"A family meal, how quaint…" Elliot's bored drawl fell over the dining room.
Dining hall really. The large dining table could easily seat over thirty, but that evening it was set for three. For Elliot, for his father and for his sister.
"You're late," came his father's stern reply across the room, "we've been waiting and Evelyn has a school play rehearsal she needs to attend. And the soup is getting cold."
"I was settling into my new bedroom," he replied, pulling out the chair opposite his sister and summoning a weak smile across to her, "I also got lost trying to find you, sorry Ev."
"It's not a problem, Kevin is an excellent director, I just wish I could be there to do the warm up with all the cast, it really relaxes them before we practise," Evelyn babbled, before reaching for her soup spoon.
Edgar similarly reached for his and for a few moments the three sipped their soup in silence.
"So," Elliot breathed out, "the drive here was interesting, plenty of land and space out in the countryside…"
"Just state what you mean Elliot," Edgar snapped again, reaching across the table for a glass of wine.
"I mean, father, that this is a strange place to set up headquarters for the Farm, right in the middle of this town, in a former hospital…"
"It was not a hospital," Evelyn replied, reaching for her napkin and wiping her mouth delicately, "it was a home for troubled youths-"
"Right," Elliott nodded, placing his soup spoon down and reaching for the bottle of red.
He poured himself a glass, not too large, and relished the look on his father's face as he brought the glass up to his lips. Elliot had turned twenty-one since the last time they'd sat down for a meal together. This small glass of wine was a reminder to the both of them that Elliot was an adult now, and they both looked at him differently for it.
Evelyn, his younger sister, whom he had always defended and protected in public, but who had lorded their father's preference of her over him at home. She was the perfect daughter, the perfect recruit for his father's institution.
Institution was what Edgar insisted Elliot call it, if he were to refer to the Farm at all. The word cult was forbidden in their household.
"I don't want any part of your cult!" Elliot howled down the stairs.
"Just be more open-minded can't you," Edgar hissed back, "you're so like your mother!"
Elliot had been smaller then and so had the Farm, only three or four followers who lived in the large barn. Back when the Farm had really been a farm. Acres of land, a large house where Elliot had lived with his sister and his parents.
Their mother had left shortly after the three or four hippy-dippy followers started turning into droves of women flitting around the premises in their white attire and calling Elliot's home, theirs.
"Change is good," Evelyn nodded, and smiled at her brother and father.
"Indeed, and it makes a change to have you back in our home," Edgar smiled, raising his glass towards his son, "we have missed you."
Elliot blinked, first at his father who had summoned some kind of pained half-smile onto his face, and then at Evelyn who was gripping her water cup and grinning.
"It's nice to be back," Elliot nodded, and leaned forward to clink his glass against theirs.
The weekend passed with a flurry of activity, there were much more young people at the Farm thanks to the charter that his sister had opened at the local high school. Though the noise bothered him as he tried to reorganise the library, he couldn't say he minded too much. With a steady stream of pretty young things to look at, and his father too busy to bother him, he was almost happy.
He'd also been introduced to Alice Smith, a blonde woman who walked with an inflated sense of self-importance. She seemed to know his father well, and had fallen over herself to flatter Elliot, telling him how much he looked like his father and how he had to meet her daughters, Paula was it… and Betty? Elliott pulled down the last book from a shelf and threw it onto a pile.
The Mercy Sisters, or whatever they had been called, had a whole row of shelves on conversion therapy, and Elliot had brought it up over breakfast that morning that he was going to burn them all in the garden that evening.
His father had nodded and suggested that Elliot could redesign the whole dirty, dusty room, and make it a welcoming place, and Evelyn had beamed at her brother, and begun a monologue about a boy called Kevin, who had recently come out to his father and had become a recent recruit. She'd promised to introduce the pair after she finished school that day.
Once he'd organised all of the books that he wanted rid of, Elliot headed to the record room and looked up Alice Smith. The overly-familiar woman had been playing on his mind all day. He was used to women of all ages being sweet to him, thinking that acting as a surrogate mother to the poor Evernever boy might curry favour with his father. Unbeknownst to these poor women striving to be more than what they were, Elliot's father wasn't looking for a lioness to lord over his pride with him, he was just a lone shepherd looking for more sheep.
Alice Smith was of the same grain as these women, but something about her didn't sit well with Elliot. Whether it was because most of the women had always been single and alone, and this Alice was a mother of two and, as his fingers flicked through her profile he saw, also a grandmother of two, or it was some other reason he didn't know. If she had her plate full with children and grandchildren what was she doing flitting around The Farm in fancy suits.
He was interrupted by his sister, and a tall blonde boy who he assumed was Kevin. After pleasantries, and Elliot trying to ignore the blatant stares that Kevin was giving him, he led them all to the library.
"All of these books are against gay people?" Kevin asked, unable to hide the hurt and distain in his voice.
"The Sisters had quite the collection," Elliot nodded, before padding over and picking up one, letting the pages fall through his hands slowly.
"They were misguided," Evelyn said, perching herself on the arm of an old, worn, red leather sofa. One of many that littered the room, and that Elliot intended to keep. Once he'd sorted the books and shelves, he planned to reopen the fireplace that had long been blocked up. Sitting alone in the room, once it had been given a bit of love, with a roaring fire, curled up on one of the sofas, Elliot couldn't think of anything he'd like more.
"They were mental…" Kevin corrected, prompting a small smirk from Elliot. He always had been able to get a good read on people fairly early, especially small-town folk like these in Riverdale, and he sensed that despite seeming fairly lonely, and haunted (like almost all of those who came to the Farm) he had a great sense of humour. It took a lot of nerve to disagree with his sister, and Elliot also got the feeling that Kevin had had a personal experience with the previous occupants of the building that he was trying to put to bed.
After moving the books to a large pile out in the yard, which alone may have taken the trio hours, but with the ever steady stream of volunteers, old and young, readily available, only took each person one trip from the library each, Evelyn and Kevin stood back while Elliot poured a can of petroleum over the pile of books.
As the flames reached out like claws and licked the sun which was setting slowly in the sky, Evelyn grinned between the boys, placing one hand on her brother's shoulder and one on Kevin's.
"This is really great for the open house tomorrow, having this intolerant material around the place wouldn't give anyone the right impression about the Farm…" she mused.
Kevin nodded, but Elliot frowned, "Open house?" he asked.
"Yes brother, we're opening our doors to visitors tomorrow. Everyone is welcome to our renovated premises, meet with Farm Elders and learn about our values and practices…" she reeled off, as though she'd learned a script.
"But… sister…not all of the building is renovated though… the library for example," Elliot countered, prompting a frown on the freckly face of his baby sister.
"They won't have access to those places, and they can always stick their heads into the library to see how you're making progress," she snapped back, that was his sister. She had an answer for everything.
"Plus, Kevin's doing the tours, and he's been fully briefed," she added, while the Keller boy nodded enthusiastically over her shoulder.
"Is that right Kevin?" Elliot asked, emphasis on the boy's name as he reached out with both arms to grip his sister's shoulders and move her out of the way. He smiled at the other boy before glancing down at his sister, "Please excuse her Kevin, Evelyn often talks about people like they aren't present, don't you dear sister? She gets it from our father…"
After Kevin had left for the night, claiming that he felt rejuvenated after the burning of the books.
"See?!" Evelyn squeaked beside him in the car as he drove her to the choc-lit-shop, his final good deed for the day, "you're really getting into the spirit."
"The spirit of what exactly?"
"The Farm silly!"
"Evelyn getting rid of some old books isn't-"
But she cut him off, "And helping me deliver these posters is another positive step!"
"It's dark out," he countered, "I'm not going to let you walk around the streets on your own."
His protests fell on deaf ears however, and as he followed her directions he put on the radio so as not to have to listen to her babblings about the new members.
Elliot followed his sister into the choc-lit-shop, she was already sizing up how many of the damn posters she could hang in the window. He eyed the burgers and milkshakes on the tables and his stomach rumbled but he ignored it, knowing that a banquet would be waiting upon their arrival. The previous night's family meal was a one-off, his father had told him that he shouldn't expect to eat just the three of them again, that the Farm encouraged group meals as a way to bond so they ate together every night, using ingredients sourced locally or grown themselves.
"Veronica, hi. Do you mind if I hang some fliers? The farm is having an open house tomorrow," Evelyn greet two girls at the counter, one who looked like she worked there and one a customer.
Elliot shuffled on his feet, wondering whether he should introduce himself, or wait for Evelyn to, instead the blonde customer blinked at his sister, "An open house?"
"Yes, we are opening our doors to visitors. Everyone is welcome to tour our renovated premises, meet with Farm elders and learn about our values and practices," then it was Elliot's turn to blink… it was the same spiel that she'd given him just earlier that evening, what kind of robot was their father turning her into?
Veronica smiled, "Go ahead Evelyn."
"Thank you."
The looks exchanged between Veronica and the other girl showed that they were close friends, and he shuffled on his feet awkwardly.
"I haven't seen you before," Veronica finally addressed him, moving around the counter to hold out her hand, "I'm Veronica Lodge, proprietor of Pops'"
Elliot smiled softly and held out his hand, which was considerably larger than hers, and felt like it had done significantly less manual work.
"You own this place?" he asked, shaking her hand before letting it drop and glancing around the restaurant again. He couldn't help but wonder how she'd gotten her hands on enough money to buy this place and be able to run it herself, she couldn't be a day over 18.
"I sure do," she nodded, before tapping her foot on the floor and indicating there was something below the choc-lit-shop, "as well as our town's own little speak easy- Le Bon Nuit."
"Who are you?" the blonde interrupted suddenly, her eyes narrowing as she tilted her head to the left.
"I'm Elliot, Elliot Evernever," he replied, extending his hand to her too, "yourself?"
"Betty Cooper," she replied, not bothering to take his hand, much to his discomfort, "I didn't know Evelyn had a sister."
"I haven't been around for a while," he replied, lowering his hand slowly and putting it into his pocket, "I've been staying with our mother."
It was as though a spotlight hit him, he suddenly had her full attention and he had to admit that he felt intimidated. The only person who had ever conjured that feeling of Elliot was his father, and even that light was fading the older Elliot became. Under Betty's scrutiny he felt thirteen again, and he narrowed his eyes as though physically guarding them from the light.
"And where abouts did you live with your Mother?" she asked, intensely.
Licking his top lip, Elliot was thankful for the cough over his shoulder that originated from his sister.
"Elliot I'm finished now," Evelyn sang sweetly, "thank you so much Veronica."
With a glance over his shoulder Elliot nodded, "We have to be going, it was nice to meet the both of you."
Back in the truck Elliot started the engine, before looking at his sister who was sat, facing forward with a patient smile on her.
"Something wrong?" she asked slowly, mechanically turning her head to look at him before cocking it to the right like a confused puppy.
"Betty Cooper... I think I met her mother at the institution today..." he murmured, before backing out of the parking lot.
"Oh yes Alice, she's such a lovely woman, she really has just made the most excellent progress with the Farm," Evelyn nodded, before reshuffling her posters.
"But Betty isn't involved?" he asked, even more curious now about what else Alice Smith's file held back in the records room.
"Not yet no," Evelyn spoke, her tone of voice could have been mistaken for sad if Elliot didn't know her better.
Elliot nodded, and reached forward to switch on the radio, "Interesting," he mused, mostly to himself, "I wonder if she'll come tomorrow..."