𝙇 𝙄 𝘽 𝙀 𝙍 𝘼𝙏 𝙀 𝘿

4 L I B E R A T E D 4

What if today is a fail? And the days after that continue to be a fail? I don't want to be the kid nobody remembers at the high school reunions who inherited her mother's boutique business. Do you know how many boutiques and stores are in Aster Waters? There's like a million different people they could get me confused with at a high school graduation.

For example, we got A'livia Ronalds at my school. Her mother owns a boutique/store. Then there's a few others. Aster Waters is literally known as the spot to shop in Texas, nestled in between Houston and some small city nobody ever remembers the name of. I mean, I want the business but I don't want that to be the only thing people know me by.

Knock. Knock.

"Yeah?"

"You feel any better?" my dad asked through the door. "Yeah. I just have like this horrible background headache," I complained. "Feels like a hangover?" my dad asked. "What-

"Ahhh, just joking. Tryna see if I could catch you slipping," my dad laughed. "I'm taking you to school today. Your mother has to run by a few orders and get some things together for that event you know she's planning."

"Okay. I'm almost done," I told him, sliding on my Croc's and grabbing my backpack off of the floor.

"Carmela!"

"What?" my mother hollered back at my dad.

"She's feeling better!"

"Why are you yelling, boy, we only a few feet away from each other," I could hear my mother say.

"Ha, I just like pissing you off."

I opened my bedroom door to find them getting all lovey dovey at the bottom of the staircase. I rolled my eyes and walked down past them. "Save the PDA for the hotel room," I told them. Well, I guess that wouldn't really be PDA then, huh?

"You buying?" my mother asked, making a big show of hugging my father. "No," I laughed. "Then mind ya business, kid," she smirked.

"What's this about some event coming up?" I asked her, once they finally broke apart.

"I'm hosting a little something for the fashion business owners of Aster Waters," she did a little happy shimmy, but then a defeated look crossed her face. "And it's taking a toll on my business. I'm behind on orders trying to chase down food tasters and-

"I can do it," I immediately offered. And no, it wasn't because I love food more than anything in the world. It was because I could see how stressed my mother was. "Oh thank you, Vonna. But, if you can, I'd need a second person to do it with you. To make sure everything is really perfect."

"I'll do it too," my dad offered, putting his hands into his back pockets. Typical dad shit, huh?

"I need you two to food taste, look at a few floral arrangements, along with-

"Whoa, whoa," Dad pretended to look at his watch, "Sounds like Vonna's gonna need to find a friend to accompany her." He made a big show of leaving the house quickly and I rolled my eyes again. "Men act like they can't appreciate the natural beauty in things," I commented.

"Well...if any of your friends don't mind accompanying you, I'm fine with that," my mother smiled gently. I gave her a convincing smile back but in my heart I knew that I usually only talked to a handful of people daily and I wouldn't really consider any of them my friends. Much less, consider inviting them to come do something like this with me.

"And Vonna? Would you be up for inviting the guests in? Basically being a mini host. You know, smiling at them, directing them different places. The venue is about medium-sized, but people could get lost amongst the booths, and the event is on a timed schedule so that all the owners can come up and present equally," my mother added.

"Sure. I don't mind," I shrugged.

"Great! Then that means we'll have to get you a dress," I rose an eyebrow at that, "or a suit."

"Okay," I nodded.

My dad honked from outside.

"You have to be really dazzling. Hair on point, makeup, if you want, on point, outfit on point. I'm thinking a red and black theme. That seems the most fanciest. And maybe have your outfit have giant sequins in a nice crimson red-

"Mom, I gotta go," I laughed, kissing her cheek.

"Alright! Enjoy school! Try to have a partner to the event by the end of the week too!"

I was almost out the door when she said that last part but my dad was impatiently waiting on me in his SUV. A partner? So my mom basically was asking me to find a date to this event? Oh boy.