Chapter 5
"Crystal, can you please do me a favor and put these chips into these baskets?" asked Nancy.
"Sure no problem mom! I am just finishing getting myself ready. I will be downstairs in like 5 minutes." said Crystal
As Crystal is finishing helping her mom with the last minute preparations for the barbecue, Rosie comes in and asks if she can help as well.
"Certainly you can help sweetie." said Nancy.
"Mommy, what do you want me to do?" asked Rosie
"Well, first please take this plastic bag of hamburgers out to your daddy and Robbie so they can have them when they start barbecuing."
"Okay!"
"Daddy, Robbie mommy told me to bring this out to you. Its our lunch for everyone."
"Thanks sweetie!" said Robert.
Meanwhile, the doorbell rings, so Rosie, Robbie and Robert head back into the house to welcome their guests who have arrived for the barbecue.
"Hi Andy, Delia, Ephram, Nina and Sam! It's so nice for all of you to come for a barbecue!" said Nancy.
"No problem at all!" said Andy and Nina.
"Hey Crys and Robbie!" said Ephram.
"Hey what's going on?" said Robbie.
"Nothing much here how about you?"
"Same ol' same ol' although I can't wait to eat because I am so hungry."
Before eating, Nina and Nancy are in the kitchen taking care of last minute preparations while Robert is barbecuing with the help of Andy. Crystal, Robbie and Ephram are watching TV in the family room and talking with; Rosie, Delia, and Sam playing in the corner. Finally lunch is served. Everyone eats in different places. The adults eating at the dining table, Crystal, Robbie, Ephram, Rosie, Delia and Sam are still eating in the family room.
"Everyone, please feel free to take seconds there is so much food." said Nancy.
After everyone is done eating, the adults head into the family room to see what's happening and they notice that on TV is the basketball game that everyone is so intently watching. Even Rosie is so engrossed in the game that she doesn't even notice her parents coming into the room. She just sits on the lap of Crystal and watches. Since the game was really interesting, the adults decide to sit down and relax while watching the game.
"Last night was great." Ephram states after he drops off Delia and Rosie at their school, "my dad wanted to thank your family again for inviting us and that next time it's our turn to throw the party."
Crystal smiles in responds and Robbie, who is sitting next to Ephram, shrugs. "Our parents are great at making friends with our neighbors, although, and don't take this the wrong way, I don't see the point in it. We don't stick around anywhere long enough to get all that close to them."
"Dad's got a job interview tonight though." Crystal states cheerfully from the backseat.
"Really? Where?" Ephram asks pulling into the school parking lot.
"Denver. Which is far to go for a job," Crystal's shrug is more good natured than Robbie's had been, "but it's a job."
"Well I hope he gets it." Ephram states pulling the key out of the ignition and unbuckling his seat belt.
"Hi guys." Amy greets cheerfully.
Colin, Ephram and Robbie are left behind as Amy and Crystal walk more quickly ahead of them chatting about some dance related topic.
"I can't wait until this dance is over, I don't think I can deal with Amy talking about it anymore." Colin states watching his girlfriend.
"So we've been invited to a party." Amy and Crystal state when they reach the lunch table later that day.
"We've been invited to a party?" Ephram asks surprised. "By who?"
"Kayla." Amy responds, "she has invited everyone from Paige to Wendell."
Ephram and Colin exchange glances, Colin and Amy had dropped down on the social ladder when they had stopped hanging out with all of their old friends, and neither Colin or Ephram were interested in attending Kayla's party.
"So that's a no?" Crystal asks.
"You guys can go." Colin states and Ephram nods.
"Stacey said that there is a new 16 and over club opening in Denver." Robbie speaks up, Stacey was a girl he had dated a couple times in Denver and who they normally met up with on Denver trips.
"That would be fun." Amy states.
Yeah," Crystal nods, "why don't we try that?"
"When does it open?" Amy asks.
"Frid...." Robbie is interrupted by the principle.
"Mr. Carter, Ms. Carter I need to see you in my office immediately, please."
"All right Mr. Johnson." Robbie and Crystal exchange confused glances as they get up and follow the principal out of the cafeteria.
"What was that all about?" Amy questions.
"Are you sure you guys don't want a ride home?" Ephram asks Amy and Colin after school.
"No, that's OK." Amy responds, "if you see Crys tell her to call me, OK?"
Ephram nods starting a car, "I'll see you guys later."
"Rosie isn't out here." Delia states tossing her backpack into the back of the car.
"What do you mean she isn't out here?" Ephram asked, "we dropped her off at school today."
"I know." Delia responds slamming the from passenger door. "But Mrs. Samson said that she left early."
"That's weird, Robbie and Crystal went home early too, I think." Ephram responds.
Delia shrugs and tears up the radio to listen to her favorite song, "Dad's home." Delia exclaims when Ephram pulls into the driveway.
"Dad! We're home!" Delia calls dropping her backpack by the front door.
Andy appears in the entrance way just as Ephram walks in the front door, "Shh." Andy urges.
"Dad, what's going on?" Ephram asks quickly, recognizing the worry on Andy's face. "Something's wrong isn't it?"
"Come out onto the porch for a minute." Andy urges opening the door Ephram had just shut.
"What's wrong Dad?" Delia asks concern now covering her face.
"Listen. Mr. and Mrs. Carter were involved in an accident coming back from Denver." Andy states.
"Are they OK?" Ephram asks quickly, immediately knowing the answer.
Andy shakes his head, "they were both killed on impact."
Ephram's jaw drops open in shock, despite the fact that he had suspected all along. Delia on the other hand clings to her father. Andy pulls Delia tightly to him but continues to talk to Ephram, "Robbie, Crystal and Rosie are all inside sleeping, I was able to give them something so that they could sleep."
Ephram's eyes rove over the street, his eyes on unable to focus on anything, "what's going to happen to them?"
"I'm not sure." Andy responds, "Robert once told me that both he and his wife were only children. For right now though, they are going to stay with us."
Ephram nods in response, "what should I do?"
"Treat them like you wanted to be treated when Mom died, and be their friend." Andy responds
"Crystal, can you please do me a favor and put these chips into these baskets?" asked Nancy.
"Sure no problem mom! I am just finishing getting myself ready. I will be downstairs in like 5 minutes." said Crystal
As Crystal is finishing helping her mom with the last minute preparations for the barbecue, Rosie comes in and asks if she can help as well.
"Certainly you can help sweetie." said Nancy.
"Mommy, what do you want me to do?" asked Rosie
"Well, first please take this plastic bag of hamburgers out to your daddy and Robbie so they can have them when they start barbecuing."
"Okay!"
"Daddy, Robbie mommy told me to bring this out to you. Its our lunch for everyone."
"Thanks sweetie!" said Robert.
Meanwhile, the doorbell rings, so Rosie, Robbie and Robert head back into the house to welcome their guests who have arrived for the barbecue.
"Hi Andy, Delia, Ephram, Nina and Sam! It's so nice for all of you to come for a barbecue!" said Nancy.
"No problem at all!" said Andy and Nina.
"Hey Crys and Robbie!" said Ephram.
"Hey what's going on?" said Robbie.
"Nothing much here how about you?"
"Same ol' same ol' although I can't wait to eat because I am so hungry."
Before eating, Nina and Nancy are in the kitchen taking care of last minute preparations while Robert is barbecuing with the help of Andy. Crystal, Robbie and Ephram are watching TV in the family room and talking with; Rosie, Delia, and Sam playing in the corner. Finally lunch is served. Everyone eats in different places. The adults eating at the dining table, Crystal, Robbie, Ephram, Rosie, Delia and Sam are still eating in the family room.
"Everyone, please feel free to take seconds there is so much food." said Nancy.
After everyone is done eating, the adults head into the family room to see what's happening and they notice that on TV is the basketball game that everyone is so intently watching. Even Rosie is so engrossed in the game that she doesn't even notice her parents coming into the room. She just sits on the lap of Crystal and watches. Since the game was really interesting, the adults decide to sit down and relax while watching the game.
"Last night was great." Ephram states after he drops off Delia and Rosie at their school, "my dad wanted to thank your family again for inviting us and that next time it's our turn to throw the party."
Crystal smiles in responds and Robbie, who is sitting next to Ephram, shrugs. "Our parents are great at making friends with our neighbors, although, and don't take this the wrong way, I don't see the point in it. We don't stick around anywhere long enough to get all that close to them."
"Dad's got a job interview tonight though." Crystal states cheerfully from the backseat.
"Really? Where?" Ephram asks pulling into the school parking lot.
"Denver. Which is far to go for a job," Crystal's shrug is more good natured than Robbie's had been, "but it's a job."
"Well I hope he gets it." Ephram states pulling the key out of the ignition and unbuckling his seat belt.
"Hi guys." Amy greets cheerfully.
Colin, Ephram and Robbie are left behind as Amy and Crystal walk more quickly ahead of them chatting about some dance related topic.
"I can't wait until this dance is over, I don't think I can deal with Amy talking about it anymore." Colin states watching his girlfriend.
"So we've been invited to a party." Amy and Crystal state when they reach the lunch table later that day.
"We've been invited to a party?" Ephram asks surprised. "By who?"
"Kayla." Amy responds, "she has invited everyone from Paige to Wendell."
Ephram and Colin exchange glances, Colin and Amy had dropped down on the social ladder when they had stopped hanging out with all of their old friends, and neither Colin or Ephram were interested in attending Kayla's party.
"So that's a no?" Crystal asks.
"You guys can go." Colin states and Ephram nods.
"Stacey said that there is a new 16 and over club opening in Denver." Robbie speaks up, Stacey was a girl he had dated a couple times in Denver and who they normally met up with on Denver trips.
"That would be fun." Amy states.
Yeah," Crystal nods, "why don't we try that?"
"When does it open?" Amy asks.
"Frid...." Robbie is interrupted by the principle.
"Mr. Carter, Ms. Carter I need to see you in my office immediately, please."
"All right Mr. Johnson." Robbie and Crystal exchange confused glances as they get up and follow the principal out of the cafeteria.
"What was that all about?" Amy questions.
"Are you sure you guys don't want a ride home?" Ephram asks Amy and Colin after school.
"No, that's OK." Amy responds, "if you see Crys tell her to call me, OK?"
Ephram nods starting a car, "I'll see you guys later."
"Rosie isn't out here." Delia states tossing her backpack into the back of the car.
"What do you mean she isn't out here?" Ephram asked, "we dropped her off at school today."
"I know." Delia responds slamming the from passenger door. "But Mrs. Samson said that she left early."
"That's weird, Robbie and Crystal went home early too, I think." Ephram responds.
Delia shrugs and tears up the radio to listen to her favorite song, "Dad's home." Delia exclaims when Ephram pulls into the driveway.
"Dad! We're home!" Delia calls dropping her backpack by the front door.
Andy appears in the entrance way just as Ephram walks in the front door, "Shh." Andy urges.
"Dad, what's going on?" Ephram asks quickly, recognizing the worry on Andy's face. "Something's wrong isn't it?"
"Come out onto the porch for a minute." Andy urges opening the door Ephram had just shut.
"What's wrong Dad?" Delia asks concern now covering her face.
"Listen. Mr. and Mrs. Carter were involved in an accident coming back from Denver." Andy states.
"Are they OK?" Ephram asks quickly, immediately knowing the answer.
Andy shakes his head, "they were both killed on impact."
Ephram's jaw drops open in shock, despite the fact that he had suspected all along. Delia on the other hand clings to her father. Andy pulls Delia tightly to him but continues to talk to Ephram, "Robbie, Crystal and Rosie are all inside sleeping, I was able to give them something so that they could sleep."
Ephram's eyes rove over the street, his eyes on unable to focus on anything, "what's going to happen to them?"
"I'm not sure." Andy responds, "Robert once told me that both he and his wife were only children. For right now though, they are going to stay with us."
Ephram nods in response, "what should I do?"
"Treat them like you wanted to be treated when Mom died, and be their friend." Andy responds
