Patrick Seven: Unpleasant Memories

Guest Starring: Alexander Hunt by MrsOogie Boogie

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Tonight was one of the best nights of my life. I was backstage in my dressing room with Emmanuel and Ephemera, and I was ecstatic because I had just successfully performed one of my best shows so far. Everything was perfect, the audience responded to my illusions positively, and my parents and grandpa showed up to watch, as well as Katya. For the first time in four years since I had started performing in the magic industry, I felt like I was making progress in my career.



Working with Ephemera was a pleasant surprise. She was charming, elegant, and composed. Her motions were fluid and she graced the stage with a presence that was very entertaining for the audience. She and I interacted with a chemistry that wasn't sexual, yet still very cohesive and appealing. It felt effortless, like I had known her for years instead of just a week. The initial bad feeling I had in my gut when I first met her had all but dissipated, and I was glad I had given her a chance. I felt lucky to have such a great assistant when I was just starting out. The last thing I needed was for any part of my show to be unimpressive, as this show was also an audition of sorts. The theater director had decided tonight if he was going to give us a regular gig, and since everything went so well, we got a recurring spot on the theater's calendar for Thursday nights.

We changed into our street clothes and headed out into the foyer. Emmanuel and Ephemera each had an arm around me, Emmanuel's around my waist, while Ephemera's arm was around my neck. As we approached the foyer, we saw my family and Katya standing by the fountain, chatting with each other. Mom and Dad had their arms around each other, which I found endearing. For the twenty years they had been together, they were still just as in love as the day they met. My thoughts went to Katya, who was standing a little bit off to the side, and I wondered if her and I would ever get to the point that my parents are.

---

I stood quietly by the staircase, with my hands clasped in front of me when I saw Patrick come out with Emmanuel and... Ephemera? Could it be? I hadn't seen Ephemera since we were teenagers and she stormed out of our dad's house, saying she was going to move far away from Silicon Shores because she hated our family. When had she come back to town? Figures she wouldn't have called me to let me know anything about her life, it's not like she acted like she ever cared about me. I don't know why I was surprised that Ephemera had come back without telling me, but perhaps I was just upset that she hadn't changed for the better in all the time that had passed between us.




I watched Patrick interact with his family, first with his mom, then his dad, and lastly his grandfather. What I wouldn't give to have a family support system as strong as Patrick's. After my mother developed a drinking problem, my father and her eventually divorced, and he gained full custody of me, Ephemera, and our oldest sister, Sandra. No one was happy about the new living situations but me. I loved my father, and was mad at my mother for ruining our family. My sisters blamed our father for the divorce, and they picked on me for siding with him. Ephemera even went so far as to change her surname from Monroe, our father's name, to Wallace, our mother's maiden name.



Patrick soon finished exchanging pleasantries, and came over to me, gently taking my hand in his and introducing me to everyone, including Ephemera. We pretended that we didn't know each other as we shook hands. As I looked into her eyes, a slew of unfortunate memories bombarded me. I remembered how Ephemera had been the one to start the rumor about me being a whore after my high school boyfriend, Tyler, had taken advantage of me at the motel. Instead of being a good older sister, she threw me under the bus. I don't know what I expected, since we had never gotten along even as children, but I guess I had a small shred of hope that she'd have some love for her little sister. I was wrong.



I tried to get comfortable in Patrick's car, but the initial shock of me seeing Ephemera again, so close to home, was making me queasy, and causing my heart to race. I took some deep breaths like my therapist suggested I do when bad memories threatened to overwhelm me, which helped somewhat. I felt Patrick glance over at me, and I knew with how perceptive he was, that he would soon ask me what was wrong. I decided I would play my shy card when he did ask.

"Katya, is something wrong?"



Bingo. There it was. I liked that he was so intuitive, and I thought about how I would continue to like that fact about him if he and I became a couple. He would treat me right.

"I'm just really terrible at meeting tons of people at once. I'm sorry, I'm a little overwhelmed. I love your family, though, they are so nice, and I love how they support you."

"Does your family not support you?"



"Not particularly. I mean, my dad does, but my parents are divorced, and my mom is an alcoholic who isn't really all there. I haven't talked to her in years. I have two sisters, but I don't really want to talk about them right now."

"Okay, I'm sorry."

Patrick pulled into the parking spot next to his dad's car, and got out, coming around to the other side and opening my door for me. After he helped me out of the car, I wanted to get inside so as not to keep everyone waiting, so I started walking towards the restaurant, but Patrick came up behind me, turned me around, and kissed me.

I thoroughly enjoyed the gesture of affection he was giving me, and I sensed that he was trying to make me feel better. My hands went up around his waist and I relaxed instantly as the warmth of Patrick's body comforted me. I was vaguely aware of my heart racing again, but this time it was from excitement.

"Thank you, Patrick. I feel much better now."

We walked arm in arm into the front foyer of the restaurant, where everyone was waiting. I looked over at Maximus and Soleil, watching them as they sat really close together, Max's arm around Soleil, while she was smiling happily at him with her hand on his thigh. I found myself becoming a little star struck when the realization hit me that I was going to be eating dinner with Maximus and Soleil, two of the most famous people in the world. They were always in the tabloids, as was Patrick. I always found myself admiring how gorgeous Soleil was, even at the age of 39. She was as flawless in person as she was in the magazines. Maximus was incredibly handsome, and I could see where Patrick had inherited his attractiveness. I had seen some of Max's movies, and he was really good at what he did.

The hostess seated us at our table, and I sat next to Patrick, across from his parents, while Ephemera hung out with Emmanuel and Alex. I was very relieved that Ephemera was pretending she didn't know me. I would have rather had it that way than have her tormenting me. I knew that she was most likely not nearly as uncomfortable as I was when I first saw her. She probably thought it was great that I was here so she could make fun of me. Maximus ordered champagne for the table and made a toast for Patrick, congratulating him for his first big success. After that, we ordered our food and got to know each other better.

I thoroughly enjoyed chatting with Max and Soleil because they were really fun to talk to, and down to earth, just like Patrick. Halfway through my meal, I excused myself to go freshen up. I was not pleased when I opened the bathroom stall to see that Ephemera had come in after me. She was standing arrogantly by the wall, leg propped up against it, with one hand on her hip, and a smug expression on her face. I knew that Ephemera wouldn't miss out on a chance to torment me, and that she had chosen to follow me into the bathroom on purpose, but not because she had to use it.

"Hey, little sis. Still wearing your hair like a five year old, I see. I thought you'd have grown out of that already. Although, looking at your lack of a figure, you haven't developed at all. Your chest is still as flat as those fucking surfboards you are married to."

I ignored Ephemera and washed my hands, then walked over to the paper towel dispenser to dry my hands, but she blocked my path.

"What's wrong? Not happy to see me?"

"Should I be?"

"I'm your sister. Family is everything, don't you remember saying that when I left? Still mad at me cause of your daddy issues?"

I tried to ignore the mocking, sarcastic tone Ephemera's voice took on when she repeated what I had said that day she left. I couldn't understand why Ephemera had to be so cruel to our dad. It was true he was stricter on us after Mom left, but I think he only did that because he cared. Ephemera and Sandra were never able to see why Dad did what he did.

"No. I just didn't expect to see you again after all this time. Why are you back, anyway?"

"Easy. I got sick of where I was."

"Hmph. I don't believe that. It's probably more like you ran out of money, so you need to come beg Daddy for it."

"Bitch. I have a job as Patrick's assistant, in case you hadn't noticed. I don't need to mooch off Dad."

I pushed Ephemera out of my way to get to the paper towel dispenser even though my hands were mostly dry already from her stalling me. All I wanted was to get away from her, back into the eyes of everyone else, where I hoped she would continue to pretend she didn't know me.

"Ignoring me now, whore?"

No. Not that again. Ever since Ephemera had started that rumor in our high school, it was a trigger word for me. I felt the tears well up in my eyes as memories of that night with Tyler struggled to invade my thoughts. Ephemera laughed at me and then I heard the door shut behind me, signaling her departure. I grabbed more paper towels as I started to cry, wetting them and wiping my eyes. The last thing I needed was for them to get puffy and red. I knew for sure Patrick would ask me what was wrong and I didn't want to cause a scene in the restaurant. Why? Why did Ephemera always have to do this to me? She had been gone, and I was doing well, then she returns and treats me like shit, as if she had never left. It was now that I wished I wore makeup, so I could cover up red spots when I started crying. I finally had dabbed enough around my eyes to make myself look presentable again, and went back out to the gathering.

As I made my way back, my eyes kept darting to Ephemera, who was sitting at the table with her hands on her hips like she owned the world or something. I tried to compose myself and not let my irritation show through on my face or mannerisms. This night was about Patrick, and I was going to try my damnedest to show my support for him to the best of my ability, no matter how shitty I felt.