"Yes, she is now. She's 13. She entered Harvard last year," I said.
"What??" Alex scread again.
Poor girl was having a reality check, I thought.
Paige looked at , annoyed. "Stop saying 'Cowtech.'"
"Oh, co on. It's funny. I heard Missy call it that, and I adopted the idea."
"He's probably jealous of you," Alex chid in.
Paige and I looked at her weirdly.
"Why would he be jealous of a nerdy college, Alex? He's popular even at my school, thanks to his party. He's probably more popular than you at your own school," said Haley, mocking.
Alex crossed her arms. "There are things more important than popularity, Haley. Like the future."
Then she looked excitedly at Paige. "How was Harvard? That's my college dream."
Paige didn't know how to respond. She looked at and then turned to Alex again, "I prefer it here."
"Let's talk about sothing more fun. When's the next party happening here, Jake?" asked Haley, her tone just as eager as Alex's earlier.
"December 22nd, the Saturday before Christmas. End of year celebration," I said. "Last year, it was just my class and a few others. This ti, it'll be even bigger than Halloween or my birthday. We're expecting a thousand guests. We purchased the neighboring properties, and one of them is being transford into a larger venue. Once it's done, it could hold over five thousand guests."
"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!" Haley squealed, tapping the table with excitent.
"Speaking of parties, Regina invited us to one tonight, another tomorrow, and of course the big one on her actual birthday," I told Paige. "Are you planning to go to all of them?"
"Absolutely," Paige answered with a grin. "She ssaged too. Tomorrow's pre-party is starting here, right? Since it's so close to the main event."
I nodded, then Judith turned to us. "Jake, take care of Paige."
I gave a mock salute. "Yes, ma'am."
"Mom, they get to go to parties," Haley complained to Claire, "and they're even younger than ."
"If you get into Caltech like Paige, you can go to as many parties as you want," Claire replied.
Alex smiled at her sister's frustration and said, "That will never happen."
The lunch carried on. Mom seed to hit it off with Mitchell and Cam—though she did ntion that gay n and lesbians don't get along as well as people assu. Phil was still awkwardly trying to bond with Charlie, to his dismiss. Gloria was doing the sa with Claire, which led to Claire's signature smile-that's-not-really-a-smile. anwhile, Evelyn and Jay kept jabbing at each other like old rivals. And finally, Dad had been unofficially assigned to keep Luke and Manny under control.
Jay was talking with Evelyn.
"I was blessed with three grandchildren," he said with a smirk. "One is smart, another is popular, and the third is... funny."
"Oh, Jake is all of that," Evelyn replied. "He could've gone to college, you know? But he preferred to enjoy high school. You've seen how popular he is with the ladies—so he just skipped two years.
You might've heard from your daughter about Jake's movies, right? They grossed millions. That Ferrari? It was a gift from him. And that's not what he's best at. He doesn't even really like it. You need to hear him sing." Evelyn smiled at Jay.
My God, Gramma, that's not bragging. That's overkill. Don't tell that it was not only Charlie that did so 'connections' with the Pritchett...
Jay chuckled. "Well, I can see he didn't get his modesty from you."
Evelyn raised her glass, smiling back. "Modesty is for those who don't have results."
I glanced around the table. Phil was being Phil. Alan wore a smug grin. Gloria and Luke didn't seem to think much of it. Manny looked astonished. Claire had a deeply conflicted expression. Mitchell, Cam, and Mom were too engaged in their conversation to even notice what had just been said.
"Wow, you really are bragging material," said Paige, resting her chin on my shoulder.
"So you're smart too?" said Haley with a smile. This one was already smitten...
Alex was the one who took it the hardest. Not only had she assud I was just like Haley, but she ended up making a fool of herself. The fact that I could already be in college was proof enough that, when it ca to intelligence, I was far above her.
I patted Alex's back and said to her, "Don't feel discouraged. Paige and I are complete outliers. We're one of a kind—even if you look at it from a global perspective. That's sothing you'll discover if you ever go to a place like Harvard, MIT, or Caltech. You'll probably feel like your average Joe there."
"Those colleges don't lack smart and hardworking people. In fact, it's almost a prerequisite to get into them."
"You're cute, Alex. I went to Caltech with Paige one ti—believe , you'd be top-tier in that departnt. And I'm not hitting on you, I like older girls." I finished.
Now Alex was looking at speechless, and a little flushed. Claire made a silent 'thank you' with her mouth. She knew her daughter's self-esteem had taken a hard hit.
"Why are you being so nice?" Paige whispered. "Normally you wouldn't do that. She's not a friend or a girl you'd kiss." Then she added, thinking, "Are you 'investing' in her for the future?"
I slapped Paige's forehead, making her pout
I told her that because I saw my past self in her. I was top of my class at school, but just above average when I entered an elite college.
I'm only on the very top now because of my past mory. My good voice in this life wouldn't be enough. I had incredible singers in Marshllo songs, yet only one in gaining popularity on his own.
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