her name was thalia // hemmings

Chapter Four - Parents & Problems

[THALIA’S POV]

“Are you normally that awkward around boys or was it just this one in particular?” Meghan shrieks in my ear. I sigh, entwining the cord of the phone in my fingers. Why did she always have to look on the negative side of things? Meghan and I had been friends for years and yet she always seemed to enjoy making fun of people and pointing out their flaws – not in a malicious way, but more in an insensitive-joke-that-everyone-but-you-finds-funny way.  I’d never pointed it out to her of course, but I hoped she was aware of it nevertheless.

“No.” I say, rolling my eyes as I hear her laugh echo on the phone. “You know me, I’m awkward around everyone, not just members of the male species, but members of all species. I don’t exclude.” She laughs again and I can practically see her brown eyes crinkling with the laughter lines. “So.” She says. “About your birthday..”

I practically jump off the stole in excitement, but the cord is so small that it yanks my head closer to the phone, causing me to wince and rub the sore spot. My birthday was coming up in a couple of weeks, and Meghan had pointedly avoided the subject whenever it had come up. I was convinced that she was planning something big, something massive. Like a surprise party. “Yes..?” I asked, grinning with anticipation. “What about my birthday? Is there something you’d like to tell me?”

“I GOT US TICKETS TO THE 5SOS CONCERT!” She yells into my ears and I can visualize her jumping up and down with excitement. I freeze. So no surprise party. “Who are 4SOS?” I ask her, frowning, my fingers dropping from the curly cord and running through my knotted and tangled hair.

“It’s 5SOS.” Meghan’s one of those people who like to put extra emphasis on words. “And it stands for 5 Seconds of Summer. They’re an Australian band-“

“Are they like um.. Whatsitmacallit..” I frown. “Uh.. What about Tonight? Y’know, that one band on X-Factor? Were they on X-Factor?” I try to sound positive, trying to sound up-beat and interested, but in all truth I couldn’t care less.

“No.” I can hear her sigh with annoyance on the phone. “No, Thalia Francesca Hart.. they were not on X-Factor. They’re what you call an ‘actual band.’ From what my cousin says, they’re pretty famous. Trust me, this is going to be awesome -  Like, I’m talking crazy. Apparently they’re like the Australian-“

“If you’re about to say One Direction.” I say. “I’m going to kill you. And I won’t be going.” She sighs again. “Look, Lia, if you’re going to be all uptight and angsty about it I can just take Luca. He’s been dying to go.”

In all truth, spending my seventeenth birthday in an crowded arena packed and filled with millions upon millions of twelve-year-olds was not exactly what I had in mind. But I mean, the tickets where probably incredibly expensive and she’d obviously spent her own money on them so – “I’ll go.” I said. I could practically tell that I wouldn’t enjoy it, but I was prepared to go anyway.

“THALIA FRANCESCA LUCITETTA HART!” I heard my mother yell. I placed the phone back to where it had been before, leaving it on its hook and slipped off the stool gracefully, in a fluid smooth movement. “Oui, mama?” I asked, pasting an angelic smile on my face.

“Don’t you sweet talk me.” She said, walking towards me with murder in her eyes. “I saw you on that phone, talkin’ like there was no tomorrow, ma petite.” She puts her hands on her hips, glaring at me angrily. “What have I told you about using the restaurant phone for your own means?” She tuts, shaking her head. “Merde, Merde!” She sighs. “You are grounded. For a month!”

“Mama!” I exclaim, widening my eyes in horror.  “But, I have a concert to go to – for my birthday! Meghan’s bought tickets for it and everything. They were like, super expensive.. please ma, you’ve got to let me go. I’ll, I’ll do deliveries for a week!”