As I was not happy with the way the last chapter went, Marie takes over for most of this update. I think my dismay over her looks was pathetic. So, I played through most of her teenage years yesterday and last night and got to know her better.
Well after that bomb of a birthday, I found it pretty hard to keep a happy face.
I grabbed my cake since it is a rare commodity around here. I then realized that I could do new things now that I couldn’t yesterday.
I finally get to play the piano I got for being a celebrity.
I even went to the brand new movie studio and got a part-time job after school. Dad says as long as I keep my grades up and work hard, I can keep it. Poor Mom is back at the inventing table. She keeps muttering that earning 25k simoleans with her inventions is an impossible task. Dad is a newly crowned mad scientist and with his elder birthday fast approaching, I know he was relieved. That’s basically how we spend our days. I go to school and work, Mom invents and hits the consignment shop daily and dad works three days a week then works in the garden or upgrades the bathroom.
I was walking home after school one day. Well okay, my chauffer was an idiot and took a wrong turn and I said I’d find my own way home and jumped out. I was just passing the abandoned house next door when I noticed it had lights on and a guy standing out front.
Grandpa told me how he know Grandma Court was for him when he first saw her. Mom was different though. She mistook her feelings of friendship and made them into love. I think I follow Grandpa. This is the one for me.
I had to laugh at all the piercings. Grandpa was going to love him just based on that. His name is Asterix O’Shea.
We talked for quite a bit, chatting and getting to know each other. Mousehand is the one who chucked the bonus points regarding townie spouses.
After a while I found out that Asterix is baby #1 in Mousehand’s secret ABC legacy. He has lost count of how many there are since they seem to multiply daily, but he thinks his mom is up to the letter I or J. With his house so overcrowded, he chose to save up his money and move here to attend high school. He works at the stadium and sends his money home to his mom.
These are his parents. They didn’t get married until Asterix was in high school and she had kids with different men all over town while he was growing up. From what I understand they loved each so much that they talked to each other everyday for many years before his dad talked his mom into abandoning the different father rule and get married.
I was in shock! I even told Mousehand that I’d better not show up over there to become a baby factory. I didn’t like that gleam in her eyes that she got.
I wasn’t meaning to sound pushy or weird or anything, but just happened to mention that I was only allowed to have one child. He could not contain his relief and actually smiled at me. After mentioning that, we had just become real friends. He showed me pictures of his parents, his littlest sisters and some of him growing up.
He says it’s hard to tell them apart. It’s a set of twins and a set of triplets.
And some pictures of him in various stages of life. I showed him pictures of my family dating all the way back to great-grandma Jill and Blossom. He couldn’t get over the fact that instead of babies, we had tons of horses. He says he is not an equestrian, but he likes horses just fine.
Just then I got a text regarding prom. Prom? I thought. I have only been in high school two days. Oh well. So, I asked.
I couldn’t believe he said yes! I had to tell mom so we could get me a new dress to wear.
I even pulled off my very first attempt at flirting.
We talked about inventions that my mom was working on. He seemed really interested in these things called airplanes.
My first kiss and then I heard it. My mom’s car pulling up.
Alani:
So the chauffer pulled up and explained that Miss Marie got out and decided to find her own way home. I was not worried at all. It’s a small town and she has a ton of aunts and uncles that she has befriended over the years.
It started getting dark and then I started to worry. I jumped in the car and got 20 feet. There she was kissing some stranger! My little girl! Kissing! It was like I could read her thoughts.
She is much too young to have a boyfriend….
Okay, that’s enough of that.
Alani: Time to come home, Marie. It’s almost curfew.
Marie: I’ll be right there mom.
I didn’t know if I should stand and wait for her or trust her to come on her own. Trust. That’s a big thing for me. Two of the people that I trusted most betrayed me. How do I prevent that from happening again?
Marie
Well, one thing is for certain. We have a whacky house. The neighbors already think my parents are whackos, but nowadays? I think they’re right.
How many other families have their dead great-grandmother feeding treats to the animals?
Or inspecting the garden?
Oh and don’t forget my personal favorite..Sleeping in MY bed!
I was trying not to be rude to Grandma Jill, but it was late and I was tired. Finally, I just said, “Teach me to drive and you can sleep here whenever you want.”
Unfortunately, I asked too late and she poofed right as I grabbed the car.
Two years later…
After work I was thinking of heading to Asterix’s house to see if he wanted to do homework together. He said that he couldn’t because he had previous plans. I think he said he was going over to Grandma Court’s house. I was in shock. For a small town, this is one person that I was forbidden to speak to or about. I told him to have fun and went home.
For a couple of days all I could think about was the grandmother I had never met. I finally decided to defy my mother. I went next door and asked if Asterix would come with me. I was so relieved when he said yes.
He even went up to her first to see if she wanted to meet me too.
We are both artistic. I finally found out who I take after and not just in looks. We talked about her sculptures and that she hoped I did something with my talent. She said that between her brilliant sculptures and grandpa’s masterpiece’s that I should do well for myself. I didn’t tell her that I had to either do sports (ew) or movies (yay!). I can always paint or sculpt in my spare time if I choose.
I knew when I heard her little baby crying, that it was time to call it a day. We waved goodbye and me and Asterix left.
We headed back to Asterix’s house. It was still early and we had homework to do, even if it was the weekend.
I hate seeing him in his work clothes. I sure hope the outfit isn’t broken when we age up. The decapitated look is not good on a teen.
We had been dating for a couple of years now and hadn’t gotten further than stolen kisses when we were both done with work and I snuck off to his house.
We discussed it and we both agreed that we were ready for more.
Things were really starting to get serious between us. Even though I still haven’t asked him to be my boyfriend yet. Maybe at prom, I will.
I was just giving him a goodbye kiss when the cops showed up. More and more often I find myself being “escorted home”. Mom and dad were pretty fed up with me. I was told to straighten up or no prom. I wasn’t too worried though. I’m getting to be an expert at sneaking out.
While I was on my date with Asterix, mom was in the backyard and it finally happened to her. I wish I could feel bad or something, but I just wanted to say, “How does it feel to be forgotten about.”
She was so intent on her inventing that even she forgot her birthday. Orion and Indigo were there, but Indigo is so old now that he fell asleep before the sparklies. Mom said later that the change was hideous and refused all pictures until after the makeover.
It was finally time for prom! I was super excited. Mom was so busy trying to make money that we never did find time to get me a new dress. So, I just put on the first thing I grabbed. I yelled goodbye to my parents and left.
They caught up right as I was saying hello to Asterix. The look I got from Dad was a, “We’ll talk about this when you get home” look.
Asterix had left work early and didn’t have time to change. I didn’t care one bit. I was just glad that he showed up! Also, before the dance started I asked him to be my boyfriend and he agreed! Best. Night. Ever!
As is customary with our family apparently. Prom has to be ruined.
Goodbye Grandma. I am so glad we got to meet!
Dad was waiting for me when I got home. I got “The Talk”. I was trying not to laugh the whole time and dad was not amused. I explained that we were taught all this years ago at school. He looked so relieved. He explained that I was much too young to be kissing anyone. I was so glad that he thinks that is all we are doing. I don’t even want to imagine what would happen if dad found out that we don’t always just do homework at his house.
I’m always amazed to realize that my mom does hear me when I speak. She is always out back with the horses inventing until she falls over dead asleep. Half the time it seems like I am talking to a corpse. I came home form work one night. (Darn! I forgot to change clothes! Okay, I was really on a secret date with Asterix. We went to dinner. Anyway, if she asks, I was at work). Well when I got home, I found a scribble pad on the table. The note said, “You better dedicate your first novel to us. Love, Mom and Dad” Grandpa said that as long as I stayed on the honor roll, went to work every night AND got my homework done, then I can work on writing in my spare time.
What spare time!?! I am having so much trouble keeping up. I eat when I need to go to the bathroom. I go to the bathroom when I need to eat.
I find myself running to the bathroom with my dinner now.
By the time I realized I couldn’t do both at once, it was too late. I had accidentally attempted to kill my dad. I just looked at him and said, “Oops.” Grandpa had to look away. He was trying so hard not to laugh.
My main problem is my thought process. It’s broken. Instead of extracting my plate from dad’s stomach and setting it on the ground to go pee. I chose to…
Run my plate around the house, ignoring the backdoor in the process…
Set the plate on the table and then..
Peed myself right there where everyone could see. It was the most humiliating thing to ever happen to me. I took a bath and escaped.
I went over to Asterix’s house. He made me dinner to replace the one I left at home while I did homework.
When I was done, I worked on my book while he did his homework. We both heard yelling and went to look. It was mom. She was yelling to get home now.
Mom doesn’t yell for anything. I went running and came in the door to this. This can’t be happening! Not so close to Grandma Court! He was only 93. Grandpa Gussie lived to 103! I..we were not prepared for this.
Bye Grandpa! You better haunt us soon.
The shock of it all put mom into overdrive. No one could get through to her. She quit inventing. Quit blowing herself up at the chemistry table and started a seed and gem collection. She even recruited dad to take up for her when she was near death from starvation.
She started befriending animals left and right. Well, not this rare snake. It bit her and went on its way. Mom headed home to cry on dad. She’s a mess.
What did I do you might ask?
A facelift! I went and had a little bit of work done. I was tired of hiding behind Grandma’s ancient hairdo. It was time to try something different. I told the doctor that I wanted my eyes further apart, a new nose, reshape my head thinner and change my eye color.
BEFORE:
AFTER:
I didn’t notice that much of a difference, but mom had a fit. I was grounded and all my credit cards were cancelled.
Luckily, she went back to her gems. Dad didn’t seem to mind the changes I made. He wasn’t happy, but he wasn’t mad either. He said I could get a new wardrobe and he’d pay for it!
Alani:
Did I cause her to do this? Was it stemming back to her birthday when we all stared at her in shock and horror? I thought I made amends for that? I’m pretty sure that grounding her was a bad idea. I get updates from the family that she has been sneaking off with Asterix,
Getting together after work instead of coming home.
Then it was after work dates of listening to music and then having a late dinner at the diner.
More and more often, she is back to being escorted home. Her grades were slipping and she lost her honor roll status.
I finally said enough. She was forbidden to see Asterix anymore.
Asterix did not get that memo. Mr. Asterix took it upon himself to follow her home. I sent Marie to say goodbye to him and I went to get ready for my late night gem hunt.
Marie:
Fobidden to see him anymore? Is she serious? How could she do this to me? To us? I went to him and invited him inside. We went into my parents room and I told him what she said. He tried to comfort me as I cried, but I had my own ideas.
I dried me tears. Threw myself at him and after a very nice romp…we exchanged rings. Promise/engagement rings. We still had years and years before we had our young adult birthdays, but that didn’t mean we couldn’t make sure that no one could break us up.
Within the week, mom let me off the hook, sorta. I’m still grounded until I’m 80, but Asterix is allowed to come over. We can’t leave the house, but it’s a big step for us.
There had been no missing school or work and all my homework was done before bedtime. I even have two novels finished.
On a super icky note. I heard dad whispering sappy love crap to her. They now chase each other around giggling like little kids.
Apparently, the new thing for them to play is, “The Mad Scientist and the Test Subject.”
I am so glad that I have to leave for school. Bye for now.