#FreakshowFriday

Chapter 3: The Impending Misbehaviour Face

August 27, 2023

"More than that? Colour me intrigued." Jamie regards her sister expectantly. "Enlighten us."

Nathan grabs his own coffee, intrigued as well, though he doesn't say so out loud. Neither Jamie nor Stella has objected to his presence, so he assumes whatever will be said in this conversation isn't anything they consider classified, but he won't try his luck by drawing more attention to himself. Let the girls discuss their personal affairs unbothered; Nathan is content being a fly on the wall for now, listening first and asking questions later, taking everything in while he enjoys his drink.

"I turn thirty in October," Stella begins, "and the same goes for Gino a month later. At first we were thinking we'd just have a party for both of us inbetween those dates like we do every year, but thirty is something of a milestone age, and with an engagement to celebrate as well, we decided we wanted to do something a little more special. We've been saving up for a while now and Gino suggested going on a trip to Italy, to Venice, for a week or two in October. He'd like to see old friends and family, and I would like to see the city he called home. Though I suppose Venice has also been on my bucket list since forever, so that's one more reason I'm eager for a trip like this. Cliché or not."

"No shame in admitting that." Jamie still sounds as excited as a kid on Christmas morning. "I'm sure Venice would be awesome. You should definitely go."

"Well, yeah, Gino and I think so, too. But then we thought about it a bit longer and decided it might be nice to make a family trip out of it, in lieu of celebrating the birthdays and the engagement. That's why we wanted to invite you, Mom and Dad along. Gino would love to share his city and his country with us, his mother will enjoy meeting the family her son will be marrying into, and Mom and Dad have never really travelled anywhere other than Arizona and Jalisco, so I think they're up for something else for a change. Either way, we really liked this idea. But what do you think of it?"

Nathan's not the one being asked, so he keeps his mouth shut, but he knows what his own answer would be: he'd never say no to a two-week trip to Venice. He's only ever been on one longer trip abroad—a few weeks spent travelling around Iceland with Jamie back in April—and he'd do something like that again in a heartbeat. He had amazing company on that trip, though; he doubts travelling with a thieving sister and parents who'd kick their own child out of their house would be as fun.

The decision is Jamie's, however, not Nathan's, and Jamie still looks somewhat excited. Outwardly, at least. Over the past few months, Nathan has grown well acquainted with the arsenal of slightly different smiles she has at her disposal, and the one she wears now doesn't quite reach her eyes.

"I mean, it's... It's not a bad idea! I think we could all really enjoy Venice." Jamie hesitates. "Potentially. If there aren't any, uh... Fights."

Stella closes her eyes briefly, as if bracing herself for the toughest part of a boxing match. "That's why I wanted to talk to you in person. I know that since your little... Internet prank... you haven't been getting along great with Mom and Dad. Again. But has there been improvement in that department lately? How are they feeling about it all now?"

From what Nathan's been able to piece together, Jamie's parents still aren't fully over it. Though they do call and are thus on speaking terms with her, Nathan has noted Jamie never seems to call first. She talks about these conversations solely in off-hand comments making light of them before she glosses over it all and rushes to discuss more pleasant subjects. Nathan supposes he can kind of see where Jamie's parents are coming from: in their eyes, Jamie got cancelled and ruined her own reputation over a reckless, irresponsible, stupid prank that was neither funny nor worth it.