12pt Arial
Your grandmother’s been taking me to meet some people. Why do you have so many relatives and why are they all here?
Francesca
lmao yah, i figured it’d be big this year. percy and i have a theory. there’s like a cooling period after each sheffolk tragedy
the longer it’s been since one, the more likely people are to show up bc we seem less cursed
12pt Arial
So your family’s Sheffolk’s weather app. No recent death means ‘sunny with a light breeze’, I guess.
Francesca
basically. last storm was my parents and lucy. before that was great gran priscilla drowning in the cellar.
12pt Arial
I’m not going to question the Priscilla thing, but speaking of tense weather, just met Thalia.
You neglected to mention she floats when she walks and that she’s… disarmingly perfect.
Francesca
did she sparkle? she usually sparkles
but now that you’ve met the family’s golden girl, i can finally fade into the background
12pt Arial
Francesca.
Francesca
wot
12pt Arial
I’m perfectly capable of getting along with Thalia and still preferring you.
Did he… Did he just call mejealous? Without even using the word? I scroll up and reread the entire conversation, paying deeper attention to where Thalia’s name is brought up.
I’m not even jealous.
That was just me being charmingly insecure. Two completely different things—oh, fuck him. He’s doing it on purpose, letting me panic-type imaginary responses in my head, knowing I don’t have a suitable rebuttal. And there it is; he’s typing again. Should just mute him.
12pt Arial
Open the parcel on the stand before you come down, and you’re required to wear the resulting pretty smile.
Would hate to think I wasted the effort.
Pretty smile.
Like it’s nothing.
Like those two words aren’t going to dig a space for themselves beside my heart, shoving and shoving until it fits.
