Parents in Training

(x) Chapter Two: How to Keep Up With the Morreys

"Don't slouch, amore!" Mum held my shoulders and pulled them back, forcing my spine to straighten. My eyes widen at the pain in the small of my back. She was adjusting the dress she forced me to wear, tugging the short hem of the dress. It fit me, just by a bit too much. I never actually knew I had this cream coloured dress until she pulled it out of my closet.

She probably snuck it in without me knowing.

I'm sorry for finding a pair of sweatpants and tacky superhero shirts more appealing than this probably expensive dress.

We were in my bedroom, trying to get ready for the dinner with the Morris. At first, it didn't seem like a big deal but for my mother, who birthed me, to barge into my room like there was some sort of emergency, I knew there was something more to it than just a night of my dad sealing a partnership with someone.

"Let me see that beautiful face of yours!" Her hands grabbed both sides of my cheeks to face her. I looked like a fish now with my lips puffed out and my cheeks squished. Mum began to inspect every inch of my face, making sure I done a decent job at fixing my face with makeup. I finally got the chance to breathe when she stepped back, tilting her head to the side. She snapped her fingers and went to my vanity mirror, taking one of the lipsticks off its shelf and walked towards me. She grabbed onto my face again and applied the lipstick on me, "Always go for red."

"You know, mum," she shushed me as I tried to reason it out for her. Mum held her finger up and demonstrated me to rub my lips together. I did it so she wouldn't give me an hour lecture about it -- believe me, it's been done before. I turned around to face the mirror and fixed the lipstick that went over my lip line. I could see her standing behind me with her hand on her heart, her eyes glossy. I turned around abruptly with my curled hair slapping me in the face and sticking to my lips. I spit the strands of hair out of my mouth before speaking, "I don't think this is all necessary. If it's because you're trying to get me a boy-,"

"But don't you think that would be great?" Mum cut in, clasping her hands together. She held my shoulders and waved her hand over an empty space, like she was introducing me to a picturesque landscape of Niagara Falls. "Just think about it! Bella, you need to experience these kind of things! You're seventeen, if you're afraid of your father and I, don't be! Well, we might still need to convince your father but the thing is! I want you to get out there, meet some nice boys - maybe Leon - and experience your first love. With protection if you're thinking of getting down and busy. Not that I encourage you to get down and busy."

I rolled my eyes at this. Okay sure, out of the Morrey siblings, Will was the one getting all the action. Just this year alone, I met five girls who dated him. Maybe it's the fact he's bilingual that made the girls crazy or something. Or maybe it's the fact he's friendly to everyone and doesn't come off as a cynical, sarcastic little whiny bitch like me.

Yeah, that must be it.

"Madre, you don't even know Leon."

"Psh, oh please," she waved her hand dismissively at me before walking towards my vanity mirror and checking her bodycon dress. "I went to their house on numerous occasions because Jenna, Leon's mother, has been showing me how to cook all these fancy things. She's a chef, did you know that? She has her own cook book too!"

"And what? Just because his mum is a chef you instantly know her son?"

She looked at me, almost disappointingly, "I'm saying that I've met him before and I think he's quite the gentleman."

"That makes one of us." I mumbled under my breath.

"What was that?" Mum leaned in.

"Nothing." I gave her a forged smile.