Theater Cubicles

More Like Family Pt. 1

Above is a picture of Adel.

"Hello, dears," my mom said with a wide grin.

"Hi," my father said taking in the sight of Nolan and his younger sister.

Nolan immediately took to shaking their hands and introduced themselves, "I'm Nolan and this is my younger sister Adel. Sorry for such late not but your daughter insisted."

"Nonsense," my mother assured him for the umpteenth time.

"Hi," Adel said a little shy, unlike what I thought she would be like.

Who knows what her opinions of parental figures were. Nolan and I looked at each other awkwardly. I did not know how to display my affections before the eyes of my parents. After all he was just a high school boyfriend. Nothing more.

"Come on over. Let's sit at the table. The food should be out soon," my father told us.

He looked like he was having a harder time at knowing what to do then I was. And I was having a pretty hard time. We walked to the table laden with a hearty feast perfect for five people. The wreath themed salad I had prepared was looking festive and appetizing. The champagne glasses were filled with the non-alcoholic drinks my mother concocted. The chicken salad and stuffing in their respective bowls appeared to be savory and delectable. Outside it started to drizzle. There was rain in the forecast and that's about as heavy the weather got during Christmastime around here.

My dad stated, "Nobody is going to leave this table until I see that my Holy-day Guacamole is complete, children."

Fear rose in Adel's eyes before my father noticed and started laughing quite loudly. Then my mother and Nolan joined as Adel's face lit up. I held her hand and gave her a warm smile.

"How are we going to sit? How about... Juliette you sit by me. I'm at the head of the table. Your mother is opposite me and Adel will be adjacent to you. Nolan you sit by my wife."

"But-" I started to interject before Nolan cut me off.

"That sounds perfect, sir."

"Please, Nolan. Call me David. My wife's name is Lisa."

My mouth must've dropped open as my father never told any of my friends to call them by their first name.

"Well, Lisa, I believe your... lamb is it?... the scent is wafting from your kitchen..."

"Oh my leg of lamb!" my mother jumped suddenly out of her chair.

"I thought so," we all laughed as Nolan proved himself better chef than all of us.

"So David and Lisa? What are your occupations?"

"We're both professors at the nearby college," my mom clarified.

My dad cleared his throat skeptically, "And... I believe you're also in the theater department with my Juliette. That's where you two...acquainted?"

"Yes, sir- I mean David. Theater and directing... I feel as if they're my vocation."

"How old are you again?" my dad asked.

"Seventeen. I turn eighteen in a few months."

My father nearly chocked on the water he had started drinking, "Two! Two full years, huh?"

This was worse than I thought it was going to be. Facts I had never considered started to sink in. Nolan would be an adult and go with life. I would still have three years of schooling. My emotions were so utterly muddled. Yet, I couldn't stop. We had a special bond and now I felt like family with Adel. What was going to happen when senior year would end for him? I immediately removed the thought from my mind.

My mother said over-excitedly to change the subject, "So! I hope you like old movies as much as Juliette does, Adel and Nolan because we plan on carrying on with the marathon we had planned." 

"Do I ever," Nolan grinned.

"Oh, no! No! No! No! No!" Adel groaned, "No more old movies. Nolan has practically brainwashed me with Roman Holiday and North by Northwest and the works."

My dad, ready to answer in such a situation, explained, "Well, Adel, it's an asset to have a knowledge of the classics. I'm glad Nolan has exposed you to them as I have Juliette. You're lucky to have a caring older brother."

"I prefer romcoms. PG rated of course," Adel said as we all laughed.

"This is by far the best food I've ever had," Nolan commented.

"You've got to be kidding me," I rolled my eyes.

And so the mood was back to a more jovial one, befitting that of the holiday season.

---

The whole room's inhabitants faces were streaming with tears. Although it might've been the twelfth time I watched It's a Wonderful Life. As I changed the DVD- yes, people used those still- my mother led Adel to the kitchen to make hot chocolate for all of us.

"So, as a professor, I of course want to ask you about colleges. You're a senior so you should've applied and sent the applications in by now. I'm the director of admissions in my school. How do you feel about your apps?" my father interrogated.

"Well I believe I applied for most of the colleges with a theater arts or directing program in California and New York. Honestly, I'm going to let the colleges decide if I go far away or not. I don't know if my heart is capable of leaving Adel alone in that house that swallows us up in it enormity or if I want to go far away from this place," Nolan spoke.

"What's going to happen to my Juliette when you move on to bigger and better things?"

"Don't worry, David. I treat her like I would want my sister to be treated," Nolan said.

All my mind could here was like a sister... like a sister... Was that how he saw me? Like a younger sister. Right then my mom and Adel walked into the room. Adel was cautiously holding a teetering tray of five mugs filled with hot chocolate.

"Hot cocoa is ready!" she said with a sing-song voice as she carefully set the holiday themed tray down on the coffee table.

Then, all of a sudden, the lights went off. 

Darkness. Similar to the unknowns of my future. 

A/N: How did you like that? I'm loving the cliffhangers so the next chapter will be up soon. Please let me know what you think about what has been going on with the Jolan relationship and the dad's reactions. Votes are always appreciated and they make my day.