"Good night, gentlemen." The girl grinned.
I washed my hands and checked my makeup at the mirror. I grinned to the
reflection to see if any embarrassing food particles were wedged between my teeth.
Hate when that happens! I fixed my
hair and straightened my clothes, noticing I was still wearing Hannah's shirt and pants.
I buttoned up my jacket and swung my purse around my shoulder, striding outside to
meet the guys. I said
thank you and good night to the girl as she held the glass door for me. I looked to
see they were waiting off to the side of the restaurant, one of them sitting on the
sidewalk's curb while the other
three stood in the parking lot. They stopped talking as I approached them.
"Ready?" They looked to one another and nodded silently. "Good, I want to get this over with as soon as possible."
I turned and started to run toward the car with them treading behind. My shoes
splashed up water on to my jeans, soaking them even more. I pulled the car key out
and unlocked the passenger
side. Four, soggy turtles in rain gear climbed in quickly. Don grabbed the
front this time.
"I can navigate you to Lucy's house." He stated as he swung the seatbelt across his chest.
I nodded to him and put the truck in reverse, turning my head to see if any cars were
coming by. I glanced down at the three sitting in the back all wet and out of
breath. I squeezed my hair out
and allowed the water to hit my thighs. Jeans never kept anyone warm in this kind of
weather. I could feel my skin getting cold under the fabric. I flipped on the
wipers and the heater to
get some warmth going inside this ice box of a car. I also turned on the defroster
button to remove the steam off the front and back windows.
Driving was more fun than I expected. The traffic was jammed packed on Broadway
as people were trying to find parking spaces around the theaters. Performances were
starting at their usual eight
o'clock times and in either rain or shine, the show must go on. I drove down bumper
to bumper and occasionally looked up at the cross streets.
"I need to turn on West 44th Street."
Don looked up as well. "Okay, it should be coming up soon. Wait, I think it's the next light up. Get in the left lane."
I merged over as best I could and looked ahead to see all the theater lights glowing
and glittering. Don read the directions to the letter as I followed each directional
turn. It started to rain harder. I flipped
my wipers on the highest setting. I hated driving in this weather. Made me
nervous. I placed my turning signal on at the red arrow traffic light. Oh, no!
The schmuck! A guy in a large buick decided
to switch lanes from going straight to turning left. I slammed on the break and
honked at him.
"Thanks for the signal, asshole! Man, I hate people like that!"
I was totally oblivious of the company I was with as I cursed the other drivers out.
Don blinked and stared wide-eyed. The others didn't say a word in the back.
The guy flipped on his signal once his
car was fully in the lane.
"Oh, now he puts on his signal! Great, just great!"
"Jewel, are you sure your Daiquiri didn't have any 'spirit' in it?" Mike broke through the dead silence.
"Huh?" I looked into my rear view mirror to see them sitting with
uneasiness. "What are talking about? This schmuck cuts right in front of
me and you're worried if I had alcohol at dinner? I swear, the
way I'm feeling, I could use a little booze right about now." I caught myself.
"That is, if I were old enough to."
"Jewel, the last thing you need now is to be drunk." Leo spoke quietly in the back. Here we go with the parenting thing again.
"The last thing I need is you telling me how to drive!" I snapped. "And to have jerks like him cutting in front me."
Leo went dead silent. I obviously said the wrong choice of words. Don pulled back now from shock. He wondered if I have become a Mr. Hyde once behind the wheel. He tried the next attempt.
"Jewel, relax, will ya? It's no big deal. It's one guy. If you're going to let it bother you so much, maybe you shouldn't be driving at all."
I made my turn and pulled off at the side street. I shut off the car and looked to Don, placing an arm behind my seat.
"Perhaps you'd like to drive?"
Don looked to his brothers then back to me, almost not knowing what to say.
"You can drive, can't you?"
"Of course, but-"
"Then, why not give it a try? Before I have an early heart attack."
Don sat quietly, thinking deeply. He looked back up with an unforgettable face.
"Alright. Fine. Move over."
I stepped out of the car and Don slid over to the driver's seat.
"Quick, lock the door!" Raph whispered to Don as I approached the passenger's side.
Don rolled his eyes. "Knock it off!"
I climbed in and buckled my seat belt, making it extra tighter. Don placed his
seat belt on next, feeling a bit awkward the straps went over his opposite chest. I
watched him clutch the steering wheel
with his large, gloved hands to get a familiar grip. He then extended his right hand
to the set of the keys to start the ignition. The car purred alive to his command
and he lightly touched the gas pedal
next to get it revved up. He looked into the rear view mirror to the back before
removing the break and putting it into the drive.
"You're doing real good, Don."
Don looked to me, then back to road. I could tell they were not pleased with me
for my behavior. It was inexcusable to snap at Leo the way I did. I've been so
terrible to him, so childish. He
doesn't deserve my verbal abuse. After going out of his way to help and protect me,
the least I could be is nice to him. And know when he's right and I'm wrong. I
was wrong this time. The car
ride was silent for awhile. I sat slumped down in the front with one foot up on the
seat. I crossed my arms over my chest and stared out at the glove compartment.
My mind raced with emotions and
my face felt hot. Oh, don't cry now! I felt so terrible. I looked up to
Don whom sat quietly and drove like he's been driving for years. I heard him ask me
a question and he looked over but someone
in the back answered instead. I wasn't paying attention to anything but the thoughts
in my head. I can't let this go. I can't let them think I'm a horrible bitch
whom curses at other drivers for a living.
"Leo?" I finally spoke up. Don looked over again before returning his gaze to the road.
"What?" His tone sounded rough as if he were still upset with my abruptness. He had every right to be. I swallowed hard and felt my eyes getting blurry.
"I...I'm sorry I snapped at you back there. You don't deserve it. You were right. I was wrong. I didn't mean to do that to you. Umm..." Now, it was getting difficult to talk. I paused to hear a reply.
He was silent for a few seconds. He tried to figure me out at times. Did I
want to be his friend or his enemy? What causes a person to be mean to another and
then expects an apology? He knew me
well enough that I didn't mean what I said when I was angry. And when I apologize
like this, I truly meant it. I looked to Don again whom said nothing. These
guys would be great at a funeral palor.
They were so quiet, I wondered if they were breathing half the time. I still waited
for Leo's reply. I hated this quietness.
"It's alright, Jewel. I accept your apology." He finally said it then fell silent again.
We pulled up alongside an apartment complex. It was eight o'clock right on the dot. Don reached over to me and pulled out the note he placed in the glove compartment.
"Did you get the number of her apartment?"
"It should be on there." I said quietly. I cleared my throat and
sat up more. "Um, she said to come through a back way. Through the
backyard where the parking garage is. She'll have the
fence open for us."
"Do you want us to come in with you or wait out here?"
I turned around to face the others. Their expressions said nothing.
"How do you guys feel about showing yourselves to another person?"
Don opened his mouth to say something but stopped.
Raph spoke up instead. "I don't think what we feel matters. It's how she'll react to us."
"But I might take awhile and it's too cold to wait out in the car. I'll go in first and let her know I have company with me."
Don nodded and pulled the keys out of the ignition, handing them to me. I took
them and put them in my purse. I stepped out into a flooded curb, my entire shoe
getting soaked. Raph stepped out
next to see me wapping my foot in the air. It did no good as the rain fell upon it.
He grinned as he heard my foot squish on every step. Mike jumped out next,
making a huge splash on the both of
us. Raph groaned and I gave him a harsh look.
"Whoops! Heh, too bad you don't have rain gear on, huh?"
"It wouldn't matter, Mike. I'm already soaked as it is."
Leo stepped out next, avoiding the large gutter with ankle-high water running down it.
His hood was back over his head, concealing his face more. I turned to his
direction. He looked straight at me
then turned to follow Don who started to walk off near the apartments.
"He's not happy with me." I said aloud.
"Well, who the hell can blame him?" Raph said as he walked past me.
"Come on, Jewel." Mike said softly and put an arm around me.
"Mike, I didn't mean what I said. Honestly. It was the driver I was angry at." I stammered to him. I clutched his arm behind my shoulder as he held the umbrella underneath us.
"Hey, you don't have to tell me. I understand. Leo can't quite figure out people at times. That's why he chooses not to deal with them altogether. If you'd like I could talk to him."
"What's to talk about? He grows tired of me apologizing for things I shouldn't have done or said in the first place."
"That's not true. He accepted your apology and that's that. He's not tired of anything. He'll brush it off and forget the whole thing."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course! I live with the guy! I should know."
"Well, what about the way he looked at me when he stepped out of the truck?"
"What about it? I think you worry too much about everything. It would make a bigger difference if you didn't apologize at all. That would be worse."
"How much worse?"
"With him, I don't know. I always say I'm sorry to him when I feel I owe an
apology. He's just the type that doesn't deserve being yelled at for no reason.
It's a wonder he gets through Raph's
temper each day."
We reached the fence and Don looked down to all of them. None were opened.
He groaned and started to walk down the path with Raph following behind him.
Mike and I caught up with them and
walked slowly in the back. I tapped Leo lightly on the shoulder and pulled him
aside.
"Leo, I'm really sorry about what I said in the car."
"Jewel, I already accepted your apology. It's okay." His voice was soft again.
"No, it's not okay. I was mad at the driver and I took my anger out on the wrong person." I stole a glance to Mike. "You don't deserve to be yelled at for no reason."
Leo's eyebrows went upward with surprise. He looked to Mike whom only shrugged with a grin.
"Whoa, um. I appreciate that, Jewel. Um, thanks."
I smiled, feeling a giant weight being lifted off my chest. It felt so much
better to know he was on my side again. Little did I know, he never left my side to
begin with! His smile assured me of that.
And now, to have that little talk with Lucy about her big brother, and my husband, Edward.