Chapter 35: ROAD TRIP 2

"Yay, we're going on another road trip. Yes yes, yes, yes." Lucy pumped her fist in the air, bouncing on the car seat.

"Stay still Lucy" Natasha reprimanded, smiling regardless.

"Okay Momma" She whisper yelled, still not able to stay put. Children indeed have a lot of energy. I caught her eyes in the wing mirror and winked at her.

"Are you properly buckled in?" A caring mother asked.

"Yes," She put her mother at ease with her affirmation.

"I guess we're ready then." I started the ignition, driving out of the driveway. Natasha's perfectionist side is in play whenever we have to go somewhere. She opened the trunk three times to check if the right numbers of bags were in.

"The last road trip wasn't so fun. Jeremy is very boring." Lucy broke the silence in the car with her opinion about me. Natasha looked unwavering as she buried her head in her Apple MacBook.

"I am not!" I argued, shaking my head.

"Focus on the road" Natasha warned.

"I will if Lucy can say the truth"

"I am, you didn't even let me listen to the radio. He said he likes silence, how can anybody like silence?" She furrowed her brows, resisting my defense.

"I do, it's my preference, not yours." Clicking my tongue, I shot her a dirty look through the side-view mirror.

"Your preference is wrong, very wrong."

"How can my preference be wrong. There's no such thing." Why does she have a grudge against me regarding my preferences? The last time I checked it was my car, and she was the one who made sure she got In by all means. I didn't force her to go with me. My car, my rules.

"You are the first, congratulations, Jeremy." Bellowing in a mockingly high-pitched voice, Lucy pumped her fist in the air. Pfft, like I couldn't detect the sarcasm.

"One more word and I'm throwing you out of the window" I made a swift turn to burn my gaze Into her face.

"You can't do that, momma is right here." She titled her head in response, wiggling her brows. If my own momma was here, would she be standing up for me against this child! Tsk... Tsk.

"I do as I please, throwing you out of the window is what I want to do. Especially since it is my car and I can do as I please." I reminded her, chuckling loudly.

"Momma, you won't allow him, would you?" Is that a hint of fear I detect dear Lucy?

"No Lucy, he won't throw you out."

"I told you" She stuck out her tongue at me, feeling smug. You see nobody takes me seriously around here.

" Shush"

"Don't shush me"

"Keep quiet, the both of you!" Natasha slammed her fist on the dashboard, pressing her lips together in annoyance.

"Ouch. When was the last time someone made me shut up? Tsk Tsk." I sniffled dramatically.

"Just yesterday, Momma told you to stop talking." Lucy rubbed it in my face, my very handsome face if I may add.

"Yes, your mum shuts me up a lot of times Lucy. I suffer it the most." I don't know if it is because I talk a lot or because Natasha is always grumpy.

"That's not true, you're not the only one she tells to keep quiet you know?"

"Who else does she tell to shut up more than me?"

"Me, duh"

That was the beginning of yet another argument. It just never ends when I choose to stoop low.

"That's not true" I gasped dramatically, placing my hand on my chest. If Natasha had caught me taking my hand off the steering wheel for at least a second I'll be dead.

"It is. She spends more time with me than she does with you. So, I have to shut up more often."

"We work in the same place and she spends more time at work. What does that tell you?"

"That she works a lot...?"

"No, it means she doesn't spend more time with you, she works most of the time and in extension with me. Meaning, I am more prone to the shutting up demands"

"Shutting up demands?" Natasha looked up from her MacBook once more.

"Yes, that is when you demand we keep shut."

"That is... ummm weird..."

"Well, momma had known me longer than she knows you" Lucy challenged me again. The girl just never gives up. As an adult, I am always right.

"How do you know that?"

"SHE IS MY MOTHER!" Her yelling filled the air with noise, as I covered my ear with a free hand.

"So?"

"We have been living together since I was very small. As small as a little peanut"

"You can live with someone forever and still not know enough about the person."

"Maybe, but not with me and Momma."

"The both of you always have the strangest conversations." The mother we're talking about dropped a sentence in our conversation.

"That's not true" We chorused at the same time. Natasha shot a knowing look at us, smirking smugly.

"Jeremy, you get along with children more than you know."

"You call my banter with Lucy getting along?"

"Yes, you no longer find her irritable"

"She is still extremely annoying."

"Just like you. But it's different now, you both find a common thing to argue about."

"Do I have a choice really? We live in the same house. I can't say the same about other children. Lucy is the only child I ever see." I have to admit, It's easier to tolerate her more than it was a few months ago. I just don't think my feelings towards children are different.

"Cyril's kids?"

"I barely go to their house whenever I go to visit my mum."

"Oh, but regardless you're making progress. Even though your conversations can be a tidbit disturbing."

"A tidbit?" Raising my brows at her, I questioned.

"That's just putting it nicely"

"I thought so too"

We both chuckled loudly.

"Focus on the road!" She panicked in anger. There is definitely a story behind her paranoia.

"Chill"

"Why don't you want to turn on the radio?"

"Because it's crappy." What's there to listen to? I don't want to hear about anything I already know.

"Then connect your Playlist or something. We can't sit still for such a long drive without listening to anything."

"That's what I said." Like mother like very annoying daughter.

"Who says there isn't anything to listen to? Cars are honking, tires are screeching, some drivers are even yelling. It's a form of music if we put it together." I reminded her convincingly. Since music is everywhere, there should be enough on a busy road filled with cars.

"Yes, the bad kind of music."

"I know right?" Lucy chipped in, backing up her mother's opinions.

"Fine, try to connect my phone or something." Handing over my phone, I succumbed to their pestering.

"Okay, just a sec."

"NO WAY!" A sudden shriek made me jump out of my skin.

"What the heck!"

"You listen to classical music?"

"Umm, is that a problem?"

"I never tagged you as someone who would do so."

"Well, Taylor Swift and Justin Beiber isn't my style."

"Ed Sheeran, Alan Walker?"

"Nope"

"Mozart and Hadyn?"

"Affirmative."

"Eeek, I think we better sit in silence then.". "I told you so." All's well that ends well after all.