Disclaimer: All characters in this fanfiction belong to Warner Bros. Studios, with the exception of Monty's family.
Chapter 5
Tension on Thanksgiving
26th Nov
Monty awoke in an unnaturally good mood. Yesterday's events were still replaying in the back of his mind and, although still unpleasant, they weren't as bothersome anymore. Now there was also something else stirring inside him, overshadowing his despair: hope.
The plan was very simple: after either his aunt or uncle won and started mentoring him, he was going to annoy the living heck out of them, until they gave up. Patience was something this family missed entirely, Lydia and Nigel included. That, combined with their lack of knowledge regarding children, meant everything was going to go perfectly.
Smiling at the thought, he got up, stretched for a bit and walked towards his wardrobe. He had to start getting ready if he didn't want to be late. Opening the doors, dozens of suits, one more expensive than the other, lined up before his eyes, a row of silk and velvet sewed with golden threads.
'Now let's see,' he thought, 'what should I wear?' That was a tough question. Monty had been taught from a very young age that, when going to an important event, your outfit had to go perfectly well with the theme, the place and the time of the day. And, although this wasn't some glamorous party, he still had to dress impeccably, or else he risked embarrassing himself and his parents.
Running his hand across the different materials, he picked a black suit with golden cufflinks. He studied it for a few moments, but then tossed it on his bed. Too formal. This was a family reunion, not a business meeting. Next one was a cobalt-blue suit, made of fine silk. Monty liked this one a lot. Unfortunately, he had also worn it on his birthday, in October, and reusing an outfit after such a short period of time was sure to earn him a glare from his Father. The silver one was stained on the chest area, and although he could cover it up with a brooch, there was still a chance that someone might notice. Aunt Celestine had sharp eyes and if she saw it. . . well, let's say Monty wouldn't be getting his allowance anymore. The white-as-snow suit with golden trims was nice, but, after some consideration, Monty decided it was more suited for a Christmas party.
More suits followed and to each one Monty found a flaw, thus tossing them into the pile on his bed. Finally, after half an hour, the boy decided on a dark orange suit, with a crimson-red tie. It went well with autumn's colors and it wasn't too eye-catching either.
Suddenly, there was a knock and the door opened, revealing Angelina and a maid.
"Oh, wonderful, you're already awake!" His mother exclaimed. "Have you chosen something to wear yet?"
"Yup. This one." He said, holding the suit up.
Angelina nodded approvingly. "Nice choice. Give it to the maid so she can iron it, then go to the bathroom. I've asked Grovely to draw you a bath."
Monty smiled at the news. 'This morning just keeps getting better and better.' He thought as he strolled down theData and statistics hallway, towards the room where at least an hour of relaxation awaited him.
XXX
After the bath, Monty headed back towards his bedroom, accompanied by other servants, to finish getting himself ready. In no time, a clean and fancy teenage boy, with gelled brown hair, dressed elegantly in the chosen suit, admired himself in the mirror. Just then, the door opened again and, this time, Grovely stepped in.
"So, what do you think, Grovely?" Monty asked the butler, striking a pose.
"You look dashing, Sir." The man responded, rather drily. "But I've come here to ask you to go downstairs. Your mother requires your assistance. Apparently there have been some issues with the table aesthetics." Glancing at his reflection one more time, Monty gave a satisfied nod and followed his butler outside.
In the dining room, the atmosphere was a bit tense, all because the napkins for the big Thanksgiving meal weren't the exact color that Angelina had requested.
"I've specifically told you that they needed to be pumpkin orange!" She scolded some poor servant. "Not… this! Better get it fixed before I tell Richard you didn't follow the orders." The man's eyes went wide in fear and with a quick "Yes, ma'am!", he dashed away, desperate to find a solution to the problem.
Looking exhausted, Angelina turned around and saw her son. "Monty! Oh, thank goodness you're here!" She exclaimed, almost throwing herself at him.
"Ma, are you ok?" The boy asked.
"No, of course I'm not! I'm sweating all over! I've been preparing for this meal for weeks and it's still not perfect! And now that the family is also here, what are they going to think? I swear, if it's not finished by noon, I'm going to embarrass us!" The poor woman looked like she was about to faint.
"Relax, Ma." Monty said tiredly, way too used to his mother's tantrums by now. This usually happened whenever relatives came to visit. "Listen, why don't you just tell me what to do so I can help you?"
As if she had just been reminded why she had called him downstairs in the first place, Angelina snapped herself out of her stress-induced state and told her son to go see if the meal was ready. As she focused back on her problem, Monty headed to the kitchen, eager to get it over with.
"Eliza!" He called once he entered the room. "Is the food ready?"
The moon-shaped face, with delicate features, turned her blue-eyed gaze away from the stove. "Oh, it's all done, Master Monty. Just a few touches here and there, and it should be ready in half an hour." She then went to the other side of the kitchen to grab whatever else she needed.
Meanwhile, as she mingled about, Monty observed what food he and the others will feast on in a few hours. The turkey looked and smelled delicious, surrounded by sweet potatoes and covered in different sauces and spices, one more aromatic than the other. The remains of yesterday's other turkey had been turned into meatloaf, which now sat on a plate along with some stewed cabbage. There was no more sponge cake, but that was no issue, since a wonderful-smelling pumpkin pie rested on the counter, along with a tray filled with fruit tarts. Monty's mouth watered at the sight of them.
"You can grab one if you want." Eliza said.
"For real? What if someone notices?" And by someone, he meant Richard, who for sure would have both of their heads if he found out.
"Master Richard doesn't know how many there are supposed to be." Eliza answered, realizing who Monty was referring to. "Besides, you haven't had breakfast either. You deserve some food!"
Licking his lips, Monty grabbed around three tarts and stuffed them into his mouth, partially because he was hungry, and partially because he was still afraid that someone might catch him. While most of the time he was free to do what he wanted, Richard could be very severe if he crossed the line. And family reunions, important parties, along with things related to the company, were that line. But fortunately, Eliza was no tattletale. Quite the contrary, she let him get away with numerous stuff and spoiled him, by cooking whatever treats he wanted. She had been doing this ever since he was just a toddler. Why, he didn't exactly know. Angelina always said it was because the woman never had children of her own, Richard didn't care enough to say anything and Grovely said that it was because of her kind and caring nature. Whatever the reason was, Monty didn't really care. He was just happy to have another person in his life that spoiled him. And, although he couldn't say he loved her, since she was still a servant he didn't really spend any time with, he had grown fond of her affections over the years and, in return, he would let her get away with much more stuff than he let other servants.
"Okay, that's enough sweets already." Said Eliza, ushering him away from the tray, a gesture that would have gotten any other servant fired on the spot. Instead, he just groaned.
"Oh, now don't be so grumpy. You'll have more after the Thanksgiving meal. Now go on." She said, leading him out of the kitchen. "I think your mother might still need some help with organizing and I need to make some final touches." The door closed and Monty found himself standing alone in the hallway.
"Monty!" The boy jumped, startled by the sudden call of his name. Turning around, he saw Nigel approaching, an unusual friendly expression on his face.
"So, how are you this fine morning, my dear nephew?" The man asked, wrapping an arm around him as if it was the most casual thing. Monty looked at him as if he was crazy.
"What's with that look? Do I have something on my face or what?" Nigel said, smirking.
"Are you ok, Uncle Nigel?" Monty asked, uncertainly.
"Of course I am, my boy. Why wouldn't I be? It's Thanksgiving, the whole family is here and in no time we'll be filling ourselves with goodies. What's there to be upset about?"
By this point, Monty was sure his uncle had lost his mind. Not only was he giving him attention, which rarely happened if business wasn't involved, but he was also genuinely smiling and acting friendly. Sure, Nigel could be very charming when he wanted to. That was exactly the reason why Richard had appointed him to talk to other corporations. His extroverted nature and alluring speech made him the perfect negotiator. But even during those talks, he still kept a professional distance and never acted that way with his family. Now, however, he spoke to Monty as if they have been buddies for a lifetime and he even seemed to enjoy himself.
"Do you… want something, Uncle Nigel?" Monty asked, still confused by his attitude.
The man laughed. "You got me, buddy. I need to tell you something."
Monty raised an eyebrow. What could it possibly be that his uncle had to put on such a show in order to tell him?
Looking around, as if to make sure no one would eavesdrop, Nigel lowered his voice and said. "Listen here, kid. You know I'm a good business-man, don't you?" Monty nodded. "Very well. And you know how much I care for our company and for our family, right?" Monty nodded again, growing more anxious by the second. 'What is he hinting at?' He wondered.
"Good, good." Nigel added. "So, when it comes to business or making deals or managing money, if you have any problems about that, it makes sense to come to me for advice, right?"
"...Yeah?" Monty said, reluctantly.
"Alright, great! Just keep that in mind. See ya 'round, buddy. I have some work to do now." With that, Nigel let go of his shoulder, winked at him then strolled down the hallway.
Monty stood there, perplexed, hardly knowing what to think. What in Spielberg's name had just happened? That had to be the longest interaction he had with his uncle ever. Although he and Lydia were almost always present at the mansion, he still didn't get to see much of them. Greetings, goodbyes and, sometimes, Monty would join them to discuss work-related stuff, when his Father allowed it, of course. But that was about it. Never in his life had Uncle Nigel or Aunt Lydia pulled him aside to tell him he could count on them if he needed help. It was just so out of character for them. He was pondering that when his mother entered the hallway, rambling something to Grovely.
"So, now you go help the other servants find pumpkin orange napkins and I'll go around the house to make sure everything is in perfect shape, as it was yesterday." Upon seeing Monty, she immediately scolded him. "And what are you standing there! Have you checked on the food like I asked you?"
"Yeah, Mom. Eliza says it's all ready. She just needs to make some final touches, which will take a maximum of half an hour."
Angelina seemed satisfied with the answer. "Good. Now you come and check around the house with me."
Monty whined. "Ma, seriously, why can't you just leave me alone?! I've done enough already!"
"Now, now, young man." The woman said in a stern voice. "I don't want to hear any of that. You know we usually let you do whatever you like. This time, do what you're told. Grovely." She now addressed the butler. "You know what you have to do."
"Yes, Madam." He answered. With a slight bow, he went to resolve the task he had been given.
Monty and Angelina, meanwhile, went to the salon. "Okay, everything looks fine, can I go now?" Monty asked impatiently.
"Quit that, Monty, or I'm cutting your allowance and I'm not kidding this time. Now, go check the drapes, see if they still smell like cigars."
Rolling his eyes, the teen did as he was told not wanting to push his luck. As he sniffed the curtains, trying to detect any bad odor, he continued to think about the strange incident that had happened a few moments ago and what it could possibly mean.
Just then, Celestine walked into the salon, a bright Pretend-Smile spread on her face. "Good morning, everyone! Angie, dear, you look ravishing today!"
"Oh, thank you, Celi! You too look amazing, honey!" Angelina said, flashing her best Pretend-Smile that she could muster. "Sorry, dear, but as much as I'd like to talk to you right now, I have some work to do. So if you'll ex-"
"Oh, no, don't worry, darling!" Celestine said. "I actually wanted to talk to Monty, if you don't mind?"
As the words left the woman's mouth, Monty turned around sharply, not believing what he was hearing.
"Um, ok, of course, go ahead." Angelina said, unsurely, looking just as confused as her son.
Celestine smiled in the boy's direction and motioned with her head for him to follow her outside. The boy did, wondering what this could be about.
"How are you, Monty?" Celestine asked, when they were alone.
The boy was taken aback for a second, before responding. "Um, I'm fine, yeah. Why?"
"Oh, nothing!" She responded, her smile remaining just as bright. "I was just wondering, that's all. This whole company thing can be very stressful, especially for a child like you and we, the adults, have to make sure you are okay."
"Right… Thank you, I guess…" Monty said, getting more bewildered by the second.
"You know," Celestine continued. "I've always thought that was rather harsh. Being introduced to the ruthless world of business at such a young age, I mean. It must be hard and all. Does it ever make you wish you had someone to guide you, someone to teach you how things are done?"
"I mean, not really." Monty said. "I have my Father who guided me sometimes until n-"
"But he is very busy." Celestine interrupted him. "And a child needs someone that can dedicate their full time and attention to them. I know that, seeing as I am a mother myself and have experience. So, what I'm trying to say is that if you ever need guidance and support, me and Charles are always here."
Monty stared at her like she had just told him to kill someone. But, before he could voice his confusion, the woman cut him again.
"Well, I have to go upstairs now. Help my son get ready and all that. See you at lunch!" She said and disappeared behind the marble walls just as soon as she had appeared.
"What did she want?" His mother asked when he re-entered the salon.
"She said she and Charles are always available if I need any help or something." Said Monty, still trying to process the information.
Angelina looked at him in disbelief. "Celestine told you that?" The boy nodded.
The woman looked as if she had just been slapped. She then mumbled something that sounded like a 'go to your room', to which Monty happily complied. He had had enough of his weird relatives for one morning and he desperately hoped this was the end. Unfortunately, that was not the case at all.
XXX
Lunchtime came shortly after Monty's strange encounters and it was welcomed by the whole family. Food was brought in and everyone feasted on the delicious dishes being served. The tender turkey, sweet potatoes, aromatic sauces, all of these delighted the people's taste buds and filled their stomachs. The Thanksgiving meal had been so delicious that the food had practically vanished almost instantly. Of course, there was also a downside to that: the fact that people started to talk.
After the servants took the plates away and everyone was taking a break before eating the dessert, Lydia announced something completely unexpected.
"I have a present for Monty." She said.
Nigel choked on his drink. Celestine and Charles looked at her as if she was crazy, and so did Angelina, Gabriel and Olympia. Richard eyed her curiously, doing a better job than the others at hiding his shock. Monty stared at his aunt, not believing what was happening.
"A present… for me?" He asked, puzzled but curious at the same time. Aunt Lydia had never given him a present, so this for sure was going to be interesting.
As an answer, Lydia pulled from her handbag a gift wrapped in colorful paper. "For you, dear nephew." She said.
Ignoring the fact that she had just called him 'dear nephew' for the first time in her life, Monty took the present and opened it. His jaw instantly dropped.
"You got the 'Deathlords - Video Game'?! How did you know I liked it?!" He exclaimed incredulously.
"Oh, I know I may not look like it, Monty, but I know what a 14 year old wants." Lydia said proudly. Then, eyeing Nigel, she added. "Unlike others."
The gesture didn't go unobserved by her brother, who scoffed. "And what is that supposed to mean?"
"Oh, nothing." Lydia said. "Just that you don't know much about children, which makes you unqualified for… certain professions."
"Says the nerd that spent her entire teenage years locked up in her room, crying and studying, while I was having fun with Richard." Nigel said.
Lydia went red in the face and looked like she was about to retort, when Richard stepped in.
"Enough both of you. You are acting like children." He said, not exactly raising his voice, but his tone stern enough to shut his siblings up.
"I don't understand," said Celstine after a few seconds, "why you didn't get Zachary a gift as well. If you suddenly want to be a good aunt, Lydia, you need to be a good aunt to both of them, not just one of them."
"Maybe your son is not so important to get him a gift." Olympia muttered. Unfortunately for her, because she was sitting right across Celestine, the woman heard her.
"Excuse you?" She said, her every word dripping with venom.
Looking her straight in the eye, Olympia retorted. "Before complaining that you and your family don't get any privileges, maybe you should evaluate how valuable you are for the company."
Celestine let out a scoff, while Charles' face burned with indignation.
"Maybe you should do that instead, miss." He snapped. "Don't forget you and Gabriel work in one of the least important departaments. And then you wonder why you don't get much inheritance."
Olympia's expression went from calm to glaring daggers in the span of a few seconds.
"We have just as many chances of getting a big inheritance as you have!" She shouted.
"Yeah, right. Keep dreaming, sweetie." Celestine said mockingly. "Face it, you and your husband will never get as much as you wish because, just like Charles said, you don't really do that much. You don't even have a child that can take over after you retire."
"Well, then I guess it's my lucky day because I am pregnant!"
Everyone went silent. Not another sound could be heard, as everyone stared at her in disbelief. Even Gabriel seemed shocked. Olympia looked, for a split second, surprised herself, but then, quickly recomposing, she continued to glare at Celestine and Charles.
"Olympia." Gabriel managed after a minute. "Are you serious? Are we going to become parents?"
"Yes." She said firmly. "I didn't tell you right away because I wanted it to be a surprise for the family." Giving Celestine one last look, she added. "So much for a pleasant surprise."
"Olympia, what are you talking about?" Gabriel said, a smile spreading on his face. "We're going to be parents! This is still wonderful news!" He exclaimed and hugged her to his chest.
"Indeed it is." Said Richard, although he sounded less excited than his brother. "Another member that will hopefully work hard to make his parents and family proud. Truly delightful news. Now, can we go back to our meal? We still have the delicious pumpkin pie and I don't want to eat in the middle of an argument."
The rest of the meal was quiet, with mainly Richard talking. Celestine looked embarrassed, probably for losing her temper earlier, but Charles still seemed a bit mad. Gabriel was beyond ecstatic, while Olympia's expression was unreadable. Lydia and Nigel were still giving each other sideway looks, but were keeping quiet. Angelina seemed a bit on edge, while Monty and Zachary looked extremely confused.
Monty sat on his chair, not even caring about his slice of pie on his plate. What had just happened? Not only at the table, but throughout the whole day? It had started so well and now it felt more like a fever dream that he desperately wanted to wake up from. He simply couldn't comprehend all the new events that had just occurred.
'Actually, why do I even care?' He wondered. This wasn't his problem. He didn't have to care. Why should he when he could just ignore all of it? Adults were weird anyway, so why focus on their problems when he could focus on his? One of them was the whole mentoring thing, to which he had already found a solution, fortunately. Another one, in a few days he started school and for sure he was going to be bombarded with homewrok and tests. Now, that was something he should be concerned about, not whatever nonsense his family was onto. Some of them weren't even going to stay here for too long, which meant they would be out of his hair in no time.
And so, Monty pushed the thoughts of that day's events away, choosing to think of something else and ignore them, just like all of them ignored the growing tension at the Thanksgiving table.
