The It Girl [COMPLETED]

Chapter 39 - "I bought happiness."

The world had it wrong, everyone said money couldn't buy happiness. But that fact was actually incorrect because money could buy bagels and bagels were the equivalent to happiness, therefore through the transitive property, money could buy happiness.

That was as long as there was a bagel shop nearby and open. Otherwise, happiness would need to be found somewhere else. Possibly a doughnut shop. But it would be a slightly inferior happiness. Like happiness once removed.

A minor downside to this happiness, like an addendum in a contract, it was possible for the happiness to cause a bit of chaos. But everything came with a price, right?

"Buckets!" Courtney swore as she snatched the burning bagel from the toaster. "Ow! Stop hurting me!"

She manage to get the bagel onto the plate nearby and avoided an encounter with the floor. Which was the fate of some of the previous bagels.

"And what's going on here?" Courtney's mother said.

"Nothing much, only I keep burning my happiness," Courtney said.

"Ah, a life metaphor."

"No, literally I keep burning the bagels."

"A skill you inherited from your father. Allow me, you handle the bacon. I believe that's about to burn as well."

Courtney rushed to the griddle in time to snatch the bacon off. Everyone likes crispy bacon, right? A little flaky edges never hurt anyone. Though an excess of eating bacon could cause problems later on in life. That was an issue Courtney didn't think was relevant at this time.

"So," her mother said. "Is there an occasion for so much effort being put into brunch?"

"We always have brunch," Courtney said. "I can walk now and thought I should put in some hours. I don't want to always be known as the weakling of the family."

"I see. You should know we always just referred to you as the Pretty One."

"That is mildly better if not a little shallow."

Her mother laughed and expertly removed four perfectly toasted bagels. She was like Wonderwoman! Saving happiness one bagel at a time. What a legacy to have to live up to.

Courtney retrieved a bowl and began to crack eggs into it.

"More eggs than usual," her mother said. "Does this plus one have a name?"

The plus one did and Courtney hoped he'd keep it.

"Micah," Courtney said.

"I see," her mother said. "I'm guessing we should hold off on telling your father that this plus one is more than a plus one to you?"

Courtney spun around and found her mother smiling as she added more bagels to the toaster.

"The bagels gave me away, didn't they? Do you think dad will suspect anything when he notices the bagels?"

"We will have to wait and see."

Sighing, Courtney opened a drawer and picked out a fork. "I want Micah to keep his name."

"I'm sure Micah feels the same way."

"Why is dad like that? I mean we're only dating. It's not like we're engaged or planning to run away."

Her mother smiled softly. "You know that your father and I got married pretty young. I was close to my father. When I married George we moved to here for college, halfway across the country from my parents. I think your father worries that someday you might do the same."