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Saved by the Bell: A New Generation

Chapter Nine

Gliding past Jackson's bedroom, she stopped at his door and found him being snuggled in under the covers of his Spider Man blankets as Kelly and Zack tucked him into bed, all set for him to set off to sleep.

In a spur of the moment thrill ride, Ariana bounded into his bedroom and onto his bed where she wrapped her arms around him and shared one of their hallowed bear hugs collectively. She knew he treasured their cuddles they shared.

"Uh, hello, mum's here to wind him down for bed and sleep," Kelly interjected, waving her hand in the air.

Ariana snuggled with Jackson and looked to her mother with a wide beam. "Uh, hello, sister is here to bond with her younger brother," she began to tickle her younger brother until he wiggled and squirmed beneath his covers. Glancing up to her parents, she noticed their smiling faces though hidden beneath their smiles, she knew they needed to get him to sleep or he'd never sleep if he was energised.

She stopped tickling him and placed herself in the middle of his single bed and faced him.

"Alright monkey," she spoke, using the nickname she called him. "I guess it's time for bed. Here's your teddy bear, we can't sleep without it can we." She singled out his fluffy blue bear and tucked it under his arm. "One more cuddle," she stretched out her arms and he reached into them. Letting go, she spoke quietly. "Good night." Before she slid off the bed and walked to the door way, turning once more to verbalize to her parents. "When you're finished, there's something I need to ask you guys so I'll be in my room."

Digging her hands into the pockets of her dreary denim skinny jeans, she made her way back to her room.

A few minutes later, her parents then made their way into her room.

"We're here. What did you have to ask us?" Kelly asked, heading towards her window to draw her lacy cerise curtains.

"Uh-oh, it must be bad when you put it like that," Zack laughed. "What did you do wrong?"

Ariana frowned and bit her lip. "Please. I didn't do anything wrong. I haven't been at school long enough to be in trouble. Actually, I was invited to this concert on Friday night and so I was wondering if I could go…because I kind of already said I'd go and I'm really hoping you let me go because I don't want to look like an idiot in front of my potential new friends."

"And you thought you wouldn't make any friends," Zack said.

Kelly turned to face Ariana with her hands on her hips. "Don't listen to him," she remarked which copped a groan from Zack. "Since we don't know these people, who is going? Can they be trusted?"

Ariana rolled her eyes. Yep, she should have predicted this. She should have seen this coming—that they'd have many questions they'd want answered.

"Whose going is a group of us. There are six of us—including me. And yes, I assume they are morally trusted and respected people," she tucked her legs up underneath her.

"Do these people have names?" Zack asked.

Arian sighed like it was a big deal—reporting information to her parents. They knew she never did anything they'd disapprove of. Unlike most people her age, she never really kept a secret hidden from her parents.

"The two girls are Sierra and Claire, fellow members of the cheerleading squad. Sierra is the captain and Claire also happens to be a junior too. Chase is in my math class and the one kindly enough to have asked me. The other two are friends of Chase whom I haven't met yet but I'm sure they'll be fine examples. Does that answer your question?"

Looking at one another with wary expressions, Zack spoke.

"We're only looking for you to make sure you won't be put in treacherous situations. What do you think?" he questioned Kelly.

"I say yes if they pick you up here so we can meet them first. I want to meet these people who are your friends just like we did when we were in San Francisco."

"I promise to embarrass you," Zack put in with a cheeky grin, which caused Ariana to throw her bed cushion at him.

"So, I can go?"

"You can go," he said. "But only if you promise to be home in time by your ten o'clock curfew."

"Yeah, about that curfew," Ariana started.

"What about it?" Kelly asked.

"Well you see, I was wondering if maybe it could be extended."

"Why? You had no problem with a ten o'clock curfew last year," Zack shrugged.

"And it was okay last year—when I was a sophomore. I was fifteen then but now I'm sixteen. I'm a year older and so I think I'm entitled to an extended curfew," Ariana explained.

"What time were you thinking?"

"Twelve-thirty," she mumbled, just enough to be heard.

"Oh no, that's not happening. How about ten thirty?" Zack said.

"Twelve, midnight," Ariana bargained.

"Eleven."

"Eleven-thirty."

"Eleven."

"Deal," Ariana agreed. It wasn't like she was going to get it any better than Eleven pm. Once her parents had set their mind to something, there was no changing their mind. "But I'll expect it to change to a later time next year when I'm seventeen."

Walking to the door, Zack spoke one last time before he left. "We'll discuss that next year. Good night."

After he left the room, Kelly came closer to her daughter and studied her carefully, knowing all too well of her daughter's sudden change in mood. For so long since they moved, Ariana had been effortless to even contemplate and considering a place at the school. All she cared for was the fact that she had been moved away from all her friends and her boyfriend. To Kelly, it signalled that something had happened to Ariana.

"Okay, now that your dad's gone, is there anything you want to talk about?"

"No not really. Should there be?" Ariana shook her head.

Kelly sat on the edge of her bed. "Honey, I think you're forgetting that you're my daughter. You're like me. You pretend that all is well around you but in reality, you're a lousy liar."

Ariana laughed. "I guess I haven't had much practice."

"What's up?"

Ariana took a deep breath, one she hadn't known she was holding in. "I called it quits with Logan."

"A break up is always tough either way honey," Kelly consoled her daughter.

"It's not that mum," she sighed. "I guess I knew it was going to come to an end like it wasn't going to last when I'm here in Los Angeles and he's in San Francisco but I don't know…being with him was like my only connection to my old life in San Francisco and now that I've let him go, it's signalled the end of my last tie to San Francisco and my old life. I know it must sound stupid but its how I feel."

"It doesn't sound stupid at all. I can see where you're coming from," Kelly says kind-heartedly. "But you know, just because we've moved cites doesn't mean you've completely lost touch with your old life. I'm sure your friends will keep you up to date with everything that happens there."

"I know."

"Do you want to know the good thing that has come out of us moving?" Kelly asked, in an effort to lighten her daughter's heart-rending emotional state.

"What?"

"You haven't just gained yourself one small group of friends. The move has spawned you new friendships that I'm sure you'll value for life."

"I guess."

Kelly rose from the edge of the bed and smoothed down the bootleg jeans she had changed into after returning home from work. She bent down to Ariana and gently fixed a kiss on her forehead. "Good night."

"Good night mum," Ariana smiled back. "Oh and mum, can we keep my whole break up at a low for now? I don't really need dad's 'I told you so' lecture right now."

It was the truth. She'd hear nothing but 'I told you so' lectures from her father if her news was spilled out. No, she'd tell him eventually but in her own time—when it suited her.

Kelly nodded. She completely understood where Ariana was coming from and why she wanted it to remain between them for the time being. Ariana always knew she could trust her mother with her 'boy' secrets she usually preferred to keep hidden from her dad. Of everything she did confer with her dad, this wasn't a subject she liked to discuss with him nor did she know that he detested listening to his daughter's boy dilemmas. Instead, Ariana favoured her mother during these times of her life—considering she could relate to her, being that she had been through similar issues as a teenager.

"I love you," Kelly said.

"I love you too mum," Ariana whispered softly before she disappeared out her room and down the hallway.