~Saturday~
Jen had to work the morning the next day. She was in a good mood, so Mr. Fredrickson had no complaints. But he did wonder why his usually gloomy waitress was so cheerful. All morning Jennifer kept getting big tips, and she didn't miss an order. Around Noon Mr. Fredrickson saw Lucy Camden walk in while Jennifer was in the back.
"Jennifer, your Camden friend is out there to see you."
"Ok, Mr. Fredrickson, I promise I won't take too long."
"Just go ahead and clock out, you've done well today. I'll pay you for a full shift."
"Really? Thank you Mr. Fredrickson." Jennifer rushed to clock out, and walked out to see Lucy sitting at the breakfast bar.
"Hey, I hope I'm not going to get you in trouble."
"Nope, Mr. Fredrickson let me go early. What's going on?"
"Nothing much, I was wondering if maybe you would want to come sleep over at my house tonight? We could rent movies and eat junk food, and go straight to church in the morning."
"Sure Luce, I'll go home and change, get some clothes, and meet you back at your house."
"This is gonna be so much fun, but I'll wait and then drive you over." Jennifer looked a little uneasy.
"Well, how about you go over and rent the movies while I'm getting my stuff, that way you won't be bored."
"Okay, whatever you want." Lucy got up and walked outside and across the street. About twenty minutes later both girls met at the car. They both drove back to the Camden's, chatting away.
The Camden house seemed empty that afternoon. Matt and Robbie were both at work, and Simon was out playing pool with his friend Nigel. Eric was in his office working on the next day's sermon, and Ruthie and the twins were upstairs. Annie was in the kitchen when the girls arrived.
"Hey Mom."
"Hey. I bet you two have a full girl's night planned." She smiles.
"Just watching some movies after dinner, nothing too major. You could join us if you want."
"I might just do that. How was your day at work Jennifer?" Mrs. Camden asked, knowing that having a job must be hard on the 15 year old girl.
"It was good, I did so well Mr. Fredrickson let me go early."
"Well, Ruthie and the twins are upstairs, and dinner isn't for a few hours. How about you girls help me make pies for the bake sale for church?"
"Sure mom, that sounds like fun!" Lucy said, and the three of them got to work.
Jennifer had fun with Lucy and Mrs. Camden making pies. Lucy and Jen got into a mini flour fight, that Annie tried unsuccessfully to stop. A few hours later when Simon walked in the back door, he saw the three of the laughing, covered in flour.
"What's going on here?" he asked, smiling.
"Oh, nothing really Simon." Lucy said, with a glint in her eye, she glanced at Mrs. Camden and Jennifer.
"Oh no, I know that look." Simon started backing away, but Annie caught him as the girls covered him in flour. By the time they were don't he was laughing and covered with white like the rest of them.
"I think you three should go upstairs and get washed up and ready for dinner."
Both Lucy and Jennifer laughed at Simon as they followed him upstairs. It had been a fun afternoon. They changed clothes and went in to check on Ruthie and the twins.
"Hey Ruthie, how are things going up here?" Lucy asked, looking at her younger siblings.
"Pretty good, but I'm getting tired of talking to myself. When's dinner?"
"Mom's almost got it ready now. Why don't you go downstairs, we'll get the twins ready."
"If you really want to, they're all yours." Ruthie said, leaving the room before they could change there mind.
Jen and Lucy helped the boys wash there hands and then took them downstairs, and everyone sat down to dinner. Robbie had just gotten home for work, but Matt wouldn't be home because he was working a double shift.
"Would you like to say grace Jennifer?" Eric asked.
"Ummm, I could. I've never really done it before."
"It's ok, I'm sure you'll do fine." Robbie said smiling.
"Ok, here it goes.
Dear Lord, thank you for this wonderful meal we have before us. Thank you for this wonderful chance for a family and friends to sit down to a home cooked meal. Lord, please bless the Camden's and Robbie, they have been very kind to me. Amen."
Eric and Annie looked at each other, and around the table at their children. Each of the kids met their parents gaze.
"Was that alright?" Jen asked, seeing the glances around the table. She didn't notice the tears in Annie and Lucy's eyes.
"Perfect." Reverend Camden said, and he began to eat. Everyone eventually began talking and eating. A typical Camden family dinner. Afterwards Lucy took the twins upstairs to get them cleaned up while Simon and Jennifer helped Annie clear the table. Robbie had homework and Ruthie went up to her room. Eric said goodnight to them and went to work on his sermon some more. Lucy brought the twins back downstairs to Annie, ready to start her sleepover with Jen.
"Do you need any more help Mrs. Camden?" Jen said, bring in the last plates.
"No, but thank you Jennifer. You girls can put a movie in now if you like."
The girls watched Gone With The Wind and Doctor Dolittle, then started on the third and best movie, Now and Then. Eric walked through the living room and upstairs to bed as they started the third movie. He was suprised to see Annie still awake.
"Did Jennifer's blessing sound a little strange to you?"
"Well, Annie, it may have sounded strange, but I think we are just looking for a problem."
"It seems like Jennifer doesn't really have her own family life Eric, I mean, what if she is being abused or something?" Eric took Annie in his arms and held her.
"We just have to wait and see if she says anything to us or one of the kids. I'm sure Lucy and Simon would tell us if she go into any kind of trouble.
"I hope so Eric."
Downstairs the girls were finishing the movie, both of them crying at the end.
"Wow, I really love that movie." Luce said, turning it off.
"Yeah, me too. We should go to bed, its late."
"Yeah, we do have church in the morning after all."
Both girls laid on the floor underneath the blankets, the house was dark and quiet.
"You wanna hear something crazy? When Mary and I were little we used to sleep down here sometimes and pretend we were camping out. Gosh, it seems like such a long time ago."
"You must really miss her Luce. I know I would."
"Yeah. She was so great, athletic, pretty. She had a lot more boyfriends than I did. But then she started getting into trouble, vandalizing the school gym. She didn't want help. Mary ended up getting into big time debt, but she couldn't tell mom and dad the truth. I hated her for that, I hate people who lie. Don't you?" Jennifer didn't answer, so Lucy figured she was sleeping. She rolled over and fell asleep herself.
Jennifer laid on her side in the Camden living room, tears streaming down her face, eyes closed.
*********************************************************************** Why is Jennifer crying? What is going on??? Well, you'll find out in the next chapter! The more Reviews i get the faster I post!!!
Jen had to work the morning the next day. She was in a good mood, so Mr. Fredrickson had no complaints. But he did wonder why his usually gloomy waitress was so cheerful. All morning Jennifer kept getting big tips, and she didn't miss an order. Around Noon Mr. Fredrickson saw Lucy Camden walk in while Jennifer was in the back.
"Jennifer, your Camden friend is out there to see you."
"Ok, Mr. Fredrickson, I promise I won't take too long."
"Just go ahead and clock out, you've done well today. I'll pay you for a full shift."
"Really? Thank you Mr. Fredrickson." Jennifer rushed to clock out, and walked out to see Lucy sitting at the breakfast bar.
"Hey, I hope I'm not going to get you in trouble."
"Nope, Mr. Fredrickson let me go early. What's going on?"
"Nothing much, I was wondering if maybe you would want to come sleep over at my house tonight? We could rent movies and eat junk food, and go straight to church in the morning."
"Sure Luce, I'll go home and change, get some clothes, and meet you back at your house."
"This is gonna be so much fun, but I'll wait and then drive you over." Jennifer looked a little uneasy.
"Well, how about you go over and rent the movies while I'm getting my stuff, that way you won't be bored."
"Okay, whatever you want." Lucy got up and walked outside and across the street. About twenty minutes later both girls met at the car. They both drove back to the Camden's, chatting away.
The Camden house seemed empty that afternoon. Matt and Robbie were both at work, and Simon was out playing pool with his friend Nigel. Eric was in his office working on the next day's sermon, and Ruthie and the twins were upstairs. Annie was in the kitchen when the girls arrived.
"Hey Mom."
"Hey. I bet you two have a full girl's night planned." She smiles.
"Just watching some movies after dinner, nothing too major. You could join us if you want."
"I might just do that. How was your day at work Jennifer?" Mrs. Camden asked, knowing that having a job must be hard on the 15 year old girl.
"It was good, I did so well Mr. Fredrickson let me go early."
"Well, Ruthie and the twins are upstairs, and dinner isn't for a few hours. How about you girls help me make pies for the bake sale for church?"
"Sure mom, that sounds like fun!" Lucy said, and the three of them got to work.
Jennifer had fun with Lucy and Mrs. Camden making pies. Lucy and Jen got into a mini flour fight, that Annie tried unsuccessfully to stop. A few hours later when Simon walked in the back door, he saw the three of the laughing, covered in flour.
"What's going on here?" he asked, smiling.
"Oh, nothing really Simon." Lucy said, with a glint in her eye, she glanced at Mrs. Camden and Jennifer.
"Oh no, I know that look." Simon started backing away, but Annie caught him as the girls covered him in flour. By the time they were don't he was laughing and covered with white like the rest of them.
"I think you three should go upstairs and get washed up and ready for dinner."
Both Lucy and Jennifer laughed at Simon as they followed him upstairs. It had been a fun afternoon. They changed clothes and went in to check on Ruthie and the twins.
"Hey Ruthie, how are things going up here?" Lucy asked, looking at her younger siblings.
"Pretty good, but I'm getting tired of talking to myself. When's dinner?"
"Mom's almost got it ready now. Why don't you go downstairs, we'll get the twins ready."
"If you really want to, they're all yours." Ruthie said, leaving the room before they could change there mind.
Jen and Lucy helped the boys wash there hands and then took them downstairs, and everyone sat down to dinner. Robbie had just gotten home for work, but Matt wouldn't be home because he was working a double shift.
"Would you like to say grace Jennifer?" Eric asked.
"Ummm, I could. I've never really done it before."
"It's ok, I'm sure you'll do fine." Robbie said smiling.
"Ok, here it goes.
Dear Lord, thank you for this wonderful meal we have before us. Thank you for this wonderful chance for a family and friends to sit down to a home cooked meal. Lord, please bless the Camden's and Robbie, they have been very kind to me. Amen."
Eric and Annie looked at each other, and around the table at their children. Each of the kids met their parents gaze.
"Was that alright?" Jen asked, seeing the glances around the table. She didn't notice the tears in Annie and Lucy's eyes.
"Perfect." Reverend Camden said, and he began to eat. Everyone eventually began talking and eating. A typical Camden family dinner. Afterwards Lucy took the twins upstairs to get them cleaned up while Simon and Jennifer helped Annie clear the table. Robbie had homework and Ruthie went up to her room. Eric said goodnight to them and went to work on his sermon some more. Lucy brought the twins back downstairs to Annie, ready to start her sleepover with Jen.
"Do you need any more help Mrs. Camden?" Jen said, bring in the last plates.
"No, but thank you Jennifer. You girls can put a movie in now if you like."
The girls watched Gone With The Wind and Doctor Dolittle, then started on the third and best movie, Now and Then. Eric walked through the living room and upstairs to bed as they started the third movie. He was suprised to see Annie still awake.
"Did Jennifer's blessing sound a little strange to you?"
"Well, Annie, it may have sounded strange, but I think we are just looking for a problem."
"It seems like Jennifer doesn't really have her own family life Eric, I mean, what if she is being abused or something?" Eric took Annie in his arms and held her.
"We just have to wait and see if she says anything to us or one of the kids. I'm sure Lucy and Simon would tell us if she go into any kind of trouble.
"I hope so Eric."
Downstairs the girls were finishing the movie, both of them crying at the end.
"Wow, I really love that movie." Luce said, turning it off.
"Yeah, me too. We should go to bed, its late."
"Yeah, we do have church in the morning after all."
Both girls laid on the floor underneath the blankets, the house was dark and quiet.
"You wanna hear something crazy? When Mary and I were little we used to sleep down here sometimes and pretend we were camping out. Gosh, it seems like such a long time ago."
"You must really miss her Luce. I know I would."
"Yeah. She was so great, athletic, pretty. She had a lot more boyfriends than I did. But then she started getting into trouble, vandalizing the school gym. She didn't want help. Mary ended up getting into big time debt, but she couldn't tell mom and dad the truth. I hated her for that, I hate people who lie. Don't you?" Jennifer didn't answer, so Lucy figured she was sleeping. She rolled over and fell asleep herself.
Jennifer laid on her side in the Camden living room, tears streaming down her face, eyes closed.
*********************************************************************** Why is Jennifer crying? What is going on??? Well, you'll find out in the next chapter! The more Reviews i get the faster I post!!!
