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It's not weird to have pictures of Gilly, is it? I mean she IS my best friend. I shouldn't make it into a big deal. She has pictures of me. So, it's fine. Right? "Helen Grace Landers? Who is that?" My mom said from behind me, she was reading my application. "Grace Landers is my middle and last name" "Our last name is Xingwei" "I thought it would be easier if I used an American name?" "Foolish, colleges always looking for minority. You could really use the extra leg" "I don't want to get in just because I'm Asian, I want to get in because I'm qualified" "You are qualified, and Chinese. Do not lie about who you are. Where'd you even get the name Landers." "It's Gillian's last name"my mom nodded thoughtfully "Now come to the table and eat your congee." She said after a short silence. I ate the contents of my bowl quite fast and retreated up to my room when I had finished. -Msg:GillyFlower- GillyFlower: call me call me call me!! You: okkayyy. "HELEN, YOU WON'T BELIEVE IT" Gilly yelled excitedly on the other end. "Wooaah, don't blow out my eardrum" I laughed "I'M SORRY BUT I HAVE GREAT NEWS" "what?" "MY MOM IS GOING OUT OF TOWN WITH HER BOYFRIEND, WHICH MEANS I'LL HAVE THE HOUSE TO MYSELF WHICH MEANS PARTY!" "What about Diana, JJ, Lola and Dan?" I asked "It's fine I'll tell them to stay in their rooms, they'll be fine, plus Lola is 12 she won't be a bother " "But JJ and Dan are 8 and Diana is only a little over a year." "it's fine I'll put Diana to bed, besides JJ and Dan have a soccer game and are going out to eat afterwards, and they always want to have a sleepover with their friend. So I'll let them go over to his house" "Uh huh, okay. When's the party?" "Um Tonight???" "Isn't it a Wednesday?" "It's Summer, hump day party!!" "Um okay, should I come over?" "Like yesterday!" "Okay okay, I'm coming" I hung up the phone bid my family goodbye and walked down the street to Gillian's house. Gillian lived in an off white Cap Cod house.
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Small for the size of her family, but they made do. I didn't even have to ring the doorbell for Gillian to open it. Diana was on her hip and looked at me with her big round blue eyes. I walked in and saw Lola on the couch looking quite sulky. "So what are you going to serve at the party?" "Oh ya know, chips, popcorn, pizza" "I meant for drinks, you know it IS a highschool party" "Soda, water, beer, wine" she set Diana on the rug next to her wooden letter blocks. "Wine?" I asked. "If there's ONE thing my mom knows, it's wine" she walked me over to a cabinet. When she opened it, I saw shelves chocked full of wine and other liquor. "Woah" "Yeah, I guess you could call my mom an alcohol connoisseur" "So basically a fancy alcoholic" "Pretty much" she shrugged. "At least she doesn't do drugs, right?" "Mm I guess, has she left yet?" "No, he hasn't picked her up yet. She's probably in the bathtub" "I am not" her mom stumbled down the stairs. "Oh hi Helen, say hi to your mom for me" I nodded. "Lola, sweetie, you have small fingers can you untangle this necklace?" "Whatever" Lola said but she got up to help her mom. "Gillian, get me some water, I'm having the worst hangover" Their mom groaned. Honestly when is she not having a hangover, is what I wanted to say. Instead I went over to Diana and sat on the sofa with her on my lap. She giggled something around the lines of "len". As Gillian got the water she said. "Maybe you wouldn't be so hungover if you didn't DRINK, so much" "Don't use that tone with me" "WELL IT'S TRUE, you weren't even here for Diana's first words" "Whatever, I need to get ready for Fred" Mrs.Landers begrudgingly took the glass of water and retreated to her bedroom. "Hey are you okay?" I asked Gilly. "I'm fine, she's been this way for as long as I can remember" I bounced Diana on my knee as I watched Gillian bustle about in the kitchen. "Anyway, let's get this house party ready" she smiled. Gillian always trys to be positive, but I'm her best friend. I know when her smile is fake.
