"Hey, Rory. This is Lancelot. I'm calling to let you know that I won't be able to make it to tomorrow's 5K. I have pneumonia. Sorry for the late notice- I hope it goes well. Have a good night."
Lancelot, putting his phone away and reluctantly going back to bed, felt terrible- both physically and mentally. He felt awful disappointing his sister, who had worked so hard to make today a reality. Aurora had hated running before, but she had picked it up for the sake of mental health awareness, and he couldn't be there for her.
Meanwhile, back in Newcrest, Aurora was hyping herself up. "Alright, Aurora, today's the day! You've been waiting ages for this moment, and now it's here!" She looked in the mirror with pride. "Mom would be so proud of you. Dad would, too."
Even Peaches the Whippet was excited to get out of the house and run.
"Teo, are you ready for this afternoon?"
"I guess." He hesitated. "I'm a bit nervous, though."
"Why? That you won't be a good runner?"
"Teo, no one cares if you aren't the best! What matters most of all is that we're gathered together for one united cause. It's gonna be a great day."
The Ericksons got to the Willow Creek park at the crack of dawn, the whole park already decorated for the big event.
"It's a shame Lance couldn't make it today." Aurora sighed. "I hope he's recovering okay, wherever he is."
"But..." Teo frowned. "He's right there."
Teo pointed to the trees. Standing beside them and looking the sickest he had ever looked in his life, was Lancelot.
Aurora gasped in horror. "He's not supposed to be HERE! He has pneumonia! He might spread it to others!"
"I'll go talk to him." Teo started to jog over.
"Make it quick! The race is starting in a few minutes!"
"Lance, dude, what are you- OH MY GOODNESS." Teo stepped back, absolutely shocked.
Lancelot was in horrible condition. He was sick to the point where he had spots on his chest.
"You're... you're SICK! And you're HERE, and you're gonna get US sick too and-"
"Teo, I-" Lance hacked up a wet cough and Teo stepped back even further. "I- I had to be here. For Rory."
"Your sister doesn't want you to suffer, she wants you to recover. There's no need to come if you're this sick. We all get it."
"I just don't want to fail again..." He remembered that Harvestfest, when he was sick with the stomach flu and couldn't make it. It was the day Aurora announced she was having a baby. He always missed everything.
"You're not failing by admitting you need help. Now, go home, and PROMISE me you'll get some rest."
Lancelot nodded sadly and started trudging away back to his home.
After the situation with Lance had finally been resolved, the 5K officially began.
"Isn't it great that Mom and Dad are running this?" Anouk asked her siblings. "It's for an amazing cause!"
"Right?" Zhuri grinned. "In fact, I think WE should run it too, just to support even more."
"Not in a million years." Camille scowled. "I'm a dancer, not a runner."
The twins ignored Camille. "Last one to the finish line doesn't get any ice cream!"
And Camille, with her naturally competitive spirit, couldn't resist running either.
After the running had concluded, everyone gathered in the front of the park for fun and games.
"Everett!" Camille hugged her cousin. "Thanks for coming, and congrats! You had the fastest running time today!"
"Thank YOU for coming to my party yesterday." Everett replied graciously. "I really appreciate it." And that was the truth.
"Camille," Everett inhaled. "I have something to tell you." They were sitting alone at a table, and Everett was bouncing his leg and fidgeting nervously.
"What is it?" Camille was concerned. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, it's just..." Everett hesitated, then began to speak. "I'm... I'm gay. And Emmett and I are boyfriends now."
Camille just stared at him. "Okay. And...?"
"What do you mean, 'and?' I just came out to you!"
"I've always had a feeling you weren't straight." Camille laughed. "So has everyone else in the friend group. It's common knowledge. Besides," She smiled. "I still love you, regardless of who you date and who you're attracted to. You're still my favorite older cousin."
Hearing Camille be so accepting of him made Everett more comfortable with his sexuality. He felt that soon it would be as good of a time as ever to introduce Emmett to his parents. After all, they had to know eventually.
While the cousins talked, Aurora tried (and failed) to play some basketball, when...
"Lancelot Michael Morris-Dupant, WHY are you still here?!"
"I'm feeling better- I insist!"
"There are literally RED SPOTS all around your body! You HAVE to go home! I thought Teo talked to you?"
"But you didn't listen, didn't you?"
Lancelot shook his head. Aurora sighed and rubbed her face with her hand.
"Do you really think I'd be THAT upset just because you missed today? The 5K was one thing, but dismissing what I say is a whole other one."
"I'm sorry, Aurora, I just wanted to make you happy."
"I would have been happier if you had just rested at home."
"Teo said the same thing..."
"Well, maybe you should listen to Teo more often."
And hearing that betrayal in Aurora's voice made Lancelot feel worser than ever.
With Aurora's words still echoing in his mind, Lancelot chose to stay at home for the next few days, focusing fully on recovering and resting. By the end of his quarantine period, Lance had fully recovered, red spots gone.
Since his dad was feeling better and no longer contagious, Everett could finally invite Emmett over to be properly introduced to his parents.
Everett: Can't wait for tonight! ILY BABE!
"Mom, Dad, this is Emmett, Officer Donald's son. He's my best friend."
"Emmett, nice to meet you!" Toni grinned. "Everett talks about you all the time!"
"Aww, it's no biggie, Ev. Besides, that's the way I like it."
Toni laughed. Lancelot smiled. Everett exhaled. Things were going better than he expected.
"You know, ma'am, Mister, it's been a delight getting to know Everett. He's such a great guy."
"We raised him right." Lancelot wrapped an arm around Toni, completely forgetting about his arguing with Everett over the past few days.
"You sure did! And being his boyfriend is just such an honor!"
Toni's smile turned upside-down instantly. "Boyfriend?"
"You haven't heard? Evv-ie and I are dating now!"
Lancelot and Toni each turned slowly to look at their son in horror.
"D-dating? Behind our BACKS? With the son of the OFFICER investigating your grandmother?" Toni was appalled. "What had gotten INTO you two?"
"That whole police stuff has been over for AGES now!" Emmett argued back. "And besides, Everett and I are adults now! WE choose what we do with our lives."
"Woooo, look at MEeeEEEEeeee, I'm a controlling psychopatic parenttttt. I wonder why my son doesn't talk to me anymore!"
"I didn't know your standards were so low." Lancelot glared at his son.
"Mom, Dad, PLEASE." Everett was embarrassed and ashamed. "Can't we all just calm down a bit?"
"You know what?" Emmett stood up from the couch, fuming. "Fuck this shit and fuck calming down. I'm going home. We'll talk after, babe."
And so, before anyone could stop him, Emmett stomped himself back home.
And he kicked the trash can on his way out.
The house was silent for a few seconds. And then, Everett snapped.
"What the FUCK is both of you guys's problems?! I didn't bring Emmett here for him to be disrespected like that. You act like this and THEN you wonder why I'm never home!"
"We're only trying to protect you." Toni tried to mediate. "Emmett made the decision to leave himself."
"I DON'T NEED PROTECTING! I NEED to be treated like a GODDAMN ADULT for once! I KNOW what I want. The only thing STOPPING me from getting those things is YOU, Mom! And YOU, Dad!" He stood up abruptly. "I'm going to bed. Screw you."
Everett: Hey, Emmett. I'm really sorry about how tonight went. I'm going to talk to my parents and we're going to get this sorted out. It won't happen again.
I love you forever. Have a good night. TTYL.
In just the span of one day, the joy the 5K had brought back to the Dupant household had dissapitated.
