Chapter 10 - Vicky to the Rescue?!
(...Timmy's bedroom...moments later...)
The young man lays on his bed, hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling. Add to this homework, dragging himself down to dinner, calling Tootie and going to sleep and you'd have what was pretty much Timmy's post-school routine since the break-up. He allows a huge sigh from his lips.
A knock at his door does nothing to rouse him.
"Timmy? Can I come in?"
He offers a shrug in response.
"I'm going to take your silence as a 'yes'." The door opens and in walks Mrs. Turner. She takes a seat at the edge of her son's bed.
"So, tell me what's wrong."
Timmy turns over and mumbles something incoherently into his pillow.
"What's that?"
Another grunt.
"Now, Timmy, we're never going to get anywhere if your face is toward a pillow and not a person."
Begrudgingly, the senior sits up on his bed.
"Fine. A month ago, I started going out with Tootie, then we had this fight. I tried to explain myself, but she wouldn't listen to me." He looks to his mother, who has a smile on her face. "Why are you smiling?"
"Sorry, but, well, I kind of had a feeling that you and her would get together."
"Too bad it wasn't meant to be."
"You don't know that. Maybe it was." Her tone shifts from concerned to accusatory. "Wait, why am I only finding about this now?"
Timmy rubs the back of his neck. "Well, you and Dad haven't exactly, you know..." He puts up his fingers and makes air quotes for emphasis. "...'been there' for me. I doubt you'd have been able to help me."
"Oh, Timmy." She hugs him. "I know your father and I have been pretty...selfish over the years. There's no excuse for it, but, remember: you're our son and no matter what happens, we will always love you."
A tear falls down Timmy's cheek as he returns the hug. "I'll always love you, too."
The two of them wipe their eyes. "I know you'll make the right choices." Mrs. Turner gets up. "Dinner's in five minutes." She walks to the door, but stops and turns. "Have you tried explaining yourself since then?"
"Yeah. I called her every night, but she never answers."
"Did you try going to her house? She's just up the street." Mrs. Turner disappears behind the door and closes it.
"You know, if I wasn't a 'C' student, I'd have thought of that weeks ago", Timmy states to no one in particular.
At that moment, the phone rings. Timmy picks it up.
"Hello?"
"It's a nice night tonight, don't you think?", intones a feminine voice with a vaguely French accent.
He looks outside his window.
"Yeah, it's all right."
"It'd be even nicer in the park."
"I bet it would."
"You don't have to bet. You can experience it for yourself."
"Why would I want to do that?"
"'Cause your girlfriend's here. Don't you want to see her?"
The receiver drops on Timmy's end and he rushes out of his room.
"Bye, Mom! Bye, Dad!"
(...another house...)
"Goin' to the park!"
A dainty hand hangs up the phone. The hand belongs to, of all people, Vicky.
"Hey! Get dressed! We're going to the park", she shouts up the stairs.
(...the park...15 minutes later...)
Timmy sits on a bench which gives him a great view of the sun sinking into the horizon. He looks around the area and finds joggers, dog-walkers, little kids - everyone but who he seeks.
A car stops in front of the park and out of it step Vicky and Tootie. The sisters walk down the cobblestone path.
"...broke us up?! I can't believe you would do something like that...and I can't believe I just said that."
"It seemed like a good idea at the time."
"Also, I can't believe that that...witch Trixie is getting away with it."
"Well, I wouldn't exactly say 'getting away with it'.
(...the Tang's living room...)
Trixie waltzes in where her father sits waiting.
"Hello, daddy."
Without even looking, she hands him the papers from her backpack.
"I think you will be quite surprised." The rich girl walks out.
He glares at the red-scarred documents and stands to his feet.
"Trixana, I'd like a word with you."
She stops dead, a shocked look on her face.
(...the park...)
"Why are we even here?"
"What? Can't I do something nice for you?"
"I think you've made it clear that you don't have it in you to be nice."
"That's what you assume", the redhead mutters under her breath.
Tootie's eyes catch sight of the back of Timmy's head at a bench. She stops walking. A couple steps ahead, Vicky notices her petrified sister.
"What's wrong?"
"There he is."
Vicky squints her eyes. "Who?"
"Timmy!" Tootie points him out.
"Oh. What could he be doing here?"
Without a word, the brunette nervously approaches her ex-boyfriend. She sits on the edge of the bench.
Timmy does a double take at seeing Tootie. The high-schoolers face each other. They move their lips to try and say something, but they can't get anything out, until...
"I'm sorry!", Tootie blurts out. "I should've tried to listen to you."
"No. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been hanging around with Trixie."
"That is true. What could you have been thinking?"
"Geez. Way to ruin my apology with the truth."
They both laugh.
"I really missed you."
"Same here."
The two of them celebrate their reconciliation with a hug and a kiss.
"I love you, Timmy."
"I love you too, Tootie."
The two of them face the sunset, which turns the sky a gorgeous magenta and yellow.
Vicky stands behind a tree and looks at her sister, a half-smile on her face. She pulls out her cell phone and dials.
(...Trixie's bedroom...)
The rich girl sits on her bed looking very grim. Her cell phone rings. She presses a couple of buttons.
"Hello?"
"Hey, how's it going?", Vicky cheerfully inquires.
"Terrible. Daddy went ballistic."
"Well, didn't you give him the papers?"
"I did, but they weren't the new ones. They were the originals."
"Gee, I can't imagine how that happened."
Trixie takes a moment to put two and two together. Her eyes widen. "It was you!"
"I could continue this charade all day, but my battery's running low. Yes, it was me."
"But why?! We're supposed to be sisters!"
"I have a sister, and no one messes with her but me."
"I can't believe you!"
"Believe it, richie."
The phone beeps, signifying the end of the call.