Thanksgiving Part 1

The one thing Harriette was the most excited for about Thanksgiving was Fedora coming home. So instead of doing something with with her friends on Wednesday after school she went straight home. Fedora was scheduled to arrive that evening and Harriette needed to be there to to welcome her.
“I’m home!!!”
Harriette could hear Fedora yell from upstairs in her room. It didn’t sound weird to her, Fedora calling her house home, though it might sound weird to other people.
Harriette jumped up as soon as she heard her and raced down the stairs two at a time, almost falling twice, and flew into the kitchen where Fedora was standing with her bag, which showed that she hadn’t even stopped at home before coming over here.
Harriette hadn’t seen Fedora in almost three months now, she felt very best friend deprived. She ran up and gave her hug.
Fedora didn’t look much different, she might have gained a few pounds though. What was that called, the freshman fifteen? Her hair was a little shorter, but she was still wearing one of her signature hats and t-shirt. Today her shirt read “YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR PROBLEM IS? YOU’RE STUPID”
“Harriette,” she said after Harriette hugged her. “Hey.”
“Hi!” Harriette said, “Welcome back.”
“This place hasn’t changed a bit in the last three months,” Fedora said, gazing around the kitchen.
“It will soon,” Harriette said, “Our basement’s getting remodeled because Fisher’s coming to live with us.”
“Ew,” Fedora said, wrinkling her nose. “He’s not here now is he?”
“No,” Harriette said, “He’s staying with Bobby and Chelle.”
“Oh god,” Fedora laughed, “I feel bad for them. So why doesn’t he have a place to live?”
“He lost his job and couldn’t pay the rent,” Harriette explained, “Mom’s really upset with him, but she’s too nice to turn him away.”
“So is Grayson coming down for the holidays?” Fedora asked.
“Yeah,” Harriette said, “He’s coming tomorrow afternoon, he’s got some other charity stuff to do before then.”
“I hope he doesn't miss dinner,” Fedora said.
“Why?” Harriette said.
“For Aunt Lacy’s sake,” Fedora said, “she’s always depressed if someone doesn’t make it.”
“True,” Harriette said.
“So, I was wondering....” Fedora trilled, “can I stay here for Thanksgiving break?”
“Really?” Harriette said, excited at the prospect of her best friend staying the whole weekend.
“Yeah,” Fedora said, “I don’t want to spend my break in a house with Bentley and his dad. Breaks are supposed to be relaxing.”
“Let me find mom and ask her,” Harriette said, “You can bring your stuff up to my room, I doubt she’ll say no.”
Harriette went off to find her mom, who she assumed would be in her room if not in the kitchen where she usually spends her time.
She was right, Harriette’s mom was on her way to the kitchen when Harriette showed up in her bedroom.
“Fedora’s here?” she asked.
“Like you didn’t hear her big announcement,” Harriette said.
“Well then,” her mom said, “I better get in the kitchen and make her something to eat.”
“She was wondering if she could stay here for her break,” Harriette said as they headed towards the kitchen.
“Oh,” her mom said, looking thoughtful, “What’s wrong with her mom’s house?”
“She doesn’t want to be in the same house as Bentley and his dad,” Harriette explained.
“Oh dear,” her mom said, shaking her head, “I can’t turn her down can I? Of course she can stay.”
When they arrived in the kitchen they were shocked to see someone else sitting with Fedora. Grayson.
“Grayson?” their mom said, “What are you doing here.”
“Mom,” He said, getting up to give her a hug. “I made the last minute decision to come early.”
“But, what happened to your prior engagements,” their mom asked.
“Ah, I simply decided to do them another time,” Grayson said, “See, it doesn't really matter when you help people it only matters that you do. And Mom I’m here to help you too.”
Harriette glanced and Fedora and made a face, why did Grayson have to talk so weird all the time? Fedora stuck her tongue out at her.
“Well, then, welcome home,” their mom said, “And thank you for coming down early. I really appreciate it. And you, Fedora, yes you can stay as long as you ask your mom and she’s okay and you’re okay with sleeping in Harriette’s room.”
“Of course, where else would I sleep?” Fedora said. “Thank you so much Auntie. I guess I should call my mom. Although she isn’t the boss of me, I’m nineteen years old.”
The last part she whispered so that only Harriette could hear.
“Well I’m sure you’re hungry so while you make that call I’ll make some food for you,” their mom said.
“Thanks,” Fedora said, “I’m always hungry.”
Fedora then took out her cell phone and stepped out of the room to call her mom, since her mom did kind of deserve to know. Fedora hadn’t even stopped at her house first, not wanting to chance running into Bentley her his dad. She felt that moving out was her final get away from them, no way would she just go back there and relive her high school terrors.
But she didn’t hate her mom so she should call her and let her know. Though she knew what she would say.
“Hello?” her mom answered the phone on the third ring. Fedora had called her cell instead of the home phone so Bentley or his dad wouldn’t pick it up.
“Hey, it’s your daughter,” Fedora said.
“Oh,” her mom said, “where are you?”
“At Aunt Lauren’s place,” Fedora said, “I’m gonna stay here for break. Thought I should let you know.”
“What?” She asked, sounding angry now. Oh well. “Why aren’t you staying here?”
“I don’t really want to spend my break in the same house and Bentley and Daniel,” Fedora said, Daniel was Bentley dad and her step dad. But she never thought of him as her dad. Because he wasn’t.
“Oh, Fedora, stop being such a brat,” her mom said. Yep exactly what she expected. “Bentley is your brother and Daniel is your dad and my husband so you’re going to have to get used to them.”
“But that’s the thing,” Fedora sighed, “I spent my whole senior year ‘getting used to them.’ I don’t want to anymore.”
“Hmph,” her mom said, or I guess not said since that’s not really a word, “fine. Do whatever you want but can’t you at least stop by to see me?”
“Why don’t you come over here?” Fedora asked, “Aunt Lauren is cooking up something to eat, it’s probably gonna be good. I’ll try to share if you come.”
“You’re a brat,” her mom said and then hung up. This wasn’t new, her mom hanging up on her. She’s done it about every time she called since she started college.
But Fedora knew she would be here because no matter how much her mom tried to pretend she didn’t care, she did.
Back in the kitchen there was a BLT waiting on the island for fedora, Harriette was sitting there rolling her eyes as Grayson and her mom talked.
“What did your mom say?” She asked when Fedora sat down.
“The usual,” Fedora said, taking a bit out of her sandwich, “She’s probably gonna be here in about thirty minutes.”
“Ah,” Harriette nodded, “So what do you want to do?”
“Sleep,” Fedora said, her mouth full of food.
“That’s disgusting Fedora,” Harriette said, wrinkling her nose, “please swallow before you talk.”
“What if I don’t want to,” Fedora said, again with a full mouth.
“Agh,” Harriette said, covering her eyes.
Fedora stuffed the rest of the sandwich in her mouth and laughed, “Okay, I have no more sandwich.”
“Eating that fast must be bad for you,” Harriette said, not taking her hands out of in front of her eyes. She didn’t trust Fedora.
“Does it look like I care?” Fedora asked.
“No,” Harriette said, finally uncovering her eyes.
“Ding, ding ding,” Fedora said clapping her hands, “you are correct.”
“Well what do you want to do?” Harriette asked again.
“I’m pretty sure I already said sleep,” Fedora yawned, “I just took a five hour plane ride and went three hours into the past. Jet lag. So can I sleep.”
“Fine, but what about your mom?” Harriette asked
“Just tell her I’m asleep,” Fedora said, getting up. “I’ll see her tomorrow anyway. Speaking of tomorrow, is AeGuk going anywhere for break?”
“I don’t think so,” Harriette said.
“Good,” Fedora said, “I have some business with him.”
And then she left to go take a nap, leaving Harriette in the kitchen with Grayson and her mom now talking about other food options on Thanksgiving for vegans, since Grayson just so happened to be one.
“Oh great, he’s probably gonna talk mom into making a tofu turkey,” Harriette mumbled to herself.