The Golden Child

New York

Getting ready for school, music blasting from my stereo, mum was running back as she was preparing for her graduation. 

"Mum?" I ask coming out of my room, "I'm trying to get ready and you running back and forth is really distracting."

"I'm sorry sweetie but mummy's just experiencing frustration." She sighs. 

"At the general state of things in the world or at something particular?" I smirk. 

"What do you wear to a graduation?"

"Cap and gown, duh."

"I know that, but what do you wear underneath?"

"I don't know, why would you ask me? Ask Rory."

"Fine, hey Rory?" Mum hollers from the top of the stairs.

"What? You're not getting cold feet, are you?" Rory says at the bottom of the stairs. 

"No it's a graduation not a wedding." She shakes her head. 

"Oh proceed then."

"What do you wear to a graduation?"

"A cap and gown." She shrugs her shoulders as I laugh. 

"The two of you set this up didn't you." Mum says, mockingly glaring at the both of us. 

"Set what up?" Rory says confused. 

"Mum thinks we're evil geniuses," I say, joining mum at the top of the stairs, "which means you're the genius part and I'm the evil part."

"Hey you're smart." Mum says.

"Okay, whatever helps you sleep at night."

"Coffee usually, anyway what do I wear underneath the cap and gown?"

"Anything you want, the cap and gown will cover it." Rory says, grabbing something from a near by table.

"It's more complicated than that. I don't want to overdress so that I'm sweating if it's hot in the auditorium but if I don't have enough on and it's cold, then I'll freeze." Mum sighs dramatically, leaning on my shoulder. 

"Wow, if graduating is this hard then I might as well drop out now." I say, practically causing mum to jump off my shoulder. 

"You better be joking." She says, pointing a finger at me.

"Wow you jumped off my shoulder in under three seconds, did you hit you're head on the roof." I smirk. 

"Depends if you're joking." 

"Well that's a yes if you can't notice my sarcasm, you the woman I learnt it from."

"Fire!" Rory yelps at the bottom of the stairs.

"What?" Mum and I ask in confusion. 

"Sorry I was just feeling left out, anyway, 't is complicated, especially if you overthink it." She gestures towards mum.

"And now I need a helpful comment from either one of you." Mum sighs. 

"Take light layers. Wear your turquoise and tan dress that you just got that's cool and it'll look good without your gown on, and wear your turquoise vintagey sweater over it because it'll look great with the dress and it'll keep you warm if it's cold in the auditorium."

"You are a fashion genius." 

"Well I've learnt everything I know from you."

"Look at everything we've learnt from you." I say as I head back to my room.