Guarded

Chapter 25

"You wanted to see me mother?" I said poking my head into the drawing room. She was sat in an awkward position that made her look like she was burning up under her skin and jumped out of it at the sound of my voice.

"You have been avoiding me young lady" she said.

"Have not"

"Speak in full sentences Tori" she scorned before patting the empty chair next to her.  "Come take a seat here"

"I'll stand thank you" I said rolling my eyes.

"What on earth are you wearing?" She asked after a moment.

"My onesie?" I said looking down at the polka dotted attire.

"Odd thing to wear to a meeting with your mother" she said reaching for the martini glass that was set on the desk.

"What's this about anyway" I mumbled slipping further into the room.

"You know what this is about. You cannot just pretend we didn't have an agreement" she said setting the glass of clear liquid back down.

"I don't even remember agreeing to anything" I said sitting in the seat on the opposite side of the room to her. The smell of her drink was strong and I was still surfing from my last experience with hard liquor.

"Well you did. I've told your father that we will be having a party so we will be having a party"

"We don't need for any of this through" I whined sinking into my seat like a child.

"Tori stop fussing. you agreed and it's happening" she said throwing a large hardback folder onto the table in front of her.

"Is a folder really necessary moth-"

"It's a binder and yes it is necessary. Planning a party of this scale is hard" she interrupted.

"What scale? You said this would be small!" I said sitting up to accuse her.

"I say a lot of things, now listen" she said. "First order of business will be location now of course we will be hosting in the house. Have you seen any where more elegant yet fun. I made sure to direct the designers myself when we remodelled"

"Oh please"

"Why shouldn't I take pride in our house. We work hard to keep it in this condition" she said then ran her fingers over the table before lifting it "clean and pristine"

"You didn't clean it though did you"

"Be glad I'm in a good mood" she said finishing her drink in one large glug then poured out another from the bottle.

"No surprise there" I whispered to myself.

"I know exactly what you should wear" she spoke to loudly after a minute as if she had forgotten the low volume we had been at before.

"Jeans" I shrugged.

"Are you stupid. No. What about that beautiful white dress you have in the back of your closet?" she asked.

"I thought that was a Halloween costume?"

"It's amazing. Perfect for... Your body shape" she said emphasising the 'your'

"My body shape?"

"Yes. It's gives you the effect of a perfect figure all whilst hiding your unwanted bits" she said waving over my stomach.

"Do you hear yourself?" I asked after an awkward minute of staring.

"I suppose I should rephrase. It's an amazing dress. I'd want my son to marry a girl in that, pretty yet pure. You'll wear that won't you" she said

"Fine" I grumbled obediently not wanted to start a fight.

"Now the most important part. The invite list" she said catching my attention.

"I'm actually excited to do this bit" I said moving to a seat closer to my mother.

She took a sip of her drink and cocked her head to the side before speaking "I'm both shocked and glad"

"Yeah there are a few friends I'd like to invite. I know this great girl called kels-"

"No. We won't be inviting any irrelevant degenerates" she said closing the binder.

"Who do you want to come?" I asked.

"Marina Mandark and her husband. They have a handsome young son. Very handsome. He has a sister, only one year your senior, so you'll have a friend.  The Clarke family, the Banks and of course Mr and Mrs Collins. Their son is amazing" she gushed.

"Jake?" I asked.

"Jacob Collins" she said finishing another drink. "You know him?"

"He's my best friend mother"

"He is?"

"Has been since we were six" I asked. It was easy to forget how little my mother knew me but it wasn't surprising. Julia looked after me since I was a baby. Mother never breastfed me, never took me to school, she had never tucked me in at night. Thinking back on it I wasn't sure she had ever asked about my day.

"Oh" she said taking swig of her freshly poured drink. "Don't blame me it's hard keeping up with an eighteen year old!"

"I'm nineteen. Twenty soon" I said standing from my seat were I was beginning to feel uncomfortable.

"Really? Should've held this party much longer ago" she said to herself.

"We can finish this later mother" I said already moving towards the door.

"Yes, yes. Call that young girl to fetch you're father" she said.

"I'd rather not. She's not a big fan of mine"

"Okay. Consider that dress I suggested"

"Okay mother" I said then left her to her drink and binder. She seemed happy.

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This chapter is late, short, unedited, crappy and just fuck me right :))