Orphic//H.S.

Chapter 01

December 12, 2016

Toni

"Sam, it's not even that important. Dad has it every year, I don't think anyone will notice nor care whether I'm there or not." I'm so done with this argument, and we've only been on the phone for three minutes. Well, three minutes for today. Sam's been bugging me for the past five days about going to the stupid Christmas gala that Dad hosts annually. It's a tradition for our family, and I know how it looks when I don't attend these things.

She huffs through the line and continues trying to change my mind. "T, you know how much this means to him. It meant a lot to her too." And here she goes again, pulling the sentimental card.

"Samantha Lynn Payne, do not pull the Mom card on me." I flop onto my back, landing on my bed with a huff. "Do you really think I don't know why he does the same thing year after year? I know it's not to celebrate Christmas with his acquaintances. I know it's for Mom's sake. Which is why I'm not going." Sometimes this girl is insufferable. The pink and orange painted sky outside my floor to ceiling windows reminds me how late it's getting. I should eat something before it gets any later.

"But-" I cut her off before she could continue her begging.

"No, Sam. I'm not going. I can't stand the looks everyone gives me when I pass them. I swear, it's been 13 years, they need to get over it. I'm not the nine-year-old girl who basked in the attention and sympathy. I'm over it, what's done is done. No amount of sorries are going to change that." Why can't anyone understand that what's in the past is in the past? Even Dad can't get it through his head that I'm a grown woman. I don't need to keep being babied.

"Toni, do you realize how selfish you sound? I know it's tough to have the extra reminder that she's not here, but your dad throws this for you too. He knows how much you used to love celebrating every year." She makes a good point. The party is always fun until people get drunk and sappy.

Or until I get drunk and annoyed. Whichever happens first.

The scratching on my bedpost pulls me out of my thoughts of Chardonnay and fancy dresses. Looking down, I see Seraphina longingly staring at me with her big puppy dog eyes. I smile fondly at my tiny Yorkie. She yelps out when I pick her up and set her beside me on the plush bed. Her bony paws press into my lower stomach as she walks across me. She never wants to lay where I put her. She's so difficult sometimes. I wonder where she gets that from. As I watch her try to get comfortable, I focus back on whatever Sam's saying now.

"There will be tons of free alcohol and food. I'll be there, of course. What better of a reason could you need?" I can almost hear her cocky smirk through the line. "And I suppose if you need more convincing, Liam told me he's trying to convince some of his super hot friends to come crash the party with him." Of course, he is. Liam is just as arrogant and crazy as Sam, it must be a twin thing. I wouldn't know what having siblings are like. "From what I've heard from him, one of them can roll a pretty good joint. And I've never seen you turn down a smoke. Maybe you two could bond."

I let out a disbelieving sound and rolled my eyes although she can't see me. "For one, you know I don't do the dating thing anymore. And two, I can roll my own joints, thank you very much. I don't need some preppy little daddy's boy rolling them for me. Plus, even if I wanted to go, which I don't, I don't have an outfit to wear. I'd only have a day to go shopping for one. I can't go without something nice to wear." At this point, I'm trying anything and everything I can to get out of this, but I know Sam will inevitably convince me. She has succeeded every time for the past 4 years.

"You can't leave me by myself. Please, T, Pera is visiting her mom this weekend for Christmas, so I won't be able to bring her. Please don't leave me stuck with Li and his band of wild animals. I beg of you, if you have one decent bone in your body, you'll save me from baring the night alone." By the end of her begging, we're both laughing, knowing that she has completely convinced me to go. Damn her for being too good at this thing.

"Fine, fine, but we have to go shopping tomorrow. I literally have nothing to wear for this." I sit up from the bed and decide to head to the kitchen. Nothing sounds good, but I'm hungry and I know better than to skip a meal, knowing Sam will be all over me if she finds out.

"Excuse me, Miss I-Have-A-Whole-Room-As-A-Closet, I think you can find something to wear in that apartment of yours." I hate to admit it, but she's right. I definitely have something I could put together. Thanks, Dad for making me a spoiled bitch. Because that's exactly the persona I want. Not.

Everyone perceives me as my dad's little girl. The little princess that gets everything she wants, whenever she wants it. For once, I just want the men my father works with to stop treating me as eye-candy or a helpless baby. I don't need a man, it's been 22 years of the single life. No need to change that now.

"Oh please, you know what I mean. I have to get something new and jaw-dropping if I'm going to be picking up one of your brother's super hot friends, right?" I hope she can hear the sarcasm dripping from my voice. I'm sure she can. She's known me long enough to be able to tell if something is wrong from just the way I breathe.

I squeeze my phone in between my shoulder and ear as I open the fridge to get the apple juice. You can never go wrong with apple juice. "How does 2 o'clock tomorrow work for you? We can hit that new cafe in Soho on the way, maybe meet up with Ben there?" I scan the contents of the refrigerator and realize absolutely nothing sounds edible. Skipping one meal today won't hurt anything. I'll just eat something bigger at lunch tomorrow.

Sam squeals into my ear, and I wince. "Perfect, it's a date then. I promise you won't regret it, Toni."I can feel her elated tone, and it starts to make me feel better, knowing I made my best friend happy. I hear a muffled door opening on the other side of the phone, and a second later, she hangs up.

I close the fridge and turn the lights off in the kitchen. Heading towards my bedroom, I unhook my bra under my baggy sweatshirt. I double-check that the door and windows are locked. You can never be too careful being a young woman in a big city. Although I'm pretty sure I could take on basically anyone that would come through my doors.

Falling back into bed, I reach for the TV remote that Seraphina is chewing on with one hand and unhook my gold hoop earrings with the other. I turn on the television and flip through channels until I find the one that plays old reruns of Full House. I know the schedule pretty well at this point, 4 episodes of Full House starting at 8 PM, then 8 episodes of Friends. After that, I have no idea what's on because I'm normally fast asleep.

My mind starts to race with the thought of the Christmas gala in two days. Everything Sam mentioned in her plea to convince me to go were more than enough reasons to say no. Liam's barbaric friends. Tons of alcohol. Weed. Plus Dad's idiotic coworkers and employees.

But then, I guess there are the positives. An excuse for another beautiful dress. Tons of alcohol. Weed. And it'll make Dad happy to see me there. I suppose it won't be as bad as I think it will be.

Sam's last words ring through my ears. "I promise you won't regret it, Toni."

I hope I don't regret it this time. I really hope.

1439 Words

Please vote and comment...reading comments are like my favorite parts of Wattpad books and I would love to know what you guys think

This one wasn't too great, but the plot had to start somewhere, right?

Until next time xx