Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
( simmer by hayley williams ) "I MISS YOU, TOO." Gwen spoke into the phone, in the back seat of the car.
"When can you come back up?" Her friend from back home, Tanner, spoke into the phone. "We're throwing a huge surprise party for Gemma at the Marquee next Saturday."
Gwen earns a subtle glance from her mother, who sat in the seat beside her. One that told her that she can hear the call, and that the answer is most definitely going to be no.
Gwen swallowed. "I can't, I-" she thinks. "There's a big party going on here, too. So I-"
"That's fine," Tanner cuts her off. She hears voices on the other line. "I gotta go, we're getting lunch at The Lobster Club."
"Oh God, don't tell me that." Gwen laughs it off, but she couldn't help but wonder if he said it fully on purpose. "I'd do anything for some garlic bread from there right now."
"Love you, bye!" And then he hung up.
Gwen clenched her jaw, placing her phone back on her lap. Her mother, eyes on her own phone as she responded to a text, spoke. "What big party?" She asks.
"There isn't one." Gwen huffs. "They probably aren't even throwing Gemma a party, either. He just likes to make me feel bad."
"And you let him." Her mother adds.
"Well, yeah, obviously. That's because it works." Gwen shrugs annoyedly.
Her mother puts her phone down, then goes to look out the window. "It's for your own good."
Gwen didn't respond. She'd heard that sentence one too many times by now, and no matter how many times she responded with I know, even though it wasn't quite true, her mother just kept saying it.
"Here." The driver said from the front seat, and Gwen turned, looking out the other window to see the Montgomery Estate. She hadn't even realized they'd gone through the gates.
The driveway was long, and on the sides were perfectly trimmed bushes, surrounding them were huge American Elms, that's branches hung over and shielded the estate from any direct sun.
It was an old house, one that looked like it'd seen a lot in its history, and one that stood tall on the land. When they got out of the car, Gwen was met with the sound of water spilling from a large fountain, as it sat in middle of the drive around.
Her and her mother followed the other guests inside, the valet offering to go and park their car around but then quickly realizing who they were, and that they had their own driver.
Gwen held her phone in her hand, keeping her eyes focused on that instead of looking up to speak to anyone who started to greet her mother.
However, it became difficult when she got inside. She found herself enamored with how pretty it was. Old, huge paintings hung any empty spots on the already beautifully painted walls. Large bouquets of fresh flowers sat on tables. She found herself wanting to break off from her mom and go snoop around the house, but that might be deemed inappropriate.
