Part 40 - Progress

Pugsley

"Don't touch that."

My dad smacks my hand away from the diorama towers set up on the table in front of us in Dort's office. Where I, along with my parents and grandmama were gathered in, waiting for Wednesday to show up since Dort was dead set on having everyone here before he told us what was going on. I had no idea why though.

I retract my hand back to my side as the sting slowly faded.

"Why am I even here?"

Mom sighs as she gestures towards grandmama.

"Dort says that he and your grandmother have something to discuss with our whole family, and that includes you."

Well yeah I got that part, but we'd been waiting in here for a while, and I was starting to get bored. And boredom often led to getting distracted my own thoughts, specifically thoughts about what had happened last night.

Sure I may not have actually been able to get around to asking Y/n if I could be her date for tonight, but I'd gotten some pretty crucial information from her that changed a lot.

She no longer liked Ajax.

Good riddance I say, I never really liked that guy anyway, I just kept my mouth shut about it for her sake, but now I didn't have to. And it also meant, I could go after her without feeling like I'm confusing her feelings. 

And if that adorable giggle I'd heard her hide in her pillow last night said anything about how she was feeling after our conversation, I'd say that I was definitely heading in the right direction. 

Sometimes she was just so cute without even trying, and it sent chills down my spine knowing that I was the cause of it. 

I had gotten so close to telling her how I felt, but in that moment, it didn't feel right to make it all about me. But I had another chance, tonight. I wanted my confession to be romantic, and I can't think of anything more filled with romance than when she's all dolled up, feeling her prettiest in a dress that I was lucky enough to get for her.

I mean I even got a hug from her because of it, I'd say that's definitely money well spent.

I had fully expected to get yelled at by her after what Eugene said about her thing with people spending too much money on her, but she hadn't given me even just a look that told me anything like that. Instead, her thank you was so sincere, it made want to just hold her and never let her go.

But tonight, that's when I'll make my move. Heck maybe I'll even be able to convince her to dance with me if I'm lucky, I think I still remember how... I hope. It has been like 7 years since dad taught me, but I think muscle memory might come in handy.

I feel a small buzz come from my back pocket, along with the sound I'd picked in the settings in my phone for whenever somebody texted me. Which meant I should probably check what it was, seeing as the only two people I had saved in my contacts were Eugene and Y/n. Those were the only one's who seemed important enough to need to talk to via texting instead of face to face, just in case they weren't around.

It didn't look like my sister was going to be showing up anytime soon, so I grabbed my device out of my pocket, and I turned in on to see the lock screen along with the time. 

I'd asked Y/n this morning if I could take funny picture of her, under the preface that I just wanted to have one in my gallery to use as a contact photo,

But the truth was, I had done the same thing she had with her phone, and I put that same photo of her as my lock screen. So now I can see her even if she's not with me, and I admit that every time I opened my phone, I smiled when I saw it.

I wouldn't have called it candid, since she knew I was taking it, but it was definitely the kind of picture that made my heart beat just that little bit faster when it graced my eyes. She'd told me to use this thing called 0.5, and I got the funniest angle of her that made me laugh for a solid five minutes after I took it. 

It was just so perfect, it captured her full beauty in a way that I don't think I would ever get over.

The little bubble on the screen that was covering her eyes said that I had 2 new messages, but it didn't say who from. It really is just a 50/50 chance though.

But before I was able to click on the notification to see what it was, the sound of heavy footsteps and the happy tone of Principal Dort made everyone's attention rise to the person who finally decided to show up after all.

"Wednesday, perfect timing!"

Dort gestures for her to enter the room and steps in not far behind.

Yeah if by perfect you mean that it's been so long I think my right foot is going numb, then yes, perfect timing.

Wednesday marched into the room, her expression just as blank as it always was, and grandmama turned her full focus onto my sister as she came to an abrupt stop in front of us, with Dort standing uncomfortably close to her, I'm surprised she hasn't plucked out his eyeballs already.

"Come look at my new tower."

Grandmama spoke in that same icy cold tone that Wednesday used, the one that would make any ordinary person think they were pissed off at you 24/7. Though honestly they might be.

I think Dort was the only outwardly chipper person in this room right now. Half of us didn't even know exactly why we were here, and one of us would rather be spending this time preparing himself to confess his feelings to the girl of his dreams, but I guess we can't all get what we want.

"Oh, that's just the tip of the Frump philanthropic iceberg."

Ah, so that's what this whole set up was. What'd it have to do with us though? It's her money.

Wednesday moved her eyes over to grandmama.

"You said the only charity in life was a quick, painless death."

Grandmama shrugs subtly.

"Since my own family has little interest in the empire I've built one grave at a time, I've decided all my spoils should be used to educate future generations of outcasts."

Well that didn't seem so bad.

Wait, all of it?

Dort let out a half laugh, half sound of astonishment.

"Can you believe this woman's generosity?"

My sister deadpanned back to the woman standing at the other end of the table.

"No. I can't."

So, if grandmama really did mean everything, then that meant- No, surely not.

"But, I'm still gonna inherit your vintage car collection, right?"

"Not even a rusty hubcap my darling."

She said it calmly, but I don't think it was possible for her to actually feel bad about it.

But seriously, what the hell? I'd been promised that collection practically since the day I was born. That was only reason I looked forward to when she finally croaked, but now all of a sudden none of us are getting a speck of dust from her.

I just couldn't wrap my head around what had made her change her mind. I mean we were her family after all.

It was ticking me off a little bit if I'm being honest. The switch up is insane, and there was no warning whatsoever, just, 'oop sorry guess I don't love you guys enough to give all my shit to you when I die so I'm giving it all to this school instead.' Yeah that would have been nice to know.

It seems as though I wasn't the only one confused about the change of plans either, because both my parents spoke up against her.

"Our door has always been open to you, Hester."

"You're the one who boycotted our wedding, and declined invitations to all family gatherings."

Grandmama shrugged, not showing any sign of caring.

"I'm done arguing about the past. I only care about the future. What Principal Dort and I have planned will get Nevermore back on track."

She sent a very pointed look towards my dad.

"Like barring outcasts without an ability from enrollment. Like that inadequate husband of yours."

I feel like I should leave now before I have to witness my mom rip her own mother's head clean off her body for everyone to see, because the tension in this room was rapidly rising, and it didn't seem like it was going to drop anytime soon.

"Being an outcast is a state. of. mind."

"No, dear. That's a platitude losers say to make them feel like winners."

Alright well if mom didn't go for a hit, I will. This isn't at all like the grandmama I was used to, something had changed, and I'm not sure for the better.

Mom did make a move though, and dad had to hold her back from doing something drastic to her mother, but I could feel the anger radiating off of her as she death glared grandmama. And it wasn't like her regular resting glare, no I'm like 99% sure if she gave me the kind of look she had on right now, I would simply just pass away to avoid whatever was about to happen to me.

My parents didn't play when it came to each other, I'm pretty sure they'd go to the ends of the earth to prove their love. Not that it really needed to be proven though, I mean have you seen them?

Dort's voiced interrupted the two ladies, which may not have been the best decision considering the circumstances, but it was better than silence.

"Let's just celebrate the fact that Nevermore's future is secured. Uh, group selfie?"

Oh okay, so I was wrong, it was not better than silence.

Dort was barely able to reach for his front pocket where his phone stuck out from, before my mom was the first to make tracks straight for the door, and naturally my dad and I followed close behind, with my sister only walking off a few paces afterwards, although she went in the opposite direction once we got out the door and down the hallway. I guess she had her own thing she needed to do.

But, speaking of phones, I'd still yet to check mine to see who it was that texted me earlier. I'd gotten so distracted by the picture of Y/n that I forgot they were still just sitting there waiting to be opened.

And now that we were far enough away from Dort's office, my mom was preoccupied with pacing around my dad, in a quiet rant about 'who does she think she is' and 'how could she do this to us'. And fairly enough, those two were the one's most affected by grandmama's decision, so I think I'll just leave mom to be annoyed while I read these texts.

I grab my phone from my pant pocket, and I only let myself stare at Y/n on my screen for a few seconds before I swiped up with the notifications still awaiting my attention, and I put in my passcode. 

It took a while to decide what I wanted it to be, since Eugene told me I should make it something meaningful to me so I didn't forget it. And obviously there were so many things dear to me, I couldn't pick just one.

It said it should be at least 6 digits long, so in the end I chose to combine the end numbers of all three of our birth years and made that my code. It might have been a little cheesy, but those two were really important to me, so why not.

Once I clicked into the messages app, the two new texts showed themselves at the top of the screen, and I pressed on them.

Oh, they were from Eugene, what did he want?

15:48

'Hey man'

'How did it go last night with Y/n?'

What was I even supposed to respond to that with?

I mean yes it didn't go that badly, but I wouldn't have said it went particularly well either. 

I hadn't ended up telling her how I feel, nor did I give her the butterfly I'd made her. Though honestly I think she'd be better off without it at this point. And the only thing I got out of the conversation is that I don't have to worry about Ajax anymore, which okay yes that is a pretty good thing. 

Last night just didn't go exactly how I planned.

I sigh as I type out my reply.

16:01

'I haven't told her yet. But I'm gonna do it tonight at the gala.'

Honestly I was glad I had a bit more time to think this whole thing over. I hadn't thought about how I was going to approach the situation anyway, my plan last night was pretty much just go in blind and hope for the best, but now I could practice saying the exact right words in my head before I had to tell them to her face.

Now all I had to do was actually figure out what those words were-

"Who are you talking to sweetheart?"

My soul practically leaves my body and my phone almost goes flying out of my hand across the hall, but I kept a tight grip around it as my head whips around to see my mother looming over me with a curious expression. I didn't even hear her walk over here.

You'd think after knowing her my whole life, I'd be able to sense when she sneaks up on me like that, but sometimes she's just way too good at scaring the living daylights out of me with just a few simple words. But I know she never meant to do it, it was just how she was as a person in general.

"Oh uh, that was just Eugene. We were talking about tonight, no big deal."

Her head tilted slightly at my dismissive tone.

"What about tonight?"

I was torn between just telling her everything, and staying quiet in hopes that she'll understand this is more of a personal thing I need to think about by myself, but in taking so long to answer, she spoke again.

"Is this about that girl you were telling us about? Y/n, was it?"

Well there's not much chance of me escaping this conversation now, so I just sigh.

"Kind of, yeah. I uhm, I kind of want to tell her how I feel... and tonight just seems like the perfect time to do it."

I turn my phone back up to face me, and the screen flashes with Y/n's face again, and I could see her fully now without the bubble covering her eyes. You know, my dad told me that when you fall in love with someone, to make sure you fall in love with their eyes above every other physical feature. Because they're the one part of somebody that never changes.

And trust me, her eyes were something I would never stop loving.

"She's quite the pretty one isn't she."

I could see mom looking down at the photo over my shoulder, and I huff a bit of air from my nose with a smile.

"Yes. Yes she is."

I feel her place a hand on my back, guiding me along with her as we started to walk.

"Come my dear, we have a gala to get ready for."

««« ♪ ♪ »»»

The bumps in the road bounced the car as it glided along the cement below us, and the sick feeling in my stomach only got worse with each one.

I was so fucking nervous right now.

I had spent the entire time that I was back at the cottage trying to come up with the perfect thing to say to Y/n to express how I feel about her, but no matter what I thought of, there was always something that I knew just didn't sound right.

I felt like even if I could use the exact right words, I would still mess them up and feel like a total fool saying them. I just couldn't get these nerves under control.

If you had told me two months ago that the girl I met in that dorm would end up being the girl I fell deeply in love with, I would have called you crazy, saying there's no way I could fall for someone that quickly. But here I am, on what may end up being the biggest night of my life, and I feel as if I'll throw up any second now.

And to make matters even more embarrassing, I looked like a clown.

No like, actually.

When mom said she'd picked out an outfit for me that I just had to wear, I didn't exactly imagine myself to be dressed as a Jester in a mask. I mean it wasn't necessarily bad, just a little surprising is all. Plus I wasn't sure how Y/n was going to react when she sees me looking like this, especially when she's going to look like a million bucks.

Actually no, I can't put a price on her beauty, it's just not possible. But I guarantee she'll be looking way better than me.

I sigh as I glance down at the reflective silver fabric that wrapped around my body.

"Do I really have to wear this?"

My moms attention turned towards me at my tone of voice, and her brows furrowed slightly as I felt the car turn around a corner.

"I thought you said you liked it?"

I felt guilty seeing her expression. I know she probably put a lot of effort into getting it for me, but I just couldn't help but feel odd wearing it now.

I shrug.

"Well yeah, but that was before...you know, the whole confessing thing."

Her face relaxed into something more understanding, and she gives me a soft smile.

"That's what all this nervous energy has been about? Darling, you shouldn't worry what you look like tonight. Y/n is your best friend above everything else, right? So I doubt what you wear is going to change the outcome of whatever happens this evening, if she is the right one for you, nothing else but you will matter to her. Your words are what hold the most power, so use them to your advantage, and things will go exactly the way that they're supposed to."

I knew she was right. But even if that is the case, all the words in my brain right now my as well be also wearing metaphorical jester outfits.

"Yeah... I know."

A small ding sounds down next to me where my phone lay face down on the seat, and mom leaves me to my thoughts as I pick up the device and see the new message from Eugene, which I could see from the lock screen now after playing with the settings this afternoon, but I opened them up to see them properly anyway.

20:09

'You almost here?'

I'd asked him to keep an eye out for Y/n so I knew how much time I had, and I think he was getting a little impatient being my lookout.

'Yeah I'll be there in 5, any sign of her yet?'

'Nah, nothing yet, but I'll let you know.'

At this rate I might actually get there before her.

I almost turned my phone off to try and get my focus onto something else, but the little typing bubble popped up again, and then another message.

'Oh wait, I gtg she's walking up now. But you got this 👍'

I take a deep breath as I read over it, and I shove my phone back in my pocket.

Okay, this is it, for real this time. And he's right.

I do got this.