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Post by Jenny on Aug 7, 2007 15:10:41 GMT -5
[Try holding down alt and then pressing 0233 in the right keypad. It works!]
She glared at her husband in anger. 'Don't make me argue with you,' she warned, one eyebrow raised threateningly, ignoring Carmelita and Nero who was glowering at her.
'I was only asking you whether you think it's necessary to insult Nero at every moment. He hasn't done so to you,' Jerome said hesitantly, nearly arguing but steering away from it.
'That isn't the point,' she growled. 'He may do so to me if he likes. I doubt he will.'
Nero nearly blurted out something about how thin women looked hideous in fur coats, but Carmelita made a swift gesture to stop him.
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Post by Emma “Emmz” Squalor on Aug 7, 2007 15:28:38 GMT -5
[Okay, thanks! I'll give it a try. : ) And sorry it took me so long to post... I didn't notice you had already posted.]
"Esmé," Carmelita whispered in her adoptive mother's ear, "can see for a moment?" Before Esmé could respond, Carmelita had grabbed her and was dragging her toward a tall plant in a far corner of the restaurant. "What's wrong with you?" she asked. "Why are you acting like this?"
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Post by Jenny on Aug 7, 2007 15:34:27 GMT -5
[That's alright =)]
Esmé folded her arms before opening her mouth to reply, but Carmelita interrupted her. 'Stop acting like a child!' she hissed. 'I'm ashamed to be with you!'
'Oh, don't be silly,' Esmé dismissed the comment with a flick of her wrist. 'Ashamed to be with me? Look at your fianceé!' she laughed out loud, a tinkling sound that went straight to Carmelita's chest.
Fopr once, the red-haired child had nothing to say. 'Please,' she tried, touching Esmé's arm lightly. 'Get on with him? For me?'
Jerome and Nero, back at the table, were saying nothing. Without the two females, the two men had nothing in common and nothing to talk about. Nero thought Jerome pretentious and Jerome thought Nero...weird.
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Post by Emma “Emmz” Squalor on Aug 7, 2007 15:47:04 GMT -5
Esmé sighed. “Oh, darling,” she said, “I’m trying. I really am, but…” But what? What had Nero done to her to make her treat him so rudely? Just because his choice of clothing was a rumpled brown jacket and a tie with a snail pattern on it didn’t give her the right to be so critical.
Carmelita nearly said something about how she had tolerated Olaf for the entire time Esmé had been with him, but Carmelita caught herself just in time. There was no point in making things worse. “It’s alright,” she said. “Let’s just go back to the table and finish our dinner. And please, be NICE to Nero. Apologize to him. Okay?”
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Post by Jenny on Aug 7, 2007 15:54:37 GMT -5
Esme told herself she would be tolerable--not nice-- for the rest of the evening. She certainly would not be apologising, but she didn't tell Carmelita this. The girl was upset enough.
They both sat down identically, both smiling sweetly for no reason and carrying on with the salmopn salad they had ordered and their glasses of white wine. Jerome and Nero didn't know what to expect. Nero was bracing himself for an onslaught and arming himself mentally with good prases to throw at his future mother in law when Carmelita broke the silence.
'Where are you living now Jerome?'
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Post by Emma “Emmz” Squalor on Aug 7, 2007 16:02:27 GMT -5
Jerome smiled pleasently. "Oh, I'm still a resident of 667 Dark Avenue," he replied. "In the apartment right below Esmé. It's not as big as the penthouse apartment, but it's quite comfortable and has three bedrooms. You and Nero should come visit sometime."
"Thank you," Carmelita said. "We'd love to." Then she turned to Esmé. "Esmé, wasn't there something you wanted to say to Nero?" Carmelita felt so awkward. It was as if SHE were the mother and Esmé was the daughter.
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Post by Jenny on Aug 8, 2007 3:23:03 GMT -5
Esmé nearly swallowed her own tongue trying not to say what she REALLY wanted to say to the ageing, weirdly dressed ugly man sitting in front of her.
She subsequently muttered something unintelligable and carried on with her food. Carmelita was not satisfied, smiling evilly.
'I don't think we all heard you.'
Esmé looked like she was reading to kill something when she looked up at Carmelita angrily. She was aboutto repeat exactly what she'd said before she caught sight of Nero's smirk and stopped.
'Look at him!' she practically wailed. 'He's as bad as I am!'
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Post by Emma “Emmz” Squalor on Aug 8, 2007 8:08:50 GMT -5
Carmelita shot Nero a glance and said irritably, “Don’t make things worse.”
“See?” Esmé said, pointing an accusing finger at him. “If I’m going to apologize to HIM, then he has to apologize to ME as well!”
Carmelita put one elbow on the table and pressed her hand against her forehead. She seriously couldn’t wait for the evening to be over and go home. “Nero,” she sighed.
“Sorry,” he replied in a tone that was forced and mocking.
Jerome didn’t seem to notice. Or, if he did, he certainly wasn’t going to argue. “Now, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” he asked, his voice so sickeningly cheerful that Esmé had to fight the urge to turn on him next.
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Post by Jenny on Aug 8, 2007 8:57:46 GMT -5
Catching her wrist before it flicked and hurled the glass of wine she was holding at Jerome, she attempted a smile. It came out just threatening.
'Sorry,' she hissed in the most insincere tone she could muster, sitting back as iof this was a job well done. Carmelita sighed again, but pretended to be satisfied. The waiter came to take away their starters as Esmé and Nero glared at each other.
'You have an interesting dress sense,' Nero commented, veiled by his nice tone.
'I could say the same of you.'
'And I've heard you have interesting hobbies.'
'Oh?'
'Tormenting orphans was one Carmelita told me of--'
Both Carmelita and Esmé choked and spluttered. Carmelita didn't know what to do for the best.
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Post by Emma “Emmz” Squalor on Aug 8, 2007 10:31:40 GMT -5
“For your information, Nero,” Esmé said once she had cleared her throat, “’hitting children over the head with a tarantella grandee can hardly be referred to as ‘torment’ when the force is only as strong a pillow being thrown and someone. And besides,” she added smugly, “I ALSO heard from Carmelita that you have your own methods of tormenting children… something about six-hour violin recitals?” Ignoring Carmelita’s hand movement as she begged her mother not to go down that road, Esmé continued. “Which is more than I can say for my own methods, considering you’ve been kicked out of every orchestra in the country.”
Carmelita’s jaw dropped while Jerome turned pale as a ghost.
“Excuse me?” was all Nero could say.
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Post by Jenny on Aug 8, 2007 10:39:06 GMT -5
'I've never heard anyone play the violin as badly as you,' Esmé said, ignoring Jerome who's hands were flapping at her in an attempt to make her stop insulting the Vice Principal. 'I'd rather listen to someone microwave their cat than hear you play to be perfectly honest.'
'Nobody ever asked you to be perfectly honest!' Jerome cried. Everyone turned to him at his outburst. 'Nobody ever wanted you to be so unpleasant to Nero.'
'I did.' Esmé replied, as if this solved matters. Jerome rested his head in his hands.
'Well, I'd rather spear myself in the eye with a fork than look at you any longer! You're too old for that outfit!' Nero cried.
'You're too...hideously ugly for that one,' Esmé quickly replied, motioning at Nero's strange attire.
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Post by Emma “Emmz” Squalor on Aug 8, 2007 11:02:35 GMT -5
[*nearly rolls over on the floor laughing* This has got to be the funniest RP I’ve ever done!]
“Esmé, Nero, please,” Carmelita hissed. “Keep your voices down! People are staring at us.”
Esmé ignored her. “And you’re no one to talk,” she said to Nero, “when you’re dating a woman when who’s less than twice your age. What could you possibly be thinking?”
“Esmé, for goodness sakes, I’m twenty-four years old!” Carmelita argued. “Stop acting as though I’m still twelve.”
Jerome muttered something about her having a point there, but he quieted the instant Esmé threw him another of her fierce glances. “No,” she said, turning to Carmelita. “I’ve kept my mouth shut long enough. Nero is far too old for you. There, I’ve said it.” Esmé smiled triumphantly while Carmelita fought the urge to slap her.
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Post by Jenny on Aug 8, 2007 11:42:31 GMT -5
[Less than twice his age? heh heh.]
'I don't think it's any of your business who Carmelita sees and who she doesn't,' Nero puffed up unhappily, drawing himself taller than Carmelita's adoptive mother in their chairs.
'I disagree. Carmelita's made bad choices in the past. I'm trying to help her see that--'
'Esmé,' Carmelita cried. 'I don't need help!' She was sounding a little too petulant for her age again-- more heads turned in their direction at her childish outburst.
'No, Esmé,' Jerome said. 'As much as I liek to allow you to make whatever decision--'
'Oh, Jerome, be quiet,' she dismissed before he had chance to finish in his usual pleasant tone. The hurt on his face was evident. She was sounding a little too much like the old Esmé now.
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Post by Emma “Emmz” Squalor on Aug 8, 2007 12:27:16 GMT -5
Jerome lowered his head and secretly prayed that the main courses arrived soon. It seemed that there was less arguing when everyone was eating. He wanted so badly to say something, but every time he opened his mouth Esmé had given him a good reason to be silent. Nero was right though— it really was nobody’s business who Carmelita chose to date, let alone who she chose to be her fiancée.
“And what about YOU, Esmé?” came Carmelita’s voice just then. “Didn’t you tell me that you met Olaf when you were still in high school? How much older was he than you, hmm?” Even though Carmelita had promised never to bring up Olaf again, she was finding it extremely difficult not to under the current circumstances.
Jerome jerked his head upward and looked from Carmelita to Esmé in terrified anticipation. He gave Carmelita credit for being so brave, but she was pushing for something Esmé into a corner with that last remark.
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Post by Jenny on Aug 8, 2007 13:39:39 GMT -5
Esmé silenced. Her eyes said a million things all at once, but she expressed none of them. She settled back to her wine.
'I apologise, Nero.' she said, perfectly clear so that everyone could hear. Her voice, however, was not as clear as her sentiment, slightly shaky.
A pang of guilt hit Carmelita hard. She shouldn't have said it, shouldn't have brought it up. Esmé had taken long enough trying to forget the experiences herself, and help Carmelita turn away from their troubled past. No matter how the older woman acted, she should never have been so inconsiderate.
'Esmé--' she started quietly, but Esmé shook her head, looking up as their main courses arrived.
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