Summary: Over the next 3 day weekend (next Fri, Sat, Sun) the Yeerks are hosting a community fair and blood-drive with all proceeds going to the AIDS cure. The problem? The fair is operating at West Sattler Park only a few blocks from Tinly Square, the Industrial sector where Marco's Dad works. And Dad's work in the only building within a good five miles…Marco is sure that his Dad is a target, and decides to do a little investigating to figure out what his Dad is working on that the Yeerks are so interested in.
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Although I had gotten home from the meeting Sunday afternoon, I didn't get a chance to talk to my dad that night. Instead, I spent Sunday night writing an English paper that was due Monday morning. Yeah, I waited until the last minute to write the paper, but when else was I supposed to write it? Saturday?
The report was over some book called the Scarlet Letter. The Scarlet Letter? What was that? Something about tax evasion?
So I hadn't read the book. Big deal. I wasn't too worried about writing the paper. Not when I had the information super-highway at my fingertips and my own personal assistant helping me. After some helpful suggestions from Jeeves and a couple "cuts" here and some "pastes" there, I'd crafted a B-level paper in less than three hours. Pretty decent, if I do say so myself.
Anyways, since I spent all Sunday night writing my paper, I didn't get to talk to my dad until Monday over dinner.
Monday is my night to cook, and when I cook I go all out. And I do mean all out. I don't pick up KFC. I don't call Papa John's. It's just me, the kitchen, and my own creativity.
I know what you're saying. Marco, you're a witty, chic-magnet, super-hero who can cook? How can you do all these things and still make it look easy? Well I'll tell you, it's hard work being me, but someone has to do it.
Back to Monday's dinner. That night I had really outdone myself. I'd whipped up a gourmet of flavors: chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, corn, and biscuits. I was particularly proud of the biscuits.
Ding!
"Hey Dad! Dinner's ready!" I called to my dad, as I headed for the microwave. I opened the microwave door and pulled out the TV Dinners. Okay, so maybe I'd had just a teensy bit of help from Lean Cuisine, but it was still up to Molto Marco to make sure everything tasted right. It's not like the chicken fried steak just microwaved itself.
"Just a sec," Dad called from the couch. "Five more minutes, I want to finish watching the news."
Five more minutes? I slaved away all day in the kitchen, and someone couldn't even make time to sit down at the table? That's gratitude for you.
I peeled off the plastic film and placed the trays of food on the table. "The food's getting cold," I argued.
"Five more minutes."
"Dinner."
"Fine, fine," Dad sighed clicking off the TV and heading for the table.
"You won't believe what Governor Douglas did this time!" Dad said disgustedly as he pulled out his chair and plopped down.
I groaned inwardly. The two things I most hate having to talk to Dad about are math and politics. One is boring and the other is more boring. Or maybe the second is boring and the first is more boring. I don't know. They both are just not fun things to talk about.
And since I needed to dig up dirt on dad's work, the conversation was sure to degenerate into a math lecture. Voluntarily changing the subject from politics to math? The Irony Gods must love me.
"Douglas signed the Smile Bill! Can you believe that? What was he thinking?" Dad started ranting. My dad is a hard-core Republican. Governor Douglas is a Democrat." He wasn't thinking! That's what! Governor Dumbass is more like it. Ten months. Only ten more months until that election…"
"So Dad…how's work treating you?" I interrupted.
Dad stopped his sentence, mid-rant. He gave me a suspicious look. "Why are you asking? What do you want?" he asked slowly.
"So I have to want something when I talk to you now?" I asked, putting on my best wounded face.
Dad raised his eyebrow, seeing right through my charade. I needed to act more convincing.
"I just miss talking like we used to," I explained, looking as serious as possible. "I was just thinking that we never talk anymore."
Dad still eyed me suspiciously, but then slowly his eyebrows slowly settled into their usual position, and he nodded.
"So how's work treating you?" I asked again, trying not to sound too excited. A math lecture? Hooray. "Doing anything cool?"
"Well I think it's cool," Dad replied.
Double hooray.
"Really? Tell me about it."
Dad got that look in his eye, and I knew I was in trouble. About thirty minutes later, and after hearing the words "canned algorithm" , "mean sum average" and "frequency domain" I had no idea whether Dad was talking about his job or the premise for some sci-fi flick.
"And so that's about it," Dad finished triumphantly.
"Oh, wow that's great dad," I replied lamely.
I was doing this for my dad and for the sake of the world, I reminded myself. For my dad and for the sake of the world. Man, does the world ever owe me one.
"Isn't it exciting?" he prompted me.
I shrugged. "Yeah. Sure. It's great." I still didn't know what we were talking about, but I think it had something to do with Dad and his work team designing a computer program for someone named S.E.A.
Dad cast me a dubious look.
"Absolutely terrific!" I enthused, forcing up a smile so exuberant that a Dallas football cheerleader would have trouble matching it.
Dad seemed satisfied.
"Anyway, I think I'm going to go to bed," I said, pretending to be suddenly tired. I really couldn't listen to anymore math talk--the world at stake or not-- and from what I had gotten from my Dad, he and his co-workers weren't doing anything important, nothing that the Yeerks would find important, that is.
"But don't you want to hear about how the user interface works?" Dad asked sounding a little disappointed.
"Yeah you know I would, but I have this stupid history test tomorrow morning, and I want to be well rested for it," I lied. "So I guess I have to take a rain-check."
Dad sighed. "Alright then."
"Goodnight Dad," I excused myself from the table.
"Goodnight Marco."
I headed for my room, the thoughts swirled through my head. So dad wasn't doing anything important at work, nothing to warrant Yeerk attention. Still why were the Yeerks pitching up their blood-drive in a park only a few blocks from dad's work? What was it the Yeerks were after? I knew that there was connection, I just didn't know where. And I only had three more days to figure it out.
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Yeah… this story is still alive! I finally sat down and said 'DH, just fix the dumb plot holes already! (yes… two chappies and plot holes… actually the plot holes were in my outline, so I had to fix that.)
And now that my computers being all cool and working (although there was that tense moment last week when the hard drive crashed AGAIN! And I had to erase and reinstall all the software AGAIN! But now everything's cool… I think).
Anyways.. please review! If no one is even interested in the story anymore, I think I'll trash it and focus on The Traitor and The One.
Shout-outs:
andalitebandit-6: Lol! Not KA…if I was, I'd still be writing books… not ff's! Cassie's character is a bit tricky for me, simply b/c I find her so hypocritical that I have trouble writing her without sounding bitter… I'll try to make her better though. Thanks for reading!
clara200: Thanks! And thanks for the review!
Asian Angel1: A fellow Cassie Hater? Would you like to join my club? (see my bio). Thanks for the review!Riley Wolfe : Cassie annoys you too? Cool! There were seriously sometimes I just wanted to scream at her and go "Cassie shut up! You have NO IDEA what you're talking about!" Thanks for the review!
Jedsel : Thanks for the review Jeddy! I love you!Anni Morph : Glad you liked the fixed version. You're welcome!
Anonymous-cat: Yeah, I agree slow chappie! And I shoulda realized that'd I'd get a rise outta you for messing with Cassie. (But I really wanted to see her suffer whines K, I'll try to write her better…) You read the fixed version of chappie 2, right? Thanks for the honest opinion, it keeps me honest!
Southern Belle : Thanks for the review!
Mickiept: Glad you liked it! Thanks for the review!
Kitakatz: By iffy, I'm assuming you mean Cassie, huh? I admit… I was so excited about making her eat poop that I didn't even bother trying to write her. But I've learned my lesson! Will not screw with Cassie's character in KA style books anymore! (Now as far as spoofs…) Thanks for the review! O! and did you see the fixed chapter 2?
Ladies of Romantic Dreams: Thanks for the review! Plot twist is still there.. had to beat my outline to death though before I could get it in there!
Miss Piratess: rejoices with Miss Piratess at all the rampant Cassie-hating Thanks for the review!
Korean Pearl: Glad you liked the last chappie! (although by now I'd be super impressed if you could even remember what it's about lol! ) Oh well…at least I didn't totally abandon this fic, right? It was on hiatus or something… : )
