“Elizabeth! Hurry up! We’re gonna miss the reservation!” My mom yelled up the stairs as I struggled into the dress she’d bought for the dinner. I didn’t normally get presents anymore, I usually was forced to go places. Yay.
I managed to get into the dress, zipping it up in the back. I slid the sleeves onto my shoulders, sighing. This was about the only time I wore dresses, and I hated it. This kinda ruined my birthday.
I came down the stairs, feeling uncomfortable and a little violated. The dress I was wearing was a light blue with purple accents, and I also had on a necklace with a flower on it. My hair was done in a braid, which my mother had done for me. I ran my fingers along the braid, smiling softly.I flung it over my shoulder and I almost forgot it was even there.
“See? Don’t you look beautiful!” Mom said when she saw me, smiling. That was not something I saw often and it weirded me out. I didn’t want to say anything cause I didn’t want to sit next to her the entire night if she was in a bad mood.
“Um, sure.” I said when I realized she was waiting for an actual answer.She frowned before turning to my father and fixing his tie. He didn’t try to protest, he knew it would get him nowhere. The moment she turned away, he put it back to where it was.
“Where’s your brother?” Mom asked me.
“Which one?”
“Elijah. Elliot’s meeting us at the restaurant and we’re picking Eric up on the way.”
Of course we were. “I don’t know. I think he’s still in his room.” My mom said and headed up the stairs. A bit later she came back down, dragging Eli behind her. He grumbled as he tried to fix his tie with his one hand. I stifled a laugh and he gave me a glare.
Mom glanced between us, knowing it was going to be a long night. “Let’s just get this over with.” She muttered.

Once we sat down at the restaurant, everything changed. My father was more talkative, Eli started acting like a normal kid, Mom was acting like an overprotective parent, and I was the perfect daughter. Gross.
Just after the waitress took our drink orders, Elliot came in. He sat down next to me and Eric, separating the two of us. I smiled up at him, and he returned it.
As the oldest, a lot of pressure had been placed on his shoulders. His red hair was slicked back, he must’ve spent some time styling it before coming. His brown eyes twinkled, a secret passing between the two of us.
He was wearing a more fancy outfit, but not a full suit either. He wore a white polo shirt, with khakis. He did manage to wear sneakers in, and he lifted his finger to his lips as a joke. I chuckled, laughing for the first time today.
Eric looks at me from across Elliot, curious. His green eyes are dull, and his brown hair is tousled, he didn’t care about what Mom or others thought of him. He was wearing a simple hoodie and jeans, which is what he normally wore.
“Eric, fix your hair,” Mom snapped at him. He shrugged, sitting back and taking a drink of his water. I try not to laugh at him as I fix my dress to make myself more comfortable. Elliot took a sip of his water, smiling softly at me. I smiled back.
The waitress returned with the other drinks we ordered, placing them down. She turned to ask Elliot what he wanted but he was already shaking his head. “Just water’s fine for me.” She nodded.
“You guys need another minute or you wanna order now?” she asked, looking around. Mom looked each of us in the eye. “I think we’re ready. I’m going to have a Shrimp Cascade.”
“I guess I’ll take a Searing Steak.”
“Rib Starlens for me.”
“A plain caesar salad.”
Before I knew it, it was my turn. I blanked, unsure of what I was thinking of ordering. I saw it on the menu thankfully before my mom could say something. “A Sushi Platter.”
“Spicy Chicken Burger.” Eric said, closing the menu and leaning back. All of us having ordered, the waitress nods and leaves. I can tell my mom wants to say something about the way most of us ordered, but she managed to keep quiet. Good for her.
“So what’s college been like, Elliot?” I ask, looking at my oldest brother. He looks down at me, smiling. “Stressful. It’s fun though. I really like my dorm mate. You’d like her too.” he gave me that wink, and I understood what he meant. I smiled at him.
“You free tomorrow? Alex was wondering if you wanted to come out with us.”
“Sure.”

Sorry this chapter took so long to get out! I got pretty busy, there's a wedding coming up in my family, and I just kinda lost inspiration for a bit. I honestly gave up on this chapter, but if any of you think that there's something I should add, I'm open for suggestions!
Thanks for reading this cringy and crappy story! I hope you all have a life full of love and joy! See you next chapter! *Chibi Harper bowing*