Chapter 14: The Trials of Being a Teen

Mortimer couldn't bring himself to go fishing a while after his father's death.  It was something they had learned to enjoy together.  Like the movie outings when he was a child, fishing was something they called their own.  Those were the only two times in his life that Mortimer felt a father-son connection with his father.  Eventually, staring at the fishing poles in the garage wasn't enough.  He threw one in the trunk before work.  During his lunch break Mortimer grabbed his fishing pole and headed back to the lab's stock ponds.  The serene waters glimmered in the sunlight.  Mortimer gazed over the calm surface and lost himself in thought.

Jada was quickly approaching her teen years.  On some days Cassandra and Jada goofed around each other.  For Cassandra the ability to be around her younger sister reminded her not to grow up so fast, but at the same time she felt excitement that she would have someone who would understand the demands of high school.  Jada had slowed her swimming so Cassandra could catch up.  For her consideration, Jada took a direct shot of water to the face.  The girls devolved into a full-fledged water fight.  In no time the fight extended beyond the pool as they raced for the sprinklers so they could spray at each other until one relented.

After the death of his grandfather, Darryl's family moved to a large townhouse  closer to the center of the neighborhood.  He had broken down years ago and allowed for Cassandra to see his house.  She was the only one.  After the move he practically dragged her to see the new place; proud that he wasn't poor anymore.  Cassandra looked at him differently.  It wasn't about the money.  She didn't care about that.  She didn't often see him excited about life and it was charming. Cassandra spent her time trying to get some of the guys to notice her, yet she realized the guy right in front of her paid every bit of attention to her.  She wouldn't have figured that it would have been Darryl, but she couldn't deny that she loved him and wanted to be with him when when they weren't working or doing family stuff.

Cassandra considered her options for a split second before she blurted the words out.
"Darryl, I love you," she exclaimed with a rush; so fast Darrel didn't know if he heard her correctly.  Cassandra leaned forward to take in her first kiss. Darryl put his hand up quickly.
"Wait," he whispered.  Gathering his thoughts he wanted to let Cassandra down as easily as possible.
"Cassandra, it's not like that."  She was stunned.  She fought back the tears threatening to flood over her cheeks.
"You don't love me back?"
"It's not like that either.  I do too love you.  Just not like that.  You are the best friend I could ever ask for."
"You are my best friend too, but I feel something when we're together."
"Come on, Cassandra.  There is a great guy out there for you but it isn't me.  I'll be the one who let's you cry on their shoulder if any guy breaks your heart, until the right guy comes along."  Cassandra stifled her tears and gave a half-hearted smile.  She knew he was right, but she needed her space and decided to head home early.

Not an awkward day passed after that moment.  When Cassandra woke up the next day she couldn't believe it wasn't a dream.  She wondered what made her possessed enough to make a move on Darryl.  She practically laughed at herself in the mirror before she brushed her teeth.  They fell back into their routine of hanging out or going to work.  Darryl was over to do homework.  He got started while Cassandra fell back into the chair.  She absent-mindedly twirled her pigtails around and huffed out a breath.    Darrel rolled his eyes.  Cassandra sat up suddenly.

"I'm so tired of all this boring school stuff," she muttered to Darryl.

"Well, what do you want to do?" Darrel asked with exasperation.  "Your homework won't do itself and Mrs. Kramer will drop you by a whole grade if you don't turn it in."

"Oh, come on.  You know you can just do it at school and the teachers don't even notice."

"Cassandra, I need to get this done.  I have to depend on good grades to get a good job after high school."

"Alright, I'll start mine.  But let's go to the Art Museum in a bit.  Seriously, this homework is killing me.  Are you listening to me Darryl?"

"No I'm not.  Be quiet before I stab you with my pencil."  Cassandra rolled her eyes.

"Yeah right, Darryl, then you wouldn't get to be a cop.  I don't think you'd risk that just to get me to shut-up."

Cassandra still wasn't able to drag Darryl to art museum.  He walked her as far as the front door but he walked the couple extra blocks home to finish an essay.  Cassandra slowly wandered around the galleries talking it all in.  She enjoyed art and contemplated becoming a painter.  She had her best grades in art class.  She practically founded art club.   It was a wistful notion; Cassandra knew she was bound to end up in the boardroom at Doo Peas.  She was too pretty for the starving artist look anyway.  She looked around the room and imagined what it would be like to have her artwork featured in a gallery for the whole neighborhood to see; even better, the exhibit would travel to other neighborhoods and she would be known the world over.

Cassandra wasn't ready to go home quite yet even though it was closing time.  She hid in the bathroom while the attendant closed up the museum for the night.  When it was all clear Cassandra sneaked out and grabbed a flashlight from behind the front desk.

The art work became eerie relics of the past lit the dim glow of the emergency exit signs on the outskirts of the room.  Finishing her rounds of the galleries Cassandra decided to get a preview of the artwork that hadn't been displayed yet.  She headed for the store rooms and upon turning the handle she tripped the silent alarm.  Cassandra paid no attention to the emergency sirens growing closer.  The hospital was right across the street so she attributed the noise to a medical emergency.  Just as she picked up a clay statue from the archaeological dig in Appaloosa Plains a swarm of policemen busted through the door with their guns drawn shouting at Cassandra.  She stood frozen in place.  So many people were shouting at her she couldn't understand what was happening.  Startled, she dropped the statue.  An officer escorted her to the car while they decided whether to process her at the station or take her home.

Bella and Mortimer were woken by the phone.  An officer was on the line explaining what had happened and let them know they would be bringing Cassandra home.  As they dropped her off, the officer stepped aside to speak with Mortimer and Bella dealt with Cassandra.

"I don't know what has gotten into you Cassandra but you can rest assured you are grounded." said Bella sternly, trying not to lose her temper.

"Aww, Mom, it wasn't that bad," she pleaded. "I didn't even do anything!"

"Yes, it is that bad Cassandra.  Being brought home by the police once is once too many.  This is twice and I'm tired of it.  You will be taking whatever punishment a judge gives you and all that money you have saved for a car will now go toward your restitution.  Now go up to your room before you say another word and I ground you some more."  Cassandra sulked up to room furious that everyone was blowing this out of proportion.  Bella walked over to Mortimer and the officer to wrap up business and get the date Cassandra would have to come before a judge at city hall.

"Mortimer Daddy, I heard Bella Mommy fighting with Cassandra last night.  I really like her.  Please don't send her away," blurted Floramaria over cereal.  Mortimer choked on his spoonful of cereal.

"Flora, no one is going to send Cassandra away.  We would never send any of you away.  No matter what...ever."  She looked at him with anxious eyes.  "I know you are worried sweetie, it is a promise I have as your father that no one is going anywhere.  We are family, you included.  We are in it together.

"Cassandra got in some major trouble last night but we are all sticking with her as a family because that is what our family does.  You too, Flora.  It is your job to give her hugs and remind her in your own way of all the love she has here."

Cassandra handled the two weeks like many teenagers.  Some moments she went about her business in quiet indignation, in other moments she railed against the injustice of her situation.  Her parents had allowed for her to go to school and go to work, but any other time she was stuck in the house with limited activity like doing homework with her siblings. reading, or painting.  No amount of helpfulness would change their mind.  Darryl expressed his sympathy at school and let Cassandra vent when she needed to.  Eventually word got out and her peers took her to task with new nicknames and feign acts that she would steal their stuff.

Meanwhile, the family was ready to celebrate Jada's birthday.  Mortimer wrapped his daughter in his arms before the went into the dinning room for breakfast.  Bella was making Jada's favorite meals all day.  She even packed a special lunch for at school.  Mortimer relished in the last moment that he would be able to hug his daughter as a child.  Later that day they would gather around the cake and celebrate as Jada blew out her candles.  He wished Jada well on her last day at the elementary school and told her just to have a fun relaxing day, musing to himself at her surprise when the balloons he ordered would be delivered to her at school.

Later that evening after dinner they all gathered around while Bella presented the cake to Jada.  The all looked on with pride as Jada took a moment to make a wish before blowing out her candles.  She eagerly anticipated her new stage of life.  Jada had looked forward to this moment since Cassandra had her transition birthday. Jada had so many plans once she changed and headed off to high school.  She knew the first thing she was going to do was join sports club, win team awards, and bring glory to the school.  She looked forward to prom and couldn't wait to go dress shopping.  All and all Jada was ready to be a teen.

Time had passed since Gunther's passing and Mortimer was feeling the need for change.  He understood the tradition behind the graveyard on the property, but Mortimer began feeling like his children couldn't freely play outside.  He knew their friends didn't feel comfortable at the house for a long amount of time and none of them ever asked for a slumber party.  Mortimer and Bella planned to have a large plot of the cemetery redone to become the final resting place for his ancestors, as well as any future family members who wished to be buried with the family.  He prepared for the caskets exhumed and transported to the new spaces.  Mortimer made sure to place his mother to one side of Gunther and the grave of Lolita to the other side.  As a family they began plans to re-purpose the yard to something more fitting to a large family.

  Floramaria discovered a love for fishing, and for outdoors in general.  She was thrilled that they were turning the new space in the yard into a play area and garden.  While exploring during a break she discovered the fishing poles in the garage.  Floramaria begged Mortimer to teach her the basics.  He discovered she was a natural and could seem to catch anything.  Once again Mortimer got permission from the naturalist at the lab to catch some fish and take them home to stock the pond on the property.  Floramaria mostly spent her fishing doing catch and release, but sometimes they would send her record sized fish away to be stuffed.  If she felt she caught the perfect fish she would bring it in and place it in a fish bowl.

A couple months had passed and the day came where Alexander and Damen were having their transition birthdays; Alexander growing into a teen and Damen growing into a child.  Like always, Bella made sure to serve their favorite meals throughout the day.  Like always, they had cake after dinner to celebrate the momentous occasion.  While they made sure to make their children feel special on every birthday, it was only the transition birthdays that received so much attention.  In another rare moment Alexander flashed a very happy toothy grin at his family as they cheered him on.

After Alexander experienced his transition it was time for Damen to blow out his candles.  Jada picked him up and brought him to the cake.  Mortimer and Bella stood off to the side; the camera and video recorder running simultaneously.  They didn't want to miss any second of their youngest  toddler having a birthday.  It would be the last they would experience as parents.  Damen reached for the candles and giggled as Jada pulled him away.  Jada leaned in to help him blow out the candles but Damen already had them out before they could finish 'happy birthday'.

 Alexander didn't think high school was as great as his sisters lead him to believe.  He still didn't fit in.  There were the same people, just older.  Alexander was one of less than a handful of students who were pulled out for advanced classes.  His parents offered to allow him to go to boarding school if he wanted, but he rejected that idea again.  He just wasn't comfortable in strange places.  He barely felt comfortable is certain rooms of the manor.  Alexander and Jada were slowly growing apart.  Their lives were diverging in opposite directions.  Alexander threw himself in all things academic while Jada was becoming the sports star of the school district.

 Jada decided she wanted to do more in addition to being on sports teams.  She approached her mom after school.

"Mom, I have something I want to ask," she declared.

"Ok, go for it."

"They are taking on some new student ambassadors at city hall and I would like to be one."

"That sounds like a good idea, but what about the teams you are on?"  asked Bella, concerned Jada was going to over-commit to extracurricular activities.  Jada considered her argument.

"I know it seems like a lot but the times work out; and I think I'm the perfect candidate for this position because my grades are perfect and I have a great reputation as an athlete."

"You can surely give it a try, but if grades start slipping we will need to re-evaluate."

"Thanks, Mom," Jada said gleefully.

Jada was gone most evenings and Alexander passed time by gazing into the celestial heavens.  He wanted to discover new stars but the monotony was getting boring.  Occasionally Jada was home and Alexander would wander down to her room to talk for a few.  He missed those day.  He would knock on the door only to hear her talking to no one.  He knew she wasn't actually talking to no one, she was just on the phone again.  He quietly backed away from the door before she could answer and tell him she was too busy to talk.  He dejectedly walked back up to his telescope.  He believed there was a new boy in Jada's life.

Jada's busy life was just what she needed.  She always felt she needed to be on the move.  Eventually, participating in school sports wasn't doing the trick.  In the fall she would run cross country,  play soccer, and row in crew; in winter she would play basketball and wrestle; and in the spring she would run track, play golf, and play softball.  Yet her muscles felt stiff and almost brittle.  She shared her concern with her parents and they decided an appointment at the lab would be helpful.  The doctor at the lab and her pediatrician both agreed that she would need to do something daily to help with the discomfort.  Jada added swimming for an hour every morning before breakfast.

 With all the flourish of activity between the three oldest children Mortimer took the younger two out fishing once a week.  It was a time to get away from the chaos that sometimes ensued in the Manor.  Floramaria was becoming a expert angler.  She could catch almost anything.  Damen enjoyed fishing but it was just a hobby, not something he was passionate about.  The three of them were always trying to find new places around Sunset Valley to cast a line.

During a fishing trip Mortimer caught more than just fish.  He felt resistance on his line and began to reel it in.  It was tougher than usual so he thought he had a big one; probably a neighborhood record.  Soon Floramaria and Damon were cheering him on from the shallow water as they waited anxiously with nets.  Mortimer and his children were surprised when a small treasure chest was pulled to the surface.  Mortimer opened it up and found a handful of small jewels.  They took it to the art museum to have it appraised.  The curator informed them that they had found one of the twenty missing treasures of Captain Diego Firebeard.  Even though Floramaria and Damon wanted to keep the treasure Mortimer donated it to the museum for display.