Renovations
Note: Code Lyoko story. Sissi's birthday is arriving and her father decides it is necessary to give his daughter a practical present, expansion of her closet. Emily and Suzanne also have their closets renovated after they received customized dresses for the school's recent acquisition of a theatre production of the movie 27 Dresses.
Chapter 1—Happy Birthday, Elisabeth
Sissi had been given plenty of activities by her butler, Lionel to keep her out of her room until the closet expansion had been completed. She hadn't had any idea why her father had been so secretive but she didn't mind at all, actually. She was having too much fun outside enjoying the stupendous weather.
"Isn't it something ? On this auspicious day your mother gave birth to you. It seems like only yesterday, I was bringing you out here and you were taking your first steps…", Lionel reminisced fondly.
"I wonder, though, Lionel. What could father be doing upstairs that's been taking so long ? I bet it has something to do with my birthday.", Sissi responded, intelligently.
"It does, but it is a surprise. Tell me, has anyone been invited to celebrate with us this year ? Do we have any plans or RSVPs we should be making ?", Lionel questioned, remembering the Misses schedule and the fact that she stuck to it rather tightly but not too stringently to seem too "stuffy" or "snooty".
"I've already made the RSVPs, Lionel. My friends will be here shortly and we'll be taking a trip to the local arcade and skate park. I'm sorry I didn't get that to you earlier, but I had been busy at school…Forgive me for that.", Sissi apologized. Lionel understood that the young adolescent girl had a packed schedule and she couldn't keep him updated on every single solitary detail. Lionel laughed lyrically.
"Very good, then I shall make certain all is prepared before their arrival.", Lionel stated as he began to straighten and tidy the house before Sissi's friends came.
In rapid succession, Sissi's friends began arriving at 5:00 pm on the dot. Many arrived by minivan to cut down on emissions while traveling. Everyone had a present for Sissi and all of them were eager for her to open them.
"I'd rather wait until we had our dinner at the pizza parlor in the mall to open them.", Sissi said, which was responded to by an audible groan. She was certain that she would love all the gifts as she did every year, but her favorite part was simply spending time with her loved ones and celebrating another year they spent together.
Chapter 2—Party Hearty
The friends traveled in style in Sissi's limonene and arrived at the mall. They made their typical stop to the mall's pizza parlor. It was called Pirelli's and they had the best pies in Paris and authentic Italian cuisine. While there, Sissi opened all of her presents and thanked her friends profusely for the gifts they had given her.
"You know I love all your gifts equally, but not one of them can compare to the treasure of your friendship.", she admitted. She hugged many of her female friends close to her and Odd chuckled.
"GROUP HUG !", he exclaimed as he swamped the rest of them in his arms.
"I can't breathe, Odd !", Ulrich complained as he weaseled his way out of the hug.
"Awww, you're such a party pooper, Ulrich.", Odd chuckled, hugging him from behind. Ulrich rolled his eyes and scoffed. He was more comfortable off playing video games with William who was more than eager to challenge him in a bout of DOA.
Emily had heard via Taelia's recent procurement of The Kadic Times from Tamiya and Millie that the school was going to be putting on a play version of 27 Dresses.
"I had heard that you were chosen to play the lead. Isn't that exciting ?", Taelia asked, surprised she hadn't heard this news earlier.
"Yes, but…It's been a long time since I've been on stage and with my recent schedule I've been swamped.", Emily confessed. She had long since been a fan of romantic comedies and this one had been one of her favorites, so she was ecstatic to be selected as the lead for the play. It would be different on stage and more than likely scaled down considerably to be friendlier with the audience, but it didn't matter. It was the concept of playing the role of the lead made her heart soar.
"Don't worry about it, Lili. We know you can do anything !", Millie said, patting her elder friend on the back.
"Yeah, and I hope I get to be in it with you.", Sissi said, grinning. The announcement itself had been the best present she could ask for, but she was wondering where Emily would put all the 27 dresses that would be made for her especially when the play was in production. With that, she excused herself and made a cell call to Jim, who was at home mowing the lawn.
"Hello?", Jim questioned. He had stopped the mower before he could get to the phone.
"This is Elisabeth. I've got great news !", the voice from the other end of the phone rang out.
"What is it ? I can tell it's exciting.", Jim responded, his curiosity growing.
"Em's going to be in the theatre version of 27 Dresses. Can you believe it ? She has been given the part Katheryn Hygel played !", Sissi said, squealing excitedly. Her enthusiasm was palpable over the phone. It was almost as if she had gotten the role herself.
"That means the closet will have to be lengthened, and for Suzanne too.", Jim said.
"Why Suzanne ? Something in store for her ?", Sissi questioned, becoming more intrieuged by the moment.
"Yes, her birthday's coming up in a few days and I asked Lydia to make a dress for her. Couldn't have been more serendipitous in my timing. Man, I must be psychic.", Jim said with a hearty laugh.
"I'll dial dad and have him help you out. I hope I can come to an agreement to get your presents completed in a couple days. That way, you can surprise the both of them before the celebrations begin.", Sissi said confidently. Jim expressed his thanks and Suzanne came out to catch the phone from him.
"Who was that ?", she asked.
"Oh, just an old friend. Chatting about old times again.", Jim responded. It was a bit of a white lie, but not entirely.
"Alright. Be ready for dinner in a few more minutes.", Suzanne said, cheerily as she went into the kitchen and began cooking dinner. Jim finished mowing the lawn and then took a breather in his recliner for a while and when dinner was prepared, joined the family for a relaxing, sumptuous meal.
Chapter 3—A Gigantic Surprise
After Sissi's conversation with Jim over the phone, she squealed with pure joy. She was surprised to see what her father and mother had done for her.
"You didn't have to do this. My closet was perfectly fine, dad.", she said elated with the gift she had been given and hadn't expected in the least.
"I did though, honey. It's your birthday after all. I wanted to commemorate with something momentous.", Jean-Pierre said, hugging his precious daughter.
"Thank you so much daddy !", she said, kissing him. She boasted slightly about it to the others, posting photos of the gargantuan closet online. The others were pleased and complimented her on it. Emily was a mite envious. Secretly she wanted a larger closet herself, but she wasn't aware her secret wish was about to be granted.
Chapter 4—Getting Ready
It seemed that the celebration continued since the friends were all part of the recent production of 27 Dresses. Despite her convoluted schedule Emily had been able to memorize all her lines and even reminded her friends when they had made small errors or when their cues were occurring. Lydia was very proud of Emily's diligence and delighted by her steadfastness in doing all that she could to make certain everyone worked together to make 27 Dresses a memorable event for the entire school.
Jacob Rosenhiem had his hands full. He loved sewing and making different costumes, but his hands were getting a bit cramped as of late. He was up to the 15th dress and dress rehearsals were to be run next week. He had been so busy that he sequestered himself away from everyone else but as soon as the week was through he had all the costumes ready and was prepared to do sound mixing, prompting, props, and make up. Most of the thespians were ready, but there were some that had more important roles that were feeling the pressure. Jacob and Lydia reminded them it was going to be fine when they were on stage and know that they would be supporting them from the front row. If they needed any help, they would give them signs for their next line should they become faced with forgetfulness. That was enough to calm everyone down, and they knew the play was going to be a knockout.
When Emily arrived home, she was astounded to see that her closet had been lengthened. Her mother's was too, and her birthday was only a few more days away. Oddly enough, the play itself was going to be performed on Suzanne's birthday and Emily had already said it was her gift to her mother. Suzanne was ecstatic to see her daughter take the role of the "bridesmaid that had never been a bride", with ironically, her boyfriend starring alongside her.
"So, does mom know about her other gift yet ?", Emily inquired, hugging her father from the side. She had seen that he and Suzanne had been sleeping in the spare room for a time and she thought nothing of it. Of course, she would often ask about why their room was cut off from everything else and Jim would distract her with a scientific debate (which he would usually lose).
"No, not yet but she is innovative you know.", Jim said, chuckling.
"Well we don't have but 2 more days to go to keep the closet a secret from her.", Emily said, astutely.
"Absolutely. I know I can count on you to divert her for a while until the big day.", Jim said, patting his daughter on the back. The two went their separate ways for the evening taking care of homework and chores here and there and all the while Suzanne had no earthly idea what awaited her for her birthday. It would be a day she would never forget and go down in the annals of history as being her finest "birthday anniversary" celebration to date.
Chapter 5—The Big Reveal
After all the rehearsals, the thespians were prepared to go through 27 Dresses including the intermission between acts 1 and 2. They all were incredibly excited, but also nervous. Lydia gave them the typical motivational speech before they walked out onto the stage behind the curtain, and Jacob gave them the celebratory "break a leg" for good luck. The two found their seats in the front in front of the orchestra pit.
The overture began and Millie introduced all of the characters as well as their lives. Emily played the main roll of bridesmaid Jane Nichols, who was hoping to become a bride someday and found herself supporting (reluctantly) her sister's wedding. Tess was played exceptionally by Sissi. The man of Jane's (as well as Suzanne's) affections, Brian was played by Michael. Young Tess was played by an relatively unknown actress to the theatre troupe. Her name was Maude, but she was an incredible young woman, she knew how to evoke emotions from the crowd. Young Jane was played by Millie. Cousin Lisa was played by Yumi, the flower girl was played adorably by Tamiya. Bridal Salesgirl #1 was played by Ziva, Gina was played by Erika. Salesgirl Olga was played by Frieda, Naomi played the role of Casey. Another unknown played Suzanne. Her name was Ruby and she was an exchange student from America. The sad thing about her involvement in the play was as soon as the year was over, she would be going back home to the Midwest, but at least she would be keeping in touch with her friends. She too, like Maude was impressive in her abilities and had a tremendous singing voice. The rude taxi stealer was played by Ulrich, Odd played the role of the minister, James was played by William and Patric aided in comic relief with his portrayal of the taxi driver, Khalil.
So far, the play had run by flawlessly and no one had forgotten any of their lines. The newcomers to the crew were congratulated on a job well done, but of course, reminded that they weren't out of the woods yet.
"I know you're probably getting tired, but we need to put all of our energy into the big finale. Remember, Jane receives the happy ending she's always longed for after all those years of having love and lost.", Lydia said, dramatically, her hand draped over her head. Light and sound tech Zach rolled his eyes.
"Oy ! Mom…Save the drama for another time, would ya ?", he teased. She simply winked at him and Ziva snuck up on him to poke him in the side before he went back to work. She was too quick to be caught by a tickle war from him but Zach would have plenty of time to retaliate later when everything was done.
Act 2 was going to begin after the intermission. Everyone had gotten refreshments from the make-shift concession stands in the auditorium. Suzanne was enjoying herself immensely by the side of Jim who knew their daughter was a cut above when it came to the choice of her playing the main role. Everyone had done sensational jobs thus far, and the overture for the second act was about to begin.
"Little does she know about the little surprise I have tucked away in that closet of hers. I'm going to have to thank Lynn later…", Jim thought to himself as he sneakily draped his arm over Suzanne's shoulders and cuddled with her. She kissed his cheek and then his neck tenderly and whispered,
"So far, my dear…this birthday has been the best I have had but anytime spent with you is worthwhile.", she stated with a tiny euphoric sigh and rested her head upon his heart for the remainder of the play.
A rollicking standing ovation came from the audience, which meant the money gathered from the public would help charitable organizations that Kadic had taken under their wing this fiscal year. Besides, the whole "Act of Random Kindness" would be a deduction on their taxes as well.
Everyone was stunned at the tremendous work that the drama department had done and to celebrate, the whole faculty, including the students, was invited to a lavish smorgasbord and they had the best meal they had ever eaten.
Suzanne was instructed to wear a blindfold once she climbed out of her car.
"Am I there yet ?", she asked, grasping Emily and Jim's hand on either side of her.
"Not yet, but we're getting close.", Jim said, warmly. Fairly soon the blindfold was removed and Suzanne gasped at the resplendence she saw. There it was in all its finery; a cherry wood closet with different cubbies and storage areas, even a rack for shoes. Also in front of her was an opulent dress fashioned by Lydia's artistic hands.
"Oh, honey…They're gorgeous !", she cried, her eyes full of joyous tears. She kissed her husband generously and laughed, clapping her hands.
"Hey, Lili, I think she likes it !", Jim said, chuckling.
"Happy birthday mom and many happy returns !", they said in unison. The remainder of the day was spent enjoying cake and watching the classic version of The Nutty Professor, which ended the night on a high note.
Chapter 6—Sitting Pretty
Emily still didn't know about her surprise yet, and only recently had Suzanne been privy to this information. She wondered, though, why her mom was so stupendously dressed and the family didn't have any prior plans. No matter how many questions she asked, both of her parents were "mum" about the details. Lili found this rather suspicious but no matter what she did, mom and dad wouldn't tell her what was going on. So, for the moment, she left the house and walked around the neighborhood for a bit until her mother called her back in.
"Yes, what is it mom ?", she asked, wondering if it had anything to do with the secret her parents had been keeping from her.
"Here, this is what we've been keeping from you. Granted, it hasn't been easy, and we're surprised you hadn't guessed what it was yet.", Suzanne said as she placed her hands over her daughter's eyes and the two led her back to her room. Within it was the closet that Sissi had planned on expanding just to commemorate her best friend's exemplary performance.
"I know it's not your birthday but this is your gift. Actually it's from Sissi, and I thought that we should repay her as well as the Rozenheims.", Jim said.
"Oh my goodness !", Emily said, looking at all the dresses she had worn for her role in the play. She would have to choose one of her favorites, the metallic turquoise for their evening out with the Delmases and Rozenheims.
Epilogue
At the fancy French restaurant, the families laughed, joked and chattered amongst each other, reminiscing of days past. Again, Suzanne thanked them for the most memorable birthday to date and thanked her daughter personally for such a magnificent evening. Emily's closest friends, who had been invited as well, were happy just to be with her and were touched when she said it was their doing and not hers alone.
"It is true though. We did this together, as we do everything. It's much easier to get something accomplished. We're like a lean, mean, friendship machine !", Odd commented.
"Too true.", Tamiya added with a nod as she took another sip of tea, pleasantly. It was like something out of a fairy tale for the lot of them though, almost too beautiful to be real. But they realized that even fairy tales could come true and that though the moment was fleeting, it would remain alive in their minds forever.
No sooner had the dreamy dinner ended that the families hugged, kissed and said their goodbyes. In the next week they would see each other again and it would be back to the grindstone. Some things never changed and the friends were happy for that. They had such brilliant futures to look forward to and with that thought in their minds and hearts they continued to take each day one step at a time knowing that Lyoko would be renovated too if they remained vigilant and honed their skills.
The End