Hello. I'm back, and I finally have time to sit down and write. Sorry this took so long, but my life has been so beyond crazy lately, that it's kind of ridiculous. On top of all the lessons that I already take, I was also cast as the lead in Annie, (even though I'm way too old to play Annie), then I was pulled intoplaying Tiny Tim in Scrooge: The Musical at the last minute when the little boy who was originally playing him got the flu about a week before opening night, and then I was cast in my school's competition One Act Play, Charlotte's Web (as Charlotte), so I've been rehearsing for that. And on top of all that I had a dance recital that ran for three nights, in which I had four solo routines (contemporary, jazz, hip-hop, and pointe), and two group routines. (Jazz and hip-hop) And then I was also asked to play violin and piano in a Christmas recital with my music school, and then sing in another recital. (In case you care, I played O Come All Ye Faithful and What Child is This on violin, O Holy Night in D flat Major and Little Drummer Boy in G Major on piano, and I sang River, a soprano version of O Holy Night, and, much to my excitement, Memory, from the musical Cats, even though it's not really a Christmas song.) I swear these last few months I have been so stressed out that I'm surprised that I made it out alive. Every spare second I had, I was rehearsing for something and more than a few times did I skip meals or ditch a few hours of sleep. It was a terrifying time, but it's over now, at least until spring time, when I have at least two other musicals that I know I am auditioning for, and then even more recitals, a debate competition, and two dance competitions. Ugh.
Anyway, (I have a problem with using this word too much, so please tell me if it gets annoying) when writing my author's note last chapter, I forgot to add that if you have an idea about Kate's circus days that you want me to write, or don't feel like writing yourself, then please tell me and I'll attempt to add it in to this story. Also note that if you give me ideas, I will most likely update a lot faster, because if I have to think of an idea myself, chances are I will either forget about it, or procrastinate.
I don't really have any plans, whatsoever for this story, so please keep in mind that I am pretty much making this up as I go along, as I tend to do, so if it starts to get horrible, just tell me, (nicely please) and I will start taking time to brainstorm instead of just writing.
To close this freakishly long author's note, I'd like to thank all of the wonderful, wonderful people who have reviewed so far! All of your reviews literally made my day. I was seriously smiling like a demented idiot when I read them. Thank you so much! Okay, that's enough rambling from me. Let's get on with the story.
Chapter One
Kate raised an eyebrow, but quickly got up to take the package from Rhonda. After curiously looking at the return address she let out a short laugh.
"Thanks Rhonda." Kate said looking up and smiling at the woman. Rhonda smiled back, and sensing that Kate wanted to be alone with her friends at the moment, left the room, making a mental note to ask Kate about the package later.
Kate bolted over to her friends and flopped back down on the floor by her friends with the box in her lap, and took her Swiss Army knife out of her bucket. Before anyone else had time to see who the package was from, Kate had cut the tape on the box, and was looking inside. After a second, she reached into the box, and pulled out an envelope with her name on it in loopy handwriting.
"It's from some of my old circus friends Fae and Mercy. It's a bunch of video tapes." Kate filled the rest of the society in as she ripped open the envelope and started reading to herself with a lopsided grin on her face.
Katie!
It's so hard to believe that it has been almost two years since we've seen you! We were going through some of our old stuff, and we found these tapes, so we made some copies and found one of the addresses that you gave us, so here you are. Enjoy the memories.
We love you!
Fae and Mercy
The note had been in two different people's handwriting, switching off every few words, as though it had been written by two different people, which Kate noted, it probably had been. She glanced up at her friends, who were looking at her expectantly.
"Well are you going to tell us what all these tapes are?" Constance blurted out, before Kate could get a word in.
"Calm down, Connie Girl, I was just about to," Kate said, smirking when she saw Constance's nose wrinkle at the nickname. "My friend from the circus, Mercy, always had a video camera with her. She would always claim that she was documenting our lives for when we were rich and famous, or something like that. Her and my other friend Fae sent me what I'm guessing are a bunch of those tapes. Me, Mercy, and Fae were almost always paired together to do act. It supposedly made what we were doing more impressive since we were all kids or something like that." Kate admitted. She started to put the tapes back in the box, and threw the note in on top before jumping up to set the box on her dresser.
"Well aren't you going to watch them?" Constance asked with impatience in her voice, not bothering to hide the hope that she would be able to find something in the tapes to use to embarrass the ex-circus performer.
Kate gave Constance and exasperated look before retorting, "I would, but there are about twenty tapes here, and we have chores to do. That means you too, so maybe later." Constance scowled at her. The pudgy little girl had been hoping that she had found an excuse to get out of doing the dishes. Kate just laughed, and started to herd the rest of the Society out of her room.
Later that night, after dinner had been eaten, and the exhausting task of washing the day's dishes was out of the way, Kate, clad in her comfiest pair of pajamas, and holding two video tapes, entered one of the two rooms in the Benedict household with a television. The television was old and obviously hadn't been used in a very long time, but it had a VCR hooked up, and a couch in front of it, so it would suit her needs for the time being. She set the second tape down on a table by the end of the couch, and jogged up to the television with the other tape in her hand.
Kate had never been one for watching movies, even on tape or DVD where the harmful effects of the Whisperer couldn't have reached her. It required too much sitting still for her taste. But she decided that it would be worth sitting on the couch for a while to see her circus days played on the screen. Plus, she figured that it was late, and she was tired enough that sitting for a long time wouldn't bother her as much as it would during the day.
Just as Kate got the tape started, and had dropped back onto the couch, remote in hand, the door flew open, sending a stream of light into the darkened room. In the middle of the doorframe, stood a small, pajama clad, but furious looking Constance Contraire.
"What are you doing?" Constance demanded, her pudgy face red, and looking as though it was about to pop like a balloon, utterly baffling Kate.
"I'm about to start watching the tapes," Kate replied, pausing the tape and raising an eyebrow at the young girl. "Why does it matter?"
"You were about to watch them, without me!" Constance cried out huffily. Kate opened her mouth and started to speak, but Constance cut her off "Well, if you have to know, I want to see what embarrassing things you did when you were in the circus!" Kate, who, like everyone else in the house was long used to Constance answering questions before they were even asked aloud, snapped her mouth shut, and was about to respond, but was distracted by the sound of footsteps in the hall.
"What's going on?" asked Reynie, who, along with Sticky had been drawn to the scene by Constance's raised voice.
"Kate was going to watch the tapes without me!" Constance shouted, her face going red again.
"Geez, Connie Girl, I didn't know it was so important to you. You're welcome to watch it with me if you want," Kate interjected before Reynie or Sticky could say anything to Constance. "You too, boys."
"Fine," Constance said looking pleased that she got her way. The young girl slammed the door shut, (almost hitting Sticky as he walked through) and waddled over to the couch and sat down opposite Kate. Reynie and Sticky followed suit. When everyone had gotten settled, Kate started playing the tape again, and the screen lighted up the room. The tape started on two girls who looked about Kate's age. One of the two was backing away from the camera, appearing as though she had just turned the camera on while it was sitting on a stand.
"That would be Mercy," Kate muttered fondly, indicating the girls who had just taken a seat. "Fae is the one with brown hair."
The girl Kate identified as Mercy looked about the same height as Kate, and had white-blonde hair, that was cut off rather roughly at her shoulders, and shockingly green eyes. The girl that Kate had point out as Fae did indeed have brown hair, which was pulled into a plait over her left shoulder, and had lively grey eyes, but was rather shorter than either Kate or Mercy. The two girls on-screen had a playful energy surrounding them, much like Kate herself, and it was visible even through the TV's tiny screen.
"Is it on?" asked the girl with brown hair in a voice slightly above a whisper.
"Of course it's on see the little red light? You'd think you'd know that by now. Geez." replied Mercy, shooting the other girl a rude look. Fae just stuck her tongue out at her. "Anyway," Mercy continued, and turned to address the camera. "Well. Hi Kate! So, we found these tapes, and figured that you'd want to see them too, so here you go. We started with a tape from a little bit before you joined up, but I'm sure you'll remember the rest." This, Mercy said with a slight smirk on her face, for reasons unknown to any of the Society, but Kate. "Enjoy." She finished simply.
"Oh, but one more thing." Fae, glaring slightly, cut in before Mercy got up to turn the camera off. "You really need to get your butt in gear and write up more often. Don't think that whatever it is you are doing is any kind of excuse, because it's not! Anyway " Fae's sentence was cut off by Mercy rolling her eyes, and turning of the camera, making the screen go black.
The Society sat in the dark, for a few seconds, before Constance spoke up.
"Well get a move on! Put in the other tape before I beat you with a rake!" the young poet blurted, gaining odd looks from the rest of the Society.
"With a rake?"
"Poetic license." The pudgy child said looking irked that someone had called her out on it.
"Well, I suppose we could try and watch the other tape now, even though it is a bit past you bedtime Connie-Girl." Kate teased, again using the dreaded nickname. Ignoring the biting look that surely meant that another barrage of ill-rhyming insults was coming her way, Kate got up off the couch, with the next tape in her hand, and somersaulted across the room to the tiny television.
Author's Note- Okay. I am so sorry. That was an awful chapter. I don't even want to explain it. Everyone was OOC, Fae and Mercy are starting to sound Mary-Sue-ish, and ugh. That was bad. I'm sorry, you can kill me now.
But another thing. I know I had Kate calling Constance Connie-Girl for most of the chapter, but that is only because Kate was teasing her. I know it gets annoying when that's all people call her, but I feel it could not be helped in this case. Sorry 'bout that. And for the awful-ness. And for, well, everything else. I promise, next chapter, (whenever that may come around) will be better. I'll probably end up rewriting this somewhere down the line. (*cough cough* If I ever find out how) But anyway, thank you for putting up with this, disgrace of a chapter.
Word Count
Without Author's Note - 1,542
With Author's Note-2,249 (Oops)
Oh, and Happy New Year!
~Kate
