Queen of the Clueless #2 of 3 (COMPLETE)

Chapter 23

"What is that?"

"A statue of a dolphin, I think." I naturally thought that Robbie meant the very conspicuous, shiny, and slightly creepy sculpture that greeted us as we stepped out of the car. I mean, it was the first thing my eyes landed on. Not exactly the thing I was expecting at the driveway of someone's home.

Robbie laughed a little. "No, I meant the music."

Right, because the second thing anyone would have noticed was the loud music blaring from inside. Third would be the lights that alternately twirled and blinked.

We were not at Sol's family home. Instead, we were taken to the home of Sol's godmother, who was hosting the birthday party for Sol's mother tonight. It was a short ten-minute drive away from the Delloro home, but was larger, roomier, and absolutely did not look like anyone could sleep there in that racket.

I knew Sol's family was well off, despite her being an SK. Sol never acted like she was rolling around in money, and in fact was probably the most down-to-earth rich person I interacted with on a daily basis.

So I was surprised that her mom was so flashy.

That part became a little clearer when Robbie and I met the driver at the airport, who was already expecting us. In the car, he continued to fuss over us, offering us chilled bottled drinks from a cooler, and comfy pillows.

I wasn't even done with my green tea yet and we had already parked at what I could only describe as an estate.

Once inside, Mang Boy held up a phone to my ear. It was Tita Annie, profusely apologizing for being too busy to meet us, but we should totally help ourselves to the lunch prepared and waiting in the dining room.

After the meal, we were told to retreat into two different bedrooms, shower, and change into the clothes laid out for us there.

I started to remember Sol's stories about her mom essentially running her life for seventeen years. Hard not to, when I was washing my hair and then slipping into a fancy red and black dress without knowing why I was doing it.

The dress, by the way, was beautiful. It was a bit loose on top, because it was obviously Sol's, but it made me think of what prom might have been like for luckier people. There was a prescribed pair of shoes sitting by the dress too, and it was way taller—stilts really—than anything I was used to.

When I finally got to catch my breath, I realized that this was Sol's room that I was sent to. It threw me off a bit because it was impeccably tidy, and her room near Ford River never was. But then I saw her dresser, and noticed what made it recognizably Sol: the small pile of dog-eared manuals, how-to guides, references. Rollerblading. Calculus. Chess. English-Tagalog dictionary.

And then, a knock on the door. "Hannah, did they give you stuff to wear?"

I made my way to it as quickly as I could without tripping, excited to open the door and see the outfit Tita Annie had set him up with.

She's so beautiful, he thought immediately.

And I very nearly choked on my breath.

Instinctively he held my elbow as I coughed.

Do I help her into the room? he asked himself.

I held up a hand, and cleared my throat. It wasn't very attractive. But he didn't seem to become any less attracted to me. I marveled at that for a moment, realizing why someone like Sol would be colossally dense about someone like Neil. At some point, people just surrendered control. Take the keys, take the wheel, here's your willing passenger.