Everything Changes

Chapter Sixteen: The Fundraiser

When it came time for the fundraiser that mid-December, Juliana thought things would be just as she left them - like nothing changed before leaving for college. She figured she and her hometown friends would go back to the fun in the sun lifestyle they had in south Florida.

But she stood incorrect. What she didn't know was that there was more to just her problems. She didn't know about Brittany, Toby, and Trevor... or about Cassie, Jordan, or even anything about Jake. So, instead of thinking her drama would be dismissed by the time all of her friends had to stand in the same room, the tension told her otherwise.

She tried to ignore the painfully obvious tension between her friends as she clapped for the Rivera's, who stepped out of the clubhouse at that year's annual fundraiser for cleaner beaches.

The Rivera family stood waving and smiling at the many guests in attendance. Guests practically gawked at their color coordination of periwinkle, which made them look even more classy than they already were. Not only were the Rivera's incoordination, but so was the color theme of the party. Periwinkle flowers and other decorations surrounded the clubhouse. That was all thanks to Madison, who had a flair for aesthetically pleasing themes.

The crowd's clapping quieted down as Diego politely took the microphone out of the waiter's hands. He cleared his throat before speaking. "Thirty-nine years ago, at age fourteen, my family left Madrid to create a life here in West Coral," he spoke, captivating everyone's attention. "I'm so thankful for that, because I was able to open a chain of country clubs and accomplish my dreams of being a business owner," he said as some guests smiled. "But most importantly, I'm so thankful I was able to meet my beautiful wife, Madison, on a business trip to New Jersey, and for giving me our two beautiful daughters, Becky and Brittany."

The guests applauded them once again as Diego hugged his family. Isabel and her parents stood in the crowd, loudly cheering for their family. Trevor stood beside them, cheering just as loud. If he was being quite honest, he was starstruck. Every fundraiser always made the Rivera's seem famous. He was just proud of himself for being in a relationship with one.

"Now let's raise money for cleaner beaches in Florida!" Diego exclaimed, making the crowd cheer even louder.

Diego and Madison were quick to greet their guests as the party dispersed. The adults started to order drinks from the bar or hover over the appetizers being served. Other guests fled to the dance floor, busting out moves to the Spanish music blasting from the speakers. Becky didn't waste a second to steal a few gluten free empanadas off the waiter's tray before they were gone. Brittany wished she could do the same, but she knew she needed to mimic her parents and greet her friends.

She was first to greet Isabel and her aunt and uncle, who continued to compliment how beautiful, and how much alike, she and her sister looked. She then greeted Trevor, who wrapped her into a tight hug. She waited until he went off with his family before greeting the Crawford's. Even though she knew that Trevor and Toby understood how important the fundraiser was to her, she was still cautious about a fight breaking out. She would never be able to live that down, especially because it would be in front of her entire family - grandparents and all.

"We have to dance," said Toby, extending his hand out for Brittany to take. She apprehensively looked down at his extended hand. "It's our fundraiser tradition."

She slowly looked back into his brown eyes, shaking her head. "I don't think we should," she told him softly, upset she had to say that. All she wanted to do was take his hand and walk to the dance floor with him, just like they did every year. He was right. It was tradition. She remembered seeing pictures of them when they were two years old, dancing at the fundraiser together. "Because of the fight you had with Trevor. I just want to avoid drama tonight, for the sake of my family."