"So, how did you do on your finals?"
"Have you decided which college to go to? What about your major?"
"Whatever you do, don't go to Stanford. Let me tell you, only people who aren't that great choose Stanford. That's an Ivy League secret. I wouldn't tell you if you weren't special."
"College is all about joining a sorority or fraternity."
"Haha, back when I was in college..."
Blah, blah, blah, the noise never stopped.
Gloria Preston had to use all her strength to resist rolling her eyes. She thought surviving Thanksgiving was the end of it, but here she was at Christmas, trapped again. The muscles in her face, forced into a permanent smile, were about to give out.
Excuse me, but isn't Christmas supposed to be over after you open the presents? So why are they still here?
And it wasn't just one or two people—every single "experienced adult" felt the need to give her advice and wax nostalgic about their glorious college days, as if everyone didn't already know their lives had gone downhill since then.
Isn't there a saying?
Happy people look to the future, while unhappy people dwell on the past.
The only thing keeping Gloria calm and stopping her from flipping the table was the fact that after this ordeal, she was finally going to the theater to watch Catch Me If You Can.
Oh, God. Jesus Christ. Holy Mary.
She had waited so, so long for this. She had watched all three trailers at least thirty times. Anson was just that dreamy.
Gloria didn't know what it was.
Normally, her crushes on handsome guys never lasted more than three months. But there was something different about Anson.
Maybe it was the unforgettable experience of meeting him on the set of Friends, or maybe it was the fact that every time Anson appeared, he brought a fresh new vibe.
Gloria didn't know, and she didn't care. All she knew was that she was still into Anson.
Catch Me If You Can was her biggest holiday anticipation this year. The only thing on her mind was seeing Anson's gorgeous face on the big screen, even if the movie was terrible—it didn't matter, as long as Anson was in it.
Having to spend Christmas at her grandmother's house in Phoenix and missing the movie's premiere was a total disaster. But if she could see Anson on the big screen today, maybe life wouldn't seem so bad.
Even standing in the mud, you can still look up at the stars.
Ding, ding, ding.
The phone rang, and Gloria seized the chance to escape the bragging and posturing in front of her. She quickly picked up, and to her surprise, it was Elaine on the other end.
Besides feeling a wave of envy, Gloria didn't know how else to describe her emotions. Elaine had already seen Catch Me If You Can in LA—that was the best Christmas gift ever...
Wait.
"What!"
Gloria couldn't control herself anymore. She let out a piercing scream.
"Ahh, ahhhhhh."
"Ahhhh, ahhhhhh."
Jumping up and down.
Even though it was all screaming, there was so much hidden in her voice.
She couldn't believe it. Anson had shown up at the movie theater randomly, and Elaine had run into him.
And Elaine said Anson hinted that this wasn't the only surprise appearance.
How was she supposed to stay calm?
"Ahhhhh!" Gloria was losing it.
She hung up the phone without even noticing the stunned faces of everyone in the room. She dashed out, leaving the house in a state of shock. But she wasn't thinking about any of that anymore.
"Mom."
"Mom!"
"Mooooom..."
Running and yelling like a freight train, Gloria barreled through the house.
Finally, she found Mrs. Preston chatting with some relatives in the backyard. Gloria didn't care about manners. She hurriedly pulled her mom aside and whispered, almost out of breath.
"Mom, I need to go to the theater right now. I have to see Catch Me If You Can."
She barely caught her breath, worried her mom would say no, and quickly added.
"We've already opened the presents. We've been sitting in the living room all morning. I don't even need to go to the early showing. I just can't wait anymore. I need to get to the theater right now."
"Mom, do you understand? Anson just showed up at a theater in LA. Ahhh! A random appearance! He was there in person! I can't believe it."
Mrs. Preston watched her daughter grow increasingly excited, her voice rising higher and higher, full of joy. Her eyes twinkled, and she smiled gently.
"Okay."
Gloria kept going, "I promise I'll be back before lunch. I just need to see Anson. He's the perfect Christmas gift for me. He's the only thing making me happy today."
Mrs. Preston nodded again, "Okay."
Gloria had been so focused on convincing her mom that she hadn't even heard her say "okay" the first time. Now she stopped, wide-eyed, clutching her chest in disbelief.
"Mom, are you serious?"
Mrs. Preston smiled, "Of course. If that's what you want for Christmas, Jesus, it's the easiest gift ever. A movie ticket? I should be throwing a party for that."
The room burst into laughter.
Mrs. Preston thought for a moment, "Actually, I think I'll come with you to the theater. Let's enjoy Anson together on the big screen. What better way to spend Christmas than with a good movie?"
Gloria: ????
Wait, hold on. Can she refuse? Wasn't this supposed to be her private date with Anson, separated only by the big screen?
Mrs. Preston turned to the other relatives, "Would you all like to join us?"
"I just read in the Arizona Tribune that it's the perfect Christmas movie. No one should miss it. Maybe we should all go to the theater and relax. It's more fun than staying home."
"I think that sounds great."
"A Christmas movie? That sounds fun."
"Why not?"
Gloria: Wait! Wait!
No, no, no, not all of you! Can't you reconsider?
Gloria was stunned.
The words to stop them were on the tip of her tongue, but her mind raced as she tried to think of a way to talk them out of it.
Mrs. Preston turned back to Gloria, "Besides, we can help boost the box office."
Gloria froze.
Right. Why didn't she think of that?
Even though she didn't want the whole family tagging along and ruining her private time with Anson, boosting the box office was a great idea. After all, this holiday season was full of tough competition. Any little boost for Anson would help.
As for the middle-aged relatives, if they could stay quiet for two hours, it'd be a small price to pay for some peace. For Anson, she could tolerate their presence for a couple of hours.
Anyway, she wasn't only going to watch it once. Anson in all those different outfits? How could she settle for just one viewing?
Three, four, five, six, seven, eight viewings would do.
So for the first time, she could watch with everyone. Then for her repeat viewings, she'd enjoy her private time with Anson.
Who knows, maybe she'd run into him at the theater, too?
With that thought, it all seemed perfect. Gloria raised her arms high in excitement.
"Let's go! Let's go! Christmas movie outing!"