Words...just random letters compiled to produce sounds that convey a message. But not necessarily always the same message you want to convey.
Words lie. People lie. But actions, expressions, the sudden fear that dawns over the eyes when someone lies...that's true, it's genuine.
Like the daunting shadow of anticipated dread clast over my gaze right now as I take yet another hurried glance at my wristwatch...hoping, hoping that by some miracle the hands of my watch turns back an hour or two...or perhaps twelve hours would be more accurate.
But alas, this is inevitable...
"Can you just chill the fuck out, you're going to be fine." These are the comforting words of my best and only close friend Graham Lecter, a complete dumbass if you ask me.
"What's up with that stupid curfew anyway? It's not like you were out partying all night," he continues his rant, expecting no response from me--he knows me so well.
"I mean yeah you did spend the night over and I did have some friends over, but it's not like your mum knows that," he says before snapping his gaze away from the freeway we are zooming down, and turns to face me for a fleeting moment. "Does she know that?" He asks.
I shake my head negatively and he sighs in relief. "Good," he nods. "It wouldn't hurt your reputation to contribute to the conversation from time to time you know," he adds to which I shrug in response.
Words, in my opinion, are a waste of energy, why bother with them? When you can get the same answer you're looking for by just studying the person instead, it's so much easier. No words no lies, no masks.
"Fucking makes me feel like I'm having a conversation with myself like I'm a motherfucking dumbass," he grumbles.
"You are," I finally choose to respond.
"Finally the queen speaks!" He announces sarcastically earning an eye roll from me before I direct my gaze to the window beside me and watch as we zoom past car after car driving like maniacs.
Wordlessly I point towards the speedometer, my eyes still fixated on the window. "Just li'l over the speed limit," he defends himself, clearly lying.
"You're 20 mph over the speed limit," I point out nonchalantly.
"Eh," he shrugs.
"Five minutes and we'll be there," he says, catching me glancing at my wristwatch again.
Closing my eyes I lean back in my seat, mentally preparing myself for the storm my mum's going to break up when I get back--I sigh.
"So you plan on attending Homecoming this year?" He asks and I shrug.
"Oh c'mon Liv, you know I can't skip it and I'm going to be so bored all by myself," he whines.
Of course, Graham can't skip Homecoming, his part of the football team, but a dance really isn't my scene; too many people, even more masks.
"Take Lena with you," I suggest, trying to get him off my case.
"My ex?" He deadpans.
"Fine, take Shannon then," I reply.
"My ex-girlfriend's best friend, really that's the best you can do?" He retorts.
"Do it yourself then," I roll my eyes.
"I did," he claims. "I asked you to come," he adds.
Sighing I turn to gaze towards him giving him the look I've given him every time he has put me in such a position--a look of apologetic refusal.
"Hey look, I know big crowds aren't your thing, but can't you come just this once?" He pleads to give me those infamous puppy dog eyes that are known for getting him whatever he wants whenever he wants it.
"Too many masks," I mumble breaking eye contact with him.
"That's your excuse every time, while you never stop wearing this mask of indifference around anyone," he points out, evidently frustrated with me.
"I don't with you," I remark.
"Yeah, only because I've known you forever, just come this one time. If you don't like it I'll take you back home myself," he promises, giving me a reason to contemplate my standing.
"I know that fucking look," he smiles triumphantly. "You'll give this a thought?" He asks in clarification and I shrug noticing that we have pulled up in my driveway.
"I'll see you tomorrow, pick you up as usual," he says as I exit the car and I nod. "Try not to get too chatty about last night's party with your mum, okay?" He jokes and I flip him the finger before he backs up and drives away.
'Now for the real challenge and even more talking' I sigh inwardly at the very thought, but nevertheless make my way to my front door.
Three knocks, that's all it takes before the door swings open and I'm face to face with...a stranger. I tilt my head sideways as I study the tall man in front of me. "Who is it, babe?" Mum's voice rings from inside the house.
He doesn't seem fazed by the endearment or by the fact that he is in my house, he appears to be rather comfortable in this setting.
'How long was I gone?'
'And who the hell is this guy?'
"Ryan who's...Oh, Liv you're back?" Mum says now standing beside the stranger by the door. Her arm instinctively wrapped around his waist and he's fall to her back.
I don't respond, just alternate my gaze between them wide-eyed, and she soon catches my drift. "Oh, Liv honey, let me explain. Why don't you come in first?" She says pulling open the door for me and stepping aside giving me passage.
Entering the house I land straight into the living room where the presence of three other strange guys is made known to me. All of them share a familiar set of features. They're related. I take my time to study each one of them only to be interrupted by mum.
"Liv, this is Ryan," she introduces and 'Ryan' extends his hand towards me which I hesitantly accepted.
"It's so nice to finally be able to put a face to all the stories I've heard about you," he says causing my eyes to snap towards mum.
"Oh don't worry, nothing too embarrassing," she chuckles in reassurance.
"Anyway, you remember me telling you about Ryan, right?" Mum says and I try to mask my confusion and offer him one of my finest fake smiles.
'Wait who is this Ryan guy and when did she...oh wait she did mention about a guy she was dating maybe he's the same guy?'
'I should really start paying more attention to her breakfast conversations...or monologues to be more accurate'
"And these three are his sons. Enrique is the oldest," she motions towards the impassive guy standing by the window, a glass of what I would assume to be alcohol in his hands.
His hypervigilant stance immediately catches my interest, as completely opposed to his posture his eyes look at ease. His grip on the glass is just enough to keep it from falling, yet his feet stay pointed towards the door.
'He doesn't want to be here'
"Wesley is the second oldest," mum motions towards the only guy in the room not wearing a suit, but is rather dressed in an all-black outfit. He smiles at me when introduced and I nod back politely.
Compared to Enrique he seems to be more adjusted to the situation here. Sitting on the sofa beside the other dude, he doesn't appear to be in any hurry to leave, although the same cannot be said about the other guy sitting beside him, he looks like can would rather be anywhere but here.
"And the youngest, Kayden," mum finally moves her hand towards the guy sitting Wesley.
"And guys this is my daughter, Olivia, but we just call her Liv," she introduces me, wrapping her hand around my shoulder with the biggest smile I've ever seen curving her lips.
Her smile, it's different from all the other times. This one, it appears real, mum's happy and this time it isn't a mask. I find that odd. I've never seen her like this.
'Is it because of this Ryan guy?'
'And why is she introducing his kids to me?'
'What's going on here?'
"Okay with the introductions now to the side, everyone sits down, Ryan and I have an announcement to make," mum informs softly nudging me towards the three-seater soft where Wesley and Kayden are already seated as Enrique claim one of the armchairs and Ryan takes the other.
Mum perches herself on the arm of Ryan's chair while the two of them smile from ear to ear, gazing over each other like teenagers in love. Ryan wraps his arm around my mum's waist--a motion I would protest if I didn't catch the faint blush that coated her cheeks in response to his action.
"As you guys know, Ryan and I have been seeing each other for the past year now." I frown at her words, it's been a year? 'Why hadn't I noticed sooner?'
"And we have decided to take the next step in our relationship," Ryan adds.
'Wait do parents tell their kids about their sex lives? Because as far as I'm aware the next step in dating is well...sex'
'If that's the case then I don't want to hear this'
"What do you mean next step?" Kayden gruffly demands.
'Please don't say sex' I inwardly flinch in disgust.
"We're engaged!" Mum squeals and I sigh in relief, only to fully process her words and find myself in utter shock.
"Excuse me?" I say, finding myself at a loss for words.
"We're going to be getting married soon," she says jubilantly. "Isn't that exciting? You and me going dress shopping, picking a theme for the wedding. You'll even get to be my maid of honor," she adds pulling me in for a hug--something she knows I don't like.
I pull away from the hug rather quickly and realization strikes her and she offers me an apologetic smile. "Anyway, we just wanted all our kids to get the news at the same time considering now that you all are going to be siblings," Ryan says and I turn to gauge the guys' reaction only to find Kayden mirroring my own dumbfoundedness while the other two don't let their's show.
"Isn't this a bit too sudden?" Wesley remarks.
"Not at all," mum waves it off. "We've been considering this for months now," she adds as an afterthought.
"Guys look, we know that this is really sudden and we need to give you time to process this, but Rachel and I are really happy together," Ryan says holding mum close.
The four of us--the guys and me--glace between ourselves yet say nothing, what's there for us to say anyway?
"I guess bring out the Dom Pérignon then, we have an engagement to celebrate," Wesley says giving his vote of approval that brings a radiant look on the couple's faces.
'Dom Pérignon? How rich are these guys?'
"I just put a bottle to chill in the fridge, I'll get it," Ryan announces before kissing my mum and making his way to the kitchen.
'I don't like this. Any of this'
I'm snapped out of my thoughts when I catch the almost silent buzzing of a phone. I turn my attention to Enrique who is prompt to excuse himself from the group and attend the call.
"Ashford," he says as he distances himself further walking towards the far end of the room.
'Ashford?'
'That can't be...maybe it's a coincidence?'
'Now that I think about it, their eyes do seem very farmiliar...no I'm just overthinking this'
'It's just a coincidence'
'Right, it's just a coincidence that mum's new fiancé has the same surname as my birth certificate before mum had it changed to her surname'
"Here it is," Ryan walks back into the room with an unmistakable fancy dark bottle with Dom Pérignon written in calligraphy--or something as fancy as that--printed on its champagne-colored label.
"Who wants to pop the bottle?" Ryan asks, yet receives no volunteers. "Okay then," he says, before doing the honors of popping the bottle himself while mum goes fetch some glasses, only coming back momentarily with five champagne flutes on a tray with an odd glass of what I recognize to be apple juice.
"Sorry honey, you're not twenty-one yet," mum says handing me the glass of apple juice and holding out the flutes to assist Ryan to fill them.
I look down at the glass in my hands 'I'm going to need something much stronger than this if I want to get through this little celebration'
Everyone clinks their flutes with one other, just as mum's phone comes to life. "Can you hold this for me," she tells me before excusing herself from the room not even waiting for my response.
Glancing down again at my hands that holds a glass of apple juice and a flute of what I would argue to be grape juice. Drowning down both in a single breath, I push back the notes of oak and fruit, I place the glasses down on the nearest table and remove myself from the situation, and head to my room.
Little did I know that that flute of Dom Pérignon Champagne I just drowned down would mark the start of all My Champagne Problems...
Author's Note:
Hey guys thanks for being here and reading!
I hope you enjoyed this chapter because it took a lot of rewriting and now here it finally is.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and are excited for this story.
Comment &vote
~Kia