19, invitation to the dinner

Ari was sprawled across her bed, flipping through her notes when a soft but deliberate knock echoed against the dorm door. She frowned, nobody ever knocked at this hour. Pushing herself up, she padded over and opened it.

Standing there was Morticia Addams, a tall figure draped in flowing black, her long dark hair cascading like a veil. Her pale face was serene, eyes sharp and amused as they landed on Ari.

"Good evening, darling," Morticia purred, her voice smooth as silk.

Ari froze, gripping the door handle. "Uh—hi. Mrs. Addams?"

Morticia's lips curved into a knowing smile. "Morticia, please. 'Mrs. Addams' makes me sound like I belong on a casserole dish. May I come in?"

Ari nodded quickly, stepping aside. Morticia glided into the room, her presence filling the space with something both comforting and intimidating. Gia, sprawled on her bed with a sketchpad, looked up, her eyes wide.

Morticia glanced at her once, then back at Ari. "You must be Gia. Lovely to see Pugsley's circle widening. But it's you, Ari, that I came to see."

Ari blinked. "Me? Why?"

Morticia clasped her hands together in front of her, her tone light but purposeful. "I was hoping to invite you over for dinner. The place we are staying at has been dying for some new company." She tilted her head, eyes sparkling with mischief. "And Pugsley insists that food always tastes better when shared."

Ari's cheeks warmed. "Dinner... with your family?"

"Yes," Morticia said smoothly. "Consider it a family gathering. A chance for you and Pugsley to spend time together without, oh how shall I put it, Hyde attacks or zombies interrupting your moments."

Gia snorted from her bed, whispering just loud enough for Ari to hear: "She totally ships you two."

Morticia's smile only deepened, as though she'd heard every word. She reached out, brushing Ari's cheek with an elegant hand. "What do you say, darling? Will you honor us with your presence?"

Ari hesitated, heart racing. Dinner with Pugsley's family. With Morticia looking at her like she already belonged there.

"Uh... y-yeah," Ari managed, her voice small but certain. "I'd love to."

Morticia's smile softened. "Splendid. We'll expect you tomorrow evening." She turned gracefully toward the door, pausing just long enough to glance back. "Wear something you feel lovely in, Ari. Pugsley notices more than he says."

And with that, she slipped out, leaving Ari speechless.

Gia jumped from the bed, nearly knocking over her sketchpad. "Oh my god! Oh my god!" she said loudly, bouncing on her toes.

Ari dropped onto her chair, burying her face in her hands. "Oh my god," she muttered into her palms, voice muffled.

Gia leaned over dramatically, grinning ear to ear. "Girl, you are practically part of the family! Do you even realize what just happened? Morticia Addams herself came to your dorm and invited you to dinner. Dinner! That's like... the Addams version of a proposal."

Ari peeked through her fingers, groaning. "Stop saying it like that. It's just dinner."

"Just dinner?" Gia gasped, flopping into the chair beside her. "No, no, no. This is everything. Morticia doesn't just invite random people into their spooky little lair unless she sees something special. And she totally sees you as Pugsley's—"

"Don't. Don't finish that sentence." Ari sat up, glaring at her.

Gia only smirked. "Girlfriend."

Ari tossed a pillow at her, which Gia dodged with a laugh. "I am not his girlfriend. We're just... friends. Friends who... sometimes hang out. That's it."

"Friends don't get family dinner invitations," Gia sing-songed. "Face it, Ari, you're in."

Ari groaned again, dragging the pillow into her lap. "I can't believe this is happening."

Gia grinned wider. "Believe it, Ari. You've officially been Addams-approved."

Ari sank deeper into the chair, trying to calm herself. "I just... I don't know what to say. What if I say something stupid?"

Gia waved her hands dramatically. "Say nothing stupid! Just... be yourself. Which, honestly, you already are. That's why they like you. You're Ari Sinclair. Mysterious, clever, and not scared of a little chaos. Classic Addams material."

Ari rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the small smile tugging at her lips. "Mysterious, huh? I think that just means 'clueless sometimes.'"

"Clueless in the cutest way possible," Gia corrected, bouncing on the bed again. "And Pugsley? Oh man, he's going to be so happy. He's been grinning like an idiot ever since you became his friend. You two? Perfect chaos duo."

Ari groaned. "Gia! Stop putting me on the spot! I'm not thinking about that right now. I just... I don't even know how to act around his parents."

Gia leaned closer, lowering her voice like she was sharing a secret. "Simple. Be polite, answer questions, maybe tease Pugsley a little, just don't punch him in the face in front of his family. That's a rookie mistake."

Ari huffed a laugh, shaking her head. "You make it sound so easy. It's his family, not some game I can just win."

Gia nudged her playfully. "Oh, sweetie... it's always a game with the Addamses. But here's the thing: they already like you. You're practically part of the spooky club now. Just go, survive dinner, and let the chaos unfold naturally."

Ari stared at her, weighing Gia's advice. "Survive dinner... yeah. Okay. I can do that." She paused, then added quietly, "I just hope Pugsley doesn't do anything embarrassing."

Gia grinned, bouncing slightly on the bed. "Oh, he will. That's half the fun. And you? You're going to love it."

Ari's lips curved into a nervous smile.

"Oh god... my girl is actually going to her boyfriend's family dinner!" Gia squealed, throwing her arms around Ari in a tight hug. "This is huge! You're officially part of the Addams chaos now!"

Ari laughed softly, leaning into Gia's excitement. "I... I hope I survive it," she muttered, half-teasing, half-serious.

——————-

A/N

Notice how she didn't correct Gia when she said bf???