Summer Menagé IV
AnniKay
Sam/Mercedes/Puck
Disclaimer: I own Nothing…Murphy, Falchuk, and Brennen along with Fox and others own this fandom and all the characters there in…Anything you recognize obviously belongs to them.
THANKS to everyone who has taken the time to review any or, in some cases, all of the stories in this series. Your encouragement helps more than you know. Take a moment and let me know what you enjoyed most about the update.
AN: This is the next story in the French Lessons Universe. It will be from many different perspectives, and will take care of the summer between Commune's collegiate sophomore and junior years. Again, it is planned as a series of connected one shots. I hope that you will read, enjoy and review.
Chapter 2
Escape Velocity (The Chemical Brothers)
Ambient PoV
Lima, Ohio
By the official beginning of the summer, Rachel Berry had been convalescing at the Lost Creek Healthcare and Rehab Center for an entire month. In that time, she had regained full consciousness and she was no longer constrained by any casts or bandages. She was, however, still regaining the full use of her motor functions. Her fine motor skills had not been noticeably impaired, but she seemed to have trouble walking more than a few steps or standing for more than a moment or two at a time. Since Hiram and Antwan had full time jobs and three very small children at home, it was decided that Rachel should receive her rehabilitation in patient. The truth, unknown to her fathers, was that Rachel preferred it that way. She knew that when she returned home, it would be entirely too easy to forget herself. And move in a way that was not all congruous with the statements she had made to the doctors and nurses overseeing her care. For while Rachel truly felt that their care left much to be desired…it was still far better than the alternative.
The alternative was facing a life with little to no immediate way to achieve her destiny. Once she was released, Rachel had nowhere to go but back to her fathers' basement. While NYU had been sympathetic to her assault…her new situation…the truth was that her grades had been less than stellar. Not a single one of her teachers had felt that she was worth the drama and trouble of holding her place. Oh, they had prettied it up, couched it in Rachel needing to take the time she needed to heal. A certain Dean of Students had bluntly told the Misters Berry that Rachel added nothing positive to the campus environment. When apprised of the events of the spring semester of her freshman year and the exact details of her interactions around the campus…many Dr. Girardi knew of from others involved, but had no way to prove…Antwan and Hiram had been forced to admit that the professors and administrator were right not to hold a place for their eldest daughter. Once she was fully healed, and had proper medical clearance, she could seek readmittance as a second semester sophomore. But she would be subject to their stringent entrance standards. No one said aloud that her grades the previous three semesters weren't good enough to get her back in that prestigious school. No one had to.
It was an unfortunate set back but not, Rachel was sure, an insurmountable one. She just had to manage to convince her fathers to let her have some time to find her center. And to give her the money to find a suitable publicist. Then she would return to New York and take Broadway by storm. With her new, slightly -almost- tragic back story and the news coverage thereof, the cache of her name would provide could well open doors that her incomparable talent had not. Rachel realized that she had been very naïve, believing that pure talent and a superlative work ethic could see her reach the heights that were her due, But the success of Mercedes Jones, a much lesser talent no matter what anyone else said, as far as Rachel was concerned, had nevertheless taught Rachel a valuable lesson. In modern America, titillation and sensationalization were what created meteoric rises in status, wealth and power. Rachel finally understood that…after all it was the only theory that made the universe make sense again.
At first, Rachel had been bothered and bewildered by the news coverage after the vicious attack on her person. The news anchors had barely covered her and her condition. She was only relevant in that she had a connection to KAMA. Which really was a stupid name, by the way. The journalists spoke of how despite the acrimony between them and Rachel, Mercedes, Sam and Noah…along with Santana, Brittany, Artie, Blaine and Kurt had rushed immediately to the hospital and even offered to cover any bill if the hospital administrators needed such assurance until her fathers could arrive with insurance documentation. One of the news stories had even included a short statement for their publicist that basically said that no matter what had happened between Rachel and the rest of her old friends, her fathers and baby siblings were a part of KAMA's family and KAMA always took care of their family. Initally, Rachel had seethed at Mercedes, Sam and Noah trying to claim her family as their own. However, after hearing the thoughts and gossip of the nursing staff at Lost Creek, Rachel had had an epiphany. Even with all their jealousy and envy and hatred, her eight former friends had made a strategic choice and it had worked. One couldn't buy that kind of positive publicity.
She never even thought of the fact that her former friends had anything other than selfish and self-serving motives. As she would have in their position. Rachel would never understand that KAMA was not trying to steal her family. They just wanted to support their people. She would also never understand why the nurses were always playing rock-paper-scissors outside her door. The truth was that none of the nurses, orderlies…even the doctors…wanted to deal with the annoying recovering coma patient. The day shift charge nurse said it best, 'she was a hell of a lot more pleasant to deal with when she was dead to the world and couldn't help shitting herself.'
Still, Rachel was using the time of her convalescence to regroup and renew her focus. On a Saturday in May, one the entertainment media refused to allow anyone to forget was the first night of KAMA's sold out North American tour, Rachel stood staring out her room's window, practicing Schwartz's Meadowlark. She turned, singing still as a knock sounded at her door. She quickly took a seat at a nearby table before telling the person to come in. Shelby Cochran entered with a small bouquet of miniature roses. "Rachel, how are you feeling?" the older woman asked pleasantly. "Antwan and Hiram said that you were up to receiving visitors."
Upon awakening, Rachel had immediately put an end to visitors. She refused to allow anyone to see her in her diminished state. She'd been kept unaware of the fact that many of her former classmates' parents had been by with things to brighten her room or food for whichever of her fathers had been sitting with her at the time. Like the nursing center staff, they too thought that she'd been far, far easier to deal with when completely insensate.
Rachel gave her biological mother an appraising look. "I'm much improved from being comatose after having been beaten to the edge of life by some ruffians. I am still experiencing some distressing weakness in the leg that was so severely broken. I am sure that it is only temporary. How are you and your daughter fairing?" She returned politely. If there was a bit of bite to the final question, neither woman acknowledged it.
"Beth and I are doing really, very well. She will start kindergarten in the fall. She already knows all her colors, letters, numbers. She is already showing highly advance mathematical skills, actually. And she can write the entire family's names…all of us, me and David, Quinn and Francine, Commune, their parents and brothers and sisters. David and I married last September and Quinn and Noah have given me their blessing to allowing him to formally adopt her." Shelby told her with a smile unlike any Rachel had ever seen on the other woman's face in any of their previous interactions. Shelby looked happy in a way that was all encompassing…perfectly, purely happy. Rachel found herself a little uncomfortable in the face of Shelby's joy. "I was saddened to learn of your attack. It was very startling for something like that to happen to someone I know and care about. I can only imagine how horrified and scared your poor parents were when they got the call."
Rachel found that despite the work she had done…the brutal annihilation of any and all sentiment she'd hoped to breed between herself and Shelby Cochran…she had held out some residual hope that Shelby would have heard about the attack and realized that she wanted to, needed to, take her rightful place in Rachel's life. It died a little bit more in that moment. But Rachel considered herself to be a consummate actress. She forced a smile onto her face and pretended to be unbothered by the dismissal of her wants and desires, by what she perceived as the rejection of her love. "Yes, it was very hard on them." she said in what she hoped Shelby would believe was sorrow at what Hiram and Antwan had been put through rather than for her own lack of maternal affection. "I am sure that it was made even more difficult by the fact that they had to choose between me and the babies." That was actually a thought that brought Rachel immeasurable amounts of comfort. When forced by the hand of fate to choose between the triplets and herself, Hiram and Antwan Berry had made the right choice and rushed to her side, leaving those unnecessary carbuncles to the care of veritable strangers.
Shelby noticed a strange glint in Rachel's eyes and, in her own desire for a positive outcome for the first child she'd born, misread it as simply the continued after effects of having such a close beush with death. She knew that, though he dealt with the situation in a healthy manner and spoke with a campus counselor, Finn was still sometimes haunted by his accident and the days and weeks when he had been locked in a nightmare of what might have been. The two women, so similar and yet so different, related only by blood conversed a little more before Shelby finally reached the point of her visit. "Rachel, I came to check on you, yes…but your fathers have been very good about keeping me up to date on how you are doing. There is something that I need to tell you. I wanted to be the first to tell you, in fact. I rather think it would be disconcerting to hear this news from someone else. I-well-David and I are pregnant."
Rachel was so surprised that she didn't even take a moment to censure her words or try and figure out what emotion she was probably expected to express in that situation. "But you're old." She blurted out.
Shelby shook her head. "I'm forty-three, Rachel. Women older than that have children every day. and while it wasn't planned or even expected, we are happy about the news. I know that you felt I adopted Beth to replace you, so I'm not sure what this knowledge will make you feel. Bur I do care about you and thought that it would be best if you heard it 'straight from the horse's mouth' as it were."
Rachel couldn't have put words to how she felt in that moment if someone had offered her a million dollars and the Tony for the Lead in Funny Girl. So, she fell back on the manners she'd learned so well as a child. "I am sure that you and Mr. Martinez, that is right? Well, I am sure that you and your husband are very happy and I wish you a healthy pregnancy and baby."
Shelby felt the dismissal inherent in Rachel's tone and allowed the twenty-one-year-old to have the last word and said her goodbyes. As soon as the door closed behind Shelby, Rachel flew into a rage. She destroyed the bouquet Shelby had brought with her and all the other blossoms, blooms and balloons that decorated her small but private room. Finally, she sank to the floor, hoarse from holding back the screams of rage, anger and jealousy that were pulsating through her heart, her very being. The tears that flowed down her cheeks honest as most before them had never been. The nurse found her an hour later still on the floor awash in envious anger and hate.
Feeling Good (Nina Simone)
Ambient PoV
Chicago, Illinois
James Lamar Gibbs, the third was having one hell of a summer. He'd returned to Cleveland and spent a week with his mother and younger sisters, one of whom was entering her senior year of high school that fall and took every chance she could to pick his brain on choosing a college. He then spent a weekend in Lima with his girlfriend of more than two years. James relationship with Quinn Fabray may have begun as something neither was looking for…but it was built on a foundation of friendship and the fact that they had taken the time to get to know each other more deeply than anyone else could ever claim to. James was always understanding of her point of view. Quinn never seemed to think that his thoughts or feelings were less valid than her own. They treated each other with respect and love. James protected Quinn where it was important, but also trusted that she could, would and did have the strength to protect herself if the situation called for it. James liked Quinn's friends and was liked in return. Thankfully, the same was true of how James friends felt about Quinn. They did like her, though, other than his Dalton friends, they had less in common with her than her friends had with James. They would be moving in together come the fall and there was something very important to James that needed to happen first.
Unbeknownst to Quinn, James had already started making plans and moving on them to see to it that his respect for her was never in any doubt from any person…ever. His first step had been getting together with her two best friends. There had been no hesitation or reservations about contacting Santana Lopez and Mercedes Jones. The two, very different, young women had been his girl's besties since long before he knew her. One was so close they called each other sister and the other was the best frenemy a girl could ever ask for. A trip to Manhattan was out of the question, however. No way could he manage it without Quinn knowing about it. But, it was almost too easy to arrange a Facetime session with the young women, busy though they both were. As soon as he had laid out the reason for the call, Santana had immediately informed him that no woman in the Fabray family had said yes to a ring not from Tiffany's in over a hundred and fifty years.
"The women in Quinn's family have the words 'Old Money' tattooed on their asses at birth." She informed him seriously.
It was Mercedes that filled in the details of Quinn's preferences. "Quinn likes simple, elegant jewelry. A solitaire with a large, good quality stone. Something that speaks of wealth but it shouldn't be any bigger than two or three carats. Apparently, Mr. Fabray's mother considered Quinn's mom's ring gauche and unladylike at five." She told him helpfully.
James took their advice down. Yes, he made notes. He went through every ring on the Tiffany website. He wanted to make sure that he found her the perfect ring, even if it wasn't specifically designated as an engagement ring. Ultimately, after much consultation with Santana and Mercedes, the ring he chose for her was a Tiffany's engagement collection ring. The Lucida with a simple polished band and a two and a half carat diamond seemed to be the perfect choice. But before he plucked down upwards of fifty thousand dollars on a ring, he wanted one last opinion. Circumstances had ensured that the perfect person was close by. James was living and working with his Great-Uncle Steve in Chicago and fairly nearby in the same city, Francine Fabray was interning with a preeminent psychiatrist. The future in laws were easily able to meet for lunch near the Doctor's office in the Lakeview area of town.
As soon as he pushed in Francine's chair at La Creperie, James asked her how she was doing. They both knew he was asking about far more than her physical well-being. Judith Fabray had been released from prison several weeks before. Francine had, by virtue of being the Fabray sister closest to Lima, been the one present when Judith took possession of her things. Attorney Patterson had been there as Francine and Quinn's legal representation, but Judith had still managed to make thing as miserable as possible. She'd even tried contacting both of her daughters…despite a continued court order prohibiting any and all contact not initiated by the daughters Fabray.
Francine answered him honestly since she knew that James was only asking because he really was concerned. "I think I finally understand what Danica Jones meant when I asked her the same question a few days before that Macardo asshole came forward and all those news people were still trying to claim that KAMA had done the whole tape thing on purpose. She told me that her 'soul was weary'. I didn't get it then. I just thought that she was talking about being really tired. I get it now. She wasn't physically tired but everything within her had felt like it had taken a beating. That's how I'm feeling now." She confessed. "Mom-Judith- calls constantly trying to force her way back into our lives. I know that I can turn her in for it. I know that I probably should turn her in for it. But I can't seem to make myself make that call, ya know?"
James nodded. "Peaches is having the same dilemma. Things were better when we were still at school. It seemed like your mother called a lot less when Que had classes and studying and everything to worry about. Plus, she was ten hours from Lima…so there was none of the stalking kind of 'running into her in the grocery store' thing. What does she even want?"
Francine shook her head in befuddlement. "Who even knows. Her alimony is still the same, yes…but Daddy pays her rent and basic utilities. When you point that out, she just complains about the apartment she's living in. Which, again, I don't get. It's in a nice area of Lima, and okay, it not luxurious or huge but it's still a nice place. And strings had to be pulled to get them to even rent to her with a record, so one would think she would be grateful." Francine saw the side eye James gave her and questioned it. "What's that look for?"
"Frannie, you know I already consider you my sister, so I can say thins and you know that you and Peaches are exceptions to the rule. I've met your father, your mother, and even a few of your cousins…don't not a one understand the concept of being grateful."
"Yeah, well…" she couldn't argue the truth of his words. "Probably Lucy learned it from the Joneses and taught it to me. Because I am grateful that my sister has a man who had loved and supported her through all the madness. So, let's leave all the Fabray family drama behind. I want to see the ring that you've picked. I've gotta make sure that you're getting something she's gonna love."
James had the screenshot pulled up in a heartbeat. "Santana said that it had to be Tiffany's to satisfy the family tradition. And Mercedes said that it should be simple and elegant with a quality stone that was large, but not too big or it would be gauche and gaudy. Something about your grandmother and mom."
Francine smiled as she mentally assessed the ring for all the qualities that would most please her sister. It had them all. "It's a great ring. So, perfect for her. I'm sure that Quinnie is going to love it." she assured him. James let out a sigh of relief. "She's a size five and a half."
"Santana and Mercedes made sure I would never forget. I think they did everything but make me write it five times each like spelling words in elementary school." He admitted.
She laughed. "You know, my mother made my father buy her a ridiculously gaudy ring. Five carat center stone with a pave band…all because she wanted a ring bigger than any of her friends had. Grandmere wasn't a fan of the thing…but do you know, the only times she ever said anything verbally about it? When Judith said something to crush Quinn's happiness in front of Grandmere. I clearly remember this one time. Lucy had been proudly telling Grandmere and Grandpapa about her grades, which were always stellar, often even better than mine. Judith cut her off…told her that it was unbecoming of a lady to boast. Even though our grandparents wanted to know and I had just finished doing basically the exact same thing. Then Judith threw in a little dig about the fact that Lucy was a little plumper and had Grandpapa's nose which was Aquiline to say the least. She always did that…made Lucy feel as if she was lesser because she wasn't exactly like me and Judith."
"Well, Grandmere watched the smile drop from Lucy's face. She didn't say anything immediately. But as soon as she was able to, she steered the conversation to Judith's ring. 'Yes, Judith, I suppose that Russell really had no choice but to get you such a hefty, gaudy engagement ring. It creates the illusion that your fingers are thinner, longer…more ladylike. Thank goodness that Lucille and Francine have hands more like mine.' I watched as Judith's face looked as crestfallen as Lucy's had. Grandmere would look very satisfied then. She had made Mother feel self-conscious and horrid…just like Judith had done to Quinn."
The two of them at the table shared a laugh over the savory crepes they'd enjoyed as they talked. "I think I would have liked your Grandmere."
Frannie shook her long blonde hair. "Probably not. She wasn't a racist, but she was definitely a serious snob. While your family is rich enough to be somewhat acceptable, she'd have still had issues. You're nouveau riche, you know." She told him in an exaggeratedly snooty way that sent them back into peals of laughter. The rest of their lunch was hurriedly wrapped up to go when Francine realized that her lunch hour was almost over.
As soon as they left the restaurant that Tuesday, James started making the arrangements. He made sure that his money was right so that he'd be able to get the ring of his woman's dreams without negatively impacting their shared plans. He already had the tickets for KAMA's Chicago stop, complete with VIP backstage passes. With a single phone call, he made the arrangements with Mercedes, Sam and Noah for one hell of a memorable proposal. He made reservations at a lovely restaurant near the United Center for dinner before the concert and reserved a room at the Four Seasons for them the weekend before the concert and the night thereof. James actually didn't have much in the way of expenses during the week. He was staying with his great-uncle and his great-aunt Marjorie so he didn't have rent. But by the same turn, when he and Quinn met up in Warsaw, Indiana to spend a weekend together, James paid for everything. It wasn't a problem…he made good money doing IT work for his great-uncle and aunt's foundation and production company for the last couple of summers. But they had big plans and he didn't want to mess anything up. To ensure that things went as he wanted them to go, James started practicing some of the austerity measures he'd grown up with. No more eating three meals a day in restaurants. He woke up early and made himself breakfast. It was just for him, since Steve was already in the second hour of his show when James got up and it would be a few more hours before Marjorie would start her day. their housekeeper always offered to make his breakfast, but he hated creating more work for Serena. Besides, she made his lunch and it was always tons better than the sandwich and chips that he'd have probably made himself if left to his own devices. He left his car in the garage and used mass transit. He left Starbucks alone and drank coffee from the break room at the office. Small things that added up.
Of course, the changes didn't go unnoticed. Steve Harvey saw the belt tightening and decided that he wanted to know what was at the root of it. He grabbed James one Saturday morning about two weeks after the changes started. "Alright Kid, what's up?" Steve started as they drove to the comedian's favorite barbershop. "You managed to go through all your college fund even with all those scholarships you got? You didn't develop a gambling habit or nothing, did you?"
"Naw Unc. Nothing like that." James said shaking his head. He'd been very blessed. Steve had set him up with a fat college fund when he was younger, with his mom as the administrator of the account. But James had won scholarships that took care of roughly half his tuition and room and board and fees every semester. Rather than take the extra money back, Steve and Kay had decided that she would pay the full amount before the scholarships hit. Then when James had a surplus, the school would give him the extra money. The excess funding usually came to around twenty-five grand. James never put more than five thousand into his checking account and the rest was placed into a high interest saving account. The truth was that James Gibbs was a saver. He didn't spend to excess and he saved a lot of what he earned over the summer. Plus, a month didn't go by that his family members didn't slip some change into his checking account just to make sure he had what he needed. "I'm just…I'm getting ready to get Quinn an engagement ring. Been two years, time to put a ring on it."
"Aw hell, you sure you got enough. I mean, I know a man wants to do this kind of shit for his damn self…stand on his own two feet…but that white girl is old money rich. You can't get down on one knee with some gumball machine-cracker jack box ring." Steve returned wisely. The entertainment giant actually liked Quinn Fabray. She was not exactly who he expected his great-nephew to end up with, but she was intelligent, strong, beautiful, had dignity and loyalty and money of her own. She was also connected to one of the most popular music groups on the scene. Thanks to that connection, Steve always got an interview when they were doing publicity and they sometimes just called in to shoot the shit on air. That had expanded the market share of the Steve Harvey Morning Show by giving him a large new, younger audience. James solidifying his relationship with Quinn Fabray solidified Steve's ability to count KAMA's fans as a part of his audience.
"I'm okay on the ring." James said honestly. Taking the chance to get another opinion on his choice, he whipped out his phone and showed Steve the screen shot that was still saved to his phone.
Steve sounded appropriately impressed. "That's a nice ring…Tiffany's, that's good. You ran it past her sister and best friend right?"
James told him the story of the Facetime meeting and his lunch with Francine. "So, yeah, I'm confident that she's going to love the ring. I'm just wanting to make sure that I don't mess up all the stuff already in the works. You know we're getting ready to close on that house in New Haven for all of us."
"The one that you all had my lawyers help you with the LLC paperwork so you and all your roommates could go in together to buy it?" Steve clarified. When James nodded, he asked a follow up. "You all did a partnership agreement too, right?"
"Yes sir, ten people all with equal shares." James assured his great-uncle. Everyone had agreed, over Kat's objections, that she too would have an equal share even though she didn't have as much to put in on the down payment. It was spelled out specifically in the partnership agreement just in case one of them suddenly developed asshole tendencies.
"Good…never let it be said that you got fucked in the game because you were too damn trusting." Steve warned. "Speaking of…you need to go ahead and get your mind right…you two are going to need to have a prenup…not just for you, but for your girl."
James knew his great uncle was right…but he still didn't like the implications of a prenup. However, he just said a very respectful, "Yes, Sir."
"So, what are you worried about if you've got your money right for the ring?" Steven asked bewildered.
James couldn't not smirk. It was so weird to see his Great-Uncle confused. "I'm just trying to keep my money right for the rest of the week. Quinn's was already coming up to go with me to the KAMA concert. I have us reservations at Grace for before it and we'll have a Premier Lakeview Suite at the Four Seasons from Friday night to Wednesday. But even with not having to buy our tickets for that night…I'm still coming up off at least five grand for the stuff I can plan ahead."
Steve looked thoughtful. "That's low balling it. I mean, you're talking five to six days of meals and entertainment. Marjorie and I will have y'all and the family over for dinner Sunday night, but that still gives you like fifteen other meals. And you're going to ask your woman to be your bride, you've gotta look good when you do. Tell you what, I'm gonna take you to Syd Jerome. My man there he'll make you a custom suit. You can take off the tie for the concert and after party. You're gonna have to step correct."
"Thanks Uncle Steve. You sure you won't take too much flack for me marrying a white girl?"
"Ahn…fuck 'em. You love your girl and she loves you. She ain't out for your paper or mine. She's smart and working on having her own shit together. You've been together for a while and have been solid for years. Your Momma and Sisters like her so you're all good as far as I'm concerned." Steve assured his nephew. "Now, the concert isn't until Tuesday…what you got planned for the weekend?"
The new suit and some brainstorming weren't all that happened from that conversation. James cousins were soon brought into the loop. Junior and Tommy both chimed in with their ideas on how to make the proposal as special as possible. They were so emphatic about helping that James ended up being very grateful for the break from their assistance that was provided by the trip James had to make to New Haven to meet up with his roommates turned partners. They were due in their college city the last Friday of June to close on the seven bedroom, six and a half bath house they were buying just minutes from campus. Though, truth be told, James was also grateful for the time he got to spend with Quinn…he always happy for any time he got to spend in her presence. They talked a couple of times a day, but the weekends they got to spend together always seemed to end too soon.
As James flew to Dayton, where Quinn would meet him during his layover and they would fly the rest of the way to New Haven together, he let his thoughts take him back to through the long process of finding a house that the ten different personalities could agree on. They had started by taking Victor's advice and sitting down together to make a list of must haves. Since there were so many of them, they decided that they would each only add one thing they couldn't live without and leave spots for the things that were universal. Like the fact that they all wanted some place completely move-in ready. A place that had all the modern amenities, like updated wiring and plumbing and being wired for cable and internet. They wanted a place with at least five bedrooms and four bathrooms, not including any half baths. The kitchen had to be nice but also functional. They needed onsite laundry and the girls all swore that having it on the same floor as the bedrooms was the best idea ever. Though they could live with basement laundry, if they needed to, but none of them were willing to do garage laundry rooms. Those were never heated. James and Drew wanted dedicated computer space. They were fine with sharing it, but it was a necessity for them given their majors. Everyone agree that they needed a shared hangout space that could be a completely education free zone.
Ultimately they found a great house, less than five minutes from campus. It had seven bedrooms and six full bathrooms, including a master suite. The house was on a five acre lot and had been nicely renovated. Because it had been languishing on the market for a few months, the area schools weren't as good as they were just a few streets away and it really was a family home, their group had been able to get what had been a million dollar listing for seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars. They'd put down two hundred thousand dollars as a down payment on a ten year mortgage. That brought each of their responsibility for the mortgage, property taxes and home owner's insurance to six hundred and seventy-five dollars a month. Together they agreed that they would each put in an additional two hundred and twenty-five dollars a month for utilities, common needs like laundry supplies, toilet paper and paper towels and groceries. Kat was happy that the monthly payments were affordable for her and even left her enough to maintain her car insurance and her car over all. She still felt badly that she'd only been able to scrape together five thousand herself to put in on the down payment and yet had an equal share in the future equity and rental income.
However, Kat had skills she knew her roommates didn't all possess. She made them all agree that she would handle the grocery shopping and the cooking. It was actually a very easy sell. The only other person who was actually used to grocery shopping was James and he hated the activity. He, Victor, Max and Drew could all cook certain things…but none of them could make a whole meal. They did force Kat to allow them to help out as did Topanga and Taylor. Brad and Quinn had never even learned to make tea. It had been Kat to convince them that the remodeled kitchen of the house on Edgehill Road had been perfectly remodeled even if it hadn't been done with any thoughts as to the current trends. There was an area that was big enough for a table and chairs for them all to eat in there so the large dining room with its walkout to the great back deck would become a ten-person study. The house had a large, completely finished basement that fit their needs for a 'no school work' gathering place. The bathrooms were all up dated and the house was bright and airy and open.
Once the house was officially theirs, the ten friends had an unfortunate realization. They still had to buy furniture. Deciding to put that thought to the side for a later time, Kat convinced her friends to let her and her family treat them to dinner. The drive wasn't as bad as it could have been, taking just under an hour. The second they tasted the pizza at Mystic Pizza, they all sighed. James looked around and put words to all of their thoughts. "This pizza is worth every second of that drive. Kat-girl, you've been holding out." He chided jokingly.
Kat just laughed. "I didn't want to get you guys addicted. Have you dropping out because you're too busy tearing up the road between New Haven and Mystic to make it to your classes." She quipped back. She had pitched in getting their orders and drinks and delivering everything to the table, even though she had the day off. Finally finished serving the large group, she took her seat at the table and as they all dug in, the pragmatist that she was, she jumped right into the elephant in the corner. "Okay, we've got the house. We thought that we had planned for everything. But none of us thought about furniture. And on the way here, I thought about something else, we'll need to get the kitchen all kitted out. We don't have pots and pans or even dishes or silverware…well not really. I mean, we have some from the dorm…but not really."
Taylor cosigned. "We'll need things like shower curtains and bathmats and cleaning supplies." She slumped in her chair. "I don't know how much that kind of stuff costs, but I know that it adds up quick and if I tap into my college fund too much more, I'm not going to be able to make my part of the mortgage for the whole period of the loan." She said honestly.
Topanga looked miserable, but she was in the same place. Brad was better off, but only because his scholarships included a stipend of fifteen hundred bucks a month. Quinn looked thoughtful. "Guys, give me a second." She hissed as she whipped out her phone. The conversation that followed between Quinn and her father was a master class in WASP emotional manipulation. Without ever giving anyone at the table any clue as to why she was able to wheedle extra money out of her father, Quinn managed to get Russell Fabray to give her and her roommates fifteen thousand dollars to start the process of furnishing and outfitting their new domicile. Their celebration took on a much less somber tone with that information. They knew that they would not be able to afford to do the personal spaces, each person would bear the responsibility of furnishing and decorating their own space. James quickly told Quinn that he would take care of their shared bedroom.
That led to them remembering something else they'd put off, on purpose in that case. "Oh shoot…we said that since we didn't want to jinx anything we'd decided rooms after the closing." Max pointed out. "Since Que got us to money to get furniture…I say that she and James get the master bedroom." that motion was very quickly seconded and passed. Though Quinn and James tried to defer…they really didn't try all that hard. Besides as Max pointed out they were the only couple among them so it made the most sense for them to have that particular suite any way.
Brad spoke up. He didn't talk a lot. to be honest, with all the talking his roommates and friends did, he had trouble getting a word in edgewise. So, when he made the effort to make his opinion heard, the other nine individuals made sure to pay attention. "I don't mind sharing a room and if Max doesn't mind either, I think we should be roommates. Our majors are similar enough that we share books and notes and it would just be easier." He didn't mention that he didn't date because he was so much younger than most of the young women in his year and Max didn't date because he was so very focused on his studies. The two of them sharing a room made a lot of sense.
Taylor pulled out her tablet and pulled up the floorplan of the house that she'd saved months ago. "Alright…I'd suggest that the Brad and Max…and whoever else is willing to pair up…they get the larger non-master bedrooms." Everyone quickly agreed to that.
Kat raised her hand. "The bedrooms with the gables in the attic." She began with a timidity no one was used to seeing from her. "I'd like one of those."
Drew spoke without thinking. "Victor never brings girls back to his place…I never have a girl to bring back, Topanga, you and Cory could save a lot if you didn't have to get a hotel room when he comes for a visit…same for you and your boyfriend, Taylor." He honestly couldn't remember Taylor's boyfriend's name. She and the first guy they had met, her high school boyfriend Chad, had broken up over the previous summer and her current boyfriend was a student at Dartmouth that she'd met doing Model UN. No one had really bothered to remember his name. Mainly because he was one of those people who seemed completely boring until he was comfortable with you. So only Taylor saw the memorable in him.
Victor looked thoughtful. "Well, the best excuse for going to their room or a hotel is always, my roommate is home. I am fine with sharing with Drew. Especially since he and James will have a completely separate computer den."
Harrison smirked. "I'll take the bedroom up top with Kat, then. It is a lovely room and there will be room for my easel." It had taken the better part of the previous two school years for Harrison to become comfortable enough with his friends to let them know that he wasn't just an Art History major…he actually painted himself.
The friends made more plans and were happily looking forward to the rest of their summers at home and the coming semester. James couldn't wait for the last Tuesday in July. He was certain that it would go down as one of the best days of his entire life. Quinn had no clue what was coming…but she was certainly looking forward to five continuous nights with the man she loved.
Who Says (Selena Gomez)
Ambient PoV
New York, New York
Jesse St. James was having the best year of his life. He had gotten an incredible part in an Off-Broadway musical that had made it to the big time. It would start the preview performances in July and would open in August on Broadway. He was bringing home a little under seven thousand dollars a month after taxes. Which, admittedly would not have gone as far in New York as it would elsewhere, but after his reconciliation with his parents and their worry about him after the brutal attack on someone they sort of knew, his father was paying his rent on a functional and cute little studio apartment in the Chelsea area of Manhattan. It was far better than the loft in Queens he had shared with several other young, determined actors when he'd first moved to New York. With that major hurdle out of the way, Jesse was able to live quite a nice life. He took a gourmet cooking class that helped him to solve his constant eating out problem.
Though he did find himself often frequenting a restaurant near the Manhattan School of Music campus. He had met a young lady, a student at MSM, at Blujeen when one of his cast mates had dragged the entire cast to their favorite restaurant to celebrate the extension of their run to through to April. Christina Nghiem was simply beautiful. At fife foot one, and weighing only a hundred and five pounds, she was a tiny little thing. Her hair was raven wing black with blue and purple streaks the first time he saw her and she was dressed primarily in a black tennis skirt and black tank top with a purple plushy hand flipping a stuffed animal bird. She was sitting at a table next to them, reading an actual book. When their food arrived, Jesse reached for the pepper shaker near him only to get beaten to it and given a look that let him know that he'd be the last person at the table to use it. He shrugged it off, it was an established process in their case dinners. So, he asked her to borrow hers. When she spoke…her voice…it created a visceral reaction within him. "Here you go." Three words and Jesse wanted to hear more. Before anyone could say a thing, he'd dusted his grilled salmon loin with the pepper and quickly stood and took a seat at her table.
Jesse didn't care that his food got cold and he ended up getting the whole thing boxed up. He left there with her name and phone number. Over the next week they called and texted. It wasn't until they had talked daily for a full week and a half that Jesse asked her for an official date. They had gotten to know each other very well. Jesse had learned that Christina's grandfather was from a very wealthy Vietnamese family but had almost been disowned when he fell in love with and eloped with an American nurse during the Vietnam war. They had settled in London after the war. Her mother and father had met in a coffee house in Bayreuth, Bavaria, Germany when they were visiting Festspielhaus…opera's Mecca. Her father worked for NPR and her mother for PBS. He learned that, like him, she had auditioned for Juilliard and not made it all the way through the week, though she'd made it a day farther than he had.
Christina was shocked to realize that Jesse was seeing a counselor because of the loss of his brother, in front of his eyes, when he was very young and the internalization of his parent's guilt and grief. She learned that due to his own bravado and over-inflated ego, he'd washed out of the performing arts program at UCLA. It had surprised her because she never expected him to be so honest about his faults. Jesse told her of the day Shelby had saved his life. He told her about how hard he'd worked to replace bravado and arrogance with hard work and humility. He spoke of the gratitude he had for Shelby and Dr. Jones, a man who'd shown him a small kindness when he had no need to and every reason not to. "Uống nước nhớ nguồn", she said gently. "It is one of my Grandfather's favorite sayings. It means that 'Gratitude is the sign of noble souls'. You've learned to be appreciative and honor the things others have done for you. It is a major step in growing up."
"Well, I hope that the rest of the journey isn't as painful as that first step. I've had some times where I thought that it would be so much easier to revert. But when I behaved that way…nothing great happened. I mean, yeah, I won some show choir competitions…but I'm guessing that I won those because of Shelby's good karma, not my own. Now though, I've got a much improved…dare I say great…relationship with my parents. I've got my dream job, an amazing role in a musical that's moving from Off-Broadway to very much on Broadway. I'm friendly with people who should still want to punch me in the face every time they see me. A connection which, I do not deserve, yet it has given me access to a gifted stylist, a great manager, an amazing contract attorney and a PR manager who are helping me to build my brand even more."
"I still cannot believe how small this world really is. I mean, I told you how kind Kurt and Mercedes, Sam and Puck were to me at the auditions. They were really nice. I just can't believe that you've known them for years." She laughed.
Jesse loved her laugh. It was throaty and full bodied and just so real. It wasn't a twitter or a giggle. It was an enticement to share in her amusement. "I fully believe it. After all, you know my deepest and darkest. You know that if Mercedes, Puck or Sam walked up to me and punched me in the face…I would be completely deserving of the physical violence. Instead they've attended both my park show and Hamilton. They've promoted my performances in both. It is maddeningly confusing. My grandmother simply says that I should be glad that they were raised well and have Christian values."
"Maybe she is right. There has to be something that makes them do the things they do that no one expects or even understands. As competitive as the auditions for Juilliard are, why on earth were the five of them so ready to warm up with and be so kind to others. It made no sense. I even heard some of the TAs commenting on it. I, personally, think that it is a huge part of why they are so successful. Too often, we see those who behave badly getting all the success, all the accolades. Perhaps God realized that it was starting to negatively impact his brand." She joked.
It actually struck a chord with Jesse, joke though it may have been. He noticed that Lin Manuel Miranda was also very much a spiritual man. He always tried to treat everyone with respect and practiced a lot of the same things Sam, Mercedes and Puck espoused, though he didn't come out and say that he was any particular religion. "Are you religious?" He blurted without charm or delicacy. "I mean, do you go to church or temple or whatever. I've not stepped a foot inside a church since my brother's funeral. We used to attend regularly and then we stopped."
Christina understood exactly why his parents would have stopped. Who could blame them for being angry with God for taking away their child. "Mom was raised Episcopalian, but she converted in the early eighties. So, my family and I are all Buddhist." She explained to him how that affected her views on the world and how the religion was practiced. They talked about meditation and how Confucianism and Taoism had become a very deep part of the basic tenets of Buddhism. That discussion led them into a discussion of Jesse's understanding of his own spirituality and the religion that he'd been raised with. Over the course of the next several weeks, Jesse and Christina saw each other as much as their schedules would allow. Christina watched Jesse's practice. Jesse watched Christina's spring showcase performance where she dazzled the entire room with an amazing rendition of 'Sì, mi Chiamano Mimì'
They had brunch with Christina's parents and grandparents when they all came to the city for a visit. And dinner with Jesse's mother and father when they did the same. Before they realized it, they had been seeing each other for three months and felt very deeply about each other. It was with that realization in mind that Jesse decided to invite Christina to spend the night with him. The love making was all that Jesse had hoped and dreamed it would be. Christina was deeply in touch with who she was as a person, with her own wants, desires and needs. When they came together, she was able to communicate with him in a manner no other woman he'd ever slept with had before. And given how well they knew each other, how much they'd already shared before taking that step…Jesse found it beyond easy to include Christina in his own pursuit of pleasure. With that final compatibility assured, Jesse and Christina's relationship started to move forward apace.
Yes, Jesse St. James had grown and matured. He had become a worthy mate for a very good young woman. He'd gained a role that would make his career. He lived in a lovely apartment and had learned the value of hard work and saving for the future. He couldn't wait to see what else life had in store.
Not feeling quite up to snuff today. Auntie Flo is one evil old broad.
Send me some happy.
Let me know How you liked the chapter.
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Thanks & TTFN,
Anni
