*Chapter 10: Dessert?*

*Enjoy!*

**Imogen's Point of View**

Dinner is finished and it allowed me to get an overall impression of my new family. Despite my reluctance at the beginning.

My newly met step-brother Mike is actually a really nice and friendly guy. I expected him to be much like the opposite though. To be honest, I had in mind he would be one of those selfish 20-year-old boys. But he's quite a good guy.

May and Thomas are both really sweet kids who love to play with each other, and with me of course. I really like them.

And Stephan is alright, just like an average step-dad I guess. At least he's not against the fact that I'm in a relationship with a girl. Unless Natalie gets through him.

Lastly Natalie... Much like I expected her to be. Being against all I like or do ever since I can remember. Whether it was my choose of clothing, my glasses instead of contacts or wanting a pet dog. Heck even when I told her I choose Degrassi as my high school she flipped out. And now it's the same story with me liking Fiona... Hope she turns around and eventually accept my love for her. Just like always when she slowly adjust to my decisions.

"Imogen come on! Why do you keep hitting the wall!?" Thomas yelled giving me a much needed push back to reality.

"Oh oh... I'm so sorry." I apologized to him.

"Haha I'm winning!" May yelled and wins the game with ease.

"Okay revenge, this was just a practice. And now I'm ready to take you down May!" I smiled.

"Bring it on!" She replied restarting the game.

"Uhhh... Imogen can I interrupt? I want to chat with you. Just a minute." Natalie said as I watched her with a questionable look.

"Sure... I guess..." I murmured. "Guys just wait a minute for me alright?" I asked to Thomas and May getting nods in return.

I follow Natalie to the kitchen. But what does she want all of a sudden?

"Hey Imogen, next week you're going to live here and I wanted to let you know that your bedroom is all yours, so do with it as you wish." She said with a few nerves.

"I was already planning to do so. And is that all?" I said seeing her struggle to continue.

"Well I want to give you some advice..."

"Yes go on?"

"It's uhhh... It's better if you think twice about this relationship you're in now. It's with a girl, not a guy you know. So please think about all the problems you'll get yourself in to. Think about your future..."

"Sorry what?!" I darted back at her within a second.

Did she just called me stupid, by not being able to make a difference between a guy or a girl? And how can she even consider saying this to me? She doesn't even know me!

"Why would you say that! Do you think I made a mistake with Fiona? Do you think I didn't thought it through well enough? Well Natalie?" I said somewhat louder, trying not to yell, so others couldn't hear us.

She doesn't reply, like I thought...

"You know how long I've thought about me and Fiona together? Nearly half of my grade 11 as well as half of grade 12, I was questioning my feelings for this new girl joining my class, repeating her senior year. Months went by before I knew my feelings for her were real. From class members, to friend, to best friends, to little flirts from both of us signing for more and finally to loving girlfriends. And now you try to accuse me that I didn't thought it through much?" I explained.

"Well I guess I don't know the whole story..." She said more carefully picking her words. But it's too late, she got me pretty worked up now.

"No you don't! So don't judge me on something you don't know anything about! Fiona has done more for me in this single year I've known her, then you did my entire life!" I said trying my absolute best to not yell at her.

Then silence fell over us. Both of us were thinking, and I hope I made some sense to her. But then she carefully opens her mouth again.

"Maybe if I can meet Fiona, I might change my view on her." She said softly.

"Oh now you wanna meet her all of a sudden? But okay, I'm planning to invite her over to help me rearranging my bedroom anyways."

"Good idea, a change for us all to meet her." She said giving me an awkward smile.

"Yeeaah..." I replied as awkward as she did. That smile kind of creeps me out.

"However I don't want you saying weird stuff about the right choice to Fiona. Things between me and her are stable, and nothing you say or do can change that." I said clarifying her position.

"Okay, I just hope you come back to sense yourself."

Doesn't she know when to stop? She keeps trying and trying, even though she knows it's not going to work. But I've enough of her right now. I just sighed at her and without saying anything in reply I moved back to Thomas and May and the racing game.

After several more games and different courses, Me, Thomas and May had enough of the racing game.

When I returned to the game, May had only managed to win the first race. I was still thinking about my chat with Natalie that time, making me lose the race. But after that one I won every single race easily! The funny thing was that even though Thomas kept getting last, he was rubbing in the fact May had lost to me.

But now I think it's time for me to go.

"Hey Mike! Back to earth, I need my photo album back!" I yelled over to him. He sits at the table slowly browsing through my photos of today.

"Huh... Oh yeah sure. But you know because Fiona's your girlfriend, she's also part of this family." He smiled.

"Thanks, but I'm not so sure about that..." I replied.

"Why not?"

I look around the room to see if Natalie's around. Luckily she isn't. "Well Natalie hates me having a girlfriend."

"Come on Imogen hate is a big word. And between you and me, I think Natalie has her own past with a girlfriend or some kind of another. Probably she wasn't allowed to date a girl, and now she's trying to do the same thing with you. Think about it." Mike said.

His way of thinking surprised me a little, but at the same time actually makes a lot of sense. Could it be true? Natalie having a girlfriend before she married my dad? It sounds so not true, yet it does make sense. Weirder things happen in the world right?

"Really you think that?"

"Well it's just a thought. But hey, what else would her make so strongly against the fact of you and Fiona dating?"

"Mhhh you got a point..." I replied to him thinking. "Though she has agreed to let Fiona come over this weekend to help me rearrange my bedroom."

"Ah nice! Then I can finally meet her!" Mike clapped his hands sounding quite excited all of a sudden.

"Don't get too excited now, she's my girl. But thanks for what you've said about Natalie maybe having a past with a girlfriend as well."

"No problem Sis, but remember they're just thoughts, not the truth. So if you want real answers you have to dig some more. And just ask me when you need any help."

"Yes I definitely will! But still it's a good guess." I said to him with a smile whilst he smiled back. And with that I grab my photo album and put it back in my purse.

"See you in a few days Bro!" I giggled this being the first time to reverence someone as my brother.

"Yep definitely!" He relied.

Then I said good-bye to Thomas, May, Stefan and Natalie who's upstairs doing the laundry.

I hit my shoes back on and sling my jacket over my shoulders. Opening the front door, and with one final good-bye, I walk to the outside world.

Well, I think that beside the disagreement with Natalie, which we have almost every time we meet, went dinner pretty well. I hope she'll eventually change her mind about Fiona, and it will certainly help if Fiona makes a good first impression. If she is just her sweet and lovely self, there is nothing Natalie can't like about her.

The rest of the family likes Fiona already, so that's a good thing.

Speaking of my lovely girlfriend, how would dinner have been with her, dad and Emma? I wonder if she's still playing board games with dad. I know how they both can't stand to lose. So things could have turned out pretty interesting. Too bad I'm not home to play with them...

Also Fiona got lucky having delicious French fries and fish sticks for dinner. Although I've to admit, Natalie's lasagna was pretty good as well.

I pursuit my way home a bit faster hoping to catch Fiona at home.

But sadly enough when I walk through the front door I couldn't see her high-heels anywhere. She must have left before my arrival.

"Hey Imogen you're finally home! And where have you been Young lady? You should have called to let me know where you're at!" Dad said somewhat angry to me sticking his head through the hall-way door.

"Uh… dad I was having dinner at Natalie's, don't you remember? I replied looking at him. He was thinking for a short while, and then it looks like he remembered the whole thing.

"Oh shoot… I'm so sorry I forgot about that… But how where things with Natalie? Did you say hay from me?"

I feel really sorry for him, more and more frequently he keeps forgetting the smallest thing. And even the most important things aren't spared from his disease either. Not that he can help it though, stupid dementia... I hope it will somehow stabilize and that he doesn't lose all of his memories, or forgets me eventually...

'Why do I think of that, god!' I shivered from the bad thoughts and quickly shook the negativity out of my head and replied to him.

"No problem dad, you can't help it." I smiled at him. "And things at Natalie were fine I guess... But is Fiona still here?" I asked dumping my stuff in the hall-way.

"No she just went home a few minutes ago. Unfortunately you two missed each other." He said. "But come further, we still got dessert left! Emma is making some chocolate cake."

"Mhhh... Well in that case me calling her can wait a little!" I smiled.

I almost ran to the living room and plopped down on the couch. Soon enough Emma arrives with two plates with a delicious looking slice of chocolate cake. After that she joins us with a slice herself and we started digging in.

"Hey Dad I got to tell something..." I gulped down the cake and looked at him nodding back at me with his mouth full.

"It's Natalie, she basically hates me having a girlfriend instead of a boyfriend. Do you maybe know anything why she's so strongly against me dating a girl? Maybe something from her past?"

He gulps his cakes down and looks at me.

"Sorry princes... but more and more of my memories fade away, and I can't help you with Natalie's past. Everything is blur..." He sighed, and I know how hard it must be for him.

"Too bad she doesn't like your girly friend though. Has she met Fiona already?"

"No, but Saturday I'll invite her over to help me with my bedroom innovations. And I'm sure Fiona will leave a good first impression!" I smiled at him.

"That's the spirit! Fiona's a really sweet and caring girl, you're very lucky with her." He winked at me. "And she's a pro at Monopoly I've noticed."

"Yeah I know Fiona is the best thing that ever happened to me." I said with bright red cheeks from blushing. It's not every day a father likes the person his daughter's dating. I think he also see the care and passion me and Fiona share. It feels really good hearing that from him.

With a tomato red head I look down at my chocolate cake and eat the rest of it.

Yet I wonder what Fiona thinks about this whole situation? I need to call her as soon as possible. And inform her about everything that happened at Natalie's!

*Hope you all liked this chapter!*

*Chapter 11 is titled: She's Always There For Me