Elliot ditched his jock reputation after high school. He happily traded his cleats and shoulder pads for college cafeteria food and seminars notes. Now, without the distraction of football, he has managed to find success at the University of Minneso...
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The Christmas tree was adorned with homemade ornaments. Some of the bulbs were flickering out, but Elliot could see Pierce's name written on a Styrofoam reindeer. The decor was nothing like the grand, glittery holiday trees that Elliot's mother arranged around their Massachusetts home. She always had at least five on the first floor, and usually seven along the upstairs hallway. They could never be real - she thought the pine needles were too messy. But the short, bushy tree in the Thompson's house was definitely real. Elliot could smell the pine and sugary sap from the dining table. He admired the warm glow the lights were casting over the greasy boxes of pizza, smiling at the uneven branches and tilted trunk. His mother would never approve of such an imperfect tree, which is why he seemed to be so fond of it.
"So, Elliot," Robin began. "What do you usually do for the holidays?"
"My family and I usually spend Christmas in Massachusetts," he said.
"Is that where you grew up? Massachusetts?"
"No exactly," Elliot spoke. "We moved around a lot. I was born in New York. We first moved to Pennsylvania when I was seven. I lived there until I was ten, and then we moved to Massachusetts. I lived there for a while. We moved to Wisconsin the summer before my senior year of high school. My mom wanted a job in a rural area. She doesn't like to stay in one place for too long. Her and my dad moved back to Massachusetts before I started college, though. Too much corn, not enough ocean."
"But you stayed?" Robin asked, curious. "And chose to go to Minnesota for college?"
Elliot shrugged. "I didn't want to leave the Midwest. It felt like home. Still does."
Robin smiled, as if she liked his answer. Elliot almost felt like he was on a gameshow.
"You must play hockey," Perry guessed. "Minnesota and Massachusetts only have two things in common - icy winters and good hockey.
Pierce had a mouth full of food. "Elliot played football," he spoke, a bit prideful. "In high school."
"Football?" Perry asked. "What position?"
"Kicker," Elliot stated, sipping some water slowly. He was cashing a check into the bank of toxic masculinity, but he was glad Perry was finally showing an interest in him. A part of him wanted to impress Pierce's parents, even if they didn't know the full extend of his relationship with their son.
Perry's eyebrows bounced. "Really?"
Elliot nodded. "Yeah. My hamstrings are super flexible."
Pierce choked on the pizza crust he had stolen off Elliot's plate.
"You should do yoga with me and Erin tomorrow," Robin suggested. "She wants to show me the pigeon pose."
"Pigeon pose? That sounds like Pierce trying to score a goal," Chase commented. Pierce threw a slice of pepperoni at him. Elliot turned to Pierce, confused by the exchange. He leaned into him, explaining the term pigeon was a hockey insult.
"Elliot, do you have siblings you have to deal with?" Erin asked, eyes rolling as her brothers continued to banter across the table.
"I have an older sister, yeah."
"Do you see her often?" Robin asked.
Elliot shifted on his seat. "No, uh. She's in Paris. Studying fashion design."
Pierce glanced at him from the side, overtly displaying his intrigue. He never knew Elliot's sister was in Paris. They had never really talked about his family too much. What else didn't he know?
"Fashion design?" Perry perked up. "In Paris? Holy Toledo. Now that's a real education. You hear that, Pierce? Paris."
Perry Thompson had a strict idea of how a college education should look, and it didn't include anything remotely creative. According to him, college was a means to achieving more money. If an area of study wasn't deemed useful, it wasn't worth his validation.
"Dad - "
"She'll get a job," he said sarcastically, sipping his beer. He murmured something about flipping burgers. "What about you, Elliot? What's your major?"
"Chemistry," he said, choosing not to argue with Pierce's dad.
"Smart," he replied. "We need chemists. You know what we don't need? More communication majors."
"Dad," Pierce sighed.
Elliot tightened his grip around his cup, knowing Pierce was a communication major.
"Honey - " Robin tried.
"I'm talking to Elliot right now," Perry said. "I'm getting to know our guest. Tell me more about yourself, Elliot. You have any hobbies? Pets? A girlfriend - a pink-haired girlfriend?"
"No," Elliot let amusement line his lips. "No, I don't have a boyfriend." He waited, letting his words forcibly carve new designs into the plain panels of Perry's narrow mind.
Perry Thompson stopped chewing mid-bite.
Pierce tried to breathe.
Elliot took another bite of his pizza, too calm.
"Cheers to that," Mo said quickly. Only Erin clinked her glass.
New character names cheat sheet: Perry- Pierce's dad Robin- Pierce's mom Chase- Pierce's brother Erin- Pierce's sister Taylor- Chase's girlfriend Mo- family friend
