Disclaimer: You all know about the BSC characters, and Liza Barry is also not a creation of the current author, but of Betsy Haynes and the Fabulous Five series.

Back In The Old Town For Thanksgiving

By: CNJ

PG-13

3

Claudia:

It was sooo good seeing my family again! In Minnesota, we'd already gotten a sprinkling of snow. Here it was cold, but hadn't snowed yet. Janine was also back in Stoneybrook for Thanksgiving. She's in her senior year at the Virginia Naval Academy.
"How's Granite U?" Janine asked, giving me a hug.
"Great," I told her as our family got ready to eat. "They got a little snow there last week." As we ate, I told them more about Granite U. and that Liza Barry was there. I'd actually met Liza in high school and she'd gone to Burkeview High, Stoneybrook High's rival. I wondered if Liza was with her family now. "I can't wait to see Lynn," I added. Lynn is my four year-old cousin.
"Your aunt and uncle are coming for Thanksgiving," Mom told us as she finished her rice.
"Good..." Janine and I said simultaneously. After we ate and did the dishes, I told my parents I was going over to Kristy's parents for a while where my BSC friends were all meeting, then headed there. It was blustery and windy.
It was soo good seeing my BSC friends again! The next few minutes were full of yowls, screams, and a few tears as we all greeted. By then, all the original BSC members were here.
"Just want to announce that the Next Generation of the BSC is off and running!" Kristy told all of us. "And in addition, they have two new members, inducted last week!" Hey, good! They're up to seven members now. We had a little food and stood in the Thomas family room, catching up. Mary Anne and Mona sat next to me and told me about NYC and Staten U. I was reminded of some of the parties and get-togethers we used to have back in middle and high school. That gave me an idea.
"Hey, everyone..." I called. My friends looked over at me. "Why don't we have a sleepover for old times' sake?" My friends looked at each other for a minute, then nodded.
"Yeah..." "Sounds good..."
"Where should we have it?" Abby asked.
"What about here?" Kristy suggested. "My folks wouldn't mind. We could rent a movie and use the family room." We talked more and I remembered the monthly sleepovers we'd had back in high school. We would have them usually the first Saturday of the month and either watch a movie, play games like Uno or Dominoes and eat, eat, eat.

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Dawn:

A lot had changed in these past four and a half years, I realized on Thanksgiving Day as our family was ready to sit down. Verna Baker and Richard were united since the summer after tenth grade. Mom was an architect now and was much happier in this career than her previous one. But some things haven't and one thing that hasn't is that Mom and I are vegetarians. Granny and Pop-pop still sometimes bicker, but not as much as they used to. All in all, it was a peaceful affair. It felt odd, yet like a good vacation being back in Connecticut after three months in the desert at Tucson U.
"Dawn, you're getting tan again," Mom commented.
"Yep, I'm back in the sun," I smiled. Arizona is almost like being back in California, but without the beaches. When I took off from there on Tuesday, it was seventy-seven degrees, bright, sunny and dry. I'd almost forgotten to bring my jacket and it was a good thing I did bring it because it was only forty-two degrees here and mostly cloudy. After we ate, our parents and grandparents had coffee in the living room while Mary Anne and I went out for a walk and some sister bonding. It was windy out and we paused once in a while to watch the colorful leaves twirl around the sidewalk like little tornadoes.
"Sometimes, there's just so much beauty in the world, my heart feels like a huge air balloon," Mary Anne said softly. "And then I worry I'll explode or go crazy with it all."
"You mean the leaves?" I asked.
"That's one thing," Mary Anne nodded, her dark eyes having an expression I couldn't quite decipher. Mary Anne is a quiet person, but has some really deep things that go through her head. We watched the leaves a while longer. They really are pretty, I thought.
"How are the leaves in New York City?" I asked. "Are they as colorful or just dingy?"
"A mix," Mary Anne told me as we started back. "In some of the parks, like Central Park and Battery Park, they're bright and beautiful. But in some of the crowded inner city streets, they're still colorful, but it's like a smoky colors. I suppose it's because of the pollution."
"Yeah..." I agreed that pollution was one thing we all needed much less of. We talked a little about our first weeks in college. "...it was a little like being back in California, but without the beaches and the buildings were different."
Then Mary Anne told me about New York City life. "...the whole first week was like a dream of buildings, a millions places and so many people from all over. It's like I'm living the terrific dream I've had since I was twelve of living in New York and now the dream is my real life and coming back here made me realize that Stoneybrook has shrunk into a dream, a past dream. It's incredible."
"We really are adults," I sighed. "It's kind of that way with me, since you point it out. Like our childhood and teen years are a past dream and adulthood is our lives. Wow." By then, we'd gotten back to the house on Burnt Hill Road. We watched the leaves a few minutes longer before heading inside.