Title: Meeting The Fulbright's
Patton's Age: 9
Fanny's Age: 9
Shaunie's Age: 5
Paddy's Age: 5 almost 6
Grade: 3rd
Fanny climbed off the bus and walked toward her house. She looked toward the driveway and saw that her father was still at work but her mother was home. She opened the door and walked into the kitchen where her mother and brothers were. Paddy and Shaunie looked at her and grinned, Paddy waved "Hi Fanny!"
Miranda walked over and hugged her daughter "Hi Fanny-pants, how was school?"
Fanny sighed and sat down next to 5 year old Shaunie "It was okay, I still miss Patton."
Miranda turned back to the fruit salad she was making "Patton? That boy who you won't bring home to mama?"
Fanny laughed "Mum! It's not like that. I just know daddy wouldn't like him or approve of his family."
"Is he dimprefectal?" Shaunie asked eating some peanuts on the table
"What?" Fanny asked looking at her brother "Mum, what is he trying to say?"
Miranda looked at her youngest child for a second then said "I think he's trying to say disrespectful."
"Shaunie, is that what you mean?" Fanny asked
"Yeah, dimprefectal." Shaunie smiled, proud of himself
Fanny giggled and shook her head "He's not nearly disrespectful, he comes from a military family, he has to be respectful."
Miranda stopped chopping the banana and turned toward her daughter "Military?"
"His grandfather is Boston Drilovsky..." Fanny mumbled
Miranda's mouth fell open "Oh dear. He was friends with your uncle Noah and was the one who convinced him to join the military where he was killed. He's also one of those people we met when we started out. Your grandparents were up and we ran into some black hair Polish people at the cafe. On of the younger ones knocked your father's wine out of his hand and Alan got upset. I think his name was Cas? Is he related to...?"
Fanny nodded but looked at her knees "His dad. I don't want daddy to tell me I can't hang out with him because there is something special between us, I think I might like him." Fanny said the last part quietly but her mother and brothers heard her. Paddy laughed.
"Fanny and Patton sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Paddy laughed while Fanny kicked him under the table "Mom! Mom! Fanny kicked me!"
"You stupid little tattle-tale!" Fanny screamed at Paddy
"I'm not stupid! You're stupid! And loud!" Paddy screamed back
The doorbell rang but the screaming redheads didn't hear it "Hey!" Miranda yelled to hush her children "Fanny will you go get the door?"
Fanny scowled at her brother but stood up and went to the door. She heard Paddy continuing the song as she grabbed the door handle, she screamed at him to shut up and opened the door.
"What was that?" Patton asked
Fanny screamed and slammed the door in his face, her mother looked around the corner "Who was that?" Patton hit the doorbell again.
"Uh….just a friend." Fanny said starting to open the door again as her mother walked back into the kitchen. Fanny smiled at Patton as she opened the door "Hi."
Patton raised an eyebrow "What was that about?"
"Oh yeah, sorry, I wasn't expecting you."
"Yeah, sorry, I was going to call but I don't have your phone number. Rachel told me that you lived in the big mansion uptown but you also had a smaller house on Turnbrock Street. I guessed it was the biggest house with the greenest lawn."
Fanny grinned and the two stood there in silence for a moment before she spoke "Uh…do you want to come in and meet my mum and brothers?"
Patton smiled "Yeah, sure. Your dad is the one you said I had to look out for."
Patton stepped inside and Fanny put his coat on the coat rack "So when did you get back from Poland?"
"Oh, a few hours ago. Mom left the restaurant with Rachel's mom so she was there when we got back and we were hanging out at the beach, but I figured I'd better come see you so you wouldn't get mad at me."
Fanny frowned, Rachel and Patton had been hanging out a lot before he went to Poland and the first thing he does when he gets back is goes to the beach with her?
"What makes you so sure I'm not mad? You could've invited me to the beach."
Patton frowned "We were going to but Rachel said you were do an extra credit science lab and you were still at school."
"Oh, yeah….sorry."
Patton looked at her confused for a moment then shocked "DO YOU THINK I'M DATING RACHEL!?"
Fanny looked stunned "I NEVER SAID THAT! DON'T YELL AT ME STUPID!"
"OH I'M STUPID!? YOU'RE STUPID! I TOLD YOU I DON'T LIKE RACHEL, FAN! I DIDN'T KNOW YOU GOT THIS JEALOUS!"
"I'M NOT JEALOUS! WHY WOULD I BE JEALOUS OF YOU AND RACHEL!? GO ON AND DATE HER! GO HAVE LITTLE BLONDE POLISH BABIES! SEE IF I CARE!"
Fanny crossed her arms and turned away just to see her mother and brothers standing in the entryway to the kitchen staring at the two in shock "Uh….Fanny-pants?"
Patton chuckled behind her "Fanny-pants?"
"Aw shut up Drilovsky!" Fanny snapped behind her "Mum…uh…did you hear all of that?"
"Yeah…you two weren't exactly being quiet." Paddy mouthed off next to his mother, Fanny glared at him as he slowly walked toward Patton "You're Natalie's older brother aren't you! You two look exactly alike!"
Patton moved next to Fanny "Yeah, we both look like our dad and in turned look like the 12 piece matched set that is the Drilovsky family."
Miranda started forward but Shaunie bounded in front of her and stood directly in front of Patton, looking up at him "Hi. I'm Shawn but I hate to be called that so everyone calls me Shaunie. Are you Fanny's boyfriend?"
Fanny gasped as Patton laughed, looked at her, then bent down to look at at Shaunie "No I'm not her boyfriend…in that sense." He said the last part quietly "But I better be her best friend because I just got done telling all my friends in Poland how amazing your sister is." He stood up slowly and grinned at Fanny who blushed
Paddy scoffed "Great? Our sister? Sure you got the right redhead?"
"Patrick!" Miranda rapped her son on the shoulder then walked out and shook Patton's hand "You must be Patton. Fanny's told us a lot about you. Like how you're catholic, Polish, and very respectful."
Patton grinned "Well thank you Mrs. Fulbright. My family must have raised me right then." He smiled at Fanny who giggled and smiled back in return "I can see where Fanny gets her good looks from."
Miranda blushed and turned back toward the kitchen "Well thank you Patton. We were just about to make some peanut butter cookies do you want to help?"
Patton's eyes got big and he held up his hands "No, no, I'm allergic to nuts. I love, love, love peanut butter though….uh we were actually going to go to my house." He turned toward Fanny and whispered in her ear "There's someone I want you to….well….I don't want you to meet her but you're going too eventually."
"Yeah mummy, we were going to go to Patton's house."
Miranda frowned "Fanny, can I talk to you a moment?"
Patton frowned and looked at Fanny who shrugged and walked toward her mother. They went into the kitchen and stood in front of the stove "What mum?"
"Where does Patton live Fanny-pants? I know you mentioned it wasn't a very good part of town."
Fanny shook her head "No, when he lived in Poland he lived in the worst neighborhood in the country. I don't think Damian Road is that bad..."
Miranda looked relieved "Oh, okay. Damian Road is still a tough neighborhood so stay close to him."
"Okay, apparently they got the house cheap cause the lady who lived there took an interest in them so she sold them the house for 75% off."
Miranda kissed her daughter on the cheek and pushed her toward the entryway "Now go and have fun."
Fanny turned around and stopped her mom "Mummy, uh…I don't want daddy to meet Patton yet."
"I understand your worry honey, this kid is incredibly sweet but your father is going to hate his background."
"That's why daddy doesn't even know Patton exists…..well…he knows he exists."
Fanny walked out of the kitchen, grabbed Patton's hand and drug him out of the tight clutch her brothers had him in. They got their coats and walked out the door.
In case your wondering why Fanny took the bus home if she stayed behind is because she took the late bus. My school has one that leaves about 1 ½ to 2 hours after school ends.
