After a discussion that had taken far, far too long, the family had decided on two large pizzas; one pepperoni and one vegetable and both of them with a thick, pan base. Sammy had asked Lucy with a voice filled with innocence and sweetness if they could also have some potato wedges and dip, which turned out not to be a problem.
Lucy had put the order in with Grandpa and Sammy supervising closely and then everyone had parted, going to their respective rooms to do some more organizing.
Elizabeth was almost finished with her bedroom, though it looked a little bare. She really wanted to buy a few colorful throws or something to break up the stark whiteness of the room, maybe get some pictures for the wall, possibly some lamps to scatter around. As she looked at the fireplace, Elizabeth thought that some big candles would be lovely. She thought that the one light with its bare bulb looked quite sterile and sad, so maybe a few candles placed around the grate would make the space a little cozier. Her old room back in Arizona had richly papered walls and her father had laid down the law pretty solidly - no tacks, no tape and no sticky gum. It was the same for Michael and Sammy, too. It was the first time she, the first time any of them had their own space and Grandpa had cheerily told her to 'go wild' with it. Michael and Sammy had to listen to a few ground rules but with her room being the attic, she'd been told that she pretty much had free reign to do what she pleased.
Elizabeth found that she couldn't stop smiling at the promise this room held.
When Lucy's kind voice called throughout the house, a simple, "pizza's here!", she had happily made her way downstairs. The rocking chair Sam had promised her was currently sat at the base of her stairs, it seemed his previously charitable mood was no longer about him and, as she nudged her way past it, she wondered how she'd lug it up the narrow steps without breaking her neck.
Walking down the main staircase, Elizabeth entered the kitchen to find a big bottle of coca cola along with a jug of water, three cups and two glasses waiting on the table. Two surprisingly huge, grease spotted boxes were side by side in the center of the table, a smaller box sat waiting beside them.
Grandpa was just outside the kitchen, she could see him pottering about through the window though she didn't know exactly what he was doing.
Lucy glanced up at Elizabeth when she entered, "So not all of you are hard of hearing," she said through a warm smile before turning her body towards the window, "Dad! Come on inside, let's eat while it's hot, huh?"
Lucy was sat at the table already, looking tired but comfortable in a long, flowing skirt and ribbed white sweater. She was pouring some cola into a mug when Elizabeth took her seat.
"Couldn't find enough glasses but there's nothing wrong with soda in a mug, right sweetheart?" she asked with another smile.
Elizabeth was reminded of their old house, their old kitchen filled with nice plates, matching sets of everything as well as special occasion bone china and silver cutlery. Smiling a little, she realized she already liked this mismatched house.
"Right. I think it's kind of homely", Elizabeth agreed, settling in her seat at the old table.
Just as she sat down, Grandpa entered the kitchen, shutting the door and stamping his feet on the worn welcome rug.
"Dry summer, plants are going to hell" he said loudly, kissing Lucy on the head and sitting next to her.
He leaned forward and opened one of the boxes, "been a while since I had pizza delivered, never really had the stomach for it, all that grease irritates me something special but when you're hungry enough, you'll eat anything. Should eat up, come to think of it," he muttered more to himself now, "eat enough now and won't need appetizers later..."
"Oh, Dad the boys…" Lucy started before he interrupted with an "are late! First come, first serve at this table. Rules. We got rules here. Go, on, Bethy. Don't be shy, dig in!"
He bit into a large slice of pepperoni pizza, eyes dancing.
Lucy shook her head with a rueful grin, "Oh, Dad…" and after shooting Elizabeth an amused, 'what can you do?' grin and small shoulder shrug, she also reached for a slice of vegetable pizza.
Elizabeth couldn't help the grin spread across her own face.
She knew her mother was silently apologizing for the hideous nickname Grandpa had used, but she was used to it. He often called her Beth or Bethy despite the fact that Elizabeth was firmly an Elizabeth or a Liz. She hated any other nickname but when it came to Grandpa, she could forgive him. He had fondly called her kiddo, monkey, pumpkin, goose, pooper and chuck, and she'd only been in his house for an afternoon.
Elizabeth had started on a slice pepperoni pizza, her fingers becoming covered in oil as soon as she picked it up and Grandpa had already begun to double dip a new slice of vegetable pizza into the potato wedge sauce when Sam and Mike finally came down, walking in unison and nudging each other to try and take the lead.
"Sorry, Mom. Dumbas-dummy here locked himself in our bathroom," Michael said while pulling out a seat and simultaneously taking a slice of pepperoni pizza.
"Language…" Lucy quietly chided, smiling at her two sons.
Sam had sat down and started patting the grease off a slice of pizza when he noticed Grandpa using most of the potato wedge sauce. He abandoned his pizza and started to eat some wedges, dipping when he had the chance.
"So, I offered to drive Grandpa and his date tonight" Lucy began, "I thought I could look around, see what's what in the area. See what they've got job wise, you know? Goodness, I'm so ready to get back to work," Lucy started, with a nervous laugh.
She had been a stay at home mother and wife since Michael was born and she often spoke about wanting to work, wanting to find fulfillment and wanting to keep herself busy outside of the house but the divorce had turned her dream into a necessity.
"Mom won't be cramping your style, Grandpa?" Sam asked, having quietly pulled the wedges and sauce towards him. His de-greased slice of pizza was laying forgetting amidst the battle for the sauce.
"Nuh-uh", Grandpa replied through a mouth of sauce drenched pepperoni, "my daughter could never cramp my style, not in a million years"
Lucy squeezed his arm and smiled at him.
"We were thinking of walking down to check out the boardwalk tonight, while you're gone. That OK?" Michael asked.
"Of course, sweetie. I'm sorry to take the car, I would drive you but with three of us and three of you.." Lucy began apologetically.
"It's a nice walk, forty minutes or so. Hot day. They'll be fine," Grandpa said reaching for the sauce, "boardwalk gets busy around 8 o'clock, stays open real late. If you guys head out around six tonight, you'll be able to check it out when it's a bit quieter, before the real crowds arrive..."
Sam had now given up on the sauce and was eating his wedges dry.
"I'll leave some money for you guys, you can get dinner while you're out. Try to be back before 11, OK?" Lucy asked.
Amidst nods of agreement from Elizabeth and Michael, Sam asked, "can we buy dinner?"
Michael rolled his eyes at the blunt question and Elizabeth glanced sideways at him, shaking her head.
Lucy was far more forgiving and smiled kindly, "Sam, we're not destitute sweetie. We have money, we can afford to have dinners and lunches and to buy nice things now and then. We need to be careful, yes but we have savings and when I get a job, we'll be even more stable"
She passed the sauce to him, though it was now dangerously low, "don't worry about money. That's my job. Anyway, with the cost of living being as low as it is, I think we'll be fine for quite some time" her eyes danced and she smiled at Sam again.
"Wait, why's it so low?" Elizabeth asked, licking some grease from her thumb.
"Is it because this place is the murder capital of the world?" Sam asked, oblivious to the kind attempt Lucy had made at placating his concerns about money.
"Dad, did you tell them that?" Lucy exclaimed lightly, "No, this is not –"
"I saw it on some graffiti" Sam said while Grandpa replied, "I did not and this most certainly IS"
Lucy exhaled.
"Wait, so this place is the murder capital of the world?" Michael asked, looking between Sam, Lucy and Grandpa.
"Yu-huh", Grandpa said, finishing a bite of pizza, "but it's not so bad. Not for us. Tourists come, tourists get lost. Do stupid things. They're on holiday so they stop caring about things you usually care about. Then you got the local crowds that do drugs, drink..." he shrugged, "you don't have to worry. Keep yours heads about you, same as in any city"
Grandpa stood up, wiping his hands on his worn and faded jeans. "I'm gonna do some work before my date tonight. Have fun at the boardwalk", he said looking at Elizabeth, "and stay out of my workroom" he finished by looking at the two boys.
"The graffiti was real?" Sam said, a mild look of horror on his face.
"Of course it was real - how can graffiti not be real?" Grandpa replied, "how can paint be fake-"
"You know what I mean! It's not really the murder capitol, right?"
"Of course not, sweetie..." Lucy assured him.
"...well, all I'll say is..if all the corpses in Santa Carla were to suddenly get up, we'd have one hell of a population problem"
As Grandpa walked out of the kitchen, Sam's white husky darted into the room. He began sniffing around the table.
"Hi, Nanook", Lucy patted his head slightly when he passed, "ignore him, kids. Really, Sammy it's fine. Try to eat something good tonight, won't you? Not just french fries and hot dogs? Pizza for lunch, junk for dinner.."
A chorus of 'sure mom' rang out from the three siblings.
By the end of their late lunch there were only three slices of pizza left which Sam dutifully wrapped in foil and placed on the free shelves in the fridge. Nanook was the lucky recipient of some wedges.
Lucy had told them she and grandpa would be leaving around five thirty and had given them twenty dollars to share. Michael had protested, but she insisted, telling him lowly it was mostly for Elizabeth's and Sam's benefit, anyway. At that point, he'd relented.
Lucy went to take a quick shower and freshen up before heading out to look at the job scene, and her three children decided to do that same.
"Six, we're leaving," Michael announced to his two younger siblings, "I'm serious, Sammy! You take forever.." the two boys trailed off to their bedrooms and Elizabeth went up to hers.
Stretching lightly, she went to her closet and selected a black cotton sundress. While Sam was the fashion fanatic, Elizabeth and Michael were much more relaxed, choosing to wear jeans, t-shirts. Whatever was free and clean.
Elizabeth preferred clean colors to prints and comfort over all else.
Taking off her jeans and white button shirt, she added a layer of deodorant. She brushed out her hair and looked at her face in the mirror.
She trusted Grandpa when he said most of the kids would be out of town but she was still nervous. This was her first time going out. She didn't know who she would meet or who would see her, but she believed that first impressions counted.
It was going to be bad enough being the new girl when school started but if people saw her before they actually met her, she wanted their gossip to be as neutral as possible. The sundress was simple; a spaghetti strap number that reached just above her knees. She chose another simple black, cross body bag and slipped on a pair of pair of black tennis pumps. Black, black, black.
"I'm a goth," she stated, looking at herself in the mirror, wondering if she should change and what else she could wear.
No. No, she looked fine.
"I look fine..." she insisted, biting her lip.
She looked ordinary, safe. Normal. Approachable.
If anyone from school was to see her, they wouldn't have much to say and that was the important thing.
Exhaling lightly and running her hands through her hair, she left her room, flicking off the light as she did.
She walked down the corridor, knocking on Sam's room. "Ten minute warning, buddy!" she called to him. He was flicking his hair, looking studiously at himself in the mirror.
He was wearing bleached denim jeans that were rolled up at the ankles, black boots and a loud, printed shirt. A poncho was draped across his chair along with a long, floor length cardigan.
He didn't turn around the look at her but made eye contact through the mirror.
Not pausing with his styling he advised, "Liz, under the poncho is a shirt…" Elizabeth entered the room with an amused smile and moved the clothing slightly, exposing a neon pink shirt with blue dashes decorating it, "no. Under that one, there's a red one…yeah!"
He had stopped styling his hair now and wiped his hands on a towel, "just tie it around your waist. It'll break up your dress a little…" he spoke fast now, in case he had offended her, "and you know, it might get cold?"
She grinned and thanked him, tying the red shirt around her waist. He was right, it did break up the monotony of her all back ensemble.
Her brother, the fashion guru.
"It's nice, thanks Sam. I appreciate it" she said sincerely, "see you in five?"
Michael was in the kitchen, drinking cola and flicking through the TV guide. He glanced up at her when she walked in and, noticing her raised eyebrows and grin, said, "don't tell Sammy I said this, but yeah. This TV thing might be a problem".
Laughing a little, she sat down opposite him, "TV's the best time filler, huh?"
Michael was wearing jeans and a white t-shirt with rolled up sleeves. He was quite handsome and his effortless look suited him well, Elizabeth mused.
Nanook plodded over to them and after nudging Michael's arm and getting a little pet, he pushed away and slowly wandered off. He was truly Sam's dog, friendly and playful, occasionally cuddly but not overly interested in anyone but Sam.
"That Sam's shirt?" Michael asked.
"Yeah, he helped style the dress. He's coming down now, don't worry..." she sighed and leaned back in her chair, "you know the way down to that boardwalk?"
"Grandpa described it as basically following the roads and then following the crowds," Michael replied with a frown and smile. It made him look like he was grimacing, "not solid advice but coming from a guy who was carrying a stuffed robin to give to his date, I'll take it"
There was a commotion in the kitchen as Nanook jumped up and ran towards the kitchen door, tail wagging. He jumped as Sam entered, launching himself towards the younger Emmerson brother.
"Whoahhhh Nanook! Hey boy. Hey! Whosagoodboy? Whosagooddog? Goodboy. Gooooodboyyy" Sam cooed, cuddling the excited husky.
Looking at his siblings, Sam asked for two minutes to feed the dog before they headed out. After a groan from Michael – it was now six ten - the three siblings began the process of leaving.