It Had to Be You

fifteen

MY eyes locked on the names next to ours, uneasiness washing through my veins that left me fearing for what was to come. It's been five years since our parents have spoken face-to-face, and I knew that tonight wasn't going to be smooth sailing.

Mom scowled at the name, looking at my dad with distaste. "This has to be some sort of mistake. There's no way Jeanette would place us at the same table."

"Unless they assigned us alphabetically, El," Dad wove his hand through hers, giving it a tight squeeze, "don't stress too much. We're here to have a nice, relaxing evening."

"We're not going to have a nice, relaxing evening if we have to sit at a table with them."

And to think, if I had said that when we were younger, I would've been in deep shit.

"Just ignore them." He pulled out her chair, holding her hand as she sat down. He pushed in her chair, before sitting down in his own.

With a sigh, I scoured the room, searching for any guy that looked remotely my age that I could sneak off to their table. Everyone that I found were either taken or twelve, so I sat down.

I placed my purse on the table in front of me, angling my body toward my parents. "What's on the menu again?"

Neither one of them answered me, their eyes were trained on something behind me. I sighed, closing my eyes. I counted to three before I opened them, turning to face the only people in the world that could make my parents nervous.

The Tate's.

...

If we were in a movie, dramatic music would be playing in the background, the camera zooming in on the disgust and shock that painted the adult's faces. The whole ordeal was comical to watch, the two couples staring at each other as if they were seeing completely different people, and not the ones who they raised their children with.

Andrea and Michael Tate looked the same as they did six years ago. The only major differences were the little grey hairs poking out and their tired eyes, proof that these past few years had taken a toll on them.

The three of them moved to their seats, Adrian taking the empty one on my left. Jeanette's gala was the last place I thought we would run into his family, as they had stayed completely under the radar upon returning to Northwood.

"I'm surprised to see you here," I inwardly cringed at the words spilling from my mother's mouth, "galas are for those who have money, not for those who lost it."

Andrea Tate didn't flinch. "Money isn't everything. Not everyone is as shallow as y'all are."

I masked my facial expression, trying to hide my surprise that I was just thrown into that mix. I'm not shallow.

"You don't just ask people for money right after you lost your own!"

"If you were truly my friend, you would've helped us out, and not abandoned us!"

Abruptly, Adrian stood from his seat. He flattened out his jacket, shoving his hands in his pockets once he was done. "I'm going to see if the food is ready."

I watched his retreating form and pushed back from my own seat. "Me too."

"Sit." Mom commanded, her eyes staring me down, threatening me to disobey her in front of Andrea and Michael. With a sigh, I sat back down and pushed myself back in. "We're done discussing this."