ch. 5 in Fanfic

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Ashley

That day after school jesse and karen called evan, Hannah, alexa, rose, lily and I into jesses room. Karen and jesse had separate rooms. It was between 3 and 4 in the afternoon and I hadn’t yet left for ballet. And Hannah and alexa hadn’t yet left for work. Karen and jesse were all sitting on jesses bed the rest of us on the floor.

“so david called today,” karen told us.

David was her brother. Well one of them.

We all looked at her expectantly.

“about thanksgiving. Our mom wants to get together w/ Andrew, Charlie, Emily, Stacey, sam, grace and us. Ive told david I don’t want to be there if mom and Andrew are there and that we could have 2 thansgivings.”

Andrew, Charlie, Emily, sam and grace were karens other siblings. She barely talked to her mom, Andrew or Charlie. Things still weren’t good between them. Mom had a dark past that she rarely talked about. Evan, Hannah, alexa, rose, lily and I all knew this but I don’t know if mandy, Louisa, kate and anna did.

“mom?” evan asked.

She turned to him: “yes?”

I flexed my feet back and forth. Id forgotten to put ben gay on my tendons after ballet this morning.

“ben gay?” lily asked noticing this.

I nodded.

“I have some you can use.”

“ok.”

We turned back to jesse, evan and karen.

“you havent told us why you and your mom don’t talk. Or why you and Andrew don’t. or you and Charlie,” evan pointed out.

“um,” karen looked toward the door making sure it was closed, “you see Charlie drinks. And Andrew hadn’t been good to me. Kristy and I havent talked in ages and my parents were awful to me. However I get on w/ the rest. Youre not to tell the younger ones this. They shouldn’t know untill theyre 16.”

“oh. Wow. Ok. We wont.”

“yeah I want to see aunt Emily. And aunt grace. And uncle sam,” I said.

“and uncle david too,” Hannah said.

“ok ill let them know,” karen said.

“is Maureen coming?” jesse asked.

“whos Maureen?” alexa who hadn’t spoken asked.

“your aunt staceys sister,” jesse told her.

“oh.”

“and I don’t know,” jesse told karen.

“ok ill invite her,” karen said.

“oh my mom called. She wants to get together for thanksgiving too I told her itd be easier for her to come to us than for see her since theres more of us.”

“ok and suzanne and kelly too.”

“who are they?” rose asked.

“my moms sisters,” jesse said.

“oh.”

“yeah itll be good for her to get out,” karen said.

“yeah I know,” jesse said.

I knew that ever since her husband had passed 20 years ago jesses mom hadn’t been the same.

“so looks like itll be Emily, grace, sam, david, Stacey maybe Maureen, maybe sara, suzanne and kelly here,” karen said.

I presumed sara was jesses mom.

“yeah ok,” he said: “um and mark wants to come.”

“whos mark?” I asked.

“my friend from college.”

“oh.”

“yeah its ok if he comes. ok any other news?” karen asked us.

“yeah um we want to have 2 parties this weekend a before and after for the dance. We’re inviting some friends from school. Toms coming. Im inviting some friends from work ruby and ariel. Um. If that’s ok w/ you,” I said.

“well that sounds like a good idea good way to get to know people. And ill invite bobbys kids too. What time is the dance?”

“at 7. So the party could be like…well well need time to get ready and all…..um that’ll take about 2 hrs. I don’t know how long the dance is going to be. So the party could start at 11. Um. Weve asked for the day off work and rose, lily and I don’t have ballet that night or the following morning which means Sunday night and Monday well put in some extra time which means we wont be in school,” I informed them.

“ok. If theres going to be alcohol here I want jesse and evan to be here. I might be here I might not im not sure yet.”

“ok fair enough.”