Ok here we go again…anyone one who thinks this is even remotely readable please give me the time of day!
The disclaimer still stands (I own nothing and am positive this is all original material, so don't sue me for anything – you won't get anything anyway!)
Here we go chapter 17… Amelia wants to talk to Abby, Abby wants to talk to Amelia, but parental responsibilities get in the way as Abby watches.
******
"Just dump your jacket and stuff, there's beers and wine and soda in the fridge, help yourself, it's just through there." Amelia said pointing towards the kitchen. "Give me just a second with this." She added indicating the general area of the answering machine and the girls.
"Ok." Abby nodded smiling at Amelia who was managing to look annoyed, amused and apologetic all at the same time. She made her way towards the kitchen.
"Can I have some juice?" Imogen asked looking at Amelia.
"Me to." Lauren said quietly
"Abby can you grab them some, there are glasses in the cupboard above the sink." Abby acknowledged the request as she headed through the door. "Stay right there the pair of you." Amelia said, addressing the girls' as she flicked the flashing switch on the answering machine and a haughty voice filled the room.
"Miss Mackenzie, this is the principle of your daughters school, we've spoken before on several occasions as I'm sure you'll recall. I am calling to inform you that Lauren's behavior at school today was unacceptable. As I'm sure Nick Johnson, Imogen's father has informed you, your daughters' pasted a classmate to one of the climbing frames today. I'm afraid that if this unhealthy alliance between Imogen and Lauren continues then we shall have no alternative but to put them into separate classes. I have already revoked all recess privileges for both girls and I'm aware that you and Imogen's father are reluctant to have the girls separated but I have to say that I am most disappointed, I have never had to do this for children of their age before. I require you or your partner and Imogen's father to come to the school for a meeting with myself, and their class teacher, in order to discuss how they are to be disciplined. Goodbye." The voice cut off abruptly as Abby reappeared in the doorway holding two cups of juice and two beers having heard the message, figuring Amelia would probably want one.
"Come here, both of you." Amelia instructed, concern rather than anger in her voice. They obediently walked towards her, the bottoms of Lauren's pajama pants trailing along the floor, their heads still hung. Amelia watched the pair of them approach, both looking guilty, Imogen looked up first, into Amelia's eyes, her little face wracked with apology.
"We didn't mean to get into trouble." She said imploringly.
"Then why did you do it?" Amelia asked looking down at her.
"They don't let us join in with their games." Lauren said looking up now as well.
"I don't want to join in with their stupid games anyway." Imogen said stubbornly.
"Me either." Lauren agreed.
"Who wont let you join in what games?" Amelia frowned, not entirely sure where this was going.
"They play dumb stuff like Mommies and Daddies, stupid games like that, and I'm not aloud to play 'cos Gemma Parker says I don't have a proper family." Imogen explained.
"And I don't want to play if Immo's not playing." Lauren said looking up at Amelia. A pained expression crossed Amelia's face, as she glanced at Abby, who looked equally as sorry for the little girls.
"Imm, did you tell Daddy this?" Amelia said, her brow furrowed, as she knelt down in front of them, and they sat side by side on the low coffee table.
"Yeah, he said that she was dumb for not wanting us to play with them." Imogen replied defiantly.
"You guys have lots of friends though at school." Amelia said still frowning.
"Yeah, but that's why they think we're naughty, 'cause we're not aloud to play the quiet games with all the kids that are good." Lauren explained. "But they won't let us play with them, we were trying to be good Mom, we were." Lauren implored trying to get her mother to accept the fact that the quiet, or mean kids, however you chose to look at them wouldn't let them be involved in their games.
"The good kids are boring though, with their dumb Barbie's and stuff." Imogen continued her defense of their behavior.
"You guys don't have to play with the kids with Barbie's and stuff but that doesn't mean that you're aloud to paste other kids to the monkey bars." Amelia said her concerned frown turning into something of a perplexed, amused one. Knowing that what the girls had done was in fact quite original, and in all honesty quite amusing.
"It was the climbing frame, not the monkey bars." Lauren said quietly.
"Ok, did you hear what Mrs. Evans said?" Amelia sighed looking from one to the other; they nodded their reply. "Do you want to be put into different classes?" She continued, they shook their heads 'no'. "Where did you get the paste and stuff from?" Amelia asked, neither child said anything, so Amelia tried again. "Guys, I'm not really mad but you know that it was a pretty dumb thing to do right?" They both nodded mutely looking at Amelia. "Ok, so where did you get the stuff from?" Amelia asked again. The two girls exchanged glances, before looking back at Amelia, who was waiting patiently for their reply.
"The first grade were making a big paste picture in the yard 'cos it was too big to make it inside and they left it there at recess." Lauren said in a quiet voice.
"Did they tell you not to touch the stuff?" Amelia continued
"They told us not to touch the picture but they never told us that we couldn't play with the other things and we asked Charlie if we could make him a paste man and he said yes." Imogen babbled explaining her reasoning to Amelia, growing slightly more confident of their position.
"Ok, both of you listen to me." Amelia sighed, cutting Imogen off, but managing to reassure her at the same time. "Me and your Dad's have been called to the school so many times now that I think we're probably there more than you guys are." Amelia smiled, from one girl to the next.
"I don't think you are Mom, we're there a lot." Lauren said earnestly.
"We're there a lot too sweetie." Amelia nodded at her. "You two have got to stop doing things that might get you into trouble ok? We want you guys to have fun, but I want you to ask if you can do things before you do them ok, like the water fights, and the circus games, all that stuff has to be saved for home unless they tell you, you can do it." Amelia explained.
"So what can we do at school that is fun?" Lauren asked.
"You can do all the stuff they tell you, you can do, but not the stuff they tell you, you can't, does that make sense?" Amelia tried to explain. They nodded slowly. "There's one more thing that I want you to do." Amelia said looking directly at her daughter, and then to Imogen. "If you ever do something that's going to make the principle call us I want you to tell me or Jas or Nick about it, whoever you see first, even if you think we're gonna get mad, I'd much rather you two told me about it than Mrs. Evans or Mrs. Miller." Amelia finished her lecture, she was sure it was Jasper or Nick's turn to do one of these by now.
"Mrs. Evans is like 'The Trunchbull' from Matilda." Imogen said smiling slightly at Amelia; they shared a conspiratorial grin for a second.
"I don't think you should tell anyone you think that." Amelia said still smiling.
"You think it though don't you?" Lauren said smiling now too.
"Maybe." Amelia said standing up. "We all good?" She asked looking down at the little girls who were craning their necks to look up at her. Amelia held out her hands, one to each girl and they both gave her a low hi-five, indicating that they were indeed 'all good.'
"Can we still go to the playground tomorrow?" Lauren checked.
"Yeah, but there's not going to be any pasting going on." Amelia raised her eyebrows as Lauren giggled, "It's not funny Lo." Amelia said chuckling.
"Then why are you laughing?" Lauren asked reasonably.
"I'm not." Amelia smiled, effectively finishing their conversation. "Sorry." She added turning her attention towards Abby who she accepted had heard the whole conversation. Lauren and Imogen scampered over to her to get the juice Abby had poured.
"Thank you Abby." Lauren smiled up at her as she handed her the glass.
"You're welcome." Abby smiled back, handing the other glass to Imogen, holding one of the beers out towards Amelia, "Figured you'd want one." She smiled.
"Thanks, cheers." She added clinking her bottle against Abby's.
"D'you two want to choose a video?" Amelia said looking down at the girls' skimming around her hip, effectively sending them away, as they both cheered and bolted off towards the TV.
"I'm really sorry." Amelia said shaking her head apologetically.
"What for?" Abby frowned as they headed back into the kitchen.
"All that out there." Amelia laughed, indicating the lounge.
"God, don't worry about it." Abby shook it off.
"Did you have dinner yet?" Amelia asked, Abby shook her head 'no'.
"Takeout ok?" She asked hoping it was, since she had a pretty empty fridge.
"Sounds good." Abby smiled as Amelia dumped a load of menus on the table.
"Where are all these pictures from?" Abby asked pointing at the collage on the kitchen wall, she'd been looking at them before, while Amelia had been attempting to discipline the children.
"The bar I used to work in, in New York." Amelia said turning towards the memories.
"Is that you?" Abby said peering at a picture of Amelia juggling spirit bottles on top of the bar with a guy.
"Where?" Amelia asked, Abby pointed at the picture. "Yeah, that was before Lauren was born I think, that's Nick as well, Imogen's Dad, the guy who was just here." Amelia explained pointing at her juggling partner in the photo. "Pizza or Chinese?" She asked holding out two menus, changing the subject.
"Um, Chinese." Abby decided for them.
"D'you want to order while I get them into bed?" Amelia asked indicating the couch where the two girls were lolling watching a movie, both clearly half asleep, having put the movie on only minutes before.
"Sure, what d'you want?" Abby asked, Amelia put in her request, and grabbed the phone off the wall handing it to Abby. "Are they asleep already?" Abby frowned bending backwards to see the girls, accepting the phone from Amelia.
You have to know the tricks." Amelia smiled back at her, looking over at the pair wrapped under a rug on the couch, "You tell them to put a movie on after half seven and they choose 'Charlie and the chocolate factory.' Invariably they're asleep before the Umpa-lumpa's even make an appearance." Amelia smiled making her way over to them. She picked Imogen, who was the more asleep of the two up, and nudged Lauren.
"Bed time." She whispered as Lauren obediently slid off the couch, and preceded her up the stairs.
"Mommy, we didn't mean to get you told off for the paste man." Lauren whispered her apology sleepily as she climbed the stairs.
"It's ok Lo." Amelia smiled down at her, rubbing her daughters back as she followed her up the stairs, another man's child in her arms.
Ok, I hope you all think this is going ok so far, I've got a fair bit written still to come but I'm looking for some feed back on Amelia as of yet, what do u think of her etc…So if u have the chance send me a review.
Carbybubbles, we're back in the game; I'm looking for you're reviews!! If you're still reading this then tell me what you think of the updates!!
Cheers guys, please review!