The Story of Tonight

Chapter One

A/N: Collaboration with @vballr147

Fourteen year old Emilia Nadal made the familiar walk up the subway station stairs which stood a couple blocks from her mother's work. It had already been a long day at school, punctuated by a relatively long commute. Her mother had insisted she apply to her own alma mater, Hunter College High School, and due to her smarts, easily got in. It didn't hurt that her mother was an alumnus. It was October now, about a month into school, and she was still struggling to adjust to the demands of Hunter. It was way harder than her previous school. As a classic over achiever, Lia never allowed herself to fall below an A- in any class. So far so good, except for history class. Mr. Martin was the most challenging teacher she'd ever had.

Lia pushed open the door to the law office of Vanessa Nadal, a tiny little business tucked away in Brooklyn. She got her work ethic from her mother, who managed to open her own law firm at age 30 and did quite well for herself.

"Hi, mom," she dropped her heavy backpack on the floor with an audible clunk and collapsed into the chair. It was already 4:30 and she still had hours of homework ahead.

Vanessa barely glanced up from her work, buried in files as usual. "Hi, sweetheart," she told her only daughter. "How was school? How was that test?"

The groan her daughter let out told her the answer. She curled up, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Sorry, kiddo," she sympathized. "High school is an adjustment. You're doing just fine."

"I have a B!" She sat up, incredulous.

A perfectionist herself, Vanessa knew why it irked her. Sometimes she wished her daughter wasn't SO much like her. She was almost her twin, both in looks and in personality. Boys were definitely starting to notice her but Emilia was way too focused on school to notice or care. Her mother was fine with that.

"Have you tried talking to Mr.Martin?"

"Yes," Lia replied, slummed back in her chair. "And do you know what he said?"

Vanessa's face held a smirk as she continued typing away. "What?"

"Hunter is a learning curve for new students. You'll get the hang of it." The teenager mimicked the voice of her elederly professor who she swore should have retired before she was even born.

Vanessa stifled a laugh. Her daughter could have a knack for theatrics.  "And what's so wrong with that?"

"It's history! There shouldn't be a curve to it!" Lia threw her head back over the head of the chair. "You learn what happened. You regurgitate it. Done! Why do I have to analyze what Patrick Henry thought during the Boston Tea Party? I'm not a mind reader!"

Vanessa looked up for the first time since her daughter entered her office, as she shut her laptop, "That's the gift of education, sweetheart: using your mind to analyze."

"But I shouldn't be failing because of that!" Lia said, spinning herself around in the chair.

"You got a B."

"A B at Hunter, mom!" Emilia looked at her, shock indignation evident on the young girl's face, "Which, even beyond my own standards, that's pretty much a D there; bringing us back to failure."

As she started gathering up the extra files she often took home at the end of a work day, Vanessa remained quiet while thinking about how many nights as a Hunter student she must have given the same rant to her own parents. There had been countless study sessions, all nighters, and ounces of caffeine. It had been Hunter that had fostered the drive that led her to become the attorney she was, all while being a single mom. She wanted the same passion and work ethic to continue to be instilled in her daughter, however, she also didn't want that to be Lia's only focus.

"Mom!" Vanessa was pulled out of her thoughts by Lia's voice, and equally matched glare. "Ten years from now when I'm still on the couch with no job because no college would accept me, you'll wish you would have taken this conversation more seriously."

"Okay, one: nobody likes a freeloader with a negative attitude, two: although you're going to continue to worry, because you're my child, I have zero doubt in your ability to work hard and do your best." Vanessa looked Lia in the eye, tapping her shoulder to get her moving.

"And three?" Lia asked knowing the afternoon routine, as she slung her backpack over her shoulder and shut off the office lights behind her. The pair headed out the building, both holding onto client files.

"Three, if either of us are going to be even remotely productive, we need food. How's pizza sound? I forgot to take the chicken out of the freezer this morning, and don't really feel like cooking tonight anyways."

"As long as we go to 13th!" Lia referenced their favorite pizza shoppe. It was a hole in the wall place that Vanessa had stumbled on one day after leaving a deposition. It was seldom referred to by its actual name, only the street which held it on its corner as to keep it obscure from listening tourists.  Although it wasn't the closest for the family of two, who lived outside of the city, it was well worth the trek.

"I figured as much when I mentioned it. And don't worry, my treat. You need to save all of your money for when you're interminably unemployed."

The glare of Lia's face returned but only mere seconds later she couldn't stop herself from laughing at her mom's sarcasm. Although she was her mom, she was Lia's best friend.

The pair headed down the familiar route towards the subway station, the crisp autumn air filled their lungs.

"Did you ask that girl from your algebra class if she wants to come over?" Vanessa asked as they walked, periodically dodging other pedestrians.

Lia rolled her eyes. "Mom," she said seriously. "I'm fourteen. I don't need to set up play dates."

"It's not a play date. It's just hanging out."

"Well, could you grab some coffee together?" She suggested. Vanessa was worried about her daughter fitting in. She'd always been a bit of a recluse, and now she was at a new school. Lia would rather curl up with a book all afternoon than socialize.

"Mom," she said simply, wanting this conversation to end.

"Well, what about swim team?"

Lia stopped and turned to her mother. "Would you stop helicopter parenting me?"

"Emilia, I-"

"I'll make friends but I don't need you setting things up for me. Just give me some time."

She pulled out her ear buds and stuffed them into her ears, signaling that the conversation was over. Vanessa sighed as they started walking again. She saw Lia pull up the Hamilton soundtrack. The kid was obsessed.

They headed underground and waited for their train. When it arrived, they stuffed themselves inside along with the other commuters. Vanessa wondered if she was pushing her daughter too much. After all, she'd pushed her to apply to Hunter when she could've just stayed at her neighborhood school. Lia didn't seem to want to join in. She wasn't doing any extracurriculars, which is important for college applications. Still, that was four years away.

Vanessa placed her pizza order online as they rolled along. When she looked over at her daughter, her lips moved along with the song, her eyes closed and her head moving around with emphasis. Vanessa's heart churned uncomfortably.

They picked up the pizza and got home a few minutes later. Lia got out a plate and grabbed a soda. Her headphones still in, she took a couple slices of pizza and headed to her room.

Exhausted from her own day, Vanessa poured herself a glass of wine and grabbed a slice. She found the remote and turned on the TV. Entertainment Tonight was doing a spot on Hamilton. A handsome, ponytailed man appeared on screen, in jeans and a t-shirt, smiling widely, seemingly happy with his life. Vanessa groaned and turned it off. She shoved her pizza in her mouth then downed her wine in a couple gulps.

She had a feeling she'd be finishing the whole bottle tonight.