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Talia had never really cared for dressing up, she’d gone to prom in a pair of jean shorts and a low-cut crop top for fucks sake. She saw it as unnecessary and just a waste of time, but for Coach Buzzer she wanted to make an effort to show that she truly did care for the man.
“What do people even wear to funerals?” Talia groans, searching through her dresser for something that was at least halfway decent.
“Tuxes and dresses,” Owen replies as he buttons up a flannel shirt, he had never really paid attention to clothes either, but he knew how important Coach Buzzer was to the Higgins family so he wanted to make an effort. He wore dark blue jeans and a red flannel and even combed his wild hair, he looked like he was about to go on ๐ญ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐พ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐พ๐๐๐ rather than attend a funeral but it was the best he could do with the little clothing he had.
“You’re not wearing a tux,” Talia reminds him, he chuckles lightly and stands behind the distressed blonde watching as she throws clothes around her already messy room, he was picking them up and throwing them in a laundry basket that she would fold when they got back.
“Yeah well I look decent,” Owen hums, Talia turns to look at her best friend.
“What have you done to your hair?” She gasps dramatically, not once has she ever seen his wild hair tamed, until now.
“I brushed it the correct way,” he replies with a laugh at his best friend’s reaction “Here let me look because you’re doing a horrible job at finding something decent.”
He shoulder bumps Talia out of the way causing her to shoulder bump him equally as hard as he goes through the girl’s clothes.
He finally pulls out a black dress that was at the bottom of the drawer, he holds it up in his hands and Talia snatches it from him, “Where the hell did you find this?” She questioned sightly annoyed and amazed he found something so quickly when she’d been looking for at least five minutes prior.
“I’m Mary Poppins,” he replies with a smirk.
“Just cause you have a woman’s build doesn’t make you Mary Poppins,” Talia jokes as she walks to the bathroom despite nothing about Owen’s build being feminine.
She shuts the bathroom door before he can make a comeback strips her pajamas off and puts the dress on. It hugged her torso and showed her cleavage while the bottom was a flowy skirt that came to just above her knee. It seemed a little inappropriate to wear at a funeral but it was the best she could do.
She puts a little concealer on along with some mascara and cherry-tinted lip balm before stepping out where her father and Owen stand in the small living room of the trailer. Owen had the two trash bags that held his and Talia’s clothes slung over his shoulder. Since the two didn’t travel often they didn’t have suitcases or a bag big enough to fit three days worth of clothes.
“Woah that’s a little…revealing, don’t ya think?” Marcus speaks up looking at his daughter’s dress with wide eyes.
“Would you like to try and find something for me to wear?” Talia questions him.
Marcus, knowing for a fact his daughter didn’t have anything better in her closet shakes his head “Nope gotta get going, don’t wanna be late,” he clasps his hands on Owen’s shoulders “You shall be our chauffer for this journey, son.”
It wasn’t abnormal for Marcus to call Owen ‘son’ but Owen couldn’t stop the happy jolt in his stomach each time he called him it. He felt like he was wanted, loved even with the two Higgins and that was all the family he needed.
“Yeah, let’s roll,” Owen replies as Marcus throws the keys to him.
โโ
The drive to the church in New England was long and boring, Talia nearly jumped in joy when she was able to get out of the car.
Owen watches his best friend with a grin as she stretches “It wasn’t that bad,” he tells her just as Marcus gets out of the car.
“Finally here,” he sighs dramatically “God that car is stuffy,” Talia raises an eyebrow at Owen.
“You were saying?” She hums as Owen laughs at the two Higgins.
“It’s Hollywood,” Marcus nudges his daughter and points to a man in a tux next to two women in hats, one hat made the one woman look like she was about to take off like a helicopter, while the other woman wore a bowl hat with an elegant black dress “Let’s go say hi,”
Marcus makes his way to Lenny Fader, his daughter, and Owen following close behind, close enough that Talia could hear Lenny scold two boys that looked to be twelve and fourteen. Next to them was a young girl who looked four or five talking to a woman who was crouched down to her level, holding lots of bags.
They were nanny-rich? Talia questioned herself.
“What? No, no. No cell phones.”
Marcus heard it too as he stepped up he said “Wait, no cell phones? Then I’m out of here.” He speaks up.
“Higgie,” Lenny greets Marcus who laughs and does a weird little dance.
“Who’s ready to get their funeral on?” Talia nudges his shoulder and he stops the dance “I’m sorry, death makes me weird,” he tells Lenny.
Marcus’s eyes land on another old face, “What’s up, Mckenzie?” He hugs him before pulling away “You got those soft hands. Still using Palmolive?” Marcus jokes.
He goes over to hug Lenny “Hey, what’s up Lenny?” He questions as he hugs him, “Buddy I thought you were gonna start working out.” Marcus tells him as he pulls away.
“What does that mean?” Lenny questions.
“Um, you’re fat,” Marcus shrugs.
Kurt and Lenny start laughing “No. No. Hey, guys, this is good news. I always wanted to represent you. You’re the third Olsen twin?” Lenny questions looking at Marcus causing Talia and Owen to laugh.
Lenny’s eyes fall on Owen and Talia, he sees the slight resemblance of facial structure between Talia and Marcus and he laughs “Little Higgie got kiddies?” He questions.
Talia laughs at the man’s stupid rhyme and Owen speaks up “No, just one, I’m his daughter, Talia’s friend,” he explains.
Talia looks at him with a small frown, she wouldn’t have minded him saying they were related, and to be honest, Marcus wouldn’t have either.
“What are you talking about kid? I practically raised you, too,” he noogies Owen who laughs and pulls away.
“How did you come from that?” Kurt jokes.
I shrug “Still trying to figure that out myself,” Kurt and Lenny laugh and Marcus puts his hand on his chest like he’s offended.
“Wow my own daughter going against me,” he jokes, Talia laughs and looks at Lenny “Hollywood right?” She questions.
“You told her?” Lenny laughs looking at Marcus who grins and nods “And is that the tribe of Hollywoods?” Owen questions causing Kurt and Marcus to laugh.
“Well most of them, my other son, Alex should be here any minute,” Lenny responds.
Marcus looks at the kids and the lady who Talia thought to be a nanny was now fixing one of the little boy’s ties “And who’s that girl? That’s not a nanny, is it?” Marcus questions.
“No, no, that is aโ a friend of ours from China,” Lenny stammers, though Talia could tell the man was lying.
“Oh, yeah. No, I’ve been on that website.” Marcus says causing his daughter to gag and Owen to grimace.
“No, no, no, likeโ like, heh, an exchange student thatโ My wife brought her into the house,” Lenny stammers.
“Oh your wife’s into chicks, oh that’s nice.” Talia grimaces before walking away not wanting to hear another word.
She wanders through the parking lot not watching where she is going as she runs into someone who is rushing to get to his family as his mom has been spamming his phone since he landed ten minutes ago.
Talia stumbles, losing her balance in heels that she was already having difficulty walking in.
The man who ran into her thinks fast and grabs her waist to stabilize her. Talia looks up at the man to see deep brown eyes staring back at her.
Alex Feder was annoyed that someone had run into him at first, but when his eyes met the deep blue ones of a gorgeous blonde, he was suddenly not annoyed at all, almost glad.
The blonde bit her bottom nervously and it made him want to bite it for her, his eyes fell lower where her cleavage was on full display in a small black dress. A dress that is definitely not what you should wear to a funeral.
But Alex was almost glad she’d worn it, he watched a bead of sweat roll down her breast into the valley between and his first thought was how good it would feel to have his face pressed into them, breathy moans leaving the mysterious blonde as heโ
Alex blinks away his thoughts and quickly puts a foot of distance between him and this mysterious woman. He had never let his thoughts stray like that. Defiantly not for some stranger he just met at a funeral of all places, they met at a funeral.
“I uhโ are you alright?” Alex cleared his throat, fixing his tux.
Talia Higgins defiantly had her fair share of men’s wandering eyes and seductive words. Sometimes she took them to bed, other times she chose to simply walk away. She’s felt attraction for men, but never had she felt that.
Whatever that was. She clears her throat, not hearing his question “What?” She questions the brunette who had just made her feel more in seconds than some had made her feel in an hour. Her voice was breathy and she couldn’t figure out why, but it definitely had something to do with the mysterious man who’s intoxicating cologne filled her nostrils making her want to press her face in his chest and live in the smell forever.
“Are you okay?” The man questions her.
She nods slowly scared her voice will betray her again if she tries to verbally respond.
“I uhโ wasn’t paying attention and I’m sorry for running into you.” The man stumbles over his words his eyes flicking down her figure again before meeting her eyes. This caused Talia to squeeze her thighs together which didn’t go unnoticed by the man, not to her knowledge of course.
Awkward silence fills the air and Talia holds her hand out “Taliaโ Talia Higgins,”
“Alex Feder,” the brunette responds causing Talia’s stomach to flip. Feder. As in Lenny Feder. As in the family that was renting out a lakehouse for all the families to hang out at.
“Alex, my boy, get over here!” Lenny Feder calls to his son “Oh I see you met Higgies daughter,”
Alex’s breath catches in his throat at his father’s words, he had prayed that Talia wasn’t related to Marcus Higgins, but now, with his father’s confirmation, he was certain of it.
He quickly pulls away and buttons his tux sparing Talia one last glance before leaving her alone, making his way to his father.
Talia found it easier to breathe as Alex walked away and took a deep breath before regaining herself and making her way over to Owen and her father.
Owen throws a friendly arm around Talia causing her to smile, Alex, who stands not too far away, takes note of this and wonders if the two are together, not that he cares. He barely knew the woman.
Marcus punches his daughter’s shoulder lightly and points to the front of the church where a short man with Elvis-like hair stands. “Oh my God. Its captain caring of the SS Melodrama,” he says causing his daughter to snicker.
“Oh, he’s gonna play this one out big,” Kurt speaks up.
“Is that Elvis Presley as an Oompa Loompa?” Talia questions quietly earning a flow of laughs and a high-five from her father.
“Cue ‘Hey'” Marcus speaks in a weird voice as the group walks over to the man.
“Hey,” the man greets with open arms in a voice similar to what Marcus had mocked Owen and Talia can’t hide their smiles, of course, Alex was again watching the two before shifting his gaze away.
He walks away to find his mother and Talia doesn’t notice too keen on making sure she doesn’t laugh at the small man in front of her.
“Hey,” Lenny greets as he walks to stand in front of him.
“Hell of a circumstance, huh?” The Oompa Loompa Elvis Presley questions with a sad sigh.
“I know, I know. It sucks.” Lenny replies hugging him “It’s great to see you.” He says pulling away.
“Well, the Buzzer’s up there coaching heaven’s team now.” Small Presley replies.
“That’s true,” Lenny nods.
“He’s got Wilt, Pistol Pete, Dr.J,”
“Yeah Dr.J’s alive still,” Lenny tells him.
“Well, those types of guys.” Small Presley responds.
“Yeah, yeah,” Lenny nods “You look good though, man. It’s like, uh, if Elvis was an Oompa Loompa, he’s right in front of me.”
“Little Elvis,” I speak up with a nod, Lenny nods too.
“Well, I don’t make jokes at funerals because it’s disrespectful. But if that’s part of your guy’s healing process, I’m cool with it.” Little Elvis nods.
“Aw, that’s nice, thanks,” Lenny tells him hugging him again “Are you cool with a finger in ya? Woo-hoo!” Lenny yells as he cornholes Rob.
Talia and Owen bust into laughter, not able to contain it. They clear their throats as they get looks from people passing and walk away to stand next to Kirt and Marcus.
Lenny calls his wife over and Talia’s eyes fall on Roxanne and Alex, she hadn’t even noticed him walk away earlier until now.
Alex glances at Talia and she looks away quickly not wanting to be caught staring, though she unknowingly got caught by Owen who would ask about it later.
They watch as the Feders and Hilliards talk, Talia’s face contracts in horror, when she sees Rob and Gloria stick their tongues out at each other and playfully touch each other’s tongues.
She was more than thankful when they stopped, almost certain that was the most traumatized she had ever been.
People start filling into the church signaling that the ceremony was starting. Talia takes an inhale of breath and grabs her best friend’s hand as she makes her way into the church, her stomach churning.
๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ซ’๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ๐
๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐’๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ญ๐จ๐ฉ ๐ข๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ข๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ค๐ฌ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ค๐,
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