CHAPTER THIRTEEN
(chapter title – Talent Show Trouble)

"Grr. Mrs. Panabaker is so picky when it comes to the talent show." Sara complained a month later. She and her friends – Tiffany, Kristen, Carolyn and Jennifer – were deciding what to do for the talent show.

"Tell me about it." Jennifer said, brushing her hair back into a ponytail.

"We could do the Cell Block Tango from Chicago." Carolyn suggested.

"One problem – there's six parts – seven if you count the Bandleader in that song and there's only five of us." Kristen pointed out.

"I'm actually not gonna sing this year." Sara told her friends. They all stopped in their tracks, except Carolyn, who kept walking.

"What do you mean you're not gonna sing this year?" Tiffany asked. Carolyn realized that her friends had stopped walking and walked back to them, nearly running into a bunch of the football jocks in the process.

"Sorry!" Carolyn called after them and ran over to where her friends where standing.

"What'd I miss?" Carolyn asked, standing next to Kristen on one side and Jennifer on the other.

"Sara's not gonna sing this year at the talent show." Kristen informed her twin.

"What? Sara! The – talent – show – is – your – life!" Carolyn grabbed Sara's shoulders and shook her violently. Jennifer, Tiffany and Kristen laughed as Sara attempted to get out of her friend's death grip.

"I wouldn't even enter the talent show if I were you." A steely voice came from behind the group. The girls turned around to see the most popular girl in school – Caitlyn Coffin. She pushed a strand of blond hair behind her ear and adjusted her glasses.

"What do you want, Coffin?" Kristen asked defensively.

"I'm just here to make sure that you don't beat me in the talent show." Caitlyn answered snobbishly.

"What are you gonna do – count money in Latin?" Jennifer asked, laughing.

"Don't. Encourage. Her." Sara muttered, poking Jennifer in the ribs to get her to stop laughing. Jennifer rubbed her sore ribs as she listened to Caitlyn talk.

"No – I took ballet for fourteen years and I'm gonna dance circles around y-o-u." Caitlyn turned on her heel and started to walk away.

"Oh, Cohen-Davis, thanks for not entering the talent show." Caitlyn popped a piece of gum in her mouth and walked out the door. Sara's four best friends looked at her with their mouths hanging open.

"Okay, Sar. Something's up. Why aren't you gonna enter the talent show?" Tiffany wanted to know.

"Because, Tiff. I have personal reasons for that." With that, Sara gathered her pink messenger bag and headed out the door. She saw Jeffery's car waiting for her as she exited the school.

"Hey sweetie." Jeffery greeted her, smiling.

"Hey Jeff." Sara smiled at him and got in the car.

"So, what do you want to do today?" Jeffery had offered to watch Sara while Mark and Roger worked late.

"I have a bunch of homework and I have to find something to do for the talent show." Sara told him as he pulled out of the school.

"Are you gonna do something with your friends?" Jeffery inquired.

"No – I was thinking of doing a song for mom – the talent show is on her birthday." Sara told him, her eyes welling up with tears. Jeffery handed her a tissue and Sara wiped her eyes.

"It's okay, honey. Your mom and Collins are hanging out with their friends and watching you from a better place." Jeffery comforted her.

"I know, Jeff. But I've grown up with two fathers for part of my life." Sara told him, looking out the window.

"Hey – there's nothing wrong with growing up with two fathers." Jeffery told her.

"How would you know?" Sara asked, looking out the window.

"Because not only did I grow up with two dads, like you – but one of my dads, Dave, was cheating on the other one – with a woman." Jeffery told Sara. That got her attention.

"Really? How old were you?"

"I was twelve."

"What happened?"

"Pat, my Dad, was at work, so Dave, my Father, brought his secretary, Linda home for 'dinner and a snack'. I walked in on them at the 'snacking' part – which was completely different that I thought it would be."

"Eww. What'd you do?"

"What else? I had to tell Pat. Of course, Dave got mad at me and he hit me. Pat and Dave got divorced when I was thirteen. I ended up living with Pat after Dave got sent to jail for date-rape."

"I'm sorry." Sara apologized as Jeffery pulled up in the driveway.

"There's nothing to be sorry for. You don't get dealt your life and family." Jeffery told her as they got out of the car. Princess and Otis were right there to greet Sara as she walked in the door.

"I gotta take Otis for a walk – make yourself at home." Jeffery said, grabbing Otis' blue leash and a plastic bag.

"Could I use your computer?" Sara indicated to the computer sitting in the corner of the living room. A wide smile spread across Jeffery's face.

"Of course you can. Knock yourself out – I'll be back in about fifteen minutes. C'mon Otis." With that, Jeffery headed out the door.

As Sara waited for the computer to turn on, she made herself a tuna sandwich and listened to an old Elvis CD that Jeffery had.

Sara ate her sandwich as she looked up song lyrics that she wanted to sing at the talent show. There was always something she could do from Les Miserables, CATS or Phantom of the Opera.

"Sar, I'm home." Jeffery called, coming into the house.

"Hey Jeffery." Sara greeted him as she printed out a song from Phantom of the Opera for her guitar.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Jeffery asked as he took of Otis' leash. The Pug instantly went to where Princess was snoozing on the couch. A moment later there was a hiss followed by a yelp as Otis scurried off in the other direction.

"He still doesn't get it." Jeffery laughed, shaking his head.

"How old are they?" Sara asked, stuffing the piece of paper in her messenger bag.

"Otis will be six in January and Princess just turned two."

"My gerbils – Mouser and Ink will be three next week."

"That's cool. Hey, Sara, are you hungry?"

"Not really."

"Your fathers said for you to eat something."

"I'll make myself a peanut butter and banana sandwich." Sara stood up and walked to the kitchen. Jeffery watched her make a sandwich and take it into the living room where she got out her homework and put on her headphones. As she nodded her head to the CD she had in her CD player, Jeffery called a pizza place and ordered pizza for them.

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As they ate their pizza, Jeffery popped in movie – the original Phantom of the Opera. Sara finished her pizza and opened her Creative Writing journal. She tuned into the movie as she started on her essay – one hundred words on who her hero was. Smiling, she put her pencil to the paper and wrote her essay.

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Sara had fallen asleep by the time Roger came to pick her up. He thanked Jeffery and gathered Sara in his arms, Jeffery carrying Sara's bag for Roger.

"Thanks for watching her, Jeffery." Roger quietly thanked Jeffery as he put Sara in the front seat.

"You're welcome, Rog." Jeffery smiled at him as he put Sara's bag in the backseat.

"She get all her homework done?" Roger asked. Jeffery nodded as Roger handed him a twenty.

"Roger, you keep it. You need it more than I do." Jeffery told him, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Jeffery, I want you to keep it." Roger insisted, walking to the driver's side and got in before Jeffery could say anything.

Roger pulled into the driveway and carried Sara up to her room just as Mark pulled in the driveway.

"Hey Rog." Mark greeted him, getting in the backseat to get Sara's messenger bag.

"Hey baby." Roger smiled at his life partner.

"I'm gonna get Sara in bed and then go to bed myself." Roger whispered, kissing Mark's cheek and headed to Sara's room. He put Sara on her bed, got her hot pink tank top and pink boxer shorts. He undressed Sara and put her in her pajamas. He then kissed her forehead and tucked her in, flipping off the overhead light as he exited the room.

He went across the hall to his and Mark's room. Mark was already snoring away as Roger stripped out of his clothes and climbed in next to Mark. He then slipped an arm around Mark and drew him close.

"I love you." Roger whispered in Mark's ear. He kissed Mark's cheek and fell asleep, snoring lightly.