"Hello?" Pt. 2

November 14th 2016

"Hey, is Evie with you?"

"Yeah."

"Can I speak with her?"

"I don't know. Can you?"

"Put her on, Daniel."

"Just as soon as you tell me why you need my sister."

"She's good at planning stuff, right?"

"Of course. Who else organised all this moving stuff? What's in the box marked 'Sophie's Crap'?"

"Crap. Anyway, I need Evie to plan something for me."

"Plan what?"

"Will you put her on, please?"

"How about I put you on the loudspeaker and then you can talk to her? SHe's kinda busy unpacking our kitchen stuff at the moment."

"Is any of my family there?"

"Lucas is here."

"Doesn't count."

"Lucas doesn't count as family? Well, I'm sure he'll love to hear that."

"Let me rephrase- is either my mother, my sister or Jasmine there?"

"None of the above."

"Great. Put me on loudspeaker and take me to Evie."

"She's right here. Give me a second to put you on."

"..."

"Ok, you're on."

"Evie!"

<<Hey, Sophie.>>

"I need your help!"

<<With?>>

"Ok, I'm starting to see the similarities between you and your brother."

"Rude."

<<That notwithstanding, Sophie, how may I help you?>>

"I need you to plan my hen party"

<<...>>

"..."

<<...>>

"Either of you still there?"

<<Oh, yes, sorry. Still here. Um... may I ask why you want me to plan your hen party?>>

"Because after yesterday, I need someone with a level head to plan the thing. Jasmine and Charlotte were fighting over everything! I mean, do we wear pink or purple? Do we have an eighties theme or a twenties theme? Do we go to Vegas or do we go to Paris? In all honesty, I don't care about any of that. I'd gladly kick Daniel out of the house one night, have all you girls around and just have a sleepover. Anything to avoid a power struggle between my sisters and Jasmine. Fancy the challenge?"

<<Uh...>>

"I mean, if you don't want to get involved in all the arguments, that's fine, but... Evie, you mean a lot to me. If it wasn't for you, at times I would have questioned whether or not I was good enough for Daniel and-"

"Wait, you questioned whether or not you were good enough for me?"

"What? No! Who said that?"

"Sophie."

"At the beginning. Then Evie kinda called me and gave me a pep talk and now look at us! Yay for us!"

"..."

"Maybe loudspeaker wasn't the best idea."

"Maybe not."

"I can make this up to you."

"How?"

"Well, it'll involve a trip to my sister's shop and then it'll involve that La Perla lingerie you found last week."

<<You're aware that you're still on loudspeaker, aren't you?>>

"Did you really think your brother was still a virgin?"

<<Oh, Lord no. I distinctly remember walking in on him and the girl->>

"That's enough! This is why I hate it when you two talk to each other."

"I quite enjoy it. It's called bonding."

"It's called my sister and fiancée ganging up on me."

"It's a matter of perspective."

"..."

"Back to Evie- will you plan my hen party, please?"

<<Of course. In fact, I've already planned what we're doing."

"But I only asked you five minutes ago."

<<I'm a quick thinker.>>

"See, I knew you were the right woman for the job!"

<<Haha, you say that now.>>

"Well, as long as I don't have to dress up as a duck, I think I'll be more than happy with anything you come up with."

"How do you know that you won't be dressing up as a duck, Soph?"

"Because your sister has more sense and sophistication than your imbecile friends."

"Perhaps. Then again, you weren't around for Evie's fortieth birthday where we all went out dressed as-"

<<Finish that sentence, Daniel, and I'll tell Sophie all about that other time I walked in on you when there was a girl in your bedroom.>>

"Oh, gosh, this is too much! I'm not sure which story I want to hear the most!"

"Sophie, but out."

"But it's starting to get fun."

"Evie agreed to plan your hen party, you've agreed to get me dessert later on, and I'l agree to wipe this whole conversation from my mind. Are we all happy?"

<<Yes.>>

"No."

"Well, you're shit out of luck. Us Courtenay kids stick together."

"..."

<<...>>

"..."

"Why the silence?"

"Um..."

<<...>>

"..."

"What's going on?"

"Nothing. It's just... you never refer to yourself as Courtenay and that's the first time I heard it, that's all. And, you know... Evelyn Courtenay."

"And? She's my sister. She's as much Courtenay as I am."

"..."

"-Evelyn?- Shit, Soph, I have to go. My sister's wandered off."

"Daniel?"

"Yeah?"

"You may want to take a pack of tissues. I know Evie and this topic always gets her a little upset."

"Oh, right. Thanks for the advice."

"You're welcome. Text me later to let me know if she's ok. Oh, and let me know what dessert you want me to pick up."

"Ok, I shall. On both counts."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

"Tell Evie that I love her too."

"She'll appreciate that."

"See you soon, baboon."

"Later, 'gator."