The school bell rung loudly, signalling the start of the first lesson – Acting. Jade hated the bell, so loud and unnecessary; she might mention it in her next video. However, Jade loved acting and she didn't mind Sikowitz, compared to her other teachers anyway. It was only when she looked up she realised she'd been daydreaming, Jade hated daydreaming. She briskly walked to class her boots clipping with the floor. Jade swooped into class slightly late, ignoring the look of annoyance on Sikowitz's face.
Beck glanced over at Jade, a questioning look etched across his face, but Jade just shrugged him off. Beck didn't pursue it, if Jade didn't want to tell him, it probably didn't matter. Beck's attention was quickly brought back to the class when Sikowitz restarted his speech.
"As I was saying," Sikowitz shot a look at Jade "next month I will be starting rehearsals for one of my biggest plays yet, it is if I do say so myself a masterpiece. However! None of you are quite up to standard acting wise."
A babble of outraged cries rippled through the classroom.
"Silence! None of you have experience in what my play is about, and if you'd let me finish I could have explained this to you. You see, my play is about a weekend in the life of several modern families. The joys of jobs, parenthood and home-owning. None of which any of you have experience in."
Beck rose his hand "I own an RV."
Sikowitz replied, rather agitatedly "Yes Beck you do own an RV, however you do not have a job or a child, same goes for the rest of you. However this lack of experience ends here! Pair up please, preferably with someone who you'll work well with for the next month."
The class shuffled about getting into appropriate pairings. Jade and Beck, Tori and Andre, Robbie and Cat, and so on.
"Okay," Sikowitz clapped his hand to get regain the group's attention "Now you're in your couples and you know the skills I am hoping for you to attain, what do you think the task will be?"
"Go shopping?" Cat offered
Jade snarled and rolled her eyes "Cat do you ever engage your brain with your mouth?"
"What's that supposed to mean!" Cat wailed.
"Exactly, what it says." Jade replied coolly.
Sikowitz interrupted yet again; somewhat angrily "Your assignment may involve shopping Cat; however that is not all you will face! Each couple will be given a baby simulator." He indicated to a box behind him. "You have to look after these as if they were a real baby, feed them, bathe them, play with them and love them. Also you will each have a job placement in a place that you might work in when you are older and you will be given a house to live in for the next month, the size of which will be reflected by the wage you may earn when you are older. Finally, you will be off timetable on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesday and Thursdays so you can work on your placements. On Fridays you are expected to come in to school to check in with myself and your fellow students! Any questions?"
No one raised their hand, the information was still sinking in.
"Excellent now please come up, and carefully collect your babies."
Ten minutes later the couples were dotted round the room with their babies, reading some of the pamphlets Sikowitz had given them on childcare. Cat's baby was to her delight a little girl; she and Robbie had named her Lara-Rose. Cat was already in love with her and Robbie was just happy that he was going to be able to spend so much time with Cat. Tori and Andre's baby was a little boy whom they'd named Joshua, Tori was already enjoying "parenthood". Jade and Beck's baby was a little girl which Beck was pleased about and Jade secretly thrilled. After a lot of debating and research they had agreed on the name Isabel Samantha Oliver.
The bell went for the next period; however they were now off timetable so nobody moved. Sikowitz started handing out the next round of pamphlets, explaining the work placements. They were all to do with performing. Cat, Tori and Andre would be working at a recording studio in downtown Hollywood. Jade and Beck would be working in a theatre up in the theatre district, and Robbie would be working at a theatrical company specialising in ventriloquism. Excitement bubbled round the class, the placements were pretty cool! The only trouble is they would be doing full hour days who would look after their babies, surely they wouldn't be allowed to take them with them. Andre raised his hand and asked Sikowitz this.
"You will be expected to budget Andre! There are a series of 'childminders who will look after your babies for a fee. You will also have to budget for essentials like clothes and accessories for your baby, food and general bills. It is manageable as you'll all get paid enough to do it, just a skill you'll have to learn!"
Finally Sikowitz handed out keys and a brown envelope that contained $500 and any other information they'll need during the next month. As the third bell of the day went Sikowitz announced that they were free to go and find their homes and start to settle in.
"Don't forget I'll see you on Friday, have fun!" Sikowitz called after the already exiting group.
Tori and Andre
Tori had just finished clipping Joshua into his car seat. She carefully closed the car door and slipped into the passenger seat beside Andre. They exchanged smiles. They weren't officially a couple, but they were as close as, and Tori was sure that this experience however challenging would bring them even closer together.
"Okay," Andre said starting up the engine "What's the address again?"
Tori looked down at the piece of paper that had been in the envelope "32 Sycamore Hill, Hollywood."
Andre raised his eyebrows "Wow the school have gone all out! That area is super nice!"
"Good," Tori replied "I only want the best for my son!"
They both laughed. "It feels nice calling him 'our' son" Andre whispered.
"Yes it does." Tori replied in a matching tone.
They drove on in silence, neither of them cared to admit how much they liked the other, but it was a lot. After another ten minute drive. Andre turned in to a pleasant looking neighbourhood. There were houses of all sizes, many large and grand homes that obviously belonged to wealthy people. Andre kept going down this estate until they reached 32 Sycamore Hill. The house was extremely modern, but not outstandish. The house had a sky blue door, and lots of plants dotted around the garden. It was a beautiful looking house. Tori gracefully got out of the car and went round to Joshua's door. The journey had put him to sleep, Tori really didn't want to wake him, but she knew that she couldn't leave him out here when they went in to see the house so she gently nudged him awake, and without too much fuss she lifted him out of his seat. He nuzzled back down into Tori's shoulder and drifted off again, making cute little gargles in his sleep. 'Wow these babies sure are realistic' Tori thought to herself.
Andre had gone ahead and opened the door, he looked around to Tori and indicated that she should come in. They both stepped inside and gasped. The house was tastefully decorated, modern to match the exterior. The floor was white floor boards, but there were loads of white rugs dotted around to add warmth. The lounge area was done in neutral tones, the sofas were cream and looked like they could recline. There was a glass coffee table in the centre of the room and then on the back wall a large flat screen TV. Tori smiled, "Wow this place is pretty cool!"
"Come and see the kitchen-diner!" Andre called form another room. Tori navigated her way into the room, on her way she'd discovered the storage cupboard and the staircase. The kitchen was large and airy, fully equipped with loads of modern appliances the dining table was similar to the coffee table, but it was larger and obviously designed slightly differently.
"Come on lets go upstairs I really wanna see our rooms." Tori said a little impatiently, because Andre was still investigating the appliances.
Tori's arm was going slightly dead, under the weight of Joshua, still asleep on her arm, but she forgot all of this when she saw her room. It was again done in neutral tones, but unlike downstairs there was inkjets of bright colour dotted around, like cushions and other soft furnishings. The bed was a large but not dominant white four poster, which had gauzy purple curtains that you could pull around the bed for privacy or whatever. Andre's room was much the same but instead of purple and blue accents his had red and orange accents. "Like water and fire." Tori said. Joshua's room was no exception to the neutral colour scheme running through the whole house. However it did look like a baby's room, it was decked out with everything a baby could need including a trunk full of toys. The crib was white, and it had baby blue and yellow bedding with a matching mobile hanging overhead.
Tori gently placed the still sleeping Joshua into his crib, placing a friendly looking blue bear in next to him. When she looked up Andre was smiling at her, she smiled back, even though she'd never said it, she loved Andre and the next month was going to be amazing.
Beck and Jade
Beck and Jade had pretty much settled into their house. To Jade's annoyance Beck had insisted that as soon as they'd left the school that they should go to their houses to collect anything they might need for the next month however now as usual she was glad she'd listened to Beck because she didn't want to leave. Beck and Jade's house was also on Sycamore Hill, as so it seems were everyone elses as they'd saw them on arrival. All the houses were pretty much the same inside and out. But, Jade had brought some of her things from home to make it more 'homely'. Beck and Jade had separate rooms like everyone else however they'd already agreed they sleep n Jade's room. Not to do anything, just because they felt more comfortable that way. They were also going to move Isabel's cot into their room as well.
"I like this house, don't you?" Jade said to Beck.
"I do! It's nicer than I thought it'd be, this month sure is gonna be..." Beck tailed of unsure what to say.
"Interesting, challenging." Jade offered.
"Yeah." Beck laughed.
Suddenly Isabel started crying; Beck went over and attempted to soothe her. Jade decided the crying was annoying and went back downstairs, when she reached the lounge she logged on to IM, to see who was online. Jade certainly wasn't gonna give up her life for a simulator. Cat was online, 'Good, I'll see how she's getting along.' Jade thought.
ScissorLuv:
Hey cat, how's things going with Lara?
CuteCat:
Hey Jade! Things are going amazing, Robbie is such a good daddy and Lara-Rose is so cute! How's things going with you and Beck?
ScissorLuv:
Great actually :] I brought some stuff from home to make our house more homely (btw where do you live)The house is pretty decent though. Our baby is however annoying, she cries loads!
CuteCat:
We live at 47 Sycamore Hill, you? Jadey! Babies are meant to cry it shouldn't be annoying its fun!
ScissorLuv:
We live at 53 Sycamore Hill, so quite close. Do NOT call me Jadey and why do you have to use so many punctuation marks? It's not my fault she annoys me...
CuteCat:
I bet by the end of this month you'll love her as much as I love Lara now which is a lot!
CuteCat:
Oops! I forgot about the punctuation marks! Sorry! :(
ScissorLuv:
Don't matter, and what do you mean I'll love her, how can you love a doll?
CuteCat:
She isn't a doll! She is yours and Beck's daughter, you love your children.
ScissorLuv:
She isn't my child and anyway MY parents don't love me!
CuteCat:
Of course they do Jade, don't say such things, you are just going through a rough patch that's all. Isabel is your child!
ScissorLuv:
No Cat she is just an assignment.
CuteCat:
Sorry got to go! Lara needs feeding! Bye :)
CuteCat is now offline
Jade sighed; Cat was her best friend but sometimes just talking to her wears you out. She listened she couldn't hear any crying, she ventured upstairs. Beck was slowly rocking Isabel who looked asleep. He looked up wearily as she entered.
"Took a while." He laughed.
"I was IMing Cat." Jade replied.
"Cool how are her and Robbie?"
"Fine, she is going baby crazy, as I expected but that's just her I suppose."
"Yup, what do you want for dinner? I've just fed Isabel so she should be fine for now."
"We could just order a Pizza, we've got the money from Sikowitz." Jade suggested.
"Yeah okay, Pizza sounds great." Beck said.
That's the first chapter! :) Hope you liked it, I am only going to update if I get some reviews because obviously if no one is reading this there is no point in writing more. If I do update, I can't promise when as homework varies from week-to-week and obviously that comes first but I'll try to update regularly. :) Thanks for reading and please review! :)