Meeting Daisy

aunt liz

Month: Daisy
Date: Fucking
Year: Duck

    Ted's mom, Aunt Liz, was Dad & Billy's older sister. Dad always looked up to her. She was more of a cool mom figure than a big sister. My family & I don't talk about her much which has always confused me. Don't families like to bring up good memories of their dead relatives to feel like they never left? I guess not because how Liz left was a little more complicated.

    Billy's always been the kind of guy that would go out of his way to make people miserable. It wasn't until when Ted & I were born that he actually started to have a heart. Growing up with a douchebag as an older cousin, Billy would always take my side. Although, after Aunt Liz died, Billy was the one who took in Ted since we don't know his biological father. Something that Billy is especially great at is giving bad birthday gifts. For example, this past birthday was one of the best ones.

    It was my sixteenth birthday, he decided to pick me up from school in a cab to give me my present. It looked like a brick that was just wrapped in paper. "A book..?", I asked with disappointment. "Oh come on! It's not just any old book.", he declared. I look at the front cover. "Wow. David Foster Wallace. Seems like he has a lot to say.", I moaned. Billy grabbed the oversized novel getting annoyed. "It's fucking Infinite Jest. Over 1,000 pages. Do you realize how interesting this could be??" I just shrugged my shoulders not giving a damn. He's probably just going through some mid-life crisis, I thought at the time. "Didn't you read like two Judy Bloom books in one day??", he objected. "Yeah when I was ten & couldn't watch television because I was grounded.", I grumbled.

    He sucked his teeth, throwing the book back into my lap, insisting that I'd open it. "OH &&&&& I wrote a nice uncleish note inside.", Billy explained with excitement. I opened the book, thinking he was just fucking with me again. "There's uh..there's nothing in here...", I stated with confusion. "Oh yeah cause I wrote it in invisible marker, it says don't fuck up.", he chuckled. 

    ***

It wasn't until around the age of thirteen when I realized I hate celebrating my birthday. The birthday itself was fine, it's more just my whole family coming together that sucks. Mom & Dad usually fight over who got the better gift, Aunt Margo never stops talking about herself, & well you already know Ted.

My sixteenth birthday was probably the most memorable at this time in my life. We hosted it at Mom's townhouse. My grandparents from my mother's side always arrived first. Grammy & Poppy were both full Russian obviously so they mainly spoke their language whenever other people were around. "My Kiska! How are you sweetheart?", Grammy gushed with happiness. I just smirked & went in for her overly long hug. Poppy was different, he never hugged women public, only in the bedroom.

Next Aunt Margo, her new husband, & baby Andrew arrived along with Kim & Brian following right behind them. Kim approached me wide-eyed. "WHO is that??", she loudly whispered looking at my Uncle Pete. Pete had a nice-ish dad figure with a little scruff on his face. "No Kim! Relatives are off limits. You already know this.", I objected. She rolled her eyes, walking away as Brian laughed. "What? We all know she has a type. Remember when she had a crush on Billy's friend Cal?", Brian brought up. "Don't remind me.", I replied.

A couple minutes later, Dad arrived with the whole crew. I answered the door so I could avoid conflict with my parents right away. "Hey you!", Dad smiled. I scanned them up & down. "You promise you'll be good?", I questioned them. Dad answered for all of them, "Of course we'll be good". Looking back, I saw Mom approaching us. "Seriously, be good!", I demanded as Mom came up behind me. "Nat.", Dad said. She smiled & turned away. Ted & Duke chuckled.

"Ginger & Baby Ginger!", Billy exclaimed to Mom & Aunt Margo. Redheads. He grabbed both of them as he walked in, squeezing them with a big hug. They both moaned in disgust, pushing him out of the way. "Margarita, you look beautiful!! Lemme see that child of yours.", Dad gushed with sarcasm. "DON'T TOUCH MY BABY, JACK!!!", Aunt Margo screeched. Dad & Aunt Margo always hated each other. She's six years younger than my parents & she had just gotten married & had my cousin Drew all within the past couple of years prior to this event. Margo hated everyone who even associated with Dad, so she obviously wouldn't like Ted nor Billy. Meanwhile, Kim confidently walked towards Pete. "Hi, I'm Kim. Vida's best & only friend.", she bluntly stated. Cal noticed her approach towards my aunt's husband, pushing her into the other room.