Can You Not?

Chapter 19

Her parents were back the next day, so there was no more canoodling with Ellis alone in her room into the wee hours of the morning. Not there was actually any canoodling. They kissed and held each other and that was it. It's not like they were confessing their undying love to each other in the throes of passion. 

With her parents being home, she needed to talk to them about the invite she got to the art expo. She was terrified of them saying no and having to relay that excuse to Bobbi Taylor. Just imagining it made her feel queasy. Like,

Dear Mrs Taylor,

I regrettably can't attend the expo or the panel, because my parents said no.

Thanks for the invite anyway.

Norah Parrish

It sounded pathetic and needed to be avoided at all costs, so she had to time it right. She needed to make sure that both of her parents were in a good mood when she told them about it. So one night during dinner, she wanted to broach the subject and see where it went. If they outright refused to let her go, she would deal with it.

"I got an email the other day," she said, waiting for them to look at her before she continued. "It was from the event manager of the Arts and Illustration Expo in Denver."

She stopped there, watching their reactions closely. At that point they were both just curious.

"And?" her dad asked.

"They want me to be on a panel. They want me to talk about what it's like running a webcomic."

"Wow," was all her mother could say at first, but tho Norah's surprise and relief, both of her parents were elated.

"We're so proud of you," her dad said as he reached across the table to take her hand. 

"Yes," said Nicole. "We couldn't be happier for you."

"Does that mean I can go?" Norah asked hopefully.

"I'll make it happen," her dad said. "Let me know all the details. I'll take off from work and maybe all three of us can go to Denver for the weekend."

"Thank you so much!"

She got up and hugged both of them.

Jena lit a cigarette. Norah, who is standing next to her, gives her an unimpressed look, but Jena doesn't notice and blows a puff of smoke into the cold air. When she finally catches Norah's glare, she shrugs.

"What?" she asks. "It's a special occasion."

"There's nothing special about taking time off your life."

"Sure there is," she says, taking one more drag before she puts it out. "This way I have a guarantee that you'll all be at my funeral."

Norah shakes her head. "You wanted to talk to me about something?"

"Yeah." Her posture changes and Norah realizes that she's nervous. "So, um. Buzz and I... We're sort of a thing."

"Really?" Norah says. "That's great! But - Why did you have to bring me outside in the dead of winter at Colleen's Christmas party to tell me?"

"Because the whole thing makes me nervous."

"Nervous?" Norah stood closer. "I'm supposed to be the nervous one. What about it makes you nervous?"

"The fact that I'm really, really into him," she said frankly. "I think I love him, Doodle."

"What's so weird about that?"