Popularity is an Illusion

Primrose Dinner

Of all things Elle hated the most, the Primrose family dinner made it to the top of her list. It was organized by the adults every three months to bring the family together and strengthen the family bond.

The Primrose empire began when grandpapi Jimmy Primrose met the Hispanic beauty Rosalena Mendez. Grandma Rosalena always said it was fate that brought the both Roses together but Elle thought it was nothing but pure coincidence their named rhymed.

The duo started the now famous winery “La Rosa”, got married and had two children. Elle’s father Rosetto and her aunt Rosetta. Thus the Rose naming begun.

As far as she knew, Auntie Rosetta took in out of wedlock for her then boyfriend and bore the twins Rosaria who was five minutes older than her brother Rosario. A year later, Rosabella was born.

Grandpa Jimmy passed on five years ago and Rosetta moved the twins together with Grandma Rosalena to their new branch two towns away from Crimson Valley. Hence the family dinner was necessary for the members of the family to keep in close contact.

The reason why Elle couldn’t stand the dinner was because of her cousin Rosaria. Ria could be such a pain in the neck and they thought she was miss prissy, they hadn’t met her cousin yet.

Elle helped her mom cook as Dorothea preferred to make the food herself rather than the chef on this occasion. When they were finally done, she was assigned the duty of calling her cousins who arrived two hours earlier for dinner.

The eight seater table was the usual as each person had a permanent sit. Normally her father and grandma sat at each ends as her aunt and mom took the left and right side of Roseto. The kids closer to their grandma. She always had a sit beside Rosaria who occupied one end of the grandma’ side and Rosario occupied the other.

“Let us stand for the grace” her father announced as everyone stood up, shared the grace and begun eating.

Conversations at the dinner table where divided into the adults and the kids, the moms kept bragging about each daughters achievements.

Elle sometimes felt her mom was bothered over the fact that she was the only one who didn’t have the Rosa blood running through her veins. Hence she wasn’t a “true Rosa” or whatever she heard her aunt say when she was nine.

"So Elle how's Junior year treating you, you kinda look pale. I think you’re overdue for tanning session, someone didn’t get enough sun last month" Ria taunted in a low tone as the other sibling looked at his elder sister with warning eye's.

"What! I mean isn't it obvious, like don't you own a mirror? " She continued.

There was nothing wrong her tan and she had indeed gotten enough sun last month. Rosaria was just an A class b***h, that was the main reason they couldn’t get along, in a situation where two people had a superiority complex, who will take the beta role.

"Shut up " Elle said through gritted teeth's withholding the urge to slap her perfectly contoured cheek. They were still whispering to avoid their grandma hearing.

"Jeez calm down, no need to go all godzilla on me, I was just saying besides when last did you hit the gym, I sense extra weights coming up" Ria continued smiling mischievously.

The only self control Elle had was restored when her eyes caught Rosario’s own. He looked at her pleading for her not to take drastic actions and fall into Ria’s trap. She couldn’t understand why Ria created problems where there was none.

"And how's Senior year treating you, still pinning after Freddie? I heard he has got a girlfriend now and it’s obviously not you. " Elle retorted wearing her signature saccharine smile. Two could play at that game.

“His loss anyways”

“More like he dodged a bullet”.

Ria subtly flipped her the bird as the latter rolled her eyes digging into her food.

“Sorry about my sister, she thinks being a b***h is cool” Rosario apologized as they helped clear the dinner table.

“She thinks everything she does is cool” Elle responded.

He chuckled at that, “So how has my little cousin been doing?” Rio was the better twin and they got along perfectly.

“Nothing much, just school”

“No boy trouble I hope?”. He asked protectively.

More like Jacob Naylor trouble. “No boy trouble” she replied instead.

“She can’t have boy trouble if she can’t get a boy in the first place” Ria injected herself into the conversation.

True Elle never had a boyfriend before, it wasn’t like guys hadn’t asked her out, she was just picky.

Elle rolled her eyes once more. If you could get a dollar for every eye roll in a day, she was pretty sure she would be a millionaire by now.

When they had finished clearing the dinner table, she climbed the stairs to retire back to her room already sleepy.

Entering the room and switching on the lights, the sight before her shocked her, she almost screamed.

“Jacob Naylor what the...” she refrained from swearing.

“What are you doing in my room, how did you get in here and why are you laughing, what’s funny?” Elle whisper- screamed. Not wanting to alarm anyone in the house, the last thing she needed was anyone knowing they was a boy in her room.

“Everything, from the look on your face to you refusing to swear, you’re such a goody two shoes, also I used the window”. he answered.

“You climbed? For what”

“Don’t girls consider that romantic?”

“I really don’t want to know what type of girls you meet but some of us prefer guys who use the door and inform others before coming”.

“I did, I tried calling you and I left a text”.

Right she left her phone in the room before going for dinner.

“Why are you really here Jake?. My mom would kill me if she found out I’m harboring a guy in my room by this time of the night. Oh jeez how did you get past security, I’m so done for”.

“Relax, they won’t snitch. I bribed them”

“You what?”

“I wouldn’t have to if you weren’t avoiding me like a plague all week. We had to talk at some point. Besides we haven’t gotten our campaign for the student body president ready yet”.

So it was for that, she had a few plans written out though.

“Fine, we’ll meet up tomorrow at Cherry’s cafe, have brunch and go through our ideas. For now you need to leave before someone catches you”.

“Have a goodnight Princess”

“Goodnight Jake” the blonde bid him farewell.