Ahhh… another chapter! Thank you for the reviews. Hmm… dark? Perhaps if I get into one of my "I'm going to kill the main charter moods" but that isn't likely at least not for a little while. Anyway enjoy and leave a review if you please. To avoid confusion Anna is in eighth grade, but she attends a private school so all the grades are in one school.
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Anna was sprawled out on the floor of the hotel reading the new issue of Cosmo. She had picked it up at a newsstand on her way home from school. She was intrigued after seeing one confiscated for two sophomore girls during her advanced art class. From what she had read so far, it was probably something she shouldn't be reading.
She became engrossed and lost track of time.
"Anna, have you finished packing?" Abby called from the hallway.
Anna tossed the magazine under the bed just as Abby opened the door.
"It doesn't even look like you have begun," Abby commented.
"Sorry, I fell asleep," Anna said trying to sound earnest.
"Perhaps you shouldn't stay up watching TV half the night anymore," Abby told her.
Anna rolled her eyes and pulled her suitcase out of the closet. She took her school uniforms of the hangers and folded them neatly.
"Let me know when your finished. I may need your help with the kids," Abby told her before leaving the room.
Anna grabbed a handful of clothes and shoved them into the suitcase. She retrieved a second suitcase and stuffed it with the rest of her clothes. In the few weeks, they had been at the hotel she had accumulated clothes and not much else. There were a few books sitting on the night stand. Anna realized she was going to have to entertain the rugrats if she didn't find something constructive to do.
Anna began packing Molly's clothes. She noticed there were toys scattered about the room and began collecting those as well. After the bedroom was clean, she collected the toys from the other rooms in the suite.
Abby spotted her as she was returning from the living room. "Are you finished?" she asked.
"Oh yeah and I am almost done with Molly's stuff too," Anna told her.
"Finished," Abby corrected.
"Mom, stop I have had more than enough school today. I don't need you correcting my grammar," Anna complained.
"We may be able to leave tonight in that case," Abby said. "If John is home on time, we should be able to leave by seven."
"Is there furniture?" Anna questioned.
"It was delivered this morning. I believe there was a little trouble trying to put someone's new king size bed in the attic," Abby commented.
"So I am really going to able to sleep in the attic?" Anna asked.
"Yes, the owners already had wired the for electricity. It just needed to be turned on," Abby told her.
"It is going to so much fun having the attic to myself," Anna stated.
"We'll see about that," John told her.
"When did you sneak in?" Abby asked.
"Just now," he responded.
"Daddy," Molly yelled running up to give him a hug.
"I received a telephone call this afternoon informing me that Smiley was ready to be taken home," he told her.
"But Smiley doesn't have a home," Molly said.
"He does now," Carter told her.
"With who?" Molly asked.
"Us silly," he said tapping her nose.
Molly thought it over and still was a little confused, but she was happy they were keeping Smiley. She ran to go tell Ethan and Landon.
"I thought we could check out tonight. Everything is packed except for some of your things," Abby said.
"Is that a hint?" he questioned.
"Yes, I want my own room again," Anna told him.
"Well, if Anna wants to than I guess it is all right," he joked.
Anna just looked at him and walked away.
Less than an hour later, Carter was helping the bellman load the suitcases on to a luggage cart. Ethan and Landon were having a sword fight with candle sticks with Anna and Molly watching.
"I'll check all the rooms one last time," Abby told Carter.
She returned with a magazine in her hand. She walked over to Anna.
"I believe this is yours," Abby said handing her the Cosmo.
Anna took it not sure what to say or do.
"If you are going to read that garbage don't leave it where the boys could it," Abby told her quietly.
Anna tucked the magazine into her bag.
"What was that about?" Carter asked as Abby approached him.
"Anna left her issue of Cosmo under the bed," Abby stated.
"Oh," he said. "Wait doesn't that magazine talk about…" he started to continue.
"Yes," Abby said before he was able to finish.
"Should she be reading that?" he questioned.
"Probably not, but if I tell her that she'll only want to read it more," Abby explained. "Ethan, Landon, put the candles down. Anna grab your fish, and we are out of here."
Carter's car was filled with suitcases so only Landon rode with him. Abby, Anna, Ethan, and Landon waited for the valet to bring Abby's car out of the parking garage.
"How long do we have to stay in that other house?" Landon asked his father.
"Just until ours is fixed up," Carter replied.
"So we aren't going to have to go anywhere else?" Landon questioned.
"No. Landon, what is this about?" Carter asked.
"Well, I just want to stay in one place," Landon explained.
"After this we will I promise," Carter told him.
A few hours later, Anna flopped down onto her bed. This is the life she thought. Maybe tomorrow she would fake sick so she could decorate her new room instead of sitting through school.
The next morning Carter was setting a plate of pancakes on the table when Anna came down stairs to begin her too sick for school performance. She sat down at the table and did nothing.
"Would you like some pancakes?" he offered.
She shook her head and continued to sit at the table doing nothing.
Abby entered to room a few moments later and began eating breakfast.
"Anna, do you want me to make you something else?" Abby asked.
Anna shook her head and continued to sit. She had this down to an art form.
"You need to eat something," Abby told her.
Anna stood up slowly and walked across the room she took a bowl out of the cupboard and placed it on the counter. She took the box of cereal and began to pour slowly but not carefully. Cereal bounced onto the counter and the floor.
"Anna, what are you doing?" Abby asked.
Anna pretended not to hear and continued to pour.
John walked into the room and took the box out of Anna's hand. She looked up at him and started to cry.
"Sweetie, what is the matter?" Abby asked.
"I don't feel well," Anna moaned.
Anna then tired to clean up the cereal that was on the floor.
"Don't," Abby told her. "Just go back bed."
Anna started to shuffle out of the room when Abby said, "No, I don't want you climbing all those stairs. I want you to go to my room."
Anna nodded and walked down the hall to Abby and John's room.
Carter was wiping the cereal on the counter into the sink.
"One of us is going to have to call in," she told him.
"I'm not sure how Kerry will take that," he commented.
"She'll understand she has a son," Abby stated.
"Which one of us?" he asked.
"You. I did it last time," she told him.
"Are you sure?" he questioned.
"Carter, you are such a nerd. You aren't going to get a gold star if you have perfect attendance," Abby teased. "I'll stay if you want me too."
"No, I will, but you'll need to drop the boys off at school," he told her.
"Done," Abby told him before going to wake the other children.
~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~
Anna was sprawled out on the floor of the hotel reading the new issue of Cosmo. She had picked it up at a newsstand on her way home from school. She was intrigued after seeing one confiscated for two sophomore girls during her advanced art class. From what she had read so far, it was probably something she shouldn't be reading.
She became engrossed and lost track of time.
"Anna, have you finished packing?" Abby called from the hallway.
Anna tossed the magazine under the bed just as Abby opened the door.
"It doesn't even look like you have begun," Abby commented.
"Sorry, I fell asleep," Anna said trying to sound earnest.
"Perhaps you shouldn't stay up watching TV half the night anymore," Abby told her.
Anna rolled her eyes and pulled her suitcase out of the closet. She took her school uniforms of the hangers and folded them neatly.
"Let me know when your finished. I may need your help with the kids," Abby told her before leaving the room.
Anna grabbed a handful of clothes and shoved them into the suitcase. She retrieved a second suitcase and stuffed it with the rest of her clothes. In the few weeks, they had been at the hotel she had accumulated clothes and not much else. There were a few books sitting on the night stand. Anna realized she was going to have to entertain the rugrats if she didn't find something constructive to do.
Anna began packing Molly's clothes. She noticed there were toys scattered about the room and began collecting those as well. After the bedroom was clean, she collected the toys from the other rooms in the suite.
Abby spotted her as she was returning from the living room. "Are you finished?" she asked.
"Oh yeah and I am almost done with Molly's stuff too," Anna told her.
"Finished," Abby corrected.
"Mom, stop I have had more than enough school today. I don't need you correcting my grammar," Anna complained.
"We may be able to leave tonight in that case," Abby said. "If John is home on time, we should be able to leave by seven."
"Is there furniture?" Anna questioned.
"It was delivered this morning. I believe there was a little trouble trying to put someone's new king size bed in the attic," Abby commented.
"So I am really going to able to sleep in the attic?" Anna asked.
"Yes, the owners already had wired the for electricity. It just needed to be turned on," Abby told her.
"It is going to so much fun having the attic to myself," Anna stated.
"We'll see about that," John told her.
"When did you sneak in?" Abby asked.
"Just now," he responded.
"Daddy," Molly yelled running up to give him a hug.
"I received a telephone call this afternoon informing me that Smiley was ready to be taken home," he told her.
"But Smiley doesn't have a home," Molly said.
"He does now," Carter told her.
"With who?" Molly asked.
"Us silly," he said tapping her nose.
Molly thought it over and still was a little confused, but she was happy they were keeping Smiley. She ran to go tell Ethan and Landon.
"I thought we could check out tonight. Everything is packed except for some of your things," Abby said.
"Is that a hint?" he questioned.
"Yes, I want my own room again," Anna told him.
"Well, if Anna wants to than I guess it is all right," he joked.
Anna just looked at him and walked away.
Less than an hour later, Carter was helping the bellman load the suitcases on to a luggage cart. Ethan and Landon were having a sword fight with candle sticks with Anna and Molly watching.
"I'll check all the rooms one last time," Abby told Carter.
She returned with a magazine in her hand. She walked over to Anna.
"I believe this is yours," Abby said handing her the Cosmo.
Anna took it not sure what to say or do.
"If you are going to read that garbage don't leave it where the boys could it," Abby told her quietly.
Anna tucked the magazine into her bag.
"What was that about?" Carter asked as Abby approached him.
"Anna left her issue of Cosmo under the bed," Abby stated.
"Oh," he said. "Wait doesn't that magazine talk about…" he started to continue.
"Yes," Abby said before he was able to finish.
"Should she be reading that?" he questioned.
"Probably not, but if I tell her that she'll only want to read it more," Abby explained. "Ethan, Landon, put the candles down. Anna grab your fish, and we are out of here."
Carter's car was filled with suitcases so only Landon rode with him. Abby, Anna, Ethan, and Landon waited for the valet to bring Abby's car out of the parking garage.
"How long do we have to stay in that other house?" Landon asked his father.
"Just until ours is fixed up," Carter replied.
"So we aren't going to have to go anywhere else?" Landon questioned.
"No. Landon, what is this about?" Carter asked.
"Well, I just want to stay in one place," Landon explained.
"After this we will I promise," Carter told him.
A few hours later, Anna flopped down onto her bed. This is the life she thought. Maybe tomorrow she would fake sick so she could decorate her new room instead of sitting through school.
The next morning Carter was setting a plate of pancakes on the table when Anna came down stairs to begin her too sick for school performance. She sat down at the table and did nothing.
"Would you like some pancakes?" he offered.
She shook her head and continued to sit at the table doing nothing.
Abby entered to room a few moments later and began eating breakfast.
"Anna, do you want me to make you something else?" Abby asked.
Anna shook her head and continued to sit. She had this down to an art form.
"You need to eat something," Abby told her.
Anna stood up slowly and walked across the room she took a bowl out of the cupboard and placed it on the counter. She took the box of cereal and began to pour slowly but not carefully. Cereal bounced onto the counter and the floor.
"Anna, what are you doing?" Abby asked.
Anna pretended not to hear and continued to pour.
John walked into the room and took the box out of Anna's hand. She looked up at him and started to cry.
"Sweetie, what is the matter?" Abby asked.
"I don't feel well," Anna moaned.
Anna then tired to clean up the cereal that was on the floor.
"Don't," Abby told her. "Just go back bed."
Anna started to shuffle out of the room when Abby said, "No, I don't want you climbing all those stairs. I want you to go to my room."
Anna nodded and walked down the hall to Abby and John's room.
Carter was wiping the cereal on the counter into the sink.
"One of us is going to have to call in," she told him.
"I'm not sure how Kerry will take that," he commented.
"She'll understand she has a son," Abby stated.
"Which one of us?" he asked.
"You. I did it last time," she told him.
"Are you sure?" he questioned.
"Carter, you are such a nerd. You aren't going to get a gold star if you have perfect attendance," Abby teased. "I'll stay if you want me too."
"No, I will, but you'll need to drop the boys off at school," he told her.
"Done," Abby told him before going to wake the other children.