"Dollface, get th'door!"
Figures.
Dollface hadn't heard the polite knock on the door over her music and would probably be getting it later for being rude and not paying attention. Boy, did Gramma get worked up about Uncle Sebbie. Dollface stood and set her book down, pausing her music and pocketing her iPod.
She yawned. Gosh, last night was crazy.
Nine o'clock exactly. That was Uncle Sebbie for you, always on time.
Dollface stepped over the hysterical Courage and opened the door, still exhausted from last night's performance. Tonight she'd perform a set, and she was hoping to get a nap in before Uncle Sebbie took her to St. Louis, a solid three and a half hour drive.
Her eyes shot open when she was face-to-face with the last person she was expecting.
"Cousin Reggie?!"
"That's Regina, to you."
Sebastian loomed over them as Courage practically turned himself inside out, becoming a tall, black shadow against the bright, blue sky, "So sorry, we weren't expecting this to happen so unexpectedly. We were hoping this would be better planned and such but your father was impatient and-"
"We're sisters." Regina snapped, taking the cigarette out of her mouth and blowing the smoke into Dollface's face.
Dollface coughed, choking on Regina's smoke and expensive perfume. Courage sunk his teeth into Sebastian's leg.
"I don't have a sister!" Dollface's voice cracked.
"Twin sister, if we get into the nitty-gritty." Sebastian sighed. He looked tired.
"I thought she was-"
"Yes, about that." Sebbie said, peeling an unusually angry Courage off of his leg, "Your grandparents decided it would be best if neither knew. Regina here didn't know until yesterday when she was loaded up on the plane."
Dollface felt dizzy, the day's good luck charm shoved in her back pocket losing merit. This was a dream, it had to be. "Then why's she here?"
"Wren?" Sebastian leaned in, looking concerned, "Wren? Do you need to sit down?"
Panting, Dollface stumbled further into the living room.
Michael?
Michael, where are you?
Michael, I need you, I need you bad, REAL bad!
The shine behind her eyes stayed painfully quiet as she sat on the couch's arm. She couldn't find him.
He didn't like new people.
"Wren, my extraordinary niece, I tried to stop your father, but he insisted." Sebbie said, holding her arm. Dollface shook it off, being touched the very thing that could push her completely over the edge, "He's been trying to do this for years now."
"Daddy wants to send us off to St. Godiva's together for Senior year… St. Godiva is in Oregon. Do you even know where that is?"
Dollace nervously flapped her hands to release extra energy as Uncle Sebbie tried to save the day.
"My dear, you are not wearing that shabby little suit to another outing."
Silence as she tried to recall what he spoke of.
"What's wrong with m'orchestra uniform, uncle Sebbie?" Dollface panted after a long pause, voice shaking as she stood, being ushered outside, Mead Academie Sketch Pad under an arm, knitting bag over her shoulder.
Uncle Sebbie looked at Dollface before stepping from the doorway. "Whether you realize or appreciate it or not, you carry a proud name, and wearing that uniform disrespects that good, strong name."
Dollface picked up Courage, still growling and yapping at uncle Sebbie. She watched Gramma's nervous smile waver and stood at the doorway. "I don't see what's wrong with my orchestra tux. I wore it last year."
Uncle Sebbie looked almost offended in the way only rich European businessmen did.
"You what now?"
"I wore my tux t'Homecomin' last year. I even made a red vest and matchin' bow tie." She said, pointedly sticking her nose up to see him as she cuddled Courage to her chest.
"And why is that?" Uncle Sebbie said, never one to back down.
"Because," she said, not one to leave a fight in the air, "t'only formal dress I own is fer Easter and Throwback Thursdays. It's too old an'too nice t'wear any other time. It was Gramma's."
"Well then, how about we get you a new dress?" Uncle Sebbie asked with a bargaining tone. Courage growled, then saw Uncle Sebbie's glare and whimpered, burrowing into Dollface's arms.
"Nah, I'm good." Dollface said, rocking on her heels. She tried not to smile at uncle Sebbie's momentary scowl. "Did Gramma put you up t'this? I already have th'Freddy costume, I don't need much more."
Gramma had been upset about the suit, too. She was thrown into a nervous tizzy about her little girl dressing like a boy for the entire school to see for concerts, then panicked when Dollface came home freshman year with Homecoming fliers at the last minute and refusing to wear anything but her suit.
Dollface didn't understand at both occasions, it just saved money and made it easier to carry an upright bass up stairs.
AAAAnnnyyyyyWAAAAAAYYYYY.
Uncle Sebbie was still not giving up on this one though. "No, you're dear little grandmother had nothing to do with this. I just can't stand seeing the pictures they sent over, of you in a shabby suit and a gaudy red tie while all of your friends had pretty dresses and fancy shoes."
"Well, I guess it's your problem, then, not mine." Dollface shrugged, not completely seeing the point of this conversation. She placed Courage down, where he immediately high-tailed it away from Uncle Sebbie with loud yipes, seeing something red flash in his brown eyes.
"Would you move already?" Regina crabbed as Courage went nipping at Sebbie's feet, "We have places to be. And you still have to get my stuff."
"Mrs. Cowatch, we are going on our day trip to Saint Louis now!" Uncle Sebbie looked at her, knowing he had her caught. "Hurry up and get your sister's luggage."
"Wait, why me?"