Christina cranked up her stereo as she ran into her bathroom for her daily
morning vomit session. She had been desperately trying to keep it from Lucy
and Kevin.
"Christina? Could you turn that down, please? I mean, I know you love
PYT, but this is a bit ridiculous!" Kevin yelled, pounding on Christina's
door.
"Sorry!" Christina yelled back, pulling her hair back from her tear-
streaked face. She weakly crawled across her floor, and reached up, turning
down "A Girl Can Dream" a few octaves. She wiped the tears from her eyes
and covered her mouth with one trembling hand. No way, this is not
happening to me! she thought helplessly.
"Christina, honey? Are you coming down? We're supposed to meet Serena
and JR in 20 minutes!" Lucy said, knocking on Christina's door. Oh no! she
thought. She had forgotten about breakfast with Serena and JR! She'd
already made her doctor's appointment with Dr. Martin! Now what?
Serena was her twenty-nine year old sister, and JR Chandler was her
much older boyfriend. Actually, he was only seven years older, but still.
Christina was jealous, because he was very handsome, and her boyfriend,
Michael, was......well, he was just plain looking. Red hair wasn't exactly
breathtaking, but he was so damn charming. After all, he'd gotten Christina
to fall for him, hadn't he?
"I'll be down in a minute," Christina answered, hoping her
nauseousness would pass soon. She rushed in the bathroom to fix her hair
and makeup.
* "What are you doing up so early?" Frank asked, coming into his kitchen. Sascha was sitting at the island, eating toast. "It's eight o'clock," Sascha said, flicking crumbs off her fingers. "Isn't that early for you?" Frank replied, chuckling as he buttoned his paramedic uniform. "Yeah, well, I wanted to talk to Mom before she went to work," Sascha said, handing a piece of toast to Frank. He thanked her, took a bite, and chewed thoughtfully. "What about?" he asked. Sascha started to answer, then paused. Maybe her dad could help her. "Daddy? Why am I the only one in this family that has dimples?" she asked, trying not to sound too concerned. "What are you talking about? Your grandpa Scanlon had the most prominent dimples you ever saw!" Frank answered quickly, ruffling Sascha's hair. "Really?" she asked, looking up at Frank. "Sure, baby!" Frank reassured her. He kissed her on the cheek and went off to work. Sascha scolded herself for being so silly. She hadn't even thought of her grandparents. Still, why hadn't her mother let her see any baby pictures? She was exhausted, Sascha! she told herself as she put her plate in the sink. For some reason, she couldn't get past this funny feeling. "Hey, sweetheart!" Karen said as she emerged from the bedroom in her work uniform. "Oh, hi, Mom. Look, do you have a sec before you go to work?" Sascha asked, getting up. "Well, of course, Sascha, I always have time for you!" Karen insisted. Didn't have time last night, though, did you? Sascha thought, but she didn't say it. "I was just wondering about those baby pictures. I wanted to look at them today. If you've got a minute to get them before you go to the hospital," Sascha said. Karen got a funny look on her face, and quickly slung her purse over her shoulder. "Actually, Sascha, I'm running kinda late today, so-" "Then why don't you just tell me where they are? I'm sure I could find them," Sascha interrupted. "You know what? I'm not even sure of where they're at, exactly. I'll find them for you this weekend, Sascha. Just find something else to do today, all right? I've got to go," Karen said with a sharpness in her voice that Sascha wasn't used to. With that, Karen rushed out of the door. "What's with Mom?" Ana asked, padding into the kitchen in her pajamas. That's exactly what I want to know! Sascha thought.
* Livvie hadn't slept well the night before, so Jack had let her sleep in. He had felt guilty about going to the bike shop and leaving her alone with Caleb lurking around, but what choice did he have? Vampires or not, they still had to pay the bills! She had finally woken up at 10:00, and then she'd remembered. Caleb was here yesterday. He's back. She tried to push the thought away as she got out of bed and dressed. She crept into the living room, as if Caleb were hiding in every corner. She was so tense she didn't even hear the footsteps behind her.
* Livvie hadn't been the only one to oversleep that morning. It was nearly eleven before Raven hauled herself out of bed. Her rest had been fitful as well, and she felt cranky. She'd put on a coffee brown baby tee and tan corduroy pants and wandered downstairs after throwing her blonde hair up in a messy knot. When she got into the kitchen, she halved a grapefruit and sat down with it on the porch. It was another beautiful day, so she couldn't understand why she still felt awful. Maybe she was coming down with something. As she consumed the grapefruit, she remembered the strange dream she'd had the night before. It had been about that strange man she'd seen on Livvie and Jack's porch. She couldn't recall all of it, but she knew he'd been in it. Raven heard the phone ring. She wondered why her mother didn't answer it, but she assumed she'd gone to the bike shop already. Jamal would be there too, by now. She jogged into the house and tossed the gutted grapefruit remains into the trash before answering the phone in the kitchen. "Hello?" "Raven, thank God!" "Christina?" Raven asked. It wasn't a question of identity, but more of concern. "Yeah. Raven, look, you've got to come over!" Christina pleaded, sounding urgent. "Why? What's wrong?" "Listen to me! Just come over and act like you've got some big emotional issue. I need you here, please!" Christina begged. Raven's heart went out to her, and she had to help her best friend. "What's this about, Christina?" "I can't tell you over the phone! Just get over here, fast!" Click. Raven didn't stop long to think about what a strange call it was before she darted to her Jeep and sped to the Lighthouse.
* "What are you doing up so early?" Frank asked, coming into his kitchen. Sascha was sitting at the island, eating toast. "It's eight o'clock," Sascha said, flicking crumbs off her fingers. "Isn't that early for you?" Frank replied, chuckling as he buttoned his paramedic uniform. "Yeah, well, I wanted to talk to Mom before she went to work," Sascha said, handing a piece of toast to Frank. He thanked her, took a bite, and chewed thoughtfully. "What about?" he asked. Sascha started to answer, then paused. Maybe her dad could help her. "Daddy? Why am I the only one in this family that has dimples?" she asked, trying not to sound too concerned. "What are you talking about? Your grandpa Scanlon had the most prominent dimples you ever saw!" Frank answered quickly, ruffling Sascha's hair. "Really?" she asked, looking up at Frank. "Sure, baby!" Frank reassured her. He kissed her on the cheek and went off to work. Sascha scolded herself for being so silly. She hadn't even thought of her grandparents. Still, why hadn't her mother let her see any baby pictures? She was exhausted, Sascha! she told herself as she put her plate in the sink. For some reason, she couldn't get past this funny feeling. "Hey, sweetheart!" Karen said as she emerged from the bedroom in her work uniform. "Oh, hi, Mom. Look, do you have a sec before you go to work?" Sascha asked, getting up. "Well, of course, Sascha, I always have time for you!" Karen insisted. Didn't have time last night, though, did you? Sascha thought, but she didn't say it. "I was just wondering about those baby pictures. I wanted to look at them today. If you've got a minute to get them before you go to the hospital," Sascha said. Karen got a funny look on her face, and quickly slung her purse over her shoulder. "Actually, Sascha, I'm running kinda late today, so-" "Then why don't you just tell me where they are? I'm sure I could find them," Sascha interrupted. "You know what? I'm not even sure of where they're at, exactly. I'll find them for you this weekend, Sascha. Just find something else to do today, all right? I've got to go," Karen said with a sharpness in her voice that Sascha wasn't used to. With that, Karen rushed out of the door. "What's with Mom?" Ana asked, padding into the kitchen in her pajamas. That's exactly what I want to know! Sascha thought.
* Livvie hadn't slept well the night before, so Jack had let her sleep in. He had felt guilty about going to the bike shop and leaving her alone with Caleb lurking around, but what choice did he have? Vampires or not, they still had to pay the bills! She had finally woken up at 10:00, and then she'd remembered. Caleb was here yesterday. He's back. She tried to push the thought away as she got out of bed and dressed. She crept into the living room, as if Caleb were hiding in every corner. She was so tense she didn't even hear the footsteps behind her.
* Livvie hadn't been the only one to oversleep that morning. It was nearly eleven before Raven hauled herself out of bed. Her rest had been fitful as well, and she felt cranky. She'd put on a coffee brown baby tee and tan corduroy pants and wandered downstairs after throwing her blonde hair up in a messy knot. When she got into the kitchen, she halved a grapefruit and sat down with it on the porch. It was another beautiful day, so she couldn't understand why she still felt awful. Maybe she was coming down with something. As she consumed the grapefruit, she remembered the strange dream she'd had the night before. It had been about that strange man she'd seen on Livvie and Jack's porch. She couldn't recall all of it, but she knew he'd been in it. Raven heard the phone ring. She wondered why her mother didn't answer it, but she assumed she'd gone to the bike shop already. Jamal would be there too, by now. She jogged into the house and tossed the gutted grapefruit remains into the trash before answering the phone in the kitchen. "Hello?" "Raven, thank God!" "Christina?" Raven asked. It wasn't a question of identity, but more of concern. "Yeah. Raven, look, you've got to come over!" Christina pleaded, sounding urgent. "Why? What's wrong?" "Listen to me! Just come over and act like you've got some big emotional issue. I need you here, please!" Christina begged. Raven's heart went out to her, and she had to help her best friend. "What's this about, Christina?" "I can't tell you over the phone! Just get over here, fast!" Click. Raven didn't stop long to think about what a strange call it was before she darted to her Jeep and sped to the Lighthouse.