A/N: Wooooo Happy Fourth of July to those who celebrate!Mine was pretty awesome! Thanks to those who reviewed! Let me know what you think: )
Riley put away her novel when she saw her father's Denali pulling up to the shrink's office, as she sat with her ankles crossed on the sidewalk. She sighed as she gathered her cell phone and stuck it in her purse. No one had tried to call her or text her during her session. Today was one of those sessions when she wished someone would have. Her heart really wasn't into it this time. She'd had a long, tiring day, and had been arguing with her father just before. Her therapist was getting frustrated with her today, Riley could tell. Riley wasn't elaborating on her feelings at all when Dr. Carlson asked questions. She didn't want to talk about how she felt when she had to change in gym class in front of the other girls. She didn't want to talk about whether that brought her back to a scary place. All she was concerned with today was going home, eating, and grabbing a good forty-five minute nap. But nooooooooo. Dr. Carlson wouldn't let her shut her eyes, she just kept on and on and on. And on.
The fifteen year old sighed dramatically as Nick pulled up to the sidewalk. She climbed into the front seat and yawned. Immediately, she noticed Carly was sniffling in the back seat, but her father didn't seem too bothered by it. If she hadn't been so damn tired, she would've asked her little sister what was wrong, but right now she didn't want to deal with the second grader's dramatics.
"How was your session?" Nick kept his eyes on the road, already having some idea of what her answer would be based on her demeanor.
"It sucked. I told you it's not helping me." She put her feet up on the dashboard in hopes of relaxing. Nick backhanded her leg lightly.
"Get those off of there." He instructed her as took a right turn out of the complex. Riley grumbled in response, but took her feet down. Hard ass. Everything about him was annoying her for some reason today. Being back with her grandparents and all her friends made her realize how much she missed that life, and even after two years, her heart was torn between her two lives. She loved living with the Stokes most of the time. Really, all the time, except for when she was in trouble. Riley always got punished way worse that she ever would've gotten with her mom and stepdad But the rest of the time, she felt much safer and happier than she had been in Tucson. Riley realized what a wild child she had been back then, and though it had sucked, Nick had brought her back to a better standard of living. He'd forced her to have greater respect for herself, and to expect more out of her life. Back in Tucson, her plans had been to finish up high school and get a job waitressing or at Target or something. Now, Nick and Sara expected her to go to college. It was no longer a matter of if she was going, it was a matter of which one.
But back home – there was nothing like home – she was still loved and adored by her grandparents and all her pals from elementary and middle school. There was something to be envied about the way they lived. All her friends lived for the day and the right now, and didn't worry about what was coming in two years when they graduated. Things were safe, in a word. Everything was predictable, and everyone knew exactly who their neighbors were. Riley could practically predict who would be elected Homecoming Queen, and who would go out with who. And their lifestyle was simple - sitting on the front porch in the evening, watching NASCAR races, sneaking down to the lake after dark with her friends and a few guys. It wasn't the most glamorous of lives, but that's the way Riley had lived for thirteen years, and it just felt right. She was still adjusting to the Stokes, and messed up on occasion with them.
And what if Nick had known about her mother being pregnant? What would've happened if he'd stayed in Tucson to raise her mom? There would have been no stepdads. Well, Nick never would've let anything happen if there was one around. He'd be even more protective of her as he was now, like with Carly. He still wouldn't let the poor kid cross the street without him at least watching from the window. Would her personality still be the same? Or would she be more lady-like and sweet like Carly if Nick had raised her all his life? She'd talked about this with her therapist, and she'd urged her to talk about this with Nick, but also not to let those thought overwhelm her thoughts. There was no point in wondering what could have been. Dr. Carlson told her to work on the now, and the future.
In a few words, she was still so confused. Was she supposed to pick where she liked better? Did she really have any control over it? She was mandated by law to live with her father, so it's not like she could just snap her fingers and move back to Tucson. For better or worse, she was stuck here with the Stokes.
Carly's whimpering increased as they neared their home. Nick checked on his middle child in the rearview mirror.
"Carly, you're fine." He told her, with a hint of impatience in his voice.
"I don't like all the dirt!" She complained sadly. Riley decided to turn around to see what all the fuss was about. The kid must have been pushed or actually slid into home base, because she had dirt all over the front of her. And she was acting like it was her own blood, the way she was whimpering and whining, and looking at it, disgusted.
"You'll survive." Nick assured her as they turned into their subdivision. He shook his head at the differences between the two girls. Carly was his lady, and Riley was his free spirit.
"Daddy, I gotta go poop." Nolan announced loudly.
And Nolan was his little man.
"Almost home, guys." He assured all three of his children as he made a left onto their street. Nolan started whimpering, Carly kept on whining, and Riley let out a grumble. Nick chuckled, "You three are just pitiful."
No one said anything as Nick pulled into the driveway and parked the car. He got out quickly to unbuckle Nolan and let him dash into the house to do his business. The girls got out much slower, taking their time. Carly whimpered her way over to her father.
"Daddyyyyy!" The look on her face did not do justice for what she was whining about. Nick sighed and held out his hand to her.
"C'mon, sweet pea." He urged her, then turned back to look at Riley. "Ry, will you get the mail for me, please?"
It was a small task, but Riley grumbled pathetically anyway. She gave a huff as she turned around and walked those long ten feet to the end of the driveway to pick up the mail. Riley slammed the mailbox shut and began sifting through the items to see if magically there would be anything for her, besides bills for her parents.
Magically, there was! And it was something that through the teenager for a loop. There, with her name on it, was a letter from Butterfield Academy. Riley hurried inside as she held the rest of the mail under one arm and struggled to open the letter with the other. She managed to kick the door shut and walked quickly towards the breakfast bar. Nick was treating the stains on Carly's uniform while she took a shower, and notice that his oldest seemed to be quite enthralled by one particular piece of mail.
"What do you have there?" He inquired as he scrubbed away at the dirt with some detergent to pretreat it. Riley's eyes were currently darting back and forth on the page she was reading, her mouth slowly opening until it was a full-out gape.
"Oh my God." She muttered, and Nick couldn't tell if it was a good 'oh my God', or the bad kind. He studied her face for any clue, and soon those eyes twinkled a bit and a smile spread across her lips.
"What is it, Ry?" He set down the shirt, wiped his hands on a towel, and began to walk around the island to read over her shoulder. She was killing him.
"It's from Butterfield!" She told him as he neared, her eyes still glued to the crisp, white piece of paper. "And they said I'm eligible for a scholarship to go there!"
Nick's mouth took on the same gaping expression as his daughter as she handed it to him to read for himself. His eyes darted, trying to quickly read the information to see if it was true.
"Dear Ms. Groves, upon recent review of your impressive academic record at Ed W. Clark High School and exceptional standardized test results, we are pleased to inform you of your eligibility for the Butterfield Student Scholarship Program…" Nick mumbled quickly out loud.
Riley squealed and started dancing around the dining room area at the news. Butterfield wanted her? HER?! They were impressed with her scores and her grades? This was unbelievable.
Nick was smiling, but he kept on reading to make sure he got the full idea of things. He could tell Riley was definitely excited, which he wasn't sure he was surprised about or not. Nick would've thought she'd hate private school, especially strict no-nonsense Butterfield. But there she was, jumping for joy at the prospect of attending.
"Eligible students must take the Scholastic Aptitude Test prior to April 18th of this year and receive a score no less than 1900. Applicants must also write a one thousand word essay detailing why they would benefit from Butterfield and its rigorous, college-prepatory environment. Please contact the admissions office if you have further questions."
Nick whistled at the news and the admissions process, letting the letter fall to the counter as he just watched his daughter dance around happily and laughing. He crossed his arms over his chest and just smiled at her until she made her way over to him. She was grinning from ear to ear as she grabbed his arms, wanting him to join in the celebration.
"Daddy! Daddy!" She jumped up and down and urged him to do the same. Nick played along and bounced around a bit from foot to foot, glad to see his daughter so excited about something other than her sweet sixteen party. "Can you believe it?! They want me?"
"I know! That's great, baby. I'm so proud of you." He praised her, then brought her in for a fatherly hug. Barely having time to kiss her on the head, Riley pulled away and began twirling herself around with his hand like a ballerina. Nick had never seen his daughter act this way the two and a half years he'd known her. He wondered if she was like this a lot as a little kid.
"This is so great!" She grinned, and clapped her hands together multiple times. "I've gotta call Sara!"
Riley skipped to her backpack to find her cell phone, which she of course turned off during the school day. She would never think of texting friends in class. Nick shook his head as he saw her gleefully finding Sara's number in her phone book. It was great to see her so excited about something, but he couldn't be more surprised at what it was about. He would've thought she'd just won tickets to Fall Out Boy. But she had a chance of getting in to rigorous Butterfield Academy. Nick never dreamed that she would actually want to go to that school. He had a hard time getting her to do the dishes – how could the teachers there put up with her? How would Riley put up with the teachers? Though she was smart as a whip, she didn't love school, especially all the tight schedules and rules they were known for. Why was Riley so enthused with the prospect of going to the strictest school in the city?
Nick went back to the kitchen to finish treating Carly's shirt, listening to Riley squeal to his wife over the phone. He could tell by Riley's reactions that Sara was just as surprised as he was. There would definitely be lots of talking and discussion that evening, and the next few days as they contemplated the possibility. Nick's thoughts were interrupted by some small arms around his waist. He glanced down to see his middle child, smelling very nice and looking much happier.
"Hey, baby." He greeted her.
"Hi, Daddy." She squeezed him from the side as he worked at her uniform. It was hard for the second grader to watch her previously beautiful white uniform covered in nasty dirt. She didn't quite understand how all the girls on her team didn't seem to mind. "What's Riley so excited about?"
Nick gathered her uniform in a tight ball and tried to squeeze the water out the best he could as Riley laughed and laughed on the phone with Sara.
"Well, she got a letter from Butterfield Academy. She might get to go there if she gets a good score on her SATs."
Carly watched her father squeezing the white garment as she processed the information. He began to move towards the laundry room and she followed after him.
"What's the SAT?" She inquired, tagging along with him. Carly was still at the age where she loved being around her mother and father. It was funny that though Riley was already a teenager, she liked to hang out with her parents also because she'd lost that precious time with her father as a young child. Nick was still finding amazing things out about her every day even two and a half years later, like how excited she was about Butterfield.
"It's an important test high school kids have to take to get into college." He explained as he tossed the uniform into the washing machine, along with some other whites that were gathered nearby. Carly grabbed the laundry detergent, always loving to measure it out for her parents. It was just a tiny thing, and Nick marveled at how it made her feel so important.
Nick helped her hold the jug as she stuck her tongue out the side of her mouth in concentration, expertly pouring out the liquid. Soon she'd filled it just the right amount, and then carefully poured it into the machine.
"Good girl." Nick praised her as she closed the top. "Go ahead and turn it to heavy wash."
Carly did as he asked and turned around proudly. He then gave her a piggy back ride back to the kitchen area. Riley was still on the phone, explaining how she needed to get a 1900 on her SATs to get in. Nick made a mental note to get his daughter signed up soon for a test. They were planning on signing Riley up for some tutorial classes, but Nick wasn't sure if it was too late now for this session. She would no doubt be taking the test multiple times when she was a junior and senior for when she was actually trying to get into college. At least the classes would help for that. Riley would just have to depend on her natural smarts and brush up on her knowledge herself for her first SAT. It made Nick's mind wander to some mail they'd gotten a while back about SAT dates coming up, so Nick went to the file they kept important papers in on the counter.
"Daddy, will I hafta take the SAT someday?" Carly asked worriedly as Nick adjusted her, beginning to sift through some papers.
"Yes, baby. Most everyone does." He explained. It had also been their plan with Carly and Nolan since birth that they'd both go to college. They'd been planning financially for it, even as Carly was just learning her ABC's.
"I don't think I wanna take it." She told him, thinking it sounded like the ultimate big scary test. Poor Carly got horrible butterflies before her spelling test every Friday. And Riley had to get a 1900 to get into Butterfield? She had to answer 1900 questions right?! That must take weeks to get through all of those! Carly never wanted to grow up.
"It's not that bad, baby." Nick assured her. "You'll be ready when it's your turn and you'll do great."
Carly buried her face between his shoulder blades, trying not to think about it. They heard a crash in the hallway, and Nick realized it must be Nolan.
"Sweetie, will you go check on your brother please?" He asked his youngest daughter as he found the paper he was looking for. Carly hopped off wordlessly and went chasing after her brother.
"Nolan Thomas Stokes! I'm coming!" She warned him sternly, making Nick chuckle. His eyes raced over the paper, explaining the coming dates and locations for the test. His heart dropped a little when he saw that the only date left to sign up for before Butterfield's deadline was Saturday, April 13th. Riley's sweet sixteen party was scheduled for Friday the 12th, and they'd already booked the Holiday Inn conference room for it. The worker who'd scheduled it for him commented he was lucky there were any dates at all open in the spring with graduations and weddings going on, so he doubted they could reschedule for Saturday or another weekend. The SAT started at eight in the morning, and Nick was a firm believer that his kids needed a good night's sleep before tests, especially one as big as this.
Nick's fingers rubbed at his forehead and nose, already picturing that conversation as Riley talked excitedly in the background. Well, sweetie, you'll have to choose between your sweet sixteen party and your future for the next two years. Or, he could be a hardass and make her have the party at home, or somewhere less desirable. Crap, he'd lose his $200 deposit if he bailed on the reservation. Shit, shit, shit. She'd never speak to him again if he did that.
Riley clicked her phone off and came scurrying over to him again, her face lit up and her dazzly white teeth smiling back at him. She hugged him tightly again.
"I still can't believe it, Daddy. It's amazing!!" She squealed, grabbing his hands and clapping them together. Nick saw she was so excited, he didn't have the heart to burst her bubble at the moment. He smiled at her and kissed her forehead.
"I'm proud of you, sweetie. Butterfield's a great school." He nodded at her, beaming. She looked at him suddenly like he was crazy.
"A great school?" She questioned. "Dad, it's the best in Vegas!"
Nick nodded and smirked at her again. "You're right." He admitted as she did another twirl. Nick didn't have a chance to tell her anything else.
"I'm gonna go call Grandma and then Allison, and then I promise I'll get to my homework." She called over her shoulder as she scurried off towards her bedroom. Nick watched her go but didn't say anything. Though he was getting to know his daughter better every day, he really didn't know where her heart would be on this one. Surely she wouldn't throw away the chance at Butterfield just because of one party? Her reaction seemed to say it all, but she'd had just as strong of a reaction about her party. She was passionate about all the possibilities of DJs, refreshments, guests – she'd even started designing her own invitations on the computer.
Nick sighed and couldn't wait for his wife to get home and talk some sense to him. She'd surely know what to do. Sara would know how their teenager would react to the decision she'd have to make. If she didn't, they just may be totally screwed.