CHAPTER FOUR
Megan sent a text message to Uncle Don after dinner asking him to call her. Several minutes later, her cell phone started ringing.
" Megan? Are you okay?"
" No…Dad's such a jerk sometimes," she replied.
" What has he done?"
" He's banned me from going to the lab." Megan grouched.
" Banned you?" Don repeated.
" Yes, I can only go once a week instead of three times a week."
" Maybe it would help if I talk to him," Don suggested.
" I doubt it, he's very stubborn," Megan sighed.
" Well, coming here once a week is better than nothing," Don said trying to sound optimistic.
" But you were going to show me how Discmans were made next week," Megan reminded him.
" You still can," Don assured her, " I'll make sure my product team will be available on the day…when are you coming?"
" Monday afternoon after school I guess."
" Okay…why did he restrict your visits?"
" We're having a…family crisis." Megan thought it wasn't her place to tell Don-not just yet anyway.
" I hope it gets sorted out. Listen, I have to go, but call me if you need to talk."
" I will, see you Monday," they said goodbye.
Megan threw herself onto her bed, fuming. She had never felt so angry with her father…
* * *
Late that night, after making love for the second time, Renee lay in her husband's arms, " Maybe you reconsider," she mused.
" Reconsider what?" Raph asked lazily as he stroked her back.
" About limiting Megan's visits to Splintronics. She needs all the experience she can get if she wants to be accepted into Science at college. It will help her get the credit she needs."
" But Don deals with electronics and she likes Marine Biology doesn't she?" Raph asked, gritting his teeth, trying not to get himself worked up.
" Yes, but-"
" No buts about it. We need her at home." Raph said, " Discussion is closed." He rolled over and switched off the light, " Good night."
On Monday morning, Megan left for school without even talking to her dad. Why should she? She was giving him the silent treatment and he hated that-and they both knew it.
I'm going to make him suffer, Megan thought as she rode her bike to school. I'm not usually so vindictive, but he has really made me mad! She parked her bike and saw her cousin Sarah who was Uncle Donatello's eldest child-and a brat. She was sixteen but sometimes acted as if she was thirteen. She and Megan had nothing in common.
" Hey Megan," Sarah drawled, flipping her long blonde hair over her shoulder.
" Hi," Megan muttered trying to get inside but Sarah was blocking her way.
" So, you going to the lab again?"
" What's it to you?" Megan asked defiantly. She knew that Sarah was jealous of the close relationship between Megan and her father-it was something she did not share with him and it drove her crazy.
" I don't know…I thought I might come along too." Sarah told her and Megan almost laughed. Sarah had zero interest in what her father does for a living. She kept saying that because she was rich, why need to work?
" I don't know Sarah, we're going to be doing something pretty boring today. Why don't you go to the mall with those bimbo friends of yours?"
Sarah's brown eyes blazed with anger, " They aren't bimbos, they are a whole lot better than those nerds you hang around with!"
" Well, at least they have brains," Megan snapped, " Everyone knows that Celine Harold is flunking tenth grade."
" You keep Celine out of this," Sarah warned. Celine was the second richest girl in the school and even a bigger pain that Sarah. Celine also happened to be Sarah's best friend.
Megan smiled suddenly, " You know that you're only rich because your father is a millionaire. Without his money, you'd be like the rest of us."
Sarah glared hatefully at Megan, " At least Daddy is generous. He gave your dad some of his fortune to make your lives easier. I don't see why he had to do that."
" Because unlike his daughter, Uncle Don is kind and caring." Megan said and at that moment the bell went off, " He's everything you're not." Then she pushed past her cousin and went to her first class, English.
" Hey Megan," one of her friends Jeremy White grinned at her and she blushed. For the past few months, she had been seeing Jeremy in a whole new light. He was cute with wavy blonde hair and big green eyes. They have known each other since the eighth grade when they were on the debating team together. They have been pals ever since.
" My cousin is such a brat," Megan told Jeremy as they sat down next to each other at the back of the room, " I'm glad we're in different grades."
" Her best friend Celine is flunking high school," Jeremy told her.
" I know." Megan nodded, " everyone in school knows that thanks to the school gossip."
Jeremy made a face, " I cannot stand Rachel! She thinks she's so above everybody and is always dissing the mutants."
Megan frowned, " I know…but I've gotten used to that." The teacher arrived and Megan was thankful for the interruption. She hated it when anyone insulted the mutants. She knew her grandfather was always rallying against them, but there was nothing she could about it.
You have more important things to think about. Like your mother. She reminded herself and she suddenly burst into tears.
Everyone stared at her.
" What's wrong?" Jeremy asked in concern.
Megan shook her head, stood up and fled from the classroom.
Megan sent a text message to Uncle Don after dinner asking him to call her. Several minutes later, her cell phone started ringing.
" Megan? Are you okay?"
" No…Dad's such a jerk sometimes," she replied.
" What has he done?"
" He's banned me from going to the lab." Megan grouched.
" Banned you?" Don repeated.
" Yes, I can only go once a week instead of three times a week."
" Maybe it would help if I talk to him," Don suggested.
" I doubt it, he's very stubborn," Megan sighed.
" Well, coming here once a week is better than nothing," Don said trying to sound optimistic.
" But you were going to show me how Discmans were made next week," Megan reminded him.
" You still can," Don assured her, " I'll make sure my product team will be available on the day…when are you coming?"
" Monday afternoon after school I guess."
" Okay…why did he restrict your visits?"
" We're having a…family crisis." Megan thought it wasn't her place to tell Don-not just yet anyway.
" I hope it gets sorted out. Listen, I have to go, but call me if you need to talk."
" I will, see you Monday," they said goodbye.
Megan threw herself onto her bed, fuming. She had never felt so angry with her father…
* * *
Late that night, after making love for the second time, Renee lay in her husband's arms, " Maybe you reconsider," she mused.
" Reconsider what?" Raph asked lazily as he stroked her back.
" About limiting Megan's visits to Splintronics. She needs all the experience she can get if she wants to be accepted into Science at college. It will help her get the credit she needs."
" But Don deals with electronics and she likes Marine Biology doesn't she?" Raph asked, gritting his teeth, trying not to get himself worked up.
" Yes, but-"
" No buts about it. We need her at home." Raph said, " Discussion is closed." He rolled over and switched off the light, " Good night."
On Monday morning, Megan left for school without even talking to her dad. Why should she? She was giving him the silent treatment and he hated that-and they both knew it.
I'm going to make him suffer, Megan thought as she rode her bike to school. I'm not usually so vindictive, but he has really made me mad! She parked her bike and saw her cousin Sarah who was Uncle Donatello's eldest child-and a brat. She was sixteen but sometimes acted as if she was thirteen. She and Megan had nothing in common.
" Hey Megan," Sarah drawled, flipping her long blonde hair over her shoulder.
" Hi," Megan muttered trying to get inside but Sarah was blocking her way.
" So, you going to the lab again?"
" What's it to you?" Megan asked defiantly. She knew that Sarah was jealous of the close relationship between Megan and her father-it was something she did not share with him and it drove her crazy.
" I don't know…I thought I might come along too." Sarah told her and Megan almost laughed. Sarah had zero interest in what her father does for a living. She kept saying that because she was rich, why need to work?
" I don't know Sarah, we're going to be doing something pretty boring today. Why don't you go to the mall with those bimbo friends of yours?"
Sarah's brown eyes blazed with anger, " They aren't bimbos, they are a whole lot better than those nerds you hang around with!"
" Well, at least they have brains," Megan snapped, " Everyone knows that Celine Harold is flunking tenth grade."
" You keep Celine out of this," Sarah warned. Celine was the second richest girl in the school and even a bigger pain that Sarah. Celine also happened to be Sarah's best friend.
Megan smiled suddenly, " You know that you're only rich because your father is a millionaire. Without his money, you'd be like the rest of us."
Sarah glared hatefully at Megan, " At least Daddy is generous. He gave your dad some of his fortune to make your lives easier. I don't see why he had to do that."
" Because unlike his daughter, Uncle Don is kind and caring." Megan said and at that moment the bell went off, " He's everything you're not." Then she pushed past her cousin and went to her first class, English.
" Hey Megan," one of her friends Jeremy White grinned at her and she blushed. For the past few months, she had been seeing Jeremy in a whole new light. He was cute with wavy blonde hair and big green eyes. They have known each other since the eighth grade when they were on the debating team together. They have been pals ever since.
" My cousin is such a brat," Megan told Jeremy as they sat down next to each other at the back of the room, " I'm glad we're in different grades."
" Her best friend Celine is flunking high school," Jeremy told her.
" I know." Megan nodded, " everyone in school knows that thanks to the school gossip."
Jeremy made a face, " I cannot stand Rachel! She thinks she's so above everybody and is always dissing the mutants."
Megan frowned, " I know…but I've gotten used to that." The teacher arrived and Megan was thankful for the interruption. She hated it when anyone insulted the mutants. She knew her grandfather was always rallying against them, but there was nothing she could about it.
You have more important things to think about. Like your mother. She reminded herself and she suddenly burst into tears.
Everyone stared at her.
" What's wrong?" Jeremy asked in concern.
Megan shook her head, stood up and fled from the classroom.