Bailey's POV

"I'm nervous about going to this," I admit.

"Me too, but if we don't make an appearance, we won't get money from your grandpa," he tells me.

My dad's back in town for Clarice's welcome home party. Normally, we don't attend family gatherings, but my grandpa stressed the importance of family after Jack died and he promised to help us financially if we made ourselves more present. Truthfully, they want to see us make more of an effort of being a Moretti.

"We aren't staying long. Just say your hellos, welcome Clarice back and let's go," mom gripes.

Our actions tonight clearly are not genuine. Mom still never wants to be around us and my dad is gone eighty percent of the time, driving semis across the country, and the other twenty, he's passed out drunk on the couch. But hey, we are going to strut into that party and act like we are one happy family.

At least, I am going to try hard to show my family how much they mean to me. Whatever money my grandpa gives me I am going to use on building a new wardrobe. According to Dakota, the new Bailey can't wear pullover hoodies, unless given to me by a boy.

"We're here," my dad says as he turns off the engine.

We sit in the driveway for a few minutes in silence, preparing ourselves mentally. I stare out the window and look up at the mansion of a house. Not saying that our house is small, because we are fortunate enough to have four large bedrooms and three large bathrooms, but compared to theirs, we might as well live in a trailer.

Out of Grandpa Carl's three kids, Sal, his oldest, is his favorite. He helps manage the Moretti restaurant. He also married my mother's older sister, Lori. Granted, they were married before my parents started dating. However, It caused a lot of drama, when Lori and my mother were pregnant at the same time, and my mother hadn't graduated high school yet. I guess it makes sense that the two black sheep ended up together.

Then there's Sistine Moretti, the middle child, she does all the finances for the family businesses. She's married to James who is a stay-at-home father to their only daughter, Vera. Honestly, it never made sense to me because Vera is thirteen and capable of watching herself.

Lastly, my father, who wanted nothing to do with the family business. As I said earlier, he's a bit of a black sheep in the family. In fact, the family was ready to give up all hope on him until Jack shined at his first football game. Jack was everything my dad lacked. Tall, smart, athletic and most importantly, going places.

I climb out of the truck and take a deep breath. With Clarice being back in town, I doubt anyone will pay much attention to us but this is the first family gathering we've been to since the funeral and that alone makes me nervous.

We walk through the front door to a noticeably packed house. At first glance, I notice about thirty people mingling in small social circles amongst the various rooms, all dressed in formal attire, all holding their wine glasses.

Surprisingly, my parents and I aren't far off from the dress code. Well, I'm not far off from the dress code. My dad wears a dress shirt that's not tucked in, with a crooked tie. My mom wears jeans, boots and a flannel, which is her everyday outfit and I wear a simple black dress with black flats.

I make my way around the house seeking out Clarice. However, I seem to run into everyone except for her. I've already talked to my aunt Sistine, cousin Matteo, and the Mayor, who happens to be AnnaMae's dad. Lori not only invited the family over, but she also invited the ladies from her book club and their families. All of the rich families of Baraboo gather here tonight to welcome home a spoiled seventeen-year-old.

"Bonjour Bailey," someone taps the back of my shoulder. I turn around to see Clarice dressed in a yellow gown with pink and white flowers painted across the skirt, probably something she bought from Paris.

"Hey, Clarice! Welcome home." We greet each other with a hug and I try to be genuine because she is the closest cousin to my age.

"Oh, It's Clair now. Being in Paris really changes a person." She tells me.

"Oh, how was that experience?" I ask.

"Like I said, life-changing, of course. After being in such a big city, I don't know how much longer I can stay in this poor excuse for a town." She giggles.

"I see. That's awesome that you were there." I tell her.

"Oh, by the way, before I forget, sorry about your brother. It's a shame he passed away. Mother told me all about the drinking and driving. If I could have, I would have flown home for the funeral."

You could have, your parents have the money for you to do that, but you didn't. I assume because it would be an inconvenience for you. I don't say any of this to her. Instead I just nod and play along but inside I'm fuming at her privileged princess lifestyle.

"Well, I should finish greeting everyone at my party. Isn't this fun?!" She hugs me once again and the potent smell of flowers smacks me in the face. Another thing she must have gotten from Paris. I watch her as she disappears into the crowd, her perfume still lingering around me.

Levi's POV

As expected, this party is boring. Any party the parents in our town throw is never really for their children--It's an excuse for them to drink, laugh and gossip while huddled in their social groups.

My mom ambles into the kitchen and lights up when her eyes land on me. "Oh, sweetie, there you are. I ran into Clarice and told her to find you!"

"Ma, you didn't have to do that," I grumble.

"Sure I did, I'm going to try and make a french dessert tomorrow. You will invite her over for dinner. Ask her tonight!" She claps her hands together as if she came up with the idea on the spot but we both know this was premeditated. I roll my eyes, subtly, so she can't see, "Sure."

"Did you hear, the Sears in town is closing?" Lori tells the group of ladies standing in the kitchen. All of them, including my mom, gasp in unison. It's straight out of a movie with how dramatic this town is.

It was either, stand in the kitchen with mom's friends or be in the parlor with my dad's friends. Of the two, this was the better option because my dad would just put me on display about how I'm going to make a wonderful lawyer like him because it's in the Bedford's blood.

I lean against the counter, drinking my fruit punch listening to all the town gossip when I feel a tap on my shoulder. Clarice gives me a small gesture to follow her and I do because anything she has to say is probably more interesting than the adults.

I follow her into the sunroom, which happens to be empty and we both know why we're here, to see if there's any chemistry between us. The room is full of windows that overlook the gardens and it's quite beautiful how the snow covers the tops of the hedges. If it wasn't so cold, I would offer for us to venture out there.

Clarice sits down on the vintage green velvet couch and pats the seat next to her. She's changed a lot since we last saw each other. Her raven colored hair is much shorter, barely touching her collar bones and I must admit she is beautiful. Her sleeveless yellow dress shows off her toned arms and it stops just above her knees showing off her tanned legs. I take my seat next to her and she hands over a glass of wine but I politely set it down on the end table.

"Are you happy to be back?" I ask.

She looks up at the ceiling and sighs, "Honestly, no. This place is small and boring. I'm no country mouse. I was meant for the big city. There's so much outside of this tiny town and I want to experience all of it. Being in Paris was really life-changing for me. Every day was a new adventure."

I'm not sure what she means. There's plenty of adventure to be had here in Baraboo. We have farms, fresh food, family-owned restaurants. Our town does parades down Main street with an annual carnival and eating contests. We can ride our four-wheelers in the summer, and our snowmobiles in the winter. I love living here.

"Does that mean you're going to go away for college?" I ask.

"Probably. I want to study interior design and I can't do that at any dinky Wisconsin college. I'll probably end up in Chicago or if I'm lucky New York and if my parents allow it, London. Have you been to London?"

"Nope. Never been outside Wisconsin," I admit.

"Oh you must visit sometime it is beautiful. I once ran into Benedict Cumberbatch at a fish fry."

"Who?"

"He's a famous, and very handsome, actor. Anyway, you must check it out."

"Yeah, I guess I'll have to check it out."

Clarice closes the gap between us and looks up at me with her brown eyes and immediately I'm taken back by how big they are. She has a natural doe-eyed look to her that probably gets her everything she wants.

"My mother said you are going to be a lawyer one day, just like your father." The smell of alcohol carries off her breath.

"Yup, that's the plan."

"You would make a good lawyer." She purrs, and leans forward pressing her lips against mine. Very gently, but enough for me to taste the cherry flavored alcohol she just finished. Her lips are softer than I expected but still holds a lot of passion behind them and naturally I return the kind gesture.

AnnaMae's POV

I step out onto the back patio for some fresh air. I begged my mother to not let me attend tonight because it still hurts being around the Moretti family after the accident but she insisted I had to show them how strong I am. That I have to show the town how I'm moving forward.

Instead it backfired and that pedestal I'm so used to being glorified on became a stage for the peanut gallery to mock me. I wander through the gardens and remember all the good times I've had here, back when the family still liked me. I don't blame them really. My relationship with Hunter is a huge slap to the face for the town of Baraboo but there are some things you just can't take back.

Now here I am, lighting a blunt, sauntering through the hedges like Alice finding her Wonderland, trying to calm my nerves and push back the tears. Big girls don't cry unless someone dies and every day since he left, part of me withers away. My friend and only saving grace is Mary Jane and I have to thank Jackson Weber for introducing me to her.

Once the nerves calm and my tears are at bay, I turn toward the back doors and notice Levi and Clarice making out in the sunroom. Hayley is going to be so mad when she sees this.

Levi's POV

When I open my eyes, is when I see her just outside the door, circled by her family. Bailey's face is pale and the look of fear sits in her eyes and my instinct is to run to her. I lightly push Clarice away from me and I slide her arm off me.

"Clarice-" I begin to say.

"It's Clair now." She bats her eyelashes.

"Okay-Clair, I have to go do something, but we'll talk later."

I stand up and make my exit. Without a plan or a script I walk up to the group and grab Bailey by the hand. "Excuse me can I steal her for a minute?" I ask the group of ladies.

"We are in the middle of a conversation," Grandma Moretti scolds.

"It's important and will only be a minute," I say

"Excuse us," Bailey tells the group and allows me to lead the way. I didn't plan this out at all. I glance around the packed house not entirely sure where we can escape and instead of going outside, I decide to head up the staircase and look for an empty bedroom. Luckily, the upstairs is empty and I open the first door on the right, revealing a bedroom.

Once we're both inside, I shut the door and lean against it drawing a loud sigh. Clarice or Clair, or whatever her name is kissed me and I hate that I enjoyed it. I remind myself just because she's hot doesn't mean she has a good personality and in the long run I'll regret going down that path.

"Uh, what are we doing alone in a bedroom?" Bailey asks.

Shit, I didn't think of how bad this would look to her.

"It's not what it looks like, I noticed you seemed uncomfortable and I wanted to help you out," I admit.

"Oh, my hero," she says sarcastically.

I throw my hands up in the air, "Fine, go back to be torn to shreds by your family."

I open the door for her to leave but she doesn't move. After a few moments of silence she speaks up, "Um, Thank you."

I close the door again. Part of me wants to say something, but the other part of me knows if I open my mouth I will ruin this moment. Bailey's never thanked me before and I actually think it's a genuine gesture from her.

Instead I keep quiet and observe her as she falls back onto the bed. The light from the moon casts a small spotlight on her through the window as she rambles on about her family.

"I hate my family. Everyone is telling me how to look, how to act, what to say. How to handle loss. It's annoying. I swear, we're only invited to family gatherings for their entertainment. What a dull party it'd be if there were no drama."

I remain silent, leaning against the door, listening to her vent. She's not wrong about this town. If there were no drama, it would be a pretty boring life for the adults.

She continues, "I thought today would be different since it's about Clarice, oh I'm sorry, I mean Clair. She's back from Paris doing awesome things with awesome stories but instead the family rather pick me apart. You would think the family would want to help out by inviting me over for dinner or taking me out on their shopping trips. Nope, instead, they want to tell me all the things they get to do that I don't."

"You want to come over for dinner tomorrow?" I blurt out.

Why did I just say that? I promised myself that I would keep my mouth shut.

"What?" Bailey sits up on her elbows observing me rather suspiciously.

"I-uh-was wondering if you would come over for dinner, tomorrow." I stutter.

"What? Like on a date?" Bailey snorts.

"No. Not a real one at least. It's a long story, but I told my mom I'd bring a date to dinner tomorrow."

Bailey continues to stare at me with a skeptical look and I cannot tell what she is thinking in this moment,

"I'll pay you!" I blurt out again. The room is getting hot and the sweat starts to form on my brow line.

"You are going to pay me to take me out? Like an escort?" She laughs.

"Okay, not like that. How about this, You pretend to be my date tomorrow and I'll owe you a favor? Please? Just one fake date!" I beg.

The room is now on fire and my clothes begin to soak up the moisture. I have started to dig myself a hole that I'm not even sure I can get myself out of.

"Hmm..... okay," she answers.

Before I can say anything else her phone rings.

"Hey, mom."

"What happened?"

"Okay, okay, I'm coming."

She rolls her eyes as she hangs up the phone.

"Gotta love family gatherings. I'll text you when I'm on my way over."

~~~~~2/20/20 • 2704 words~~~~~

Are your family gatherings anything like Bailey's? Luckily, mine aren't.

Have you ever been outside of your country before? I've been to many places but I loved London the most. I'm not a city-girl but London is the one city I could see myself living in.