Treat You Better

Chapter Three: Dinner Disaster

I was going to pay for this later.

(╭☞•́⍛•̀)╭☞

Later that evening, I stood in front of the mirror in my bedroom, smoothing out the brown dress Hale told me to wear.

It was supposed to be a classy dinner or something. I didn't care, I just wanted to go, have a stomach ache as an excuse to leave and then come home to watch Netflix and enjoy hugs from Moo.

I didn't dare to put a rain check on this. The last time I did...?

I shuddered, and not from the cold wind coming through my window.

"Honey?" Dad called with a light knock as he pushed the door open. "I didn't count or anything, but in the three trips I took to and fro the kitchen you've been staring at your own reflection, what's up?"

"It's nothing" I replied.

"Is it the dress?" He insisted, coming to look into the mirror with me. "Do you not want to go to the dinner? Is it your mom?"

Since he wasn't going to let this go, I went with the wrong answer.
"Yeah, I just...I haven't heard from mom today" I shrugged.

"I'm sure she's thinking about you, Violet" Dad said, taking a pink hair clip and putting it in my black curls, "you spent ten freaking months in her womb. It would be hard not to think about you."

I snickered so hard that I snorted and Dad laughed with me.
"Thanks, I just needed the reminder that I'm a late bloomer in every sense of the word."

"I won't say every, you turned out great I guess, look at you using lipstick now" He said, gesturing to the mirror.

"Gosh" I rolled my eyes with a smile and left the room without taking the hair clip out. The pink went with my lipstick.

"Do you want me to drive you there so I can pick you up later?" Dad asked.

No!

"I'm a big girl now, Dad" I said, laughing as I pet Moo briefly and headed for the door "But thanks anyways"

"Just trying to do my part. It's hard as it is letting you go on dates"

"Trust me, I can tell"

Once the door closed behind me, I was on my own.

The sun was just about to set when I got to the high class part of town where Hale lived and where my mom's estate was.

I pulled up in front of the Frances residence and got out of the car to press the bell.

I prayed Mr. Frances would be the one to open the door and I wasn't disappointed.

"Violet, hello" he said with a smile. He was a tall man who never used to be so thin. He was really nice to me but very jumpy and skittish, just like me sometimes.

"Good evening, Mr. Frances" I greeted and he let me into the grand house making small talk as we passed by expensive paintings of all sizes, glowing chandeliers, the massive foyer, and we finally climbed up the stairs that led into the dining room.

"...and all those things. Unfortunately, Angelo won't be joining us tonight. He had to do some... shopping of some sort. A shame really, he's a really handy person to have around." Mr. Frances chuckled nervously.

"I know exactly what you mean" I sighed and we both straightened up when his wife, Mrs. Frances bounded into the room all radiant and smiling.
A stark contrast to Mr. Frances who looked like he'd been sapped of all his glow.

"Violet" Mrs. Frances cooed and walked up to me in all her perfect grace. She was swathed in fancy silk for this simple dinner and her face was caked up with make up from her own company. Her perfect figure made me feel like a fat blob in a brown dress.