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- #41
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CHAPTER 36
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A few weeks passed since Halloween:
Daniela waited by the door after finishing breakfast and fixing up her hair. She wore a maroon cardigan over a black top and blue jeans. Her light brown hair was tied up in a ponytail as she waited impatiently with her right dark brown ankle boots tapping on the floor. “Hurry up, Joel!” She yelled impatiently. Daniela looked at her watch. They weren’t running late but she hated waiting especially since she still didn’t have enough for car.
‘What’s the rush, Dani?” Joel yelled from the staircase only wearing a pair of jeans. “We have plenty of time. I don’t get your deal.” He shook his head in disbelief and walked back into his room.
“Kids?” Joel’s mother called out from the living room while she was picking up her keys from the coffee table. “Daniela,” She rushed to her. “I have something to tell you!”
“What’s that Aunt Betty?” Daniela turned her attention to her aunt.
“You should invite your friends and Tony for Thanksgiving tomorrow. We have plenty of space and food enough for a lot of people.” Betty smiled picking up her suitcase from the staircase.
“I don’t know. I think a lot of people have their own plans,” Daniela explained looking slightly disapproving. “I don’t think they would want to come on short notice.”
“You don’t know until you ask. What’s the harm in asking, Daniela?” Betty looked at her niece with a smile. “Plus it will be fun. We’ll play and watch some football; the parade is on, and maybe a game of Monopoly.”
“We don’t have Monopoly…” Daniela pointed out. “We just have Mouse Trap and Battleship.”
“Oh well ask your friends. It’ll be fun.”
“Ask her friends what?” Joel walked downstairs wearing a red jumper over a white v-neck t-shirt with his jeans. “What are you planning, Mom?”
“Thanksgiving….” Daniela looked at Joel. “Apparently she wants us to ask everyone if they want to come. I don’t think it’s a great idea.”
“I think it’s a great idea,” Joel smiled cheekily at his cousin. “Oh don’t worry, she’ll ask everyone. Bye Mom!”
“Bye Aunt Betty.”
“Have fun at school, kids.”
“You are such a jerk!” Daniela glared at her cousin as she opened the passenger seat to the Miata. “The last thing I want to see is Gisela.”
“I don’t get this feud. All she was told Betty for you to get a job. You got a job and you’re on your way to get a car. That means you don’t have to wait for me and you have your own freedom,” explained Joel was he turned on the ignition. “Think about the freedom.”
“So she’s completely not to blame?” Daniela shook her head at her cousin. “I can’t believe you’re siding with her.”
“I’m not siding with her,” Joel tried to calm her down. “She has been immature as well. The fact of the matter is that this petty feud is just really petty. Be the bigger person, Dani.” He reversed from the driveway and changed to drive to get to school. “At least for me.”
“Alright…” Daniela sighed putting her elbow on the top of the car door “But only for you.” She pointed at Joel.
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Another day of school; another day of drudgery:
Courtney was standing at her locker waiting for her boyfriend. She was wearing a black crop top and a wavy aqua full length skirt. “Hey!” She called out to Alicia who was carrying a few books with her. She wore a black full length top, dark blue denim jeans and black ankle boots. “How’s that Larry Bird coffee guy from Halloween?”
“You mean Tim?” Alicia remembered the guy who wore the Larry Bird costume that she spent time with at Tiffany’s Halloween Party. They went on a few coffee dates but “That never went. I couldn’t keep up the façade of being a senior. He was a junior in San Diego, so eventually the truth was going to come out. I ended it before he found out but beats having to lie to a guy.” She looked at her friend. “So how are you and Kyle?”
“Ummm…” Courtney thought about what to say. They have been dating for over a month. Everyone knew about it except for her parents. “I want him to meet my parents but they aren’t kind of normal.” She whined “I’m just scared that they will scare him off because they are so OTT protective and American.”
“Define American?”
“For the country and for God; I think they missed the hippie era.” Courtney sighed “He’s coming tonight….”
“Did you warn him?” asked Alicia but she saw Courtney smiling awkwardly. “You didn’t warn him…”
“I don’t how to explain it to him…see Jason was no problem since he was so American and my parents knew his parents.” Courtney explained. “Kyle is half Australia, half Dutch.”
“Swiss.”
“Whatever and they weren’t too fond of Gisela and her German heritage. I think they’ll still bitter about World War II and the Cold War.” She shrugged before realizing that it will be “A complete disaster…he’s going to break up with me.”
“Courtney, I think you’re fretting about something that’s not going to happen. He’s not going to break up with you over something like your parents.” Alicia tried to comfort her friend but Courtney looked like a deer caught in the headlights.
“Hey guys, what’s up with Courtney?” Daniela walked over looking at the red hair teenager who looked out of it.
“It’s a long story….”Alicia replied also looking at the fretting teen. “A very long one…”
“Anyway what are you guys doing tomorrow?” Daniela stood there with a smile on her dial. “If you guys are free, we have spots for Thanksgiving day.”
“I would love to Dani but we have family coming tomorrow. It’s going to be so frantic because I kind of forced Kyle to meet my parents tonight.” Courtney laughed in distress. “He’s so going to dump me.”
“O….kay then…” Daniela looked at Alicia. “Well?”
“My parents are going to spend time with my grandparents in Oakland, so I’ll come.” She smiled “Who else is coming?”
“Well just you so far. I have to ask everyone else,” Daniela looked at Courtney who was panicking about her parents meeting Kyle, so much so that she stuck her head in her locker trying to find a paper bag. “Make sure she’s alright…”
Elsewhere:
Kyle was looking into his locker. There was a picture of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, a picture of him and Courtney dressed as Fred and Daphne at Halloween, and a picture of them at the park casually chilling out on very dewy green grass. “I can’t believe you’re going to meet her parents” Gisela laughed as she stood beside him. “You totally don’t know what trouble you got in.”
“Why?” Kyle replied as he took out a math textbook and a calculator. “She’s embarrassed of me?”
“I would be if I was dating you but I’m embarrassed being around you,” Gisela teased jokingly. They have gotten closer since living together and helping their parents plan for their wedding. “You know she’s not embarrassed of dating you. Her parents don’t even like me and like I’m her best friend.”
“Why?”
“Ich bin Deutscher, bitte!” She answered. “They are like the Americans who love America so much. Totally not a bad thing but totally OTT”
“But she drives a Ferrari. They are going to hate me right?”
“Totally,” Gisela nodded. “You’re half Australian, half Swiss and your mother is about to get married to a German man who has a German daughter. Then we like have to origin of birth; you were born in Sydney, your mom was born in Bern, your dad was born in Sydney, my dad was born in Stuttgart, and I was born in Stuttgart.”
“Well I’m dead meat. They’ll probably make Courtney dump me,” Kyle realized that he could make himself American. “I’ll just have to try my luck.”
“There’s no way Court will dump you, she’s totally likes you.” Gisela reassured him like a sister would. “Even though her parents are totally demons, speaking of demons…”
“Hey you guys…” Daniela walked up to Kyle and Gisela. Gisela looked confused; this was the first time Daniela talked to her since the SATs. “What are you guys doing tomorrow for Thanksgiving?” She asked hoping that they were busy mainly Gisela.
“We don’t do the whole Thanksgiving thing. We’re not American.” Kyle answered while Gisela took his math textbook and started to flick through it. He realized that was minus points for Courtney’s parents, a big one.
“Well, Betty is having a big Thanksgiving feast and she asked me to invite everyone, both of you.” Daniela sincerely smiled at the blonde, for her cousin. “So what’s the answer?”
Kyle took a minute but he answered with “Yeah we’ll be there. I need as much food to keep me happy after tonight.” He really fretted about tonight. He wished he was back in London watching the cricket or at least at Brisbane where cricket season about to start with New Zealand and South Africa touring for the 1997-98 season.
“Great. See you guys there!” She smiled before leaving Kyle and Gisela alone trying to invite the others.
Gisela looked at Kyle disapprovingly. “Why did you say yes?”
“Be the bigger person. Get over it,” Kyle took back his math textbook. “She came to you all happy and stuff. Come on your feud sucks. You guys have been really immature to the core of immature.”
“So you’re on her side?” She looked at Kyle who was speechless. “I rest my case.” She was about to walk away but turned around to the dark brown haired teen. “But I know. It’s stupid and it’s like Thanksgiving or whatever.” She smiled as she watched Courtney walking up to her boyfriend. “She’s here!”
Kyle turned around and looked at his watch. “Would you look at the time? I better go.” The teen walked off with his math textbook to his class except there was no class on.
“Kyle!” Courtney called out to him. “Where’s he going?”
“Class?” Gisela shrugged. “So are you coming to Der Harris-Famille Thanksgiving?”
“Huh?” Courtney hated when Gisela added German words when talking to her.
“Are you going to Dani’s tomorrow for Thanksgiving?” Gisela rolled her eyes.
“I wish, I have family coming tomorrow morning. Wish me luck for tonight?” Courtney stared into her hair which she twirled with her left index finger.
“Good luck, hun.”
Elsewhere:
“You guys coming tomorrow?” Joel was standing with Chris and Tony.
“Sure, I don’t have anything better to do.” Chris was a yes. Him coming made it 4 guests.
“I would like to but my mom is trying to do the family thing with her sister, so that’s my destination for tomorrow.” Tony explained knowing that his girlfriend wasn’t going to be too pleased. “I have rehearsal tonight with the understudy taking over after my co-star quit on us. So that means we have work harder and I don’t get to see Daniela often.”
“Yeah, you’re dead and would you look at that? Here she comes.” Joel said as Daniela walked up to the guys. “Hi Dani.”
“Oh this should be good…”Chris smirked as he watched Daniela walk up to her boyfriend. Both he and Joel were staring at her with a gleeful smile.
“Umm…hi guys?” She looked at them like something was wrong. Why were they staring at her with goofy grins on their faces “Is there something in my hair?”
“Say Chris. Don’t we have someone to talk to?” Joel grabbed Chris by the arm and covered his mouth with his hand. Chris argued and complained but all of it was muffled through Joel’s hand.
“Weird...” Daniela watched them go off somewhere. “So” The brunette turned her attention to her boyfriend. “So what are you doing tonight?” She hoped that Tony was free since she didn’t see him much. It was weird to her that Kyle and Courtney were coupleier than she and Tony.
“Sorry Dani but I have rehearsal tonight since my co-star quit and the understudy has come and take over. It’ll be a lot longer tonight.”
“What about tomorrow? You are coming?” Daniela asked hoping for a yes but she saw him trying to figure out the words and knew it was going to be a solid no. “I can’t believe it. I barely see you outside school at all. Always about the play or something else,” She yelled at him as her temper went from 0 to about 1000 in a second. “It’s like you don’t want to be with me at all. “
Courtney and Gisela could see what was going to happen. It was going to be nuclear between the couple. “Should we?” Courtney looked at Gisela who mouth ‘No way’. She was going into the trenches. This wasn’t her battle or war.
“Dani, you know that’s not true but I just have commitments.” Tony tried to justify himself to Daniela but it was going to be a hard sell to the very head strong woman. “After this play I’ll have all the time in the world to spend with you.”
“I’m over it. I might as well date Chris,” She threw her arms up in frustration making a scene in front of several students who watched in anticipation. “At least he’s more attentive even if he’s a dummy.” Daniela stormed off to her class.
“What are you guys looking at?” Tony glared at the students that watched the whole scene unfold. “Man…” He leaned against the wall regretting this whole situation. He had a girlfriend who he’s been distant to for a while and it was bugging him immensely.
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The school auditorium:
It was an empty stage that wasn’t too big at all. There weren’t enough seats for 200 students in sit in, so it wasn’t a big theatre but big enough for a local high school. Tony sat on stage swinging his legs while reading through his notes. The play was something to try out his thirst for acting which was something he always wanted to do. The play was somewhat a mystery to the group since he didn’t disclose what the play was actually about. It was on ‘Bye Bye Birdy’ and he was playing Albert Peterson who was this manager. His co-star who was supposed to play Rose Alvarez was forced to quit by her parents because of her poor grades. He wondered who his co-star would be.
“Tony?” Tony turned around to see a gorgeous woman with long shimmering black hair, dark brown eyes, and a slender body. It was someone very familiar to him. “It’s really you…”
“Nicki?” He couldn’t believe his eyes. She was the girl that knew him before his mother got rich in the print media world. She lived in rough end of the city like he did until he got out of there. They were always together and she was his first kiss. “What are you doing here?”
“What are you doing here?” Nicki asked back. Nicki Davis, a girl who lived through violence on the streets. She always kept on the safe side by keeping to herself especially since her sister didn’t. Her older sister got involved and ended up pregnant at the tender age of 16 which really ruined her future. She was thankful though that they had protection from the violence since her sister did have a child with one of the important players on the streets. Her friends slowly succumbed to drugs or the violence but she had her escape willing to get on the TV shows that portrayed life in California as glamorous with beaches, rich people and no violence.
Nicki was heavily involved with Tony who was in a similar situation until he moved. They would hang out together indoors to avoid all the life that was happening outside on the streets, basketball courts and at every major hangout. She found out that her grandparents lived in Santa Monica where she found a way to go to school in Malibu for a better life. Nicki wasn’t afraid to go outside or to be seen around with random people, she was now free. She was free to live her life without fear and look forward to a future full of hope and dreams.
“I go to school here,” Tony pointed out as he got up. His face was glowing in astonishment. “When did you?”
“This year, I can’t believe I’m a sophomore and you’re a junior at the same school. I knew you go to school here. I just can’t believe you would want to be in a play,” She slapped him playfully with the script. “A play called ‘Bye Bye Birdie’. You were so ‘you want this fucker’ when we just kids.”
“I just want to try acting. It sounds fun,” Tony looked at Nicki with a smile. He knew she knew that he went to this school. “So you seen me around?”
“I can’t believe your friends are all white. What would the people back there think? Nicki playfully slapped him on his chest. “They be like y’all believe that big man Tone is hanging with some white dudes.”
“They are great people.”
“And a white girl?” Nicki laughed “C’mon man, you should be going with someone your own race. I’ve seen you with her. Daniela Harris, am I right?”
“Yeah…”
“You dog. Why do you like her?” Nicki asked very interested and jealous. She never thought that he would go after a girl who wasn’t African American at all.
“She was different. Down to Earth or at least she was but things change,” Tony thought hard and long about his answer. Why was he still with Daniela? She wasn’t down-to-Earth like she was last year; she did chuck a fit about getting a job. They never spend time with each other and they had broken up twice or was it thrice? She got jealous pretty easily. If anything she was more relaxed around Chris and Kyle than her own boyfriend. The only thing probably holding them was physical attraction but it wasn’t like they were physical with each other anymore. It was probably a sense of security. Was Nicki trying to play on his mind? “But she’s a great person regardless.” The seed was set and he knew it was a matter of time.
Nicki didn’t quite believe him but she believed that pushing the agenda would damage their friendship. “I’m supposed to be Rose, you know the understudy’s understudy.” It turned out the understudy quit after the play crossed with her priorities in the school paper. “I just can’t believe you and I will be romantically linked in a play. I believe acting is a representation of our emotions.” She moved closer to him and lightly kissed on the cheek. “I can’t wait for us to do our scenes together.”
“Nicki…” Tony stopped her by saying her name. Something clicked in his mind like everything to do with Daniela was snapped like a twig. It was a moment of weakness and it’s like all the feelings of his passed bubbled to the top as he kissed Nicki passionately. “Look…” He knew he just made a humongous mistake.
“You’re going to say it is just acting aren’t you?” Nicki smiled. “See I came here believing the grass is greener which it is but I realized I can control people and I have you under my pinkie.” This wasn’t the Nicki he remembered but maybe it was. Tony remembered how manipulative she was even though she never did it on him. She never tried to control him because he would get her things, protect her and….It hit him. She used him for everything, she was the reason he started to drink and this was why he never got to play basketball with his friends because he was too busy with her.
“And if you do anything like get out of the play, I’ll tell dear old Daniela about our kiss. You can call it acting but I don’t think she will.” Nicki laughed her way towards the dressing room leaving Tony alone realizing the one of the biggest mistakes he ever made.
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Later:
Courtney checked her outfit through a mirror. She had been fretting in her room about this evening. It was one of the most important evenings of her life at least in her mind. Her parents were going to meet her boyfriend and she hoped that everything was going to go well. The red hair teen knew that her parents wouldn’t want her to wear something current, so she had to wear something so ancient and plain in the fashion world.
She looked frantically through her closet. He was going to arrive any minute and her mother was calling her from downstairs. “I’m just getting ready, mom!” Courtney yelled back. She looked through several outfits that weren’t going to be a hit with her parents. At least the only thing keeping her sane was her music ‘Carnival’ by The Cardigans. She finally found something simple; it was a red high neck skater dress with slim straps that went halfway down her thighs. Courtney turned off her stereo system and ran downstairs to the kitchen where her mother was prepping for Thanksgiving tomorrow.
“Honey you’re wearing that?” Her mother looked at her disapproving. “You look nice. He must be really important to you.” She started to cut potatoes while thinking that her daughter wasn’t ready to be in a relationship after the Jason incident.
“I really care for him, mom. Please be on your best behavior,” Courtney pleaded knowing that her parents weren’t too fond of her best friend. “He’s really smart, like super intelligent and he plays sports.” At least that gave something for her dad to go with. Suddenly the doorbell rang and Courtney started to panic. She ran to the door and opened it “Hey it’s….grandma and grandpa.” She was surprised when she greeted her grandparents. “Hi…” Then she the surprises kept on rolling with “Aunt Leslie, Uncle Donald, Cousin Jenny, and Cousin Joshua.”
Courtney immediately after greeting her relatives ran to the kitchen. “Mother!” She whispered angrily “I thought they were supposed to come tomorrow morning.”
“Oh once I told them about your boyfriend, they wanted to come a day earlier. See this is what I love about family.” Her mother explained to Courtney who in panic ran upstairs and picked up the phone to call Kyle and Gisela’s home. The phone rang and rang, oh she hoped for an answer. “Hello? Gisela!”
“What’s up Court?”
“Is Kyle there?”
“No, he left like 10 minutes ago. Why? Did he forget to bring something?”
“No…” Courtney really started to panic. “Oh Gisela, my whole family is here. Relatives and grandparents included. He’s so going to leave me.” She heard the doorbell chime. “Oh I’m so dead…” The teenager hung up the phone and immediately ran downstairs to the kitchen. “Mom, it’s him. Please tell the whole family to be on their best behavior.” Courtney pleaded.
“Don’t worry sweetie. I’m sure we will love him.” His mother carried a platter of carrot sticks, celery sticks, and other finger food in a glass bowl with dip in the middle to make it look very appealing. “Now everyone,” Courtney’s mother looked at the group at the lounge room which included her husband, her sister, her brother-in-law, her parents, her niece and nephew “Courtney told me explicit orders to be on our best behavior and we will do so.”
Courtney opened the door to the welcoming sight of Kyle who dressed in a charcoal suit and trousers over a light blue collared shirt and a dark blue tie. “Hi…” Courtney smiled sincerely for the first time today when she saw her boyfriend. She kissed him on the cheek as she welcomed him inside. Kyle looked at the large family that was sitting in the living room practically waiting for him. “Mom, dad and family,” Courtney smiled as she introduced “This is my boyfriend, Kyle Thorpe.” She took a deep breath before introducing him to the family “Kyle, this is my mother, father, my aunt, uncle, cousins, and my grandparents.”
“Hi…” Kyle smiled somewhat confidently yet somewhat nervously, if anything it just ended up awkward. He sat down next to Courtney who scooted up close to him until she saw her mother’s face to which she scooted away from him keeping her distance.
“Kyle, where were you born?” Courtney’s mother asked looking like she was studying him and making mental notes. The whole family stared at him. He nervously looked at Courtney who groaned. Kyle was prepared for something like this since Gisela warned him but the pressure was adding up. “Err…?”
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“That didn’t go that bad, right?” Kyle leaned against his Porsche while Courtney leaned right next to him. The meeting the family didn’t exactly go to the plan, if there was a plan.
“It was a total failure,” Courtney chuckled knowing that there was nothing he could do. “It’s not your fault that you’re not American, your parents aren’t America, Gisela and her dad aren’t American, you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, you don’t watch football, you don’t have guns, and something about college basketball being an inferior product to the NBA because and I quote ‘The notion that college basketball players play harder, better defense and as a team is a fallacy especially when you consider the game is bereft of any offensive and defensive skill set’” She recited like dictation. "Then about guns which I agree, always have."
“Explaining to your father about cricket didn’t go well at all,” Kyle recalled the conversation which went into an argument about how sports are terrible if there were draws and that a sport that goes for 5 days is a waste of time. “Then there was soccer…” He gave himself a mental kick in the chin when he said that word. He hated using the word soccer because he always went by football and he would have been slaughtered in Europe if he used the word soccer. “Real men play American football and whatever but your grandparents were sweet but your cousins…”
“Courtney, how’s Kyle in bed….and I so can’t believe my mother asked you if we slept together,” Courtney recalled the humiliation that was her mother asking her boyfriend in front of her whole family, if she had slept with Kyle. “But I love my grandparents but it all started with them.” She explained since her family did come from a very modest area that was staunchly pro-American. “So you’re not going to break up with me?” Courtney looked down at her shoes avoiding any eye contact with her boyfriend.
“Why would I do that?” Kyle surprised. She asked him if he was going to break up with her. He put his arms around her waist. He brushed her cheek softy with his lips. She smiled feeling at ease with her boyfriend’s arms around her.
“I don’t know because of my parents. You would be so scared off by them and stuff.” She turned her head around to get a glimpse of her boyfriend. “So we’re still together right?” Courtney asked one more time to make herself feel a lot better. “So I’ll see you day after tomorrow?” She brushed his lips with hers before rubbing her nose against his.
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Harris Household:
It was absolute chaos in the Harris household as the family tried to prepare for a giant Thanksgiving feast featuring all of Daniela and Joel’s friends. “So which of your friends are coming?” Aunt Betty asked as she was getting everything organized for tomorrow.
Daniela was cutting up vegetables while Joel was busy with cleaning up the house. He was vacuuming away in the living room and wiping down tables especially the dining room table which really needed a good wipe and spray. “Gisela, Alicia, Chris, and Kyle,” Daniela listed all the guests. “Courtney has extended family coming over, and Tony, I guess has the same.” Her bitterness came to the forefront when she mentioned her boyfriend’s name. She thought that it could have been an excuse to avoid her.
“We have a party of 8. That’s perfect. It’s too bad about Tony though.” Betty said as she was running around the kitchen but she had to time to pour herself a glass of white wine. “I wonder what’s he doing now?”
“Probably rehearsing with some slutty wannabe actress,” The jealously bug really took a massive bite out of the brunette.
“Daniela!” Her aunt looked at her in shock. “That’s not how we talk about people.”
“I’m sorry...” Daniela apologized but felt a little twitch. “Something just doesn’t feel right.”
“Honey, I think it is your imagination playing tricks on you.”
“Maybe"
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Thanksgiving Day:
“Everything is nearly done…” Betty was slaving away in the kitchen trying to create the best Thanksgiving feast possible for her family and all the guests. The turkey was in the oven, the ham was in the oven, the mash was getting seasoned. The yams, potatoes, and salad were all done. Now she just had to wait for everyone to get ready. Sean was in the living room making sure that the place was clean even if Joel did spend an hour or so cleaning up the place.
Daniela was upstairs in her room getting ready. It was supposed to be a somewhat casual event but she still had to look good especially since she was competing against Gisela who was absolutely stunning and Alicia who was pretty naturally. The brunette teenager went through her closet until she found the dress, a nice black halter skater dress.
Joel sat in his room watching ‘The Simpsons’, the episode called Cape Feare. He loved it especially when Sideshow Bob kept on stepping on rakes. He was wearing a dark red polo shirt and denim jeans. There wasn’t much for him to do anymore since he and Daniela spent all morning helping his parents. The doorbell rang once he cracked up laughing to ‘Bake him away Toys’. Joel ran downstairs and opened the door to Chris who was dressed in red and black bowling shirt and blue jeans. “Hey man.”
“Hey bro,” He left the door open as he saw Alicia’s Ford parking right outside his house. Chris had already gone inside the house. Alicia wore a simple white sundress. “Hey, looking nice.”
“Thank you,” Alicia gave him a box of chocolates. “They are for your mother as a thank you. They were imported from Belgium.” Alicia walked inside the house and made her way into the living room where Chris and Joel’s father were sitting down watching the pre-game analysis before the Thanksgiving Game which was played between the Dallas Cowboys and the Tennessee Oilers. “The traditional Thanksgiving football game?”
“Yeah it should be sweet. There’s an NBA game on later tonight between the Pacers and Grizzlies, so would be fun to watch.”
Daniela ran downstairs and took the remote. “Guys, the parade....” and flicked through the channels the Thanksgiving Parade. “They have Barney the Dinosaur singing.”
“Why are we watching this?” Chris asked looking at the attractive brunette teenager. “Man, I don’t care about some purple dinosaur singing.” But Barney started to sing with his friends. For some reason Barney was wearing sunglasses.
“What the hell are we watching, Dani?”
“Did Barney just say he was drunk?” asked Alicia worryingly as they wondered why Daniela put this on.
“Probably,” She smiled as the giant Barney the Dinosaur float appeared after Barney’s weird song about imagination.
“Umm is Barney okay?” Alicia looked at Daniela. They watched as the float was struggling to move forwards, really struggling.
“I think Barney is dying…” observed Chris with a little wicked grin on his face.
There was a knock on the door. “It must be Gisela and Kyle,” Daniela ran to the door and opened it. “Hi guys!” Daniela greeted the pair. Gisela wore a red wool peplum cardigan top with a deep V-neck and long sleeves, with black trousers and black ankle boots. Behind her was Kyle who was dressed in a white up collar shirt with a brown vest buttoned up over it. He wore a pair of nude colored chinos to watch with the vest. “You guys look great!”
“So do you, Dani!” Gisela hugged Daniela.
“Wait, I thought they didn’t talk to each other,” Alicia observed while the guys were too busy concentrating on the Barney float that was struggling. She got no answer because of the float.
“We got some flowers for your mum,” Kyle smiled giving Daniela a large boutique of flowers. "Gisela picked them out."
Daniela took a whiff of the fresh scent coming from the flowers before putting them in the kitchen. Everyone was sitting down or standing up like Kyle and Gisela watching the Barney the Dinosaur float struggling to stay alive. They could hear the crowd screaming, laughing or crying in the case of children. Everything just went up a notch when…
“Oh my god is Barney?” Gisela put her hands over her mouth in shock.
“Yep Barney the Dinosaur is dead.” Kyle replied as they all saw the tear across the float.
“Those poor children…” Alicia couldn’t help but feel sorry for the children that watched Barney the Dinosaur and loved him, and watched him in balloon ripped through.
“Brutal…”
“And hilarious!” Daniela laughed.
“Just get out the shot gun Old Yeller style…” Chris muttered watching the float struggle and the people holding the float by the strings trying to pull Barney or figure out what to do.
“Might as well. He’s on struggle street badly.” Kyle agreed.
“Oh my god he’s nearly in two…” Gisela added. This just became entertaining, very entertaining. “Are they cutting him in half?”
“Rest in peace Barney,” Joel said as they people in the parade deflated Barney and cut him into pieces. “Huh the Rugrats are next.” Daniela changed the channel back to the football.
“You don’t watch football do you, Dundee?” Chris asked the dark brown haired teenager who sat next to him.
“I don’t but hey the Grizzlies Pacers’ game is on tonight.” Kyle was more interested in basketball than the NFL.
“Hey, how did meeting with Courtney’s parents go?” Joel asked as he slouched on the couch putting his arm nearly Kyle.
“This is totally funny,” Gisela laughed. She already knew the background of what happened to a tee but every time she heard it, it just became funnier and funnier.
Daniela looked at Gisela with a smile. “Hey Gisela, can I talk to you for a second?” asked Daniela who then turned her gaze towards Kyle and the rest. “Just hold the story for me for a second.” Daniela directed Gisela to the dining room where they were alone.
“So what’s up, Dani?”
“I want to apologize about how I’ve been acting. You did me a solid by saying I should get a job.” Daniela apologized to Gisela. It took a lot of guts but it was something that she had to do. She made all her friends and more importantly her cousin put off by this whole feud. “I got a job and everything is working well…” She remembered the whole situation with Tony but that was public information anyway.
“Hey I should be apologizing as well. I shouldn’t have tried to force you to get a job and all that stuff,” Gisela apologized. “You know like after the Barney the Dinosaur’s death, I think we should go back to being friends.”
“Agreed, now I want to hear this story.”
“Oh it is so funny.”
Joel and the rest of the group looked at Daniela and Gisela who seemed on friendly terms now. “So everything is all good?” The girls nodded and smiled at each other. “Alright Dundee, it’s time for your story.”
“I better get going. Your mother still might need some help,” Joel’s father left leaving the teenagers alone with their privacy.
“So anyway I walk inside expecting her parents but I come across the whole Watson clan,” Kyle started off his story with a lot of hand movements as he recited. “Her grandmothers, cousins, and relatives were all there. It’s was crazy.”
“Now that sounds crazy. She was going on about her family but I guess she meant the whole family,” Alicia looked at Kyle finding his predicament kind of funny.
“So what happened next?” Chris put the television on mute just as the pre-game coverage was still continuing between the Cowboys and the Oilers.
“Well then the first question they asked me was where do I come from.”
“They didn’t?” Daniela chuckled.
“Oh I’ve been there. So Gisela where were you born? Oh I was born in Stuttgart, Germany. Oh really…” Cue the coldness,” Gisela told the group of her experiences. “But this is nothing compared to Kyle since like he’s the one dating Court.”
“So anyway I told them and they were asking where my parents came from. That didn’t go well and then came the lovely question of where does your mother’s fiancé come from and that didn’t go too well either,” Kyle continued. “Then came which sports do you like? That led to an argument about NBA v. college basketball which didn’t go well. Then came the reasoning of me liking football or what you guys call soccer, and then there was the tennis and cricket disagreements. All in all never tell a gridiron coach that you don’t watch or know anything about gridiron. So I’m in his bad books.”
“That’s not even close to end of it.” Gisela giggled.
“What do you mean?” asked Daniela.
“Oh you’ll totally see.”
“Anyway one of her cousins decides to ask me if I have slept with Courtney, right in front of everybody and I say everyone, that includes her grandparents. I mean you guys would avoid the question and move on but her mother wanted me to answer that question for some sick inane reason. Courtney stepped in and answered that,” Kyle sighed. “Man it was crazy. It’s like they don’t like me at all but I can't pretend to be Republican or something.”
“So you guys are still together right?” Joel asked while Chris turned the volume higher as the game had a countdown clock before kick-off.
“Of course.”
“Food is ready!” Betty called out from the dining room.
“Ahh Dundee, you’re a funny one. I can’t believe you and Courtney haven’t done the deed.” Chris got up with the rest of the group to the dining room to get the food before moving back to the living room for the game.
The spread was absolutely gorgeous. There was cornbread, pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce, a sweet potato casserole, glazed carrots, a green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, yams, and of course a giant roasted turkey with stuffing, ready to be carved. Betty stood right behind the turkey ready to be carved.
“This is awesome spread, Mrs. Harris,” Gisela compliment while the guys eyed the food like wolves. It was like they never saw food before in their lives. There we no need to stay grace but there was something to be thankful apparently.
“Joel?” His dad looked at him while he was trying to get some food.
“Alright, alright,” He knew it was a little speech about being thankful or something. “I’m thankful for having a great family, great friends and a great life and I’m just hungry. Let’s dig in.” Joel started to serve himself some food. “What it’s not like anyone says grace.”
“That’s true and I’m starving.” Daniela smiled. They enjoyed each other’s company and had a good meal, little did they know what was to unfold in the next few months.
======================
CHAPTER 36
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A few weeks passed since Halloween:
Daniela waited by the door after finishing breakfast and fixing up her hair. She wore a maroon cardigan over a black top and blue jeans. Her light brown hair was tied up in a ponytail as she waited impatiently with her right dark brown ankle boots tapping on the floor. “Hurry up, Joel!” She yelled impatiently. Daniela looked at her watch. They weren’t running late but she hated waiting especially since she still didn’t have enough for car.
‘What’s the rush, Dani?” Joel yelled from the staircase only wearing a pair of jeans. “We have plenty of time. I don’t get your deal.” He shook his head in disbelief and walked back into his room.
“Kids?” Joel’s mother called out from the living room while she was picking up her keys from the coffee table. “Daniela,” She rushed to her. “I have something to tell you!”
“What’s that Aunt Betty?” Daniela turned her attention to her aunt.
“You should invite your friends and Tony for Thanksgiving tomorrow. We have plenty of space and food enough for a lot of people.” Betty smiled picking up her suitcase from the staircase.
“I don’t know. I think a lot of people have their own plans,” Daniela explained looking slightly disapproving. “I don’t think they would want to come on short notice.”
“You don’t know until you ask. What’s the harm in asking, Daniela?” Betty looked at her niece with a smile. “Plus it will be fun. We’ll play and watch some football; the parade is on, and maybe a game of Monopoly.”
“We don’t have Monopoly…” Daniela pointed out. “We just have Mouse Trap and Battleship.”
“Oh well ask your friends. It’ll be fun.”
“Ask her friends what?” Joel walked downstairs wearing a red jumper over a white v-neck t-shirt with his jeans. “What are you planning, Mom?”
“Thanksgiving….” Daniela looked at Joel. “Apparently she wants us to ask everyone if they want to come. I don’t think it’s a great idea.”
“I think it’s a great idea,” Joel smiled cheekily at his cousin. “Oh don’t worry, she’ll ask everyone. Bye Mom!”
“Bye Aunt Betty.”
“Have fun at school, kids.”
“You are such a jerk!” Daniela glared at her cousin as she opened the passenger seat to the Miata. “The last thing I want to see is Gisela.”
“I don’t get this feud. All she was told Betty for you to get a job. You got a job and you’re on your way to get a car. That means you don’t have to wait for me and you have your own freedom,” explained Joel was he turned on the ignition. “Think about the freedom.”
“So she’s completely not to blame?” Daniela shook her head at her cousin. “I can’t believe you’re siding with her.”
“I’m not siding with her,” Joel tried to calm her down. “She has been immature as well. The fact of the matter is that this petty feud is just really petty. Be the bigger person, Dani.” He reversed from the driveway and changed to drive to get to school. “At least for me.”
“Alright…” Daniela sighed putting her elbow on the top of the car door “But only for you.” She pointed at Joel.
--------------
Another day of school; another day of drudgery:
Courtney was standing at her locker waiting for her boyfriend. She was wearing a black crop top and a wavy aqua full length skirt. “Hey!” She called out to Alicia who was carrying a few books with her. She wore a black full length top, dark blue denim jeans and black ankle boots. “How’s that Larry Bird coffee guy from Halloween?”
“You mean Tim?” Alicia remembered the guy who wore the Larry Bird costume that she spent time with at Tiffany’s Halloween Party. They went on a few coffee dates but “That never went. I couldn’t keep up the façade of being a senior. He was a junior in San Diego, so eventually the truth was going to come out. I ended it before he found out but beats having to lie to a guy.” She looked at her friend. “So how are you and Kyle?”
“Ummm…” Courtney thought about what to say. They have been dating for over a month. Everyone knew about it except for her parents. “I want him to meet my parents but they aren’t kind of normal.” She whined “I’m just scared that they will scare him off because they are so OTT protective and American.”
“Define American?”
“For the country and for God; I think they missed the hippie era.” Courtney sighed “He’s coming tonight….”
“Did you warn him?” asked Alicia but she saw Courtney smiling awkwardly. “You didn’t warn him…”
“I don’t how to explain it to him…see Jason was no problem since he was so American and my parents knew his parents.” Courtney explained. “Kyle is half Australia, half Dutch.”
“Swiss.”
“Whatever and they weren’t too fond of Gisela and her German heritage. I think they’ll still bitter about World War II and the Cold War.” She shrugged before realizing that it will be “A complete disaster…he’s going to break up with me.”
“Courtney, I think you’re fretting about something that’s not going to happen. He’s not going to break up with you over something like your parents.” Alicia tried to comfort her friend but Courtney looked like a deer caught in the headlights.
“Hey guys, what’s up with Courtney?” Daniela walked over looking at the red hair teenager who looked out of it.
“It’s a long story….”Alicia replied also looking at the fretting teen. “A very long one…”
“Anyway what are you guys doing tomorrow?” Daniela stood there with a smile on her dial. “If you guys are free, we have spots for Thanksgiving day.”
“I would love to Dani but we have family coming tomorrow. It’s going to be so frantic because I kind of forced Kyle to meet my parents tonight.” Courtney laughed in distress. “He’s so going to dump me.”
“O….kay then…” Daniela looked at Alicia. “Well?”
“My parents are going to spend time with my grandparents in Oakland, so I’ll come.” She smiled “Who else is coming?”
“Well just you so far. I have to ask everyone else,” Daniela looked at Courtney who was panicking about her parents meeting Kyle, so much so that she stuck her head in her locker trying to find a paper bag. “Make sure she’s alright…”
Elsewhere:
Kyle was looking into his locker. There was a picture of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, a picture of him and Courtney dressed as Fred and Daphne at Halloween, and a picture of them at the park casually chilling out on very dewy green grass. “I can’t believe you’re going to meet her parents” Gisela laughed as she stood beside him. “You totally don’t know what trouble you got in.”
“Why?” Kyle replied as he took out a math textbook and a calculator. “She’s embarrassed of me?”
“I would be if I was dating you but I’m embarrassed being around you,” Gisela teased jokingly. They have gotten closer since living together and helping their parents plan for their wedding. “You know she’s not embarrassed of dating you. Her parents don’t even like me and like I’m her best friend.”
“Why?”
“Ich bin Deutscher, bitte!” She answered. “They are like the Americans who love America so much. Totally not a bad thing but totally OTT”
“But she drives a Ferrari. They are going to hate me right?”
“Totally,” Gisela nodded. “You’re half Australian, half Swiss and your mother is about to get married to a German man who has a German daughter. Then we like have to origin of birth; you were born in Sydney, your mom was born in Bern, your dad was born in Sydney, my dad was born in Stuttgart, and I was born in Stuttgart.”
“Well I’m dead meat. They’ll probably make Courtney dump me,” Kyle realized that he could make himself American. “I’ll just have to try my luck.”
“There’s no way Court will dump you, she’s totally likes you.” Gisela reassured him like a sister would. “Even though her parents are totally demons, speaking of demons…”
“Hey you guys…” Daniela walked up to Kyle and Gisela. Gisela looked confused; this was the first time Daniela talked to her since the SATs. “What are you guys doing tomorrow for Thanksgiving?” She asked hoping that they were busy mainly Gisela.
“We don’t do the whole Thanksgiving thing. We’re not American.” Kyle answered while Gisela took his math textbook and started to flick through it. He realized that was minus points for Courtney’s parents, a big one.
“Well, Betty is having a big Thanksgiving feast and she asked me to invite everyone, both of you.” Daniela sincerely smiled at the blonde, for her cousin. “So what’s the answer?”
Kyle took a minute but he answered with “Yeah we’ll be there. I need as much food to keep me happy after tonight.” He really fretted about tonight. He wished he was back in London watching the cricket or at least at Brisbane where cricket season about to start with New Zealand and South Africa touring for the 1997-98 season.
“Great. See you guys there!” She smiled before leaving Kyle and Gisela alone trying to invite the others.
Gisela looked at Kyle disapprovingly. “Why did you say yes?”
“Be the bigger person. Get over it,” Kyle took back his math textbook. “She came to you all happy and stuff. Come on your feud sucks. You guys have been really immature to the core of immature.”
“So you’re on her side?” She looked at Kyle who was speechless. “I rest my case.” She was about to walk away but turned around to the dark brown haired teen. “But I know. It’s stupid and it’s like Thanksgiving or whatever.” She smiled as she watched Courtney walking up to her boyfriend. “She’s here!”
Kyle turned around and looked at his watch. “Would you look at the time? I better go.” The teen walked off with his math textbook to his class except there was no class on.
“Kyle!” Courtney called out to him. “Where’s he going?”
“Class?” Gisela shrugged. “So are you coming to Der Harris-Famille Thanksgiving?”
“Huh?” Courtney hated when Gisela added German words when talking to her.
“Are you going to Dani’s tomorrow for Thanksgiving?” Gisela rolled her eyes.
“I wish, I have family coming tomorrow morning. Wish me luck for tonight?” Courtney stared into her hair which she twirled with her left index finger.
“Good luck, hun.”
Elsewhere:
“You guys coming tomorrow?” Joel was standing with Chris and Tony.
“Sure, I don’t have anything better to do.” Chris was a yes. Him coming made it 4 guests.
“I would like to but my mom is trying to do the family thing with her sister, so that’s my destination for tomorrow.” Tony explained knowing that his girlfriend wasn’t going to be too pleased. “I have rehearsal tonight with the understudy taking over after my co-star quit on us. So that means we have work harder and I don’t get to see Daniela often.”
“Yeah, you’re dead and would you look at that? Here she comes.” Joel said as Daniela walked up to the guys. “Hi Dani.”
“Oh this should be good…”Chris smirked as he watched Daniela walk up to her boyfriend. Both he and Joel were staring at her with a gleeful smile.
“Umm…hi guys?” She looked at them like something was wrong. Why were they staring at her with goofy grins on their faces “Is there something in my hair?”
“Say Chris. Don’t we have someone to talk to?” Joel grabbed Chris by the arm and covered his mouth with his hand. Chris argued and complained but all of it was muffled through Joel’s hand.
“Weird...” Daniela watched them go off somewhere. “So” The brunette turned her attention to her boyfriend. “So what are you doing tonight?” She hoped that Tony was free since she didn’t see him much. It was weird to her that Kyle and Courtney were coupleier than she and Tony.
“Sorry Dani but I have rehearsal tonight since my co-star quit and the understudy has come and take over. It’ll be a lot longer tonight.”
“What about tomorrow? You are coming?” Daniela asked hoping for a yes but she saw him trying to figure out the words and knew it was going to be a solid no. “I can’t believe it. I barely see you outside school at all. Always about the play or something else,” She yelled at him as her temper went from 0 to about 1000 in a second. “It’s like you don’t want to be with me at all. “
Courtney and Gisela could see what was going to happen. It was going to be nuclear between the couple. “Should we?” Courtney looked at Gisela who mouth ‘No way’. She was going into the trenches. This wasn’t her battle or war.
“Dani, you know that’s not true but I just have commitments.” Tony tried to justify himself to Daniela but it was going to be a hard sell to the very head strong woman. “After this play I’ll have all the time in the world to spend with you.”
“I’m over it. I might as well date Chris,” She threw her arms up in frustration making a scene in front of several students who watched in anticipation. “At least he’s more attentive even if he’s a dummy.” Daniela stormed off to her class.
“What are you guys looking at?” Tony glared at the students that watched the whole scene unfold. “Man…” He leaned against the wall regretting this whole situation. He had a girlfriend who he’s been distant to for a while and it was bugging him immensely.
---------------
The school auditorium:
It was an empty stage that wasn’t too big at all. There weren’t enough seats for 200 students in sit in, so it wasn’t a big theatre but big enough for a local high school. Tony sat on stage swinging his legs while reading through his notes. The play was something to try out his thirst for acting which was something he always wanted to do. The play was somewhat a mystery to the group since he didn’t disclose what the play was actually about. It was on ‘Bye Bye Birdy’ and he was playing Albert Peterson who was this manager. His co-star who was supposed to play Rose Alvarez was forced to quit by her parents because of her poor grades. He wondered who his co-star would be.
“Tony?” Tony turned around to see a gorgeous woman with long shimmering black hair, dark brown eyes, and a slender body. It was someone very familiar to him. “It’s really you…”
“Nicki?” He couldn’t believe his eyes. She was the girl that knew him before his mother got rich in the print media world. She lived in rough end of the city like he did until he got out of there. They were always together and she was his first kiss. “What are you doing here?”
“What are you doing here?” Nicki asked back. Nicki Davis, a girl who lived through violence on the streets. She always kept on the safe side by keeping to herself especially since her sister didn’t. Her older sister got involved and ended up pregnant at the tender age of 16 which really ruined her future. She was thankful though that they had protection from the violence since her sister did have a child with one of the important players on the streets. Her friends slowly succumbed to drugs or the violence but she had her escape willing to get on the TV shows that portrayed life in California as glamorous with beaches, rich people and no violence.
Nicki was heavily involved with Tony who was in a similar situation until he moved. They would hang out together indoors to avoid all the life that was happening outside on the streets, basketball courts and at every major hangout. She found out that her grandparents lived in Santa Monica where she found a way to go to school in Malibu for a better life. Nicki wasn’t afraid to go outside or to be seen around with random people, she was now free. She was free to live her life without fear and look forward to a future full of hope and dreams.
“I go to school here,” Tony pointed out as he got up. His face was glowing in astonishment. “When did you?”
“This year, I can’t believe I’m a sophomore and you’re a junior at the same school. I knew you go to school here. I just can’t believe you would want to be in a play,” She slapped him playfully with the script. “A play called ‘Bye Bye Birdie’. You were so ‘you want this fucker’ when we just kids.”
“I just want to try acting. It sounds fun,” Tony looked at Nicki with a smile. He knew she knew that he went to this school. “So you seen me around?”
“I can’t believe your friends are all white. What would the people back there think? Nicki playfully slapped him on his chest. “They be like y’all believe that big man Tone is hanging with some white dudes.”
“They are great people.”
“And a white girl?” Nicki laughed “C’mon man, you should be going with someone your own race. I’ve seen you with her. Daniela Harris, am I right?”
“Yeah…”
“You dog. Why do you like her?” Nicki asked very interested and jealous. She never thought that he would go after a girl who wasn’t African American at all.
“She was different. Down to Earth or at least she was but things change,” Tony thought hard and long about his answer. Why was he still with Daniela? She wasn’t down-to-Earth like she was last year; she did chuck a fit about getting a job. They never spend time with each other and they had broken up twice or was it thrice? She got jealous pretty easily. If anything she was more relaxed around Chris and Kyle than her own boyfriend. The only thing probably holding them was physical attraction but it wasn’t like they were physical with each other anymore. It was probably a sense of security. Was Nicki trying to play on his mind? “But she’s a great person regardless.” The seed was set and he knew it was a matter of time.
Nicki didn’t quite believe him but she believed that pushing the agenda would damage their friendship. “I’m supposed to be Rose, you know the understudy’s understudy.” It turned out the understudy quit after the play crossed with her priorities in the school paper. “I just can’t believe you and I will be romantically linked in a play. I believe acting is a representation of our emotions.” She moved closer to him and lightly kissed on the cheek. “I can’t wait for us to do our scenes together.”
“Nicki…” Tony stopped her by saying her name. Something clicked in his mind like everything to do with Daniela was snapped like a twig. It was a moment of weakness and it’s like all the feelings of his passed bubbled to the top as he kissed Nicki passionately. “Look…” He knew he just made a humongous mistake.
“You’re going to say it is just acting aren’t you?” Nicki smiled. “See I came here believing the grass is greener which it is but I realized I can control people and I have you under my pinkie.” This wasn’t the Nicki he remembered but maybe it was. Tony remembered how manipulative she was even though she never did it on him. She never tried to control him because he would get her things, protect her and….It hit him. She used him for everything, she was the reason he started to drink and this was why he never got to play basketball with his friends because he was too busy with her.
“And if you do anything like get out of the play, I’ll tell dear old Daniela about our kiss. You can call it acting but I don’t think she will.” Nicki laughed her way towards the dressing room leaving Tony alone realizing the one of the biggest mistakes he ever made.
--------------
Later:
Courtney checked her outfit through a mirror. She had been fretting in her room about this evening. It was one of the most important evenings of her life at least in her mind. Her parents were going to meet her boyfriend and she hoped that everything was going to go well. The red hair teen knew that her parents wouldn’t want her to wear something current, so she had to wear something so ancient and plain in the fashion world.
She looked frantically through her closet. He was going to arrive any minute and her mother was calling her from downstairs. “I’m just getting ready, mom!” Courtney yelled back. She looked through several outfits that weren’t going to be a hit with her parents. At least the only thing keeping her sane was her music ‘Carnival’ by The Cardigans. She finally found something simple; it was a red high neck skater dress with slim straps that went halfway down her thighs. Courtney turned off her stereo system and ran downstairs to the kitchen where her mother was prepping for Thanksgiving tomorrow.
“Honey you’re wearing that?” Her mother looked at her disapproving. “You look nice. He must be really important to you.” She started to cut potatoes while thinking that her daughter wasn’t ready to be in a relationship after the Jason incident.
“I really care for him, mom. Please be on your best behavior,” Courtney pleaded knowing that her parents weren’t too fond of her best friend. “He’s really smart, like super intelligent and he plays sports.” At least that gave something for her dad to go with. Suddenly the doorbell rang and Courtney started to panic. She ran to the door and opened it “Hey it’s….grandma and grandpa.” She was surprised when she greeted her grandparents. “Hi…” Then she the surprises kept on rolling with “Aunt Leslie, Uncle Donald, Cousin Jenny, and Cousin Joshua.”
Courtney immediately after greeting her relatives ran to the kitchen. “Mother!” She whispered angrily “I thought they were supposed to come tomorrow morning.”
“Oh once I told them about your boyfriend, they wanted to come a day earlier. See this is what I love about family.” Her mother explained to Courtney who in panic ran upstairs and picked up the phone to call Kyle and Gisela’s home. The phone rang and rang, oh she hoped for an answer. “Hello? Gisela!”
“What’s up Court?”
“Is Kyle there?”
“No, he left like 10 minutes ago. Why? Did he forget to bring something?”
“No…” Courtney really started to panic. “Oh Gisela, my whole family is here. Relatives and grandparents included. He’s so going to leave me.” She heard the doorbell chime. “Oh I’m so dead…” The teenager hung up the phone and immediately ran downstairs to the kitchen. “Mom, it’s him. Please tell the whole family to be on their best behavior.” Courtney pleaded.
“Don’t worry sweetie. I’m sure we will love him.” His mother carried a platter of carrot sticks, celery sticks, and other finger food in a glass bowl with dip in the middle to make it look very appealing. “Now everyone,” Courtney’s mother looked at the group at the lounge room which included her husband, her sister, her brother-in-law, her parents, her niece and nephew “Courtney told me explicit orders to be on our best behavior and we will do so.”
Courtney opened the door to the welcoming sight of Kyle who dressed in a charcoal suit and trousers over a light blue collared shirt and a dark blue tie. “Hi…” Courtney smiled sincerely for the first time today when she saw her boyfriend. She kissed him on the cheek as she welcomed him inside. Kyle looked at the large family that was sitting in the living room practically waiting for him. “Mom, dad and family,” Courtney smiled as she introduced “This is my boyfriend, Kyle Thorpe.” She took a deep breath before introducing him to the family “Kyle, this is my mother, father, my aunt, uncle, cousins, and my grandparents.”
“Hi…” Kyle smiled somewhat confidently yet somewhat nervously, if anything it just ended up awkward. He sat down next to Courtney who scooted up close to him until she saw her mother’s face to which she scooted away from him keeping her distance.
“Kyle, where were you born?” Courtney’s mother asked looking like she was studying him and making mental notes. The whole family stared at him. He nervously looked at Courtney who groaned. Kyle was prepared for something like this since Gisela warned him but the pressure was adding up. “Err…?”
----------------
“That didn’t go that bad, right?” Kyle leaned against his Porsche while Courtney leaned right next to him. The meeting the family didn’t exactly go to the plan, if there was a plan.
“It was a total failure,” Courtney chuckled knowing that there was nothing he could do. “It’s not your fault that you’re not American, your parents aren’t America, Gisela and her dad aren’t American, you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, you don’t watch football, you don’t have guns, and something about college basketball being an inferior product to the NBA because and I quote ‘The notion that college basketball players play harder, better defense and as a team is a fallacy especially when you consider the game is bereft of any offensive and defensive skill set’” She recited like dictation. "Then about guns which I agree, always have."
“Explaining to your father about cricket didn’t go well at all,” Kyle recalled the conversation which went into an argument about how sports are terrible if there were draws and that a sport that goes for 5 days is a waste of time. “Then there was soccer…” He gave himself a mental kick in the chin when he said that word. He hated using the word soccer because he always went by football and he would have been slaughtered in Europe if he used the word soccer. “Real men play American football and whatever but your grandparents were sweet but your cousins…”
“Courtney, how’s Kyle in bed….and I so can’t believe my mother asked you if we slept together,” Courtney recalled the humiliation that was her mother asking her boyfriend in front of her whole family, if she had slept with Kyle. “But I love my grandparents but it all started with them.” She explained since her family did come from a very modest area that was staunchly pro-American. “So you’re not going to break up with me?” Courtney looked down at her shoes avoiding any eye contact with her boyfriend.
“Why would I do that?” Kyle surprised. She asked him if he was going to break up with her. He put his arms around her waist. He brushed her cheek softy with his lips. She smiled feeling at ease with her boyfriend’s arms around her.
“I don’t know because of my parents. You would be so scared off by them and stuff.” She turned her head around to get a glimpse of her boyfriend. “So we’re still together right?” Courtney asked one more time to make herself feel a lot better. “So I’ll see you day after tomorrow?” She brushed his lips with hers before rubbing her nose against his.
---------------
Harris Household:
It was absolute chaos in the Harris household as the family tried to prepare for a giant Thanksgiving feast featuring all of Daniela and Joel’s friends. “So which of your friends are coming?” Aunt Betty asked as she was getting everything organized for tomorrow.
Daniela was cutting up vegetables while Joel was busy with cleaning up the house. He was vacuuming away in the living room and wiping down tables especially the dining room table which really needed a good wipe and spray. “Gisela, Alicia, Chris, and Kyle,” Daniela listed all the guests. “Courtney has extended family coming over, and Tony, I guess has the same.” Her bitterness came to the forefront when she mentioned her boyfriend’s name. She thought that it could have been an excuse to avoid her.
“We have a party of 8. That’s perfect. It’s too bad about Tony though.” Betty said as she was running around the kitchen but she had to time to pour herself a glass of white wine. “I wonder what’s he doing now?”
“Probably rehearsing with some slutty wannabe actress,” The jealously bug really took a massive bite out of the brunette.
“Daniela!” Her aunt looked at her in shock. “That’s not how we talk about people.”
“I’m sorry...” Daniela apologized but felt a little twitch. “Something just doesn’t feel right.”
“Honey, I think it is your imagination playing tricks on you.”
“Maybe"
------------------
Thanksgiving Day:
“Everything is nearly done…” Betty was slaving away in the kitchen trying to create the best Thanksgiving feast possible for her family and all the guests. The turkey was in the oven, the ham was in the oven, the mash was getting seasoned. The yams, potatoes, and salad were all done. Now she just had to wait for everyone to get ready. Sean was in the living room making sure that the place was clean even if Joel did spend an hour or so cleaning up the place.
Daniela was upstairs in her room getting ready. It was supposed to be a somewhat casual event but she still had to look good especially since she was competing against Gisela who was absolutely stunning and Alicia who was pretty naturally. The brunette teenager went through her closet until she found the dress, a nice black halter skater dress.
Joel sat in his room watching ‘The Simpsons’, the episode called Cape Feare. He loved it especially when Sideshow Bob kept on stepping on rakes. He was wearing a dark red polo shirt and denim jeans. There wasn’t much for him to do anymore since he and Daniela spent all morning helping his parents. The doorbell rang once he cracked up laughing to ‘Bake him away Toys’. Joel ran downstairs and opened the door to Chris who was dressed in red and black bowling shirt and blue jeans. “Hey man.”
“Hey bro,” He left the door open as he saw Alicia’s Ford parking right outside his house. Chris had already gone inside the house. Alicia wore a simple white sundress. “Hey, looking nice.”
“Thank you,” Alicia gave him a box of chocolates. “They are for your mother as a thank you. They were imported from Belgium.” Alicia walked inside the house and made her way into the living room where Chris and Joel’s father were sitting down watching the pre-game analysis before the Thanksgiving Game which was played between the Dallas Cowboys and the Tennessee Oilers. “The traditional Thanksgiving football game?”
“Yeah it should be sweet. There’s an NBA game on later tonight between the Pacers and Grizzlies, so would be fun to watch.”
Daniela ran downstairs and took the remote. “Guys, the parade....” and flicked through the channels the Thanksgiving Parade. “They have Barney the Dinosaur singing.”
“Why are we watching this?” Chris asked looking at the attractive brunette teenager. “Man, I don’t care about some purple dinosaur singing.” But Barney started to sing with his friends. For some reason Barney was wearing sunglasses.
“What the hell are we watching, Dani?”
“Did Barney just say he was drunk?” asked Alicia worryingly as they wondered why Daniela put this on.
“Probably,” She smiled as the giant Barney the Dinosaur float appeared after Barney’s weird song about imagination.
“Umm is Barney okay?” Alicia looked at Daniela. They watched as the float was struggling to move forwards, really struggling.
“I think Barney is dying…” observed Chris with a little wicked grin on his face.
There was a knock on the door. “It must be Gisela and Kyle,” Daniela ran to the door and opened it. “Hi guys!” Daniela greeted the pair. Gisela wore a red wool peplum cardigan top with a deep V-neck and long sleeves, with black trousers and black ankle boots. Behind her was Kyle who was dressed in a white up collar shirt with a brown vest buttoned up over it. He wore a pair of nude colored chinos to watch with the vest. “You guys look great!”
“So do you, Dani!” Gisela hugged Daniela.
“Wait, I thought they didn’t talk to each other,” Alicia observed while the guys were too busy concentrating on the Barney float that was struggling. She got no answer because of the float.
“We got some flowers for your mum,” Kyle smiled giving Daniela a large boutique of flowers. "Gisela picked them out."
Daniela took a whiff of the fresh scent coming from the flowers before putting them in the kitchen. Everyone was sitting down or standing up like Kyle and Gisela watching the Barney the Dinosaur float struggling to stay alive. They could hear the crowd screaming, laughing or crying in the case of children. Everything just went up a notch when…
“Oh my god is Barney?” Gisela put her hands over her mouth in shock.
“Yep Barney the Dinosaur is dead.” Kyle replied as they all saw the tear across the float.
“Those poor children…” Alicia couldn’t help but feel sorry for the children that watched Barney the Dinosaur and loved him, and watched him in balloon ripped through.
“Brutal…”
“And hilarious!” Daniela laughed.
“Just get out the shot gun Old Yeller style…” Chris muttered watching the float struggle and the people holding the float by the strings trying to pull Barney or figure out what to do.
“Might as well. He’s on struggle street badly.” Kyle agreed.
“Oh my god he’s nearly in two…” Gisela added. This just became entertaining, very entertaining. “Are they cutting him in half?”
“Rest in peace Barney,” Joel said as they people in the parade deflated Barney and cut him into pieces. “Huh the Rugrats are next.” Daniela changed the channel back to the football.
“You don’t watch football do you, Dundee?” Chris asked the dark brown haired teenager who sat next to him.
“I don’t but hey the Grizzlies Pacers’ game is on tonight.” Kyle was more interested in basketball than the NFL.
“Hey, how did meeting with Courtney’s parents go?” Joel asked as he slouched on the couch putting his arm nearly Kyle.
“This is totally funny,” Gisela laughed. She already knew the background of what happened to a tee but every time she heard it, it just became funnier and funnier.
Daniela looked at Gisela with a smile. “Hey Gisela, can I talk to you for a second?” asked Daniela who then turned her gaze towards Kyle and the rest. “Just hold the story for me for a second.” Daniela directed Gisela to the dining room where they were alone.
“So what’s up, Dani?”
“I want to apologize about how I’ve been acting. You did me a solid by saying I should get a job.” Daniela apologized to Gisela. It took a lot of guts but it was something that she had to do. She made all her friends and more importantly her cousin put off by this whole feud. “I got a job and everything is working well…” She remembered the whole situation with Tony but that was public information anyway.
“Hey I should be apologizing as well. I shouldn’t have tried to force you to get a job and all that stuff,” Gisela apologized. “You know like after the Barney the Dinosaur’s death, I think we should go back to being friends.”
“Agreed, now I want to hear this story.”
“Oh it is so funny.”
Joel and the rest of the group looked at Daniela and Gisela who seemed on friendly terms now. “So everything is all good?” The girls nodded and smiled at each other. “Alright Dundee, it’s time for your story.”
“I better get going. Your mother still might need some help,” Joel’s father left leaving the teenagers alone with their privacy.
“So anyway I walk inside expecting her parents but I come across the whole Watson clan,” Kyle started off his story with a lot of hand movements as he recited. “Her grandmothers, cousins, and relatives were all there. It’s was crazy.”
“Now that sounds crazy. She was going on about her family but I guess she meant the whole family,” Alicia looked at Kyle finding his predicament kind of funny.
“So what happened next?” Chris put the television on mute just as the pre-game coverage was still continuing between the Cowboys and the Oilers.
“Well then the first question they asked me was where do I come from.”
“They didn’t?” Daniela chuckled.
“Oh I’ve been there. So Gisela where were you born? Oh I was born in Stuttgart, Germany. Oh really…” Cue the coldness,” Gisela told the group of her experiences. “But this is nothing compared to Kyle since like he’s the one dating Court.”
“So anyway I told them and they were asking where my parents came from. That didn’t go well and then came the lovely question of where does your mother’s fiancé come from and that didn’t go too well either,” Kyle continued. “Then came which sports do you like? That led to an argument about NBA v. college basketball which didn’t go well. Then came the reasoning of me liking football or what you guys call soccer, and then there was the tennis and cricket disagreements. All in all never tell a gridiron coach that you don’t watch or know anything about gridiron. So I’m in his bad books.”
“That’s not even close to end of it.” Gisela giggled.
“What do you mean?” asked Daniela.
“Oh you’ll totally see.”
“Anyway one of her cousins decides to ask me if I have slept with Courtney, right in front of everybody and I say everyone, that includes her grandparents. I mean you guys would avoid the question and move on but her mother wanted me to answer that question for some sick inane reason. Courtney stepped in and answered that,” Kyle sighed. “Man it was crazy. It’s like they don’t like me at all but I can't pretend to be Republican or something.”
“So you guys are still together right?” Joel asked while Chris turned the volume higher as the game had a countdown clock before kick-off.
“Of course.”
“Food is ready!” Betty called out from the dining room.
“Ahh Dundee, you’re a funny one. I can’t believe you and Courtney haven’t done the deed.” Chris got up with the rest of the group to the dining room to get the food before moving back to the living room for the game.
The spread was absolutely gorgeous. There was cornbread, pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce, a sweet potato casserole, glazed carrots, a green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, yams, and of course a giant roasted turkey with stuffing, ready to be carved. Betty stood right behind the turkey ready to be carved.
“This is awesome spread, Mrs. Harris,” Gisela compliment while the guys eyed the food like wolves. It was like they never saw food before in their lives. There we no need to stay grace but there was something to be thankful apparently.
“Joel?” His dad looked at him while he was trying to get some food.
“Alright, alright,” He knew it was a little speech about being thankful or something. “I’m thankful for having a great family, great friends and a great life and I’m just hungry. Let’s dig in.” Joel started to serve himself some food. “What it’s not like anyone says grace.”
“That’s true and I’m starving.” Daniela smiled. They enjoyed each other’s company and had a good meal, little did they know what was to unfold in the next few months.
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