Hello everyone. I hope everyone had a nice week and weekend including Memorial Day. Sorry for the lateness of this chapter, but it turned out far longer than I expected, so I'm having to split it into two chapters. This is the first half of this weeks update and I hope to post the second one after some more editing later today since I feel that they should stay together, so the end of this chapter is not intended as a cliffhanger. However, I probably will be skipping next week's update.
Wickedmatt717: Thank you for your interest in my writing technique. For some stories I let my muse take me where it wants to go and I go back and edit (such as iDon't Want to Wake Up). However, for most of my stories including this one, especially this one, I have a broad outline of where the story is going and a more detailed outline several chapters ahead. When I reach a new chapter, I use the outline as a skeleton and write from there, altering it where I see fit. Afterwards, I go back and extensively edit it for details, grammar, and different ways to say the same thing in a better or clearer way. I found this approach allows me to be flexible in future chapters in case I realize a better approach or idea that could serve the story better than my original plans or new bits of information comes out in both shows that are backwards compatible.
Warning: A little crude humor and mature subject matter.
Chapter 26
Hollywood Arts High School
Los Angeles, CA
Thursday, November 10, 2011
The Thursday morning apparently had been just another typical morning for the Hollywood Arts students when the group of friends met up in Sikowitz's class. In the Advance Acting Class, Sikowitz had been his usual self as he instructed them on using improvisation to stay in character when the unexpected happened during a scene. It was more like review for the group of friends since their whole experience with their sleepover at Sikowitz's, but since it was the advance acting class and made up of a combination of students from all of the acting teachers' lower level acting classes of the previous semester, they didn't necessarily have the same thoroughness given to the topic as Sikowitz had went through with his students.
As Jade had snuggled up beside and rested her head on Freddie's shoulder and they listened to the lecture, the brown eyed teenager had paid more attention to his classmates' reactions since he had more practical experience improvising scenes when the unexpected happened on iCarly then whatever Sikowitz could lecture him. He noticed the somber expressions from André and Robbie as the pair listened to the eccentric acting teacher. Rex would occasionally look up at his handler and shake his head for a moment then look back at Sikowitz teaching the class.
Freddie glanced over a few time to look at Beck sitting on the opposite group of seats in the classroom behind Tori. That in of itself was unusual because Beck would usually sit on the other side of Jade, but apparently opted out of sitting next to his ex. The pair did make eye contact a few times, but they looked to each other with guarded stares each time until Beck would turn his attention back to Sikowitz. The tech-producer figured that Beck didn't like getting called out with his behavior and from what he could figure, Dusty had been partially right that no one was willing to do that to the handsome actor because of their attractiveness to him or maybe former fear of Jade.
The class wrapped up in no time from Freddie's perspective and he quickly went to his locker to swap out a book for his next period before meeting up with Jade for lunch. As he was doing so, he turned his head to see Robbie approach with Rex resting on his left hand as they made their way through the hall to head for the Asphalt Café. The tech-producer closed the light blue coated locker and gave the ventriloquist a curious expression at seeing the frown on the curly haired teen's face. He ignored the expression for a moment and casually greeted, "Hey Robbie."
"Hey," he answered with a downbeat tone and avoided eye contact.
Rex sighed loudly and shook his head.
Freddie gave the puppet a curious eyebrow, but turned his attention to Robbie. He gave the ventriloquist a supportive smile as he asked, "What's wrong Robbie?"
Rex spoke up with an irritated tone, "Oh, he's upset that you embarrassed him about helping Beck." Robbie looked at the puppet with his jaw set tight and narrowed gaze. The puppet looked to his handler with his usual stare and continued, "He was like this all last night and I'm already sick of it."
Freddie looked to Rex and felt somewhat sad that the curly haired teenager had to use the puppet to communicate with him. He gave his friend a patient smile and suggested, "Then why don't you just apologize? That should make you feel better, clear your conscious, get the weight off your shoulders, etc, etc."
Rex interrupted anything Robbie was about to say, "I don't see what's the big deal? It's just Trina. She's such a nuisance. Why shouldn't someone point that out? I'm just mad I wasn't there to see it." The puppet started laughing at his last statement.
Freddie frowned and looked to the puppet then over to his handler. Robbie had the decency to at least look embarrassed. "You have a choice Robbie: be man enough to stand behind what you did and just deal with your feelings or be man enough to apologize. It is entirely up to you, but I think the apology would be the better choice for you."
Rex sighed then butted into the conversation, "I say go apologize if it will get you to stop moping. It's embarrassing."
Robbie closed his eyes and blew out a breath through is nose.
Freddie wore a patient smile as he commented, "One day you're going to have to stand up for yourself… and not hide behind Rex. Trust me on that… I waited far too long… and it cost me dearly. I don't want to see the same happen to you."
Robbie nodded along and glanced down to the ground.
Freddie patted the side of his arm and motioned his head towards the exit. "Come on, let's go get some lunch."
The glasses wearing teenager seemed to brighten up and started walking with the tech-producer.
"Hey, I heard what you said!" the puppet called out.
"I stand behind it Rex," the tech-producer confidently shouted back.
Hollywood Arts High School
Los Angeles, CA
Friday, November 11, 2011
Freddie and Trina were sitting at their usual table waiting for the rest of the group to arrive as they had stayed to have some discussion with Sikowitz after class. The former Seattleite opted to go and let them have whatever conversation they wanted with the eccentric acting teacher, because they had the last lunch of the day and he already hated having to wait so long to each as he was starving. He was also sort of grateful with the short respite of them all gathering for lunch as he wanted to check on Trina and he couldn't do that unless he wanted to catch her before she left school or make a trip to the Vegas' house. Also, yesterday's lunch was filled with awkward tension and silence with Robbie and André's apprehensiveness being at the table and Beck's withdrawn demeanor with only the occasional glace across the table with Freddie, which the slightly shorter teenager met each time without hesitation.
Freddie was sipping on his drink as Trina finished munching on a French fry and commented, "Robbie apologized to me yesterday."
He smiled and nodded along while he sat his drink down on the table. "That's nice to hear."
The dark brunette shrugged a shoulder as she commented lazily, "It was kind of awkward and Rex didn't like it."
Freddie suppressed a soft laugh then replied with a lighthearted tone, "That's just the side of Robbie that doesn't want to admit he was wrong. We all have that little bit of ego that thinks we are never wrong about anything."
Trina grinned widely as she retorted, "Wellll… I guess some people have that problem of not being right all the time. I wouldn't know how that is."
Freddie didn't even attempt to hide his laughter even if he wasn't sure she was joking or being serious. The brunette joined his laughter for a few seconds until a calm silence fell between them. A few seconds later, Trina spoke up with an odd hesitation in her voice, "André hasn't apologized… neither has Beck."
Freddie blew out a soft breath through his nose and wore a weary smile. After taking a few moments to mull over how he should respond, he answered, "I think André will… as for Beck, I might have hurt his pride too much to apologize with my talk with him… I don't think he's used to being called out for what he does or he simply doesn't think he did anything wrong,"
The L.A. immigrant glanced down at the blue grated table for a moment then commented, "I still think you didn't handle it right, but that didn't give him the right to treat you like that."
The older Vega sister gave him a small smile as she responded, "Thanks… for taking my side. People don't usually do that for me."
A soft smile formed on his face as he answered, "I took both your sides… stand with you and maybe try to help them see maybe they should make a different choice.
"Smooth Freddie, real smooth," she commented with a smirk sent in his direction.
"Usually that's called charm, but I'll take it," he answered with a soft laugh. He looked up to meet her eyes and whispered with a calm voice, "I've seen enough people sit on their hands when they see something wrong and they use loyalty to a friend as a justification for their behavior."
Trina nodded in understanding then silence fell between the pair again after a few more moments until Trina lifted a corner of her mouth and looked somewhat embarrassed, much to the surprise of Freddie as he couldn't recall a time he had seen her embarrassed. She admitted with a soft tone, "I'm still interested in Beck though."
He blew out a soft breath through his nose and his shoulders slumped. A piece of him was disappointed with that information, but he knew it was her decision to make on who she liked and couldn't push his view on who she should date way or the other… oh, he definitely understood about that part, but that didn't mean he couldn't inform her of his opinion. "That's your decision, but… I think you might want to reconsider it since he's shown not to exactly know how to be respectful to you or generally act well with the ladies. I think he needs to learn how to be a better boyfriend before he gets into another relationship."
He let out a soft breath as he finally admitted out loud his reservations with Beck.
The brunette slightly tilted her head to the side as she looked to the muscular teenager. "Would you have given that advice to Jade before you two got together? I mean, she's Jade. There's a reason why people think she can be a real gank."
Freddie let out a tired breath through his mouth as he didn't appreciate people thinking such a thing about Jade, but he knew before her breakup with Beck, it was probably a well deserved description from all the stories that he heard… his mean girl was mean after all. He met Trina's eyes and spoke, "Maybe I'm a little disingenuous and hypocritical, but she never mistreated me before we got together or since. We were together for about three weeks before we got together and frankly she treated me better during that time than my so-called friends in Seattle the entire time I knew them. She could be snippy at times because she had just broken up with Beck and that's a little bit the way she is, but apparently she treated me like she does André, so her behavior isn't as universal as people think." He shrugged a shoulder then continued, "Then breaking up with Beck was a rude awaking for her on how she treated others. She's realized what it cost her for acting that way and she's working on it, but I have my doubts that Beck has realized such a thing."
Trina looked down at her meal and from what Freddie could tell from her facial expression, she was seriously thinking on what he had said to her. She looked up at him with a playful smile, "Or maybe you just like mean girls?"
Freddie cracked a smile. "It does turn out that I actually do like mean girls."
Trina cracked a smile and the pair shared a small laugh.
The two friends' private bonding moment was interrupted as André approached the table, but without any lunch. André was ringing his hands then stuffed them in his pockets as he looked to the older Vega. "Ah Trina? Do you have a second?"
Freddie and Trina glanced at one another. The tech producer politely smiled as he commented, "I think I'll go see if I can find Jade." He didn't wait for either of his friends to comment as he got up from his seat then headed to meet Jade halfway as she approached the table so they could find somewhere else to sit for lunch.
Trina tried to suppress a gloating smile of André coming to what she assumed was to apologize to her as she looked up to a nervous looking songsmith. "So, what did you want to talk about?"
The last period of the day flew by then the weekend came and went for the students of Hollywood Arts: Freddie made a call to Spencer to wish him a happy thirtieth birthday on Friday (which the artist had mixed feelings about thinking he might finally start having to be a real adult) and put in some extra time at the Pear Store to make up for missing the previous weekend, Jade had taken the time to work on her next script for either another play or short-film, André started teaching Tori how to play the piano, Robbie took Cat out to play 'baby golf', Freddie and André hit the Hollywood Arts' weight room on Sunday and Beck was mysterious incommunicado and assumed to perhaps making a trip up to Canada. It was just a typical weekend for the teenagers.
After the weekend, the rest of the week went by with nothing particularly out of the ordinary (as Hollywood Arts would define ordinary). The teachers were quite aware that the students would slack off the next week with only three days of school before Thanksgiving and a number would probably take off Wednesday as well to make it a five day weekend, so they pushed to get as much in before the week was out.
Freddie spoke with Carly again over the phone about trivial matters as just a break from all the drama having transpired from the last time they saw one another. It was going to be a slow and steady journey, but the former Seattleite felt that things were on the right track to find peace with the girl that held his heart for so long (and would always hold at least a little piece being his first love) and his past even if he struggled with the question André posed to him about the difference in his attitude and choice between Carly and Gibby.
The details of Freddie's royalties from the Pear Company and Industrial Light and Magic had finally been worked out (along with a number of other non-monetary considerations) and he was looking at some nice monthly checks from both companies for a very long time as they each developed the technology of his camera for their own purposes. He also received a nice lump sum incase either decided to abandon the research and ending the need to pay him royalties in the near future. The Pear Company even upped their original offer after the incident at the Seattle Pear Store in the hopes to avoid a lawsuit on Freddie's part. He had even settled for Natalie only to be demoted to make them feel that he wasn't taking advantage of them. He heard however that she had quite in disgust anyway making the whole thing a mute point except them giving her a very negative job reference if asked.
He was quite happy that his future college tuition was already paid for as he was not going to trust his mother giving him any money from the profits of selling the red-beak chicks to help pay for schooling as he was sure she'd just try to use it to bargain with him to go to WU. He was also quite pleased that he set aside a little to pay for some of Jade's future schooling as a surprise graduation gift when they left Hollywood Arts; the gift being a combination of appreciation for her sticking by his side regardless of being a couple and his general affection for her. It was a blurry line in his mind and heart for why he would surprise her half a year from now, but it wasn't a particular conflict that he felt really needed to be fought or resolved.
Freddie and André had their weekly guitar lesson and planned for sometime after Thanksgiving to have Freddie play with him at some event. He skipped this week's session with Lane as he felt like he really didn't have anything to discuss. Lane may have felt differently as the first major holiday for the couple was approaching and it apparently wasn't on the teenager's mind.
Beck had still not apologized to Trina during the week.
It may have been vanity or arrogance on Freddie's part, but he thought the reason that Beck hadn't apologized was that he didn't want to give Freddie the satisfaction of being the one that got the good looking actor to do something or admit he was right about the situation.
However, Trina had apparently let Beck off the hook without an apology and as much as Freddie hated the idea that Beck wasn't going to take responsibility for his 'lesson' to Trina, he was going to respect Trina's wishes and not bring up that matter again with Beck, but that didn't mean he wouldn't be a little more attentive of Beck's behavior in the future.
Now it was only a few days before Thanksgiving…
West Residence
Los Angeles, CA
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Freddie, Jade and Mrs. West were sitting at the dinning room table having an early dinner. The Pear company employee was starving after working a particularly grueling day at the Brilliance Bar as people wanted last minute checkups to their various Pear products before Thanksgiving and shared that bit of news between mouthfuls of food.
Mrs. West glanced over to her daughter for a moment then back to Freddie before asking, "Speaking of Thanksgiving, what are your plans? Are you going back up to Seattle or are you going to stay with us?"
Freddie stopped his fork halfway up to his mouth as he cautiously answered, "I haven't given it much thought, but…"
Mrs. West relaxed in her chair and brought her right knee up to rest the bottom of her foot against the edge of her seat and wrapped her arms around her leg. "Do you want to go up?"
Freddie set the fork back down in his plate of potatoes and chicken and cracked a hesitant smile and looked to the lovely West Matriarch. He admitted with a soft voice, "Not really… I'm not really interested in seeing my aunts or cousins. I don't like my cousin Amanda. She's… icky. My Aunt Jennifer took Lucas' side over respecting my opinion of not thinking he is funny as everyone else. She even called me names for it, so I really don't want to see or deal with her now that I have a choice. The rest… they don't care much for me and after everything that's happened, I don't want to pretend to like people just to keep things civil. I'm just too tired of having to act."
The brown eye teenager shook his head as he looked down at his plate. "Even my second cousin Stephanie doesn't like me… she's two or three now… she didn't even like me when she was a baby. I could never get her to laugh and when she saw my face she'd immediately go to a blank expression. My mom would even remind me that she didn't like me and need me to help get her to calm down to go to sleep the one time we had to look after her."
Mrs. West's brow slightly furled as he took in that information about Marissa. She was instantly reminded of Steven's opinion of the Benson Matriarch he had told her when they were packing Freddie's things to move.
Jade shrugged a shoulder and commented, "It's pretty obvious the baby is just evil." She took a sip from her glass as Freddie blinked at her for a few seconds.
He finally processed what she said and shouted as he was completely shocked by the answer, "What?"
The dark haired teenager sat the glass back down and looked to her boyfriend with a patient expression. "If she's reacting that way to you then there is obviously something wrong with her. Born messed up."
Freddie gave her a weary look from the opinion, but Jade maintained her composure as she continued, "What makes her any different from all the people in Seattle? Everyone else there is messed up when it comes to you. There certainly isn't thing wrong with you for them to treat you like that."
He looked down and palmed his forehead as he was forced to at least see her point even if he didn't want to agree with it in regards to Stephanie.
Mrs. West gave him a welcoming smile and slight shake of her head in the hopes to take his mind off her daughter's point. "If you feel that way, then have Thanksgiving with us. If your mother is the only one you really want to see then you can invite her down for the weekend. We have an extra bedroom for her."
The brown eyed teenager raised his head out of his palm and looked to Mrs. West with a relived smile from the suggestion.
Jade frowned as she didn't particularly like her mother's suggestion, but she realized that it was better than him going up to Seattle while she stayed here for the holiday since she doubted that his mother would have liked her going up there with him and staying for the weekend. Also, she didn't want to have to deal with Sam. Fear was the last thing she felt towards Sam (seething rage and hatred would be a far better description), but there were times one just didn't want to have to deal with the hassle and a four day weekend wasn't something she wanted to waste on the blonde hair she-demon or Carly.
Freddie gave the West Matriarch a relieved smile as he responded, "Thanks… I'll give her a call tonight. I think I can convince her that it'd be best for her to come down."
"You're welcome," she answered with a small smile.
The brown eyed teenager turned back to his meal and finished a few more mouthfuls of his food then took a swallow of his drink to wash it down. He blew out a soft breath out of his noise then stood up and gave a tired smile to the West ladies. He commented with a tired voice, "If you will excuse me, I think I need a nap. It's been a long day."
Mrs. West nodded along as Freddie passed the pale screenwriter and gave her a kiss on the cheek which she leaned into and closed her eyes.
Mrs. West slightly bowed her head and tried to suppress her smirk from the open display of affection that the couple usually kept discrete.
Jade immediately looked to her mother as Freddie disappeared around the corner in the kitchen and up the stairwell. "We really have to put up with her for the weekend?"
She lifted her head and met her daughter's eyes and lifted a corner of her mouth. "Would you whether go up there and spend the weekend?"
Jade deeply frowned and closed her eyes.
The older West smirked at the small verbal victory over her daughter then continued, "Then I guess we will have to put up with her for the weekend. Just look at it as just another member of the family you'll have to tolerate this weekend."
Jade opened her eyes and blew out a breath of disgust as she asked, "So we're going to grandfather and grandmother's house? We're going to see the rest of the family?"
"Yes."
Jade rolled her eyes. She was going to have to put up with Mrs. Benson and her father's new wife along with her cousins she didn't care for. "Just great… I'm use to them, but she just so—"
"Nuts?" her mother supplied with a raised eyebrow.
"To start with," she answered without trying to hide a bit of sarcasm in her voice.
"That may be so, but he still wants to have a relationship with his mother and we shouldn't interfere with that as long as she doesn't try to interfere with his life or harm him."
She squinted her eyes and retorted in disgust, "Her mere presence is harmful to him. She chipped him like a dog for God sakes."
Mrs. West slightly bowed her head as Jade continued about what she thought of Freddie's mother, "She looks at him like he's still a baby who can't wipe his own behind without her help. The woman needs professional help and I think he should avoid as much contact with her as possible until she gets some real help. I think their weekly phone conversations are enough."
Ruby leaned back in her chair and commented, "If you really feel that way then you need to go up there right now and tell him that."
Jade crossed her arms and rested them on the table as she leaned forward to meet her mother's eyes. She blew out a disgusted breath and slightly shook her head. Her voice suddenly became tired as she whispered, "I can't tell him that… he still loves her despite what she's done all his life and whatever resentment he feels towards her for everything. He won't listen to me on that point. He won't cut her out of his life until she gets help."
The raven haired mother wondered for a moment if her daughter was talking about Mrs. Benson or Carly. She didn't want to have that conversation for the moment, so continued with the apparent focus of their conversation, "Jade, I'm not blind to where it comes to all the things Marissa has done to Freddie and I quite frankly agree with Steven about her, but I can't—"
Jade raised her pierced eyebrow and curiously asked, "What does he think?"
Ruby paused for a moment then hesitantly answered, "He thinks there is a special place in Hell for her for the way she's treat Freddie…" She refrained from telling Jade the rest of his statement about believing that he'd be right next to her in that special place and how his belief made a spider-crack across her heart. 'Stubborn Shays…' she had cursed when he first shared his thoughts on his own fate and she cursed again that belief.
The pale actress put on an even expression as she commented with a dry tone, "I can't disagree with him."
Ruby shook her head as she focused back on the present. She dropped her leg back on the floor and leaned forward to rest her arms on the table. "At the moment, where her soul goes after death is not my concern; the here and now are my concern. She is still his mother and his eighteenth birthday isn't until February fourth. She can make his life very difficult until then including insisting that he go back to Seattle if she really wanted him to go and there's not much I could do about it."
Jade shot up in her chair and her mother could see the abject fear in her bluish/green eyes.
Mrs. West blew out a soft breath through her nose as she tried to comfort her daughter while trying to impart a bit of wisdom to the teenager, "Sometimes we have to put on the forced smile and tolerate the intolerable for a time so that we can get the last laugh… so Freddie can have the last laugh on all of them."
The pale teenager nodded along as she understood the delicate game her mother was playing… regardless of calling her mother stupid one time on TheSlap, she understood how intelligent and cunning her mother could be to manipulate a situation to her advantage and made her such a successful VP at her advertising company. While her mother had those qualities, Jade had her own abilities to use and if she had to use her acting ability a little bit for Freddie's benefit then… acting is what she would do.
Hollywood Arts High School
Los Angeles, CA
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
The Hollywood Arts group of friends including even Sinjin, Ava and Dusty had all arrived a few minutes early to school and had a few minutes to chat at the stairwell before the start of their first classes. André, Tori, and Cat were sitting on the second to bottom step with Robbie sitting behind them, Freddie and Jade standing at the end of the railing with their backs towards the school entrance, Sinjin with his arm around Ava's waist standing on the third step resting against the railing with their backs to the girls' restroom and Dusty standing at the end of the railing. Beck was oddly missing from the group.
The group was in the middle of sharing how they were going to spend their Thanksgiving holiday and maybe see each other on Saturday or Sunday.
Cat was just finished up what her family was planning to do for Thanksgiving and that her brother was going to cook some of his Thanksgiving sausage. The teenagers nodded along with forced smiles and looked to one another trying to pretend that everything was fine with what she had told them. Dusty was the only one that appeared to have a genuine patient and understanding smile towards the red velvet haired teenager.
Cat caught sight of the Southern teenager's smile and asked with a hint of curiosity and warmth in her voice, "How are you going to celebrate Thanksgiving?"
Dusty smirked as he laughed out, "Well Sweetheart, I'm going back to Carolina. See my cousins and some old high school friends. I'm going to try to be a good ol' boy and get into some nice wholesome trouble. Get away from this crazy little state for a while and back into some semblance of normalcy. Avoid eating any turkey."
Freddie chuckled at the other teenager's description of his life in California.
The rest looked to him with curious expressions at his last comment. He recognized their confusion and quickly answered, "I just don't like picking on the turkey. I know it is an odd habit especially when I have no problem eating it on any other day." Before any of them could comment, he looked to Freddie and in a playful tone asked, "You sure I can't borrow your car and paint it orange? At least for the weekend?"
The other teenagers looked to one another with confusion on their faces and hoping one among them understood Dusty's question.
He raised an eyebrow as he gave a quick glance over the group of friends. "Ah… he has a sixty-nine Dodge Charger…"
The rest of the group still looked clueless about what he was talking about. Dusty closed his eyes and shook his head. He looked blew out a breath in disbelief and embarrassment of their ignorance, "Oh my God… really? None of you get that cultural reference? They made a remake a few years ago… Jessica Simpson as Daisy Duke?"
Rex laughed out, "Oh she was hot in that movie."
Dusty tilted his head slightly to the side as he asked Robbie in a disbelieving tone, "Your right hand remembers the movie but you don't?" Dusty blinked as he realized what he said and looked to the rest of the group of friends. The males of the group immediately got the unintended remark including Rex who dropped his mouth open followed a moment later by the ladies except Cat. He let out an embarrassing laugh as he followed up, "That was not meant as any form of dirty joke."
Freddie spoke up louder than normal conversational volume would call for as he spoke with a cheerful expression on his face, "Anyway about my car? Ah no, besides I can't let you put three-thousand miles on it to get there and three-thousand to get back here."
Dusty snorted out, "I'd pay to have it shipped. You think I'm going to put that kind of mileage on my Shelby when I move back after graduation?"
Freddie noticed that Cat slightly frowned at hearing Dusty's comment about leaving after graduation. He wondered briefly if the redhead had any real lingering feelings for her short lived boyfriend or she was reacting as she would for anyone she had grown attached leaving.
The tech producer shook his head and cracked a smile. He looked down to André and asked with a casual conversational tone, "Your turn André; what's your plans?"
André smiled as he shared his plans, "We're just going to have an old fashion Thanksgiving with the entire family over."
Tori raised an eyebrow and asked in a tone that suggested that she already knew the answer, "Including your grandmother? She's going to leave the house?"
"Yep," the songwriter answered as he blew out a breath.
Tori whistled then commented, "That's going to be rough."
The Southern teenager spoke up, "I don't understand."
The songsmith looked to TheSlap's webmaster and answered with a lighthearted tone, "See, my grandmother is afraid of a lot of things and she doesn't usually leave the house. Her seeing the showcase that got Tori into Hollywood Arts was the first time she left her house in six years. She's that afraid of things."
Tori picked up, "She's just…"
Dusty pursed his lips and glanced to the floor for a moment before coming out and asking, "Your grandmother suffers from dementia?"
André gave a quick nod of his head as he rested his crossed forearms on his knees.
Dusty asked with a respectful tone, "How far has it progressed? Does she still recognize you?"
The songwriter blew out a soft breath and tilted his head to the side. He put on a tired smile as he answered, "She's moderate to severe at times… like not understanding a digital clock's digits are supposed to change or her reflection in a mirror, but she recognizes everyone."
The Southern teenager nodded as he answered with a soft voice, "That's good to hear… it can be pretty tough."
André's eyes opened wide and blew out a breath. He spoke with a lighthearted tone, "Oh you don't kn—"
"I know exactly how it is," Dusty quickly interrupted the muscular teenager with a surprisingly firm, almost sharp tone.
André snapped his head around to meet Dusty's stead gaze. "My grandfather suffered from Alzheimer… it was very mild for him, but he started having trouble recognizing me and my cousins."
The dreadlock wearing teenager slightly parted his mouth before he could form a proper response. He shut his mouth then gathered enough of his wits to ask, "Suffered? He passed on?"
Dusty tilted his head slightly to the side as he answered, "Yeah… he took his old sidearm from when he was in the Marines and shot himself in the head while he still had the majority of his facilities."
They all blinked at him wondering if he was serious or making a joke in bad taste. The expression he gave them made them quickly realized that he wasn't joking as the reserved expression turned into a blank expression as he finished, "In the letter he left, he wrote that he wanted to die with some dignity before he lost it all. He didn't want to end up not being able to remember grandma or my father and the rest of his children or a burden to them. He wanted to die as a man not as a child who couldn't recognize the world around him."
André failed to clear his throat several times, until he was finally able to speak out, "Ah… I'm sorry man… I really don't know what to say?"
He shrugged a shoulder in response. "There's really not anything to say Harris other than just living with your grandmother's odd… occurrences is a small price to pay for her to remember who you and she are… and maybe save a little pity for ourselves since it's probably hereditary and it might be a fate we'll share."
The songsmith nodded along and accepted the other teenager's words.
Dusty spoke up with lighter tone, "Moving on from a depressing topic, Benson, you going back to Seattle for the holiday?"
Freddie shrugged a shoulder. "Ah… no, my mother's going to fly down."
Tori spoke with a furled brow as she rested her right forearm on André's shoulder, "You're not going up? I assume you have other family around other than your mom."
Freddie shook his head. "I do, I just don't want to deal with the rest of my family. They're… more trouble than they're worth for right now."
Jade put on a forced smile. "Yes, Mrs. Benson coming down should be… entertaining enough."
Dusty softly chuckled. "She doesn't approve of you?"
The blue streaked hair teenager slightly frowned and narrowed her eyes as she commented sarcastically, "I'm not exactly who she pictured her sweet baby boy of being with."
The Southern teenager responded with an overdramatic response, "No, really? What could she possibly have against such a sweet girl like you?"
Jade crossed her arms under her chest and narrowed her gaze on the brown haired teenager. The others of the group thought that he had lost his mind being that sarcastic to Jade.
He slightly chuckled as he responded to her gaze, "I'm just teasing you Angel Girl. What five minutes I've seen of Miss Benson, I can understand your apprehension of seeing her. She can be a real…"
Freddie raised an eyebrow as he was curious what the webmaster was going to say.
Dusty looked back to Freddie confidently as he continued, "Child comes to mind. I remember the greens incident on that one episode where she just came barging in to make you eat your vegetables or whatever she was raving about and well… I would have finished the 'Oh my God' statement just to piss her off for what she was trying to do. I'm sorry if it sounds like I'm bashing your mom, but that was just ridiculous and seemed like the behavior of a child that didn't get her way."
Freddie frowned as he instantly recalled the event that was the second to the last straw that led him to moving out temporarily. She may have relented slightly to get him to move back in, but had not forgotten how many times afterwards she had broken her word to get what she wanted including the incident about 'The Hammer' and Gunsmoke. However, it did provide him with additional emotional blackmail material to manipulate her into letting him move to Los Angeles. So, in a way, he got the last laugh with the greens incident.
"Yes well, hindsight his twenty-twenty, but it was an eye-opening experience… for her."
Dusty nodded his head to the side and commented with a half smile, "That must be an interesting story."
Freddie's mouth slightly parted as he started, "Ah…"
The first bell rang, signaling that the students of Hollywood Arts should start heading for their first period classes. The sitting students stood up while Dusty chuckled at the timing.
"Saved by the bell," Freddie mumbled to himself as he walked with Jade to his science class and the rest started on their way to their respective classes.
West Residence
Los Angeles, CA
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
The time was early evening as Freddie paced about his bedroom as he held his PearPhone to his ear.
"So you're not coming up?" Carly asked from the other end and more than a thousand miles away.
Freddie stopped in his tracks just at the foot of his bed as the disappointment in the teenager's voice was easy to hear and for the first time in the long time, he felt sad for disappointing the brunette. He blew out a regretful breath as he answered, "Carly, I'm not trying to avoid you. I'm really not. I just really don't want to deal with my family and this is my first Thanksgiving with Jade so I'd like to spend it with her."
"Okay, I can perfectly understand that on both points… should I expect you to stay in L.A. for Christmas?"
The teenager palmed his forehead as the thought for a moment as he hadn't thought that far ahead other than knowing he would spend Christmas Eve and Day with Jade. He rounded the corner of his bed and had a seat at the end of his bed while he finally answered her with a calm tone, "I may not be there for Christmas Eve or Day, but we're out for school for two weeks. I should come up for a few days between Christmas and New Years. I want to be back before New Years."
He heard the nervousness in her voice as she answered, "Okay… that sounds fine."
He smiled as he asked with a friendly tone, "So, what do you and Spencer have planned for Thanksgiving? Are you going to have to get Sam a separate turkey?" He paused for a second as he realized something and asked with curious tone, "Are you even going to let her come over for Thanksgiving?"