It's Been Awhile, Chapter Three
(Explanation: They split the kids up because TC and Chris didn't think they could live with eachother AND Chris was moving to Nevada to explore a job opening. They didn't think it would be fair to make 3 kids go back and forth between states, nor could Chris handle 3 kids at once and it wouldn't be fair to TC to have to take care of 3 kids that were growing up without a mother). Note: don't know of 'Del James, CA' exists.
TC was still asleep when he heard a loud, clattering noise come from the kitchen. He sat straight up. It was one of two things: A) someone had broke in or B) the kids were up to something. And he was figuring B.
"Ashley! Aarit!" he called. Ashley appeared with an all-too-sweet smile. "Hi, daddy," she answered. "Ashley, what are you two doing?" TC asked suspiciously. "Aarit was trying to get a bowl but he couldn't reach so I told him to stand on my shoulders. He did...He got two bowls, and then he was getting down and his arm hit ALL the bowls!" TC sighed and spoke slowly to keep his temper, "Are any broke...Again?" she nodded sheepishly: "Just one." "That's the third one this week, sweetie," he said through clenched teeth. "Sorry." she answered. He shook his head, "Get ready for school."
"What about breakfast?" Ashley whined. "While you get dressed, I'll fix it." Ashley skipped off, "C'mon, Aarit, we have to get dressed." She called and TC had to laugh as Ashley, tall and bulky, ran to her room and a little, blonde 'twig' ran after her.
He got up and stretched before pulling on his uniform. They had moved to a small town outside of Santa Monica--Del James, CA but he was still working where he had been. He trudged into the small kitchen, stumbling for a second over one of Aarit's miniature cars. He poured two bowls of cereal and put them on the mini-bar area. "Hurry up, or we'll be late. Again." TC called to the kids. They ran out. "Aar, what'd I tell you about your car?" TC asked. "Don't leave it out," Aarit answered. "Okay, just checking you knew," TC said, sighing. "Sorry," Aarit said, picked up the car, and threw it into the living room basket that held some of their toys. TC smiled, "It's alright. Just don't leave it out. Someone's gonna break their neck!" he said. Aarit giggled, "Not over a little toy car, daddy," TC laughed. "I'm going to start the car. Remember your backpacks and come outside. Make sure you lock the door," TC called over his shoulder as he walked outside.
He looked longingly at his motorcycle. When Chris left with Aarick, so did his daily rides. Now, it sat under a clear blue tarp to protect it since the garage was packed with un-packed boxes, collecting dust. He had traded the Harley rides with Ford Escort rides.
As he waited for the kids, he remembered something and cursed under his breath. It had been almost three months since he had last written Chris, and promised her that he would send their new address along with Ashley and Aarit's new school photos. He quickly scribbled a note in reminder and then the kids came bouncing out. "Locked?" TC called. Aarit backed up and quickly locked the door before following Ashley, jumping into the backseat.
TC let them out at the school. It was a small school-only two classrooms per grade. "Bye, daddy," Ashley and Aarit chirped. "Bye," he called, "and be GOOD!"
___________________________
Chris stepped out of the car and stretched. They had-finally-arrived at their new home. It was in Del James, CA, almost thirty minutes from where she had once lived with TC. It gave her a good feeling, to be close to 'home' and know that maybe, without TC's knowledge, she could see Corey. It also gave her a weird feeling. What if she ran into TC? What if Russ and Bobby saw her and told TC that his ex was suddenly back in town?
She shook the bad feelings out and looked into the backseat. There, curled up, was little Aarick. "Aarick, sweetie, we're here," she whispered softly and reached in and gave him a little shake. Aarick woke up with a start. "Mom..?" he mumbled and stretched as much as he could in the car. "Yep, we're here," she answered. "That's nice," he said almost incoherently as he fell right back asleep. Chris laughed and reached around, unbuckling his seatbeat and picked him up. "I wanna go back home," he said. "We're home now," she said. "I saw some kids a few minutes ago when I woke up for a bit. They weren't dressed like THIS," he complained, motioning towards his baggy jeans and plain white shirt. "California has a different style than Nevada. And a much better one," she added.
"The house is ugly." he said stubbornly. In truth, it was a beautiful house. It was off-white with brickred shutters and a small, homely porch in the front. It was small, though, but how much room would you need with one woman and a kid? "Oh, Aarick, you'll love it!" Chris said excitedly as she put him down. "No, I won't," he answered.
She shook her head and walked inside. Their furniture had already been delivered, and she had given them a floorpan to say what goes where so all's she had to do was adjust it and unpack. "I wanna see my room," Aarick said. "Down the hall to the left, just past your bathroom." Chris said with a secritive smile. "My OWN bathroom? Wow!" Aarick exclaimed, "can I put it in what I want?" "Probably, I just don't want anything too dark." she answered. "Oh, awesome!" Chris laughed as he danced off and heard his voice shriek, "It's HUGE!" when he entered his room.
"Well you won't be staying up to late today, Aarick, you start school tomorrow, so let's get started, alright?" Chris offered. Aarick's face fell. "Aww, mom, school? We just got here!" he complained. "I know, Aar, but you've missed four days already."
"It's you that wanted to stop by Great-Aunt Peach's house. I don't like her, she pinches my cheek and says how much I've grown and I haven't grown any since I turned eight." Aarick whined.
"Hey, come on, this is OUR day. No whining, deal?" Chris asked. "What do I get out of it?" Aarick demanded. "The joy of knowing I appreciate it." Aarick cringed. "Oh yay," he said sarcastically but started to help anyway.
**review please.**
(Explanation: They split the kids up because TC and Chris didn't think they could live with eachother AND Chris was moving to Nevada to explore a job opening. They didn't think it would be fair to make 3 kids go back and forth between states, nor could Chris handle 3 kids at once and it wouldn't be fair to TC to have to take care of 3 kids that were growing up without a mother). Note: don't know of 'Del James, CA' exists.
TC was still asleep when he heard a loud, clattering noise come from the kitchen. He sat straight up. It was one of two things: A) someone had broke in or B) the kids were up to something. And he was figuring B.
"Ashley! Aarit!" he called. Ashley appeared with an all-too-sweet smile. "Hi, daddy," she answered. "Ashley, what are you two doing?" TC asked suspiciously. "Aarit was trying to get a bowl but he couldn't reach so I told him to stand on my shoulders. He did...He got two bowls, and then he was getting down and his arm hit ALL the bowls!" TC sighed and spoke slowly to keep his temper, "Are any broke...Again?" she nodded sheepishly: "Just one." "That's the third one this week, sweetie," he said through clenched teeth. "Sorry." she answered. He shook his head, "Get ready for school."
"What about breakfast?" Ashley whined. "While you get dressed, I'll fix it." Ashley skipped off, "C'mon, Aarit, we have to get dressed." She called and TC had to laugh as Ashley, tall and bulky, ran to her room and a little, blonde 'twig' ran after her.
He got up and stretched before pulling on his uniform. They had moved to a small town outside of Santa Monica--Del James, CA but he was still working where he had been. He trudged into the small kitchen, stumbling for a second over one of Aarit's miniature cars. He poured two bowls of cereal and put them on the mini-bar area. "Hurry up, or we'll be late. Again." TC called to the kids. They ran out. "Aar, what'd I tell you about your car?" TC asked. "Don't leave it out," Aarit answered. "Okay, just checking you knew," TC said, sighing. "Sorry," Aarit said, picked up the car, and threw it into the living room basket that held some of their toys. TC smiled, "It's alright. Just don't leave it out. Someone's gonna break their neck!" he said. Aarit giggled, "Not over a little toy car, daddy," TC laughed. "I'm going to start the car. Remember your backpacks and come outside. Make sure you lock the door," TC called over his shoulder as he walked outside.
He looked longingly at his motorcycle. When Chris left with Aarick, so did his daily rides. Now, it sat under a clear blue tarp to protect it since the garage was packed with un-packed boxes, collecting dust. He had traded the Harley rides with Ford Escort rides.
As he waited for the kids, he remembered something and cursed under his breath. It had been almost three months since he had last written Chris, and promised her that he would send their new address along with Ashley and Aarit's new school photos. He quickly scribbled a note in reminder and then the kids came bouncing out. "Locked?" TC called. Aarit backed up and quickly locked the door before following Ashley, jumping into the backseat.
TC let them out at the school. It was a small school-only two classrooms per grade. "Bye, daddy," Ashley and Aarit chirped. "Bye," he called, "and be GOOD!"
___________________________
Chris stepped out of the car and stretched. They had-finally-arrived at their new home. It was in Del James, CA, almost thirty minutes from where she had once lived with TC. It gave her a good feeling, to be close to 'home' and know that maybe, without TC's knowledge, she could see Corey. It also gave her a weird feeling. What if she ran into TC? What if Russ and Bobby saw her and told TC that his ex was suddenly back in town?
She shook the bad feelings out and looked into the backseat. There, curled up, was little Aarick. "Aarick, sweetie, we're here," she whispered softly and reached in and gave him a little shake. Aarick woke up with a start. "Mom..?" he mumbled and stretched as much as he could in the car. "Yep, we're here," she answered. "That's nice," he said almost incoherently as he fell right back asleep. Chris laughed and reached around, unbuckling his seatbeat and picked him up. "I wanna go back home," he said. "We're home now," she said. "I saw some kids a few minutes ago when I woke up for a bit. They weren't dressed like THIS," he complained, motioning towards his baggy jeans and plain white shirt. "California has a different style than Nevada. And a much better one," she added.
"The house is ugly." he said stubbornly. In truth, it was a beautiful house. It was off-white with brickred shutters and a small, homely porch in the front. It was small, though, but how much room would you need with one woman and a kid? "Oh, Aarick, you'll love it!" Chris said excitedly as she put him down. "No, I won't," he answered.
She shook her head and walked inside. Their furniture had already been delivered, and she had given them a floorpan to say what goes where so all's she had to do was adjust it and unpack. "I wanna see my room," Aarick said. "Down the hall to the left, just past your bathroom." Chris said with a secritive smile. "My OWN bathroom? Wow!" Aarick exclaimed, "can I put it in what I want?" "Probably, I just don't want anything too dark." she answered. "Oh, awesome!" Chris laughed as he danced off and heard his voice shriek, "It's HUGE!" when he entered his room.
"Well you won't be staying up to late today, Aarick, you start school tomorrow, so let's get started, alright?" Chris offered. Aarick's face fell. "Aww, mom, school? We just got here!" he complained. "I know, Aar, but you've missed four days already."
"It's you that wanted to stop by Great-Aunt Peach's house. I don't like her, she pinches my cheek and says how much I've grown and I haven't grown any since I turned eight." Aarick whined.
"Hey, come on, this is OUR day. No whining, deal?" Chris asked. "What do I get out of it?" Aarick demanded. "The joy of knowing I appreciate it." Aarick cringed. "Oh yay," he said sarcastically but started to help anyway.
**review please.**