It's dinner time and I'm starving.

Ben was kind enough to mention that in honor of my birthday, they are serving my favorite dishes. Cheese pizza, broccoli with cheese fondue and strawberry ice cream with hot fudge for desert.

Damn, that's really not fair.

I'm ten minutes late for dinner and personally I don't care. I'm wearing the skirt and button up blouse my friend Carrie bought for me (there's one person who remembered my birthday) but I refuse to go downstairs and dine with Jones. Or Abner, for that matter.

Ben just informed me that my father wants me down there in one minute or I'll go to summer school.

Hell no.

I'd rather endure an evening with my two least favorite people than go to summer school.

I stomp down the stairs, my hair flying about my peckish face as I take caution to not knock down another Babylonian vase.

I open the door to the dining room with a bang, my feet slapping on the tile as I run to my seat at the long rectangular table. I feel Abner's gaze upon my face but do not meet it. I'm too angry for words to describe.

Silently, I pick up a piece of pizza and take a ravenous bite out of it. Jones is eyeing me, but slowly returns to his food.

"Marion." My father says, his tone jovial but firm.

"Yes, Abner?" I shoot back between my teeth, ignoring his blink of surprise. No one should ever be nice and manageable when they have a good excuse to be awful and mean. My excuse: No one remembered my birthday but my best friend.

"Did you have a nice birthday?" Abner asks, dipping some broccoli into the cheese fondue.

I'm too shocked to reply.

"Young Indy was kind enough to remind me, so, Happy seventeenth birthday, Marion." He continues, gesturing at Jones, who is as red as a beet and chewing determinedly on his pizza.

Anger boils up again inside me and I can't hold it back. I turn furiously to Abner.

"What, were you too busy to remember your only child's birthday yourself?" I snap, wishing I had some kind of weapon in my hand so I could beat that man senseless.

But then again, I might have taken my words too far.

"Marion Elena Ravenwood--." Abner begins, his voice in a dangerously low pitch.

I sit and await for the words of confinement to my room, but then Ben (bless him) walks in and tells Abner that he has a telephone call waiting. He leaves, but not without a backward glance that makes me fear for my life. Hey, he may be old and decrepit, but boy does that old man know the art of intimidation.

The door clicks shut and I am left alone with Jones.

In the course of five seconds, his demeanor completely changes. The shy but serious look is replaced with one of relaxed arrogance.

"A simple thank you will suffice." He says lightly, winking in my direction.

Needless to say, I'm disgusted.

"Well, I'm sorry to say that you'll get much less than that." I reply saucily, downing my glass of wine in one gulp.

He stares at me oddly for a minute, probably because he's never seen a girl my age completely finish off a glass of wine in a mere second or so. But, unfortunately, he gains his voice back and says something.

"I did you a favor by reminding your dad it was your birthday."

I notice that he to gulps down his wine.

"Might I remind you that you are here to ruin the next three years of my life. So no, you have not done me any favors." I drawl, returning to my food.

He watches me eat for a while and says. "If you dislike me that much, Marion, I'll leave."

That caught me off guard, I have to say.Yet, I recover as always.

"Please don't make me beg." I say, batting my eyelashes at him.

I'm well aware that I'm being a bitch, you know. That's kinda the whole point, just in case you're missing something.

He clearly looks peeved now, and I believe I'm starting to achieve my goal.

"Marion--." He starts, but then stops, as if terrified to voice his opinion.

"And don't call me Marion." I demand vehemently.

"Alright, Miss Ravenwood." He says, mouth set in a frown.

Abner walks in and smiles at each of our livid faces.

"It's nice to know you two are getting along." He says cheerily, seating himself once more.

I swear to God that man has lost his mind.

Archaeology can do that to you, you know.

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