With You┃Dylan O'Brien ⓵

Chapter Sixteen (Pt. 1) : How Unexpected

As we mix in with the people greeting my grandmother, I can hear a lot of them telling her how great she looks for seventy-eight. Not trying to be rude here, but she looks exactly how I would imagine a seventy-eight year old Italian woman to look.

The party is being held in a small ballroom in this really nice hotel here in Vegas, with close to a hundred people in attendance. About half of them are around my grandmother's age since they are her friends, and it feels like a really groovy retirement home in here.

The other half of the party guests consists of variously aged people, most of whom I've never seen before. A grand amount of them do happen to be my relatives, but I have no idea who the rest of them are.

"Nonna!", I exclaim as I give her a hug. "Happy Birthday!"

"Anita! My dear, you're so beautiful!"

"Well you know what they say, it runs in the family."

She laughs and I then get a good look at her. Her face is white and quite wrinkly, but you can still see her pretty, delicate features. She has the same green eyes as my dad and wispy long hair that's silky, grey and white. And of course, what makes my Nonna my Nonna, is her crazy sparkly, silver sequined dress that goes all the way down to her ankles.

"I'm so glad you're here," she says. "Some of these people I don't even remember how I met."

I laugh, "Well, I have someone for you to meet, Nonna."

Dylan steps forward so he's standing at my side, grinning down at her.

She gasps, "And who is this handsome young man? Your boyfriend?"

"No," I say, and I swear that under his breath, Dylan says 'not yet'. "He's just my friend. Best friend." Sort of a lie.

"Hello," he says politely. "My name is Dylan."

"It's nice to meet you," she nods with a grin. "Whatever evil tricks my granddaughter used to get you as a friend, I'm sorry. Only joking, she's a lovely girl. Enjoy yourselves!"

The two of us laugh and leave my parents to greet and talk with her.

"You weren't kidding when you said your grandma likes to party," he says as we look around at the place.

There's an incredibly long table draped in a white table cloth with extensive amounts of food and drinks upon it. One large area of the room is covered with hardwood floor which serves as a dance floor, where a lot of people are getting down to the live music.

Against the wall on that side of the room is a stage where the band sits, two guitarists, a bassist, a pianist, a drummer, and a singer who are all middle-aged and currently playing a catchy song.

"Yeah," I nod. "My grandparents have always been party people."

Dylan and I walk around as I greet various relatives of mine, most of whom I haven't seen in at least three years. Talking to them is awkward for the most part, just because I'm not entirely sure of what to say to them. But there is one person in particular that causes an instant grin to overtake my face.

"Auntie Carina!", I exclaim as she turns around quickly and embraces me.

"This can't be Anita!", she returns with a bright smile, looking me over. "You're even more beautiful than the last time I saw you!"

"Thank you!"

We go back and forth a bit making small talk while Dylan stands idly at my side, being polite and patient. Finally I get to ask her what I've wanted to since I first saw her here.