"STELLA, you need to get here, like, twenty minutes ago. It's terrible, I can't do this, he has not stopped talking about World of Star-Craft-Trek-whatever for like a solid half hour. Half an hour! I can literally feel myself aging, Stella, you need to save me. I'm too cute to age! I can pull off a lot of things but wrinkles aren't one of them!" Eva pleaded on the other end of the phone, whisper-shouting with a palpable urgency in her tone.
I looked to Savannah on the other end of the room who was blinking at me with curiosity in her icy eyes, hand paused that had been detailing her fingernails with little blue hearts. I mouthed 'Eva' and she nodded her head, grabbing the nail polish and screwing the cap back on, not needing to hear another word.
Despite Eva constantly telling us that she would be totally okay on her blind dates, and we seriously did not have to wait for her, we always kept our schedule clear just in case for the almost inevitable phone call. I even kept a bra on.
"All right, okay, calm down. Let's not be melodramatic," I advised the girl, sitting up from the comforts of my fluffy white duvet and feeling the edge of my mouth quirk upward.
"I almost thought it was snowing the amount of dandruff that was in his hair! There is no such thing as melodramatic!" she retorted hotly, causing me to laugh.
"Fine, fine, what're your coordinates? I'll see if Savannah and I can come get you. Just keep your cool, first mate, and I promise you'll make it out alive."
"I'm at the Olive Garden on Queen, please come soon, and think of something really good to get me out. I don't want to like, destroy his feelings. But also good enough that I won't have to respond to him ever again. Please and thank you, I love you guys, you're the best!" Eva chimed, and I watched as Savannah rose to her feet and dusted off her jeans, throwing a smile in my direction.
My mind was already working and processing and rolling over ideas, which honestly was my favourite part about bailing Eva out, even if I'd always have to endure her relentless complaining on the car ride home. It was the only time I was ever truly praised for my commendable acting skills, which were pretty great if I was being honest. Last time it'd been that her brother who was a famous NASCAR driver had crashed and blew up into flames, little pieces of dear Nathaniel floating from the sky and all over the track.
It was some of my best work, and now I needed to top it. Savannah was always the best to add the essential details, too. The floating bits were all her.
I swung my legs over to the side of the bed, holding the phone to my ear and stretching with my free arm, feeling a pleasurable crack. "I know, I know, but until then, sit tight. We'll be there as fast as possible. What you should do though until then is go out there, look him dead in the eye and say look at me."
"What?"
"Say look at me, I'm the Captain now."
I heard an impatient huff sound through the receiver, making it clear that Eva did not find my pirate references all that entertaining, and a click off. Savannah cast me a knowing look as I smiled broadly, jumping to my feet.
"What? That's a good one, I think it would work," I defended myself, brushing past her and eyeing up my open closet, ignoring her arched brow.
Costumes were important.
"Okay, whatever you say," she sighed.
"If you ask me, we should all take a little more advice from pirates, then we'd get a lot more booty." I elbowed her with a shit-eating grin, radiating pride, to which she cast me a deadpan look.
Acting, stand up, I could really do it all. "I know I'm hilarious."
Savannah groaned and rolled her eyes, the mark of a truly great pun, as the professionals would say. "We should be focusing more on a plan of how to get her out of there, if anything. So save your energy."
I beamed at her with a mischievous grin. "Oh this one's going to be good, Vannah. It's going to be so good."
And twenty minutes later, we were both standing outside of Olive Garden, hands poised on our hips. The moment of truth lay behind those doors, and the words show time blazed before my eyes.
"You got this?" Savannah asked, looking over to me with an excited grin on her face.
Her question was seemingly rhetorical because it would obviously be impossible for me to not have it. I was in total and complete possession of it, and I was going to rock it to its very core. Even though, I nodded, tugging on the sharp white blazer which I'd changed into during the car ride over when I may or may not have flashed a truck driver in the process. But the show must go on, as they always said.
Savannah brought down the black bug-eyed shades to her nose and grinned. "All right, let's do this, Mrs. van der Hoosen."
She pushed the doors out of the way and strode in, completely ignoring the hostess as her gaze rolled over the crowd. I managed to surpress my grin as I followed after her, keeping my back straight and my chin up, as the royals do. I sniffed with an air of importance.
"Eva!" Savannah called to the crowd, capturing everyone's attention but her face refused to show it. Her eyes continued to scan the tables until finally we heard a squeak from the back and both of our eyes snapped to the source.
There sat Eva, eyes wide and shining, a demure hand poised over her mouth, probably to shield her grin. She was in her classic date attire with cascading curls and a full red lip, thigh high boots with a heel sharp enough to kill. My gaze shifted from her to her date, a taller guy with a beard and glasses, casual stained black t-shirt.
As we made a bee-line in their direction, I could see why Eva was so urgent to call.
"Eva, darling, we've been looking all over for you!" I cried out, a regal sophistication weighing my voice. Savannah clicked her tongue in agreement.
"What are you guys doing here?" Eva gasped, playing the part of utterly bewildered well as she brought a practiced hand up to her chest.
Her date shot us confused looks, eyebrows furrowed as we crashed in on their romantic evening. "Uh, what's happening?" he mumbled, a frown settling on his face.
Savannah had produced a cream handkerchief from her clutch, expertly dabbing underneath her eyes for dramatic effect. "Oh, it's Nana Rosamund, Eva, we just received the most tragic of news."
Eva shook her head, as if in denial. "No, not Nana!"
I nodded, bringing an elegant hand to cover my trembling lip. "Dear, I'm so sorry, it's true. Nana's no longer with us."
The atmosphere was heavy as I realized that we'd garnered a large amount of attention due to how oddly elaborate we were dressed for an Olive Garden. Or it could have been the grand entrance, but I was wearing my sharpest blazer. I'm sure that had something to do with it.
Savannah brought a hand to touch the pearls clutched around her neck, which I thought really completed the whole outfit. "Eva, darling, I know that you wanted to live a normal life among these peasants, but you need to come back home. Genovia needs you," she said, offering a gloved hand. "We need you."
"You can't keep running from your blood, Eva," I added earnestly, looking her dead in the eyes, clamping my lips shut so as to not let a stray giggle through.
"Who are you?" the boy murmured in wonder, looking over at Eva in complete and unadultered awe.
"We are the van der Hoosens, clearly," I snapped, brushing my hair over my shoulder with my hand. Using a little more force than necessary as I felt my hand make contact with something hard and plastic, causing me to hiss in pain.
As I shot a look behind me, I saw that I had knocked over a waitor's tray with two bowls of soup on it, now decorating the floor, the table, and him.
There was a moment of silence as we all registered what had just happened.
The waiter glared up at me, to which I replied with a sheepish grin. "I am so sorry?"
He did not appear to accept my heartfelt apology.
"All right, abort mission!" I blurted, grabbing Savannah by the wrist, who in turn grabbed Eva, and barreled out the door just as loudly as we had come in. Without stopping I sprinted towards the parking lot in the back, cursing the heels I'd put on and practically lunging towards Savannah's car.
"Go, go, go!" I cried, tugging impatiently on the car door handle.
We all managed to clamber inside and as fast as lightening Savannah thrust the key into the ignition and sped away. When we had all safely escaped from that burning building of a situation, there was a moment of silence in the car.
And then we all burst out laughing.
"Oh my god, that was the best one yet!" Eva sputtered out between bouts of laughter, a stray tear falling down her cheek.
"It wasn't planned, I feel so bad!" I tried to defend myself, actually feeling guilty for ruining that waiter's day, but I couldn't wipe the grin off my face.
"But it was hilarious!" Savannah chorused in, shoulders shaking from contained laughter. "We're the van der Hoosen's, clearly," she mimicked me, gaudy accent and all.
"That was priceless," Eva agreed, wiping her eyes with the heels of her palms. "Seriously, thank you, you guys are actual life savers."
I grinned broadly, pride seeping from every pore. "Thank you, thank you, I try."
"How'd you even end up with that guy?" Savannah asked, hints of laughter still in her voice as she tried to keep an attentive eye on the road.
Eva rolled her eyes, slapping an exasperated hand across her forehead. "Oh god, Terrence said he had a blind date for me. He said it was a college guy and all that, so I was like sure, I'm in. He did not mention that the guy was literally a walking NyQuil."
I chuckled, giving her a consoling pat on the back. "Aw, Eva, sweetie, your first mistake was ever trusting Trench-Coat Terrence," I cooed, grinning when she shot me an unimpressed look.
"Point is, everyone's out and everyone's safe," Savannah conceded with a contented smile, bringing her sunglasses to rest on the top of her head.
"Just mentally scarred," Eva admitted, causing us all the dissolve into another round of laughter.
Feeling a vibration in my pocket, I slipped my phone from underneath me to see Reese's name light up the screen.
"Who's that?" Eva asked, trying to peer over to see.
Quick as lightning I slipped the phone back underneath me, pure reflex. "Just my brother!" I lied, accessorizing with a reassuring grin. "But seriously, I'm surprised you lasted a whole half hour with that guy, didn't think you had it in you."
Eva didn't question me and instead just groaned. "Ugh, don't remind me, we need to get some Starbucks stat, I need comfort drink."
I grinned at her. "Anything for royalty."
***
Sometimes I start writing and I'm like, what's even happening? Haha, but this is not a filler chapter! Believe me, this is be important later on, so do not fret, this is important.
I hope you liked it, thanks for reading! Also you're my favourite if you get the reference.