An Arranged Marriage to a Jerk

Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Party Plans and Phone Calls

"Do you like the red or the green? There will be plenty of both, and the gold accents both, but I just can't choose."

It is December 1. 23 days left to make a decision that will change my life. Fun, right?

"I like the red one. The Christmas Tree needs to go up soon anyway, why don't I go do that. I really hate choosing these things."

"That's fine dear."

I hold my breath as I travel past my dad's study and walk downstairs. Lately he's been organizing his books that have been untouched in fifty years and boy does it stink. But it was my mom's way of getting him out of the party planning and out of the way. I smile at his dedication to a project- there's nearly one hundred stacked into unorganized piles and shelves are currently being dusted. I hop down the stairs one at a time to buy my time and open the basement door. Our vast cement-walled basement area is used for storing things. It's just off another large room, our exercise room and 70's-inspired basement area. 

There, in the far corner, sits the Christmas tree, untouched for nearly a year. I shake it before throwing it over my shoulder. Lately I've been spending a lot of time in the exercise room to get in shape for prom, and it's only been six days since that fun night.

I lug it up the stairs and stand in front of the study. "Hey, Dad," I say loudly. He's blaring classical music, Beethoven I think. 

He looks up after mimicking a violin solo. "Hey, pumpkin. What's up?" 

"Could you put the Christmas tree in the corner for me? Mom doesn't want me scratching the walls," I lie easily. Years of practice.

"Sure. Watch these books for me and I'll be right back." I smile at him as he walks from the room, dragging the heavy tree behind him. I make sure he's gone and I quickly get to work. I'm looking for a particular book that I noticed recently when I was helping him clean. It was called: "Engagement Advice" by some author whose name I don't remember. And of course, all the books that he and my mom stored in the study are now in piles resting precariously on chairs or the desk, some even on the floor in no discernible organizational system known to man. I sigh and bend down to pick one up. Law and You? No. Lawyers for Dummies? No. That was a birthday present for me when I was seven. I puked on it a week later. Of course, they bought a new copy. 

Banking? Cooking? Medical? How many kinds of books do theses people own? In a few minutes, I hear my dad shuffling down the hallway. I panic and quickly hide under his desk. "Pumpkin?" He calls, but I remain silent. "Well, she's gone. Back to work." 

He walks over and stands right in front of me: I stifle a sneeze. "What was that?" He sighs and leaves his question unanswered. He picks up a few books off a pile and places them onto the floor. He stops suddenly and opens a book. I can hear the pages turning. "Huh," he mutters softly. "Engagement Advice. I remember when a friend gave this to us... we never did read it... maybe Allison would like it... no, she's still mad about the whole engagement anyway." I cringe. "Maybe this isn't a good idea."

"Yes it is, dear!" My mother calls from the living room. She walks into the room and I hold my breath. If I get caught now, I'm dead meat. "It's in her best interest, you know that."

"Right, but what if we were to... extend the deadline? I know they're dating, but she hasn't really gotten to know him! Did you know he got a B in Chemistry this semester?"

I can picture my mother rolling her eyes and crossing her arms, a habit of hers when she gets annoyed. "You don't know him dear, but Allison does. You have to trust her judgement. Any day now she'll come to me and admit that she loves Connor. I told you he was the right pick."

"You've been saying that for a week and she hasn't said a word. As far as I can tell they don't even like each other."

"One thing is for certain: He loves her, whether she likes it or not. I'll bet she doesn't even know that he asked us if he could date her before this whole thing happened."

My heart stops and I can't hear my mother's voice anymore. What? He was going to ask me out before this even happened? Me? But then I realized... this wasn't just a plan they conjured up. He was a co-conspiritor. And the old Allison would have freaked out, made a threatening phone call to him and not spoken to him for weeks. But now that I"m his girlfriend, I kind of think that it was sweet. A weird sweet, but sweet. He liked me enough to be willing to marry me? Wow, now that's some dedication.

After a moment of silence between my parents, my mother leaves. My dad sighs and picks up another book. I quickly grab the "Engagement Advice" and hide it under my sweatshirt. I glance up and see that he's holding a photograph of me when I was seven. I was riding horseback before I fell and cracked my head open and became afraid of horses. I'm smiling- showing my missing front tooth- and holding a carrot just out of the horse's reach. I remember when my dad took this picture: we were at my cousin's small birthday party. It was one of the only happy memories I had.

"Poor Allie," He says and leaves the room. I quickly jump up and dash to my room, my head swirling with thoughts.