Chapter 10: Football bulldog

"why are they all so chipper? its sunday morning, they should be in bed"

Charlie moaned sleepily as we were lounging together in the hall infont of my dorm on 9am on Sunday. I chuckled

"they're excited about life, dad. it's a college thing"

"how come you're not excited about life?"

he accused and I deadpanned.

"I find nothing exciting before eleven"

it was quite funny actually. I had inherited being the early bird from him but since I started college I learned to appreciate morning snoozing! Suddenly grandma Helen and grandpa Christopher walked up to us looking every bit like the proud grandparents they are dressed in sweaters, hats and scarves all with the word 'Yale' stitched on.

"Oh, my god"

"get used to being embarrassed kiddo"

Charlie whispered before standing up.

"so, what time does the game start?"

"One"

my smile fell

"then the hell did we have to meet at 9!"

"there's much more tot he game day, than the game Isabella. There are all kinds of rituals and traditions we Swans take part in. First off, a visit to Dan."

"who's Dan?"

everyone looked appalled

"what?"

I was ignored as we all walked down to the main park and saw a stuffed dog in a glass case.

"meet Dan. the original Handsome Dan"

"the very first Yale mascot"

Helen explained.

"yuck"

I said quietly and Charlie shushed me

"just indulge them bells. there's nothing else you can do, trust me"

"time for a toast"

Helen crowned and produced a flask from her huge tote bag and four shot glasses.

"Seriously?"

I Commented and took my glass filled with alcohol. Christopher toasted to the stuffed dog

"Give our boys the strength to do battle yet again for the honor of Yale and help us send the Harvard boys home in a body bag. Dan we salute you"

I stifled my laughter and saw Charlie's mustache twitch fighting back a smile as everyone downed their shots. my eyes watered at the strong drink.

"too strong honey?"

"nah it's ok grandma, isn't it a bit early for alcohol though?"

"nonsense. its game day"

Helen dismissed it and served yet another round of shots.

"bulldog, bulldog, bow wow wow, Eli Yale"

Christopher broke in a wannabe song and join various people in groups to sing it dragging Charlie along.

"apparently everyone's here drinking"

I commented horrified.

"you know, Cole Porter wrote that song"

Helen said smiling

"was that before he learned to write songs?"

I deadpanned still amazed at the loose spirit of the people around us. I spotted magenta talking with an older woman and excused myself joining her

"Magenta?"

"Bella"

she said and we hugged.

"what are you wearing?"

I asked seeing she wasn't in her usual purple clothes. Instead she wore shorts like me with a light blur sweater. the purple streaks in her hair was hidden in a ponytail. she looked... ordinary.

"my family made me. how's your dad?"

"embarrassing me"

I pointed to the crowd of people 'singing' and she laughed.

"I have to stick with the family. Catch you later?"

"sure"

I jogegd back to the thankfully quiet rest of my family.

"we should head to eat soon"

"what are we eating?"

"it's a tailgate party Bella"

"Tailgate? as in a beer and a hot dog in the parking lot?"

two words I never imagined together, Christopher swan and tailgating. I passed magenta who did a comical fake stabbing and I stuck my tongue out at her. a couple hours later we were sitting in the parking lot tailgating. Swan style. that means grandma had a chef grilling things and a maid serving them.

Helen was making bloody marys, Charlie was trying to get the chef to actually cook his steak, and Christopher was pouring more alcohol in the shot glasses. Helen handed Charlie a tall glass with a red drink and a big celery stick.

"try this"

he did. his eyes bulged out and became redder than the tomato

"wooya!"

"too strong?"

"just a tad"

Pretty much everyone that graduated from Yale in the past hundred years was here today and Christopher spent the next hour introducing people and mingling. thankfully we sat down to eat soon

"I feel like I've officially eaten a third of a cow"

Christopher said grinning. Charlie nodded with his mouth full.

"this steak is incredible"

a dog barked and like the jack in the box Helen jumped out of her chair, saying

"its Dan, its Dan"

and took off running to the sound with Christopher following. Charlie rolled his eyes and we followed the previous generation on swans.

"didn't we already see the dog?"

"this is the current Dan'

he snickered and watched as the bulldog, wearing a blue jersey with a Y letter on obviously, ate a Y shaped bone out of Helen's hands. I knelt to pet it and ended up with the dog licking furiously my wolf anklet.

"hey angel"

"her roger"

"Dan likes you"

roger commented as he tried in vain to pull the dog by its leash back

"he likes my anklet more I think"

"grandma I want you meet Roger Lloyd. we are in business class together"

"nice to meet you Mrs. Swan"

"how did you get stuck with Dan?"

"I had an unfortunate experience with a keg, a party, a sudden need to take my clothes off and fall asleep in the middle of the hallway last night"

I broke in crazy giggles.

"oh please, that's nothing. I was naked an entire month my sophomore year"

Christopher said matter-of0factly.

"what?"

I looked at him stunned. even Dan stopped trying to dry hump the wolf anklet and looked at grandpa. Charlie was openly laughing.

"who are you and what did you do to my stoic grandfather?"

"I and a group of like-minded young men decided to protest the new dress code by wearing silk ties and nothing else."

"we were written up by the dean of admissions and threatened with expulsion. we were also suddenly very popular with the ladies"

Logan's grandfather finished and he and Christopher walked away remising and joined a group of acapella singers. Helen mingled with some other ladies and Roger had to walk Dan around some more.

"tonight 9pm on the island. wear your necklace"

he said before he left and I nodded. Yale won the game, hands down.