nerd.

vingt-deux

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Arielle Evans 

I sleep in until twelve the next day, which is what I normally do on Saturday, but when I wake up, I get the odd sensation that half of my day has been wasted. I toss the covers off of my body and roll over, placing my feet on the ground before completely getting up from the bed. I yawn and stretch, cracking the muscles in my lower back. I tie my hair up lazily, not caring if it is a mess, and trot down the stairs, sniffing the air but not smelling any food. I am surprised to find that my mother is not in the kitchen, nor in the living room.

"Mom!" I shout. No response. I shrug and walk back in the kitchen, only to be greeted by yet another hot pink sticky note.

Ari--

We ran out of milk, so ran to the store to get some. Will b back at 10:30.

-Mom

I toss the note in the trash and check the time. 10:15. She should be getting back soon. I plop down on the couch in front of the television and turn it on, flipping through the channels until I land on a cooking show. I watch in amusement as a guy rushing to make food for the judges burns his tortillas and serves them overcooked tortillas and undercooked eggs. One of the judges spits it back into her plate, and I crack up, tossing the remote on the other side of the couch. A click comes from the doorway, and I sit up just as Mom walks in, carrying two plastic bags. She smiles at me before emptying the bags onto the counter and tossing them into the trash. She puts the milk away in the fridge, still not saying anything. As she is pouring herself a bowl of cereal, she smirks at me, and I furrow my eyebrows in confusion.

"What?" I ask.

"I ran into Mason's mother at the grocery store." she says, grinning.

"Okay, and...?" I motion for more information.

"Nothing. I said, 'Oh, you're Mason's mother!' and do you want to know what she said to me, Ari? She said, 'So you're the famous Mrs. Evans! Mason doesn't shut up about you and your daughter!'" Mom grins. I roll my eyes and chuckle at my mother's excitement. "Anyway, she invited us for dinner tonight, and I would honestly love to go, but I don't know what to bring, and..." My mother babbled on.

"Mom!" I finally interrupt, exasperated. "Just bring some drinks or something , I don't care." I shrug.

"Drinks! Why didn't I think of that before?" My mother raises her hands in the air. "Simple but a good refreshment! Okay, they expect us there at six, so get ready fast."

*

At five thirty, my hair is curled and my makeup is done, but I still cannot decide what to wear. I toss a cream-colored lace dress on the bed, along with a pink minidress and a black evening gown. I decide on the cream-colored dress after fifteen minutes of studying them and slip it on. I adjust my hair so that it flows smoothly over my shoulders and down my back. I slip on a pair of nude heels and finally go downstairs, where my mother is waiting on the couch, wearing a gorgeous red dress that she had bought for Christmas one year and white heels.

"Oh, Arielle, you look gorgeous." Mom says, covering her mouth as tears begin to form at the corners of her eyes.

"Mom." I groan. "Don't cry, you'll ruin your makeup."

"I know, I'm sorry, I just wish your father could be here to see this."

"Why don't we send him a picture, then?" I suggest. She nods, smiling appreciatively at me, and snaps a photo as I pose by the fireplace. I can tell she has sent the photo by the bwoop sound her phone makes, and she gives me a nod, signaling me to head out. I clumsily walk in the heels out the door and sit in the car while Mom locks the door and strolls easily in her heels out to the car. She speeds to Mason's house, considering it is already 5:45, and we arrive there just as the clock strikes six. I ring the doorbell and wait for someone to come to the door as Mom marvels at the size and beauty of their home. 

"Come in, come in!" Mrs. Richards says as she opens the door for us. I smile at her and step inside, grinning stupidly when I see Mason, his hands shoved in his pockets, leaning against the door frame inside. 

"You look beautiful." he whispers, briefly pressing his lips to mine. 

"And you, sir, look indescribably handsome." I giggle, motioning towards his deep red dress shirt messily tucked into his skinny jeans. 

"Mrs. Evans, always a pleasure to see you." Mason smiles at my mother. She grins back, whispering "same to you". 

"Come on in, guys, we've got plenty of food!" Mrs. Richards laughs, and we follow her into the kitchen with big smiles plastered on our faces. 

*

Halfway through the dinner, there is a pounding noise on the door and both Mason and Mrs. Richards freeze in their seats, their eyes locked on each other. The door bursts open, revealing a buff man, his eyes bloodshot. I look up at Mason, hoping for some information, but he is frozen, his jaw clenched. 

"Shawna, give me some water." he barks. Mrs. Richards gets up from her chair cautiously, looking at us sympathetically before filling a glass of water and handing it to the man carefully. Mason's eyes are locked on the man, and he is gritting his teeth. He is furious, I can tell. The man gulps down the water before slamming the glass on the counter, making me jump in fright. I sit back down again quickly, not wanting to attract any attention to myself. "Who are they, Shawna?" The man barks. 

"This is Mason's girlfriend." Shawna says shakily. 

"What's your name, girl?" he asks, and I realize he is talking to me. 

"A..Arielle." I stutter. 

"Hmph. You've picked a pretty one this time, Mason." He chuckles, pressing his fingers to my chin and pulling it up to meet his gaze. 

"Don't fucking touch her, Seth." Mason growls, rising from his seat. His fists are clenched tightly, and I fight the tears threatening to spill at the corners of my eyes. 

Seth laughs evilly. "You didn't tell me you had a new girlfriend. What happened to Ashley?" 

"Ashley isn't my girlfriend anymore, dumbass." Mason hisses. He slaps Seth's hand away from my face, and my chin wobbles, threatening to let me cry. "What, decided that the bar was no longer your home?" 

"This is my home, you ungrateful little shit." Seth growls. "And I will not be disrespected." 

"I will treat to you any way I feel like if you think that you have the right to touch my girlfriend." Mason snaps. Seth curses under his breath, and I glance to the other side of the table to look for my mother, but I find she is gone. 

"She was tired, so she went home after the appetizers." Mrs. Richards whispers in my ear, her voice wavering. I nod and sigh in relief that she isn't here to see this. 

"We'll talk about this when your little slut leaves." Seth hisses before stomping up the stairs. When I hear the relieving slam of the door, I finally let the tears spill. My chin wobbles with every silent sob, still throbbing from when his dirty, calloused fingers had squeezed it. 

"Hey, I'm sorry. Please don't cry." Mason whispers, wrapping his muscular arms around me. I shake my head, blubbering into his chest. "Mom, we're going out for a walk." he says to Mrs. Richards, and she nods before giving me a sympathetic look. I walk with Mason's arm wrapped around my shoulder out the door into the cool night breeze, the salty tears from before stinging my cheeks. 

"Who...who was that?" I ask, my voice shaking. 

"Oh, him? That would be my asswipe of a father."