Victoria Grayson sat at her vanity, scowling past her reflection into the mirror and at her daughters reflection.
"Mom, it's a tradition." Charlotte repeated.
"Charlotte, it may be a tradition but it is vile. I spend half of November regretting it every year." Charlotte tried to stop herself from wincing. She wasn't a child anymore and knew that it was her interactions with Conrad, not the movies that Victoria regretted. Charlotte regretted selling her mother out like this, but couldn't get rid of the juvenile idea that her parents would get back together. Not the fake marriage they recently concocted but the way they acted when she was a little girl. Before all the craziness started, Charlotte had vivid memories of her parents genuinely loving one another. Every so often Charlotte saw glimpses of it. One of those glimpses appeared every November 1. Charlotte didn't know (and didn't care) whether her parents just slept in the same bed or actually did the deed, but November 1 of every year her mother seemed so serene, so beautiful. She had a glow and a calm about her that was part of the reason Charlotte kept helping her father keep up with this charade. The other part, of course, was that Charlotte wanted a car. With a sigh, she prepared to pull out the big guns.
"It's fine, Mother. I'm actually a little relieved. There are lots of traditions that I end up regretting. Now I know I don't actually have to go through with them anymore." She said. She decided to bluff and dig through her purse for her cell phone. She prayed her mother would stop her before she made fake plans.
Victoria sighed. She never could figure out if Charlotte pushed her buttons because they were two of a kind or if it was because they were nothing alike.
"Alright, Charlotte. You've made your point. Murder and mayhem it is tonight."
Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief.
"And pizza and popcorn."
Victoria rolled her eyes. Charlotte kissed her mothers cheek.
"You're the best mom." She skipped out the door but almost immediately rewound back into the room.
"And don't forget your jeans." She said with a grin.
As she left the room again she actually felt a little bad. She, as always had managed to combine her mothers least favorite things; horror movies, greasy food and casual pants. Even more discouraging was that all of those things always lead Victoria to the arms of her least favorite person. Must be true love, Charlotte thought with a shrug.