9. Star-Fitting Lovers

On the week of Holiday Break, Talise, Aiden, Kyla, Wally, and I are spread about the red room (the room with red furniture which people sometimes confuse with the sunset room next door). Everyone is mellowing out after our frantic Christmas celebrations which involved a return of the relatives from the Underworld and several pounds of tinsel. My father, who promised to make this year, is stuck in France because of his agent. Instead, he sent me a gold necklace with a phoenix on it. "Next year," he told me, his voice full of rueful sadness.

Ben comes in groaning, "Only three more days of break left."

"Don’t remind me," Wally groans, trying to pick tinsel off of his shirt.

Talise and I are sitting on the sofa, bent over the same game of Solitaire, looking for anyway to solve the puzzle. It seems like we’ve already hit another dead end. Running her fingers through her scalp, Talise sighs in frustration and runs her eyes systematically down each column.

"So, Dad, I was thinking," Aiden starts. He puts down the folder he’s been flipping through. Joe peers over the top of his paper. "During winter break in February, me and some of the guys at Uni. were thinking about spending a week in Las Vegas." Joe waits for him to continue. Already, his eyes study his son skeptically.

When Aiden’s pause lengthens Joe finally asks, "Why are you asking me? You’re eighteen. It’s not as though you need my permission."

"Well…" Aiden trails off.

"He needs your money," Kyla interrupts, her face a picture of smooth delight.

"I do not!" Aiden insists. Joe glances at him questioningly. "Need a lot of it," he mutters.

"You have a job, Aiden," his father points out. "I think that it’s time for you to start managing your own finances."

"I’m not just asking you for money, Dad. I have everything planned out." He hands over his manila folder. Joe takes it and glances through the pages.

"A suite at the Wynn?" he asks.

"I want to take Spencer with me, and I want it to be somewhere nice."

"You want Spencer to go with you?" Although he may not be the model parent, even Joe can probably guess why. Abruptly, Kyla storms out of the room. With a bang, the door slams shut. A bewildered Joe isn’t sure whether to go after her or not, so he just sits there, half-out of his chair, until Aiden resumes speaking.