Love Is a Dog from Hell.

Formal dinner. Those were two words that Skylar hadn’t heard in a very long time. Probably since the last time that Grandfather came and that was ten years ago.

Skylar stared down at what she thought was a hideous gold, strapless, long dress that was placed on her bed. Her jewelry and shoes were sitting next to the dress. Maggie was standing at her dresser, brush and hairpins in hand, ready to do her hair. She looked at her maid and Maggie pointed at her wristwatch.

“Must hurry, Miss Skylar. No late, no late! You know how Mr. Grandfather be if late!” she hissed at her. Skylar rolled her eyes and got dressed in a hasty manner.

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“Miss Skylar, good evening.” Charlie the butler said as Skylar entered the dining room. He bowed to her and she tried her best to curtsy in heels but she wasn’t really good at doing anything in heels besides sitting.

Charlie led her to her seat, pulled out her chair, and pushed it in as she sat directly across her mother.

Her mom, Nancy, was a Latin beauty. She had soft flowing brown hair, twinkly hazel eyes, and skin so flawless and the perfect shade of tan that she could do skin commercials and convince the whole world to buy the products. Nancy came from a big money family as well. So even though she and Byron were of different nationalities, the money part was what allowed them to get married.

“Hi Mom.” Skylar said to her mom, looking down at her plate. The good dishes had been brought out and there were so many forks and spoons and knives, that she would have looked like a complete fool if she hadn’t taken those etiquette classes when she was three.

Nancy nodded her head once in acknowledgment and then quickly nodded her head side to side to remind Skylar that her father and grandfather were at the heads of the table.

“Hello Father.” She said in her father’s direction and then turned to her left. “Grandfather.” She nodded slowly and then quickly looked back at her plate before her grandfather’s crystal blue eyes could bore into her making her feel insignificant. But he didn’t have to do that to make her feel that way.

The butlers came in with salads and appetizers to begin just as her grandfather began to speak.

“Skylar, you have grown into a beautiful young woman, I see.” He started. Skylar quickly looked at her mother and then at her grandfather. She smiled quickly and went back to chewing her lettuce.

“Is that all? A smile? No thank you? My, what is wrong with this upcoming generation?” he said in a manner of disgust.

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Dinner went horrible as Skylar predicted. Anything from the way she sat to picked up her fork to chew her food to how she did her hair to what shoes she wore was incorrect. She wanted to dig a hole and bury herself in it halfway into dinner just to not hear another criticism and unfortunately, her parents couldn’t help her for they were criticized about everything as well.

Skylar wanted to go to her room, put some Nirvana on full blast, and do her homework, but she couldn’t. They had to have ‘family time’ after dinner in the sitting room. They were to discuss the upcoming trip to New York for it was going to be Skylar’s debut.

“Skylar, I hear you have a job?” her grandfather asked in a confused manner as he sat in one of the stiff armchairs. She nodded slowly. “Why? Why would you get a job in some crummy record shop?”

She shrugged her shoulders.

“I like music. I like the environment. I feel normal there.” She answered. She averted her eyes to her father, but he had already facepalmed.

“This is not normal?” Grandfather waved his hand motioning to the room. Skylar looked him in the eyes.

“Not to me. My best friend doesn’t come from money and she works there with me. It’s fun.”

Grandfather sighed heavily and rolled his eyes. He snapped his fingers and as soon as he did a butler came out of nowhere with a glass of whiskey.

“Enough of that. Have you got everything prepared for New York? This is your Cotillion debut and everything needs to be prepared weeks in advanced.”

“I have my dress and that is about it.” Skylar replied. She saw his face go from serious to well, even more serious. She guessed that that was not the answer he was looking for.

“No worries, Xavier. Skylar is not really in the planning part of it. She is dieting and doing facials weekly for the debut. I am in charge of everything else.” Her mother quickly added. Skylar gave her mother a gracious look. This Cotillion thing was new to her. She had only heard of it two days prior and that was just to be told that she needed to be measured for her dress and she needed a hair trim.

Her grandfather nodded in an approving manner.

“And her partner?” he asked.

“Partner?” Skylar quickly questioned.

“Yes.” Her grandfather drawled out. “You have to have someone escort you.”

Skylar crinkled her eyebrows in confusion and pointed at her father.

“Don’t the dads escort?” she asked. Her grandfather looked like he was going to laugh, but that was the thing, he never laughed.

“No, Skylar. But no matters, I can have a son of a friend escort you.” He said in a tone that sounded monotone and bored. She panicked. She didn’t want to go with some stranger.

“No, no. I was just kidding about that! I already have an escort. He’s my friend.” She lied.

Her grandfather raised an eyebrow and looked slightly intrigued. Skylar smiled nervously and wondered if Zacky would agree to being her partner for this stupid dance and if he’d accept her for the not-so-normal girl that she really was.