The next time Eris met Mindy was at the Atlanta Tricentennial banquet in celebration of the city’s founding. Eris wore a slightly green tinged dress, that was sheer but held a covering that was solid emerald underneath. It was hot, just like any other Georgia day, and the massive hills that covered the land surrounded the small party as they were packed in a rarely spotted flat, plot of land. Eris stood by the punch bowl with Charlton, their usual spot for all Goodoire affiliated parties. Charlton served people drinks, and once again shielded Eris from getting any because of another spiker. They stood next to Charlton, pulling on a dirty blonde strand that had come loose from their elegant bun, and stared not so discreetly at Miss Diasco talking to yet again more doctors. 

“You really ought to stop staring, sir. The girl may think you hold a grudge, instead of affection.” Charlton whispered to them. Eris continued to stare as they answered him. Mindy wore a rose gold dress, with pink roses scrawling up the side of the dress. It was beautiful, and yet again a simple piece that made Eris feel as if they were trying to hard at these parties. Her hair was brushed back, and held in a poofy afro bun with two silver hair clips, and a gold ribbon.

[color=00FA9A]“What do you think doctors like to talk about anyway, Charlton?[/color] [color=00FA9A]They can’t just talk about little Timmy’s knee injury all the time, can they?”[/color] They asked. [color=00FA9A]“I mean, I can’t understand half of the things they were talking about last time, and I think it totally turned her off.”[/color] 

Charlton smiled as he handed a Miss Pumperfickle another glass of spiked punch. “Well,” he whispered again. “Doctors are often prone to intelligent conversation. You can’t blame her, the girl is a genius, madame.” He raised a hand at Mister Heighnsworth on the other side of the field. “Perhaps you should brush up on your medical know how, sir. It may impress her.” 

Eris nodded, but then shook their head. [color=00FA9A]“Wait, aren’t you supposed to tell me something different?[/color][color=00FA9A] Like ‘I should just be myself, and everything will be okay’?”[/color] They said. Charlton laughed. 

“Yes, well. As I said a few days ago, you are not particularly lucky with the ladies, miss. A bit of change wouldn’t hurt you at all.” Eris chuckled. 

[color=00FA9A]“Well I guess I can’t change anything standing next to you.”[/color] They said. [color=00FA9A]“This is the part where you shoo me away again, so that I can try to win a date with her.”[/color]

Charlton checked his watch, and smiled. “Right you are. Off you go then.” He shooed them away, and Eris walked towards Mindy and her posse of doctor friends for the second time. This time, however, Mindy spotted them immediately and practically pulled them into the little circle. She gripped their arm with slight manicured fingers, and smiled at them.

“Hey, you’re just in time to hear Dr. Dougherty’s story about Yale’s Centennial!” She said, excitedly. Eris noted she could get pretty hyper about things, they remembered how she had practically shouted her feelings at the Atlanta social. At first, Eris was so caught off guard by Mindy taking their arm, and smiling at them that they practically forgot why they even came to her in the first place. They soon recovered however, making sure to wipe the glazed look from their eyes. 

[color=00FA9A]“Right.[/color] [color=00FA9A]The Doctors Yale thing.[/color] [color=00FA9A]How did it go?”[/color] They asked. Dr. Dougherty stood proud in a black tux, with a rose medallion pinned to his coat. He straightened it, grinning happily. 

“They awarded me the highest Honor a doctor can get in Georgia. The Peach Tree Doctoral Medal of Medicine.” He said. Eris had never heard of such a medal before, and didn’t even know doctors could be awarded things like that. But they whistled in an impressive tone anyway.

[color=00FA9A]“Gold suits you doctor, though I bet miss Diasco here would look great with a medal on her.”[/color] They said. Mindy waved away the compliment. 

“I haven’t earned a medal yet, Dr. Dougherty is amazing at his job. I don’t think I can ever catch up to his record.” She said. Dr. Dougherty smiled.

“Ah, but my dear Mindy, now that I have this medal I think you will surpass me in a matter of weeks with how fast you save people. I bet by next week, you too will have your own Peach Tree medal.” he laughed. 

Mindy looked a bit uncomfortable, the smile slipped from her face. “Well, Doc this medal isn’t the last you’ll get, right? You’ll still be working in the hospitals and-”

“I am retiring Mindy.” Dr. Dougherty said simply. The other doctors around him looked shocked, and started to argue against him. But he simply raised his hand. “Now I know you all will think that me retiring is a bit extreme, but I feel fifty years is enough for me.” He said. 

[color=00FA9A]“Fifty years is impressive, Doctor.[/color] [color=00FA9A]No wonder you got that medal.”[/color] Eris said. [color=00FA9A]“You deserve it.”[/color] 

Dr. Dougherty nodded. “Thank you, miss Goodoire. Although I may be quitting in the hospitals, my love of science is just too much.” He said. He then turned to Mindy, with a proud smile on his face. “I was thinking of opening a lab, one where you could develop all kinds of stuff. Of course, you will have to take it up with Darius and his cohorts, but if they say yes…”

“Then I’d have my own space, finally!” She said happily. “Oh Doc, this is a great offer. I’ve been asking Darius all month if I could finally get a lab.” Eris balked, more so at the name Darius then Mindy’s happiness.

[i]Who the hell is Darius?[/i]  They began to worry about Mindy’s dating preferences again.

They shook those thoughts away, and decided to continue their pursuits. [color=00FA9A]“Well, I’m glad you’ll find a place to develop your skill, Miss.”[/color] They said. [color=00FA9A]“Maybe I’ll visit sometime and see how you’re doing.”[/color] 

“I’d love that, Eris!” She said. 

Eris smiled. Dr. Dougherty and his fellow compatriots walked away to discuss plans of his retirement. Just like at the social, for a brief moment there was a long awkward silence among them before Eris spoke. 

[color=00FA9A]“Hey, we never really got to talk last week.[/color] [color=00FA9A]Mainly cause I don’t have your number.”[/color] Eris smirked.

Mindy blinked, surprised. “Oh! Right. I was going to give you my number, but then we started to talk about...you know...The Promise?” She winked knowingly. Eris nodded, understanding what she meant. 

[color=00FA9A]“I know what you mean.[/color] [color=00FA9A]How’s that little secret coming along anyway?”[/color] They asked. She looked around in search of people who may be eavesdropping, and then took a few steps towards Eris. 

“Soundria is almost complete. In fact, I’ve already got a buyer who wants to try it out.” She said, quietly. That surprised Eris. “I’m not giving it to them, of course. I still haven’t tested it yet.” They nodded. 

[color=00FA9A]“Wow, it sounds like you’re on the road to success Miss Diasco.”[/color] They said, smiling. They were rather close. Mindy put up a hand in between them.

“If we’re going to be hanging out, you’ve got to stop calling me Miss Diasco.” She said. “Got it?’ Eris laughed, and then nodded. 

[color=00FA9A]“Okay Mindy, I understand.”[/color] They said. 

Mindy clapped her hands happily. “I’m so excited for the lab, you have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to get my hands on legit chemistry equipment.” Eris chuckled, and thought about how cute she was when she got excited about things. 

[color=00FA9A]“We can talk about this new lab venture of yours later say…. at my house for dinner?”[/color] They asked. Mindy nodded again.

“I’d love to.” She said. Eris grinned, ecstatic. 

[color=00FA9A]“Perfect.”[/color] They said. Mindy took a pen from her dress pocket, and wrote her number on Eris’ arm in small, neat script.

 “We can talk about...oh I don’t know, girl stuff over the phone. It’ll be great!” She walked away, and began to chat it up with a few more Georgia elites. 

Eris stood in blissful silence for a few seconds, before they snapped back to reality with Mindy’s last words echoing in their head like a warning bell. [i]Girl Talk.[/i] [i]Shit.[/i] It’s pretty hard to pull off Girl Talk when you’re...not a girl. Or a boy. And it’ll be even harder if this Girl talk entails talking about boys, because while Eris is not one of them, they have never actually been into them. [i]Oh well, the night has not started yet.[/i] [i]Let’s see what it brings.[/i]
…………………

	That night at the Goodoire mansion, Eris had informed their parents of Mindy’s visit. They were a bit confused at first, because they had never known Eris to be friendly to someone unless they wanted to date them. 

“You just want to impress this poor girl, don’t you?” Their mother said. She had assumed it was some middle class, mousey type that Eris had dragged home this time, mainly because those were always the types that Eris brought to the mansion. Young, pretty and poor. Eris rolled their eyes. 

[color=00FA9A]“Mindy is not poor, she is a medical prodigy who already has her degree in biology and chemistry.[/color] [color=00FA9A]She’s a doctor, mom.”[/color] They said. Their mom rolled their eyes back. 

“So she’s the one everyone was talking about at the Social? I think I saw her, she doesn’t exactly look your type, sweetie.” She said. “But whatever. As long as she’s nice, I guess it’s okay if she comes for dinner.”

Their father came into the dining room, and greeted them noisily and drunk. “Oh please, Charlice. Do you really think her little fling is gonna last?” He said, a vodka shot in his hand. His tie was loosened, and he had obviously had more than one drink at the bar. Eris was going to correct him yet again on their pronouns, but Charlton stopped them short by glancing at them from the corner. Charlton had already set the table, and stood in the corner of the room by the head of the table, with a platter of wine and napkins. Eris bit their tongue and refrained from correcting him. This time. 

“Have faith in he- Them, Richard. This girl sounds nice.” Their mother said. She looked her husband up and down disgusted, as he leaned against the back of a dining chair, desperately trying to clear his head. “She’s going to be here any minute, and you decided to get drunk before dinner?” She asked, incredulous. 

“Get off my back, Charlice.” He took a look in his empty vodka glass, an groaned. “Hey asshole in the corner, get me another shot.” He demanded of Charlton. Without an ounce of venom in his voice Charlton obliged.

“Right away, Master Goodoire.” He walked into the kitchen, but not before giving Eris a warning look. They made it a note to tread lightly with their father tonight. 

“Don’t you think you’ve had enough to drink? You’re going to embarrass us in front of-” 

“Who gives a shit? The new broad that bitch has dragged here for dinner isn’t gonna even be here for another week.” He said. Charlton returned with another glass of vodka. “She’s just another whore our [i]daughter[/i] brought in.” Charlton flinched a tiny bit, more so because he had to restrain himself from hitting Richard right then and there. 

Eris just sighed, tired. [color=00FA9A]“Well, you don’t wanna be here anyway.”[/color] They said.  [color=00FA9A]“Take his plate away, Charlton.[/color]  [color=00FA9A]He’s gonna eat in his [i]study.[/i][/color]  [color=00FA9A]Like he’s been doing for the past month and a half.”[/color] Richard scoffed, and then drunkenly staggered himself to his office. 

Charlice sniffed in anger as she watched her husband leave for the thousandth time, a single tear forming in her eye. She didn’t say anything, she just tried hard not to cry right then and there, and despite her efforts to not show weakness, Eris saw her as the weakest person they had ever seen. And then, the doorbell rang. Eris looked at their mother, and smiled a vindictive grin filled with malice. 

[color=00FA9A]“You better dry those tears up or the guests will be embarrassed for you.”[/color] They said in a sickly sweet voice. Charlice dragged in a withering breath, her frame visibly shaking from the effort to pull herself together. 

[color=00FA9A]“Charlton, get the door will you?”[/color]
………

[color=thistle]Hey so I will be writing more for Eris and the gang, and i have a feeling that next post is when things will really start to kick off, so please stay tuned, lol.[/color]