I'm currently making a playlist on Spotify for this story if anyone's interested. I debated making it public because ~ spoilers ~ but I thought, nah. It's more speculation about the direction of the story than confirmed spoilers, and I personally love listening to author playlists and the songs that inspired their stories. One more thing, if any of you go through all my Spotify playlists, please do not judge my music taste too harshly. Thanks :)
And if you want to see the inspiration for Kathleen's look, go on google images and search '1959 dinner party dress' and there is an illustration of one man and four women in evening wear. The woman in the red dress and white gloves is sitting on a chair at the front.
Chapter seventeen - It's a small world
"We have five minutes," Knox worried at his lip, "do you think I should go up?"
"No."
"But it's been twenty minutes!"
"You're twenty-five minutes early, Knox."
It was silent for a moment.
"Maybe I should? Or you should? Just in case, y'know?"
"No."
"Come on, Charlie." Knox stared at his friend who merely raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms before closing his eyes and relaxing back against the door frame.
"I can't help being nervous!"
The boy hummed nonchalantly in response.
"Damn it, Charlie! Give me some last-minute pointers, you're the girl expert!" He cried.
"Really? I could've sworn that Cameron held that title," teased Kathleen, appearing on the staircase and descending slowly down the stairs.
"Need some help?" Knox offered her an arm, noticing her awkward movements.
Kathleen took his arm gratefully. "These heels aren't the most practical," she admitted sheepishly.
"Nice though," shrugged Knox, his mind slowing and muscles relaxing with the reassuring presence of his friend, "wouldn't you say so, Charlie?" He turned around at the lack of response, "Charlie?"
The boy in question gulped, stepping away from the doorframe and standing up a little straighter. "Yeah," he replied, "I mean, you look great."
"Thank you," she smiled, oblivious to the strange way that his eyes darted wildly between looking directly at her and anywhere else.
Her red heels click clacked on the parquet floor as she moved to stand in front of the window, using its reflection to inspect her appearance, whilst Knox fretted about the dinner, and Charlie nodded distractedly, unusually silent as he struggled to keep his eyes away one friend and tried desperately to focus on the other's anxious rambling.
The red boat neck dress was tight down to her waist where it flared out in two layers down to her knees, the upper layer was translucent with a deep red ribbon around the hem. Her chocolate brown hair was pinned into an elegant up do which she checked was secure before pulling on her white gloves.
She turned to Knox, "ready?"
He nodded nervously, clutching the flower stems tightly in his hands.
"See you later." Charlie patted Knox on the back and wished him luck, merely giving Kathleen a nod.
"Bye, Charlie," she smiled in response, taking Knox's arm and letting him lead her out the front door to where Hager was waiting for them by his car.
The Dalton boy stood in the doorway, watching as Kathleen threw her head back and laughed at something that Knox had said. His eyes tracked her every move from the impatient bouncing on the balls of her feet to the graceful movements of her legs as she got into the car and where she settled down, crossing her legs. It was then that Neil walked quietly over to his best friend.
"You need to say something," he said, sitting on the stone step beneath the doorway.
Charlie shook his head, still staring down the empty driveway. "I can't ruin things. We're happy as friends, besides she's leaving soon."
"Two months is plenty of time and after this year she might go to college in the US...with us."
"Maybe she will," he sighed.
"You'll figure it out," Neil patted him on the back.
"So, will you," Charlie smirked, looking amused at the shocked expression on his best friend's face.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he choked.
He rolled his eyes, "come off it, I have eyes."
Neil shrugged, "what do you think? Honestly."
"I think you'll be great."
"Will?"
"You have eyes as well, Perry. I suggest you use them." Charlie dusted himself off and stood up, "I saw lover boy on the roof looking miserable, fix it," he said, before heading back inside, leaving Neil to sit there stunned for a second before he shot up and dashed to the rooftop.
xxxx
Ten minutes later the car pulled into the driveway of the Noel household, a pretty suburban house with a manicured lawn and neat flowerbeds under the front windows.
"Ready?" Kathleen put her hand on Knox's knee to stop it from bouncing. The poor boy looked like he was about to vomit.
"Yes," he said resolutely as he swung open the car door. "Let's go."
Hager followed the two students up to the doorstep, hovering behind them as Kathleen rang the bell.
"COME IN!" Squealed Nancy, throwing open the door and ushering them into a spacious entrance hall. Warm light ensconced the cosy space, its cream walls adorned in photographs and various pieces of art which carried on up the wooden staircase, and led the eye to the left and down the hall.
"Thank you for bringing them, Sir. We should be done by nine." She smiled politely at their chaperone, then quickly closed the door.
"I've never seen so much artwork in my life...and I've been to the Louvre!" Exclaimed Kat, gazing at the tasteful sculptures and framed paintings with delight.
"My Aunt and Uncle are art dealers, "she smirked, leading the pair into a modest sitting room,"and collectors." She gestured to well-dressed couple in their mid-forties who stood in the centre of the room, "Kathleen Murray and Knox Overstreet, meet my Aunt Linda and Uncle Joseph Noel."
The students shook hands with the couple.
"It's a pleasure to meet you both," greeted Mrs Noel, "we've heard so much about you from Nancy and the Danburys."
"Oh yes, I've heard that this young man is an aspiring lawyer!" Mr Noel clapped Knox on the shoulder and ushered him over to the couch.
"The plan is for me to take over my Father's law firm once he retires," explained Knox, taking a seat next to the greying man.
Kathleen followed Nancy over to the drinks trolley where she was helping Mrs Noel with the pre-dinner drinks. She was pouring four coca-colas, presumably for the teenagers, and alcoholic beverages for her husband and herself. "Nancy dear, please take these to the men. I'm just popping upstairs to fetch Christine."
Nancy complied, sharing a subtle, conspiratorial look with Kat as she handed out the drinks. "I bet you my Chanel sunglasses that my cousin leaves him speechless," she said in a low voice.
"I think that's a given, no bet," she whispered back, cutting her reply short as the sound of footsteps on the stairs became audible. Sure enough, Mrs Noel re-entered the room with her daughter in tow. Kathleen's eyebrows rose involuntarily, Knox might have been exaggerating slightly but he wasn't wrong. Chris was beautiful. She was practically angelic in her pale pink dress, and her smooth, blonde hair curled at the ends. Big, blue eyes fluttered as she took in the guests with an excited smile which lit up her face and brought a blush to Kathleen's cheeks.
Kat turned to see Nancy, whose smug grin was directed at Knox. The poor boy had paused mid-sentence, his mouth hanging open.
"This is my daughter, Christine." Mrs Noel led the girl - who had unknowingly bound each teenager's fates together - over to Kat, who received a bright, yet somewhat bemused, grin from the Noel's daughter.
"It's lovely to meet you at last! My dear cousin has been driving me up the wall about tonight," she laughed. "Nance even knocked the juice over at breakfast trying to snatch your letter from my Father's hands."
"Hey! I'm not that bad," Nancy cut in, swiping back the coca-cola she had offered her cousin with mock offence.
"I have to disagree, Nance," her uncle interjected teasingly, "you looked like a cat who got the cream when we organised this dinner. Anyone would think you'd been scheming."
"And this is-" began Mrs Noel.
"Knox, right? You were at the Danbury's a few weeks ago," interrupted Chris.
"Y-you remember me?" Stuttered Knox.
"Of course," she said softly, "but it's a shame we didn't get a chance to talk much. Chet was insistent on leaving on time."
"He cares about your curfew, sweetheart. He's a responsible boy," Mr Noel said, taking a sip of his drink.
Nancy coughed and Chris shot her a scathing look.
"Are you okay, dear?" Asked Mrs Noel, laying a wrinkled hand Nancy's forehead, "you're not coming down with that nasty flu virus, are you?" Mrs Rifenberg next door has been in bed with it all week, the poor woman."
"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about, Mother," reassured Chris, quickly kissing her on the cheek before crossing the room to sit with her Father. "Knox, you must tell me all about Welton. Chet hardly speaks of it, and his sister, Ginny, goes to Henley Hall and she adores it. Isn't that your sister school?"
"Uh-sort of. It's more our sister school on paper, we don't mix," he replied awkwardly.
Kathleen tuned out and turned to Nancy, "what was that about?"
Nancy led her over to the loveseat in the corner, her eyes tracking Mrs Noel as she wandered into the kitchen. "Chet caring about her curfew is a load of rubbish. The boy just wants her away from adult supervision so they can make out before he takes her home. I should know; I've caught them in his Father's car twice already."
"You really don't like him." Kat observed, reading the disdain in the tilt of her best friend's eyebrows.
"I don't," she confirmed, "which is why I hope this works out." She glanced at the pair of teenagers conversing over the coffee table, laughing and leaning in with interest to what the other was saying. Knox's nerves appeared to have melted away and the flowers he brought with him were received with delight. Chris immediately placed them in a vase, marvelling at both the scent and the lucky coincidence that they were her favourite.
xxxx
The evening wore on and the conversation flowed at the dinner table, accompanied by a showering of compliments upon Mrs Noel for the excellent meal. Knox, who had been seated next to Chris, hadn't stopped smiling since they arrived.
Clustered in the corner, the two girls could barely contain their glee at the sight of the two getting along so well. They had begun desert - a tasty homemade apple pie - when they were interrupted by the shrill ringing of the doorbell.
Mrs Noel looked up with an expression of surprise, "I'll get it."
"Are we expecting anyone else?" Chris turned to her father, brows arching with playful accusation.
Mr Noel shook his head and lifted his wrist to read his watch, "your brother is sleeping at the Michaels house tonight, and Dr Hager isn't due for another half hour."
The speculation was ended with the reappearance of Mrs Noel. "Look who decided to drop by," she said warmly, stepping aside to reveal a tall, brunette boy in a red varsity jacket.
"Chet!" Chris launched herself at her boyfriend, bundling herself into his arms with such glee that Knox's face dropped.
"Hey," the newcomer said, throwing an arm casually over his girlfriend's shoulders, "what's up Mr N?"
"Nice to see you Chet." The shorter man stood up to shake the boy's hand. "You sit down and enjoy your meal, Linda," he told his wife, "I'll fetch another chair."
Soon enough, the guest was seated with a plate of spare food and a beer in front of him. Unfortunately, his chair was placed in the middle of Knox and Chris.
"Chet, you remember Knox? He was at Welton with you," said Chris conversationally, her smile pleased as she re-introduced the pair.
"Oh," he rubbed the back of his neck, "it's good to see you, dude. Still friends with that ginger kid?"
"Meeks." Knox replied shortly, "and yes. "
Kat watched the tense exchange with interest. Meeks had never been brought into the equation before, perhaps there was more of a backstory to Chet's time at Welton than she knew.
"Right," he nodded, "and who is this lovely lady?"
"This is Kathleen, she goes to St. Mary's with me," Nancy explained. Her tone deliberately lightened as she took the burden of his attention form Knox, "she's actually at Welton temporarily."
"Woah, they let girls in!" He exclaimed, shovelling in a forkful of salad, "that makes me regret leaving."
Nancy stabbed her pie, trying not to look as murderous as she felt since the jerk remained oblivious to the flicker of hurt on her cousins face at the thoughtless joke.
"Girl." Kathleen corrected, "Nolan is a family member, so I guess it's a one-off occasion."
"Makes sense," he agreed, "the workloads tough, isn't it? I bet it's different to your old school."
"Kat is top of the class in English," Knox jumped in, careful to keep his tone even and polite.
"You must be brainy if you displaced four-eyes."
"Chet!" Chastised Chris.
"It's a joke, sweetheart," he reassured her, "let us boys have our nicknames, right Mr N?"
"Chet's right, darling. It's all light-hearted jokes between friends," Mr Noel assured his daughter.
Knox glared at his plate, muttering inaudibly.
"Charlie was always one for jokes, Knox is used to it," Chet continued, ignoring Chris's pleading stare. "That reminds me, Kathleen, how are you dealing with him? That boy sure has a reputation."
Kat lowered her spoon. "Charlie is one of my best friends."
"Just a friend?" He smirked.
"Just a friend," she said firmly.
"Are you sure that you're thinking of the right person?" Nancy asked, "Fraser is the one to avoid. Charlie has been nothing but kind and respectable towards Kitty Kat."
"Fraser? Wasn't he one of your friends?" Chris turned to her boyfriend, a wrinkle appearing between her brows.
"Oh yeah, he's a laugh, "he shrugged, "great at football, too."
Kathleen exchanged a disbelieving look with Knox from across the table.
"It's a small world," mused Mrs Noel, beginning to clear the plates. "Chet, dear. There's more pie in the kitchen, help yourself."
"Let me help," Kathleen rose from the table, quickly followed by Nancy, Chris, and Knox.
"Thank you, just bring them through to the kitchen," she led them through a wooden door to the right of the dining table. "Leave them on the side and head into the sitting room. You still have a few minutes before your teacher arrives."
The teens thanked her, but as they turned to leave the kitchen, Chris called Knox's name.
He was at her side in an instant. "What's wrong?"
"I want to apologise for Chet's behaviour. He's slightly drunk, and I know it's no excuse, but he's not usually like that. I promise."
"Don't worry about it," he smiled softly, "it's not your fault. I did go to school with him, I know he doesn't think before he speaks."
"That's true," she laughed, "and Kat? I'm sorry."
"Like Knox said, you have nothing to apologise for."
"Thank you," she smiled, hovering in the doorway where she could see her boyfriend talking animatedly with her parents. "And Nance? You were right, your friends are pretty cool."
Mentioning Todd looking miserable on the roof is my way of referencing the flying desk set scene (I posted something about that scene ages ago, it was written way before I had even thought of this story so it's completely unrelated to the plot but still, feel free to read it).
I also used the deleted scene from the Danbury dinner (which you can watch on YouTube) for the details about Ginny and for the relationship between Chet and Chris.
I hope you like it, this was a tough chapter to write and difficult to end. Anyway, thank you for all the support and feedback. It truly makes my day when the notification email arrives. And I promise the next chapter will be up sooner!