"Just long enough to grab lunch," Peter ran his fingers through his hair.
Sophie stopped smiling, "Rough day?"
"Mister Barringer called. He wants to drop in for Scott's birthday on Friday since he can't make it here for parents' day in March. He wants it to be a surprise," Peter frowned.
Sophie looked worried, "Are you going to tell Scott?"
"I'm not sure yet. I'll bring up his dad in his one on one tomorrow and see how he handles it. If it's bad then I'll let him know so that he has time to prepare himself, otherwise I will keep it a secret." He rubbed his hair again,
"There's more."
"What else?"
"It seems the Underwoods can't make it to parents' day either. But they do want to come for a visit, next weekend."
*
"My parents are coming?" Kristy cried. "They can't come here."
Peter had expected Kristy to be upset, "You haven't seen them since you got here."
"I don't want to see them. How do you think my mother's going to react when she finds out that Scott and I are dating? You have no idea what they were like around the guys that I dated at home. What do you think they'll do when they meet my boyfriend from Horizon? My parents are not open-minded people." She sat down on the couch, "My father expects this school to fix me Peter. If he can't see that I'm doing better he's going to be upset."
He cleared his throat, "But you have improved. They will be able to see that. They can't make it to parents' day in March so they're coming early."
"Do you know why they aren't coming in March? Did they tell you? Because it's my mother's birthday that weekend and my dad always takes her away for a few days." Kristy sat back and sighed defeatedly, "When are they getting here?"
"Friday afternoon."
*
"It went that well?" Shelby asked when she saw Kristy storming away from Peter's office.
Kristy rolled her eyes, "Mommy and daddy are coming to see me next weekend."
"Yikes," Shelby followed Kristy in to the main room and they sat down in front of the fireplace.
"They're coming early instead of 'let's pretend we get along day' next month. It's my mom's birthday that weekend and they always go away. While they were in Venice two years ago I was losing my virginity," she laughed sarcastically.
"Oh my gosh!"
Kristy frowned, "What now?"
"It's Scott's birthday March first. That's next Friday." Shelby giggled, "Nice birthday present, introducing him to your mom and dad. You better give him a heads up. He was this angry, nervous wreck when he met my mom. Angry 'cause of all the stuff with Walt. You're going to tell him right?"
"Of course I'm going to tell him. I have to warn him." Kristy leaned her head back on the cushy couch, "I almost forgot about his birthday. This is terrible. My father will eat Scott alive. Last year we were invited to this huge wedding for the daughter of someone he works with, I had to wear an evening gown that's how important it was. I also had to bring a date. So I brought the most parentally acceptable guy that I could stand to spend five hours with. Now that I think of it, he had his hand on my leg under the table all night so he probably wasn't the best one to bring. But anyway he showed up with flowers for my mom and a gift from Tiffany's for the bride and groom, my father asked him almost everything but his parents' social security numbers."
"That's brutal."
"Now picture what it's going to be like when they drive up and I introduce them to Scott. My father will ask to see his rap sheet and if my mother is able to look past the fact that he's in Horizon, she'll want to see his family's tax return." She frowned, "Happy birthday Scott."
*
Peter came out of his office Thursday afternoon after Scott's session. Sophie was at the reception counter, she looked at peter expectantly. "How did it go?" she said under her breath as Peter came up beside her at the desk.
"I didn't tell him. He seemed fine when I brought up his dad. So I told him that his dad was going to get in touch with him on his birthday and when he didn't shoot fire out his ears I assumed everything would be okay."
Sophie looked him in the eye, "You know what happens when you assume."
"It'll be okay." He conceded, "Okay, it won't be the end of the world."
*
Kristy -- Feb 23 02 -- … I have to admit when I realized that the parents' day was the weekend my parents would go away I was hopeful for a second that they would come here instead of some exotic destination. Peter says that I should be glad they're coming early instead of not coming at all. Why do they have to come here? What is it going to prove? Unless a university graduate stamps 'repaired' on my foreheard they're not going to be satisfied …
*
In the kitchen on Friday nights there was usually quite a party going on. Normally Shelby, Kristy and Scott would be taking their turn. It was kind of unusual for three people that got along so well to get a shift together but this change had come along a few weeks ago courtesy of Peter and Sophie. The three friends were surprised but they didn't want to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Since the three Musketeers generally shunned the Friday night activities for jokes and chatting in the study hall, Peter and Sophie were making an exception. Anyway they'd be guaranteed more fun dancing around the kitchen to the radio than they would avoiding the activities and as a plus the dishes would be done with minimal complaint.
Kristy and Scott were on their own tonight however. Kristy had asked Shelby to stay away so that she could talk to Scott. "I had a session today," she said quietly as they separated forks, knives and spoons in to baskets to be put through the dishwasher.
"Me too."
"Scott my parents are coming to visit, next Friday." She waited a second, "On your birthday."
He looked up from his work in surprise "Who told you it was my birthday?"
"A little birdie. Did you hear what I said?"
"Yea, your parents are coming. What are you worried about?"
She replied, "Everything." She watched as Scott slid a plastic rack of dishes in to the dishwasher and pulled the cover down over it, causing steam to blow out the bottom edges. "I'm afraid they're going to think I'm still a mess."
"You aren't a mess. Anyone with half a brain can see that you've changed since you got here. They will notice, don't worry," Scott tried to reassure her,
"I can't help it. Regardless of how much I like you, they won't like you. You don't understand, they've never liked a single guy I was ever interested in and you've got extra strikes against you because you're here at Horizon." She sighed, "They'll take one look at you and jump to conclusions. Because if I met you at home, we would have slept together by now."
"Don't say that."
"Why not? Because it's true or because you don't want to think about it?"
Scott frowned, "Because that's not what you're like anymore. Why can't you just be proud of yourself?"
"Because they won't be proud of me!" she cried. "No matter how much I've changed I don't think they will be able to see it. They're still mad at me."
He shook his head, "Don't worry about how your mom and dad are going to act. Worry about not going crazy. If there's anything I've learned here it's that I shouldn't let my parents hold me back."
"I never let my parents hold me back," she smiled.
"Not what I meant."
She laughed at him, "I know exactly what you meant. I'll try not to
let it bother me."