shellie: At the end of the Friends Forever series, the former Mrs. McGill decides to go back to her maiden name, which is Spencer. Also, I am trying to follow the traditional format of the BSC books. They are very formulaic, obviously, and it is a well-known fact that chapter one is short scene that sets up the rest of the story and chapter two is where they introduce all of the characters with a little biography. As for Mal and Jessi... they'll make an appearance at the party, but nothing major.
banana_split: people who just went through a bad breakup tend not to like love stories very much. they prefer carnage. lots of carnage.
and now... on to chapter three.
As soon as I stepped across the threshold of my house, I was knocked away by the wonderful smells coming from inside. All of the sudden I was absolutely famished.
I sat down to a dinner of Sharon's special vegetarian pasta and my father's homemade bread. He had never made bread before he married Sharon, but he helped Sharon once and he realized that he liked nothing better than to be greeted by the smell of fresh bread out of the oven. He also liked the stress relief of punching the dough down once it has risen--as a lawyer, he has a lot of stress! Now he makes bread at least once a week. I must say, it's not a bad deal at all.
"Dawn called while you were out, Mary Anne," Sharon said as soon as we had sat down to eat. She passed me the bowl of spaghetti and I helped myself.
"Yes," Dad said. "She's coming a little, ah, earlier than we expected."
"Really? That's great!" I said. I couldn't wait to see my sister again.
"I know," Sharon said, her eyes shining. "We have so much to do though. Her flight is coming in tomorrow night."
"Tomorrow?" I couldn't believe it. Tomorrow, I would see my sister again.
"We have to get her room ready, buy food, do some laundry, get this place looking nice..." Dad trailed off.
"I guess so," Sharon said. "I was thinking more of the lines of going to the greengrocer and thinking up things we want to do while she's here. But we can do those things too," she added quickly, seeing the look on my father's face.
While Sharon and Dad talked animatedly about what had to be done, I quickly wolfed down the rest of my dinner and then excused myself. "I have to make some phone calls," I said.
I went over to the living room area of the house and sank down into the white couch. I reached over for the phone and dialed Kristy's number.
"Guess what I just found out?" I told her.
"What?" she asked excitedly.
"Dawn's coming tomorrow night!" I told her tomorrow.
"Oh no," she groaned.
"Kristy, why on earth would Dawn coming early be a bad thing?"
"That's not enough time to plan a party! Are you crazy?"
I laughed. "We don't have to have the party right away," I told her.
She sighed. "It'd be better that way."
"Whatever, Kristy. Look, I was thinking, maybe we shouldn't have our old charges at this party. We should just invite people from school."
"Why?" Kristy was aghast. "Kids were a huge part of the time when Dawn was living here."
"I know, Kristy, but it's not those years anymore. I mean, we all may still baby-sit on occasion, but Dawn doesn't at all. Outside of her little sister Gracie, I mean. And Jeff does most of that."
"So what," Kristy said bluntly. "That doesn't mean she doesn't still like children."
"I know," I said. "But the things she tells me about her life, well... I don't know if she would enjoy a party with kids."
"They're not all kids anymore, Mary Anne," she informed me. "The Pike triplets are about to be freshmen in high school."
"Exactly my point. I don't know if Dawn would appreciate a party with freshmen boys."
"Dawn is above that stuff. I know Dawn." I sighed. There was no way I could convince Kristy otherwise. I closed my eyes and counted to ten slowly.
"Okay, Kristy," I relented. "You're the boss, I guess."
There's nothing Kristy liked hearing more than that. "So, who should handle the guest list? Why don't you get out the record book, and Stacey can handle the kids from our class..."
Kristy was off and running. I had a feeling that by the day after tomorrow, I would be welcoming half the people in Stoneybrook under the age of 21 to house.
I didn't care--much. My sister was coming soon, and I could look forward to a summer of being able to talk to her face-to-face, instead of over thousands of miles of telephone wires.
and now... on to chapter three.
As soon as I stepped across the threshold of my house, I was knocked away by the wonderful smells coming from inside. All of the sudden I was absolutely famished.
I sat down to a dinner of Sharon's special vegetarian pasta and my father's homemade bread. He had never made bread before he married Sharon, but he helped Sharon once and he realized that he liked nothing better than to be greeted by the smell of fresh bread out of the oven. He also liked the stress relief of punching the dough down once it has risen--as a lawyer, he has a lot of stress! Now he makes bread at least once a week. I must say, it's not a bad deal at all.
"Dawn called while you were out, Mary Anne," Sharon said as soon as we had sat down to eat. She passed me the bowl of spaghetti and I helped myself.
"Yes," Dad said. "She's coming a little, ah, earlier than we expected."
"Really? That's great!" I said. I couldn't wait to see my sister again.
"I know," Sharon said, her eyes shining. "We have so much to do though. Her flight is coming in tomorrow night."
"Tomorrow?" I couldn't believe it. Tomorrow, I would see my sister again.
"We have to get her room ready, buy food, do some laundry, get this place looking nice..." Dad trailed off.
"I guess so," Sharon said. "I was thinking more of the lines of going to the greengrocer and thinking up things we want to do while she's here. But we can do those things too," she added quickly, seeing the look on my father's face.
While Sharon and Dad talked animatedly about what had to be done, I quickly wolfed down the rest of my dinner and then excused myself. "I have to make some phone calls," I said.
I went over to the living room area of the house and sank down into the white couch. I reached over for the phone and dialed Kristy's number.
"Guess what I just found out?" I told her.
"What?" she asked excitedly.
"Dawn's coming tomorrow night!" I told her tomorrow.
"Oh no," she groaned.
"Kristy, why on earth would Dawn coming early be a bad thing?"
"That's not enough time to plan a party! Are you crazy?"
I laughed. "We don't have to have the party right away," I told her.
She sighed. "It'd be better that way."
"Whatever, Kristy. Look, I was thinking, maybe we shouldn't have our old charges at this party. We should just invite people from school."
"Why?" Kristy was aghast. "Kids were a huge part of the time when Dawn was living here."
"I know, Kristy, but it's not those years anymore. I mean, we all may still baby-sit on occasion, but Dawn doesn't at all. Outside of her little sister Gracie, I mean. And Jeff does most of that."
"So what," Kristy said bluntly. "That doesn't mean she doesn't still like children."
"I know," I said. "But the things she tells me about her life, well... I don't know if she would enjoy a party with kids."
"They're not all kids anymore, Mary Anne," she informed me. "The Pike triplets are about to be freshmen in high school."
"Exactly my point. I don't know if Dawn would appreciate a party with freshmen boys."
"Dawn is above that stuff. I know Dawn." I sighed. There was no way I could convince Kristy otherwise. I closed my eyes and counted to ten slowly.
"Okay, Kristy," I relented. "You're the boss, I guess."
There's nothing Kristy liked hearing more than that. "So, who should handle the guest list? Why don't you get out the record book, and Stacey can handle the kids from our class..."
Kristy was off and running. I had a feeling that by the day after tomorrow, I would be welcoming half the people in Stoneybrook under the age of 21 to house.
I didn't care--much. My sister was coming soon, and I could look forward to a summer of being able to talk to her face-to-face, instead of over thousands of miles of telephone wires.
