Summary: Julia Rein is a 16 year old girl, with a big problem. Her parents are getting divorced, so, for the summer, she's sent to live with her grandma and grandpa in their tiny cottage home in Chesterfield, Texas(a MADE UP place). She doesn't want to go. The only reason she is is because her grandmother wants her too. Her grandfather is a gruff old man who is just bitter to everyone, all the time, so that's really the main reason for her protesting the stay. Anyway, about a week into her visit her grandfather forces her to get a job at the local ice cream parlour about 3 blocks away from her house. This greatly upsets her, until she befriends a few of the locals who work there...

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE ORIGINAL CHARACTERS, GOT IT? GOOD.

Just to let everyone know, Myrtle is a friend of Professor Kirke's(MADE UP BY ME(Myrtle is), of course). That's why the children are staying with her.

Chapter #1

"But Grandpa, I don't want to!" Julia Rein protested as her grandfather dragged her into the ancient(since 1940)ice cream parlour a few blocks away from their house.

"Too bad, Julia! You're getting a job here and that is THAT."

Julia pouted and wrenched her arm free and grumpily sat down in a booth a few feet away while her grandfather walked up to the counter. "Fine." she hissed, noticing a boy and a girl behind the counter were staring at her. She lowered her gaze to the floor and sighed.

"Myrtle! Myrtle it's Earl! I need a favour!" he hollered to the back of the store. A few moments later a short, pudgy woman emerged from out back.

"What can I get you Earl?" she asked, wiping her hands on the apron tied around her middle and wiping her ruddy cheeks with a dishcloth.

Earl stepped a little closer and lowered his voice. "I need you to let me grandaughter, Julia, work here."

Myrtle craned her neck to the side and looked at Julia, who was fixated with a melting chunk of chocolate from a destroyed Rocky Road cone no one had cleaned up yet. "I don't know if I can, Earl, I already gave Peter and Susan the two server jobs. What would she do, she doesn't have any experience!"

"Well, maybe one of the children with experience could take your spot and she could take theirs and you could concentrate on running the place smoothly. It'd just be 'til the end of the summer. Please, Myrtle. The child is driving me nuts at home!"

Myrtle sighed. "Alright, fine. 'Til the 9th of September."

"That's great, she's going home the 13th! Oh thanks so much. Julia! Git over here, girl!"

Julia tugged selfconciously on a mid-back length piece of brownish blonde hair and stood up. "Yeah?"

"You've got a job! This is Myrtle, the owner of this place. You'll be working here from tomorrow morning from 8:00am 'til 4:00pm right through until September 9th."

"Aww, Grandpa, it's only June 17th! That's...a long time!"

Myrtle smiled at the girl. "Don't worry, Julia. It'll be fun. Peter and Susan will show you around, let you know how everything works, won't you two?" she asked, turning to the boy with shaggy sandy coloured hair and the girl with long, straight raven coloured hair. If it wasn't for their facial features being similar Julia would've never guessed they were related. Peter had aqua blue eyes and Susan's were a dark marine colour.

They nodded hesitantly, but with a smile. "Yes, Myrtle." Susan responded in an english accent. This threw Julia waaay off.

"Why do you have an accent?" she asked abruptly, which threw Susan and Peter off.

"We're from England, we came because when we returned Professor Kirke was terribly ill and Mrs. McReady couldn't-wouldn't-look after us on our own, so we were sent here to Chesterfield to stay with Myrtle, who was old friends with the Professor." Peter said without thinking.

"Why so far away?" Julia questioned, raising a light brown eyebrow.

"Well, when we came back from Na-"

"They're staying with me for the summer. That's that." Myrtle finished abruptly. Susan elbowed Peter in the ribs.

'Way to go, Peter, you almost spilled the beans'! she whispered harshly before dragging him out back. "We need to go stack the cones. Come on."

Earl rubbed the back of his bristly neck. "Well, alright then. I'll have her here bright and early, 8:00 am sharp."

"Good day, Earl, Julia." Myrtle smiled as they left the shop.

-------Next morning

It was 6:30 when Julia was woken up. "C'mon, girl. Go take a shower, git dressed, and have breakfast. You have an hour and a half 'til your due at work." Earl said gruffly as he dragged Julia out of bed.

"Oww, grandpa, stop it." she whined, smacking his hand 'til he let her arm free.

"Oh, Earl, don't be so harsh on the girl. Julia, sweetheart, I'll have some pancakes and fresh fruit ready for you when you come downstairs." Julia's grandmother, Betty, said from the doorway as she followed Earl down the stairs. Julia nodded and took a few towels from the hall closet before going to take her shower.

After her shower she went to get dressed. She chose to wear a pair of royal marina blue and bright green and white plaid bermuda hiphugging shorts with a white spaghetti strapped tanktop and a pair of black flip flops. She pulled her hair into two low-set, loose wispy braids that looked very pretty. After that she applied some mascara, peachy cloloured (and flavoured) plumping lip gloss, and some peachy coloured blushed and a little bronzer. There. She was finally satisfied, so she slapped her pink and black checked Von Dutch trucker hat on her head and trotted down the stairs to the kitchen and gobbled up her breakfast. Earl handed her a bag containing the little apron she was to wear that he picked up from Myrtle the previous afternoon, and a few dollars for her lunchbreak. After everything was settled Julia left the house and set off towards the ice cream parlour.

-------Meanwhile

"So, Peter, what do you think this new girl is going to be like?" Susan asked Peter as she unlocked the door to the parlour (the always got there before Myrtle).

Peter shrugged as he tied on his apron. "I don't know, she seemed kind of odd, don't you agree?"

"I suppose, but she was shocked to here us with accents. I mean, we can'y very well tell her the truth why we came all the bloody way from England to Texas, and it seems kind of off, so she kind of had a right to be shocked." Susan pointed out.

"She's kind of pretty..." Peter smirked. Susan slapped him on the shoulder.

"Peter! Don't be thick! Myrtle won't allow you to court her. The danger of our secret getting out would be too high."

"Oh, Su, you must learn to start talking like an American teen in 2000 and...6. If you go around saying 'Thick' and 'Daft', we're going to be ever stranger to her."

"That's true." Susan agreed quietly as she flicked the shop lights on.

"7:58 a.m. Julia should be arriving soon."

As if on cue, Julia burst through the door, her hat falling from her head as she stumbled up the tiny unnoticable stoop. "Oh, dear." she sighed, gatherine her hat and money off the floor.

"Are you alright, Julia?" Peter asked, picking up the apron(which landed near him) for her and giving it back.

"Ye-yeah." she yawned, tying on the apron. "It's awfully early though. I never usually get out of bed until noon."

"Oh, we're used to it. Trust us. It gets easier."

"You're used to it? Why on earth would anyone under the age of 12 get up before 10:00 in the morning?"

"We used to have to when we were Que-" Susan began before clamping her hand over her mouth, her eyes growing wide.

Peter smacked his forehead. "Never mind her. Would you like us to show you how to do everything and how it works around here before someone comes."

"Yes." Julia smiled. "Yes, please."

AUTHOR'S NOTE - LIKED IT? IF YOU DID LEAVE A REVIEW. IF YOU DIDN'T, DON'T LEAVE A REVIEW. THERE ARE NO NEED FOR FLAMES.