a/n: might be short; can't really tell. but here's a little insight into Mae's fam ^ ^
N I N E : CALL
ICELYN WAS NURSING both a hangover and a sprained ankle. The dancer hissed as she pressed the ice pack to her purple colored ankle and held her head with her other hand. Mae rushed in with a glass of water and painkillers. At Icelyn's bedside was already an empty shot glass of ginger and an empty plate with dirty utensils.
"Here is the second dosage," Mae whispered, trying to avoid making her best friend's headache worse.
"Thanks, Mae." Icelyn threw her head back as she took the pills, pursuing them with the glass of water. Mae placed the empty glass on the plate, then put the utensils in the cup along with the shot glass.
Mae folded her legs under her on Icelyn's bed. "I'll wash those later."
Icelyn winced again, "Damn it, Ace and Tyler are really gonna have my ass when they find out. Not going to be able to dance for what? A week?"
"Maybe two, but it doesn't look too bad," Mae mumbled, looking over the bruised area. "Hopefully they won't bother you too much about it."
Icelyn shook her head and pursed her lips. "Nah, knowing those two idiots, I'm not going to hear the end of it, even after I can dance again and beat them both in the dance offs."
There was a moment of silence where Icelyn took the time to breath deeply and try to numb her ankle with the cold of the ice. "So what happened last night?"
Mae chuckled, remembering the night of Dustin's birthday party in full detail. "I was coming down from saying happy birthday to Dustin and giving him his birthday present when I remembered that you are a total lightweight—"
"Shut up!" Icelyn shouted, blushing harshly. It wasn't a secret that Icelyn was the exact opposite of her best friend when it came to alcohol tolerance.
"Anyways," Mae resumed, "I found you in the rec room on the pool table dancing. Long story short, you fell and sprained your ankle. At least you didn't twist it or break it. I was there to drag you and Jo home in your car that I drove to the party. Then this morning, I helped get Jo's car back from the mansion."
The dancer looked extremely embarrassed and she cast her gaze downwards. "Was I bad? Besides everything, was my dancing at least okay drunk?"
Mae fixed her with a look that asked "really?" but answered anyways. "Yes, yes. You were absolutely fine. But that's not the point. Maybe you should stick to apple juice from now on that isn't spiked. I'm sure Lyn on a sugar high is easier to control than a drunk one."
Icelyn slapped her forehead, laughing breathily. "Of course. But I'm glad you actually decided to show up."
"Me too," Mae said without intending the double meaning.
DUSTIN WAS GOING to be at Mae's dorm in a few minutes to pick her up for the show, and Mae was lounging on the couch at the ready. Icelyn had insisted on letting her pick her clothes—despite Mae's constant protests because it was "only a show". So consequently, the painter was dressed in a nice blouse and skinny jeans. Her hair had been twisted into an elegant braided bun as well to coincide with Mae's normal updos.
Suddenly, Mae's phone buzzed violently cuing that she was receiving a call. She frowned, reading that the caller ID wasn't Dustin, but her father. Reluctantly, she picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
Her father's familiar voice met her ear. "Mae, how are you?"
Mae's eyebrows furrowed, and although her father wasn't in the same room as her, she fidgeted in her spot on the couch. "Dad? Why are you calling?"
She heard him sigh heavily on the other side of the speaker. "I'm sorry your mother nor I have checked up on you in awhile—"
"Yeah, in almost a year, right?" She laughed wryly, passive-aggressiveness dripping from her tone. She was bitter, yes, but she wouldn't out right admit it.
"Mae," her father's tone came out sharper than before, "your mother and I want to see you. Come home for Christmas—come home for a few days. Please."
"Will I actually be spending time with my sober mother?" Mae grinded out.
"Yes." Sigh.
"Will my father be off from work the whole time I'm there to be a real father?"
There was an intake of breath, marking a pause, before, "Yes."
Mae wasn't satisfied yet. "Can I bring Icelyn with me?" She wouldn't actually drag Icelyn to her family reunion—she just wanted to see how far her father would go.
"Yes, yes. You can bring whoever you want, just promise you will actually be here on the day of Christmas Eve."
She bit her bottom lip, silently hashing out the pros and cons. "Of course, father. I'll be there by 10 o'clock the latest of that morning."
"Perfect." An exhaled breath of relief could be heard and a little rustling. "And by the way, I'm inviting your boyfriend's family... what was his name? Louis? Lewis? Right... I have some bus—I mean, they'll be over Christmas Eve for dinner. Your mother and I will be expecting you, Mae."
Mae didn't expect an "I love you" when he hung up. But she was stunned that her father was inviting Lewis's family over for dinner... however, it didn't surprise her that one, her father forgot that Lewis and herself had broken up; and two, that he was only truly inviting the Orions for business.
Just my luck, she thought to herself.
WHEN MAE entered his car, Dustin wasn't expecting a girl with a nice blouse and a sour expression to be there instead of his giddy partner in Hollister. He didn't try talking to her until he hit the freeway.
"So um, are you okay?" He asked uneasily. He wasn't exactly sure how to handle this kind of situation, especially with girls.
Mae snapped her head towards him and he flinched, as if bracing himself for a lecture. But to his relief, she simply frowned deeper and sighed. She turned back to the road and the darkening sky above. "Yeah, it's nothing."
"It's never nothing, Mae," He muttered almost incoherently. He tapped the steering wheel anxiously for her response. He felt like he was tip-toeing on thin ice.
"It never is, is it?" She whispered. "My dad called me before you came. He invited me home for the first time in years. He called me for the first time in almost a year. And he's planning for a Christmas family reunion a little less than a month away."
At least your dad called you, he wanted to say, but that would be selfish of him. Instead, he offered an, "I'm sorry."
She didn't say anything and he decided to continue. "Look, I know what it's like being ignored by your parents. It sucks, man. And.... and I am absolute shit at sympathizing and all of this kind of talk, but I'll try."
Dustin spotted the corner of her lip twist up and he felt a surge of confidence pump through his veins. Preach. "I think it's a start—it's a step in the right direction that your parents have called you and invited you home for the holidays. I don't have much experience in the parent department besides being—" neglected, "—screw that. Nevermind. Just think of it as a good thing, you feel me? Think positive about it."
Mae couldn't help but smile. "Thanks, Dustin. That was... inspiring."
Dustin grinned his normal Cheshire cat smile. He rocked his head like he was flipping his hair over his shoulder (except his hair wasn't long enough). "I know."
Mae bursted out laughing and the writer prodigy felt, if anything, a little accomplished. "Thank you for this, too. Thanks for letting me be your show buddy."
He shook his head with a chuckle, keeping his eyes on the road. "I should be thanking you."
a/n: how about Dustin? I think he was being super sweet :)
Vote for more :D