My Best Friend's Brother

Dinner Out

Aria and Malcolm sat in Stevie’s room playing video games that were exciting at 4 but it was all Stevie’s mom would allow. 

“End of. . . the rainbow. I win. . . the gold.” Stevie smiled.

“Don’t you have something with a little more violence in it?” Malcolm asked.

“Fishing. . . for Fishies. Sometimes. . . he drowns.” Stevies suggested.

“Kids! I have snacks.” Stevie’s mom greeted as she carried in a tray with snacks and a bottle of hand sanitizer. “Hands.”

The three held out their hands and rubbed in the hand sanitizer. “Thank you.” Aria muttered.

“Now. . . who wants applesauce?” 

“I do.” Stevie exclaimed, hardly raising his voice.

“Stevie, there is no need to use your outdoor voice.” His mother scolded, “And I’ve got some cinnamon if you guys are feeling crazy.”

“Feeling. . . crazy?” Stevie asked the other two.

“A little.” Malcolm answered as he took the cinnamon.

“Thank you.” Aria repeated with a polite smile. There was a honk causing Malcolm and Aria to get their things together.

“That’s my mom.” Lois was going to drop Aria off because her dad was working a little over time.

“Oh, well, she always honks. Tell her she’s welcome to come in anytime, your dad too, Aria. We’re not going to bite.”

“It’s not personal. I think she just likes honking.” Malcolm shrugged as he put on his backpack.

“Malcolm! Aria!” Lois shouted.

“Well, you’d better get going. I mean, you don’t want to make her mad.”

“She’s always mad.” 

“That’s because you’re usually doing something to make her mad.” Aria chuckled.

“I mean it, you two! I have ice cream melting!”

“Here’s your –” Malcolm and Aria tried to give back the applesauce.

“Oh, no, no, no. Eat it in the car. Eat it in the car.” The woman ushered them out, they barely had time to say goodbye to Stevie.

~~~

Aria and her dad sat in the living room eating dinner as they watched TV, the phone rang in the kitchen and her dad went to answer it. She paid him no attention as she was entranced with the movie, she only looked away when her dad sat back down a few minutes later.

“Who was that?” She asked.

“Kitty Kenarban, she invited us to go out to dinner with them and the Wilkersons.” 

“Did she say where?”

“I can’t remember the name but I know where it is.” He replied, “It’s a fancy place so we’ll have to dress nice.”

“Like button up and dress nice?”

“Yup.”

“I’ll have to ask Lois to take me shopping or something. I don’t know if I have a nice dress.”

~~~

Aria and her dad were running a little late when they pulled up to the restaurant. Aria was in a nice red dress that Lois helped her pick out, her hair was up and she was even wearing a little make up. Her dad was wearing a nice black button shirt with a blazer, dark jeans and nice shoes. Aria fiddled with the bracelet that she was wearing wondering if she was too dressed up, maybe they should just go home and pretend that they were sick or something.