<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 8pt;"><strong>5:30 AM: Rodrigo's Bedroom</strong></span><br/><br/><em>'Cobra to Plank, Downward Dog to Handstand.' </em>Rodrigo DiMatteo made sure to mind his form and breathing. Getting too many things wrong in his morning yoga routine would put him in an irritable mood until 10 AM at least. What could he say? He was a perfectionist about his workout. Slowly he curled over into the advanced Bridge position, he felt the stretch through his toned abs and back. With very little trouble he gradually flipped up into standing position. He gave himself a quick shake then looked at the alarm clock on his bedside table. It read 5:45. He took a quick shower then went into the kitchen. Breakfast was a small affair eaten at the breakfast nook and unless he had company this was done in boxer briefs. Two pieces of toast with blueberry jam, three pieces of bacon, three poached eggs, a small bowl of yogurt and granola…more bacon…Nothing too big. As usual the bespectacled blonde finished his meal by 7 AM. Just enough time to get ready for work and leave by 7:30.<br/>Rodrigo had dressed in something more casual that day, a simple white button down shirt with black jeans and a black bowler hat. He’d almost gotten his socks on when his cellphone started playing a tune by Jessica Johnson. It was his calendar alarm. Something was up today he’d missed. There on the wall of his room by the closet, he’d installed a touch screen calendar he invented to keep track of things. Today’s date blinked a pleasant royal purple. He double tapped on it so he could stop the blinking and see what was going on.<br/>‘DAY OFF! :3’, it read. Rodrigo let out a belly laugh. It amused him to think it took all those alerts to get him out of his routine. He smiled brightly; this could only mean one thing. He smile fell for a moment only to return even bigger. No, this meant several things! The button down shirt, jeans, and bowler were put back in their places. In their stead Rodrigo threw on a golden yellow t-shirt with Animal the Muppet on it, some white yoga pants, and a white bear-eared beanie with ear flaps. “Oh you know what time it is!” His green eyes lit up as he put on his headset to play the latest Call of Duty on Xbox Live. Today he’d delve into the things he wanted to do and liked to do.<br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 8pt;"><strong>10:15 AM: Rodrigo's Living Room</strong></span><br/><br/>“Don’t worry bro, I got the rocket launcher. Boom! Somebody tell the other team their care package got intercepted by someone who doesn’t give a fu—Hold on. My phone’s going off.” Once again Rodrigo’s cellphone buzzed. The caller ID warned him it was his father. He quickly said goodbye to his teammates and put the game on pause. With his family English was the secondary language, only to be used when socially necessary. “Ciao Papa, what’s up?” he asked. “Son, your mother, Angelique, and I are back from Milan. Did you remember what I told you about last night?” Mr. DiMatteo asked. “Um…No? Let me check something though.” A surge of alarm went through Rodrigo. He bolted up from the living room couch and double checked his calendar. Nothing other than his days off showed up for that month. Then he noticed a scrap of paper on the floor by his dirty clothes basket. He picked it up and read it. ‘For Calendar: Get Ready for Gala With Family’.  “Crap! The Gala! I totally forgot! Ok. I’ll come over to go shopping with you and Mom for a new suit.” He took off his bear ear beanie and brought out the outfit he would have worn to work that day. “Well I know that was originally the plan but Angelique will be the one to do that with you.” Rodrigo’s rushing slowed considerably, he let out an annoyed grumble. His father continued in a soothing tone though it came across more as guilty. “I know you’ve had some trouble understanding Angelique. Your mother and I brought her in to be part of the family. Give her another chance, please? She asked to have this opportunity to bond with you, we’ll all be going to the Gala together so please try your best to get along.” Great. Just great. Rodrigo not only had to attend an event he’d forgotten about but he’d have to be subjected to Angelique’s nosiness and snobbery.<br/>He sighed. “Alright…I’ll behave.”<br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 8pt;"><strong>6:55 PM: In the Car Almost at the Gala</strong></span><br/><br/>Rodrigo was pissed. Angelique was still trying to bond, going so far as to sit next to him. She’d refused to let him wear a hat without talking his ear off about how he already had too many. She’d also been incredibly snide with the salespeople. They may not have made as much as she did, but they were people too! Though his parents found her high voice to be endearing, Rodrigo thought it was shrill and annoying, only slightly softened by a French accent. “You look so handsome Rigo! And thank goodness without one of your silly hats. They made you look poor!” She patted his cheek. As she leaned over her cleavage showed quite a bit thanks to the tight strapless pink gown she wore. The only reason he didn’t outright turn away from the touch was for his parents’ sake. They liked her so she stayed. As such it had strained the family’s relationship a bit. He rarely visited the house if she was there. If his cousin Teresa were alive, Angelique wouldn’t have made it through the door. She used to be a sounding board for these types of things. “Rigo make sure to be nice to your peers. Even if they don’t seem that nice, their parents could ask for a commission from your father. A few of the people I’ve heard are coming went to his most recent gallery show at the museum so it’s a big possibility.” Mrs. Di Matteo said. “Yes, Mom.” The young man replied with a grin. He’d bought a black suit with white pinstripes, a red shirt, and a white tie to set it off. His mother wore an elegant silver halter dress with a black sequin belt; his now sleeping father opted for a navy blue suit with a white shirt and no tie. “Dad, wake up! We’re here!” Rodrigo reached across and gave his father’s knee a good shake. With a snort and a sheepish smile Mr. Di Matteo shook off his nap. “Let’s get to it!” He replied without a trace of grogginess. The car’s back doors opened. It was show time. Rodrigo and his father helped Angelique and his mother out of the car. The two ladies went on either side of Mr. DiMatteo. Rodrigo went on his mother’s side.<strong>“Introducing Luciano DiMatteo, his wife Maria DiMatteo, their girlfriend Angelique L’Noir, and their son Rodrigo DiMatteo!”</strong>They all posed for a few “family” pictures before going inside. As quietly as possible, Rodrigo slipped away to snag a bottle of Coke Zero and a better view of what was going on.<br/>