Chapter 11-Sour Seventeen
November 10th, 2003
3:57 p.m.
Forman Basement
The guys sat around the basement that November afternoon. It was one day until Parker's seventeenth birthday and the three of them were celebrating a little early. Parker sat in the middle of the sofa and waited for Jon and Holder to give him his special surprise.
"Now, don't be a girl." Jon advised Parker. "Or I'll be forced to hit you." He reached behind his chair and pulled out a wrapped box.
Parker took the offered gift and opened it. "Oh!" Inside was a bag of mini candy bars and a Playboy. "Very nice."
"The candy was Pez's idea." Holder informed Parker. "But, it still doesn't make it as good as mine." The older teen reached behind his lawn chair and pulled out a box. "Happy birthday!"
Parker took the gift and opened it. "Oh…" He took out the three pack of beers. "a three pack."
"Yes! For the three of us."
"What happened to the other three?" Jon questioned.
Holder shrugged. "I had to leave something or my Dad would have noticed." He looked over at Parker. "As someone who has been seventeen since summer, I'd like to welcome you to being seventeen." Holder glanced over at Jon. "You're still the youngest, man."
From behind his sunglasses, Jon rolled his eyes. "Just till May." He paused. "Hey, I never noticed, but Chase is older the you, Parker."
"Just by a few days. She was born on the third." Parker protested. "She's not that much older; just one week and two days."
"Still-older. That's hot." Holder nodded, approving of the age difference.
"Yeah, yeah. Now, about those beers…" Jon trailed off for a moment. "What do you say we toast to you, a day early."
Parker nodded and tossed each of his friends a beer. They all opened them and Parker made the toast. "To me."
"To Parker!" Holder cheered at the same time Jon said: "To Forman!"
November 10th, 2003
7:08 p.m.
Forman Kitchen
"But he doesn't want a surprise party, Mom." Eric told Kitty over the phone. "No…no surprise party. He just wants some cake and some gifts and then to be left alone with his friends. Okay, you say that…but do you mean it? Okay, see you tomorrow night. Bye." Eric hung up the phone and looked over at Donna, who was washing some dishes. "So, Parker's getting a 'surprise' party tomorrow."
"Great." Donna glanced over her shoulder. "Think they'll be hats?"
"Little funny party ones? Oh yeah."
November 10th, 2003
7:09 p.m.
Forman Driveway
Holder tossed the basketball over to Parker. "So, party tomorrow night?"
"What do you think? Just remember it's a surprise." Parker tossed the basketball over to Jon. "Did you get the call?"
"My Mom did." Jon answered. "We're supposed to dress up. I'm gonna have to wear a tie. You'll owe me, man."
"Relax, my birthday is also Veteran's Day, Red will make damn sure the party is over soon. We're looking at fifteen minutes, tops."
November 11th, 2003
3:19 p.m.
Forman Driveway
Parker Forman stood on the porch with Chase. The driveway was filled with tables, chairs, and there were balloons tied to every pole within ten feet.
"I thought it was supposed to be a fifteen minute thing." Chase commented. "And what is up with all the red, white, and blue?"
"Veteran's Day." Parker said slowly. "Red is in love with this day and it's my birthday. He's still pissed that he had to miss a Veteran's Day picnic, so he could be at my birth."
Chase glanced at him. "See, my Grandda was happy to be at my birth. 'Course he was just there to see if I came out half black, but whatever." She shrugged. "Now, about this whole Veteran's Day/Parker's birthday party, you're just sharing to please Red?"
"Yeah. At least this year. Not sure why." Parker put his arm around Chase's waist. "Guess it's to save on napkins and balloons." He smiled at her. "Thanks for coming. I know birthday parties aren't your thing. And you usually don't show at my quote surprise unquote parties until they are almost over. It means a lot that you'd come from start to finish."
"Like I wouldn't come. It's part of the good girlfriend code or something, at least according to every female I talked to about it." Chase moved closer to Parker. "Besides, I hear these things are famous for the fight that Red and Bob get into every year."
"Ah yes, the classic fight about who gave more for their country. No one ever wins that. But, it does drive Grandma Kitty to drink. And for one hour, Red calls Fez 'that foreign boy that married my daughter.' It really brings the room down." Chase cleared her throat nervously. Parker went on. "N-not that that will happen this year. I'm sure it'll be fine. Think happy thoughts, Muffin."
November 11th, 2003
3:39 p.m.
Vista Forman's Bedroom
Vista carefully packed away her books, making sure they went from longest to shortest. She wanted to pack some things away so she would have more room to keep the papers and packages from her new school. Her new private school that was all the way in California. She had never been away from her parents or friends for longer then a week and now she'd be going to school in another state. It still seemed very scary and unreal.
A tapping noise caught her attention and Vista glanced toward her door, Jon was standing there. "Mind if I come in?" Vista nodded toward her computer chair. Jon walked in and flopped down on her bed instead. "What's with all the boxes?"
"Packing." Vista explained. "The school is sending me all this stuff and I need room for it all." She giggled nervously. "They even sent underwear."
Jon raised an eyebrow. "Underwear? Thongs?"
Vista shook her head. "No," she blushed lightly. Jon liked when he made her blush. "White cotton ones with the school name written in tiny red letters on the front." She shook her head slightly. "They aren't my favorite things."
Jon nodded sympathetically. "Why I go commando."
She wrinkled her nose up in disgust. "Are you saying your…on my bed. Get off!"
Jon sat up and rubbed his butt back and forth on the bed. He wanted to gross her out as much as possible. And he knew he was doing so by the way her face was wrinkled up. "Wait….let me just….okay." Jon rolled off the bed and stood himself up by Vista. "There we go."
Vista kicked up lightly in the leg. "You are such a boy." She gently closed up her box of books.
Jon looked around the room and sucked some air in through his teeth. He and Vista hadn't been alone in her room for years; they hadn't actually been in Vista's bedroom in months. "You going to the party tonight?"
"Kind of have to. Parker is my brother, so I think it would look bad if I didn't." Vista smiled sweetly at him and moved to her desk to put away some DVD-Rs.
"Yeah." Jon pushed his sunglasses up. "And you're leaving January third?"
"Yeah." Vista looked at Jon carefully. Something was going on and she knew it. Jon had been acting weird toward her for weeks. "Jon, what's wrong?"
"Nothing." He paused. "I'm…cool."
She gave him a look, shook her head, and went back to packing. "Alright. Hand me that duck tape, would you?"
Jon did as he was asked, mentally cussing himself all the while. Why couldn't he just tell her?
November 11th, 2003
4:56 p.m.
Forman Driveway
The driveway was full of people and three Bar-Qs were working at their fullest. Pez darted around some people and made her way to the basketball hoop. She handed Holder a coke and pulled her skirt down a bit. Now that she was a taken woman, she didn't want to give any men any ideas. Pez looked Holder, who was dressed in a dress suit, up and down. "You smell funny."
Holder shrugged. "Emma got this spray for me. My spiders won't come near me anymore." He hung his head. "I really hate it. But, I'm meeting Emma after this and I want her to smell me."
Pez just rolled her eyes and leaned against the pole.
"Why is it, we have to look like Sears catalogs?" Jon asked as he approached his friends. He tugged uncomfortable on his tie. "I can't breathe. I feel like the room is closing in on me, man."
"We are outside." Pez informed him. "And I think you look sexy, like that elf guy in those ring movies." She bit her lower lip. "He's very attractive."
Holder made a noise. "I'm not attractive?"
"Not in that suit." Pez told him. "You look like our science teacher."
Jon laughed loudly, his tie forgotten for the moment. "Good one, Pez."
"Whatever." Holder said, sulking. "Where is the birthday boy?"
Just then the door to the kitchen opened and Parker walked out, dressed in his only suit. He looked miserable as Kitty jumped around him, taking pictures from every possible angle. Pez, Holder, and Jon knew what it was like to be the center of Kitty Forman's attention when she had a camera. They did not envy Parker.
"We should save him." Jon thought out loud. He gently pushed Pez toward them. "Go on, save him."
"Why me?" Pez quickly moved backward.
"She's your grandmother." Holder reminded her.
"So?" Pez turned on both boys. "I'm not sacrificing myself for Parker! December thirteenth, December thirteenth is my seventeenth birthday and I will be in the light of Grandma Kitty's camera. Let me live my last month and two days in peace, damn it."
"Pezzy-" Holder began. He stopped when Pez gave him an icy glare.
Jon coughed. "Parker, over here, man!" Parker looked up and grateful nodded toward his friends. "Mrs. Forman, mind if we steal the birthday boy for a bit?"
Kitty quickly snapped a picture of the three teens by the basketball pole. "Well," she looked around her and noticed her youngest granddaughters were playing with Holder and Jon's younger siblings. "just a bit." She laughed and rushed off toward the younger children. They had no idea what they were in for.
Parker approached his friends, tugging on his jacket. "I feel like I'm at a funeral."
"Yours?" Jon asked him. He raised an eyebrow.
Pez hit Jon. "Don't be morbid. Parker's just turning seventeen."
"And yet his girlfriend and sisters are noticeably missing." Jon stated.
Parker gave Jon a 'don't start' look. "Callie had to work and she has school. And Vista went with Red for more coal and Chase…Chase will be here, okay?" He looked nervously around. Parker didn't even know half the people currently occupying his drive way. In truth, all his friends were standing around him. "Let's escape to the basement before Grandma Kitty comes back."
November 11th, 2003
5:07 p.m.
Forman Basement
Parker sat on the lawn chair, a football helmet on his head. "I'm just saying…I think Sydney could beat Buffy."
Pez gave her cousin a side ways glance from her stool, in front of the television. "No way. Buffy has sexier side-kicks." The guys just looked at her. "And they could distract Sydney with their good looks and witty remarks on today's pop culture."
Jon pushed his sunglasses farther up his nose. "Okay, okay, Forman you are not seeing the big picture. Buffy has super powers, man. She's got super powers!"
Holder laughed from his place on the sofa. "I'd like to see them mud wrestle in a pile of mud."
Parker ignored Holder. "Granted, she's got super powers, but Sydney was trained by the freakin' government."
"And the government is evil." Jon explained in a 'duh' tone. "Have I taught you nothing!"
Pez slowly started to rock back and forth. "Buffy gets trained by that Giles guy." She paused in deep thought. "He is one sexy old guy."
Jon glanced at Pez. "Do you only think about sex?"
"Sex and candy." Pez said simply. "Usually together. Mm, Giles and candy." She busted into a fit of giggles.
Parker rolled his eyes. "Buffy has super powers. Sydney has cool gadgets. Huh? Come on, I have to have gotten you with that?"
Pez shook her head. "The gadgets only go so far, my friend. Buffy has weapons-she has a rocket launcher."
Jon nodded in agreement. "That's true."
"But, Sydney has the American government." Holder thought out loud as he stuffed his face with cookies.
"Okay, I think we need to think about this more realistically. Sydney has gadgets and training from the government. Buffy has super powers, weapons, and…" He made a face. "sexier side-kicks. Which one?"
Pez's eyes lit up. She had it. "It depends, brunettes or blonds?" All three guys stopped and thought about that one.
November 11th, 2003
5:27 p.m.
Forman Driveway
Chase nervously wrapped her jacket closer around herself. She wasn't very into the way she was dressed: black dress and heeled shoes were not her thing. She felt like a complete tool. And sadly, Parker was nowhere to be seen. Chase dodged a group of men dressed in army uniforms and ducked her way into the kitchen.
"Hey, Chase." Eric said from the stove. "Veteran's Day cookie?"
Chase looked at the cookies and shook her head. "No thanks, Mr. Forman. Is Parker around?"
"Somewhere." Eric moved past her and toward the door. "I saw him and the guys heading to the basement a little while ago."
Chase nodded in appreciation and headed that way.
Chase found the guys sitting around the basement, laughing at an infomercial that was on the television. She rolled her eyes upward before moving to sit with Parker on the couch. "Please tell me you guys weren't doing what I'm fairly sure you were doing."
Holder laughed. "Okay, we won't tell you we were doing what we were doing."
Jon made a face. "Don't be stupid."
"Daft. You're all daft." Chase comment with a shake of her head.
Pez's eyes lit up. "You're a daft!"
Chase shook her head as she took the helmet off her boyfriend. She spoke to Pez: "Pez, I meant stupid." Pez blinked. "Don't worry about it."
Parker leaned into the couch. "You know, this is nice. My friends, one of my cousins, and my lady." He paused softly. "All I need is one of my sisters." Parker paused and suddenly leaned forward. "Wait, I'm missing Vista again. Damn it, I'm always losing her!"
"It's because she's small." Holder said thoughtfully. "She's so small and sneaky. Sneaking around and popping up places." He shivered slightly. "Man." The others just looked at him.
November 11th, 2003
5:49 p.m.
Forman Driveway
Everyone of her friends were dressed up, but Vista got to wear jeans and a tee-shirt. Why? Because she was helping with the food. She carried a couple of packs of napkins and placed them on a table.
"Vista." She turned around to see that Jon was behind her. "Why aren't you dressed like the rest of us? We all look a J. Crew catalogue and you get to dress in jeans?" He tugged on his tie. "I can't breath!"
"Don't." Vista complained. "You'll hurt yourself." She reached out removed his hand from his tie. "Just be good, okay?" Vista looked around before she leaned closer to him. "I heard talking and at 5:57, they're going to present Parker with his birthday cake. You can take your tie off then."
Jon looked at his watch. It was just eight minutes away. He knew he'd never make it. "I don't know, man."
Vista sighed heavily. "If you leave your stupid tie on another eight minutes, I'll do your math homework for a week."
"Throw in history and you got yourself a deal." Jon replied. His voice had taken on a business tone.
Vista mentally weighted the deal. "Deal." She held out her hand and they shook on it.
November 11th, 2003
5:57 p.m.
Forman Kitchen
Everyone that was related to Parker, or nearly related to him, stood in the kitchen. They were all pretty cramped in there and more then a few of them were uncomfortable. Kitty and Donna placed a cake on the table and everyone crowded around it. Of course, there were the usual: 'Ow, you're on my foot.' and 'Don't touch my daughter there, Bruce!", but they were ignored by Red, who grumbled that they had to hurry.
"Okay, blow out the candles, Parker." Red told his only grandson. "And make it quick."
Kitty snapped at picture at both Eric and Parker rolling their brown eyes. Parker leaned in and blew out the seventeen candles on his cake. Everyone half heartedly clamped. "Wow." Parker said sarcastically. "I feel the love."
"Come on, Parker, you know we're just all really uncomfortable in here." Donna assured her son. "Just be thankful the older kids aren't here."
"Yeah, yeah. Presents should be left on the coffee table in the living room. And since the cake is small…" Parker smiled slyly. "Only people under the age of eighteen get some."
That would show them and their stupid labor day.
"Parker." Eric warned.
"No, no. I'm sorry, but you people have your labor day and we have cake." With that Parker and Jon picked the cake up and retreated to the basement. A minute later, Chase, Pez, Vista, Holder, Paige, Brownie, Vi, Cookie, Bruce, Will, and Leo followed them.
November 11th, 2003
7:09 p.m.
Hyde Backyard
Jon sat on the wooden swing where he sometimes pushed Will and Leo. He was waiting for someone; he was waiting for Vista. The petit girl came walking toward him, her clothing a little dirty from a day of cooking. She gave him a little wave and he couldn't help but smile at her.
"I'm here to pick up the math and history." Vista told Jon.
He got off the swing and removed his sunglasses. "Forget it. The tie wasn't so bad after a little while." He shrugged lightly. "Guess you'll have more time to pack."
"Guess so." Vista nodded a little. "Hey, Jon? Why are you so distant lately?" He just blinked at her. "I know everyone's a little mad at me because of Cherrywood, but you…you've been acting strangely toward me since…since around the time I, I got my first, you know." She made a little face at the thought of her period. Vista was still not used to it.
He scoffed lightly. "What are you talking about?"
"Well," Vista began slowly. She wanted to get it just right. "one day your really sweet toward me, sweeter then you are to most people. And the next you act like you don't want to hang around me."
"Well, Vista, there is a simple reason for that." Jon cleared his throat. Their eyes were locked, brown on even deeper brown. Suddenly nervous, he ran a hand through his shaggy black hair. "I'm a teenage guy."
Vista raised an eyebrow. "That's not the reason, Jon Hyde." Planting herself firmly, Vista went on. "And I am not leaving until you tell me the truth."
He sighed deeply. "Vista, you can't stand out here all night." She stood where she was, a determined look on her pretty face. Jon's eyes couldn't take that, so he focused on a beret that was in her chestnut hair. It was tiny and red with white dots. And it was falling a bit. Jon reached out and took the beret out of Vista's hair. "I really-" He stopped himself short. This wasn't right She was leaving for California in less then two months. She was going to go to one of the best schools. A school that nearly granted her a spot in an Ivy league college. If he told her that he really liked her, she'd stay. Vista would stay in Point Place and then go to Point Place Community college with him and she'd never reach her full potential. "I've really been an ass, huh?" Jon handed her the beret. "I'll be better, I promise."
Vista seemed unsure, but she smiled anyway. "Okay." She reached out and took his arm. "Come on, we're watching Star Wars in the basement." She dragged him along, never even thinking that Jon had just nearly told her that he was nearly in love with her.
A/N, Part Deux: I am cruel, I know. But, you guys got Parker and Chase early in the series. I got to make you sweat for the Jon and Vista. He almost told her, that should make you guys a little happy. And he had a good reason for holding back.
Speaking of Parker and Chase, they've had it too easy and 'aw'-look for things to take a turn soon (major angst)
And to the few Holder and Pez fans-just enjoy their unique and at times strange friendship for now. Holder is dating Emma and Pez is with Charlie. Holder is dating Emma longer then he's dated any girl. And Pez actually really likes Charlie, plus he is her first boyfriend. I want to explore those a bit more.
Next: "Thanks for the Memories": Vista is giving a going away party, which leads to nothing good (as all parties seem to in this story). Pez brings Charlie, but family dislike him. Chase gets disturbing news. Parker makes a mistake with Chase. Donna and Eric make a shocking announcement. And Jon writes Vista a letter, telling her how he feels, but can't decide if he should give it to her or not.