Mixed Feelings of Elation

Arpeggio and Neon sat at the counter of the kitchen, eating bacon and eggs. There was a dining room attached to the kitchen just through a set of swinging doors but no one used it. After their parents passed away, it became hard for the two to eat in the room. There were too many memories. Sometimes, Neon couldn't bring herself to go in there to clean. A lot of things in the house had been changed when Neon earned enough money, like the living room furniture and their parents' bedroom. But the dining room remained the same.

It had been important to their parents to eat at the dining room table. It was where some of their fondest memories took place, including when their mother told them she was pregnant with her third child. It was also where some of their most painful memories took place. A set of which belonging to the time Neon stopped eating. Another set belonging to the time when the police officer's came to the house and had Neon and Arpeggio sit in the room to inform them that their parents had been killed in a car accident on the way to the hospital. Their mother was in labor, about to give birth to their youngest sister.

After that, no one could eat in the dining room without crying.

"You really think Jack's parents will like me?" Arpeggio asked.

"Yes, honey," Neon responded.

She had answered the same question more than ten times now. It was getting annoying.

"Okay. I trust you. If they hate me and tell me they never want me to talk to their son again, I blame you," Arpeggio stated.

"Okay."

"So have you thought about the interview?" Arpeggio asked.

"What about it?"

"Are you going to expose your high school experience? Or are you just going to brush the question off?"

"Why do all of you think the interviewer will ask a question related to that?"

"Because it's basically our biggest scandal since we were signed. They'll ask about Alone too. Since the video is about to come out. There may be a few questions about Armand. And the new album that we need to start recording. But it will be more about your weight loss and hypocrisy."

"I'm not a hypocrite."

"I know that. Just because you've suffered from anorexia doesn't mean you can't promote self-love. People who suffer from eating disorders know better than most what its like to hate themselves with a passion, whether that's the specific reason they started dieting or not. No one else seems to understand that."

"Which is why I'm answering the questions to the best of my ability, leaving out the Alex scenario."

A large smile formed on Arpeggio's face. The girl was glowing with pride for her older sibling.

"I'm excited now," Arpeggio stated.

As if that wasn't obvious.

"I can see that," Neon said.

"So are you nervous?"

"I guess. It's just an interview. I've done plenty."

She was nervous. She couldn't help but be a little nervous. She just didn't want anyone to know she was nervous.

"This one is different," Arpeggio stated.

"I know but it's still an interview. I have to pick my words carefully so nothing is taken the wrong way."

Arpeggio's face went blank, "Since when do we have to pick our words carefully?"

"It's always been that way."

"No one informed me of this."

"This explains so much," Neon mumbled.

"Shut up and eat your bacon," Arpeggio retaliated.

Neon was eating. Arpeggio asked her politely instead of trying to force the food down her throat. It helped that Arpeggio was in the house. If she hadn't been there, Neon would have eaten a safe food instead of bacon and eggs.

"You have to go to Lestat's house tomorrow, by the way," Arpeggio stated.

"Why?"

"Because everyone is going to be there to help me through meeting Jack's parents."

"Are you going to have some microchip in your ear so we can tell you what to say?"

Neon did not doubt that Dorian came up with an idea as outrageous as that and feed it to the drummer, assuring her it would be fool proof.

"No, I'll be sending texts to one of the band members as the night goes on. And you guys are supposed to reply back promptly to tell me what to do," Arpeggio answered.

"Do you seriously think that's going to work?" Neon asked.

"As long as I don't text your lost phone, yeah."

"Whatever you say."

This plan was going to be terrible. Neon could see it ending in a complete failure. Arpeggio could easily deal with Jack's parents without their help. She just had no faith in her ability to smile and win people's hearts.

"Did you still want me to take Armand's drum set home?" Arpeggio asked.

"Yeah, you need it more than I do."

She wasn't crying over Armand anymore.

"I may come over tomorrow to get it before I head to Jack's parents' house."

"While I'm not home?" Neon asked.

"Yep."

"Lock the door when you leave."

Neon didn't care that Arpeggio was planning on breaking into her house to get her drum set. The drummer made an extra key for everyone in the band. She knew where Neon kept her spares outside, which is how she made the extra keys. As long as she locked up the house and didn't leave anything on, Neon was okay with her being there.

It was Arpeggio's home not too long ago. Her being in the house unattended was fine.

"Will do," Arpeggio mock saluted.

"And don't try cooking," Neon added, "My microwave is still broken."

The pair looked at the dejected microwave, door hanging on a single hinge. Neon grimaced, reminding herself to buy a new one today. Assuming she didn't fall asleep before the day was over.

She had eaten half a plate of bacon and eggs; she shouldn't fall asleep any time soon with the calories pumping through her system.

"Yeah, I won't cook anymore," Arpeggio stated.

"You'll need to learn to cook when you have children."

"Jack and I taking care of kids? Are you crazy? They would die faster than a goldfish."

"Don't have kids till you're close to going through menopause. You'll both have the maturity of twenty-year-olds by then."

"Yeah, I'd prefer not to have kids. I could not take care of them. And being diabetic makes it more difficult on my body."

"What if I want nieces and nephews?"

"Too bad," Arpeggio rose from her seat, "I have to get going. Jack's probably hungry."

"Take some food," Neon motioned toward the pans and plates.

She wasn't going to eat all of that; it would just go bad in her refrigerator.

Arpeggio nodded, walking around the counter top to the food. She grabbed a plastic container from one of the cabinets and scooped some of the food into it. Jack would be happy to not have to attempt to cook on the stove, though it provided them with plenty of memories.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow while you're at Lestat's," Arpeggio stated, walking back around the counter and hugging her sibling.

"Okay," Neon turned in her seat, watching her sister leave the room.

She heard the front door open but not shut.

"And, Neon," Arpeggio called, "if you think Alex needs to get laid, you guys should have sex and make pretty babies."

The door closed immediately after the statement. It wasn't meant to hurt Neon; she could hear the joking manner in her sister's tone. But that didn't stop Neon from bursting into tears and hiding her face in her hands.