Chapter 15: That Figures

Day in and day out Bella spent her evenings at the diner.  She tried to miss as little as possible when it came to her children's school activities, but inevitably she would be stuck in the kitchen frying up some catfish and throwing together some slaw while Mortimer sat and watched one of their children accept an award.  She could practically taste reaching the top of her career and the prestige it would bring.  Most of all Bella longed for the freedom to step away from the kitchen and stop missing important milestones in her family's life.

After Cassandra had forced her way into a job it was much easier for Jada to convince her parents it would be a good idea for her to have a job as well.  Mortimer and Bella couldn't see a reason to not allow it, especially since Cassandra's job was going so well.  Jada saw a 'help wanted' ad for the local spa while surfing the interwebs.  Her sister may prefer the gloomy, serene stillness enshrouding the cemetery but Jada rather work in a calm, serene place, therapeutic to many people.  She waited in the lobby with three of her classmates and worried that she wasn't going to get the job.  At the end of the interviews the manager came out of the office and handed all four of them orientation packets for the next week.  Jada smiled at her classmates and headed home to share the good news.

Jada found her brother relaxing on his bed reading his favorite book for the thousandth time.  She excitedly shared her good news and asked if he was planning on getting a job, but after sitting for a few minutes waiting for an answer Jada decided to leave Alexander in peace.  Alexander nodded absent-mindedly a couple times, too engrossed to realize she wanted an actual conversation.  He knew the story by heart but he didn't want to tear himself away.  Alexander called out a quiet congratulations after Jada was in the hallway, though she never heard him.

Jada grabbed a laptop and headed for the kitchen to wait for her mom to get home.  She would be more than happy to listen about her new job.  It was a light homework night so Jada threw in her favorite first person shooter game.  Most teens started think about future careers as soon as they hit high school. The school even had programs set up to test for certain skills and provide some career counciling.  Jada was mostly undecided with what she wanted to do, though she knew she wanted something to keep her active; catching two birds with one stone.  The military seemed like a logical choice but she knew both her parents would object and her game was nowhere near the realities of what being in the armed forces would be like.

His recent fishing excursions with his youngest children had inspired Mortimer to take to the canvas again.  Painting after painting  featured quaint fishing scenes he had shared with Floramaria and Damen.  A few paintings expressed the quiet and content stillness of being in the natural glory of the planet, but most paintings contained the flares of made up adventures as pirates fishing for treasure or a crew after a mysterious underwater creature not a sim has seen before.

His favorite spot to paint was in the yard, even after dark.  The last of his family's graveyard had been exhumed and moved to the new Goth Mausoleum in the cemetery.     Mortimer and Bella hired contractors and landscapers to begin the construction on their new family friendly yard.

While Mortimer painted, Jada taught Floramaria to swim.  Jada took Floramaria under her wing with almost everything.  Sometime their parents would caution Jada not to baby Floramaria so much.  Jada tried to encourage independence but she enjoyed having someone rely on her and look up to her for everything.  However, Jada had to let Floramaria be an independent swimmer; it wasn't something she could do for Floramaria.

The small kitchen garden Bella and Mortimer had planned grew to take up more than half of the yard.  Mortimer had learned to care for almost every type of garden plant from his mother and decided he needed some of everything in the garden.  Bella didn't complain, all her culinary creations vastly improved with the fresh ingredients from the garden.  They even noticed the kids eating more vegetables than before.  To top it off Mortimer and Bella felt much better about their parenting because they were able to cut out preservatives and chemicals from their daily diets and save on their grocery bill.

Each morning the Goth children would run down the hill to the waiting bus.  Each morning the bus driver would scold them about not being at the bus stop on time.  Occasionally, they left without Alexander, who never ran for the bus.  He didn't care whether or not he went to school.  Most of the work was too easy and the teachers were very boring.  Mortimer finally gave up on Alexander taking the bus and decided to drive him to school just to make sure he walked through the doors.  Mortimer and Bella would try to bring up boarding school as an alternative but each time he vehemently declined to go away for school.

The military career went to wayside for Jada after her research group toured  Fort Gnome, the local military base.  Jada could definitely keep up with the physical demand of being a soldier, but the idea of raising arms against another sim made her break into a cold sweat.  War was very rare between the neighborhoods.  It had been centuries since the last conflict, so much so most young sims in school didn't believe that it could actually happen during their lifetime.  Peace was expected and politicians were masters at diplomacy.  Still the rare happenstance of a military action was enough to help Jada decide against the military.  Feeling completely clueless, Jada visited her dad at the lab for awhile before heading back to the manor.

A couple weeks later, Bella invited Jada to visit the restaurant and help out in the kitchen a little.  Bella hated watching Jada feel lost about her future.  Jada shouldn't be feeling this sort of pressure and should be having fun with her friends, but Bella always knew what she wanted to do so she didn't really know how Jada was feeling.

When Jada usually visited the diner she sat at the counter and sipped a milkshake while watching the hustle and bustle of things.  She had been in the kitchen a couple times before but she never got to do anything.  Now she was tying on a white apron and put in charge of some small things like salads and fries.  Jada did not have an affinity for cooking like her mother but she gave it her best shot.  She wasn't bad at it; she didn't burn anything and no one sent food back.  In the end she just couldn't envision herself working in a kitchen for the rest of her life.

Jada waited outside for her mother.  The diner never closed but Bella had a short meeting with the chef before heading home.

"I have some great news Jada!" Bella exclaimed.  "I'm being promoted to Chef de Cuisine and getting transferred to the bistro."

"Mom, that is so great!" responded Jada while giving her mom a big hug.  "I think it is amazing you are so close to your dream.  You are seriously one of the most awesome women ever."  Bella laughed at her overly enthusiastic daughter.

"The kitchen isn't for you, huh?"

"Yeah, not so much.  But I still think you are awesome and you're definitely the best cook around."

Jada gave career hunting a rest.  She had joined a study group for her upcoming final exams.  Jada was never a struggling student so the study group was just something to keep her busy.  Well after study group was over Jada found herself spending more and more time with group mate Cyriaque (pronounced seer-eek) to do homework, workout, and generally anything.  He was an amazing friend.  Jada would find almost any excuse or reason to invite him over or out in the neighborhood.

Jada had Cyriaque pick her up at the manor before heading to the beach.  He had just gotten a car for his birthday so she didn't see any reason she should bike all the way there if he could pick her up.  Bella came out to greet them and see them off.  The idea of her daughter getting into a car with another teen driver, not to mention a boy teen driver, made her nervous and she wanted to gauge his responsibility level.  Jada waited by  as patiently as possible, doing everything she could to suppress an eye roll.  Cassandra stood back watching her mother's reaction; the info would be helpful in the future.  Then she noticed how antsy Jada was being and realized Jada had the hots for her guy friend.  That was interesting and also something Cassandra tucked away for future use.

Cyriaque dropped Jada off before curfew, just as he had promised he would.  He should have left since he needed to get home before curfew as well but he stood around awkwardly, not quite ready to leave.  The scent of the salty sea air lingered around them.  Jada didn't know if it was alright to hug a guy friend, but she found herself wrapping her arms around him for a moment to say goodnight.  Jada bit her bottom lip; Cyriaque was her friend but she had it for him bad.  He felt strong and smelled so good. She didn't want to let go but pulled away before the hug got weird and Cyriaque thought she was clingy.

She had expected that he would leave after hugging good-bye but he kept standing there looking pale and a little sweaty.

"Are you okay?" Jada asked.  "Do you want me to go get my mom or dad?"

"No!" Cyriaque blurted.  He looked around to see if he got any attention.  That came out much louder than he meant.  "I'm fine.  I was...um...I am...well...so, I was wondering..."

Jada stared at him, concerned by his sudden inability to form a complete sentence.  He never spoke like that.  Part of the reason she liked him so much was because their conversations were seamless and natural.

"Are you really okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine"  Then the next words came out so fast Jada didn't think she heard them correctly.  "Iwasjusttryingtoaskifyouwouldgosteadywithme."  She looked at him, a smile slowly creeping across her face despite her efforts to not look like a dork.

"I think yes," Jada replied nervously.  "But could you say that again slower?"

Feeling a little more confident in his question, Cyriaque asked again, "Jada will you go steady with me, you know be my girlfriend?"  Jada nodded and smiled real big, maybe even blushed a little.  They were both so happy the could have jumped for joy and break into an embarrassingly awful happy dance.  Instead, they awkwardly stood there smiling at each other.

"Well, I need to get home before my dad grounds me," Cyriaque said to break the silence.

"Yeah, probably a good idea," Jada responded.  Cyriaque leaned in and kissed Jada a quick good-bye and took off out the door before he thought it would be a good idea to majorly break curfew.  Jada stood in joyous shock for a moment, she had her first kiss.  Then she quick took off up the stairs.  Her first thought was to find Alexander, but this was a girl thing.  So she took off in search of Cassandra instead.

~~~~~~~~~~

Mortimer remained Mr. Fix-It around the house.  It didn't matter what was broken, he could fix it.  The problem was the list was never-ending.  It seemed that every weekend there was something for him to fix.  Mortimer didn't mind fixing things provided the things were old, but have to repair the washer for the second time was ridiculous.  It was one of the newest items in the house.  Appliances weren't built like they used to be.  However, Mortimer was not falling into the trap of replacing things every five years.  He should be able to buy things  and only have to consider replacing it twenty years later.  If he had to upgrade it himself to make it happen , then that is what he would do.

The only thing more annoying than perfectly good appliances breaking for no good reason was the recently new- to-town Dr. Iniquitous.  He had the local warehouse abuzz with excitement.  Normally, the police force took on the local crime.  However, Dr. Iniquitous had grander plans.  With the idea that even the top cop in town was beneath him, Dr. Iniquitous let loose a series of attacks and crime waves that shook the neighborhood to its core.  Giving in to the evil doer's demands, law enforcement agents enlisted the skills Mortimer acquired as a mad scientist.  Mortimer was dispatched to the warehouse in an effort to bring Dr. Iniquitous to justice.

Their first meeting had been a disaster. Dr. Iniquitous was incredulous that the police would send the likes of Mortimer to meet his demand.  He wanted a real battle of wits against a true mad scientist.  Dr. Iniquitous sorely underestimated Mortimer's capabilities.  It was only a few minutes into the battle before Dr. Iniquitous had to tuck tail and run.  Though he looked as if he could grace the cover of SF Magazine, Mortimer was a true mad scientist and Dr. Iniquitous was going to take him down.  He planned their next meeting a little differently.  Dr. Iniquitous didn't plan on winning this round, but he did plan for Mortimer to stumble upon a nasty surprise when he returned home.  Once broken,  Dr. Iniquitous would finish Mortimer the Mad Scientist once and for all.

Like most hare-brained ideas created by evil-doers, Dr. Iniquitous's plan went up in smoke before it even got off the ground.  Dr. Iniquitous didn't take into account that the teenagers in Goth Manor would be awake to ruin his well laid plan.  Assuming the manor would be dark and quiet, he had only sent one breaker.  The job would have been easy enough for one breaker had they all been sleeping.  However, when the breaker turned off the stairs she came face to face with Jada.  The breaker had expected Jada to run, which would have added a little fun to the night, but she was knocked off balance as Jada plowed into her, wrestling her to the ground.  Somewhere, through all the commotion, someone called 911.  Still trying to get free of the rowdy teen, the breaker noticed the swath of flashing blue and reds.  Once free, the breaker made a run for it but police took her down in the yard and hauled her off to jail.

At the warehouse Mortimer goaded Dr. Iniquitous into a trap and waited long enough for the special agents to arrive before return home to his family.

~~~~~~~~~~

After the recent harrowing escape she experienced in her own home Cassandra found any reason at all to not be there.  She went to Darryl's house everyday after school, even if he wasn't there.  Sometimes she would just mill about in the backyard while he was off somewhere.  His townhouse lot was right in front of a wooded area so Cassandra didn't mind so much waiting outside.  She found some of the most exquisite butterflies that she would give to her dad for a little money.  Darryl had been out of school for the entire week, and Cassandra could see that none of his family was home, but he didn't tell her he was going away.  She paced around his yard chasing butterflies while she switched from fuming annoyance to worry to contempt in five seconds flat.

Just as she was about to head home Darryl came around the corner and caught Cassandra by surprise.  Cassandra was about to lay into him about his disappearing acting and making her wait around when she noticed the burden that seemed to resting on his shoulders and the painful expression on his face. For once she was going to be his rock.

"Hey Darryl, you're missing a lot of school," she started, trying to be nonchalant.  "I'm mean, really, what's up with the disappearing act and leaving me by myself."

"Oh screw off Cassandra," Darryl whipped right at her.

"Hey, whatever, I know that school doesn't matter.  What ever is wrong, I didn't do it so don't be pissed at me."

"Yeah, it isn't you, but you don't have to be you either.  For once in your life, the world doesn't spin around Cassandra.  Hell, my world isn't even spinning anymore."

Cassandra took him by the shoulders, "I know I'm a spoiled brat and you know that too, but don't be mad at me.  What can I do to help you?  Do you need a shoulder?"

Cassandra rare act of selfless concern broke the dam Darryl had built up.  He hadn't intended to burden Cassandra with his problems but the moment she pulled him to her shoulder he talked and couldn't shut up.  From start to end he explained about the ordeal his family was having with his grandmother in the home she was in; his grandpa had died with his last moments being in a psychotic state, and they were trying to decided whether or not to bring his grandma home since she seemed to be at the end of her life.

Darryl wiped his face with his arm.  He had cried and was mortified that a girl witnessed that.  "So tell me what is going  on with you, because that will distract me for sure."

Giving her the opportunity, Cassandra let loose with everything that had been bothering her for that last week.  "You missed everything.  My pesty family is driving me crazy."  Darryl winced and gave her a look.  "Yeah, well, it is true.  Last thing you want is a crazy best friend so don't let my family get to me.  Anyway, Mom and Dad are being Mom and Dad.  Floramaria and Damen are whiny children. Ugh.  Alexander is a recluse who won't go to boarding school even though that is where he should be; with all the other weird geniuses.  The worst is Jada.  She is being called a hero because she took on some loser that broke into our house.  That was so stupid, but everyone loves her for it.  The absolute worst is that she has a boyfriend now and she got her first kiss.  I mean, really, I'm older than she is and she got kissed first.  Can you see what is wrong with that picture?"

"Well?"  Cassandra questioned.  "Aren't you going to say something?"

Darryl didn't know what to say.  He hadn't expected her to completely let loose a tirade about her whole family.  He could see she was as her wits end, but the whole thing was rather silly in his opinion.  Darryl would never know why he did what he did as she stared at him waiting for a response.  He reached out and grabbed her by the shoulders just like she had done to him moments ago; pulling her close he wrapped his arms around her.  She looked into his eyes with complete surprise for a second before he leaned in close and kissed her right on the lips.  Darryl thought she would instantly pull away; he was counting on it.  Instead she leaned in and returned the kiss.  They shared their kiss for what seemed like minutes before they pulled away from each other.

"There, now you've been kissed too."  Darryl prepared for the blast he was sure Cassandra was going to unleash on him, but she stood there silent before she turned a walked away.

"Well, shit," Darryl muttered under his breath.

Cassandra knew it was going to be bad coming home at one o'clock in the morning.  She had no idea how she was going to talk her way out of it, but her brain was screaming at her to just tell her mom the truth.  The truth was weird enough to be a valid reason.  She hadn't known what to do.  She really didn't feel like going right home after Darryl kissed her, it was too weird.  She needed time to think.  After all, she had kissed him back instead of slapping him in the face.  There was no way she was wrapping her mind around that.

Cassandra preemptively interrupted the lecture on the tip of her mother's tongue, "Okay, I know you're mad and I know I'm grounded.  Something super weird happened between me and Darryl and I needed time to think and lost track of time."

Bella's stance changed, "Is everything alright Cassandra?  Are you hurt?"

"Yeah, mom, I'm fine.  Darryl kissed me.  I mean we kissed.  Actually, Darryl kissed me...but I kissed back so I guess we kissed.   More than just a best friend kiss.  And I have no idea what that means," Cassandra finally admitted with little relief.