➶ ｡˚ CHAPTER FOUR !! ° ┊
[ real life ]

✧ ━━ ❛ alone ❜

✧ °₊ ᴵᴿᴸ !

"GOOD MORNING," CORALINE MUMBLES as she stumbles off the stairs, putting her hair in a messy bun. she's in kind of a rush, since she got up way too late again. she needs to be at work in 15 minutes and she still needs to eat.

"don't know if you're still going to call it a good morning in a few," her brother answers as he shoves another spoon full of cereal in his mouth.

coraline frowns, walking over to the cereal box, finding it ― of course ― empty.

"are you kidding me?" she asks as she holds the box in front of her brother.

he looks at her, clearly not giving a shit about his sister not having any cereal left, and shrugs, "you snooze, you loose, sissy."

coraline groans and rolls her eyes at her brother, deciding to just make a quick toast. as she walks to the toast maker on the other side of the kitchen, she passes a large pile of mail, a shiny card catching her eye in particular. she stops and turns her head slowly. her curiosity takes over as she takes the card in her hands, reading the big, curly letters. her jaw literally drops open when she realizes what she has in her hands.

"no way!" she exclaims, "aunt v's getting married?"

"yup" eli hums.

"that's great!" coraline feels her body fill with excitement at the thought of her aunt in a white long dress and the thought of herself in a beautiful dress too. she's already looking forward to getting dressed up and to go to the, probably, ridiculously big party, since her aunt has a knack for that shit.

"don't jump in the air just yet."

she looks over at eli, who's still finishing his cereal ― why does he take so long?

"what's up with you today?" she asks after her brother's second negative comment this morning.

he shrugs again. "nothin'," he says, swallowing, "i'm just saying you should wait cheering until you know the entire picture."

coraline's eyes drop to a narrow. she's absolutely not liking her brother's negative energy, especially when she finally woke up with a pretty positive vibe this morning, even though it was like 5am.

"okay, weirdo..." she says hesitantly, "can you take me to work?"

"i'm forced to," her brother stands up and takes his keys while coraline tries to quickly stuff her feet into her shoes.

"not my fucking fault," she groans, her fingers aching from trying to get her feet into her shoe. 

"don't be a saint," he says, opening the door, "you were involved too."

"alright, but my involvement doesn't justify yours."

after their parents discovered the siblings had sneaked out to go party on a thursday night, they absolutely weren't happy. what made them even angrier, though, was the fact that elijah had stayed home and not even gotten out of bed to take his sister to school. now he has to take her to her morning shift, which coraline's actually grateful for, because she wasn't feeling like going by bike at 5:30 in the morning.

she's just about to leave, when a voice calls her back, "coraline, wait!"

she turns around at the sound of her mother walking into the room, with her father right behind her. "we need to talk to you," she says. coraline's eyes immediately widen at the idea of both her parents wanting to talk to her, because that never happens.

"now?" she asks, still in a rush.

"it won't take long," her mother promises, giving her a little smile.

coraline sighs as she lets go of the door, giving her parents her full atention, "fine, i'm listening."

her mom looks at her, her eyes skipping to the table, "don't you want to sit down for a second?"

"it's okay, you said it wouldn't take long so―"

"sit down, coraline," her dad demands. coraline raises her eyes brows at the order, not liking the way her dad talks to her at all, but she decides to leave it and sits down at the dining room table, elbows on the surface to support her head.

"so..." her mom begins. she's sitting down at the other side of the table, right in front of her, her husband standing behind her with a hand on her shoulder. "have you thought about who you're going to take?"

coraline frowns at her moms words, having absolutely no clue what she's talking about. her eyes skip to her dad, trying to get a little more information.

"your aunt veronica's wedding," he simply says. he points to the invitation, laying on the table.

coraline looks at the shiny paper, seriously fighting the urge to roll her eyes as she realizes what her parents are talking about. "well," she says boredly, "i guess you've already handpicked my escort, so a lot of thinking won't be involved for me, right?"

coraline's words hang in the air, heavy with sarcasm and thinly veiled frustration. she can't stand the way her parents always seem to make decisions for her, as if she's incapable of handling her own life.

she hears her brother holding back a laugh behind her. her mom flinches slightly at the tone her daughter just spoke, but her dad remains stoic, unfazed by the defiance.

"no, coraline, we haven't," her mother responds, a hint of irritation creeping into her voice. "but we thought you might appreciate some suggestions. it's a big event, and we wouldn't want you to feel out of place."

coraline presses her lips together and raises her head, looking both her parents straight in the eye. "out of place?" she repeats, "at a family wedding? how much more 'in place' can i get?" the absurdity of the situation isn't lost on her, but she can feel the conversation spiraling into familiar territory ― her parents setting the stage for her life as if she were a character in a play they were directing.

it's what they've been doing all her life: controlling every single step she takes, especially when it comes to big family gatherings like weddings. it's all about status in the evans' family, and coraline is the only one out of all the cousins who's still single, since elijah now has a girlfriend too. to her parents, that's embarrassing, because people are going to ask questions, that's how the family works.

coraline has always felt the weight of her parents' expectations pressing down on her when it comes to these kind of things, making her feel like she's more of a trophy to be paraded around than a daughter to be loved for who she is. the constant comparisons and the silent judgments at family gatherings have left her weary. she knows the upcoming wedding will be no different, but she's sick of people deciding things for her.

"we're just trying to help," her dad interjects, his voice firm, attempting to steer the conversation back to what he considers a productive dialogue.

"really?" coraline leans back, crossing her arms, "because it feels like you're more interested in managing appearances than my happiness."

her parents exchange a glance, a silent conversation passing between them that coraline can't decipher. it's a look she's seen many times before, one that usually precedes a lecture on responsibility, family image, or some other topic she's heard enough about to last a lifetime.

"coraline, it's not about appearances," her mom says, finally breaking the silence, "it's about support. we just want to make sure you're not..." she stops, carefully thinking about what she's about to say next, "alone."

"alone," coraline mumbles to herself, the word tasting bitter in her mouth, "and being alone at a wedding is the worst possible fate, right?" her voice drips with sarcasm, her patience thinning. still, she remains calm.

her father's patience, however, seems to have run out. "that's enough! you need to watch your tone, young lady. we're your parents, we know what's best for you."

she takes in a sharp inhale before raising her head, meeting her father's eyes. "right, because what's best for me is for you to decide who i should date," she says, causing his eyebrows to scrunch together even more.

her mother lays her hand over his, signing him to calm down. "coraline, this is important," she tries to say calmly, but coraline can hear the furstration in her voice, "you can't just go to the wedding alone, people will talk."

"i don't care, let them talk," coraline challenges.

her father scoffs. "you're being unreasonable."

at those words, coraline does roll her eyes, making sure everyone has seen it.

she loves her parents with her whole life, she really does, but their need to control every aspect of her life, especially when it comes to boys and dating, is suffocating. she understands they want what's best for her, but their version of "best" often feels like a cage to her.

gazing out the window, coraline reflects on the countless times she's tried to assert her independence, only to be met with resistance and lectures about responsibility and tradition. it's exhausting, constantly fighting against their expectations and trying to carve out a path of her own.

"i don't think you don't know what's best for me, dad," she says. she's still talking in a really calm voice, but she knows her frustration is noticeable. "maybe if you and mom actually listen to what i want for once instead of trying to control every aspect of my life, you'd understand that."

the words hang heavy in the air, a palpable tension settling over the dining room. her father's jaw tightens, his eyes flashing with a mixture of anger and hurt. her mother, caught between sympathy and frustration, tries to diffuse the situation. "coraline, sweetheart... we only want you to be happy."

coraline shakes her head, her resolve unwavering. "but what if your idea of happiness isn't mine? what if i just want to do what i want, like elijah?" the sudden mention of his name causes the boy to look up, immediately cursing his sister for it because if looks could kill, he'd be even more than dead right now.

both his parents look at him with a hard bitterness in their eyes as they speak, "you brother has a significant other to go with."

"what if i do too?" coraline blurts out.

well, that caused her parents attention. they both turn their heads, looking at their daughter across the table with wide eyes. coraline looks at them, suddeny feeling really small, fiery hoping that elijah will keep his mouth shut about what she randomly said, because her parents are on the verge of not believing.

it's really quiet in the evans' house, uncomfortably quiet, no one dares to say anything. coraline turns her head slowly to see if her brother is still breathing, but quickly turns her head back when her mother starts talking again. "there's... a boy?" she asks carefully.

coraline stares ahead of her, afraid to look her parents in the eye because if she does, there is a good chance that her mother will realize that she's lying, since she always does.

she sighs silently, cursing herself for putting her in the mess she is in now, because what the fuck is she going to do now? she opens her mouth, immediately closing it again as she has no idea what to say.

her parents are still staring at her with the exact same look as 5 minutes ago, and coraline's seriously asking herself if they're ever going to blink again ― aren't their eyes getting a little dry or something?

elijah is the first to recover of the shock that everyone has just undergone and finally feels like opening his mouth to (sort of) defend his sister. "well," he speaks, "that's so wonderful, right?"

"stay out of this, elijah," his father answers.

"but―"

"we need to meet this boy," he raises his voice, pushing elijah back out of the conversation.

coraline finally finds the courage to look up. "uh... sure," she says quietly. all her frustration and anger from earlier has been wiped away, at this point she's honestly just terrified. she feels her heart pounding in her throat as her father continues the conversation, since her mother is still too speechless to speak.

"he'll be present at the family dinner on saturday," he straightens his back, "and your mother and i will see if he's suitable for your future ― for the wedding." he corrects himself.

"i don't know if he'll be free on sat―"

"he will," he speaks sternly, "or he'll make time."

coaline falls back a little in her chair, getting a little stressed because where on fucking earth is she going to find someone who wants to have a family dinner with her and her parents? everyone knows how their parents feel about dating and shit, and just because hailey, elijah's girlfriend, got through the hurricane, doesn't mean anyone will.

plus, coraline's parents have always been a little more protective of her than of her older brother. he's just... elijah, he does his own thing anyway. things are different with coraline.

"are we clear?" she hears.

she looks up at her father as he approaches her. "yes," she speaks in a trembling voice, "he'll be there."

her father nods satisfiedly as he pats his daughter on the back, "your mother and i do this to protect you, coraline," he explains, "there are horrible people in this world, and some young souls sometimes don't realize that in time, you understand?"

she nods, a mere reflex in the overwhelming storm of emotions swirling inside her. the weight of her fabricated confession presses down on her like a heavy cloak. she watches as her father walks out of the room, a mix of relief and anxiety churning in her stomach. relief that the immediate interrogation has ceased, anxiety for the elaborate web of lies she now finds herself entangled in.

"cora," elijah says her name with an awkward tone in his voice, "we need to leave, you'll be late."

she nods again, pushing her chair from under the table. she tries to gather herself together as she watches her brother say goodbye to her mother, and she follows him outside.

once in the car it really starts to sink in what the fuck she just did. she's not just looking for a date, she's looking for a co-conspirator in an elaborate deception, a partner in crime willing to navigate the perilous waters of her family's expectations. and not just for a dinner, but for an event that holds significance for her entire family. the standards couldn't be higher.

the whole ride she tries to think of ways to get her out of the stupid game she got herself involved in, bt she doesn't have much of a choice.

option one is play along until her family's out of town again and then tell her parents she and her boyfriend broke up. of course, to do that, she'll need to find a boyfriend. she considers her friends, her acquaintances, even the most remote of connections who could possibly play the part. truth is, she's not always very friendly to people of the opposite gender, since most of the boys she knows are literal douchebags.

option two is moving to the south pole and joining the population of penguins, hoping they won't kill her because she doesn't have a date to a penguin wedding.

and even though option two is very attractive, she still has no choice but to go for option one.

she'll have to find someone batshit crazy to play along with her stupid, little lie.

MEANWHILE ON THE OTHER SIDE of the street, christopher sturniolo is trying his very best to stay awake as he slowly drifts away to the boring voice of his study coach ― an old man his father spent loads of money on to get chris "on the right path".

chris has absolutely no interest in this conversation, because it's pointless anyway. why should his grades matter to him if he'll just go to a hockey sports school next year? his purpose is clear to him, it's just not completely clear to his father yet, but he's working on it.

the tension between chris and his father's ideas for him highlights their relationship once again, where his father absolutely couldn't give a fuck less about how chris feels about everything. even now the man didn't even care enough to show up when his son is literally talking to a study coach he arranged. not like he ever really did those things, so it isn't a surprise.

"wake up, bitch."

chris slowly opens his eyes at the sound of someone talking to him right in his ear, followed by a hard smack on the back of his head. the youngest triplet brother startles as his elbow, on which his head was resting, shoots off the edge of the table, causing his head to fall with a loud thump on the table.

"what the fuck, nick," he complains, rubbing his hand over his forehead.

"this is important, chris. i don't know if you've ever considered using those ears of yours for more than only decoration, but this might be a good time to start."

"i wasn't even asleep, dude."

nick scoffs at his brother's words, "well, you weren't really awake either."

"whatever, asshole."

"chris?"

chris turns his head back to the man sitting across from him at the table.

"i'm serious, you'll need a tutor."

chris leans back into his chair, crossing his arms defensively as the study coach lays out the tutoring plan. the idea of bringing someone else into this mess, another person trying to "fix" him, irritates him more than he can explain. the mere suggestion feels like another chain added to his shackles, another reminder of his perceived inadequacies in his father's eyes.

"nah, i'm good," he says.

the coach, not really surprised by chris's resistance, leans forward, interlocking his fingers on the table. "chris," he starts, "i understand this might not be where you want to be, but think of this as part of your training. every athlete knows the importance of a well-rounded regimen ― physical, mental, strategic. what we're doing here, it's no different."

he rolls his eyes, skepticism written all over his face. "this is stupid," he mumbles, "i'm not going to do this just because my father wants me to."

"chris!" nick hisses at his rude behavior.

"what?"

but the coach doesn't care. instead, he narrows his eyes, "you like hockey, right?" he asks.

chris nods slowly, first a little surprised by the fact that he knows he loves hockey, but the reason quickly became clear to him when he thought about how his father probably mentioned their opposing ideas of his future.

"just imagine," he continues, "that each subject we tackle is another opponent on the ice. you wouldn't go into a game without knowing your opponent, right? math, science, literature ― think of them as teams you're going to face. the better you understand them, the better you'll play your game."

chris looks at him, hating the way how the he's involving a thing he really loves to make it look better ― because it's working. "mhm," he hums, arms still crossed. he shows a little interest, not too much though.

the coach nods, noticing the way chris seems more and more interested because of involving hockey in the plan. "and just like in hockey, you don't have to do it alone. a tutor, someone your age, could be like a teammate, someone to help you navigate and strategize."

chris considers this, the idea of a peer tutor becoming less of a sentence and more of an opportunity. "alright..." he says slowly, "i get your point."

"so?" the study coach asks hopefully, "what do you think?"

chris groans in response, "i don't know, man," he says, "i hate this tutor shit, it's boring."

the old man smiles, a genuine expression of understanding and agreement. "you can pick your own tutor, maybe that'll help to quiet your boredom?"

"i can pick myself?" the fact that he can choose his own tutor makes it all seem a little less bad than it is. chris isn't feeling like sitting together in the library with a boring nerd every week, but since he can choose for himself, he gets a silent concession that maybe, just maybe, there's a way to make this work in his favor.

the coach nods, "but they do need to help you with your grades, this is not about random hang-outs," he emphasizes, "do you already have someone in mind? one of your brothers, maybe?"

chris looks to his left, at nick.

"him?" chris asks, pointing at nick with a wrinkled nose.

"me?" nick asks at the same time.

"nah, he would scold me more than teach me, he's a monster."

nick turns his head, narrowing his eyes at his brother, "a monster, huh?" he repeats, "well, sometimes it takes a monster to get through to a stubborn kid. besides, who's better to scare you into learning than me?"

chris shoots him a skeptical look, "scare me into learning? what are you going to do, haunt my dreams with algebra equations and historical dates?"

"only if i have to," nick mumbles, giving chris a sarcastic smile and turning his head to his coach, "i'm sorry, but i don't think i'll be able to tutor him. i don't really have that much time lately, since i took photography as a major... but maybe matt can do it?"

matt, who has been lying on the couch for the entire conversation, raises his head. "no," he states.

"well thanks, matt," nick answers sarcastically, "that's the kind of enthusiasm we need."

matt props himself up on his elbows and looks his brothers in the eye with a lazy shrug. "look," he starts, "i've got my own stuff to handle. chris's inability to stay awake in class isn't exactly my problem, you know?"

chris scoffs, shooting back, "gee, thanks for the brotherly love, bro. remind me to return the favor next time you need help."

"you're welcome, and i will," he falls back onto the pillows and scrolls mindlessly through his socials while adding, "i'm way too busy to deal with your dumb ass."

chris frowns, "yeah, because playing video games and binge-watching series all weekend is the pinnacle of busyness."

matt shoots him a glare, "you'd be surprised how much planning goes into doing nothing. it's an art."

nick snorts at the exchange, "art," he mumbles to himself, shaking his head.

chris turns back to his study coach, who had followed the conversation closely, "don't worry sir," he tells him, "i'll find someone."

ᵣₒₓ !!

hey guys... 👋👋 THIS IS SO LONG LMAO SORRY

don't hate on cora's parents they're actually nice!!! just really overprotective ❤️

i'm WAYYY too excited to drop next chap my fingers are literally itching