Thriving

Disaster Brunch

"What about Jess?" Amber asked hopefully. If she was getting dragged into this, then she was going to bring Jessica down with her.

"Of course, Jessica is welcome," Moira said, before turning to leave.

"Mom," Oliver called. He wanted to try and get out of the brunch before she was out of sight.

Moira turned back around. "Hmm?"

"I can't actually go." Oliver shook his head.

"I haven't seen the Bowens in years. So whatever it is that you have planned I'm sure the four of you can make the sacrifice just this once." Moira guilted her children and granddaughter.

"We'll be there." Oliver gave in.

Moira smiled gratefully and finally walked away.

Oliver turned to Thea, waiting for the snide comment he knew was coming. "I hate you." She said before leaving.

"You are so grounded." Jessica looked down at Amber. "And you." She crossed her arms at Oliver. "Thanks for promising I'd be at brunch. It's not like I have bank robbers to catch or anything."

"I'm sorry." Oliver apologized. "At least you have an excuse to cancel."

Jessica gave a humorless laugh. "Have you met your mother?"

"She has a point." Amber sided with her stepmother.

"Yeah, I know. I did say I was sorry." Oliver said just as his phone started ringing. "I gotta go." He walked away to answer it.

Jessica sighed heavily. "I may be mad at your dad for promising Moira that I'd be at brunch, but don't think that I forgot you suggested it."

Amber cringed. "Sorry."

"Mmhmm. Your butt is still grounded."

"You're grounding me for getting you invited to brunch but when I got suspended for beating up a classmate, you high-five me?"

Jessica crossed her arms. "You got a problem with that?"

"Nope." Amber shook her head. "I like your priorities."

"Good." Jessica gave her a quick hug. "See you tomorrow, I guess."

"Be careful."

"Always," Jessica called over her shoulder as she left.

* * *

Amber stood awkwardly next to Thea while Moira and Janice Bowen made small talk. Oliver had yet to show up and Jessica was caught up in police business so everything was off with a skewed start. But Moira kept her hopes high while she conversed with the Bowens, who Amber already didn't like.

When she first moved into the mansion, Amber kept to herself. She had an image in her mind of how rich people were and she expected Moira and Thea to act that way. She thought they'd be uptight and snobbish, the kind of people she hated to be around. But, in reality, they were down-to-earth and kind. Although, they were also sorting through their grief at that time.

The Bowens, however, matched Amber's generalizations to a T. They had an air of superiority around them and Amber was not a fan.

"Well, I'm sorry Walter couldn't join us," Janice said to Moira.

"Oh, yes, well the Australian trip came up suddenly." She quickly explained. "He sends his apologies."

"That's okay. We might not have Walter but we got Amber. Even trade." Janice joked. "We've heard so much about you."

Amber half-smiled. She silently pleaded for something to go wrong and put the whole brunch to an end. "I hope it was nothing bad."

"Oh, no of course not." Janice denied. "Moira definitely thinks highly of you. You know, you remind me a lot of your father."