"Don't be nervous." Piper says tightening my tie, "She's only my mom. She's very sweet, and she'll just be happy I have a friend. Plus you're cute, so she'll love you more by default."
Piper came by this afternoon, Thanksgiving day, in order to help me get ready for the dinner. She says it's because she couldn't take her mom asking her anymore questions. I think she just wanted to be with me.
"Um, but I'm nervous. This is like, my first French exam!" I grab her hands.
"Don't think of it like that." She chuckles.
"But what if they silently judge me?"
"Only Drew will be judging you. She thinks I'm paying my friend to come over. Mitchell will be too busy checking out your ass, and Lacey will be too busy assuming you and I will be getting married. Mom will adore you."
"Okay..." I lean down to kiss her bright red lips, "But if I stutter?"
"I'll laugh." She says.
"Please don't." Her hands glide behind my neck before kissing me again.
"You'll do fine." She takes her thumb and starts wiping lipstick residue off of my lips.
"Alright..." I trail off. She walks over to the large purse she had brought makeup, her dress, shoes, and all that good stuff in. It's a freaking huge purse. She's shoving her sweat pants and tee shirt into it now.
"Dad already loves you anyway and he's the only one I really care about impressing."
"But how do I-"
"You know." She promises me, "Allons y." She stands at the door holding her hand out to me.
"Uh... Je viens?" I ask, hoping I finally got the translation down.
She smiles at me, "Oui. Tres bien."
"Yes." I give myself a moment of victory before walking with her.
"Have you talked to Annabeth yet?" She asks.
"Nope." I tell her as we climb down the stairs together.
"After winter break, right?" She smiles.
"Yeah. Lunch with you and Nico is too much fun."
"While I'm honored, you should really talk to her. By now, she's cooled off enough. Right?"
"You don't know Annabeth too well, she's an expert at holding grudges. I will talk to her. Eventually."
"Mhm..." She nods climbing into the car, "Maybe you should text them all Happy Turkey Day or something."
I sigh dramatically, "Fine."
"Whatever." She rolls her eyes. I send out the texts before she starts driving, "How's Nico?"
"He's good, I mean, his step-mom is being her regular perky self and his dad is just the same. Bianca's good, I saw her yesterday. Jake's fine too."
She nods, "Thalia?"
"Thalia's with my dad."
"Instantly everything else is shit." She says, "I mean what?"
"No you're pretty spot on." I say.
"Does it still hurt?" She's referring to my sides. When my father found out that I haven't been talking to my friends he flipped out and kind of sort of punched me repeatedly.
But in the stomach and sides because shirts hide those things. I didn't tell Piper. She just tried to curl into me on Sunday and found the bruises. She's been worrying about it, but it's not a big deal. Really.
"Not so much." She leaves it at that was we reach her house.
"Ready?" She asks.
"Uh... Yes?"
"Great!" She jumps out of the car with me trailing behind, "Mama! Papa! Je suis chez!" She calls once we're both inside.
"En cuisine!" A soft, mild voice climbs through the halls.
I walk behind Piper until we reach the kitchen. Her mother is stunning. She's tall with long curly blonde hair. She has frosty blue eyes that observe me kindly and carefully. I want to laugh as I remember Piper's birthday story. Her mother's milky white skin contrasts her dad's dark skin.
"Ah! Ceci est votre ami?" She asks walking over to us. Something about friend... And it's a question... Maybe... I'm going to guess here, she's asking if I'm her friend.
"Oui mama." Piper smiles as her mother fondly places her hands on her cheeks. Right on!
I take in a quick breath, "Bonjour madam je m'appelle Jason."
"Bienvenue Jason." Her mother kisses my cheeks in response, "c'est merveilleux de vous avoir."
"Merci de m'avoir." I recite from memory.
Piper's mom starts laughing, "He'll run out of vrases soon, no?"
Piper laughs too, "Probably."
Her mother looks at me, "I do speak English too, I just tought you should know." She speaks English, yes, but she has a very heavy accent.
"Mama, où est ma robe rose." A small girl runs into the kitchen but stops cold when she sees me. She has blonde hair to match her mothers along with cream skin and blue eyes. This must be Lacey.
"Piper, votre ami est mignon." She thinks I'm cute.
I chuckle before saying, "Merci. Enchanté mademoiselle Lacey." She looks shocked and then horrified as she bolts up to her room.
Piper nudges me, "You're cruel."
"Well, you know." I shrug.
"Piper, your fazer is in ze living room if you want to wait until dinner's ready." Piper nods leading me out to the living room.
"Daddy, what are you doing?" She asks when we walk in the room.
"Watching the game." He says.
"You hate football." She sits down beside him as I take my seat next to her.
"So?"
"Don't you want to watch Chicken Run or something?"
"But it's tradition." He laughs, "Your mom cooks, Lacey and Drew fight, sometimes with you. Mitchell bakes the pies and I pretend to watch football so I can stay out of it."
"Whatever." Piper rolls her eyes.
"At least you guys have a tradition." I laugh, "My idea of tradition is manning the fire extinguisher with my sister trying not to blow up the kitchen because she can't cook."
"I'd take that any day." Piper smiles at me.
"You're lucky Drew and Lacey haven't gone at it yet." Mr. McLean tells me.
"Why?"
"Things can get pretty ugly around here." He chuckles.
"You don't want to know." Piper assures me. Just then we hear stomping feet from upstairs, "Shit." Piper groans.
"Not around your mother Pipes." Mr. McLean nudges her. After a moment of incoherent shouting Piper gasps.
"What?" I ask.
"I think Lacey called Drew a slut."
"Is this new?" I ask again.
"Lacey is twelve." Piper informs me.
"Oh... Hey, look at the yardage they just got." I point to the screen.
"I knew they'd make a come back." Mr. McLean pretends to get excited.
"Let's just hope they don't have another fumble." We go on like this until the shouting has stopped. Once it has we get called to the dinning room for dinner.
Walking in I only see Mitchell, or who I assume is Mitchell. He looks tall, dark hair and light eyes. He looks a lot like his mom.
"Mitchell, what are you doing?" Piper chuckles.
"Folding napkins." He mutters.
"Did Drew throw something at you again?" She asks as the three of us sit down.
"Yes." He looks up to see me, "Oh hey." He smiles. Well at least he didn't look at my ass.
"Hi. Mitchell?" I reach over to shake his hand.
"Yep, and you are?"
"Jason."
"Oh, yeah. Piper's 'friend'." He winks on the word friend, "Plus comme sucrerie d'homme." Piper blushes as I try to translate. Something about candy...
"Mitchell, when was the last time I ever had a 'friend'?" Piper asks, "Et il n'est pas sucrerie d'homme." I am not candy... Mitchell thinks I'm man candy.
"Last time he wasn't even cute!" Mitchell defends himself. Piper smacks her forehead.
"No, I'm not dating him. He's a friend."
"Oh, I get it." Mitchell nods.
"Don't you dare-"
"Mama! Lacey est être grossier!" A shrill voice yells from the stairs. Lacey's voice adds something that sounds like an argument. But Piper's mom steps in and gets them both to come down.
Lacey throws herself in the seat next to Mitchell. Drew (I'm assuming it's Drew) runs into the dinning room and sits beside me with her arms folded. She'd be pretty if she hadn't just been shouting at a twelve year old. She's got dark hair and dark eyes that seem to be burning holes through anything they stare at.
"And who are you?" She asks in a pouty, but oddly seductive way.
"Jason. You must be Drew."
"And how would you know that?" She asks.
"Because I've met your other siblings." I fight to make my answer not sound like a question.
She doesn't say anything as Piper's mom has us start eating. I'm going to say first and foremost, this dinner is not the worst thing to ever happen, nor is it the most uncomfortable thing to ever happen. It's kind of just hilarious.
"Zo, Jason, you go to school with Piper, no?"
"Yes ma'am."
"And you two share classes?"
"Yes."
"How long have you been seeing each other?"
"Uh..."
"Mama! Nous ne sommes pas ensemble!" Piper gasps.
"I'm sure you're not." Lacey smiles at her.
"Quiet." Piper shakes her head.
"Hmm, we could do worse." Mitchell smirks.
"You could, I'm sure." She chuckles.
"I could bring up the time you pushed me down the stairs." Lacey encourages her.
"Alright, you've already forgiven me for that incident."
"You haven't told me that story yet."
She bites her lip, trying not to smile, "Lacey and I were just kids. We'd seen Princess Diaries 2 and thought it would be awesome to ride a mattress down the stairs. The mattress wasn't moving so I got off and pushed it down. Only Lacey got flipped off of it-"
"Into the fireplace."
"I still partially blame you for that."
"You were the responsible one."
"I was, what? Eight? No, I was seven."
Lacey rolls her eyes, "You broke my arm."
"You thought you could block the fireplace by putting your hands out."
"I was three."
Piper rolls her eyes, "Yeah, whatever."
"What about the time the three of us went to the beach?" Mitchell brings up a new subject.
"Oh, that was fun." Piper laughs, "The time you got stung by a jellyfish and I had to carry your butt into the sand."
"I was talking about the time we accidentally went to a nude beach. Last year remember." Piper turns cranberry sauce red, "And some old lady took off your top because you were too covered."
"Please stop." Piper squeaks.
"Or what about the time that-"
"Alright zat's enough." Piper's mom cuts Lacey off.
"Yeah, at this rate I'm going to throw up." Drew says.
"That ain't the only reason." Piper murmers so softly only I hear her.
"I'm sorry what was that little sister?" Drew asks.
"Nothing Drew dear." Piper bats her eyelashes.
"Girls behave." Piper's mom chuckles softly.
After a brief silence I speak up, "Mitchell are you playing footsy with me?"
"Oh shi-... I mean sorry, thought you were Drew." He says innocently.
"You know we're just twenty years old, and you still kick me under the table." Drew rolls her eyes.
"Like you act your age." Mitchell scoffs.
"What does that mean, hun?" Drew asks.
"Please, as if you don't know." He chuckles, "You still jump after boys like some sixteen year old party girl."
Drew gasps as Piper and Lacey say, "Oh snap."
"New record." Mr. McLean smiles looking at his watch.
"I do not jump after boys."
"Really? Who was last weeks boyfriend? And who was this weeks?"
"They're just not good enough."
"You mean you're just not good enough." Lacey mutters.
"In bed." Piper murmurs back to her sister.
"Oh you're so coy sister." Drew huffs, "I didn't have to come to your American holiday."
"No, but you also don't have to be living with our mom either, so..."
"I don't know why I'm here."
"Neither do I princess. You hate it here." Piper laughs.
"You know what else I don't get? Why are you here?" Drew asks me.
"Excuse me?"
"Yeah, why on Earth are you here?"
I put down my fork, "Well, for the food of course." Piper and Mr. McLean burst out laughing.
"I mean, why hang out with Piper? I thought she was a nobody at school."
"I am, what does that have to do with anything?"
"Yeah, maybe I'm a nobody too." I laugh. I feel like a nobody sometimes.
"Oh please, just answer the question."
"Just because she's a nobody doesn't mean she's not fun. I mean, we've told each other some pretty funny stories."
"The dairy incident." Piper chuckles.
"Did you tell him the Morocco incident?" Mr. McLean smirks.
"Of course I told him that one." She returns.
He gives her two thumbs up, laughing hysterically.
"Um..." Piper's mom looks flustered by the conversation, "You two haven't-"
"Mother, nous ne sommes pas dans une relation!" Piper both laughs and scolds.
Her mom chuckles, "Just like with the last one?"
"That was two years ago."
"Your point?"
"Uhg!"
"Who wants pie? I made apple, cherry, and pumpkin." Mitchell stands up from the table.
"Mitchell, you dork." Lacey rolls her eyes.
"I prefer to think of myself as bamf. And Piper's favorite." He rushes out of the dinning room.
"Excuse you I'm Piper's favorite." Lacey teases him. Mitchell comes out with three pie tins.
"So, pie?"
"Pie." Piper nods.
As Mitchell serves up pie, Piper and her dad clear off the table. I take a slice of apple pie.
"Good man." Mitchell says, "Apple is always a good choice."
"That's because you can't mess it up." Lacey teases.
"I don't think Mitchell can mess up sweets Lacey." Piper chuckles from the door.
"True, you make a banging cherry pie." Lacey says taking her seat.
Piper has a slice of apple pie.
"Are you going to try some of the pumpkin this year, Piper?" He teases.
"Only if I'm dead and you shove it down my throat." She chuckles.
"Pumpkin pie's not that bad." I laugh between bites.
"The first year Mitchell made it-"
"Don't you dare!"
"He switched the cinnamon and brown sugar amounts."
"Oh god." I cover my mouth to laugh.
"I just about died." She finishes the story.
"Whatever Piper." He sits down.
"They're great Mitch." Mr. McLean says, "As usual."
"Thanks." Mitchell shoves half of his slice in his mouth.
"Mama are we going shopping?" Lacey asks.
"I don't know honey, Piper has her friend over."
"Yeah, let's not go out." Piper says.
"I wouldn't mind." I tell her.
"Oh, let's go!" Lacey squeals.
"Uh..." Piper lets her mouth hang for a second, "Really, we shouldn't go."
"It could be fun." I tell her.
"Alright, we'll leave once everyzing is put away." Piper's mom smiles at her kids and then she winks... At me or at Piper, I'm not sure.
All of us pitch in to help clean up, even Drew, before getting ready to drive.
"Mr. McLean." I call before getting in Piper's car.
"Yeah?"
"Tell me how that game ends." I smirk.
"Will do." He laughs.
Piper and I drive close behind her mom so we can get to the right store, "Well, I hope you're happy with yourself. this is going to be awful. For the both of us."
"Wrong, I get to see my hot girlfriend in cute clothes. This is a win."
"Why did you want to do this?"
"So I could see you look hot." She smacks my chest getting me to laugh, "In all honesty... I liked the traditions. You guys are like an actual family, and actually love each other. At the end of the day I mean. I'd kill for a family like that. I didn't want it to end."
She chuckles, "Then you've got a whole night full of them."
"Question."
"Answer."
"Why don't your siblings have French accents?"
"Boarding school in London."
"Ah."
We pull into the mad house parking lot and manage to get into the mall without being mauled.
Piper's mom drags us to a clothing store where she sends her other three kids to look for themselves. She takes Piper and I to look for dresses.
"Mama, I don't need dresses."
"You always say zat." Her mom chuckles. After what must be two hours of looking we finally get Piper into a dressing room. Her mom and I wait outside and have a nice chat as Piper shows us different dresses.
"You're beautiful dear." Her mom says when Piper comes out in the first one. Piper will look beautiful in anything. I already know that.
"Mama," Piper chuckles walking over to us, "ne pas essayer n'importe quoi."
"Rien." Her mom says innocently.
Piper rolls her eyes but kisses her mom's cheek. When Piper's back in the dressing room her mom sighs, "She really is a sweet girl." I nod, "It's vondervol to zee her with friends again. I haven't zeen her zo happy in years."
"Really?"
She nods to me, "She's been sad lately." Piper walks out in something that doesn't allow her to keep her face straight.
"Really?" She laughs, "I mean, really?"
"Go change." Her mom laughs with her.
"Thank you."
Her mom looks back at me, "I don't think she's felt loved since... Since the last boy ruined her."
"I've heard..."
"She told you about him?"
"A bit."
"He vas 'orrible." Her mom says, "I've only vanted someone to treat her right since it happened. I'm glad she has vous, even if vous are only friends."
"Thanks."
Piper walks out in a frilly thing I can't imagine she'd even remotely like.
"No, I don't zink zo."
"Thank you." She doesn't bother walking to the full view mirror.
"Zo, how do you feel about her?"
"I think she's amazing. But I doubt she'd want to date me. I'm not exactly Mr. Perfect." I tell her what I still feel is true. Even though Piper and I are a thing... I still don't feel like I deserve her.
"You don't have to be. All you have to be is villing."
"Willing?"
"To give of yourself, and receive of her." She smiles, "Villing to vork for her and the relationship. If zat is vat vous vant."
Piper skips out in a dress that makes her look youthful, "I feel like a little kid." She says.
"Oh Piper, you're darling."
"I think I've past the point of being able to cut it as darling."
"Try on ze next one." Her mom shoos her away, "Zo, would you zink about dating her?" She asks.
"Maybe.. I mean I'm not sure. I don't know why on Earth she'd say yes."
"She vould. I know my daughter. She vould."
"Thanks."
Piper comes out in yet another dress, "Well?"
"Dear, vous look vonderval in everyzing." Her mom smiles.
"Then could we just get this one and leave?" She asks.
"Oui," Her mom sighs standing up, she fixes the skirt, "I vill buy zis vor vous. And vous can take your friend home."
"Thank you." Piper quickly changes back into her other clothes ,"Merci mama." She kisses her mom's cheek.
"Vous êtes bienvenu." Her mom kisses her cheeks, "It vas vonderval to meet vous, Jason."
"You too... Au revior." I wave as Piper drags me out of the store.
We sit down in the car where Piper starts laughing, "Have a good time?"
"Yeah, actually. I like them."
"I'm glad." She smiles, "You did text your friends right?"
I nod, "Percy and Annabeth are in London, Leo's in Mexico visiting distant relatives, Frank's in Canada, Hazel and the Di Angelo's are here but they have a lot of family traditions, and of course my sister is in Australia for the photo shoot."
"None of them texted you?" She asks.
"Most of them are working. Then some of them are asleep."
"Excuses." She laughs turning on the engine, "Hey look three o'clock."
"Yay! Bedtime."
"No, not yet."
"Huh?"
"Family tradition." She smiles pulling out her phone, "Daddy, where're we going this year?... You sure?... Oh yeah huh... Okay bye."
"What?"
"We're going to breakfast." She says.
"Dressed like this?"
"Duh. It's a place by Grandpa Tom's. No one will give a shit about us there."
"What about here?" I ask suddenly nervous.
"Don't worry, press doesn't pay attention to anyone in the States on holiday. I'll buy you a trashy magazine next week to show you. Annabeth and Percy will be front cover for sure."
"But... What if-"
"Plus I think people would be more suspicious had my mom not been walking between us. Worst comes to worst all the tabloids think is that we're striking up some deal."
"But if my dad sees it..."
She takes my hand before easing back into traffic, "It'll be okay. I promise you. I'll make it okay if I have to."
"Alright." I agree reluctantly. As we're driving my phone suddenly buzzes with a call, "It's Annabeth." I say.
"Answer it."
I do, "Hello?"
"Jason? It's Annabeth-"
"And Percy."
"Hey guys." I smile almost sadly.
"Thanks for the text, we just wanted to wish you happy Turkey day in... Almost person."
"Thanks guys. It means a lot."
"Are you and Nico going to hang out with us again?"
"Probably."
"Yay... We miss you guys."
"I miss my husband."
"Percy."
I laugh at them for a moment, "I'm sorry guys."
"We're sorry too. At least I am. I completely overreacted. It's your life and I'm a bit controlling sometimes."
"You were just being you. I shouldn't have just gotten all up in arms."
"Well, we love you."
"Especially me." Percy interjects.
"I miss you too boo. I hope the wedding's still on."
"Of course the wedding's still on. July eighth. Don't miss it."
"Not for the world." We pull up to the breakfast dinner, "I've gotta go. Breakfast time."
"Dude, isn't it, like, four in the morning your time?"
"You make that sound like it matters." The three of us laugh as Piper parks, "Bye guys."
"Bye."
"So, that wasn't bad." I tell Piper.
"Told ya." She smirks hopping out of the car.
"Yes, ma'am you did." I jump out to join her. Mr. McLean is sitting at a table waiting for us.
"They pulled through." He smiles at me.
"No way, they were down fifteen in the fourth quarter." I say sitting down.
"I don't have to pretend I know what that means anymore so I'm just going to tell you I Googled who won." I laugh at his confession, "But I must admit pretending to know what the hell was going on during a football game was pretty fun."
"I actually like football." I say as a waitress takes our orders for drinks. Three hot chocolates, "I used to watch it with my sister and mom. They were avid fans."
"I can see it." Piper smiles. We talk about football, soccer, and a plethora of other things that really don't matter.
I have a nice laughter filled morning with Piper and her dad before she drives me back home. We've had a great time. A great 'first date' of sorts.
On Monday the next week she drops a copy of Venus Weekly into my backpack. Pictures of Annabeth and Percy plastered to the front cover, with Leo and Thalia in a few frames. There is no report on Piper and I. Something that brings me great relief. But something catches my eye.
Jeyna's Breakup: Real or Not?
Still hanging months after the Jeyna breakup? Reporter Amanda Keegan has the latest update. Find this story on page 12.
I wait until I'm safely at home before reading the article.
Jeyna's Breakup: Real or Not?
By now you know the story. Jason Grace and Reyna Ramirez broke up. But why? Well, until everyone's been saying that no one knows for sure. But today we've been informed by a reliable source just why the broke up. Jason and Reyna Hollywood's sweethearts broke up for what must be the sweetest reason. Jason Grace allegedly told Ramirez he wasn't good enough for her and walked away from the relationship willingly. What a cutie! And you know what that means, this couple will have no problem getting back together.
I stop reading then, entirely confused by how on Earth this article could have been created. But then I wonder if my dad could have had anything to do with this.
Of course he could have. Who else would have?
"Son, what are you doing?" He walks straight into my bedroom. Speak of the devil and he shall come.
"Leo gave this to me today, said there was something up with Reyna and I." I hand him the magazine.
He skims it quickly, "Yes, it seems you two have been getting a long better."
"No, we haven't." I say boldly.
"Then maybe you should start." He shoves the magazine back into my chest, "Shouldn't you?"
"Maybe I should move on." I say finding a defiance inside of me.
"Maybe you should learn the difference between orders and suggestions." With that he walks out of my room slamming the door behind him. I get angry suddenly. As he storms down the hallways I want to run and yell at him. I want to rip him apart. All I can do is crawl into Thalia's bed that night, falling asleep to the drowsy, slurred sound of Beautiful Day.