𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐗 ━━ 𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐤 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐝

six | turkey

"So it's just me, you, Izzie, and. . .Preston?"

The marinade burns while we talk to each other, but Preston saves the day by revealing his hidden cooking skills. I forfeit my apron to him, choosing to sit at the table with his girlfriend.

"I'm gonna need liquor." Cristina grabs two wine glasses from the top shelf. "Lots and lots —"

"And lots of liquor." I add.

Joe the bartender and his boyfriend arrive with a pumpkin pie, as opposed to the hundreds of types of alcohol he owns.

"Phoenix, your pager's been beeping non-stop for twenty minutes." Burke helps Izzie with the turkey. "Are you going to answer it?"

I shake my head. "No. It's just an old. . .acquaintance."

"Invite them for dinner." Izzie calls out. "We'll have plenty of turkey to go around."

"Uh, I don't think so." I shut off my pager once and for all. "He's not in my life anymore, and I'd like to keep it that way."

"If he was a part of your life at one point, maybe you should give him a second chance." Burke urges.

"Well, he doesn't deserve it." My thumbs fiddle nervously. "Cristina, do you wanna go get —"

Without hesitation, she obliges. "Yes."

I grab my car keys from the front door, Cristina gets our coats, and we leave for the nearest liquor store. Once the two of us buy enough alcohol to last till Christmas, we sit outside the store.

"Sometimes, I just want to move somewhere far away. . .like the Moon." I pull out two soda cans from the cooler in the back.

"I'll join you on that adventure." Taking one of the drinks, she relaxes into her seat.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

I throw the device into my glove box, shutting it quickly. "Go to hell."

"Who keeps calling you, Leven?" Cristina props her legs up on the dashboard. "I'm in need of some juicy gossip."

"My life isn't an edition of Us Weekly."

"I won't tell anyone if that's what you're afraid of."

Chewing on my bottom lip — a nervous habit picked up over the years — I cross my legs on the leather seat and face her.

"It's Lennox. He's the one who keeps paging me, day and night."

"Oh, the stupid penis in your life?"

"Yup. Except he's not a stalker or an ex." I gulp half of the dark and fizzy liquid. "He's. . .Lennox is my. . ."

"Get on with it, Phoenix!"

"He's my dad."

Silence looms overhead of the car, only the sound of our sodas bubbling in the crisp air. Her hand enters one of the liquor store bags and digs around in search of something.

"You're going to need this tonight." She lifts up a bottle of clear liquid.

Vodka.

By the time we get back to the house, it's already dark outside. Even though the cooking part's over, the delicious smells of Thanksgiving dinner aromate the room.

Upon entrance, George, Cristina, Meredith, and I see Izzie and Preston sitting across from each other at the decorated table.

"Today. . .I committed bird murder." George sits down to the left of Izzie. "And I was forced to touch my dad's ass. I get extra points for showing up at all."

"Cristina and I brought a wide array of alcohol." I pull out each bottle from the bags.

"From typical whiskey to hardcore tequila." She settles down next to her boyfriend.

Meredith intertwines her fingers in a ball. "I confronted Derek. . .for the last time. We're finally moving on."

Izzie hits the table harshly, standing up to her feet. Her glance stops on each and every one of us before a small smile forms.

"Let's just eat."

A nice Thanksgiving dinner turns into chaos when we argue over who gets to make the first cut on the turkey and how it should be cut.

"For the first time. . ."

"It feels like I have a family."

"People who I can depend on for anything."

"Especially to drink with."

"And be drunk with."