It's Only Time
Chapter One: It's Only Time
It's only time until you find out
"Mom, calm down, what is it?" Lucy Parker, a girl of 16 with her mother's blonde hair and her father's chocolate eyes, rushed to her mother's side at the sight of the fragile state she appeared to be in. Her mother, Kristen, became hysterical. She hated seeing her mother like that, like the end of the world was looming upon them and there was nothing she could do about it. Despite her mother's tendency to overreact, Lucy admired her. She tried to comfort her, but seeing as she was getting nowhere she asked, "Should I call Dad?"
"No," Kristen cried, removing the mascara that was gathering underneath her eyes with the back of her hand. She put her hands to her temple, pushing her luscious blonde hair into a ponytail. "I was just with your father, he's still talking to the lawyers."
"Lawyers?" Lucy shook her head in confusion, copying her mother's motion and swooping her hair into a swift bunch. "Mom, what's going on?"
"Get your brother and sister," she said, collecting herself into a stool next to the island in the kitchen. "There's something your father and I need to tell you."
Lucy bolted down the stairs to find her older brother Jude playing a video game. Jude was a senior in high school and the most popular kid in school. He was voted Homecoming King four years in a row now and Lucy knew that if he could, he would win next year as well. Most of the teachers at Belleview High School hated him, however. Especially Mrs. Hafer, who must have had it in for their father when he attended school there because she couldn't even stand the sight of him.
Her younger sister Eleanor was reading a book on the couch next to him. People routinely mistake Lucy and Eleanor to be twins, when really they're about 20 months apart. She was reading The Great Gatsby, a book Lucy knew Eleanor had already read many times. She had a fascination for F. Scott Fitzgerald. When their father played a show in St. Paul a few years ago, Eleanor made the entire family visit historical spots idolizing the St. Paul hometown literary genius. The memory of it made Lucy shiver.
"Stop complaining Lucy, you're making it un-enjoyable," a then ten-year-old Eleanor shouted at her older sister.
"You're only obsessed with this stuff because you were born in the same town he was," Lucy shouted back, angrily crossing her arms as they continued the tour.
"I was born in Minneapolis you idiot," Eleanor stuck her tongue out at her. "St. Paul and Minneapolis are two completely different cities."
"Well, I was born in Milwaukee but you don't see my obsessing about it!" Lucy started screaming, tears streaming down her face. "You don't see me wanting to go to Lambeau Field!"
"Lambeau Field is in Green Bay, that's where Jude was born," Eleanor corrected her sister. "I suggest if you want to sound half as intelligent as you think you are you do some research before you open your mouth."
Lucy ran out of the tour crying with Drake running after her.
"I hated it too," Drake told his eldest daughter, holding her close to him. "Come on, let's go to Dinkytown, Bob Dylan used to live there, maybe we'll find something cool."
It was after that trip that Lucy and Eleanor started to drift apart. They discovered they just weren't into the same things anymore. Eleanor became a bookworm whereas Lucy became her father's daughter, so much so that he even asked her to sing a little backup on his last album. The polar opposites usually steered clear of each other unless they could anticipate polite conversation.
"What do you want dorkface?" Jude asked Lucy, never taking his eyes off his game.
"Mom's in the kitchen, she wants to talk to us," Lucy told them. "She's hysterical and said that Dad's with the lawyers."
Jude immediately stood up, pausing his game. Without saying a word he passed Lucy and went upstairs. Eleanor put down her book with a flash of annoyance, but followed Jude all the same. Lucy stood in the silence of their rec room, needing a little more time before she could face what she was about to discover. Are Mom and Dad getting a divorce? she thought. What could be so wrong that Dad would go to the lawyers without Mom, knowing how emotional she gets?
Lucy pushed her thoughts aside and headed up the stairs. Her eyes followed the frames that adorned the walls. Her Dad's first platinum album, her parents wedding pictures, framed covers of magazines featuring her mom in her glory days. She passed them everyday but she never really appreciated them as much as she did in that very moment.
As she entered the kitchen she saw that her mom had made herself a cocktail, which was particularly odd since her mother rarely drank. In front of Jude she had set a beer, saying, "You're gonna need it." For her daughters she set out a few Diet Cokes.
The four of them sat in silence before Jude decided to speak up, "Mom, where's Dad?"
"He should be back shortly," Kristen said, twirling the liquid in her glass with a tiny straw. "Something has happened and your father and I feel that no matter what happens with the lawyers today, there are some things you need to know."
"Are you getting a divorce?" Eleanor squeaked in-between sips of her soda. Lucy sighed, relieved she wasn't the only one tweaking out at this possibility.
Kristen's eyes went wide, "Of course not sweetie, your father and I love each other very much!"
"So what's the deal, Mom? I'm in the middle of an important game," Jude chugged on his beer, happy that his mom didn't even notice how easily he drank it.
"This morning your father and I received a visit from Josh. It seems that Nathan didn't take their break up too well and has written a tell-all about our family," Kristen said calmly even though she felt like she were going to scream.
"Uncle Josh and Nathan broke up years ago," Jude announced a fact known to everyone in the room. "Why is he coming out with all this now?"
"I don't know sweetie," Kristen slammed her drink and poured herself another. "We're trying to get a court order to halt publication but depending on its accuracy…"
Kristen was cut off by a loud slam of the door and the clanking on dress shoes. Her husband Drake entered into the kitchen in a fury. He set his suitcase on the counter and kissed his wife. Drake looked like an absolute mess. His hair practically stood on end; his suit appeared rustled. He looked at his three children sitting across from him, having a double take at the sight of seeing his son drinking a Heineken. He studied their faces, hoping that after what they had to tell them they would still look at him the same way. He was about to speak before Kristen set her hand on his.
"Do you want me to start?" she looked at him with such love Drake thought his heart was going to melt. Kristen knew that her story was a little less shocking than his, so to say. He knew she wanted to spare him as much pain as possible. Drake nodded, grasping her hand with his as if he were to never let go.
"Ok," Kristen squeezed back. "Well, as you know your father and I met at a club…"
xxx
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from the show "Drake & Josh" but the featured story and original characters however, are mine.