Chapter 10: Surprises and Sadness.
Andy and Diana were picking up Joy and Fred from the airport. When they arrived they noticed something weird. "Do they have a kid with them?" Diana asked confused. "It's probably someone else." Andy said. But sure enough when they pulled up both Fred Joy and the kid got in the car. "Umm guys who's this?" Diana asked. "Well this is Gemma we adopted her!" Joy said delighted. "Doesn't that stuff take like months." Andy asked. "Well we have been preparing for months we wanted to suppressed you!" Fred said. "Well were shocked." Diana's said annoyed "How old is the kid?" Andy grumbled. "I am five!" Gemma said. "Remember what we told you to ask them?" Joy asked Gemma "Joy we should wait till we get home." Fred said worried. "Oh come on!" They bickered like this. After a while Gemma interrupted them by asking what she was told to ask. "Will you be my god parents!" Gemma asked excited.
Andy slammed on the breaks. "WHAT DID YOU JUST ASK US KID!" Andy yelled scaring Gemma. She started crying and Joy and Fred comforted her. "We can't be god parents!" Diana said shocked. "How could they expect her asking us would be better." "Why did they think of us? I mean they weren't even telling us they were adopting." They were both very worried. "Hey guys can you drop us at our apartment and we can talk this over." "Alrighty." Andy grudged. "So where is the kid…" "GEMMA!" Gemma interrupted. "…Sorry sorry Gemma where is she going to sleep I mean you guys place is small." Diana said. The apartment was very tiny it was a studio with a separate bathroom and bedroom (Fred and Joys.) "we completely re did it we took a bit of our room and about a forth of the living kitchen to put in a new room." Joy said happily.
Andy finally pulled up to their building and helped them with their bags. Gemma was tired and felt asleep. The adults needed to talk. "How could you get a kid with out telling us!" Andy yelled. "Andy don't wake Gemma." Fred said looking back at her door. "You place is nice. Real real … cozy" Diana couldn't hide the disgust in her voice. Joy decided to ignore this.
"So will you guys be her god parents!" She smiled. "Joy come on. Why us?" Asked Diana. "Well we think it would be good practice for when you are parents." "Oh please imagine Andy as a father!" Diana laughed. "What ya saying girl!?" Andy yelled next to her. "Well you have like the worst temper ever." "I will keep our kids in line baby!"
He should not have said it like that.
All was silent for a bit. "…you …you said OUR kids." Diana said looking everywhere but her friends. "Well I meant like hypothetically." He said quickly. "Oh come on you guys are gunna have kids." "We have been dating for a month!" "But you guys have been so close for so long. You guys are a special case." There was silence (again) Diana looked like she was about to cry. "Ugg just stop putting so much pressure on us!" This outburst did wake Gemma Fred left to comfort her. "Just think about it and get back to us in a few days okay?"
Andy and Diana left and the drive home was very awkward. They ultimately decided to be Gemma's god parents. Joy was delighted. Fred was worried because they weren't used to kids. But he was okay with it because he knew he would have liked as much practice as possible to be a parent (no matter how much they denied it he knew they would have kids together someday)
(2 days later)
It was both Fred and Joy's first day back to work seine their honeymoon. And Gemma's first day at the her new school (the same one Joy thought at). Joy drove Gemma to school singing along with the radio. When she got to the parking lot one of her coworkers looked worried. "Umm hey Joy Principal Daniels wants to speak with you." "I will just have to drop Gemma to kindergarten." Joy said happily.
She showed Gemma her classroom and talked to the teacher. When the bell rang she heeded to talk to the principal (she had no first hour class.) when she arrived to the principals office he looked serious. "Take a seat ." He said bluntly. "It's now." "Okay ." He breathed deeply and looked at the ceiling.
"I don't … I am sorry …" Joys smile faded. "I am so sorry we … we … have to fire you!" He frowned. She was shocked. "What …wah…why." She said tearing. "We have received complaints about you letting students off easy … we can't accept that!" "Please listen I just re did my apartment and had a wedding plus I just adopted a kid." Joy pleaded. "I am sorry Joy I wish I did not have to do this but we can't accept this kind of behavior." They filled out some paper work and she left.
She did not know what to do she did not want to tell Fred yet, she knew Sandy would just cry, Andy would want to go scream at her old boss, Billy Bob would just try to joke around with her. She wanted a healthy balance of them all someone she could have a conversation with. Then the answer came to her. Diana. She drove to Diana's studio.
When Joy arrived Diana was talking to one of costumers."So you like it?" She asked. "Oh yea! You are amazing Diana." The man had a very deep voice."Only the best for you Blake!" She smiled. "So you how much for all of this?" He asked "All together $30,000!" She sounded very couldn't believe she just made so much with one sale. She made a less than that annually or at least the used to. She didn't want to think about how much that Blake guy must make. Then Joy thought how much Diana made she was always very stylish and her apartment was amazing, she went on vacation and always lived a lavish lifestyle. She never realized it before but Diana was probably a millionaire.
Joy's thoughts were interrupted by Blake leaving. "Joy? I thought you went back to work today." "I got fired." Joy had come to terms with it by now. "Wait what why?" "They weren't happy with me … giving people A's when they didn't deserve them." Joy said embarrassed. "What about your wedding? And Gemma? Can you afford your rent?" Joy thought Diana was sounding a bit snobbish. "Listen I have applied to be a substitute teacher but I will still need a second job … I think I will start looking tomorrow." "Okay just be careful okay … I don't wanna see you on the streets covered in trash." Diana said concerned. "CAN WE JUST STOP TALKING ABOUT IT!" Joy rarely raised her voice. But Diana spent so much time around Andy she hardly recognized when people rained their voice. "Oh sure I can show you a suit I am working on for Andy!"
She came back with a notebook and rolls of cloth. "See (Diana showed Joy the design) and I am gunna use this cloth for the shirt. This one for the jacket and this one for the tie." Diana sounded very excited. "Oh this cloth is lovely." Joy said reaching to feel it. "DON'T TOUCH IT!" Diana said pulling the cloth away. "I - its just very delicate and I spent a lot on it." She said putting the stuff back. "It's okay."
Joy stayed there for a few hours. She let Diana work.
She looked at the clock. She had to pick up Gemma. She didn't want to go back to her old work place so soon. "Diana … I know it's a lot to ask but could you pick up Gemma?" Joy did not want to impose. Diana had more appointments but knew Joy needed help. "Sure … if anyone comes tell them I will be right back." Diana grabbed her keys and headed out the door.
(Anderson academy)
Gemma waited for her mom to show up but she got the pleasant surprise of Diana. "Auntie Diana!" "Hey kid!" Gemma ran to give Diana a hug. Gemma's teacher came over. "So your Gemma's aunt?" "Oh no I am just friends with her parents." Diana said. "You got any kids of your own?" The teacher asked. Diana laughed "No." Gemma interrupted. "I see what your doing here just know she's taken! And you don't wanna get on her boyfriends bad side." Diana was embarrassed. "Gemma!" She said sternly. "It's okay Gemma's always looking out for her friends!" said with a wavering smile. "It was nice meeting you!" He said shaking her hand. "You too …" "Call me Will." He interrupted. "Well it was nice meeting you Will I'm Diana." "Come on let's go!" Gemma groaned. "Okay, See ya round!" Diana said to Will.
When they got in her car Gemma was excited. "Cool car! This is even nicer than uncle Andy car!" "Don't tell Andy that." Diana said. Then her Bluetooth phone ringing. "Speak of the hot devil!" Diana pressed the answer button on the screen.
"Hey baby!"
"Hi Diana, guess what?"
"Oh! What did you get me?"
"Well it's from Victoria's Secret your gunna look so …"
"Andy! Gemma's in the car! It's on the Bluetooth."
"Oh …um hi kid."
"Why you guys always calling me kid!" Gemma yelled from the back.
They were silent.
"Talk to ya later."
"Bye babe!"
She hung up the phone.
"Do you love him?" Gemma asked excited. "Well … I like him … like more than anyone." Diana said awkwardly. "Are you guys gunna get married!" Gemma said. "I don't know?" Diana hated this conversation. "Can I be your flower girl!" "Your a lot like your parents!" She said pulling up to her studio.
"Oh Diana finally you have three client waiting in your room of shoes." "Thanks Joy!" Diana ran to the shoe room. "I like your new assistant!" One client said. "Oh Joy was just helping me out." "Well you should hire her she's fun." " I will think about it!; So how many pairs do you want?" Diana said "12." The clients said. They walked to the main room. She got behind the cash register. "So all together it's $7,200." The costumer paid. "Bye Diana … bye Joy." They said as they left.
"Hey Joy … if you cant find a job I could always use some help around here." Diana said. "Oh Diana you don't have to do that." "No Joy my clients love you! And I have been a bit overloaded recently." Joy thought about this "Well it's better than nothing."