The College Application That Ruined Us

Chapter Five- The Ugly Sweater Party

"Michael, what are you doing?"

Michael turned, eyes widening. "Uhm, I was-"

"Nevermind. I have to go to a meeting with Uriel. You're in charge. I'll be back late, probably around 1 in the morning. You got it?"

"Yes sir."

"Great," Chuck smiled and patted his son on the shoulder before leaving.

Uriel was Chuck's publisher. Seeing as how the last deadline for one new book was two months ago and Chuck had never finished it, Uriel was probably going to chew him out.

Anna's father had always been a writer. Not a good writer, but a writer. That's how Maria had met him; she was an editor for his first book, The Unnatural Omens, which sold about 1,000 copies in all. 

As soon as the fron door closed, Michael reached a hand behind the couch and grabbed Gabriel by the collar, pulling him out and throwing him on the armchair. 

Gabriel swallowed. "This is not how I expected this to turn out."

"Give. Me. My. Picture."

"C'mon Mikey-"

"I swear on Aunt Josephine's grave, Gabriel, I will kill you."

"Touchy."

Michael growled.

"Okay, okay, here!" Gabriel handed the picture over. Michael's expression softened as he put it in his jacket pocket.

Anna and Balthazar popped out from behind the couch, staring at the floor. Punishment was sure to come from Michael, despite them not causing the trouble. 

"Balthazar, you and Anna are grounded for two weeks."

"NO WAY!" They yelled in unsion. "Michael, homecoming is in three days!"

"Guess you'll have to miss it, then." Michael said cruelly. 

Gabriel remained silent. He wasn't laughing at them, but he didn't defend them. 

Anna swallowed. "Balthazar's got a girlfriend this year! He never has girlfriends for homecoming!"

"Hey! I took Bela last year too!"

Anna sighed. "You idiot. That was a cover."

"Oops."

Bela Talbot, a girl who lived in a very rich neighborhood a few towns over, had been dating Balthazar on-and-off for two years now, and Balthazar was hoping it would stay on for awhile.

"You can go to the dance," Michael began, and Anna's heart soared. "IF, and only if, you clean out the basement as soon as you get back."

Balthazar and Anna shivered. The basement hadn't been touched for over a year by now. Gabriel enjoyed stashing his siblings homework up there to piss them off.

"Let's be reasonable here, Michael," Balthazar tried, but Michael silenced him with a glare.

"Do you want to go or not?"

Anna hung her head. She had to go, she had promised Jo and Dean. Was cleaning the basement worth going to homecoming?

Definently not, but she wasn't going to refuse the offer. Anna was loyal enough to not abandon the others.

"Fine."

Michael smiled. "Good. Now, for you, Gabriel-" He turned to point at him acusingly, but no one was there. Gabriel was gone.

"Damn." Michael cursed.

He gave another warning glare to Anna and Balthazar before jogging up the steps to look for Gabriel. Balthazar collapsed into a pile on the couch, Anna following in suit. "That," She sighed, "was exhausting."