#jonah and wren || 004

[abdicatedarchive]

Dinner Party at the Bishops || Wren, Chanel, Rory, Jonah

@chrysolites @missrory

Wren jumped up when he heard the doorbell ring and smoothed out his clothes before going to the door quickly, but his mother had already opened it. "Chanel Hampton, as I live and breathe" she said with a kind smile. She was happy that her son was finally together with the girl he never quite shut up about, even as a kid, but she wanted to know what this girl was like. She'd done her fair share of sleuthing online.

Chanel didn't realize how hard it was to find a family-friendly outfit in her closet until tonight. She picked out a cute pink, two piece set (she loved her two piece sets) and made sure to wear the new perfume she bought. Wren had told her to wear something new and she didn't think too much on it. Once she knocked on the door, she straightened out her skirt and took a deep breath in. She shouldn't have been so nervous, but she was. She hadn't seen them in so long so she needed to make a good impression. "Hi Chrys!" she spoke with a big smile on her face. "How have you been? How's work going?" she asked, before looking behind her to see Wren.

Jonah on the other hand was just a ball of stress. This was the first time he was ever meeting Rory's parents, the first time he was in a situation like this at all. Rory was his first and only girlfriend and though they had been seeing each other on and off for years, this news of her parent's coming to town scared him. He knocked on the door and said a little prayer in his head to the gods. Please don't mess this up. Please don't mess this up.

Chrys gave Chanel a tight hug and caught a whiff of the girl's perfume, not what she had been expecting. Wren's room smelled a particular way, and she assumed it had been the girl. She was very suspicious of all that Nana let go down here. "You've grown up so much!" she said kindly, "and work has been great, I just spent the last 3 months in the most interesting location. It was great for my writing and I really connected with the locals" said Wren's mom before Wren came over and took Chanel's hand to lead her into the living room along with his mother. "Mom, Chanel's team is heading to qualifiers soon" Wren added to the conversation, "Very exciting stuff, the teams really good".

Rory was upstairs when she heard the doorbell ring, she got up and saw Chanel at the door. Giving the girl a sweet smile she went to say hi. Wearing the scent Chanel usually wore she was hopefully not to feed any of her mother's suspicions. Then she heard the knock she ran to her fathers side as he opened the door so he wouldn't embarrass her in front of Jonah. "Hi." Rory smiled happy to see him." You must be Jonah." her father moved to the side to let boy in and fixed his glasses to get a better look at him.

Chanel hugged Chrys back with a smile on her face. She missed them a lot, they were always so kind to her when she was younger. Maybe they just felt bad for her cause her parents weren't exactly the best, but she pushed the thought out of her mind quickly. "It's must be so fun traveling everywhere! I'd love to do that someday. But I'm glad you're back, it's been so long since I've seen you both." she looked over at Wren as he grabbed her hand, and nodded once he mentioned cheer. "Oh yeah, super exciting. We won nationals last year, so hopefully we can deliver again. Wren's season just started too. You'll get to see him play, he's like, so good. The best on the team."

Wren blushed a little, "I'm not the best, it's just that no one can tell anyone on the team apart except for me" said Wren being modest. He had been working so hard to really kill it this season, he wanted to push himself. "Jonah!" said Wren going to give his buddy a good dapping up. It was nice that they were all together.

Jonah jumped a little when the door opened, but seeing Rory instantly relaxed him. She looked so beautiful. "Hi. Your hair looks really nice." he repeated back to her softly before looking over to her father. "Yes. Hello sir." he slowly put his hand out to shake her father's hand. "That's me, Jonah Keller. Nice to meet you." he said, hoping he didn't come off too awkward. Jonah smiled at Wren and dapped him up like good bros do.

Chanel smiled back at Rory and said hello. "Ooh you look so good!" she said excitedly to the girl. She turned back to Wren and nodded with wide eyes, "Oh yeah, everyone on the team looks a lot a like. Kinda confusing when you see them running around everywhere, but Wren's the tallest so you can spot him out easy. And he makes the most shots so he's totally the best." she nudged her boyfriend as she explained to Chrys. "It's a fun time."

Rory blushed as she touched her hair, she didn't know why she did that she knew it looked good but him noticing made her blush."Thank you I just got it done." She watched as her father took his hand and gave him his special handshake that's suppose to tell him everything he knows about a man. 'Chanel that outfit is everything." she complimented. Her mother making her way to greet Jonah."So this is the one huh?"she nudged Rory. 'Hello I'm Rory's mother it's nice to finally to meet you."

"I love it." Jonah said truthfully looking at Rory with a big, dorky smile on his face. He kept a smile on his face once her father shook his hand, but he was already mentally freaking out. Turning his attention to her mother, Jonah nodded his head in response, "Hello Mrs. Bishop. It's nice to meet you too." he spoke politely. "Thank you for inviting me tonight." It was nice to be around an actual family, it felt comforting.

Nana came in and pinched her son on the cheeks, "Oh my sweet baby boy is here, I am so happy to have all my favorite people in one place" she said looking around the room. "We have some good southern food, but also a little bit of savory kugel to keep with the Hanukah spirit" Nana announced to the room. "If y'all will join us in the dining room"

Chanel looked down at her outfit and smiled big at Rory, "Oh my god, thanks hun!" she said before Nana came in. She walked to the dining room with Wren and took a seat next to him as everyone was sitting down.

When Nana came in the attention went to her, both Rory and her Mother rolled their eyes at the interaction between him and his mother. "Yes let's go and get to know each other." Her mother said happily as she began to walk. Rory took Jonah's hand and followed suit. Sitting across from Wren and Chanel so they could silently communicate. Her hand still holding Jonah's under the table.

Alex was in blissful ignorance, he was just super happy to be home. He honestly did not even notice his wife or daughter roll their eyes, everybody loves Nana. They were all seated, "So, Jonah ... Chanel. What are your plans for college?" he asked as they started to pass food around. Chrys keeping a watchful eye on Wren's plate. They had been watching him like hawks the whole time they had been home.

Jonah smiled to himself once everyone was seated and he still had Rory's hand in his. The question shouldn't have really came as a surprise, but it did. College was honestly something Jonah didn't think about too much. He was too busy thinking about what was going to happen once he turned eighteen. His foster parent's were super sweet and he hoped they would actually adopt him and his brother one day but that wasn't certain. If they didn't, he'd have to move out and live on his own. He needed to make sure he had enough money. "College?" he asked, trying to come up with some kind of answer that was good enough. "I would like to be a writer." he said. "So hopefully if I have the money I'll be able to go to college and see that through." he answered, regretting how much he said.

Chanel looked over at Wren and Rory's parents and smiled, she also was little stuck when it came to the topic of college, but for different reasons. She just simply didn't know what she wanted to do. "I keep going back and forth with what I want to study. I wanna make sure it's what I love, you know?" she tilted her head to the side, "But I've sort of been thinking about culinary school. I've suddenly got this passion for cooking. Who would've thought!" she said, leaving out the part where she was sort of forced into cooking for herself back at home. Luckily she actually started to enjoy it, but she hadn't talked to Wren about her plans of culinary school. It wasn't for certain.

''Oooh A writer and a possible chef in the family hun, we could be so lucky." Chrys nudged her husband."Mom please." Rory whined. She could see the wheels in her moms head turning and planning their whole life together. "Oh hush, ignore her she's cranky." Chrys never let her smile falter. "Would you guys like wine? or tea to go with this delicious food." Rory gave Wren a what is she doing look before shaking her head and putting food on her and Jonah's plate.

Wren moved his hand to Chanel's knee and looked up at her and gave her a look that said please dear god do not fall for it. He prayed that Rory shot Jonah the same look, and he returned his gaze to Rory. "Nana the food is delicious" said Wren as he picked at what was on his plate, taking a big bite for everyone to see.

Chanel knew what was up. Her own parents would have asked the same question, but they would be serious about it. Or at least her mother would have. But Chanel knew not everyone was like her parents. "Oh I don't drink, but thank you for the offer. Tea for me please!" she said casually. She looked over as Wren took a bite and smiled. Jonah nodded his head in agreement with Chanel, "No thank you. I'll have tea as well." he smiled as he looked down at the food. "It does look delicious." he said before taking a bite.

'Tea it is." Chrys said getting up. Rory was relieved but that lasted a few seconds as Alex decided to speak."So how did these friendships." he did air quotes. "Happen. I want all the deets. I'm saying that right or is it tea, never mind I want the tea guys." he fixed his glasses as nana and Chrys came back with tea and more food.

"Dad" said Wren with a laugh, what a quirky man. Him and his sweaters. Wren smiled at the question though, "I thought Wren and Chanel were going to date when he moved here" said Nana, "and I thought those two were going to get back together. But it seems ... the Bishop children are a little slow paced" Nana added as she tried to put more food on Wren's plate from her seat. Wren shook his head to the food, "Hey now, it's not that we're slow. It's that we like to wait for the right moments" said the boy as he defended the fact that they were both total weenies.

"Look at my little baby of course she was smitten, look at that face." Chrys smiled pointing her fork at Wren. "Rory is absolutely stunning no way he could stay away from my sweetness." Rory shook her head at the comments that were being made." We had to do it with style, you know unforgettable moments?" she wasn't wrong the hoops they had to deal with wouldn't be forgotten anytime soon.

Chanel laughed along with Wren as Alex spoke. He hadn't changed one bit. "He is a cutie." she said with a single nod. "I was a little slow though. Guess I just thought he saw me as just a friend, but I feel really lucky. He's been nothing but sweet to me." she spoke truthfully. "I mean, he's always been sweet to me but he's an amazing boyfriend! Best I've ever had." she let the last comment slip and quickly took a bite from the food. Hopefully they didn't think too hard on that. Jonah looked over at Chanel, feeling nervous for her. "Huh? Oh yeah, Rory's amazing. She was one of my first friends when I got moved out here. I-I guess I was just too nervous to ask at first." he said, keeping out obvious details as to why they just started dating again. "She's incredible. I'm really happy I met her."

Wren smiled when Chanel said he was the best boyfriend she had ever had. It made him feel really good about himself. "Oh, so the Rorster made the first move? That's my girl" said Alex with some pride. He had raised a headstrong daughter, he could not exactly say the same about his son. They were all looking at Wren picking at his food, he had eaten a fair amount for him. "Wrennie, do you want seconds?" asked Chrys with the sweetest smile, "You had a big practice earlier" she added. She looked over to Rory for a little support. "I ate a late lunch, but I'm gonna go refill the water pitcher" said Wren as he got up from the table and went to the kitchen with the water pitcher to avoid having to talk more about his food. "Chrys" said Alex sternly, "We're not doing this right now, we have guests" he said quietly.

"Babe." Rory smiled at Jonah, before groaning internally at the nickname he let slip. Rory had also been watching how he would handle the food. She looked over at her mother then dad before speaking."We were pigging out at the salon, I don't even know how I'm making it through this first place." she lied. "See leave the boy alone." her father spoke waiting for Wren to come back." So are we in love or just infatuated?" he asked trying to put on his serious voice.

Chanel kept quiet once Wren left the room, she didn't know what to say. She didn't like to bring up that subject to Wren, she didn't want to upset him if everything was okay. Chanel believed what Rory was saying and tried to think positively on the situation. 

Jonah smiled at Rory once she said babe, but actively chose not to look at any adults in the eye. At least not right now. He started to become incredibly confused when Wren left and it seemed like he was the only one that felt that way. He just sat and awkwardly continued to eat the food before Alex asked that question. He could tell his face was heating up as he chewed on his food. He had just told Rory he loved her at the ski trip, but was he supposed to say it out loud right now? "I-I-I... Yes." he answered, completely flustered. Idiot! 

Chanel looked over at the parents and stayed quiet for a moment, "Love? Oh, we... we haven't... I mean I really like him, of course. But yeah, ya know?" she let out a forced laugh.

Wren came in at what felt like the worst time, Jonah was clearly flustered. Chanel was word vomitting about how they hadn't said that yet, "Chanel and I have only been dating like two weeks" said Wren as he put the water pitcher back down on the table and poured himself a glass. Why did his dad have to ask this right now? "Wow, these are some exciting developments" said Chrys as she took a sip of her wine. Jonah and Rory had said I love you, this was ... interesting information. She wondered why she had not heard more about this already. Wren ate some more of his food to please everybody at the table and put his hand under the table to hold hands with Chanel and smiled at her. Nana thought about how excited she was for a nightcap at the end of all of this, a stiff drink seemed very much in order.

Rory sighed eating some more food on her plate. She had lied about eating and she was starving but she knew if she ate too much her mother would catch on. She could already see the conversation about how she didn't tell her about being in love.  "May I ask about your parents? What are they like? Where are they from? Is a family dinner with all of us in a future  I make a delicious lasagna." Chrys prided. " she does, its what she made for the first date and I was hooked. I knew I was going to marry her then."

The mention of parents instantly made his stomach knot up. He hated bringing the mood down with his problems, but he wasn't even sure what to say. "P-Parents?" he repeated back, feeling pressure on his chest. "Uh right yeah, so Corey and Melissa are really nice. My... my foster parents." he specified, the words just kind of came out. It felt wrong to call them his parents. Jesse had already started calling them mom and dad, and he had been here less than Jonah. He wished he was that comfortable to call them that, but it still felt weird. "I'm um, not exactly sure where they're from... but Corey is the principal of the school and Melissa is a therapist. They've been amazing the whole time, I'm very grateful for them." he said truthfully, trying his best to make eye contact with everyone at the table. 

Chanel also wasn't too excited to bring up her parents. Chrys and Alex knew her parents already, but she didn't exactly want to talk about them. There wasn't anything good to talk about. "Oh they're doing good. Mom and dad are the same." she lied. More like a half-lie. They pretty much were the same, but things had been very different. "I'm sure my mom would love to see you guys again." she forced a smile on her face, hoping they wouldn't bump into each other while Chrys and Alex were in town.

Chrys and Alex felt instantly bad for what they had asked when Jonah was answering. "Well, your foster parents sound lovely" said Chrys kindly. No one was going to ask any more details from Jonah, they had clearly taken the conversation in the wrong direction. They had no clue. He seemed well adjusted though, clearly he had been through a lot, but he didn't show it too much. Luckily Chanel came in with the distract, "Well, any time your parents want to come by there are welcome here. They've always been excellent company" said Alex in response, was it necessarily true? Not exactly, but they had no idea about the ongoings of the town right now. It hadn't been something Wren had mentioned in their phone calls. "Jonah is an excellent writer, mom" said Wren, "the school paper is great, and it's all thanks to him" Wren added to gas up his pal.

Rory sighed pushing her plate looking at her parents. She knew they meant well they usually did but sometimes they missed the ball. "Mmhmm I have a few issues upstairs if you want to take a look."She was sure her mother had been through every nook and crannie to see what she was up to maybe she read one of the papers. "Chanel is killing it as a cheerleader and with Wren they are the ultimate power couple." Rory said proudly  making herself aware that she didn't participate in any school activities and if she caught on. Her parents were already planning a speech of being more social in their head.

Jonah awkwardly laughed and waved his hands from side to side, "I wouldn't say excellent." he shook his head. "Oh but thank you." he corrected himself. Jonah appreciated the compliment, but he never viewed himself as a great enough writer. It's why he put himself as an editor for the school paper. "I'm more of an editor, but I write up some issues every now and then." he explained to Chrys and Alex with a small smile on his face. "But I mean if we're talking about talent, Rory is the best at designing clothes! I wish I could do that. She's so creative, but I'm sure you all know that already." he said, more relaxed. He could gush about Rory all day. 

Chanel nodded her head and continued to eat, "I'll let them know." Another lie. She did not want her mother embarrassing her, she'd already done enough of that. She then smiled at Rory once the girl complimented her, "Aw thanks!" she said cheerfully. "You and Jonah are super cute though. Just a bunch of power couples here." she said, hyping up Rory. If Rory was into Jonah, he must be great.

"Mom, I showed you that jacket that Rory made me the other day. That's just the tip of the iceberg" said Wren thinking about the dope jacket that she had made. Rory was so talented. Sure, Wren had a full resume of high school experiences but Rosy was just so talented in something that could actually be used beyond a resume. "Well, I'm glad you all get along so well, happy that the twins still have such a good bond" said Chrys extending her hand to squeeze Alex's. Nana smiled, "They've really taken well to returning to White Lake" she said confidently. She felt like she was doing a good job, and proud of herself that two very successful parties had been thrown here with no one going to the hospital, thank the Lord himself.

For the most part they were right on the outside it looked like they were striving and adjusting well. "Of course the only time we fight is when he eats my  food that he knew I was saving for later.' Rory sighed dramatically. Chrys nodded happy to hear Wren being associated with food. " It's a Bishop man thing your father does that to me also. You got to be quick dear." She smiled. "So what plans do you have for the winter vacation? Or any hopping parties that are happening?" Alex sat back proud of his lingo even though his daughter looked less impressed.

Chanel wasn't sure if she was doing anything with her parents for Christmas. It was one of few holidays they sort of celebrated together, and that was only because it involved gifts, and Chanel's mom loved gifts. "You know my parents, they love to live in the now." she said, putting it nicely. "I'm not exactly sure what we'll be doing, but I do love a good party." she said without too much thought. Hopefully they wouldn't think she's some kind of crazy party girl, even though she sort of was. 

"Corey and Melissa like to go all out for the holidays. The kids really love it." Jonah explained with a small smile on his face. This was also going to be the first Christmas in a while that he was spending with Jesse. "I'm sure they have a bunch of family stuff planned for Christmas day." He then turned to Rory, "I'm sure they'd love if you came over during the break. They've been asking about you like crazy these past few days."

Chrys and Alex knew that Chanel was putting it very kindly that her parents were the flakiest people of all time. They had had their fair share of cancelled plans with the Hamptons. "Yeah the Hampton's big Christmas party" said Nana, going in for that fun correction so that Chanel could save a little face, "I go every year" because Nana also liked to have a good time. "How many kids are your parents fostering?" asked Chrys as she took another bite of food. Alex also turned to Jonah, very interested in his living situation.

Rory nodded, she didn't know what to say and if she didn't say anything then she  couldn't incriminate herself or anyone else. "Have they?" She was a little surprised. "Whenever you want me to come over I'm there. " she smiled before scanning the room, everyone was almost  finished eating and if she knew her parent's that meant they would separate them and talk to them privates.

Chanel looked over and nodded her head, "Yep. It's always a fun time when you're around." she responded to Nana, giving her a face to show she was grateful for the comment. It was always so hard to make her parents look good. 

Jonah was pretty much finishing up his meal when he got asked about Corey and Melissa. "The number changes every now and then, depending on if someone get adopted." he started to explain. "Jesse and I, oh my brother, we're the oldest. But there's always a pretty big group of kids there. Kinda feels like Cheaper by the Dozen." he chuckled. This house was the best one he had been in so far. He nodded his head at Rory, "You can come over sometime this week?" he suggested.

Wren was also nervous about everyone being separated and talked to, so he devised a plan for himself. "Chanel will you help me clear the table?" he asked as he started picking up plates for people and heading to the kitchen with a stack. Chrys corrected him, "Chanel's a guest" she instructed her son. "Mom, she eats here like 3 times a week. She's basically family" he said, he almost let it slip that it was like she lived here. She had been basically for weeks. There was a ton of her stuff that he had just dropped off at her house before his parents got home. Chrys allowed the two to head off to the kitchen with plates to start cleaning. Wren put the plates down and gave her a quick kiss, "You look really pretty tonight, I meant to tell you that earlier. Sorry my parents are ... well them" he said looking down at her.

"No problem, im Christmas shopping Monday and mom daughter day is Wednesday so any other day works." She glared at Wren when he took her idea. Rory couldn't think of anything else they could do. "Do you want to get some fresh air before my dad and you have a talk?" Rory said getting up. " Be back in 10 minutes." Chrys stated and keep the backporch light on." She wasn't sure if Jonah and Rory had started having sex but she wasn't going to take any chances

Chanel nodded her head instantly, she was already so used to helping with the dishes, "Don't worry! I don't mind help out at all." she said with a sweet smile on her face. Once she set the dishes down, Chanel got on her toes as she kissed Wren, "Yeah? I haven't worn this in like, forever! Forgot I had it. Wish you could take it off of me." she spoke quietly before giving him a wink. "What's to apologize for? They're great. Everything good with you?" she asked, trying to make it casual as she referred to him leaving for a bit when his eating became a subject at the table. 

"Maybe Friday?" Jonah asked before he got up from the seat, "Uh yeah." he smiled and walked outside with Rory. By the time they were outside, he let out a sigh of relief. "Oh god, I feel all shaky. Do I look shaky? Are my palms sweaty? Sorry that's a weird question. I just hope I'm doing fine." he rambled as he paced a bit back and forth. "Do you think they like me? Or, oh shit, do you think they hate me? Don't answer that. Wait no, maybe you should. Be honest."

Wren wanted to take the outfit off her too, he preferred their casual dinners with Nana where they weren't stuck at the table for so long. He put his hand on her waist but didn't say anything, he knew once he opened that door it would be impossible to shut and his parents were in the next room. But then, then she asked about how he was doing. She totally meant the food thing and the little outburst at the table about seconds, and who knows what his parents said when he was refilling the water. "I could be better" he said, moving her against the fridge and kissing her more deeply and moving his hand down from her waist onto her ass. It was a fool proof way to keep Chanel distracted from whatever his parents had said about food at dinner.

Rory watched him as he started rambling, he had done so well at the dinner table she was sure he was nervous on the inside but he hid it so well. She took his hand and pulled him closer to  her,fixing his hair. " I love you and my parents adore you and you look so good tonight." She wrapped her arms around him. "You're doing amazing babe,really." She kissed him softly. Jonah was a good guy and she was sure her parents saw that. " I hope they haven't made you uncomfortable in any way?"

Wren knew Chanel too well. She'd take any opportunity to get a little physical and this was no exception. She smiled against his lips as he began to kiss her, moving his hand down her ass and up her skirt. Once she got started, she didn't exactly know where to draw the line. She wasn't thinking about how they were literally in an open kitchen with his family in the next room. 

Jonah blinked a couple times as Rory pulled him closer to fix up his hair. "I love you too." he said with a genuine smile, practically forgetting everything he was thinking about before. Jonah just wanted to make a good impression, this was such a big deal for him. He couldn't mess this up. Hearing Rory's reassurance did help though, he trusted her. If she felt like he was doing a good job, then he'd take her word. Jonah kissed Rory back before shaking his head at her question. "No, I like them." he answered. The only question that caught him off guard was about his parents but that answer was bound to be a little awkward. It shouldn't have even surprised him. "Your dad's pretty funny." he said with a smile.

"Chanel Hampton, the things I am going to do to you later" whispered Wren into her ear as he moved down to kiss on her neck. A few moments later Nana came in and Wren immediately removed his hands from Chanel and went over to the kitchen island, "Nana, hi" he said with a deer in the headlights look. "You two better keep it together, your mother is nothing like she was when they were young. She's forgotten, so keep your hands to yourselves" she warned. Chrys walked into the kitchen, "Keeping our hands to ourselves?" she teased almost. "Mom, it was just a kiss. Nana's just making sure we're not grossing anyone out" Wren lied.

It was nice to have a minute alone with him, she was on edge hoping her parents didn't totally embarrass her, or catch him up with a question that would land them in hot water. Jonah was doing an amazing job with her parents, and they seem to like them so it seemed like the hard part was over. She let her lips touch his once more." Aww young love." Alex interrupted clasping his hands over his chest. "Is it really love or lust, They may mirror each other sometimes." He said." i know i have to..what do kids say curve the ladies." he said with a corny smile.

Chanel quickly straightened her skirt out and stepped away from Wren, unsure of what to say. All she did was nod at Nana in response. She had known Wren's parents since she was young, but a lot has changed, she's changed. She didn't want them to hate her. Chrys's voice made her jump a bit. "Yep. Uh, oh right! I should finish cleaning these dishes." she quickly said as she turned around to the dishes they placed on the counter. 

Jonah kissed Rory back before instantly turning his attention to Mr. Bishop as he came by. "Lust? Nonono. Just... love." he said awkwardly. He of course did really love Rory, but he wasn't sure if talking about love the first day he met her parents was right. Was there even a right answer to any of this? Jonah chuckled and nodded his head, "Ah right. It's that winning personality of yours, can't be beat." Maybe complimenting was the right answer.

Wren was deeply uncomfortable to say the least, and he was hiding the most poorly timed boner behind the kitchen island. "Oh Chanel, you don't have to do the dishes, we can just hangout" said Chrys, "I'm still fun old Chryssie" she said with a smile that was all too kind. She was trying way too hard, "Nana and Wren would love to do the dishes, wouldn't you two?" she asked. "Wren would love to do the dishes, of course" said Nana as she was poured herself some whiskey and sat down, "My old bones, ya know" Nana joked and Wren laughed. He felt bad that Chanel was about to be whisked away. 

 Chrys took Chanel on her arm and led her to the living room, "So Chanel, that instagram of yours" said Wren's mother, "you're such a pretty girl" she said. She meant it as a compliment, but it all came off as vaguely threatening.

Alex nodded," Good love is always better." He said proudly before looking over at his daughter and smiled. " I'm going to let you in on a little secret." He paused and Rory had already started rolling her eyes. " sweater vest, woman love them. Got one for everyday and my wife loves every single one of them." He boasted and rory rolled her eyes again. " im going to go help nana." She excused herself after kissing jonah's cheek.

Chanel smiled back at Chrys, her wanting to hangout must be a good sign. "Sounds good to me." she said, trying to move on from what just happened. It wasn't like his mom actually saw anything. As she walked to the living room, her smile slowly faded. "My instagram?" she asked softly. This was definitely not what she wanted to talk about with her boyfriend's mom. Yeah, she showed a lot, but she was Chanel. Of course she would. "Uh, thank you." she said, forcing the smile back on her face. "That's very nice of you to say."

Jonah relaxed a bit when he got the response he was given. He was doing good. Once Mr. Bishop said he had a secret, Jonah raised a brow, unsure of where this was going. He hadn't even noticed Rory rolling her eyes. "Oh wow, very fashionable." he said with a small smile. Jonah did like this man. He was a goober, in the best possible. "I'll have to make a mental note. Guess you'll be seeing me some sweater vests." he turned to Rory, but that was a lie. He was not going to do that. "O-Okay, yeah. See you soon." he smiled before looking over at Mr. Bishop, the nerves kicking back in. "Um, thank you for inviting me." he said automatically, even though there was a good chance he had already said that. He couldn't remember in this moment.

Chrys was being kind, and Chanel was a beautiful girl .. but there was something to be worried about. "I'm just concerned what colleges are going to think, no shaming or whatever. I'm just saying ... those archaic bastards are not exactly empowering" said Chrys. There was a reason she had chosen writing instead of teaching. 

Wren was doing dishes when Rory came in, "Guess we both have to do dishes. I tried my best to get you out of it" said Wren laughing as he tossed her the dish rag to be on drying duty. "So did Dad catch you too? Because Nana had the delight" he joked.

"Don't worry She'll never admit it but she gets her fashion sense from me." He stood in front of the younger man. "I wanted to have a little chat." Alex said not really sure how to do the questioning thing. "I see that you love my daughter and I know she loves you, but are you both past the problems that caused your previous breakup?"

"We were just kissing, no grinding." She smiled. " You lucky it was mom, I can see her now. Oh Lawrence what is going on here..then 2 hours about the birds, bees and everything in-between."

Chanel crossed her arms around her chest, feeling uncomfortable in the outfit she was wearing. Maybe this was even too revealing. Chrys and Alex must have already talked about her before she came, they must feel so disappointed in Wren for being with her. "I didn't really think of that..." she spoke softly. "I guess I do some things without really thinking it through." she shrugged, feeling embarrassed just talking about this. "I must get that from my mom." the words came out before she could stop it. She hated thinking about any kind of similarities between her and her mom, and she did not want to talk about her mom with Chrys, so she simply tried laughing it off.

Jonah's eyes widened a bit but tried to keep his composure. He wasn't expecting Rory's father to bring up their previous breakup, he wasn't even sure how much he knew. Thinking about it made his heart start to race. He just hoped he didn't look as nervous as he felt, "Um yeah, y-yes." he corrected himself. "We're... uh, we're working on our communication." he tried to explain. "I was really in my head about our relationship, but I'm just like that." he tapped his forehead, trying to laugh it off. "We're doing really good. Yeah."

Chrys and Alex had most definitely talked about Chanel before she came over, and they had been keeping up with her through the years online. How could they not? They worried about her, her parents were not exactly inspiring role models. They wanted to see Chanel succeed. "Well, we don't need to talk about your mother. We can just talk about Wren" said Chrys taking a deep breath, changing out one hard conversation for a harder one, "How much had Wren told you about his recovery?" she asked, doing her best to pry in an unrevealing way. It was not working that well, but at least she didn't ask outright how much Chanel saw him eat or when. She was deeply worried about him, especially getting into a relationship which could be another stressor.

"I think she might be giving Chanel the birds and the bees talk right now" said Wren, his heart rate picking up. "I love having them here, but why are we doing this? This is so stressful. They're being interviewed. We're not some book mom is going to write or some seminar that dad is going to teach for gods sake" Wren added with a laugh. Their parents were well meaning but also absolutely ridiculous sometimes.

Alex nodded as he listened. He knew his children and he knew them well they both developed a habit of keeping everything to themselves or just between them. Must be a twin thing because he always talked about everything to his mother and Chrys. "I'm glad that's very important. And are you to intimate? Like having sex?" he threw the question in there like his wife asked him to.  He hoped his angel was still pure, most girls didn't stay virgins this long but she had, 

"I could see the title now. How to relate to your teenage twins, school, clothes and sex." Rory grabbed a rag and dried a few of the dishes." I have no idea what dad could be saying, you know he tried to make sweater vest cool." she couldn't belover her father sometimes, she just wantedvto hang out, eat and make out maybe.

"Dad just doesn't understand that we are a turtleneck family" said Wren with a laugh, he did enjoy a good turtleneck. "We should go check their room for a manuscript. I really wouldn't put it past mom at all" said the boy as they finished up the last of the dishes, "Shall we... go snoop?" he asked with a grin and a wiggle of his eyebrows.

"Our heights and length of our necks make us look so sophisticated. "  she raised her brow with a devious smile. "Yes and they left their phones upstairs, we can see what they've been up to." she folded the rag and put in the counter confident they won't get caught.

Chanel almost sighed from relief once Chrys said that they could just talk about Wren instead, but then she heard the question and it felt like a punch to the gut. She couldn't catch a break. "His recovery?" she asked back, only to get more time to answer the question. Chanel didn't know how to answer this. The past few times she wanted to bring the topic up to Wren, she didn't. Maybe she should have talked about this with him. "We don't really talk about it. He told me he went to a clinic." she answered, still pretty flustered. "He's been doing good. I mean, I think he has." she had to add in the last comment, Chanel should have been more on top of this but she didn't want to seem overbearing. "I haven't noticed anything since that time he came over my house after one of those workouts." she let it slip out, referring to the time when Wren came over to "fight" with Chanel but only resulted in him almost passing out. Fuck, why would she bring that up? She didn't want to have any problems with anyone, especially not with Wren.

Jonah stared at Mr. Bishop in silence for a quick moment. What do I say? Did Rory already tell them? Maybe she didn't. Unless this is a test. She might have told them and he's asking me to see if I'll lie or not. Oh god oh god oh god. his mind was racing. "Sex? Oh no, sir." he answered, hoping he was convincing enough. Jonah wasn't the best at lying, especially when he was internally panicking. But he couldn't possibly say yes. They had sex when they weren't even together, and then the rest of that night got him in a lot of trouble. As it should have. "I haven't uh, brought that up yet. We just got back together so... you know." he laughed nervously. Please believe me, please believe me. I don't want to get my ass kicked.

Wren and Rory raced upstairs to their parents room and started opening cabinets. Wren slammed a door shut, "Ew, sex toys drawer" said Wren faking a gag. It was deeply unfortunate, "Why was that the first one, and why isn't it in a bedside table drawer like a normal person??" Wren said as he looked at his sister. 

Chrys put her head in her hands before pulling up and pushing her hair back, "Just keep tabs on him, he takes everything so seriously but this" said Chrys. They had been good parents, they had really done all they could to build him up, but it wasn't enough. "It's something he's going to have for the rest of his life, but that doesn't mean that it's always going to be bad" Wren's mother added, "And it's by no means your responsibility. Just be patient with him and tell Nana or a hospital if things get really bad again" she warned.

Rory was happy she wasn't the one to open the cabinets she was sure that's not what she wanted to see. "I don't even..." she shook her head. "Our parents don't know what normal is." She said looking under the bed and pulling out a suitcase. "I'm scared to open this." 

Unlike Chrys, Alex was a bit more trusting. If the boy said he didn't deliver his daughter then he believed  him. More importantly he wanted to believe, he didn't want to think of her as anything less than his little girl. And if Jonah was lying he was happy to hear it. He wasn't like  Chrys when it came to that part of his daughters life" Good you guys should wait until never, you know just to be safe." He said half jokingly. " no but seriously  as long as my daughter is happy and you're happy i approve  the relationship."

Chanel was feeling overwhelmed by the conversation. She wanted to make sure Wren was okay but she didn't want to piss him off either. She needed to find some inbetween but all of this was so much. "Was it like, really bad? Back in California?" she asked softly. 

Jonah relaxed a bit once Mr. Bishop spoke. Maybe he shouldn't have lied about it, it felt weird to already be lying about something. But it was sex. It would have been weird either way. "I am happy. Very happy with her." he spoke truthfully with a genuine smile on his face. "I want to make her happy too. I really care about her." Jonah nodded, he really wanted this to work out this time. "She is in good hands, promise."

Chrys could see the care and concern in Chanel's face, "Yeah, he passed out during one of his srping basketball games and we had to take him to the hospital" said Wren's mom, "But he can tell you that story in his own time" she added. She put her hand on Chanel's shoulder, "Just watch him but don't make him feel like he's watched, me and Alex are pretty bad about it" she admitted.

Wren was now more curious than ever for Rory to open the suitcase, "If it's bad then you just shut it and put it back seconds after opening it. How bad could it be?" said Wren as he kneeled down next to her, "Just open it, I have to know now" the boy said as his heart rate started picking up for no reason. He had no idea what was in there.

Rory nodded her curiosity usually got the best of her so why would this time be different. Undoing the latches she opened  it."Drug test." she groaned handing her brother a box.   What do they think we do here, party and get super lit." she said a little annoyed. "I wonder if all parents do this or is it just ours?"           

Alex could tell he was telling the truth which made him all warm and fuzzy on the inside."Good because I will do absolutely nothing but my wife, she's the scary one out of us and you don't want to have to go against her because of her children." he said softly."I have one more inquiry if you don't mind young man.

Chanel nodded slowly once Chrys explained a bit. Thinking about how they were in basketball season right now made her panic a bit. These were already stressful times for Wren. "Watch him but don't make him feel watched. Right, okay. Got it." she forced a smile on her face. That seemed way easier said than done. "So I shouldn't ask him about it? Maybe not... He seemed good on Thanksgiving which is nice." Oh was she wrong about that.

Jonah could already feel the nerves coming back, "Oh okay... I-I-I'll make sure not to get on her bad side." she nodded a bit frantically. "I uh, don't mind at all." he responded back, but he very much minded. He thought the worst was over, but how bad could the question really be?

"He'll talk when he's ready to talk" said Chrys, her guard coming back up. She didn't need to divulge all her son's secrets to his girlfriend. "And make sure you keep up with Rory and Nana, I've read a lot about eating disorders and lying is a huge part of keeping up appearances. So if he says he ate with Rory, or Nana gave him dinner. Just check up later" she suggested. "Other than that, please don't get pregnant. You both have a lot going for you right now, and I'm just going to put that thought out there". 

"Drug tests? What are they going to test Nana too? What the fuck" said Wren rolling his eyes. "This is so annoying" he said, "If anything they should be happy I get high and have the munchies".

"I would love to see that exchange between those three." she chuckled." I really don't see the point of these." she shook her head, Rory knew some kids their age had drugs problems but they had to know the twins weren't like that.

"How is Wren, is he doing well?" Alex wanted to see without asking, he didn't want to push their son but if something was wrong he highly doubt Wren would come to him or Chrys would be the first ones to know, shit he might be surprised if he was the last one to know]

Chanel listened carefully, trying to take in everything at once. She knew she could go to Rory or Nana about it, but she always felt kind of weird doing that. It was like she was going behind Wren's back, but everyone just cared about him. "I will." she promised. Chanel couldn't help but laugh after Chrys's last statement. "My mom already told me the same thing, and my now my dad. A few times." she sighed. "That's definitely not gonna happen, trust me. Gotta keep my body like this a little longer. More like a lot longer."

Jonah furrowed his brows at the question, he wasn't expecting to be asked about Wren. "Wren? Oh yeah, he's great." he answered with a smile. Jonah had no clue what was going on with Wren and he was still thinking about what happened while they were all eating. It seemed like he was the only person that was confused about it. "He's really good with basketball from what I've seen and is class president. Oh he's also in a band, he really good on the drums." he went on, not sure if this is what Mr. Bishop meant by his question. "Is everything okay with him?"

"I always liked your parents" Chrys half lied, they were fun but they were not the best people. She should probably get coffee with Tiffany anyway, "I'll try to catch up with your mom while I'm here, but Chanel you know you are always welcome here. I know your parents aren't home often and Nana is more than hospitable to you and Taron and all Wren's new friends that he magically made when he got here. Not that he isn't great, but the kids here were so mean to him when he was little" said Wren's mom, "I'm so happy to hear he is doing as well as he is" she added with a kind smile. She was thankful her son had so many people looking out for him, it made her feel better about being away all the time.

Wren got up and looked out the window carefully to check on Jonah and Dad, "We need to wrap it up" he said as he double checked that everything was back in place. "Getting caught isn't going to go well" Wren added nervously, "they're probably not even going to test us".

"Of course, im just checking in on him to making sure he's doing well. He seems very active in school I just want to make sure he's not overdoing it. He needs to have fun too." Alex smiled. The twins were the independent types of something was wrong they never knew until it was too late and he didn't want that to happen again...especially with Wren. "Thank you for looking out for them. We should head back my mom made brownies."

Rory nodded closing the suitcase and pushing it back under the bed and getting up. "I really hope not." She made her way out the room. Closing the door. "Let's go save our beaus."

It was nice to hear that someone liked her parents, even if it was a lie or not. They definitely brought mixed feelings out of people. But even though Chanel had a complicated relationship with her parents, it hurt when she heard people talk negatively about them. She could cause they were her parents, but it was different when it came out of someone else's mouth. "They like you too." she said back. Chanel parent's at least remembered Chrys and Alex after all this time, that meant a lot in itself. "Thank you, that means a lot. Really." Once Wren left, all she had were Taron and Sophie's family. She appreciated everything they did for her, but she knew she had to be such an annoyance to the Bishops and Hayworths. "Everyone loves him, I can't think of one person that has a problem with him." she shook her head, it was about time people saw how amazing Wren was.

"I understand. We have a little friend group that hangout and play video games." Jonah explained with a smile, hoping that would somehow show that Wren was having fun and not overworking himself with school. "Oh you don't have to thank me. I just really care about them." he said truthfully before heading back inside the house. "I do love brownies."

"That is so good to hear, really" said Chrys with a smile across her face, not that Wren being liked was difficult. It was just a worry when they sent him back to White Lake. "Well, Nana made brownies" she said getting up, "So grilling session is over" she said with a laugh, "Just be careful with him, he's ... delicate" said Wren's mom as she led them back to the kitchen where Nana was waiting with a whole plate of brownies.

Wren and Rory headed down the stairs and into the kitchen before anyone came back, "Oooh, brownies" said Wren enthusiastically picking one up and taking a bite before putting it down and distracting people with conversation, "So, Chrismukkah?" he said to the room, "What are we thinking? Divide the house in half this time? Or mix the decorations?" he asked.

Rory followed her brother and picked two up  but she actually ate the first one.She closed her eyes and enjoyed the chocolate goodness"I say we mix the decorations. Last time we did half and half everything clashed." Rory said putting the rest of the brownie in her mouth. 

Alex made his way to his wife and whispered the information he found out. " Wren is doing well here and Rory is still a virgin but most importantly someone thinks my sweater vest are cool. So its obvious you and Rory were wrong."he said happily  grabbing  a piece of brownie.

Chanel smiled and followed Chrys to the kitchen, "I will." she answered with a single nod. "Brownies!" she exclaimed as she skipped over to Nana. "Your brownies are the best!" she said cheerfully as she took one of the brownies from the plate.

Jonah walked into the kitchen and smiled at Nana, "Thank you." he said as he grabbed a brownie and took a bite. He turned over to Chanel and gave each other a look. They were both winded from the separate conversations they just finished having.

Wren put his hand around Chanel's waist at they had the discussion, worried about whatever his mother had said. "Mixed decorations for sure" he nodded in agreement.

Chrys gave Alex a look, "Wren is doing well, Rory ... I'm on the fence about that virgin claim but he looks nervous enough, and ... do not get me started on the sweater vest. That is coming off as soon as we are upstairs" said Chrys with a quiet laugh as the two conferenced.

"You okay?"Rory whispered as she moved closer to Jonah. She wasn't sure what her father had said but she wanted find out. "We can go tree shopping...and find a theme." She said excitedly.

" I'm too scary to lie to babe." He shot a her a smile." If you want me naked then thats all you have to say." He turned his attention back to the kids. " Okay.  Okay you two or more than welcomed to join so they don't go overboard.

Chanel wrapped her arms around Wren for a moment, hugging him from the side before taking a bite out her brownie piece. "Rory's great with decorations, but I can't pass up an opportunity to tag along. It helps me get into the holiday spirit!"

Jonah placed his hand on the small of Rory's back and leaned in closer to her to speak, "Yeah, I'm fine." he answered with a smile. "But I told him we didn't have sex so if they ask you, right now, we're holy virgins." he whispered quickly, looking around to make sure no one heard. "I'm happy to join." he told Mr. Bishop politely.

The evening ended with decorating and Christmas music. A lovely evening at the Bishop house.

[abdicatedarchive]

Thread Finder || Sleepover at Chase’s

Click Here

[abdicatedarchive]

Twisted Tuesday || Thread Finder

CLICK HERE

[abdicatedarchive]

Thread Finder C || Wren

Click Link Here