Valley Girls {Dolan}

Valley Girls ~ Chapter Two

I sit at the table between Madison and Lucas, casually stealing glances at the boy across from me. I just can't shake the fact I may have seen him somewhere. I don't know why I never stopped myself to approach him, if I have that is.

"I'm here." A voice I've longed to hear vibrates through the room, revealing my father.

Immediately, I straighten out my dress and smile once he sits across from my mother at the other end of the table. I see him stare at me and give a short nod, my excitement dying down slowly.

"Since everyone is here now, we can begin our first course. Care to introduce yourselves?" Mother smiles politely at the other 2 adults in the room.

"Well, I'm Sean Dolan and this is my wife Lisa." The man gestures to the woman next to him before leaning a bit forward. "And these are our twin sons: Ethan and Grayson. We also have an older daughter named Cameron, but she couldn't be with us today."

Ethan. Ethan Dolan. I will remember that name and further question my friends at school tomorrow. I guess I should go since it's Friday.

"You've already met my children, but I can introduce them a bit more in depth." Mother smiles before turning to Madison and I. "My dear Madison is 15, all-star gymnast with straight A's. Kalani is 17 and has a habit of skipping school."

I roll my eyes at her remark, always putting Maddy on a pedestal with me staring up from the bottom. "It's not like Maddy hasn't ever skipped school before, right?" I nudge her, hoping to be backed up in this humiliation.

"Actually Lani, I never have." She picks at the salad placed in front of her, not meeting my eyes.

"Well I skipped school a lot." Lucas shrugs and stuffs a roll into his mouth.

"And that is why he's more Riker than Jones." I grin at Lucas as he winks at me.

"I don't like hearing either of my children turning down a good opportunity of education." Father finally speaks up, his fingers interlocked on the table in front of him.

I'm taken aback from his sudden confrontation. I thought he became nicer. I thought that was why he left us.

"I don't like hearing of a man who turned down the love of his own family." I sent him a sweet smile just as the boy across from me spit out his drink.

"I'm so so sorry." Ethan stands up with his napkin in hand.

"No worries. It seems I've overstayed my welcome." I stand up as well, about to leave until another interrupts.

"Kalani Grace, don't go back to that penthouse. It's not a hideaway for you."

"Well I'm not just going to sit here, wet." I cross my arms over my chest. Lucas snickers beside me, so I slap him.

"I brought a sweatshirt with me. You can put it over your dress." Ethan scratches the back of his head.

"Thank you, that is very kind." Mom glares at me, as if telling me to accept his offer.

Taking a deep breath, I accept. "Fine."

Ethan walks away and into the main hallway, searching for this sweatshirt he speaks of. I sit on the bottom stair, watching him think. Finally, he gets it and hands it to me.

"Sorry about earlier again. Your family is just so-"

"Intense? Yeah, hopefully you won't have to see it again." I finish for him. I don't plan on going back to the table anytime soon.

"Eh." He shrugs and sits next to me. "You're not so bad."

I laugh a humorless laugh. "Even after everything you've already heard of me?"