windfall

thirty-eight: "i can talk for DAYS, son"

Normal: Kat Torres
Bold: Easton Adley

~

"Oh hell no."

    "Seriously?"

    "I agreed to meeting ONE sibling! A sibling that, need I remind you, BIT me."

    "He apologized. You scared him."

    "I said hello!"

    "Stephanie is not going to bite you."

    "You're right - she's a teenage girl. Teenage girls are way more vicious than twelve year old boys."

    "I'm a teenage girl."

    "Which is how I KNOW that fact."

    "I'm going to ignore that and instead focus on the fact that my entire family will be here in three minutes and you cannot get us kicked out of this place."

    "Is that how you think of me? I'm wounded."

    "I'm serious, Easton. My dad - hell, VANESSA - will never forgive you if you embarrass her in public. Don't look at me like that - you know I couldn't care less. Your bizarreness is one of the things I love about you."

    "I love my bizarreness too. You think your stepmom won't enjoy my superfluous personality?"

    "My stepmom doesn't even enjoy Dr. Strangelove."

    "That's a tragic way to live life."

    "Agreed. Which is why I need you to promise you'll be on your best behaviour."

    "I promise. I'll be charming to your dad and charismatic to Vanessa and I'll even be nice to Stephanie if you want me to."

    "One hour. Then we're back to exploring the city."

    "I feel like you're trying to convince yourself more than me. You see, I am very sociable, in case you haven't noticed."

    "Oh believe me, I have."

    "I can hold a conversation like nobody's business. I can talk for DAYS, son."

    "Please never say that again."

Kat knows this is a bad idea. But her father insisted on meeting the boy who flew across the country to see her, and her stepmother insisted on the brunch restaurant, and her stepsister insisted on tagging along just for laughs. Personally, Kat thinks there's something more sinister happening because Stephanie has never taken an interest in Kat's life before.

    Easton sits beside her, drawing little comics on a napkin. Every time he finishes on, he proudly shows her. Every time she laughs and squeezes his hand and his smile gets bigger.

    "Oh my God, they're here."

    "Places people. Let's get those big smiles! This is all a production, remember?"

    "Right. Lights, camera, action. Dad!"

    "Mr. Torres, Mrs. Torres. Pleasure to meet you. You must be Stephanie."

    "Everyone, this is Easton, my..."

    "Boyfriend. I'm Kat's boyfriend."