Now You See Me: Daniel Atlas

Chapter Nine: Dinner With the Family

"So, how have you been all the way out here?" Carly's mom, Karol asks. Everyone sat in the living room to eat since they didn't have enough space at the table. The other Horsemen were adamant to leave and let the family reunion commence, but Karol insisted everyone stayed. She wanted to get to know her daughters new friends.

Thankfully, with so many people here, they had ended up buying a second couch anyway. So Merritt, Marigold and Karol all sat on the big couch while Jae and Carly sat on the loveseat and the others sat at the dinner table not too far away.

"About nine months ago, we formed this group and became the Five Horsemen," Carly starts to explain the housing situation before getting cut off by her mom.

"What about Jaelyn? Is she alright with all of this?" Karol asks and Carly nods her head turning to Jae.

"We've talked about it, and yes as far as I'm aware," Carly says. "We're all friends, but Jaelyn has different goals so we all still support her and she supports us."

"I think they're all so talented!" Jae boasts everyone's ego. "They're all so dedicated to their work and so am I."

"But you're still doing card tricks, correct?" Karol asks earning a hesitant nod from her daughter. "What about a job? Do you have a stable income?"

"Yes, I do," Carly says and nods. "My job is being a magician. Our group has a benefactor, who handles all of our money while also supplying regular paychecks."

"Card tricks... isn't a real job," Karol presses further making Carly start to fidget with her hands. Daniel easily spots the nervous tick and doesn't take his eyes off of the blond sitting across the room from him. "You told your father and I when you left that you'd take care of yourself. But how are you supposed to support yourself when you're just fooling around with a hobby."

"It's not fooling around, like I said we make money," Carly tells her hoping to ease her mothers mind, but it doesn't stop her temperament. "Plus, shouldn't I do what I love instead of working an office job I'll hate for the rest of my career?

"What happens when your little group has a falling out? Then what?" Karol pesters on. "Did you even complete your degree when you were in Alaska? What's your fallback plan?"

"Mom, I'll cross that bridge when I get to it," Carly says calmly, her hands twisting her fingers making them red raw. "Everything is going really well right now. And I'd rather focus on our collective goals then a singular backup plan for myself if everything goes haywire. And to answer your question, yes I did graduate with my Bachelor of Fine Arts, Cum Laude."

"Carly is going places, Mrs. Karol," Jaelyn tries to ease the tension herself. "Her and this group and so talented and have already done a show internationally. So, there's no need to be worried about her."

"I'm her mother, I'm allowed to worry," Karol says and Jae sinks back into the couch. She knew that Carly's mom had a sharp tongue, but has never heard it herself.

"Do not get snippy in my house," Carly speaks harshly to her mother, not caring the for the glare her mother gave her and the shocked looks from around the room. "Mom, I love you. But you are a guest in my home, so you do not get to be snippy with my roommate."

The intense staredown between mother and daughter made everyone in the room anxious and on their toes. Finally Karol apologizes half-heartedly and then continues on to a different conversation, talking with everyone else other than Carly. And when she did speak to her daughter she always threw in a jab at her, making Carly feel smaller and smaller in her own home. Her bout of confidence had worn off.

After some time when the conversation no longer would make it's way to Carly, she stood up and started grabbing empty plates from people. She only grabbed what she could since there was so many people and started on the dishes. Goodbyes can be heard and Carly peers around the corner to see Marigold and her mother at the door. Walking over she hugs Marigold tightly before turning to her mom, who doesn't even spare her a glance before leaving the apartment.

Carly just nods to herself before walking back into the kitchen to finish the dishes. Jaelyn follows behind her with the rest of the dirty dishes and the two of them get to working on handwashing the dishes. Carly scrubbed while Jae rinsed and dried. When they were done and Carly dried her hands, she turned to Jae and immediately tears started to fall.

"Shit dude..." Carly whispers as Jae hugs her tightly. Carly laughs through her tears. "You could have texted me beforehand."

"They came minutes before you got home, I swear," Jae explains. "They surprised me too."

After taking a few moments to compose themselves, Carly and Jae walk into the living room to see everyone else already waiting.

"Well, I'm sorry you guys had to witness my handful of a mother," Carly says lightheartedly and takes a seat next to Daniel on the loveseat.

"Don't be sorry for something she provoked," Henley defends.

"I didn't know parent's could be so worried about their kids they end up hating them," Jack mumbles out loud and gets up to take a seat on the other side of Carly, putting her in between the two boys.

"Well that's my mother for you," Carly lets out a long sigh. "Luckily, it was my mom that came and not my dad. Or else things would have gone way worse."

"We love you, Carly," Jack says and wraps his arms around the blonde, hugging her tightly.

"I love you guys too," Carly tells them all and is about to lean her head on Jack's, when a hand pushes Jack away from her and wraps around Carly's shoulders.

"Go away you little gremlin," Daniel sneers at Jack. And instead of being offended by the action, Carly just laughs at the two who then stop glaring at each other to look down at her smiling face.

They all stay up a little later to talk about everyone's role in the Vegas show that is coming up in 3 months. They include Jaelyn and then talk about her upcoming gallery show that is a week before. They decide to stay for her show to support her; Daniel was reluctant but eventually went with the idea. After her show, they were going to fly to Vegas the next day bringing Jaelyn along so she can support them with their first big show. She'll only come to the one then stay out of their way because Carly didn't want to involve her in the events that will be following the show.

After their long conversation, they all start to head to bed. Knowing the others were asleep, Carly sneaks out and into the kitchen wearing her PJ shorts and a t-shirt to get a bite to eat because she was too busy arguing with her mom to actually eat anything. She opens the fridge and grabs a couple strawberries. She turns around to go back to her room when she sees Daniel standing there behind her.

"Jesus Daniel!" Carly whisper shouts at him almost dropping a strawberry.

He looks at her suspiciously and grabs a strawberry from her hands before eating it. The blonde stares at him with a shocked face and he chuckles sinisterly. Smiling at his laugh, Carly pops in her own strawberry in her mouth. He goes to grab another one from her hands and she swats at his hand. He pulls back then grabs the rest of the strawberries and runs away.

"No Daniel!" Carly shouts softly and chases after him.

They run circles around the kitchen before she finally grabs his waist from behind and the two stop running. He chuckles and puts another strawberry into Carly's mouth before he finishes off the last one. He throws away their stems and turns back to her with a smile on his face.

"Feeling better?" He asks and her breath hitches in her throat at the question. She just nods, not trusting her voice to speak. "You should get some sleep, you had a rough day and deserve good dreams."

"You're growing soft..." Carly whispers in the dimly lit kitchen space.

"Maybe I am," Daniel says and quickly kisses the top of her head startling her. "Goodnight, Carly."