Saturday Misery

What a way to spend a miserable Saturday afternoon. I mean, with crystal clear skies, I'd much rather be out and about. Instead mom has grounded me endlessly and dad is dragging me to his job. Fun.

Dad isn't much of a cook either. Before we went over to the theater, I forced myself to eat the macaroni & cheese he cooked. I supposed it was the least I could do to avoid Sebastian's constant wails for attention. The one thing about having a baby in the house is that you slip under the radar more.

"Where do you think you're going, missy?" mom asked, clearly still struggling to get rid of her pregnancy weight gain.
"I'm going for a walk," I said, "I need some fresh air."

"Well your father will be down in a few minutes," she reminded me.

I met up with one of the cast members of the play. I think his name was Steven and he actually lives up in Riverview, but worked here.

I saw that cad Andrew in front of the bookstore as I was coming out of the theater. I walked over to say hi but he still isn't speaking to me. I can't talk about this with my parents, and I hardly see the other kids at school, not between school and my job, and the one guy at school I did kinda talk to is now a YA and has graduated.

A gratuitous shot of dad being dad, well, because I can. He's got this big performance coming up so he's been spending pretty much his every waking moment practicing, and I do mean that literally. People really don't understand how deeply music runs in this man.

It still royally sucks though that I'm spending my Saturday night doing homework. I don't want anybody mistaking me for a geek. I'm just, well, punished for the foreseeable future.

Dad

"Savannah."

Dad came up to my bedroom after the police left. "Daddy, really, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disappoint you."

"Savannah, I've heard this before. I'm tired of bailing you out time and again. Your mother is at her wit's end and I'm getting there myself."

He looked up at me. "Here's what I'm gonna do. Neither one of us is thrilled with you coming home with the police instead of in a taxi, so instead of grounding you and having you mope around the house until your birthday, I'm going to take you to work with me."

"What? At the theater?"
"I think it's a good idea. You'll see what we do for a living, and I can keep my eye on you. It's a complete win-win."

"Nathan, have you completely lost your mind?" I heard mom ask at the breakfast table.
"Actually, no I haven't. The experience will be good for her. She gets to see what I do, and I get to keep my eye on her. It's a complete win-win."
"She should be grounded indefinitely. Nathan, she's not getting any better. I've tried everything and she keeps getting worse. I've just about had it, and with Sebastian here, she could at least help around the house."

A robber???

Yep, no sooner had we all gone to bed than some robber dressed in black and white showed up unannounced, setting off our burglar alarm. I didn't realize Sunset Valley had a criminal element, but as Aunt Margaret put it, since this IS the wealthy part of town, we might as well have bullseye targets on our backs.

Poor Aunt Margaret, freaking out because her precious privacy was disturbed.

Mom watched with considerable interest as the burglar and the policeman got it on right there in the living room. Of course, the big strong burglar was going to beat the tiny little policewoman every time. Yep, it was the same one who had brought me home. Served her right, the dolt. She wasn't fair in bringing me home, so she got what she deserved IMO.

Boy Trouble Part Two

After I came from the movie I looked over at the bookstore and saw that Andrew was still there, along with Windy Alvi, a girl I knew from school. So I decided to walk over there and say hi.

There was some other older lady who was over there with them. I learned that Windy was the sister of Sadie Alvi, who was now engaged to Noah. I don't know why I never made the connection before.

Andrew and I were talking when I heard some sirens behind me and felt a tap on my shoulder. I was, like, oh, crap.

"All right, kids, break it up," shouted the policewoman. "All right, kids, let's go home now." She then looked right at me. "Plumb, you come with me."
"What'd I do?" I said.
"Your mother called the station worried sick about you."
I rolled my eyes.

As I got into the car, I looked over at Andrew and he was... LAUGHING!!!!! He had no business laughing at me! If life were fair, he would have been in the car right with me!

And I didn't hesitate to tell the cop lady that too. "That Cheesman boy, he should be riding in this car too, he was with me. And so was Windy."
"Yes, but I'm working the Summer Hill district, and you live in Summer Hill, which is why I'm taking you back to your family."

I walked into the house without saying anything to mom, who was waiting at the kitchen table.

Boy Trouble Part One

I was walking out of the bookstore when I saw a boy in a turquoise shirt sitting on one of the benches. I'd never seen him before, so I decided to go walk up and see what was happening.

He stood up and acknowledged my awesomeness although I have to admit the scene was a little awkward. "The azaleas are pretty," I said, trying to start a conversation.

But he brutally rebuffed my attempt at friendliness. "They're fake," he droned. "It's obvious, real azaleas don't have leaves that green." Who does this smart aleck think he is? I thought to myself.

I took a look at him. I decided he was decently formed enough for my tastes. Auburn hair, hazel eyes, a medium tanned complexion. He was at least worth a look, after all, there is certainly a shortage of male specimen in this town.

He introduced himself as Andrew Cheesman and said that he'd been adopted by a family here in Sunset. I told him I was Savannah Rachel Plumb (I like to use my full name when I'm meeting new folks). He also said he was originally from England, so I piped in, "Well that's where my grandpa is from."

"What part of England? It's a big place, ya know," he said in his accent. I'm a sucker for accents.

"Yorkshire, I think," I told him.

I decided I was going to go home and change out of my school clothes, so I narrowly caught my ride and spun into another outfit and came back into the town square to go and see the latest cop flick. Since my dad is a hit movie composer, he wrote all the music to this one as well as the romantic tearjerker that was also playing.

Baby Drama

Dad got the call while he was in the limo on his way home from work. Mom's water broke while she was in the shower and she was ready to deliver. You'd think dad, with all his massive experience in being a father, would actually find a more, er, conventional, way to be near his girlfriend's side while she delivers their 2nd child together.
But you can't really put the word 'conventional' and 'dad' in the same sentence, so he made like Forrest Gump and ran...


...and ran...


...all the way to mom's waiting car at Summer Hill Court so they could hightail it to the hospital so she could have the baby.


Ah, dear old dad. I still wonder about him sometimes.

A few hours later, after all this (with a ringing cellphone) mom emerged from the hospital none the worse for wear, carrying in her arms a bouncing...baby...boy, named Sebastian Ryan Plumb.

Little Sebastian, welcome to this crazy family, I guess. Do you need a primer?

My not so excellent adventure

After playing guitar, I decided to try and check out the town cemetery. Mom said my grandparents were buried here, so I was hoping to catch a glimpse of their ghosts. I ended up not seeing either of them.
Failing that, I decided to try and explore the catacombs below the main crypt. Try combing through ruins in 3-inch heels, impossible.



Anyway, for my troubles I did get a diamond, which I'm gonna send to the jeweler to have cut, and some nasty bruises from bears who mauled me!


It was a relief to come home and sink my teeth into a tub of orange pineapple sherbet. I decided to walk home in the cover of darkness after that experience, I didn't want ANYBODY seeing me like this at all! Thankfully, my parents and Aunt Margaret were asleep, so they have no idea this even went on.

Savannah Plumb, Superstar???

When I came downstairs for pancakes this morning, Aunt Margaret and my dad were eating and talking. "You know, Savannah, darling, I'm not sure about that getup," my aunt said.

"I'm going to play in the park today."

"Play what?" dad asked.

"Play guitar, silly!"

"Since when do you play guitar?" Aunt Margaret asked.

"Since daddy paid for my lessons the day I became a teenager."

I found a cozy spot right at the entrance and started playing one of dad's songs from memory. A couple guys looked at what I was doing and decided to watch. So I said, ok, if this is a good way to meet people, I'll keep on doing it. It's not like it's easy to meet people on Summer Hill Court. I hate to say it, but where we live is pretty isolated. There's only Noah and his family and the Landgraabs, and they don't have anyone my age there either.

While I was playing I ran into one of my teachers, Ms. Daniels. "That's a pretty mean guitar you're playing, Savannah," she said, "you know, your dad used to play a lot too."

"My dad? How do you know my dad?"

"Oh, come now, Savannah. It doesn't take a genius to look up the name Plumb in this town and do the math. There are only so many people with that last name here. There's only one person whose kid you could be."

"I s'pose so."

It took me awhile but I figured it out. Ms. Daniels used to be one of my dad's exes. I have to admit it was kinda freaky to know my teacher slept with my dad at one point. I was half tempted to ask her if he was good in bed.

"You know, with a little more practice, you could be doing sold-out concerts like your dad."

Sold-out concerts, eh? That gave me an idea...

"Savannah."

"Savannah."

With his one call of my name I was already at attention.

Dad was sitting at the chess table in the basement. Something you should know about my dad is that he NEVER raises his voice at all. That's even more intimidating sometimes than someone ranting and raving.

So I walked over towards him and he said, "Please, sit down and join me." I knew that when he did that he did not want to play chess. I haven't played chess -- especially with him -- since I was little.

Nevertheless, he spread out the chess pieces as if we were actually going to play. I knew I was going to have to suffer through one of his storytelling flourishes, of which he is remarkably fond. He picked up one of the chess pieces and proceeded to tell some story about kings and pawns. The whole ramble didn't make any sense.
Then he looked at me and addressed me directly. "Savannah, I know you've been spending more time in cop cars than classrooms."

"What are you talking about?"
"I got a call from the school while I was at work. You've only been to class twice this semester. Savannah, I know you're much better than that."
"Well, you didn't go to school, did you?"
"I did go to school, but I quit midway through my first year. And my situation was different."
"Was it really?" I looked up at him.
"You know, Savannah, you're a lot like me when I was your age, except quite possibly feistier. I want to tell you that -- that even though I did in fact quit going to school, I didn't quit learning. I put myself through a rigorous and stringent training program, more so than they could have ever come up with for me at school. I started working out at the gym, I went to the art gallery and the theater, sitting through tours and orchestra productions, I took guitar lessons, and I read lots and lots and lots of books.

Dad continued to talk. "I know I've done things that I'm not proud of, and I can't consider myself the best example. What I think you should do, and I'm not gonna sit here and make you go to school when I didn't go myself, is figure out what you want out of life, and then go do it!"

A big announcement

So I rode with the bookstore's owner in his dinky old car to my job, all because MY MOM TOOK MY CAR AWAY! AARGH!!!


So I'm cleaning up the cafe area, picking up coffee cups and stuff, when I look up and see Dad, with his familiar bright pink guitar (which actually belonged to my grandma), strumming a few bars of his signature hit, "I Would If You Did." Dad, I swear, I love ya to bits, but you're embarrassing me. People think he's the coolest thing around but actually he's a bit of a dork and I have the pics to prove it.




I was on my way home from work when I caught Noah and his fiancee' Sadie Alvi canoodling in front of the theater. Is it just me or is he getting gray?? He's got more gray than Dad does. Or is it maybe that Dad does a better job of hiding his. Who knows.


When I walked in from work, Mom said she had something she wanted to tell me. I was like, what, am I getting my car back?


"So, Vanna, how's school coming along?" she asked me.
"Pretty good I guess. They want me to read this book called Demand Excellence or Accept Mediocrity or something like that."
"You know I want you to get your grades up. You might think I'm being mean and all, but I'm doing this because I care. I love you and want the best for you."
I rolled my eyes. Why do moms come up with the same mumble jumble all the time?


"You know, Savannah," she said looking at me, "there's something I've got to tell you." When I looked up at her, finally, I realized she was actually wearing CLOTHES. Which could only mean one thing.
"Vanna, I'm pregnant."
I dropped my pencil and looked up at her in disbelief. "Mom -- are you serious? At your age?"
"Yeah, went to the clinic today."
Well, I'll be. Mom has 3 other grown children, plus me. I'll give her this, that she looks good for having had 4 kids.

Mom woke up shouting in the middle of the night. Keep in mind, their suite is right next to mine, so I could hear everything.
Looks like the old man's still got it after all.

A job? Oh, the horrors!

"Nathan, will you get your head outta that book for one second?" mom yelled. I was just coming down the stairs to catch the school bus (since a certain person TOOK MY CAR AWAY FROM ME! AARGH!!!!!)

"I'm going to the school this morning. Savannah's failing 4 classes and has only been to school twice this semester."

"Um-hum." Dad didn't even look up from his book.

"So I made a decision. I arranged for Savannah to get a part-time job at the bookshop."

The bookshop? I thought. No, not the bookshop!!

Sure enough I started my prison sentence today at the local bookstore. My hours are from 3 to 7, Monday thru Friday, and I'm off weekends. I guess it's one way to prove to mom that she can trust me. I don't know anyone who works here. Oh yeah, I do, my half sister Cylene (mom's other daughter) is the manager. I wish mom would stop treating me like I'm a 2 year old. I'm fifteen!

Day of Reckoning

Mom met me at the dinner table the next evening. "Savannah, I'm really disappointed in you," she began. "I have no idea how you turned out this way."

"How I turned out what way, mom?"
"You're skipping school, your grades are horrible, you stay out all night -- Vannah, we didn't raise you like this. I made sure you got all the toddler skills, me and your dad and your Aunt Margaret -- we tried to do things right."
"You don't get it, do you, mom?"
"Oh I absolutely get it. I'm taking the keys to your car."

I rose up from my chair. "What? Mom, you can't do that! Daddy bought me that car for my birthday."

"You'll get your car back when you stop skipping school and get your grades up." Mom took a deep breath. "I've got to go to the school in the morning."

This is the car in question. It's a midnight blue Toyota Prius. Daddy got it for me for my teen birthday and, well, I'm seldom out of it, really. Most days I even take it to school instead of the huge unsightly orange buses. How am I gonna survive without my car?

The morning after

I walked upstairs to my bedroom, it's the room right by my parents' suite, and went to bed.

The next morning I woke up to hear guitar riffs playing in my parents' bedroom. I didn't even have to get up to see who was doing it. I knew. To add insult to injury, my mom was still sleeping. You could imagine she was pretty ticked.

So she got up and marched over to where my dad had become the human alarm clock and let him have it. "Nathan!" she shouted. "Can't you see I'm trying to sleep here, I've had a rough night."

"Aww, baby, I was just trying to make you feel better."

"At any other time your music is great, but not now, not while I have this splitting headache and NOT WHILE YOUR DAUGHTER IS OUT OF CONTROL!"

Dad kinda looked at her like he didn't know what she was talking about.

"You do realize the cops brought your daughter home last night, right?"

"Uh-hum," he hummed as he continued his tune. "I wanted you to hear my latest composition, I've been working all night on it --"

"Nathan, did you hear a word I said?" Mom walked downstairs to the kitchen where she began fixing breakfast.