Lucas And The Time-Traveling Fog Party Animals
Chapter 12 The Greatest Gift Pt. One

So, I leaned on the couch, looked down at him, and said with an evil grin on my face, “Hey... birthday boy. Yoo-hoo over here. Why are you down here playing? And you better have a good reason other than just playing before I go tell mom.” Looking like a deer in the headlights, he put the controller down, turned around and just asked, “Lizzie?”

I knew I busted him, so I innocently answered, “Yesss.”

“How did you know I was even down here?”

“Tom, that’s easy. Nate told me everything, and the next time you try to be sneaky, make sure you turn all the lights on so no one wouldn’t notice, and is there anything you want to tell me before Mom hears wind of this?”

Tom replied, “Yes, but just so you know Nate didn’t tell you the full story.” I gave him the go-ahead. He said, “See, before you showed up, I was in the living room watching The A-Team that I recorded yesterday on our VCR, but Nate made me stop halfway through my show because he whined about missing WWF even though there was another tv downstairs.” I raised my eyebrows at that part where he clarified that “I was in a good mood for once and allowed it." He then coughed and continued saying "That didn’t last long because dad told me that mom finished cleaning the basement last night and doesn’t want anyone down here until all the guests showed up. I couldn’t wait that long and knew my pockets were too small to fit the VHS tape without getting seen. So, I grabbed my Pac-Man game that was laying around in my room, and you probably know the rest. But I think I should’ve known better than to trust him before heading down.”

I laughed and said, “Wow, that’s some story you got there kid and you think. Anyway, it’s great to see you again Tom. You have no idea how much I missed doing stuff like this.”

Tom laughed and said, “Just like old times, huh, Liz, but if you excuse me, I’m heading back upstairs before mom or anyone else catches me down here.” He then turned both the Atari system and TV off ans preceeded to bolt up the staircase like some racehorse. I guess he took my advice to heart as I saw the lights come on. You know as careful as he was trying not to get caught, I noticed that he left his pac man cartridge in the system still, so I knew he would get caught...eventually. Maybe I could help him out with that. Hehehe. But when I was sure he was gone, I scurried over to the closet to see if he was indeed telling the truth.

Turns out he was as I held his completely wrapped present in my hands. Knowing this, I headed upstairs, looking for her father to tell him the good news, but while turning the kitchen corner to replace him, I found my Liz’s mother instead, and the first thing that came out of her mouth was, “Liz, watch where you’re going and... oh you’re home already. Your father didn’t tell me.” She grunted and grumbled to herself. Suddenly her attention was all on me as she asked “But you look fantastic. Is that dress and oooo heels new too?” As she was staring at me from head to toe. “It looks great on you, sweetheart. When did you buy them?” Before I had a chance to even answer, Liz’s mom had this weird six sense or eyes on the back of her head as she called out “Ohhh, Thomas,” who apparently was just about to open the screen door that was closed. “I haven’t forgotten about you, young man. Now, tell me I didn’t see you coming out of the basement before your sister accidentally bumped into me, and you better not be playing on that Atari while you were down.”

He turned around in shock and answered, “No, not this time. I was downstairs, but I wasn’t playing. I just went down to grab a...a...” As he was struggling to save himself, he was saved by the bell or, in this case, the doorbell, because without skipping a beat, he said, “I’ll get it,” and took off like a speeding bullet. After he left in a rush, I saw Liz’s mother put her hand on her head, shook it in disappointment, turned to me, and asked, “He totally went downstairs, didn’t he?” I couldn’t help but giggle at the fact that Tom got caught that fast. Man, she’s good.

Anyway, I said, “Sure did...the pac man cartridge is still in that Atari as we speak.”

She sighed and told me, “Figured he would and Lizzie, do me a favor before the whole family gets here. Can you please go back down and check to see if the present is still wrapped?”

“Mom, I already checked. I was coming up here to tell dad, but I guess I found you instead, and he never laid a finger on it. He just played Pac man, like I said.”

She asked, “Really, you sure? I thought for sure he would’ve found out by now.”

“Oh, I’m positive, and I am too. Do you think he’ll really love what we got him?” I answered.

“Of course, he will. After all, it was you who—“

Just then, Tom shouted from the front door, “Hey, Mom…Dad… Grandma and Grandpa are here.”

I looked over her shoulder and saw Liz’s father walking towards Tom and saw them both talking to these two old people. Her mom said, “Come on, Lizzie, let’s go say hi to the first guests.” I was not ready to talk to them because even though I calmed down after two hours since I escaped, I didn’t want to do it all over again, especially this soon. So, I asked her, “Can I get a drink first?” She gave me a straight answer of “No,” and before you know it, I was slowly being dragged against my will. I tried desperately to plead with her by making up some lame excuses on the fly to make her reconsider, but she didn’t buy it one bit and only made things worse.

She stopped for a second, but it wasn’t to let me go. Oh no, she scolded me and at one point even threatened to ground me by sending me to my room for the rest of the party if I give her one more complaint. This to me didn’t sound like a bad idea at first, but if I know Liz, she’s a people person, and something like this is like my phone being taken away, so it’s for the best that I try to be on my best behavior for her sake and mine. So, I said, “Noooo, anything but that...I’ll be good. I promise.” She then carried on and dragged me faster.

As I’m being dragged, I can hear this old lady saying, “You know where to put this, right?” I saw Tom nodding and walked past me. This old lady continued, “Now, where could Liz be? I swear we parked right beside her car, right, Rich?”

Her mom interrupted them and said, “Here she is,” as she let go of my arm. I looked at her, then looked straight back and realized that now I’m facing these two elderly folks. She continued, “I’m so sorry you had to see that, mom and dad. Liz just had one of her little hissy fits with me again, so that’s why we were a little late greeting you two.”

A hissy fit? Oh, I’ll give her a hissy fit. Just then, before I mouthed something completely stupid, Lizzie’s grandmother just busts out laughing for no apparent reason. She then looked at her husband and asked, “Does that remind you of someone we know?” Rich nodded. Liz’s grandma said, “Well, she’s definitely got that stubbornness from you, Alice, that’s for sure. Oh, do you remember the time when you had your own hissy fit when you couldn’t get that boy Petey to notice you back in fifty--?”

Liz’s mom interrupted her and said, “Mother...now’s not the time for this. It’s a birthday party.”

Liz’s grandma replied, “Like mother, like daughter, they always say.”

She then walked past me and headed to the kitchen to make sure Tom put the tray where it was supposed to go. Well, that was awkward, but as she passed me, I could see that Liz’s mother was still fuming about what she had said.

Trying to get back on her good side, I asked, “Mom, do you want to tell me who....”

But she quickly interrupted and turned to me and commented passive-aggressively with a creepy smile, “No, now is not the time to ask my, dear, maybe some other time,” then very angrily added, “and not a word about this or him...you understand?” It felt like the house shook when she said that. Fearing for my life, I nodded my head slowly and crossed my lips. She then gave this really big creepy smile and replied, “Good. Now, let’s go enjoy your brother’s party before anything else happens.”

I couldn’t agree more, but I didn’t agree on being her personal assistant for most of the party though.

I don’t know how to describe it. This sort of thing between us just happened. I mean, one minute I’m sitting on the couch watching some tv, the next I had an apron on and was busy helping her in the kitchen to make a birthday cake, then I had to help her keep Liz’s little cousins entertained, among other things, which wasn’t easy. Now, I don’t mind helping her out, but I don’t like being bossed around all the time, especially by a stranger like her, and I just hate...hate...hate how she keeps on calling me Sweetie, Sweetheart, Honey, or any other pet names she has for me. This is so embarrassing that it makes me want to slam my head against a wall.

This whole lil sweetie thing has got to end soon. I don’t know how much more I can take, or else I think I may actually go insane. But I just don’t have it in me to tell her to her face how I feel. Maybe next time, if I ever see her again, I will, but I sucked it up for now and did whatever she told me to until it got to the point where I felt like I was going to pass out at any given moment, so I had to lie and asked her, “Mom, can I take a break please...my...arms are getting tired.”

“They are... ok, you can take a break, but I want you back here in five minutes. Understood?” Liz’s mom replied.

“Yes,” I said and left.

As soon as I was out of sight from her evil clutches, I thought, “Are you serious? It was that easy! I should’ve done that in the first fifteen minutes when the party started, not over two hours later. Gosh!”

Anyway, I was so exhausted from working that I decided that I could use a drink or two myself. But the only thing they had in the fridge was Coke, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, and a few other sodas. I think I saw one of her uncles grab an alcoholic beverage outside earlier, but I don’t know what would happen if I got caught drinking by her parents.

Speaking of her parents, when I closed the refrigerator door and looked down to take a sip of my coke, I saw her father’s shoes almost right in front of me. I looked up with terror in my eyes, wondering what kind of situation I would be getting into now.As I looked at her father, I could see he was videotaping me, but why? I wasn’t doing anything. I mumbled, “D-D-D-Dad! Don’t scare me like that!!”

Her father replied, “Oh..looks like someone is a little camera shy today. Come on, sweetie, show us that gorgeous smile of yours.”

I then heard the camera zoom in. Man, just my luck. If I want to go home, I guess I have no choice but to play this ridiculous game of charades a little longer, even if it means I’m being recorded. So I sighed, put my drink on the kitchen counter, and turned around to give the biggest smile that I possibly could right at the video camera. I then said, “Now, did you get all of that, or was my smile too big for the camera?” Her father laughed big and replied, “No, that smile was perfect, but before you go, what do you think of the party so far?”

I answered, “This party is awesome. I’m having a great time.”

Her father asked, “Do you want to say something special to your little brother Tom right now? I mean, it is his birthday.”

“I already did,” I answered.

“I meant the camera,” he replied.

Oh, no, this just got awkward double time. So, I made up some stuff right off the top of my head and told the camera, “O-o-oh, yeah, sure thing. Well, I just want to say a big Happy Birthday to my annoying goofball little brother. That’s you, by the way, Tommy, and I can’t believe you’re Fifteen already. Even though you drive me crazy, I still love you. So, Happy birthday from me...Liz, the oldest, and don’t you forget it!...Oh, before I forget, my friends wished you a happy birthday too. Love you lots” and blew a kiss at the camera. Woah, that was new.

But wait, Liz’s nickname for Tom is...Tommy! Hmmm, interesting. I like the sound of that, and maybe, just maybe, I can call him that more often, hehehe. Her father stopped recording and told me that what I said to the camera was great and walked towards the dining room with the camera. After he was gone, I finally decided to grab some finger food and get a chance to at least enjoy this party as long as I could before I become a workaholic again. As I’m enjoying this party, but sadly all good things must come to an end eventually.