Millington looks less and less humble every day. xD
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Collab with @Athinar
Infuriatingly, Claire decided to come back to their house like a lost puppy dog. The girl was apparently as dense as a brick wall when it came to hints. The fact that Riley left his girlfriend unattended as she scoured their house like it was her own was aggravating beyond belief, but she tried to understand considering their sister had just passed out. Kylie had woken up briefly after they got to the house and laid her down, mumbling incoherent words. Something about Sophia’s ass looking “tight.” After that, the elder sibling decided that Kylie would be just fine and a hospital visit was unnecessary. Kylie was clearly acting like herself. She left Riley in charge of watching over her just in case something happened, instructing him to call her immediately if anything should happen. It didn’t matter if she was on a date, her family would come first. Always.
With her brother’s reassurance, Sophia decided to take leave from Kylie’s room and start getting ready for her date. A date! Finally! It had been so long since her last real date. The fact that it was with Anthony, the guy that she had been checking out for quite some time, made butterflies flutter around in her stomach. At least Sophia hadn’t lost all of her appeal, despite all those pounds that she had apparently gained according to her family. Jerks.
Entering her room, Sophia found a letter lying on the ground addressed to her. Picking it up she immediately recognized the handwriting as her little sister Olivia’s. Her heart dropped at the sight, scared that perhaps this was some sort of run away letter. With everything that was happening lately, she honestly wouldn’t have blamed Olivia. It was all so overwhelming.
Gingerly she opened the letter and sat on the edge of her bed to read it. She frowned as she read it, her heart hurting from her sister’s words. Olivia obviously knew that Sophia was not pleased with her, but hearing that from her sister who had always been such an angel was a little painful. Olivia wasn’t used to being in trouble. Sighing, she set the letter on her dresser and grabbed a pen off of her night stand. After tearing off the bottom of the unused paper from Olivia’s note, she quickly she wrote a reply,
“Dear Ollie,
Tomorrow is a new day, please don’t be too upset with yourself. We all make mistakes. I love you so much. <3 :)
Love, Sophi.”
Sophia folded the note with Olivia’s name on it, stepped out of her room, and stuck it under Olivia and Zoey’s door. If she knew Olivia, talking about the issue head on right now would make her cry. A serious talk would have to wait until later, but hopefully the note would make her feel a little bit better for the night. Maybe this weekend was due for some quality sister time. Not the pot smoking kind. Nonetheless, Sophia currently a date to get ready for.
@Emma
Nearly two hours later Sophia was finally finished getting ready. Her outfit wasn’t exactly the fanciest, but she didn’t want to overdo it on the first date. Plus, those black leggings really showed off her “tight ass” that Kylie liked to point out. She had to show off the assets, obviously.
Running down the stairs, Sophia decided to wait in the living room. However, she was stopped dead in her tracks as the smell of lasagna wafted into her nose. Slowly, Sophia walked towards the kitchen to see Claire beginning to take dinner out of the oven and Olivia setting the table. Sophia immediately shot a look of disgust, staring at Claire. Who did this girl think she was? Entering their house, cleaning it, and now cooking them dinner. If she was trying to enter the family as their new “mother”, then she was sorely mistaken. The spot wasn’t in need of replacing.
“Hi Claire.” She made herself known, standing in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room with her arms crossed. She was a viper waiting to strike. “I appreciate the cooking, but… haven’t you only been dating Riley, like.. a week?” She inquired, her voice cold as stone and clearly unimpressed. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t saunter around my house like you own the damn place.” She glared, “You’re overstepping your boundaries.”
@BlueAjah
Hearing the knock at the door, Sophia instantly spun around and hurried to the door. Claire didn’t matter anymore. She would be dealt with later. Flinging open the door, Sophia grinned as she met face to face with her knight in shining armor. Mood immediately uplifted! He looked so dashing! God, she felt under dressed now. “Anthony!” She greeted happily, deciding to step out of the house and close the door behind her. It was better if he didn’t meet her family for now, or that annoying leech lingering in their kitchen. “I’m glad you didn’t decide to ditch me.” She giggled as she poked fun at him, beginning to walk down the steps with him to his car.
Anthony’s eyes widened as Sophi appeared in the doorway before him. She looked gorgeous! However, he noticed an adorable sight behind her, a girl standing on her tiptoes, staring into his face. Giving her a little wave, he leaned in, and asked Sophi, ”So who’s the adorable little girl looking at me?”
"Oh, that was my little sister." She continued to lead the way to the car. She didn't want to introduce him to her family at all. Not now.
Walking beside her, he laughed and shook his head, a twinkle in his eye.
”I wouldn’t miss this for anything, Sophi.” Approaching the car, he opened the passenger door, and said, ”I was really looking forward to this, after all.” And he was, giddy excitement having overridden most of his thoughts over the course of the day.
How many people would get the chance to go on a date with the girl they had been thinking about for a while? Probably quite a few, if they acted like adults, and talked about it, but Anthony didn’t even think about this. He was too excited. He didn’t even see himself as some sort of ‘knight’, he was simply excited.
“Oh, you’re so sweet. Thank you!” She couldn’t stop smiling as she climbed into his car. There were still guys who held doors for women?! His car wasn’t the nicest, she had to admit, but it was better than picking her up on a tandem bike. That had happened to her once before. As Anthony got into the car, Sophia settled in and put on her seat belt. God forbid he drove like a crazy person. Another date of hers thought drifting around corners would be a good way to impress her right off the bat. Instead, she was terrified as he nearly ran over innocent pedestrians in a school zone. “I’ve been looking forward to this all day. You really turned my day around, thank you.” She said sincerely, lightly smiling at him as Anthony began to drive off. “And I’ve had one hell of a day.” She laughed even though she was completely serious.
Anthony closed the door behind Sophi, and walked around the front, back to the driver’s seat. Pulling his keys out, he opened his own door, and got in, starting the car. A softly playing radio station was currently broadcasting a song by Muse, Renegade, by the sound of it, although it was too soft to really follow.
Anthony began to shift out of park, when he suddenly realized that his seat belt wasn’t buckled. Quickly doing so, pulling it down across his chest, he pulled out normally. He didn’t want Sophi to think less of him just because of his driving, so he calmly (on the outside) made his way to the East Side of town, where Gio’s was located. ”I can relate, believe me.There have been weeks where I... “ Anthony began to drift off, smile slipping, as flashes of blonde began to enter his vision, memories beginning to return. His quatrefoil tattoo began to itch, and he smiled awkwardly, saying, ”However, let’s not dwell on the bad stuff tonight.”
”I absolutely love Giovanni’s, by the way. Haven’t had the chance to eat there in a while! So thanks for giving me an excuse to go! “ Anthony kept smiling, and continued, ”Oh, and did you know? Loretta Jason and Daniel Bradford are both at the Underground tonight, one after the other, after the regular stand up! And the tickets I got are for both of them!” Anthony was pretty excited, almost as much as he was to go on this date in the first place, to see the comedienne and comedian. They were both nationally-recognized, but for different areas of comedy. Jason was famous for her stand-up, wisecracking personality, and involvement of the audience. Bradford was a critically acclaimed musician, as well as a comedian, and Anthony even had his first album on his phone. Tonight’s tickets would’ve been expensive, but Anthony had gotten them pretty cheap from a guy who had the same major as him at the University, and worked at the Underground as a tech.
As they passed through the increasingly opulent neighborhoods, Anthony’s face somehow became even more bright as they talked, and his eyes had a childlike sparkle to them. It was almost as if the shadow that had passed over him a few minutes ago was completely gone.
Almost.
“Wow, really?!” She bursted with excitement. Daniel Bradford was a heartthrob! Musicians were to die for, let alone one’s who had a great sense of humor. “This is going to be a great night.” She cooed, her voice having a slight temptress-like tone. Looking out the window, she took note of all the houses they passed by. Each more extravagant than the last. “Maybe someday…” She thought, looking at the porch of what appeared like a mansion. Her mind wandered back to one of her ex boyfriends, Chris Warren. He lived out here on the east side of town, only a few streets away from where they were now. Her parents had loved him, and her mother joked that Sophia had “caught a rich one.” They had ended on good terms, but unfortunately Chris wasn’t the one for her. If only she had stayed with Chris instead of finding the boyfriend after him. He was a nightmare in comparison.
Eventually Anthony pulled into a nearby parking lot. As Anthony opened the door for her, she got out of the car and adjusted her sweater dress and checked her hair briefly in the car's reflection. All set, she walked up to her knight and stood by his side. “Ready?” She smiled, looping her arm with his. The restaurant wasn’t far, only a small walk up the hill and down an alleyway of buildings. Giovanni’s could be easily missed if you didn’t know where to look. “The alley is a bit creepy if you ask me. Keep me safe?” She grinned and looked up at him with her big blue eyes. In truth she was unafraid, but what better excuse to get close to him? His cologne was intoxicating.
As Anthony looked at the same houses, his thoughts turned to Bend, rather than rich women in palatial mansions. He had lived in a house such as these, once. When his father was alive.
When they were happy.
”I really do hope so,” Anthony replied to Sophi’s statement, winking at her. ”I’d hate for all of this tedious planning to go to waste.”
When they arrived at the parking lot, Anthony got out of the car, and ran his fingers through his hair as he stood up, using his reflection in the car window as a mirror. Walking around the car, he opened her door, and waited for her to stand up fully, before he closed the door and locked the car, funny little beep ringing out in the packed parking lot.
In response to her question, Anthony nodded, and said, ”Of course!” He was more than ready for this! He was born for this! There was no possible way he wasn’t ready for this!
….
Right?
Sophi startling him out of his brief drifting off, Anthony accepted her arm without question. ”Don’t worry, Sophi, I’ll protect you from all of those muggers, hoodlums, and thieves that live around here. Suuuuch a disreputable neighborhood.”
Her eyes were the deepest blue he had ever seen, Anthony thought, and her perfume was enticing, drawing him in. Of course, that just might be Sophi herself, because god damn she looked good in this light. His steely eyes meeting hers, he felt like he had to say… something, anything.
”You know, on a clear night like tonight, the moonlight really makes your eyes shine.” Continuing, he said. ”I mean, really, they’re like stars. And I think that’s beautiful.”
Sophia blushed, which was something she was not used to doing. Normally it was her making other people blush. “Th-thank you… ” She looked away from him, smiling. “Just get us a seat, you sweet talker you..” She jabbed at him with another joke as they walked into the restaurant and the hostess greeted them.
“Good evening! Welcome to Giovani’s. Table for two?”
Anthony nodded, smiling. ”Yes, I have a reservation for a one Anthony Noll and Sophia Reese.”
After a bit of scrolling, the hostess found them on the list, and smiled. “Right this way, sir, ma’am.”
Sophia followed the hostess arm in arm with Anthony, looking around at all the different food people had on their table. It all looked so mouth watering! Expensive, too.
“Here we are. Your waiter will be Jeff. He’ll be around to take your order shortly. Have a great night!”
Sophia nodded in response and took a seat at the two person table next to a window overlooking the city. The view was breathtaking and certainly made the view they boasted about at the diner look like garbage.
“Do you have any recommendations?” She asked, picking up her menu and scanning it with her eyes. Suddenly a thought accorded to her and she pulled her menu away to look at him, “Anthony is an Italian name, isn’t it? Do you prefer to go by Tony? Tony is a great name, I think. Like Tony Stark!” She laughed, grinning at him. “Tony Stark is hilarious in the Avengers movies. He reminds me of myself a little bit.” She looked back at her menu, her eyes pulled towards the “alcoholic beverage” section.
Anthony picked up his menu as well, looking over what his options were. ”Well, I always do enjoy their Chicken Alfredo, but if that’s not your cup of tea, I would recommend the Baked Lasagna. Sounds odd, but tastes magnificent.” Listening to Sophia with a smile, he said,
”Yes, Anthony is an Italian name. My father was almost all Italian. And-”
Tony
Another voice, not Sophi’s, but still recognizably female, whispered in Anthony’s ear. Flashes of blonde broke into his vision, and two dots of emerald green appeared as well. Breaking out into a cold sweat, Anthony’s hands began to shake.
”N-no, I d-don’t go by th-th-that name. Wh-why do y-you ask?” Noticeably stuttering, he looked down at the table, ashamed and confused at himself. ”Please, may I be excused for a moment?”
Sophia frowned, confused by Anthony’s clearly unpleasant reaction. “Oh, yes of course.” She watched him as he stood and left the table. “What did I say?” She thought, staring at her menu now. Anthony had been obviously uncomfortable, but for what reason she had no clue. “Way to go, Soph.” She sighed to herself, looking up as the waiter appeared.
“Good evening miss! Can I get you anything to drink?”
Sophia nodded and pointed to the menu, “Can I get a glass of your Merlot wine?” The waiter nodded and asked for her ID. Showing it, Sophia looked over at Anthony’s empty chair. “I guess you can get him a water for now. I’m not really sure what he’d like to drink.”
“No problem. I’ll be right back with that Merlot!”
Stumbling to the men’s bathroom, he passed the attendant who stood near the door with a plate of those little mints, and made his way to a sink, staring into the bowl.
Turning it on, Anthony cupped his hands, and splashed his face with water. Turning it off, he looked at himself in the mirror. What he saw there was not anything that would be possible. A face, a woman’s, instead of his own.
She had blonde hair, porcelain skin, and the deepest emerald eyes you would ever see in your life. She had a placid, calm look on her face, but somehow that made it worse for Anthony. Turning away from the mirror, Anthony opened up a stall door, and sat on the edge of the toilet, cupping his head in his hands, covering his face.
Even though his eyes were closed, flashes of color, blonde, green, and white, still raced through his vision, eyelids be damned. Suddenly, a face coalesced from the blackness, and with it, came a name.
Leah.
At the very thought of that person, Anthony just about threw up, gagging, but not getting beyond dry heaves. He still couldn’t recall who she was, or what she had done, but… there was something there, and she was the one who called him Tony. She was the only one who had called him Tony.
Standing up, and using the mirror to fix himself, and make himself presentable again, he exited the bathroom, smile on his face again. He wouldn’t ruin this for Sophi. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he did.
When he reached the table again, he sat down, as if nothing had happened, but said, ”I’d appreciate it if you didn’t call me… that, please. I… have bad experiences with that name....” Of course, he didn’t tell her what those were, because he didn’t know what they were.
Swirling the wine in her glass, Sophia stared at the menu looking for an appetizing meal until Anthony broke her focus. Looking up, she halfheartedly smiled at him. “Oh… I’m sorry. I didn’t know...” Her smile faded. Apparently Anthony had some real emotional baggage to deal with. That was unfortunate. Then again, who was she to talk? Taking a sip of her wine, she continued looking at the menu for a few more minutes.
“So! Are you two ready to order? And can I get your drink, sir?”
Sophia looked up at the waiter and set down her glass, “I’m ready…” Her eyes met Anthony’s. “How about you?”
Anthony cursed himself, internally. He shouldn’t have shown anything. But… that name. Why did it bother him so much? Anthony smiled as if nothing was wrong, (which, was, of course, a lie,) and said, ”Yes, I’m ready.” Looking up at the waiter, he set the menu back down. ”I would like a scotch, and baked lasagna, please.”
“And I’ll take the chicken Marsala, please. Thank you.”
When the man had left, Anthony turned back to Sophia. ”Listen, you couldn’t have known. It’s no one’s fault but my own. Please, don’t get that look on your face. I couldn’t bear if I was the cause of it.” The problem was, with Anthony, he really couldn’t. ”So let’s just enjoy ourselves, okay?” And so he lied, pretending that everything was alright, pushing everything deep down inside, like he always did. Wait, what? Where’d that thought come from-
Sophia scanned his eyes thoughtfully, wondering what had happened in his past to make him hate the name Tony. “Okay. Thank you. You’re a sweetheart.” She smiled, grabbing her wine again. The aura around Anthony was awfully tense, so she decided to change the subject. “So, tell me about yourself.” She sipped at her wine again. God damn delicious. “Do you have any family around here?”
Before Anthony could get a word out, Sophia’s phone began ringing from her purse, breaking her attention. Immediately she grabbed her purse and rummaged around for her phone. Was it Riley? What was wrong? Was everything okay?! As soon as she got her fingers on the smart phone and read Riley’s name she looked up at Anthony, “I’m sorry, I have to take this. Be right back.” Without hesitation she hurried to the front door, stepping outside to the brisk air of the night.
“Hello?” She answered, staring down the alleyway as she waited for a reply. Instead, she only heard rustling and the muffled voices of Riley and Kylie.
“...A big, massive one! Like ‘Wow, that’s huge’! The ideal girth! Seriously!”
“Seems like the ground is a common theme today.”
“Riley? Kylie? Hello!!”
“Looks like you’re on top of me now.”
“RILEY!”
“What the hell are they doing?!” Sophia ended the call and immediately called for an Uber driver. Riley had clearly butt dialed her, but whatever was going on in the background did not sound good… or appropriate. That was Kylie’s voice, right? Not Claire’s? She wasn’t sure which she would have preferred. Either of them made her want to shiver in disgust. She had to get out of here and make sure everything was okay back at the house.
Still, she couldn’t just leave Anthony here with the tab. Instead, Sophia rushed back to their table and slapped a fifty dollar bill on the table. “I am SO sorry, Anthony, but I really have to go. There’s something going on with my family. I’m so so so sorry. Have dinner on me, at least.” She gave him an apologetic look, not daring to ask him to call her later. No doubt he wouldn’t want to talk to her again… Before he had the chance to offer her a ride back she turned and hurried out of the restaurant. “Date ruined.” She didn’t want to sit in the agonizing car ride with him trying to explain her dysfunctional family. Hopefully he understood, but somehow she doubted it. Work sure would be awkward if he still decided to come into the diner after this…
Luckily an Uber driver had been close by, so within a few minutes she was in the car and telling the driver to hightail it to her address. Was this what it felt like to be a mother? Cancelling all plans around your family at any given moment in time? Great…
Infuriatingly, Claire decided to come back to their house like a lost puppy dog. The girl was apparently as dense as a brick wall when it came to hints. The fact that Riley left his girlfriend unattended as she scoured their house like it was her own was aggravating beyond belief, but she tried to understand considering their sister had just passed out. Kylie had woken up briefly after they got to the house and laid her down, mumbling incoherent words. Something about Sophia’s ass looking “tight.” After that, the elder sibling decided that Kylie would be just fine and a hospital visit was unnecessary. Kylie was clearly acting like herself. She left Riley in charge of watching over her just in case something happened, instructing him to call her immediately if anything should happen. It didn’t matter if she was on a date, her family would come first. Always.
With her brother’s reassurance, Sophia decided to take leave from Kylie’s room and start getting ready for her date. A date! Finally! It had been so long since her last real date. The fact that it was with Anthony, the guy that she had been checking out for quite some time, made butterflies flutter around in her stomach. At least Sophia hadn’t lost all of her appeal, despite all those pounds that she had apparently gained according to her family. Jerks.
Entering her room, Sophia found a letter lying on the ground addressed to her. Picking it up she immediately recognized the handwriting as her little sister Olivia’s. Her heart dropped at the sight, scared that perhaps this was some sort of run away letter. With everything that was happening lately, she honestly wouldn’t have blamed Olivia. It was all so overwhelming.
Gingerly she opened the letter and sat on the edge of her bed to read it. She frowned as she read it, her heart hurting from her sister’s words. Olivia obviously knew that Sophia was not pleased with her, but hearing that from her sister who had always been such an angel was a little painful. Olivia wasn’t used to being in trouble. Sighing, she set the letter on her dresser and grabbed a pen off of her night stand. After tearing off the bottom of the unused paper from Olivia’s note, she quickly she wrote a reply,
“Dear Ollie,
Tomorrow is a new day, please don’t be too upset with yourself. We all make mistakes. I love you so much. <3 :)
Love, Sophi.”
Sophia folded the note with Olivia’s name on it, stepped out of her room, and stuck it under Olivia and Zoey’s door. If she knew Olivia, talking about the issue head on right now would make her cry. A serious talk would have to wait until later, but hopefully the note would make her feel a little bit better for the night. Maybe this weekend was due for some quality sister time. Not the pot smoking kind. Nonetheless, Sophia currently a date to get ready for.
@Emma
Nearly two hours later Sophia was finally finished getting ready. Her outfit wasn’t exactly the fanciest, but she didn’t want to overdo it on the first date. Plus, those black leggings really showed off her “tight ass” that Kylie liked to point out. She had to show off the assets, obviously.
Running down the stairs, Sophia decided to wait in the living room. However, she was stopped dead in her tracks as the smell of lasagna wafted into her nose. Slowly, Sophia walked towards the kitchen to see Claire beginning to take dinner out of the oven and Olivia setting the table. Sophia immediately shot a look of disgust, staring at Claire. Who did this girl think she was? Entering their house, cleaning it, and now cooking them dinner. If she was trying to enter the family as their new “mother”, then she was sorely mistaken. The spot wasn’t in need of replacing.
“Hi Claire.” She made herself known, standing in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room with her arms crossed. She was a viper waiting to strike. “I appreciate the cooking, but… haven’t you only been dating Riley, like.. a week?” She inquired, her voice cold as stone and clearly unimpressed. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t saunter around my house like you own the damn place.” She glared, “You’re overstepping your boundaries.”
@BlueAjah
Hearing the knock at the door, Sophia instantly spun around and hurried to the door. Claire didn’t matter anymore. She would be dealt with later. Flinging open the door, Sophia grinned as she met face to face with her knight in shining armor. Mood immediately uplifted! He looked so dashing! God, she felt under dressed now. “Anthony!” She greeted happily, deciding to step out of the house and close the door behind her. It was better if he didn’t meet her family for now, or that annoying leech lingering in their kitchen. “I’m glad you didn’t decide to ditch me.” She giggled as she poked fun at him, beginning to walk down the steps with him to his car.
Anthony’s eyes widened as Sophi appeared in the doorway before him. She looked gorgeous! However, he noticed an adorable sight behind her, a girl standing on her tiptoes, staring into his face. Giving her a little wave, he leaned in, and asked Sophi, ”So who’s the adorable little girl looking at me?”
"Oh, that was my little sister." She continued to lead the way to the car. She didn't want to introduce him to her family at all. Not now.
Walking beside her, he laughed and shook his head, a twinkle in his eye.
”I wouldn’t miss this for anything, Sophi.” Approaching the car, he opened the passenger door, and said, ”I was really looking forward to this, after all.” And he was, giddy excitement having overridden most of his thoughts over the course of the day.
How many people would get the chance to go on a date with the girl they had been thinking about for a while? Probably quite a few, if they acted like adults, and talked about it, but Anthony didn’t even think about this. He was too excited. He didn’t even see himself as some sort of ‘knight’, he was simply excited.
“Oh, you’re so sweet. Thank you!” She couldn’t stop smiling as she climbed into his car. There were still guys who held doors for women?! His car wasn’t the nicest, she had to admit, but it was better than picking her up on a tandem bike. That had happened to her once before. As Anthony got into the car, Sophia settled in and put on her seat belt. God forbid he drove like a crazy person. Another date of hers thought drifting around corners would be a good way to impress her right off the bat. Instead, she was terrified as he nearly ran over innocent pedestrians in a school zone. “I’ve been looking forward to this all day. You really turned my day around, thank you.” She said sincerely, lightly smiling at him as Anthony began to drive off. “And I’ve had one hell of a day.” She laughed even though she was completely serious.
Anthony closed the door behind Sophi, and walked around the front, back to the driver’s seat. Pulling his keys out, he opened his own door, and got in, starting the car. A softly playing radio station was currently broadcasting a song by Muse, Renegade, by the sound of it, although it was too soft to really follow.
Anthony began to shift out of park, when he suddenly realized that his seat belt wasn’t buckled. Quickly doing so, pulling it down across his chest, he pulled out normally. He didn’t want Sophi to think less of him just because of his driving, so he calmly (on the outside) made his way to the East Side of town, where Gio’s was located. ”I can relate, believe me.There have been weeks where I... “ Anthony began to drift off, smile slipping, as flashes of blonde began to enter his vision, memories beginning to return. His quatrefoil tattoo began to itch, and he smiled awkwardly, saying, ”However, let’s not dwell on the bad stuff tonight.”
”I absolutely love Giovanni’s, by the way. Haven’t had the chance to eat there in a while! So thanks for giving me an excuse to go! “ Anthony kept smiling, and continued, ”Oh, and did you know? Loretta Jason and Daniel Bradford are both at the Underground tonight, one after the other, after the regular stand up! And the tickets I got are for both of them!” Anthony was pretty excited, almost as much as he was to go on this date in the first place, to see the comedienne and comedian. They were both nationally-recognized, but for different areas of comedy. Jason was famous for her stand-up, wisecracking personality, and involvement of the audience. Bradford was a critically acclaimed musician, as well as a comedian, and Anthony even had his first album on his phone. Tonight’s tickets would’ve been expensive, but Anthony had gotten them pretty cheap from a guy who had the same major as him at the University, and worked at the Underground as a tech.
As they passed through the increasingly opulent neighborhoods, Anthony’s face somehow became even more bright as they talked, and his eyes had a childlike sparkle to them. It was almost as if the shadow that had passed over him a few minutes ago was completely gone.
Almost.
“Wow, really?!” She bursted with excitement. Daniel Bradford was a heartthrob! Musicians were to die for, let alone one’s who had a great sense of humor. “This is going to be a great night.” She cooed, her voice having a slight temptress-like tone. Looking out the window, she took note of all the houses they passed by. Each more extravagant than the last. “Maybe someday…” She thought, looking at the porch of what appeared like a mansion. Her mind wandered back to one of her ex boyfriends, Chris Warren. He lived out here on the east side of town, only a few streets away from where they were now. Her parents had loved him, and her mother joked that Sophia had “caught a rich one.” They had ended on good terms, but unfortunately Chris wasn’t the one for her. If only she had stayed with Chris instead of finding the boyfriend after him. He was a nightmare in comparison.
Eventually Anthony pulled into a nearby parking lot. As Anthony opened the door for her, she got out of the car and adjusted her sweater dress and checked her hair briefly in the car's reflection. All set, she walked up to her knight and stood by his side. “Ready?” She smiled, looping her arm with his. The restaurant wasn’t far, only a small walk up the hill and down an alleyway of buildings. Giovanni’s could be easily missed if you didn’t know where to look. “The alley is a bit creepy if you ask me. Keep me safe?” She grinned and looked up at him with her big blue eyes. In truth she was unafraid, but what better excuse to get close to him? His cologne was intoxicating.
As Anthony looked at the same houses, his thoughts turned to Bend, rather than rich women in palatial mansions. He had lived in a house such as these, once. When his father was alive.
When they were happy.
”I really do hope so,” Anthony replied to Sophi’s statement, winking at her. ”I’d hate for all of this tedious planning to go to waste.”
When they arrived at the parking lot, Anthony got out of the car, and ran his fingers through his hair as he stood up, using his reflection in the car window as a mirror. Walking around the car, he opened her door, and waited for her to stand up fully, before he closed the door and locked the car, funny little beep ringing out in the packed parking lot.
In response to her question, Anthony nodded, and said, ”Of course!” He was more than ready for this! He was born for this! There was no possible way he wasn’t ready for this!
….
Right?
Sophi startling him out of his brief drifting off, Anthony accepted her arm without question. ”Don’t worry, Sophi, I’ll protect you from all of those muggers, hoodlums, and thieves that live around here. Suuuuch a disreputable neighborhood.”
Her eyes were the deepest blue he had ever seen, Anthony thought, and her perfume was enticing, drawing him in. Of course, that just might be Sophi herself, because god damn she looked good in this light. His steely eyes meeting hers, he felt like he had to say… something, anything.
”You know, on a clear night like tonight, the moonlight really makes your eyes shine.” Continuing, he said. ”I mean, really, they’re like stars. And I think that’s beautiful.”
Sophia blushed, which was something she was not used to doing. Normally it was her making other people blush. “Th-thank you… ” She looked away from him, smiling. “Just get us a seat, you sweet talker you..” She jabbed at him with another joke as they walked into the restaurant and the hostess greeted them.
“Good evening! Welcome to Giovani’s. Table for two?”
Anthony nodded, smiling. ”Yes, I have a reservation for a one Anthony Noll and Sophia Reese.”
After a bit of scrolling, the hostess found them on the list, and smiled. “Right this way, sir, ma’am.”
Sophia followed the hostess arm in arm with Anthony, looking around at all the different food people had on their table. It all looked so mouth watering! Expensive, too.
“Here we are. Your waiter will be Jeff. He’ll be around to take your order shortly. Have a great night!”
Sophia nodded in response and took a seat at the two person table next to a window overlooking the city. The view was breathtaking and certainly made the view they boasted about at the diner look like garbage.
“Do you have any recommendations?” She asked, picking up her menu and scanning it with her eyes. Suddenly a thought accorded to her and she pulled her menu away to look at him, “Anthony is an Italian name, isn’t it? Do you prefer to go by Tony? Tony is a great name, I think. Like Tony Stark!” She laughed, grinning at him. “Tony Stark is hilarious in the Avengers movies. He reminds me of myself a little bit.” She looked back at her menu, her eyes pulled towards the “alcoholic beverage” section.
Anthony picked up his menu as well, looking over what his options were. ”Well, I always do enjoy their Chicken Alfredo, but if that’s not your cup of tea, I would recommend the Baked Lasagna. Sounds odd, but tastes magnificent.” Listening to Sophia with a smile, he said,
”Yes, Anthony is an Italian name. My father was almost all Italian. And-”
Tony
Another voice, not Sophi’s, but still recognizably female, whispered in Anthony’s ear. Flashes of blonde broke into his vision, and two dots of emerald green appeared as well. Breaking out into a cold sweat, Anthony’s hands began to shake.
”N-no, I d-don’t go by th-th-that name. Wh-why do y-you ask?” Noticeably stuttering, he looked down at the table, ashamed and confused at himself. ”Please, may I be excused for a moment?”
Sophia frowned, confused by Anthony’s clearly unpleasant reaction. “Oh, yes of course.” She watched him as he stood and left the table. “What did I say?” She thought, staring at her menu now. Anthony had been obviously uncomfortable, but for what reason she had no clue. “Way to go, Soph.” She sighed to herself, looking up as the waiter appeared.
“Good evening miss! Can I get you anything to drink?”
Sophia nodded and pointed to the menu, “Can I get a glass of your Merlot wine?” The waiter nodded and asked for her ID. Showing it, Sophia looked over at Anthony’s empty chair. “I guess you can get him a water for now. I’m not really sure what he’d like to drink.”
“No problem. I’ll be right back with that Merlot!”
Stumbling to the men’s bathroom, he passed the attendant who stood near the door with a plate of those little mints, and made his way to a sink, staring into the bowl.
Turning it on, Anthony cupped his hands, and splashed his face with water. Turning it off, he looked at himself in the mirror. What he saw there was not anything that would be possible. A face, a woman’s, instead of his own.
She had blonde hair, porcelain skin, and the deepest emerald eyes you would ever see in your life. She had a placid, calm look on her face, but somehow that made it worse for Anthony. Turning away from the mirror, Anthony opened up a stall door, and sat on the edge of the toilet, cupping his head in his hands, covering his face.
Even though his eyes were closed, flashes of color, blonde, green, and white, still raced through his vision, eyelids be damned. Suddenly, a face coalesced from the blackness, and with it, came a name.
Leah.
At the very thought of that person, Anthony just about threw up, gagging, but not getting beyond dry heaves. He still couldn’t recall who she was, or what she had done, but… there was something there, and she was the one who called him Tony. She was the only one who had called him Tony.
Standing up, and using the mirror to fix himself, and make himself presentable again, he exited the bathroom, smile on his face again. He wouldn’t ruin this for Sophi. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he did.
When he reached the table again, he sat down, as if nothing had happened, but said, ”I’d appreciate it if you didn’t call me… that, please. I… have bad experiences with that name....” Of course, he didn’t tell her what those were, because he didn’t know what they were.
Swirling the wine in her glass, Sophia stared at the menu looking for an appetizing meal until Anthony broke her focus. Looking up, she halfheartedly smiled at him. “Oh… I’m sorry. I didn’t know...” Her smile faded. Apparently Anthony had some real emotional baggage to deal with. That was unfortunate. Then again, who was she to talk? Taking a sip of her wine, she continued looking at the menu for a few more minutes.
“So! Are you two ready to order? And can I get your drink, sir?”
Sophia looked up at the waiter and set down her glass, “I’m ready…” Her eyes met Anthony’s. “How about you?”
Anthony cursed himself, internally. He shouldn’t have shown anything. But… that name. Why did it bother him so much? Anthony smiled as if nothing was wrong, (which, was, of course, a lie,) and said, ”Yes, I’m ready.” Looking up at the waiter, he set the menu back down. ”I would like a scotch, and baked lasagna, please.”
“And I’ll take the chicken Marsala, please. Thank you.”
When the man had left, Anthony turned back to Sophia. ”Listen, you couldn’t have known. It’s no one’s fault but my own. Please, don’t get that look on your face. I couldn’t bear if I was the cause of it.” The problem was, with Anthony, he really couldn’t. ”So let’s just enjoy ourselves, okay?” And so he lied, pretending that everything was alright, pushing everything deep down inside, like he always did. Wait, what? Where’d that thought come from-
Sophia scanned his eyes thoughtfully, wondering what had happened in his past to make him hate the name Tony. “Okay. Thank you. You’re a sweetheart.” She smiled, grabbing her wine again. The aura around Anthony was awfully tense, so she decided to change the subject. “So, tell me about yourself.” She sipped at her wine again. God damn delicious. “Do you have any family around here?”
Before Anthony could get a word out, Sophia’s phone began ringing from her purse, breaking her attention. Immediately she grabbed her purse and rummaged around for her phone. Was it Riley? What was wrong? Was everything okay?! As soon as she got her fingers on the smart phone and read Riley’s name she looked up at Anthony, “I’m sorry, I have to take this. Be right back.” Without hesitation she hurried to the front door, stepping outside to the brisk air of the night.
“Hello?” She answered, staring down the alleyway as she waited for a reply. Instead, she only heard rustling and the muffled voices of Riley and Kylie.
“...A big, massive one! Like ‘Wow, that’s huge’! The ideal girth! Seriously!”
“Seems like the ground is a common theme today.”
“Riley? Kylie? Hello!!”
“Looks like you’re on top of me now.”
“RILEY!”
“What the hell are they doing?!” Sophia ended the call and immediately called for an Uber driver. Riley had clearly butt dialed her, but whatever was going on in the background did not sound good… or appropriate. That was Kylie’s voice, right? Not Claire’s? She wasn’t sure which she would have preferred. Either of them made her want to shiver in disgust. She had to get out of here and make sure everything was okay back at the house.
Still, she couldn’t just leave Anthony here with the tab. Instead, Sophia rushed back to their table and slapped a fifty dollar bill on the table. “I am SO sorry, Anthony, but I really have to go. There’s something going on with my family. I’m so so so sorry. Have dinner on me, at least.” She gave him an apologetic look, not daring to ask him to call her later. No doubt he wouldn’t want to talk to her again… Before he had the chance to offer her a ride back she turned and hurried out of the restaurant. “Date ruined.” She didn’t want to sit in the agonizing car ride with him trying to explain her dysfunctional family. Hopefully he understood, but somehow she doubted it. Work sure would be awkward if he still decided to come into the diner after this…
Luckily an Uber driver had been close by, so within a few minutes she was in the car and telling the driver to hightail it to her address. Was this what it felt like to be a mother? Cancelling all plans around your family at any given moment in time? Great…
@Athinar Actually, nevermind. Lovely and I shall work around this. We have a plan! Haha
@Athinar If so I will have Sophi cancel the date. Let me know... on the way home now
Timeskip: 7PM
“Oh? If you two are worried about your weight, I have several dieting tips that I could give you.” was the only thing Sophia heard, the rest of the dumb blonde’s words disappeared into thin air. Who did this girl think she was? Clearly, she was too stupid to realize the words that were coming out of her mouth. That, or Sophia really did need to hit the gym more often than she already did. Perhaps it was time to double up on her kick boxing class.
With an obviously disgusted facial expression, Sophia decided to leave the girls hand hanging in the air. “How sweet of you.” Her gaze shot daggers as she stared at the girl, unafraid of displaying her annoyance.
Slowly, she peeled her eyes away from Claire and to her brother with a “are you serious?” kind of look. Before she had the chance to say anything, another girl came flying from around the corner and shouldered Riley, causing him and his blonde bimbo to fly forward. Sophia began to move backwards as the two fell in unison, though it was not quick enough. Unfortunately Claire’s head rammed right into Sophia’s elbow and consequently into her ribs thereafter. The force knocked Sophia back and she let out a little squeal as she landed onto the pavement, cringing from the slight pain in her ribs and skidding her ass on the parking lot.
“What the hell?!” Sophia’s glare switched to the brunette who had been the cause of the entire domino effect. With her attention completely on the girl, Sophia (fortunately) completely missed her siblings accidental kiss. “I hope you were running from your goddamn murderer.” She got up from the ground, watching Kylie squirm away from Riley in a hurry… and then faint.
“Kylie!” Sophia rushed over in an attempt to grab her, but Riley was there just in time. “Oh god, did she hit her head?” For a brief moment Sophia’s face showed complete and utter worry, until it dissipated to anger and she shot her cold glare at the brunette; obviously blaming her entirely for her sister passing out. “You better hope she’s going to be okay.” She hissed, still scowling. “What’s your-”
“I’m so sorry about all this. If you want, my house isn’t too far. I can fix us up some dinner and we can watch a movie or something? Unless you can’t... I’d understand. I really need to get her home.”
Sophia raised a brow, turning to her brother who was now holding her sister's limp body in a bride-like fashion. Clearly, he wasn’t as worried about this as she was. Did Kylie have a history within the last three years of passing out that Sophia wasn’t aware of or something? How could he possibly still be fine with inviting Claire over when their sister needed attention? God, their brother could be an idiot when girls were involved.
“You need to get ready for your date! Don’t worry about Kylie, I’ll take care of her.”
“I.. what… Riley, are you sure? I think we might need to take her to the hospital… ” Sophia was baffled. Did they both hit their heads on the way down? At this point, the date wasn’t sounding like much of an option. In fact, today had been such a shit show that she wasn’t sure if she even felt up for going on a date. Going home, locking herself in her room, and downing an entire bottle of Pinot Grigio sounded like a much better plan.
As her brother scolded the other girl, Sophia walked over to stand at his side. She began to scan Kylie’s face, looking for signs of bleeding or bruises. She was clearly breathing, so that was good at least. Still, her brother seemed alarmingly calm. Did Sophia miss something?
“Claire, if you do decide to come, you know where I live. I’m walking home. Come on, Sophi.”
Sophia followed in suit, calling over her shoulder, “You can’t stay long, though. The girls have to get up early for school tomorrow, after all.” Her tone sounded sweet, but it was obviously a hint to Claire that she wasn’t exactly welcome.
With an obviously disgusted facial expression, Sophia decided to leave the girls hand hanging in the air. “How sweet of you.” Her gaze shot daggers as she stared at the girl, unafraid of displaying her annoyance.
Slowly, she peeled her eyes away from Claire and to her brother with a “are you serious?” kind of look. Before she had the chance to say anything, another girl came flying from around the corner and shouldered Riley, causing him and his blonde bimbo to fly forward. Sophia began to move backwards as the two fell in unison, though it was not quick enough. Unfortunately Claire’s head rammed right into Sophia’s elbow and consequently into her ribs thereafter. The force knocked Sophia back and she let out a little squeal as she landed onto the pavement, cringing from the slight pain in her ribs and skidding her ass on the parking lot.
“What the hell?!” Sophia’s glare switched to the brunette who had been the cause of the entire domino effect. With her attention completely on the girl, Sophia (fortunately) completely missed her siblings accidental kiss. “I hope you were running from your goddamn murderer.” She got up from the ground, watching Kylie squirm away from Riley in a hurry… and then faint.
“Kylie!” Sophia rushed over in an attempt to grab her, but Riley was there just in time. “Oh god, did she hit her head?” For a brief moment Sophia’s face showed complete and utter worry, until it dissipated to anger and she shot her cold glare at the brunette; obviously blaming her entirely for her sister passing out. “You better hope she’s going to be okay.” She hissed, still scowling. “What’s your-”
“I’m so sorry about all this. If you want, my house isn’t too far. I can fix us up some dinner and we can watch a movie or something? Unless you can’t... I’d understand. I really need to get her home.”
Sophia raised a brow, turning to her brother who was now holding her sister's limp body in a bride-like fashion. Clearly, he wasn’t as worried about this as she was. Did Kylie have a history within the last three years of passing out that Sophia wasn’t aware of or something? How could he possibly still be fine with inviting Claire over when their sister needed attention? God, their brother could be an idiot when girls were involved.
“You need to get ready for your date! Don’t worry about Kylie, I’ll take care of her.”
“I.. what… Riley, are you sure? I think we might need to take her to the hospital… ” Sophia was baffled. Did they both hit their heads on the way down? At this point, the date wasn’t sounding like much of an option. In fact, today had been such a shit show that she wasn’t sure if she even felt up for going on a date. Going home, locking herself in her room, and downing an entire bottle of Pinot Grigio sounded like a much better plan.
As her brother scolded the other girl, Sophia walked over to stand at his side. She began to scan Kylie’s face, looking for signs of bleeding or bruises. She was clearly breathing, so that was good at least. Still, her brother seemed alarmingly calm. Did Sophia miss something?
“Claire, if you do decide to come, you know where I live. I’m walking home. Come on, Sophi.”
Sophia followed in suit, calling over her shoulder, “You can’t stay long, though. The girls have to get up early for school tomorrow, after all.” Her tone sounded sweet, but it was obviously a hint to Claire that she wasn’t exactly welcome.
ADDED TO TOWN GUIDE:
In Entertainment: Planet Rose Karaoke Lounge (Lovely made a generator decide the name's fate haha)
In Other: Donald Schultz Library and White Angel Memorial Park
Also, if you guys haven't noticed yet in Living Areas: the Outskirts and Millington University Dorms has been added.
Collab with @Emma
Chris pressed the gas and eased out of the parking lot of the high school. “Blake my man.” he said greeting his brother when he popped into the car. “Well my literature class was canceled today, apparently the professor finally had her baby last night. Anyway my day has been rather dull, any ideas on how liven up the rest of it? Like maybe the amusement park, or arcade, or something you're into. I’m dying for some quality time with my little bro. We haven’t really hung out since I moved back in.” Chris said light heartedly as he glanced at Blake in the passenger seat. Chris had only been at Dartmouth for about two years, but every time he came back home for holiday vacation, it seemed like Blake had grown another inch, and his voice had changed even more. It was kind of depressing that he might not even see Blake graduate high school.
Blake smiled as he relaxed into the seat, staring out the window as the school began to fade away in the distance. Chris actually wanted to spend time with him? His older brother seemed so preoccupied since he was back that Blake didn’t really expect him to want some time to hang out with his little brother. “Can we go see Deadpool? I haven’t seen it yet.” All of his friends had somehow convinced their parents to let them see the movie, but Blake had been unable to with his. Chris was cool enough, he would let him…. right?
Chris smiled at Blake’s suggestion. He remembered hearing their old man telling Blake that he was to young to see Deadpool, and that rated R meant something in their house. Mom agreed with Pop of course, she and dad were quite the parent duo when it came to discipline and rules. “Yeah, I’ve been wanting to see it too. It's all anyone talks about at the university right now. Perfect idea, popcorn sounds great too.” Chris made a left towards the mall, and then came to a stop at the red light. As he waited for it to turn green he spotted Tara jogging down the sidewalk. He honked at Tara to get her attention and then smiled charmingly as he waved at her. He remembered being class partners with her back in senior year of high school. Home Economic class had never been more entertaining, with freshman Tara around. The light turned green and he pressed the gas lightly. Lately his driving had become a lot less reckless. He wished he could have some control in his fate, and so driving more carefully and taking precautions was he way of helping his odds in the game of life and death. Dying in a fiery crash was more or less preventable, as long as there was no idiots on the road. Lucky Millington was basically a perpetually safe tiny town. Well minus the Reese parents.
Truthfully, Blake should have been going straight home to do his homework. At least that’s what his mom told him. That, and that he was grounded until “further notice.” His grades hadn’t pleased her, so she figured grounding him would do the trick. What Chris didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. “Awesome!” Blake filled with excitement, grinning as his brother agreed to the suggestion. Finally, he could be a part of the jokes going around at school about some kind of “baby hand” scene. Whatever that meant. “It’s good having you back, Chris.” He mentioned, glancing at the dark haired girl Chris had honked at while stopped at the light. He eyed her, trying to determine if she had been one of his brother’s previous girlfriends, but her face didn’t ring a bell. There had been too many to keep track of, honestly.
Chris turned into the Mall parking lot and parked his Jag in the shaded spot near the north entrance. “It’s nice being back Blake. You, Mom, and Pop are my most important people.” Chris said sincerely to Blake. He took the keys out of the ignition, and stepped out of the car. “Anyway, to the movies.” He said happily leading the way into the mall.
Chris had seemed more timid than usual.. not quite like the brother he remembered before he left for college. Blake had felt like asking if everything was okay within the past few days of his brother being back, but never worked up the courage to do it. Why had his brother even left college? He didn’t want to press… it seemed like a delicate topic between Chris and their parents. Instead, Blake decided to focus on the here and now. Deadpool! “So, have you scooped up any new girlfriends since being back yet?” Blake joked as they left the parking lot and entered the mall. Hopefully someday Blake could gain the confidence his brother had to swoon so many women. Sometimes it felt like that was what their father was most proud of for Chris, minus his star athletics. Blake, on the other hand, didn’t seem to have half the charm his older brother did.
A new girlfriend, or boyfriend for that matter, was not something Chris saw in his near future. Sex was something he had always been amazing at, just like soccer, but sadly he now had to abstain from both. ”None yet. There is quite an abnormal amount hot people in this town though, so I see a bright future ahead of me.” Chris said with just a twinge of sarcasm. They walked up to the ticket booth. “Two for Deadpool. Keep the change.” He said handing the pizza faced attendant a fifty dollar bill. “Do you have your eyes on any ladies at school? Or gents perhaps?” Chris asked grabbing the tickets and heading over to the snack counter. He looked over the list of popcorn combos, trying to decide on which he wanted.
“I’m sure you’ll find someone soon enough. You always do.” He laughed, watching his brother hand the attendant a fifty. That kid just got a damn good tip, but the extra cash really didn’t mean much to the Warren brothers. Standing at the snack counter, his eyes scanned the menu. “Oh… no, I don’t really like anyone at school…” His voice lacked the enthusiasm it had just a few moments ago. He was nothing like his older brother had been in high school, that was clear. “Uhm,” Time to change the subject. “Can I get a blue Icee?” He looked over to his brother, an innocent smile forming on his face. They both knew their parents didn’t usually support a giant cup of pure sugar.
”Get whatever you want, my man.” Chris said smiling right back at him, knowing Blake’s innocent smile was really just a mischievous one. Candy, pop, sweets, and sugar in general were not typically kept in the house. Their parents were both granola health nuts, and spent most of their free time training for marathons. The fact that they were both doctors did not help with the no junk food rule at home. “We’ll have one large blue icee, a large sprite, and two popcorns with extra butter. Oh, and a bag of skittles. Anything else you want Blake?” Chris asked handing the money to the cashier, as an attractive ginger scooped their popcorn order into buckets. It seemed like the right moment to cheat on his annoyingly restrictive diet, so extra butter is what it was going to be.
Chris really was the man. The one person who never let him down. In spite of how annoyed their mother might be when they got home, this was turning out to be a good day. “Nope, that’s it for me.” He said, taking the Icee from the girl at the cash register and instantly beginning to suck down the sweet drink. Suddenly, his phone began to buzz in his pocket. He took it out and read the text from his mother. “Where are you?” He frowned, but decided it was best to reply. Ignoring her would mean hell to pay. Quickly he typed back, “I’m hanging out with Chris. He picked me up from school.” It wasn’t exactly a lie… just not completely the truth, either. Placing his phone on silent, he stuffed it back into his jean pocket and began walking down the long hall of theater rooms to find theirs.
Christopher’s phone buzzed as they entered theater number eight. He let Blake choose where to sit as he checked his phone. It was a text from mom “Is Blake with you?” Chris sighed. His parents were busy with work most of the time, but they were always around when they really need to be. The over protectiveness thing was just apart of their mom's core personality. She had always been that way. It had been hard for her to conceive a baby at all let alone a second one. She always called Blake and Chris her little miracles after suffering from infertility for so long. “Blake is with me, we are just hanging out. I’m helping with some school stuff.” he texted the lie to his mother. In a roundabout way he was kind of helping Blake with the social part of school, by letting him see the most popular movie. Chris turned his phone off, and sat down next to Blake handing him one of the buckets of popcorn. ”If mom asks you later where we were, just tell her I was helping you with school stuff.” Chris whispered to him as the room darkened, and the trailers started playing on the big screen.
Chris pressed the gas and eased out of the parking lot of the high school. “Blake my man.” he said greeting his brother when he popped into the car. “Well my literature class was canceled today, apparently the professor finally had her baby last night. Anyway my day has been rather dull, any ideas on how liven up the rest of it? Like maybe the amusement park, or arcade, or something you're into. I’m dying for some quality time with my little bro. We haven’t really hung out since I moved back in.” Chris said light heartedly as he glanced at Blake in the passenger seat. Chris had only been at Dartmouth for about two years, but every time he came back home for holiday vacation, it seemed like Blake had grown another inch, and his voice had changed even more. It was kind of depressing that he might not even see Blake graduate high school.
Blake smiled as he relaxed into the seat, staring out the window as the school began to fade away in the distance. Chris actually wanted to spend time with him? His older brother seemed so preoccupied since he was back that Blake didn’t really expect him to want some time to hang out with his little brother. “Can we go see Deadpool? I haven’t seen it yet.” All of his friends had somehow convinced their parents to let them see the movie, but Blake had been unable to with his. Chris was cool enough, he would let him…. right?
Chris smiled at Blake’s suggestion. He remembered hearing their old man telling Blake that he was to young to see Deadpool, and that rated R meant something in their house. Mom agreed with Pop of course, she and dad were quite the parent duo when it came to discipline and rules. “Yeah, I’ve been wanting to see it too. It's all anyone talks about at the university right now. Perfect idea, popcorn sounds great too.” Chris made a left towards the mall, and then came to a stop at the red light. As he waited for it to turn green he spotted Tara jogging down the sidewalk. He honked at Tara to get her attention and then smiled charmingly as he waved at her. He remembered being class partners with her back in senior year of high school. Home Economic class had never been more entertaining, with freshman Tara around. The light turned green and he pressed the gas lightly. Lately his driving had become a lot less reckless. He wished he could have some control in his fate, and so driving more carefully and taking precautions was he way of helping his odds in the game of life and death. Dying in a fiery crash was more or less preventable, as long as there was no idiots on the road. Lucky Millington was basically a perpetually safe tiny town. Well minus the Reese parents.
Truthfully, Blake should have been going straight home to do his homework. At least that’s what his mom told him. That, and that he was grounded until “further notice.” His grades hadn’t pleased her, so she figured grounding him would do the trick. What Chris didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. “Awesome!” Blake filled with excitement, grinning as his brother agreed to the suggestion. Finally, he could be a part of the jokes going around at school about some kind of “baby hand” scene. Whatever that meant. “It’s good having you back, Chris.” He mentioned, glancing at the dark haired girl Chris had honked at while stopped at the light. He eyed her, trying to determine if she had been one of his brother’s previous girlfriends, but her face didn’t ring a bell. There had been too many to keep track of, honestly.
Chris turned into the Mall parking lot and parked his Jag in the shaded spot near the north entrance. “It’s nice being back Blake. You, Mom, and Pop are my most important people.” Chris said sincerely to Blake. He took the keys out of the ignition, and stepped out of the car. “Anyway, to the movies.” He said happily leading the way into the mall.
Chris had seemed more timid than usual.. not quite like the brother he remembered before he left for college. Blake had felt like asking if everything was okay within the past few days of his brother being back, but never worked up the courage to do it. Why had his brother even left college? He didn’t want to press… it seemed like a delicate topic between Chris and their parents. Instead, Blake decided to focus on the here and now. Deadpool! “So, have you scooped up any new girlfriends since being back yet?” Blake joked as they left the parking lot and entered the mall. Hopefully someday Blake could gain the confidence his brother had to swoon so many women. Sometimes it felt like that was what their father was most proud of for Chris, minus his star athletics. Blake, on the other hand, didn’t seem to have half the charm his older brother did.
A new girlfriend, or boyfriend for that matter, was not something Chris saw in his near future. Sex was something he had always been amazing at, just like soccer, but sadly he now had to abstain from both. ”None yet. There is quite an abnormal amount hot people in this town though, so I see a bright future ahead of me.” Chris said with just a twinge of sarcasm. They walked up to the ticket booth. “Two for Deadpool. Keep the change.” He said handing the pizza faced attendant a fifty dollar bill. “Do you have your eyes on any ladies at school? Or gents perhaps?” Chris asked grabbing the tickets and heading over to the snack counter. He looked over the list of popcorn combos, trying to decide on which he wanted.
“I’m sure you’ll find someone soon enough. You always do.” He laughed, watching his brother hand the attendant a fifty. That kid just got a damn good tip, but the extra cash really didn’t mean much to the Warren brothers. Standing at the snack counter, his eyes scanned the menu. “Oh… no, I don’t really like anyone at school…” His voice lacked the enthusiasm it had just a few moments ago. He was nothing like his older brother had been in high school, that was clear. “Uhm,” Time to change the subject. “Can I get a blue Icee?” He looked over to his brother, an innocent smile forming on his face. They both knew their parents didn’t usually support a giant cup of pure sugar.
”Get whatever you want, my man.” Chris said smiling right back at him, knowing Blake’s innocent smile was really just a mischievous one. Candy, pop, sweets, and sugar in general were not typically kept in the house. Their parents were both granola health nuts, and spent most of their free time training for marathons. The fact that they were both doctors did not help with the no junk food rule at home. “We’ll have one large blue icee, a large sprite, and two popcorns with extra butter. Oh, and a bag of skittles. Anything else you want Blake?” Chris asked handing the money to the cashier, as an attractive ginger scooped their popcorn order into buckets. It seemed like the right moment to cheat on his annoyingly restrictive diet, so extra butter is what it was going to be.
Chris really was the man. The one person who never let him down. In spite of how annoyed their mother might be when they got home, this was turning out to be a good day. “Nope, that’s it for me.” He said, taking the Icee from the girl at the cash register and instantly beginning to suck down the sweet drink. Suddenly, his phone began to buzz in his pocket. He took it out and read the text from his mother. “Where are you?” He frowned, but decided it was best to reply. Ignoring her would mean hell to pay. Quickly he typed back, “I’m hanging out with Chris. He picked me up from school.” It wasn’t exactly a lie… just not completely the truth, either. Placing his phone on silent, he stuffed it back into his jean pocket and began walking down the long hall of theater rooms to find theirs.
Christopher’s phone buzzed as they entered theater number eight. He let Blake choose where to sit as he checked his phone. It was a text from mom “Is Blake with you?” Chris sighed. His parents were busy with work most of the time, but they were always around when they really need to be. The over protectiveness thing was just apart of their mom's core personality. She had always been that way. It had been hard for her to conceive a baby at all let alone a second one. She always called Blake and Chris her little miracles after suffering from infertility for so long. “Blake is with me, we are just hanging out. I’m helping with some school stuff.” he texted the lie to his mother. In a roundabout way he was kind of helping Blake with the social part of school, by letting him see the most popular movie. Chris turned his phone off, and sat down next to Blake handing him one of the buckets of popcorn. ”If mom asks you later where we were, just tell her I was helping you with school stuff.” Chris whispered to him as the room darkened, and the trailers started playing on the big screen.
Awww Jerry and Nana sittin in a tree... xD
Go ahead and put her up in the character tab! :]
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