Chapter 5: Sisterly Chat!
FOUR DAYS LATER!
Brittany and Jeanette managed to take some time and spend it at the hair salon to receive a well-deserved hair cut and perm. This also gives the two of them time to catch up with their girl chat, something that recently has become quite rare. Unfortunately, Eleanor could not be there. She is still in Seattle taking the Chief's course, so this little outing didn't feel complete. But Jeanette and Brittany would make the best of it anyway.
"S-s-so Brittany, how are your courses coming along?" Jeanette asked as her sister sat next to her. Brittany's hairdresser had just finished putting in the first stage of her highlights and left her, so the colour could set itself a bit before checking how they would turn out.
Brittany cocked her head off to the side and smiled to her sister. "Oh, it's going just swimmingly. Just the other day the teacher complemented me on how well I'm accomplishing in the course." She said with a snobbish laugh.
"Ah-huh." Jeanette said with a raised eyebrow. Somehow, she knew her sister wasn't telling her the truth.
Brittany realized that her story was not fooling her sister, so she let out a sigh of defeat. "Alright, I'm failing accounting. Like I'll ever need to know that in my life." She rolled her eyes skyward.
"Brittany, accounting is a helpful thing to know. You will be able to work on your yearly taxes and stuff."
"Oh please, Jeanette!" Brittany scoffed. "With all the money Alvin and I will be making during our tour I'll just hire an accountant to figure out my taxes for me."
"Oh, Brittany." Jeanette sighed. "If you needed my help with your homework, why don't just ask me? You know I'm here for you."
"Well, I would have, but you things have been so chaotic this past few years. You with your family, and Eleanor going off to Seattle."
"I know, Brittany."
"I was going to ask you a few weeks ago, but you looked so tired that I just didn't feel it should be right." Brittany paused for a bit then started to give a little glare. "On all out honesty, I don't think that *husband* of yours is helping much at all."
".Brittany I wish you would leave Simon alone!" Jeanette said as she rolled her eyes skyward.
"I only say that, because I'm worried about you, Jeanette!" Brittany said in defiance. "He's has been known to do some pretty crazy things, you know."
"Do you have to put Simon down because of his past?"
"People can't change that quickly! And Simon shouldn't be an exception! No matter how good any counsellor can be!"
"Just because you and Alvin get to graduate from your two year courses in Collage soon, doesn't mean you could assume anything bad from Simon. He has done some really important thing the past few years and he's really good with the kids. He's even refused to have any more interviews from reporters especially about his book and him witnessing the events on the Island so he could spend more time with them. And not to mention the hard work he puts in and sacrificing his own dreams in going to Collage and University to study in becoming an inventor. It didn't even bother him when the lawyers said that he could not produce that mouth cream he enhanced for teething infants due to copyright protection on some of the products."
"Still nothing is going to change the fact that he could still be." Brittany paused to see if anyone was in earshot. ".Suicidal!" She whispered harshly.
"He's over that! Ever since our children were born he has something to live for. A-a-and for your information, I'm very proud of Simon's achievements in becoming a better person after his nasty kidnapped experience!"
"And what about this stranger he suddenly decided to let in the house!" Brittany firmly asked.
"Rob is no stranger! He's a good friend of Simon's from the Island, and it was a family decision to let him stay."
"Dave and Alvin don't disapprove of this guy?"
"No! In fact they find him interesting to talk to. He knows a lot, and he remembers more everyday."
"How do *you* feel about this guy?"
"I think he's alright! The kids seem to like him. As long as he is willing to look after the kids while he stays, I have nothing bad to say about him."
Brittany had her suspicions with the way Jeanette said that and began staring at her leeringly with her eyebrow raised.
"Jeanette.?" She said with a stern voice. "Are you sure that there isn't anything wrong.?"
"We, it's just that Rob has gone through a lot in his life, even more so than Simon. I just feel bad for him, a-a-and want to do the best I can to help him out."
Brittany shakes her head in disbelieve. "Jeanette, you have to stop feeling compassion for everyone that you meet. One of these days you're going to get hurt." She says out of concern.
"I can't help it, Brittany. That's just how I am. I believe that everyone should deserve a chance."
Brittany hung her head for a bit in defeat, then looks up at her sister again. "Jeanette, I'm sorry for being so hard on you! I just miss you and Ellie so much!" She sighed.
"Brittany, I visit you and Miss. Miller everyday! How could you say that?"
"Well, we spent all our childhood together and nothing ever separated us but ever since we graduated from high school, our togetherness kind of faded. I mean your married now and have three kids, and Eleanor is in Seattle attending a chiefs' course with Theodore. How could I not say that?"
"Oh Brittany, I'm really going to miss you when you and Alvin go on your world tour."
"I wish you and Ellie could come too."
"I know, but both Eleanor and Theodore have their dreams to becoming chiefs in their own restaurants after they graduate. And Simon and myself will soon be returning to Collage to finish our degrees."
"Yeah, but still I'm going to miss the two of you."
"I'm going to miss you too, Brittany."
For the next few minutes, the two sisters didn't say anything more. The life they once lived as children no longer exists. All that is left for them is the future. Jeanette thought for a moment and with a smile, she turns to Brittany.
"Uh, so, when do you think Alvin will pop 'the question'?"
With a bashful grin, Brittany replies, "I don't know. But you know Alvin, he's always got some hair-brained scheme cooking inside his head."
Both Brittany and Jeanette began bursting out in a fit of giggles.
After they finished getting their hair done, the two sisters wondered around the mall for another hour to do some shopping before heading home.
FOUR DAYS LATER!
Brittany and Jeanette managed to take some time and spend it at the hair salon to receive a well-deserved hair cut and perm. This also gives the two of them time to catch up with their girl chat, something that recently has become quite rare. Unfortunately, Eleanor could not be there. She is still in Seattle taking the Chief's course, so this little outing didn't feel complete. But Jeanette and Brittany would make the best of it anyway.
"S-s-so Brittany, how are your courses coming along?" Jeanette asked as her sister sat next to her. Brittany's hairdresser had just finished putting in the first stage of her highlights and left her, so the colour could set itself a bit before checking how they would turn out.
Brittany cocked her head off to the side and smiled to her sister. "Oh, it's going just swimmingly. Just the other day the teacher complemented me on how well I'm accomplishing in the course." She said with a snobbish laugh.
"Ah-huh." Jeanette said with a raised eyebrow. Somehow, she knew her sister wasn't telling her the truth.
Brittany realized that her story was not fooling her sister, so she let out a sigh of defeat. "Alright, I'm failing accounting. Like I'll ever need to know that in my life." She rolled her eyes skyward.
"Brittany, accounting is a helpful thing to know. You will be able to work on your yearly taxes and stuff."
"Oh please, Jeanette!" Brittany scoffed. "With all the money Alvin and I will be making during our tour I'll just hire an accountant to figure out my taxes for me."
"Oh, Brittany." Jeanette sighed. "If you needed my help with your homework, why don't just ask me? You know I'm here for you."
"Well, I would have, but you things have been so chaotic this past few years. You with your family, and Eleanor going off to Seattle."
"I know, Brittany."
"I was going to ask you a few weeks ago, but you looked so tired that I just didn't feel it should be right." Brittany paused for a bit then started to give a little glare. "On all out honesty, I don't think that *husband* of yours is helping much at all."
".Brittany I wish you would leave Simon alone!" Jeanette said as she rolled her eyes skyward.
"I only say that, because I'm worried about you, Jeanette!" Brittany said in defiance. "He's has been known to do some pretty crazy things, you know."
"Do you have to put Simon down because of his past?"
"People can't change that quickly! And Simon shouldn't be an exception! No matter how good any counsellor can be!"
"Just because you and Alvin get to graduate from your two year courses in Collage soon, doesn't mean you could assume anything bad from Simon. He has done some really important thing the past few years and he's really good with the kids. He's even refused to have any more interviews from reporters especially about his book and him witnessing the events on the Island so he could spend more time with them. And not to mention the hard work he puts in and sacrificing his own dreams in going to Collage and University to study in becoming an inventor. It didn't even bother him when the lawyers said that he could not produce that mouth cream he enhanced for teething infants due to copyright protection on some of the products."
"Still nothing is going to change the fact that he could still be." Brittany paused to see if anyone was in earshot. ".Suicidal!" She whispered harshly.
"He's over that! Ever since our children were born he has something to live for. A-a-and for your information, I'm very proud of Simon's achievements in becoming a better person after his nasty kidnapped experience!"
"And what about this stranger he suddenly decided to let in the house!" Brittany firmly asked.
"Rob is no stranger! He's a good friend of Simon's from the Island, and it was a family decision to let him stay."
"Dave and Alvin don't disapprove of this guy?"
"No! In fact they find him interesting to talk to. He knows a lot, and he remembers more everyday."
"How do *you* feel about this guy?"
"I think he's alright! The kids seem to like him. As long as he is willing to look after the kids while he stays, I have nothing bad to say about him."
Brittany had her suspicions with the way Jeanette said that and began staring at her leeringly with her eyebrow raised.
"Jeanette.?" She said with a stern voice. "Are you sure that there isn't anything wrong.?"
"We, it's just that Rob has gone through a lot in his life, even more so than Simon. I just feel bad for him, a-a-and want to do the best I can to help him out."
Brittany shakes her head in disbelieve. "Jeanette, you have to stop feeling compassion for everyone that you meet. One of these days you're going to get hurt." She says out of concern.
"I can't help it, Brittany. That's just how I am. I believe that everyone should deserve a chance."
Brittany hung her head for a bit in defeat, then looks up at her sister again. "Jeanette, I'm sorry for being so hard on you! I just miss you and Ellie so much!" She sighed.
"Brittany, I visit you and Miss. Miller everyday! How could you say that?"
"Well, we spent all our childhood together and nothing ever separated us but ever since we graduated from high school, our togetherness kind of faded. I mean your married now and have three kids, and Eleanor is in Seattle attending a chiefs' course with Theodore. How could I not say that?"
"Oh Brittany, I'm really going to miss you when you and Alvin go on your world tour."
"I wish you and Ellie could come too."
"I know, but both Eleanor and Theodore have their dreams to becoming chiefs in their own restaurants after they graduate. And Simon and myself will soon be returning to Collage to finish our degrees."
"Yeah, but still I'm going to miss the two of you."
"I'm going to miss you too, Brittany."
For the next few minutes, the two sisters didn't say anything more. The life they once lived as children no longer exists. All that is left for them is the future. Jeanette thought for a moment and with a smile, she turns to Brittany.
"Uh, so, when do you think Alvin will pop 'the question'?"
With a bashful grin, Brittany replies, "I don't know. But you know Alvin, he's always got some hair-brained scheme cooking inside his head."
Both Brittany and Jeanette began bursting out in a fit of giggles.
After they finished getting their hair done, the two sisters wondered around the mall for another hour to do some shopping before heading home.