[right][sub][color=crimson]LOCATION[/color] ⤑ [color=hotpink]On the Road[/color]
[color=crimson]TIME[/color] ⤑ [color=hotpink]Evening[/color]
[color=crimson]INTERACTING WITH[/color] ⤑ Arthur [Boyfriend]
[color=crimson]FEELING[/color] ⤑ [color=hotpink]Annoyed.[/color]
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Helene visibly winced as she saw the pictures, and she heard Ariadne snicker at her. Evan was more focused as he studied them, though he made no comment. As Mr. Patrone continued, Helene made sure to pay careful attention. So, they were free to do as they pleased so long as they did their part. That much seemed to satisfy Ariadne, who Helene knew was itching to get back to work. She wasn't expecting Isaac to be the one working with them, though she supposed it was like what Gaspard wanted for her. He grinned at her, though she caught his intentions and found herself looking away, slightly embarrassed. Gigi raised her eyebrow, at her, to which Helene caught the look and tried to refocus. "[color=lightsalmon]They do,[/color]" She told Mr. Patrone, nodding. 

Ariadne smiled, patting Helene's head. "[color=coral]Now that I can spread my wings, I think we'll be able to get rid of him in a week. Once we get rid of Bastien, we can focus all our efforts on what matters,[/color]" She said cheerfully, pulling Helene in a hug. "[color=coral]It's just hard to think of anything when my precious little Étoile is constantly having to look over her shoulder! She should be enjoying high school and get herself a cute boyfriend![/color]"

"[color=lightsalmon]Not here![/color]" Helene whined, trying to push her away. "[color=lightsalmon]Please![/color]"

"[color=darkorange]You have our sincerest thanks,[/color]" Evan added as Ariadne squeezed Helene harder, and after a few seconds, he would clear his throat and Helene would huff in annoyance. "[color=darkorange]Your hospitality is also appreciated, it's been a long time since we've had dinner together like this.[/color]"

"[color=coral]Helene prefers watching TV instead of having a nice meal with her siblings,[/color]" Ariadne said, much to her embarrassment. As Ariadne shot Helene a grin, she rolled her eyes. "[color=lightsalmon]If you'll excuse me,[/color]" Helene said as she pushed her chair back, deciding that a bathroom break would get her away from Ariadne for a bit. Walking to the bathroom, her phone beeped at her, and she stopped in the hallway to see what it was. To her surprise, it was from Alyssa of all people. Leaning against the wall, Helene's eyes scanned the rather long message. Apparently the brunette felt that the awkwardness between the two needed to be discussed. 

Once she knew Helene was out of earshot, Ariadne's expression became serious. "[Color=coral]I didn't want to say this in front of her, but...it seems Bastien is a lot closer than we thought. I don't doubt I can find him in time, but I have to confess I fear he will find her before I find him.[/color]"

[hr]

Taking in a deep breath, Alyssa leaned back against the car seat. Her younger brother was preoccupied with his own phone, her parents in the front seat talking about...something, who knew, she could never keep up with what they talked about, anyway. Alyssa scratched her cheek, wondering how Helene would respond. Considering that the two had a tendency to bump heads, Alyssa figured Helene would take her message the wrong way. She just wanted to talk, that was all. But when Helene's text came in, she couldn't help but roll her eyes. Of course she was going to be dramatic about it: [i][color=lightsalmon]I'll meet with you, but you're the one making things weird.[/color][/i] How the hell was any of this her fault? Didn't she realize the super awkward situation she put her in? The car came to a halt, and she practically jumped out of the car. If she was going to argue properly, she wanted to be comfortable, and her feet were killing her. After bidding her parents good night, she watched her father talk to her mother for a moment. The only reason Alyssa had agreed to go to the event was because her father had actually asked, but it wasn't until now that she figured it was so he could show his colleagues that he was a 'family man' or something. Since when?

Throwing those thoughts aside, Alyssa entered her bedroom as she hit Helene with her response. [i][color=orange]I wish you'd get your head out of your ass and try to see things from other people's point of view. Not everything is about you.[/color][/i]

[i][color=lightsalmon]I confided in you because you [u]asked[/u] for the truth. Now you're blaming me? Forreal?[/color][/i]

[i][color=orange]Forget it, I don't want to have another argument with you.[/color][/i]

[i][color=lightsalmon]Too bad, I'm going to find you tomorrow and we'll talk shit out. Get some rest so you can properly get on your knees and apologize for being a colossal bitch.[/color][/i]

Man, Helene knew how to get vicious on a dime. Deciding not to respond, she changed into more comfortable clothes, a glint catching her eye. Jacob's necklace, or rather, her ruby necklace was neatly placed on her nightstand. Walking over to it, she picked it up as she sat on her bed, staring at it. Whyw as it that despite knowing the truth, she wanted nothing more than to see him again? But every time she thought of his face, his smile, the moment he said he loved her, the horrible truth kept creeping back up to her in the back of her mind. If her dad ever found out, it would only spell out disaster. She could only sneak around for so long before he'd want to know about Jacob. And then what?

Whether it was the wine she had earlier or an act of impulsiveness, Alyssa ended up sending a text to Jacob. [i][color=orange]I want to see you again.[/color][/i] and promptly tossed her phone to the side, staring at the ceiling. She had to put things on pause for just a little bit or she was going to drive herself crazy.

[hr]

Despite arguably having the last word, Eva's mood soured considerably. Her lips seemed stuck in a slight frown, her eyes unfocused as Arthur drove. She was still relatively annoyed by the fact that Evelyn had actually expected her to go home with her. Was she crazy? Delusional? Sure she felt a little bad for Marshall, but holy fuck why did her boyfriend care more about a kid unrelated to him than her own flesh and blood? It didn't help that she really tried to throw Saturday back in her face, and she wondered if Marshall knew. That'd be embarrassing, but knowing Evelyn she'd cover it up to save face. Arthur's voice brought her out of her thoughts for a moment, and she looked at him for a moment. She was probably obvious, but she never was any good at hiding how she felt. His hand rested on her thigh, a comforting gesture, though she had no idea where to start.

Deciding to just speak what was on her mind, she let out a sigh. "[color=pink]I just hate that we haven't had a civil conversation in literally years,[/color]" She muttered, pressing her cheek against the window. "[color=pink]She's not going to change, I'm never going to change, we're just going to keep fighting for the rest of our lives. If Marshall isn't around we just explode at each other, it's just--it's never going to be the same from when Dad--Brett--There's this stupid part of me that thinks that, I don't know, [i]someday[/i] we can have a normal conversation, but it's not going to happen. The damage is done.[/color]" The last thing she wanted to talk about was [i]him[/i] right now, but it felt unfair that she wasn't telling him the whole truth. Pulling out one of the roses from the bouquet, her thumb played with its petals, and she stared at it as some of the petals fell off. "[color=pink]It's complicated...I don't think you want to know.[/color]"


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