The Forgotten Gilmore

Chapter Fifty-Six: Friends and Prom Plans

Alessia Gilmore sprawled out on Beau's bed, her head resting comfortably against the soft pillow as music filled the room. The warm tones of an indie band's latest album played from the speakers, creating a relaxed vibe that matched the lazy afternoon perfectly. Beau sat at the foot of the bed, absentmindedly strumming an old acoustic guitar he'd picked up from the corner of his room.

"This is nice," Alessia murmured, closing her eyes for a moment. "Just chilling like this."

"Yeah," Beau agreed, his fingers moving across the guitar strings in a simple rhythm. "No drama, no stress, just music."

Alessia opened her eyes and looked around Beau's room, noticing the little things that made it his own—posters of bands, a few scattered books, and his impressive collection of vinyl records. But one thing always puzzled her whenever she was over here.

"Beau," Alessia started, propping herself up on her elbows, "how come your parents are never home? I think I've only met them, like, once."

Beau chuckled and put the guitar aside. "They're lawyers. And not just any lawyers, but the kind who get called away to big cities all the time to defend high-profile clients. So they're out of town a lot. Sometimes I think they live more in hotels than they do here."

Alessia nodded, understanding a bit more now. "So you've got the whole house to yourself most of the time?"

"Pretty much," he said, leaning back against the wall. "It's not as glamorous as it sounds. It gets a little lonely sometimes, but it's also nice to have the freedom. And, you know, unlimited access to the snack cabinet."

Alessia laughed. "Well, that's a plus. But I can see how it'd be kind of lonely."

"Yeah, but that's what friends are for, right?" Beau gave her a reassuring smile. "Speaking of which, what's the deal with prom? Do you have a date yet?"

Alessia raised an eyebrow, a grin forming on her lips. "You mean besides the multiple offers I've turned down?"

"Oh, so you're in high demand?" Beau teased, nudging her foot with his.

"Obviously," Alessia shot back with a laugh. "But I was kind of waiting for the right offer, you know?"

"Interesting," Beau said, pretending to be deep in thought. "Well, I happen to be free that night. What do you say—wanna go with me?"

Before Alessia could respond, the door to Beau's room burst open, and his younger sister, Lily, came bounding in, full of energy. "Beau! Guess what? I found your old skateboard in the garage! Can I have it?"

Beau sighed, looking over at Alessia with an apologetic smile before turning to his sister. "Lily, we're kind of in the middle of something here."

"Please, please, please?" Lily begged, completely ignoring the hint. She flopped down on the bed between Beau and Alessia, bouncing slightly as she did. "I promise I won't break it!"

Alessia couldn't help but laugh at Lily's persistence. "You really want that skateboard, huh?"

"Yeah!" Lily said, her eyes wide with excitement. "It's super cool. And it's just sitting there collecting dust!"

Beau rolled his eyes but couldn't help grinning at his sister's enthusiasm. "Fine, you can have it. But you've got to promise to be careful. That thing's ancient."

"Yay! Thanks, Beau!" Lily jumped up and threw her arms around him in a quick hug before darting out of the room just as fast as she'd entered.

Beau shook his head, watching her go. "She's a tornado."

"She's adorable," Alessia said with a smile. "But yeah, definitely a tornado."

"Now, where were we?" Beau asked, shifting back to their conversation.

"Prom," Alessia reminded him, still grinning from the brief interruption.

"Oh, right." Beau cleared his throat, getting back into his playful tone. "So, like I was saying, I'm free that night. Wanna go together? I promise I'll make it worth your while."

Alessia smirked, playing along. "Like I said, way better option than those other guys. You've got yourself a date."

"Good choice," Beau replied, giving her a mock serious nod. "We'll have way more fun than any of those other suckers."

"For sure," Alessia agreed. "But if we're doing this, we've gotta make it epic. Like, an entrance that people will talk about for the rest of the year."

Beau's eyes lit up with excitement. "I'm thinking matching outfits. Something that'll make everyone wonder if we're part of some secret band or something."

Alessia laughed, imagining the possibilities. "We'd definitely turn some heads. I'm in."

Beau leaned back, feeling a sense of relief now that their prom plans were set. "This is gonna be awesome. Just promise you won't ditch me on the dance floor."

"Only if you promise not to step on my toes," Alessia teased, nudging him with her foot.

"Deal," Beau said, grinning as he picked up the guitar again and started playing a lighthearted tune. "Now that we've got prom sorted, let's just enjoy the rest of this afternoon."

"Agreed," Alessia said, lying back down and letting the music wash over her once more.

As they relaxed into the afternoon, they heard the sound of the skateboard wheels rolling down the hallway, followed by a loud crash and Lily's distant, "I'm okay!"

Alessia and Beau exchanged a glance, then burst out laughing.

"I should probably go check on that," Beau said, reluctantly getting up from the bed.

"Yeah, probably," Alessia agreed, still giggling as she watched him head out of the room.

Despite the interruptions, the day had turned out exactly as it should have—full of easy conversation, laughter, and the promise of more fun to come.