Chapter 1.39

Chapter 1.39-Common Ground

            The discomfort of the three in the limo was almost visible it was so strong. Anthony had tried to leave room for Layla to sit next to him, but she had refused. Layla couldn’t stand Arden and would have loved to have clawed her eyes out. Arden was angry that she was having to include another couple in her prom-night plans. Then the dry-cleaners had destroyed her dress leaving her with nothing to wear but a mismatched skirt and top. Finally Galen’s shoelace had broken and he was still trying to get it fixed which left the others sitting uncomfortably in the limo waiting on him so they could leave.

            As a start for prom night went, things were looking pretty dismal.

            And by the time the limo finally pulled out into the freezing night everyone was pretty rattled.

            In the little house left behind Helen had received a thrill. She was in Galen’s room taking pictures down off the walls when her phone rang.

            “Phedra!” She breathed excitedly. “How’s paradise?”

            They hadn’t heard from her in several weeks. Her flight training concluded, her language lessons over, she had travelled out to the village she was to be working in. During her last phone call she explained that the nearest phone would be a 4 hour trek from the village she was in. She could only call when she needed to be in the larger village for supplies, which wouldn’t be often. This was the first time.

            Even then, this call wasn’t as planned as she had hoped. She really still had plenty of supplies, but she was discouraged. Only a few children were able to attend her classes. Most of the others were needed to work at home.

            “Teach the ones you can, and they can teach the others. You’ll see. Even helping a few is better than none.”

            Helen’s heart soared as she listened to Phedra through the static on the line. Hearing how her daughter was nearly made her obsession over the computer seem trivial and petty.

            She told Phedra about the snow. Phedra told her about how she was so sick of being nothing but hot all the time.

            Helen told her about Buck’s arthritis and folks around town. Phedra painted word pictures of the village she lived in. Of the tiny chieftan who held such power, such sway. How she’d almost been sent packing because one of her bracelets had a pattern on it that was a little too similar to something taboo.

            And finally, she told Helen something to make any mother’s heart soar.

            Phedra told her mother just how much she missed her cooking.

            “Sweetheart,” Helen told her. “I love you, too.”

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            In the end, Prom wasn’t the total disaster Layla thought it would have been. There were a few snafu’s and bobbles, but nothing really major. Anthony had been kind, though he insisted that they talk as they danced which had annoyed Layla quite a bit at first. But once they finally found a common ground it was a little easier.

            Arden had even settled down once they arrived at the restaurant, and had then promptly ignored Anthony and Layla the rest of the night to their immense relief.

            When Galen and Layla had finally arrived home, both were starving, their parents were in bed, and each was anxious to talk about their night.

            “Did you see Selena slip during the smustle?”

            “Arden talked about her panties for at least an hour,” Galen answered. “I didn’t see them myself, but I felt like I did.”

            “It was awesome.” Layla giggled.

            “Couldn’t have happened to a nicer sim, hmmm?” Galen gently reminded her that Layla and Selena were once friends.

            “She once told me she thought your hair was stupid.”

            “I wasn’t the one who was friends with her,” Galen couldn’t be rattled by anything tonight. Things had gone exceptionally well for him. “Plus Arden thinks her hair is stupid.”

            Layla giggled. She was quite willing to be nice to Arden if she planned on ignoring Layla.

            “So,” There were so many other things that had happened he was wanting to talk about. Galen could barely contain himself. “So, after tonight, I’ve decided that I really do want to ask Arden to marry me. Looking around at every other girl in the school gathered right there in one room and dressed up, Arden outshone them all for me. Even in her outfit. She’s the one for me.”

            Layla nodded. She’d expected this some time ago, but had really expected it to be Arden informing Galen that he’d be proposing and what time to show up for the wedding she already had planned.

            Taking a big bite out of the hamburger Layla expected Galen to go on about his darling Arden and all her virtues compared to their lacking classmates when he dropped a bomb on her.

            “And I saw how well you and Anthony get along,” Galen’s voice was smooth as silk. “Are there wedding bells in the future there also?”

            If she hadn’t just swallowed, Layla’s sure she’d be dead from choking. Instead, she takes a deep breath and another bite. Galen can wait as she formulates her answer.

            Galen’s smile slips as he watches his sister. In her eyes, he can see the wheels turning.

            “One day,” Layla leaned forward as she spoke. “One day I’m going to get married. It’ll be outside near a pond on a bright and sunny day. And I’ll be very happy.”

            Pausing to wait until Galen is about to take a bite adds good dramatic effect. She wants him to listen to her. And she wants him to realize that he still has no control over her life.

            “But as to who the groom is,” she finally continued with a voice of steel. “I have no idea who that person is.”

            “It was just a question.” Galen is a little put out. He’d shelled out information that was highly valuable to him. There was no need for her to do that. It was okay with him if she wanted to marry Anthony. Really. And with his room being renovated and a computer added, right now, he was even willing to tell Arden that they would live here with his folks. He was rather partial to his childhood home. Layla and Anthony could get their own house if they wanted.

            Layla blocked further attempts at conversation by dismissing him.

            “You’d better wash that dish before you go to bed. Mom’ll have a duck if she wakes up and there are dishes in the sink.”

            Galen took her hint, getting up to wash his plate and go to bed. It was too late to reason with his stubborn sister anyway.

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            Short filler chapter. But the next one is going to be a little long to make up for it. Also, it’ll have a lot going on. Much more plot and all that.
            Also, in the shots where Helen was on the phone with Phedra, Phedra was standing right on the other side of the wall. lol. If I had shown what Helen saw out the window while she was talking you would have had a great shot of Phedra.
            It may take me a little bit to get back to those who comment for a few days and I'm so sorry. I'm having my wisdom teeth removed Thursday morning and I'm hearing I'll be a bit loopy for a day or so. In the meantime, thank you for reading and commenting!

Chapter 1.38

Chapter 1.38-Sometimes, Maybe

            Making good on her promise to take Anthony out on her wanderings with her had proved a little easier than Layla had thought. Determining early on not to take him to any of her favorite haunts was a must, finding a path she didn’t frequent easy. Though the silence between them as they went actually unnerved her more than she felt it should have.

            She liked quiet. It was still quiet. It was just having him with her than made her uncomfortable.

            The one thought that kept her going, gave her some solace, was that he would be graduating before her. Maybe then they could go their separate ways.

            A third person could easily have walked between them they kept so far apart. In some spots, it was clear that he had accidentally stepped off of the snow covered sidewalk, his ankle bent at an odd angle. But he didn’t make a sound. Neither did she.

            She had accidentally been walking a little faster than he had, and coming around a bend put her one firm pace ahead of him when the silence was finally broken.

            “Wait a moment, Layla,” Anthony’s voice was quiet, muffled and dampened by the snow surrounding them. “This is far enough today.”

            Usually, they walked until at least sundown. But Layla stopped obediently.

            “Look,” Anthony acted just a little nervous. “Look prom is coming up. We should go.”

            There was nothing to be said by Layla in her opinion. Though she really didn’t want to go to prom, it would keep Galen happy if she went with Anthony. So she nodded silently, glumly, looking down at the snow in front of her.

            “Then we’ll go,” He took her nod as matter of factly as he had asked. “Will you wear a dress?”

            Again, Layla said nothing, nodding instead.

            “Alright. Then I’ll look nice as well. Your brother has arranged a limo and dinner reservations for beforehand. I’ll come by and we’ll all go together.”

            He walked in front of her, catching her eye.

            “You know you can talk to me, right?

            "You're lips move and your mouth opens and sound comes out of it all at the same time? You know, talk?"

            Surprise marking her face, Layla peeped up at him, blushing a little.

            “I mean, we take these walks several times a week. We walk. We walk far apart and silent. Then the sun goes down. I tell you ‘Bye, and you nod. At school? We walk. We walk far apart down the hallways, silently. Sometimes, if someone gives either of us a hard time, we hold hands. Silently. I don’t bite.”

            Ducking her head, Layla catches herself nodding. Quckly changing it to shaking her head she looks up again, catching the hungry look he has sometimes when he stares at her.

            “My favorite color is purple. I want a purple corsage.”

            This time Anthony is the one who nods, with just a hint of a smile on his face.

            “Alright then,” he says quietly. “Mine is green. ‘Bye.”

            And he turns to walk home, leaving Layla on the frozen sidewalk alone, surprised.

            “And next time?” He calls over his shoulder making Layla jump. “Next time take me somewhere where I’m not falling off the sidewalk. Somewhere you actually like to go. See you this weekend.”

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            Meanwhile, Buck has taken a gloveless Helen outside to show her how to build a snowman. Helen wanted to add a festive touch to the outside of their house and had decided a snowman fit the bill. The only problem was she had never built one, even as a child, and had no idea how you got the snow to “mound” like that.

            “Now you’ve got it rolled all nice and big like that, you pack some snow on the outside to make it round, instead of a roll,” he told her. Buck had other reasons for offering to help. The cold was a little tough on his joints and coming out here into the damp just made it worse. But this might be worth it, for his kids’ sake.

            “Have you given any more thought to the idea Layla offered the other night?” he grunted to Helen. Kneeling was hard too.

            “You mean the one where we invite danger right into our home with a computer?”

            “A computer isn’t dangerous.”

            “Oh, yes it is! Identity thieves will be knocking our door down the moment we got it hooked up! And Galen would look at nothing but porn, and Layla will end up a mail-order bride! Those things are evil! Nothing but evil!”

            “I think your fears might be a little out of hand, honey.”

            “Buck, you don’t see me trying to force you to go swimming. Or get a pool in the backyard do you? Please don’t ask me to do this. I don’t want to be the bad guy here, but I just don’t see them as safe in any way. And all those stories in the media…”

            Sighing heavily, Buck figured he’d have to spell a few things out.

            “Helen, sweetheart, Galen would be much more careful than a lot of those people on the news are. And Identity Theives don’t show up at doors. So you wouldn’t have to ever worry about how he acts online. Really. It might even help give him something to do other than let his girlfriend plan his life. Maybe he could do his own research, look up some things that he is interested in and pursue those interests. I worry she’s taking him over. He’s too young to be roped into life like that.”

            Working silently for a little while they managed to get a second snowball on the snowman.

            “I don’t want to worry about Galen like I’m going to worry about Layla.”

            “Worry about Layla?” Helen kept her eyes on the snowman whose belly she was rounding, but her tone was sharp and betrayed her astonishment. “Why on earth should Layla be causing worry? She’s the one I trust the most.”

            “She’s the one you should keep the closest eye on. It’s always the quiet one who will surprise you sweetheart. And she’s got a big one. She’s out of here. The moment she’s of age. Unfortunately, she’s not Phedra and has no map. She’s just out. And Galen’s girlfriend is planning her life just as she plans his. And that’s just pushing her farther, harder, and more quickly. That’s far more dangerous than Galen going online to look at porn.”

            “She’s said enough to me to get alarm bells ringing. She’s got money, she wants to travel, she refuses to talk to people she doesn’t know well, she prefers to be alone. Nothing but alone. And I’m scared someone will come along and charm her right out of her money, and she’ll be too scared to say anything to get help. She won’t know where to turn, and she’ll have nowhere to go. Galen at least is planning a responsible path for himself. Layla’s just being a bit reckless, even if she seems the least reckless of any of the kids.”

            “I didn’t know she was planning on leaving,” Helen said softly.

            “She is,” Buck said gruffly. “But getting Galen a computer, which should make his girlfriend back off, will help both Galen and even Layla a little. That and I think I might have an ace up my sleeve, if she’ll listen and if I can swallow my own pride a mite.”

            As Helen rolled the third and smallest ball for the snowman’s head, Buck told her of his idea. The telling didn’t take long, neither did rolling the head, but Helen kept herself quiet until she had plopped the heavy ball on top of the snowman.

            “I think that’s a great idea,” she finally admitted. “I know how hard it must be for you to even consider it, but it could at least put someone responsible in her path. It’d make peace for yourself too.”

            “Yeah,” Buck’s voice was gruff. He was kneeling again. “Yeah, and it’s why I’m asking you to make the tough choice to let Galen get a computer.”

            “You know,” spoke Helen. “You know I’ve got an idea, too.”

            Buck grunted his acknowledgement. Waiting to hear what she had to say.

            “We could get a swimming pool in the backyard, and I’m going to throw you in it in the middle of the night.”

            “This ain’t like my hydrophobia,” Buck shot back. “You wouldn’t even have ta see it. It’d be in the boy’s room.”

            “The swimming pool would be in the backyard. Honestly, when’s the last time you went in the backyard or looked in it?”

            “Helen.” Buck’s tone held a warning. She was trying to play, but it wasn’t in her tone. And truthfully, she was half-serious.

            Helen had brought out some of the Hockey gear Cyrus had left behind, putting it on the snowman.

            Buck watched as silently as she worked. He knew that it would be hard for her to say yes, and that even asking her was a little unfair. But so many problems could potentially be solved with one small consession on her part.

            Buck turned to go, the cold settling in his joints had become almost unbearable.

            “Wait,” Helen stopped him. “Wait, please.”

            Slowly, Buck stopped, raising his head. Helen squared her shoulders.

            “I think-“

            And the bus horn interrupted her even as Galen spotted them in the sideyard, coming over to look at the snowman.

            Galen walked up, chattering about some incident that had happened that day in the computer lab, something about Layla and Anthony going off together as they usually did and what Arden said in the cafeteria. Buck interrupted him as he got closer.

            “Galen, your mother has something to tell you.”

            Helen shot Buck a look. She really didn’t want to do this. Why couldn’t Buck have told him?

            “Go on,” Buck refused to help. He was going to have to do his own explaining in a little while. She could explain to Galen that she would let him have a computer. It was time for her to admit that sometimes, maybe, even she could be wrong.

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            Helen is growing up! And doing something for someone else for a change. Makes my heart all melty. Helen doesn’t have the athletic trait, but all she built were hockey snowmen. At least at first. Currently I've got classic, hockey, grim, and alien snowmen. I'm now cursing getting them to do that scene. It was the start of an obsession over building snowmen. The yard is littered with them, it’s nuts. I finally started “Delete Object”ing them cause they were causing routing tantrums by the entire house hold. Those and the snowangels. In their defense I finally used retuner to make the bookshelf off limits so they can’t read the children’s books it’s stocked with anymore, I also Retuned the Ant farm. All that is left is the radio and the tv which I constantly turn off. But if I send them out anywhere, they come right back home anyway and still do nothing but play in the snow. Oh well.
Onwards!

Chapter 1.37

Chapter 1.37- Like a Dragon

            The following days went by peacefully and without much change in anyone’s routine. Winter had blown in bringing enough snow to bury the newspaper each morning and to make the landscape dazzling under the sun. Galen had managed to convince the school’s administration that they needed upgraded equipment in the computer lab, and Layla had set a new school record in track. The night of the full-moon Layla had come in late after a track meet. Galen was jealous. His precious new laptops were being put in the computer lab and Layla had seen then delivered.

            “Were the boxes in good shape? Were they handling them gently?”

            Laughing, Layla just shook her head.

            “Come on,” Galen pled, desperate for her to actually tell what she had witnessed. “Were they being gentle with them?”

            “Galen,” Layla finally relented. “As best I could tell, they were stacking them on a hand-truck with kid gloves. That’s all I could see. Really. You’ll just have to go and look tomorrow.”

            Helen was blank. All this hoopla over a machine was beyond her.

            Sighing, Galen continued, “I just hope that they have a few out in the morning. I really want to see how well they hold up, and especially if they measure up with the hype.”

            Finishing the stew Helen had made for dinner, he went to clean his plate.

            “You just never know who’s telling the truth on the web about what’s good and what’s not. And PlumbBob forbid some newbie get a little money and think what they’ve got is the best. They never know. And you never know if they’ve really got the know how or just the language.”

            During this, Buck had grabbed a dish of stew and went to sit by Layla.

            Buck had mostly ignored Galen’s diatribe on newbies and computers. It had been a few days since he had talked with him and he still wanted a word with Layla. But catching his daughter had proved all together a lot more difficult. Many nights she came home with only enough time for dinner before she fell into bed. Today’s snow had been too heavy for her to do her usual walk-about, and so she was doing her homework at home for once.

            “Alright young lady,” Buck started. “Are you planning on getting a rock from this young man you’ve been seeing?”

            “No.”

            “No,” He repeated blankly. “That was an awful fast answer. Are you sure you’re not just saying that to get me to leave you alone?”

            “Yes.”

            “Again, you’re way too quick on the draw,” Buck wasn’t going to be fooled. “You’re not planning on eloping and running away are you? I couldn’t bear to think you’d do that.”

            This time, it was Galen’s turn to slow down the clean-up of his dish, straining hard to hear over the running water. Layla’s answers had been very quietly spoken. He was only assuming he knew what she as saying based on Buck’s replies.

            “Then what is all the money for? Why are you going out in all-weathers to go and get more jewels? If you’re not saving up for a big wedding once you graduate, what's it for? I know Phedra is making her own money now and doesn’t need it. And Galen’s plans include him making his own money for himself so he doesn’t need it.”

            Layla hung her head, sighing. She really didn’t want to lie to her Daddy, but she didn’t want Galen to hear her honest answer. Things had been nice for a little while, quiet and easy just the way she liked. And if Galen heard her honest answer, wouldn’t he just tell Arden who’d tell everyone else? Wouldn’t her torture of boys constantly pressing her begin again? But she couldn’t lie to her Daddy.

            “Laydee-bug? What is the money for? What are you planning after graduation?” Buck’s frown went straight to her heart.

            Finally, forcing a smile, Layla dove in.

            “I’m going to buy an island all of my very own with it,” her smile broad though her eyes were hard and cold as ice. “I’m going to stay there in peace and quiet all the rest of my days. I’ll invite those who I love for visits and kick ‘em off as soon as I want to be left alone again.”      

            Buck looked at her reproachfully before returning to his dinner.

            “Fine,” Layla nodded as Galen gave up trying to pretend his dish needed further washing. “I have no plans to marry anyone right now. I don’t want to stay here in town. I’d like to see what else is out there in the world. See who else is out there. I don’t want to do what every other kid in school does, where all they do is graduate, get a job, marry their high school sweetheart, have kids, work, and die. I want more than that.”

            Galen knew her words were aimed right at him. And for the first time, he heard them, really heard them. Perhaps Buck’s talk with him had made him look a little more closely at his own motives. Maybe he was finally ready to hear Layla’s side of the story.

            Not to be deterred though, Galen gave up his charade and went to sit on the couch. Turning the tv on a fishing program, he turned the volume down low and hoped his Dad would continue to talk to Layla.

            Buck however, was mulling over his daughters words for himself. He’d hate to lose her. And she didn’t seem like the type to do what Phedra was doing. So how would she fare in the wider world, where talking to other people would most likely be required for survival?

            As Buck finished his meal, Layla looked up sharply.

            “I’d like a dragon too,” she said. “I’d like a dragon who could guard me from everyone who wants to force me to do what they want to do instead of listening to what I want. That’d be nice.”

            This statement left Buck a little confused. A dragon? And who is forcing her to do anything?

            Galen, however, flinched. This didn’t go completely unnoticed by Buck. So why would Galen be hurt by Layla’s words? Unless Galen was… Oh. A lightbulb flickered on in Buck’s head.

            “So where would you go when you left here?” Buck asked quietly hoping to turn the conversation a little.

            “I have no idea,” Layla bent back over her homework.

            Helen walked back into the room, scowling, but joining Galen on the couch to watch the fishing program. Slowly, sadly, Buck stood up his mind swirling.

            He really didn’t think Layla was ready for the world. She was just too shy to speak to others. And wanting out but not knowing where to go could be dangerous. What if she left just to leave and something happened to her? In the back of his mind, a suggestion formed itself. It would be painful, possibly humiliating, definitely humbling but what if… What if…

            Layla was in silent agony herself. She couldn’t bear that she might have hurt Galen’s feelings in any way. She shouldn’t have spouted off like that. But she was so tired of his pushing. Maybe she could find a way to make it up to him.

            An idea flashed behind Layla’s eyes. Jaw dropping a little, she looked up sharply. Helen was on the couch with Galen. Buck was in the room. Everything was quiet and comfortable. She could do it.

            “You know,” she said unnecessarily loudly. “You know if I had a computer, or if there was a computer in the house I could look up someplace, and then make plans.”

            Pausing, for dramatic effect was torture for Layla. Galen was looking at her as if she had lost her mind, though Helen’s angry surprise she had anticipated.

            “You know, we each have our own rooms now, maybe we should get to redo them how we want them. I can get a display case for some of the jewels I’ve kept, and Galen can put a computer in his to do his work. I could borrow it for some work too instead of going to the library. We’d both be home more if we had one. And in Galen’s room, you’d never have to see it, Mom. It could work”

            Buck sat down next to Helen, putting a hand on her thigh. The idea wasn’t so bad, and it might help Galen grow a little independence from his girlfriend.

            Elbowing Galen, Helen had an answer ready.

            “Untended electronics are a leading cause of house fires,” she said in a low, ominous voice. “I’m in here, or Buck is in here during the day to keep an eye on the tv and radio. In your room, alone, it could make the entire house go up in flames.”

            “No, it wouldn’t, Mom.” Exasperated, Layla flatly contradicted Helen.

            “Yes, it could,” Helen kept her voice low and quiet.

            Galen shot a look at Layla. Could it really catch their house on fire if they got a computer and kept it in his room?

            “When I was little the library was older, like our house,” not letting go, Helen continued her fright campaign against computers. “The town leader, my father, wanted to upgrade the computers in it. The first night they left them all plugged in, it all caught fire. Everything in it was destroyed. They said the computers caused it.”

            Still staring at Layla, Galen was a little frightened now. This annoyed Layla worse than anything. He should know that the story had an obvious flaw. The wiring in the house had been updated a long time ago. In mom’s story, the library was ancient and the wiring most likely couldn’t handle the computers.

            “Galen,” she said sharply. “Galen, the wiring in this house is up to code. We have barely anything plugged in. It could handle a computer and you know it.”

            “Galen, I could just as easily light a match and set the computer on fire myself.”

            “I will destroy with fire anything that comes in my house threatening my safety.”

            Finally, Galen had realized that Helen was just putting on instead of putting her foot down.

            “Computers are a threat to our way of life! Our information could be stolen! Our money pilfered! They’ll come in the night and rob us blind!”

            No one quite knew who this “they” was, but everyone knew that when Helen had her mind set on something there was no stopping how far she’d go to justify it.

            An idea struck Layla.

            “Ah! Yes! You’ll set the computer on fire, thus setting the house on fire, and Dad will run outside and pass out!”

            “Please, leave me out of this,” mumbled Buck.

            “Oh! Yeah! He can pass out on the doorstep, waking up only when the firefighters arrive, but after the journalist who will once again get a photo to put in the paper of the ‘dead guy’ at the scene of a fire!”

            As Buck begged the two to quit their outrageous tales Helen surveyed Layla from across the room.

            It was very clear that Layla had just spun this in favor of Galen getting a computer. She had planted the idea, watered it, and left it out to grow a little. And Helen had just played right into it. Without knowing what Layla wanted in return though, Helen was still a little leery of the idea of a computer in the house.

            Just what was it that Layla hoped to get out of it would continue to bother Helen for a while. She couldn’t imagine that this was pay back for something Layla already had.

            “Come on you two! Lay off an old man and his troubles! Look! Look at the TV! That guy caught a fish!”

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 Moving along. Galen had his turn being questioned by Buck, now it’s Layla’s turn. I loved that she loves dragons. Lol. Normally, I really don’t like shooting anything full moon night. That light is just awful. But they did this all autonomously and I couldn’t resist.