AN: I deleted the other version of this story due to creative differences. A lot of things have changed. Names for one. If you read this before Abbie Reynolds is now Mollie Reynolds. There are a few things about Mollie/Abbie that have changed as well. She is no longer mute but she still signs. The reason will be explained later in this chapter. Derrick Lang is now Casper Lang. The setting of the story has also changed from Virginia to the picturesque landscape of Wyoming. The name of the town is now Hidden Rocks, Wyoming. As other important elements change in each chapter I will alert you to them in notes at the beginning.
Chapter Six: At School Again
It had been a shock to Nanna when Emma returned home with her hair gone. Emma chose not to explain what had really happened. She only said that it was time for a change. When they got home, Nanna took her to the salon her friend Bernita ran and Emma had her hair cut to a spiky, short look. Emma also dyed her soft brown hair to an almost blackish-purple. It looked good and Emma was happy with it. Emma turned her personal misery into something she could be proud of.
Emma walked into school and for once, no one noticed her. Her short and colored hair was such a contrast to the Emma Ross that left school last Tuesday that one could believe that they were two different people. Kids at school that Emma had never met came up to her and asked if she was new. It was clear the moment she spoke, that she was in fact Emma Ross.
Casper and Mollie walked into school hand in hand. It was no secret now that they were together. Rumors flew about the circumstances surrounding their relationship however not a one was even close to what had really happened. Maddie had been back a day sooner than everyone else and had tried to spread crap. Like she had been told days before, there were a lot more people who were hard pressed to believe anything bad about Mollie. The first people noticed about Mollie when she walked into school that first morning back from camp was not that she was on the arm of Casper Lang but that she was not wearing a scarf. For the first time most of the student body caught a glimpse of the scar that Mollie had kept hidden for most of her life.
Mollie still had her matching scarf in her book bag and was very tempted to pull it out and wrap it around her throat. During their walk from Casper's truck into school, she had reached for it two dozen times. It took Casper standing in front of her, lifting her chin to look at him. He looked into her bright green eyes and said, "Leave it off today. Let them see the beautiful girl I see."
While they were walking in from the parking lot Mollie and Casper passed Jenna. Mollie waved to her accountability partner. Jenna joined Casper and Mollie in the Quad. Emma, Halle, Jo and Becca were already in their normal spot at the fountain. Like everyone else Mollie and Jenna barely recognized Emma in her short and almost purple hair.
"Who are you and what have you done to my best friend?" Mollie teased, when she got closer to Emma.
"You don't like it?" Emma asked. "I know it's shorter and a strange color but it's different and I like it."
"I didn't say I didn't like it," Mollie said. "I really do. Short hair suits you."
"Now you tell me!"
The two girls shared a laugh. It was a change from the week before. With Emma's new look came a new attitude. In some ways when Maddie cut Emma's hair she also cut off the obsessive, controlling side of Emma, leaving a blasé, devil-may-care in its wake. It was a nice change. Mollie couldn't help but wonder if it was all an act. An act that Emma would drop in about a week. There was a great deal of bad blood between the girls still and Mollie was worried that it may escalate again.
Through the crowds of students Mollie could see her brother making his way across the quad and over to the fountain. For once, he wasn't surrounded by his buddies from football or track. Sebastian was completely alone. He seemed to have a specific goal in mind. He walked up to the girls smiling.
"Halle, can I talk to you for a second?" he asked.
Halle and Mollie shared a confused glance. "Sure Bastian."
The two walked over to the alcove by the library and computer lab. Halle had never seen Sebastian look as flustered and nervous as he did at that moment in time. On a normal day, he was the epitome of calm. That day he seemed jittery and jumbled.
"We seemed to have hit it off rather well at camp," Sebastian began. "We were accountability partners and all. I was wondering if you aren't too busy on Saturday night, the Young Marines are having their annual honors dinner, if you would like to come with me? As my date."
Of all the possible things that Halle thought he was going to ask her, that was the last on the list. During their time at camp, Halle had listened to Sebastian rattle on and on about Hannah Nichols. He had been sweet on the girl for weeks and was trying to get the courage to ask her out. He even asked Halle her advice on the matter. Halle told him to just be himself and Hannah would just adore him.
"What about Hannah?" Halle asked. "I thought you were going to ask her?"
"I saw you in a different light this week Halle. I think we could be good together."
"I love that you took a chance like we talked about," Halle began.
"I hear a but coming," Sebastian sighed.
"However, I am going to have to decline. In fact, I know that Hannah has first period chemistry with Mr. Sanyo. Now why don't you take this confidence you have mustered up and go over there and ask her?"
"Okay Halle," Sebastian said. "Are you sure you don't want to come?"
"Your Cinderella awaits in another ballroom," Halle replied.
"What?"
"It means no."
"Right. I'm going to go now. I'll let you know how it goes."
"I look forward to it."
Halle laughed to herself as Sebastian walked away, making his way to the science wing of the school. Mollie looked over at her brother and then back at the laughing Halle. She was puzzled. Halle came back to the fountain and sat back down between Becca and Jo.
"What was that all about?" Emma asked, beating Mollie to the question.
"He asked me to the Young Marines dinner," Halle answered.
"What did you say?" Becca questioned.
"I told him no and that he should go ask Hannah Nichols. He had only been whining about it all of camp."
"Good for you Halle," Mollie said. "He may be my older brother but you can do better."
"Ouch!" Emma said. "She's right though."
They weren't sure how or what else was going on but they had not run into Maddie, Odette or Leah all morning. Emma had Maddie and Odette in her second period class so she had seen them. Neither of them said or made any attempt to speak to Emma or anything else. It was refreshing.
The drama train arrived at lunch. Everybody knew that Matt and Becca were due to have one of their infamous fights very soon. At least once a month Matt and Becca would have a very public scream-fest that usually left Becca slapping Matt and storming out. Despite all this, Matt and Becca were very much in love. Matt would bend over backwards for Becca. Somehow, this time wasn't their normal spat.
Matt came running into the cafeteria on Becca's heels, who in a word extremely pissed off. Something in Mollie's gut told her that this was not going to end pretty.
"Don't even bother Matt," Becca snapped. "You tell me one thing one day and then recant the other. I don't even know what to believe anymore."
"Will you let me explain Becca?" Matt said.
"You withdrew my nomination for Student Liaison! Why would you do that?"
"I did it for you, babe. You're going to be so busy with everything else that you're going to be doing that I figured you wouldn't want the extra stress!" Matt explained.
"I'm going to have marching band that ends by Thanksgiving," Becca retorted. "What else am I going to be doing that will add extra stress to my life?"
"You want to know why I removed you from Student Council? You really want to know why?"
"Yes Matt! I want to know why!"
"I caved! The other officers thought it to be showing favoritism if most of the officers were friends of mine. Emma's already VP, Halle's Senior Class president. It feels dishonest and a little dirty to have the Student Liaison be my girlfriend. Some go as far to claim that I pressured the other candidates for the job to back down so you would get it, unopposed."
"So, in other words, who you were really concerned about was you! Matt we have been together for three years! Longer than most high school relationships last, ever! I would never do anything to ruin your chances of having a leg to stand on in Student Council. Apparently, I am the only one who still believes that! Here I'll make it easy for you Matt. We're done. You and I are no longer anything at all. Since you seem to care more about pressure from everyone else than you do about me you can have your Student Council!" With that, she took off the promise ring Matt gave her last year for her birthday and threw it at his head, storming away.
Mollie and Jo ran after Becca as Matt stood in the middle of the cafeteria looking very ashamed of himself. Jesse and Marc both clapped him on the shoulder, in their guy way of giving support.
"Don't worry man," Marc said. "She'll cool down and you guys will work it out. It's not like this is a new thing."
"But I think she means it this time," Matt sighed. "I really screwed this one up."
"I wouldn't be so sure," Jesse said. "Give her some time. She'll calm down."
Matt walked away from his two best friends and disappeared down the hallway leading to the band room. Whenever Matt was hurt, angry or upset that's where he would go. He would go to the band room and pound out his frustration on the baby grand piano.
Jo and Mollie finally caught up with Becca at the end of the hallway leading to the parking lot. Jo was half-afraid that she was going to key Matt's truck.
"Becca! Where you going?" Jo called to her best friend.
"Leave me alone Jo!" Becca yelled back. Becca reached up and pulled off the transmitter for her cochlear implants. Without the transmitter, she would not be able to hear. She went out into the parking lot and sat down on one of the benches, staring intently at Matt's bright red F-10 Super Duty.
Mollie came and stood in front of her. "Don't even think about Becca. You're angry with Matt, not his truck."
"It's not fair," Becca signed back to Abbie. "I did nothing to deserve that."
"I told you not to date a politician," Jo teased. "Don't you think being First Lady of Hidden Rocks High School is better than being the lowly Student Liaison?"
"My break-up with Matt was a compound of numerous other things that have happened over the years. Did you know that he cheated on me last year?"
"I think Marc knew but never said anything about it," Jo replied.
"It was last Christmas. My family went to DC for a month to visit my brother and meet his fiancée at the time Melissa Bennett. I called Matt on Christmas Eve and some other girl who wasn't one of you answered the phone. I could have killed him. He told me that it was a cousin of his, which was a lie. Matt doesn't have any other family than his parents. He slept with her. Her name was Claire Perkins or something. She was at a leadership camp he went to over the summer and lives in Greely."
"So that's why he was spending so much time there," Jo said. "We all thought he was taking a class or something. You know what; you're perfectly justified in keying his truck. In fact, Marc's got a baseball bat in his truck. You can use that."
"I think you're both overreacting," Mollie said. "At least he told you he was unfaithful. He could have hid it from you and never told. He could have kept lying to you. Let him explain himself and then decide what you're going to do, Becca. He owes you that much."
"Just one little scratch?" Becca asked, smiling.
"No Becca." Mollie said, shaking her head.
"What if I just-"
"No Becca."
It didn't take long for word to spread that Matt and Becca had broken up. It spread faster than a Britney Spears pregnancy rumor. For most of the student body, they couldn't care less about what was going on in the lives of the upper classmen. Despite what most thought, the upper classmen were not looked upon as royalty as they saw themselves. Most of the younger generation saw the older students as the bullies that picked on them or as friends of their older brothers and sisters. Where ever or whoever came up with the idea that the upperclassmen were as gods was highly mistaken.
The rest of the school day was spent by Mollie and her friends to attempts to keep Becca from doing something she may regret later. Among that time Jo and Marc each received a call. Jo's moms wanted to have dinner with Marc's family. They had been dating for over a year and had yet to be officially introduced to each other's families. Jo had met Marc's aunt on several occasions but the parental units had never been introduced. Marc met Jo by her car after school.
"It seems that while we were away the parental units made plans for all of us to have dinner together tonight at Mikki's Place," Marc said.
"Aunt Carla called me a little while ago. Said that we are to meet her, Uncle Robin, and your moms at Mikki's at seven. I wonder whose idea this was?"
"Sounds like my mom," Jo said. "Marc you have been the best thing to happen to me in a long time. Mom just wants a chance to see what I see."
"But I have to wear a jacket and tie to Mikki's," Marc whined. "I only wear a jacket and tie on game day."
"You'll wear it and like it," Jo said. "It's only one dinner. You'll survive."
"It's only because I love you, that I am going through this."
"Marc, it is only dinner with my moms, and your aunt and uncle. How bad can it be?"
Meanwhile three rows down and five cars over, Casper and Mollie were talking by his truck. Mollie had finally caved around lunch and had put her scarf back on. She felt as if something was missing from her without it on. She was leaning against the back of his truck, looking up at him. He was playing with the two ends of the scarf.
"I don't know why I pushed the issue of you not wearing your scarf, Mollie," Casper said. "They suit you. I would never try to change you."
"I know that," Mollie said. "Be gentle with me Casper. I've never done this before."
Casper pulled her into his arms, holding her close. He cared a great deal for Mollie and was going to make damn sure that no more harm came to her, not on his watch. He kissed her lightly on the forehead and then opened the truck door for her. "So where are we going on our first official date?"
"Surprise me," Mollie said, smiling.
"That I am good at."
Jesse had stayed with Matt after school in the band room to help him sort through the day's events and help him make sense of it. That left Emma going home alone. However, she wasn't alone. Cohen Atwood, resident school badass, one who had been suspended more times that Marc's twin brother Zach was walking behind her. Emma knew of him, knew of his reputation, but had never once spoken to him. Their paths just did not cross.
"You look better without all that hair," Cohen commented to her back.
Emma turned on her heel and looked back at the voice. "Do I know you?"
"You would ask that," Cohen replied. "Cohen Atwood at your service."
"You shouldn't be talking to me," Emma said. "You wouldn't want a witness if you were to get busted."
"Do you really believe everything you hear?" Cohen snapped. "Oh wait; it is you I'm speaking to. You create eighty-four percent of the drama in this God forsaken place anyway."
"You actually come to school?"
"Enough to know that you're the prime super bitch."
"Wow, you pull yourself away from your drugs and badass behavior to notice what goes on in my life. I'm impressed."
"I'm not really into all that crap. It's just a façade I've got to keep preppy little princesses like you as far away from me as possible."
"Don't you know?" Emma asked, taking a step closer to him. She was testing not only Cohen but herself as well. "Don't you know who my father is?"
"I've heard tale," Cohen replied, closing the gap between them. "It has been said that you're the only daughter of the Hidden Rocks Slaughterman."
Jesse came out of the parking lot and was walking towards his car when he saw Cohen and Emma standing so close together. He quickened his pace to reach them. He, like everyone else at school only knew the dark side of Cohen Atwood. Emma was on the verge of gaining exclusive access into his true self.
"That is what they say. So it would be unwise to get onto my bad side."
"Is that so," Cohen suggested, leaning in closer to Emma. Emma was letting her emotions get the best of her. She was letting Cohen into her mind and strangely into her heart. Neither action she wanted to happen.
In other senses she could see why she loved this close attention she was receiving from Cohen. It made no sense to her because she was so in love with Jesse Valmont or so she thought. Cohen reached his hands out and set them lightly on Emma's shoulders. He looked over to his left and saw the form of Jesse moving closer to them.
"You're not ready to cross blades with me," Cohen said. "Besides your boyfriend's coming."
Jesse strode up to Cohen and Emma. He glanced over at Cohen and said nothing to him. He took Emma's hand and the pair walked away. Emma looked back at Cohen, wondering what he could have meant by "not ready to cross blades with him". Jesse walked with her to her car and kissed her goodbye. Once Emma was out of the parking lot and on her way from the school, Jesse walked back to where Cohen still was.
"Well if it isn't Prince William," Cohen greeted. "What can I do for you, your highness?"
"Stay away from Emma," Jesse said, plainly.
"I'll stay away, but I can't guarantee that she'll stay away from me."
"You think you're so slick? Emma's just in a weird place right now and she doesn't need your kind sniffing around her."
"And what exactly is 'my kind', your highness?"
"Slacker, going nowhere, you," Jesse retorted. "Just stay away from my girlfriend if you know what's good for you."
"What are you going to do? Sic those guys in red suits after me? Please you don't scare me one bit."
"I won't tell you again. Stay the hell away from my girlfriend."
Jesse strode away, leaving an unhappy Cohen in his wake. Cohen Atwood was not an idiot. He could tell when a girl was hot for him and this Emma Ross was certainly into him. It would only be a matter of time before she would drop Prince William and come running to him. She seemed like the kind of girl who needed to live a bit outside the realm of socially acceptable. He was just the guy to make that happen.
Later that evening, waiting together outside Mikki's, Marc and Jo were waiting for their families to arrive. Marc was uncomfortable in his coat and tie. Jo took his hand in an effort to calm him down. He was worried. What if Jo's moms and his guardians didn't click? That could end up worse than the Capulets and Montegues.
Kennedy and Reed were the first to arrive. Dr. Constable was wearing a black suit with a white blouse and red scarf. Dr. Grantland was the exact opposite in an off-white suit, red blouse and black scarf. Jo smiled at her stylish moms and greeted them both with a hug and European kiss. Marc was used to that greeting.
"Mom, Reed, you remember Marc?" Jo said, introducing her boyfriend to them.
"Yes, darling, we remember the boy," Reed said, greeting Marc. "He crashed two weekends ago on our couch in the den after one too many movies."
"Dr. Grantland. Dr. Constable," Marc greeted. "Nice to see you again."
"No need to be so formal, Marc," Kennedy replied. "It's Kennedy and Reed."
"Right. I'll remember."
The group waited another five minutes or so before Marc's aunt and uncle arrived. Marc's aunt Carla was wearing a summer dress while his uncle Robin looked like he was just coming from work. Jo took over the introductions, ever the graceful hostess.
"Mom, Reed, these are Marc's aunt and uncle, Carla and Robin," Jo said. "Mr. and Mrs. O'Ryan this is my mother Dr. Kennedy Constable and her partner Dr. Reed Grantland."
The Drs. Constable and Grantland greeted Carla and Robin with the European air kiss and a hug. Jo was holding her breath the entire time. It was always strange when the families of two dating teenagers met. For some it could be disaster and others could be the best thing ever. Jo was hoping for the latter.
"Well, why don't we all go inside and have some dinner?" Aunt Carla said. "I'm sure they won't hold our reservation forever."
Marc went to the door and held it open for the ladies. He got a wink from Jo and from his uncle. Kennedy went to the hostess and gave the girl her name. They were seated promptly and the three couples settled into a comfortable round booth and awkward silence. Jo and Marc sat in between their families, acting as a two-person buffer. Reed was the first to make conversation.
"Your nephew Marc is such a big help around our home," she said. "He's always polite and kind. He's even changed a porch light for us one afternoon."
"That's what we had hoped to accomplish with both Marcus and his brother Isaac," Carla replied. "At least it rubbed off on Marcus. Do you have any other children?"
"We took in my sister's daughters just before we came to America," Reed replied. "She passed away about year before we left Ireland."
"How did she die? If you don't mind my asking," Carla asked.
"My sister was the wild child of our family. She didn't make the best choices when it came to her life. She contracted AIDS and but it was cancer that took her life," Reed explained.
"How sad," Carla said. "We also inherited our boys. Marcus's mother was also not the best of people. She ran off when the boys were just three months old, leaving them with Robin's brother Harry."
"Jo, how did you meet Marcus? I don't believe we've ever heard that story," Carla said.
"It was shortly after Homecoming last year. Marc and I got paired in our Family Skills class. We had to spend the entire semester pretending to be a married couple. We raised a family, lived on a budget. Somehow it stopped being pretend and became real," Jo said, squeezing Marc's hand under the table.
Their waitress arrived to take their drink and appetizer orders. Jo's moms shared a bottle of chardonnay while Marc's uncle Robin had a bottle of Bud Light. The conversation moved from the kids and their romance to each of the parental units' professions.
"Well it definitely wasn't easy having a baby during medical school but both Reed and I had a large core group of friends to help us raise Jo," Kennedy said. "Mrs. Macready, our next door neighbor was like a surrogate grandmother for Jo."
"What brought you to the states?" Carla asked, scooping of Mikki's famous spinach and artichoke dip onto a piece of pita bread.
"We had traveled all over Europe trying to find the right place for our family. Reed did her residency in France, while I did mine in Spain. Our little family was spilt up for a few years."
"But what's so cool about Europe is the railway," Jo said, while stealing a cheese stick from Marc's plate. "Weekends could be spent in France without having to pay huge amounts of money. We stayed in France after Mom finished her stint in Spain. From there you could jump on a train and be in Brussels or Amsterdam or Copenhagen in a matter of hours."
"Sounds exciting," Carla said.
"But to answer your question about coming to America, there were opportunities to have our own private practice here," Kennedy said.
"Tell them how we decided on Hidden Valley," Jo said, sipping on her tea.
"Anna and Stacy wanted to go somewhere that they could have all four seasons like we had in France. Jo wanted someplace that had fabulous summers. Reed and I wanted a small town to call our own. We had lived in big European cities all our lives. We wanted to find a little town like the ones in Scotland and Ireland. So one afternoon Jo and the girls spent three hours looking online for houses in the US. Jo found the house we bought here in Hidden Valley. She made the call and asked about the town, the seasons and everything we wanted. The girls chose the town we just came along since we couldn't have three minor non-American girls living alone."
The table laughed just as their waitress came to take their dinner orders. Kennedy started.
"I will have the salmon, poached with lemon only, the almond rice, no mushrooms and please tell Pierre that I want the asparagus blanched not over boiled like he usually does them."
"Yes Dr. Constable," the waitress said. She turned to Reed. "The same Dr. Grantland?"
"Yes Marnie," Reed smiled.
Jo was next. "I'm going to have the Chicken Kiev with the garlic rice and the same asparagus as my moms."
Marc and Robin ordered the New York Strip with everything while Carla went with the doctors and had the salmon. Once Marnie had left the place their dinner orders, Carla looked over at the Constable/Grantland women.
"How often do you come here?" she asked.
"Every Friday at seven-fifteen," Reed answered. "Also we delivered the chef's twin boys last month and every waitress who has been pregnant that works here is a patient of ours."
"Wow," Carla replied. "You have really built a reputation for yourselves in the little town."
"What do you do for work?" Kennedy asked, sipping her wine.
"I don't work," Carla said. "Robin makes enough that I have no need to have to work."
"Then us girls are going to have to have a spa day," Kennedy said. "It is the most relaxing thing in the world to have a hot stone massage followed by a mani-pedi. Reed and I have gone away to one in France every Christmas for as long as we can remember. Jo was the youngest in her daycare to ever have perfectly manicured nails."
"I was seven months old when I first went with them," Jo said.
"Sounds like fun," Carla said. "It must be nice to have girls. All I have are two rotten boys."
"Come on Aunt Carla. We're not that bad."
"In the long seventeen years that I have had to put up with you and your brother, I could list all sorts of embarrassing moments in your life. Like the time you set my antique rug on fire? What about the time you, Zach, Derrick and Matt decided to fill water balloons with purple dye and wage war with Emma. Keep talking and I could give Jo enough dirt to make your life miserable for a long time."
Soon their food came and the conversation lulled. Despite all their worries and concerns, Marc and Jo's families seemed to be getting along quite nicely. It was just the thing that all teenage couples wanted.
Across town at Brannegan's Pub, Casper and Mollie were having their first date. With school ending, most of Mollie's brothers were home for the summer. Sebastian tried his best to keep Hunter, Bryan and J.D from giving Casper the third degree. It failed, miserably.
Casper parked his mother's Camry by the curb. He got out of the car and brushed off any dust or crumbs that got on his pants and jacket. Sebastian had warned him earlier that more of the overprotective Reynolds men would be home. To them, Mollie was still a little girl that needed protecting, which made Casper the prime suspect in any interrogation they could muster.
Casper walked up to the house and rang the bell. Mollie's older brother J.D was the one to answer the door. Casper was slightly taller than J.D and was most likely stronger. What J.D lacked in height and strength he made up for it in brains.
"You must be John Daniel," Casper said, extending his hand. "I'm Casper, Mollie's boy—I mean date. I'm Mollie's date."
Casper figured that calling himself Mollie's boyfriend would not be the best way to introduce himself to the rest of Mollie's family. He would let her do that. It was safer that way. J.D didn't say a word but let Casper in the house. Hunter and Bryan made an appearance in the foyer with Casper and J.D.
"So you're the punk who wants to date our baby sister?" Hunter said, looking Casper over. "What makes you think that we're going to allow that to happen?"
"Because I respect your sister and her values. I would never do anything to compromise that," Casper said. He had some preparation, since Sebastian gave him an idea of what he would be facing that night.
"We've been tipped off," Bryan said, after digesting what Casper had just said. "There is a traitor among us."
"I think we just need to test this boy a little more. What do you think J.D?" Hunter said.
"That would be a wise idea," J.D agreed. "What is Mollie's favorite verse in Scripture?"
"First Samuel, chapter two, verses one to ten. Hannah's prayer. Specifically verses nine and ten," Casper said.
"What was the last song Mollie sang at church?" Hunter questioned.
"Amy Grant's 'Father's Eyes,'" Casper said with a smile on her face. "Done on Father's Day."
"Now see those were the starting round," Bryan said. "These next two will get slightly more difficult."
"Knock it off you three!" Katherine said coming into the foyer. "Your sister is an excellent judge of character and of a person's worth. Do you really think she would date anyone less than worthy?"
"Oh come on Mom!" they whined. "We never get to be the protective older brother!"
"Leave Casper alone," Katherine said sternly. "Casper is a very good boy and I approve of his and Mollie's relationship. Come on now, there is a mountain of chores that need to be done that we have saved just for you. You know the house just isn't going to paint itself."
Katherine led the boys out of the foyer and towards the garage. She hadn't been kidding about the mountain of chores she had for her homecoming college boys. The basement and the garage needed to be gutted, cleaned and painted. She had hoped to finish off the basement into a small apartment for a live in nurse to stay in. That way when her condition worsened there would be someone there. The house needed a new paint job and all the windows outside needed to have the residue scraped off from the winds and waters of the lake. If Katherine was lucky, she could keep her four boys busy enough to leave their baby sister and her new boyfriend in peace.
People often would ask Katherine how she managed to raise nine children by herself. Because she wasn't allowed to give details about her husband's job, people really believed she was a single mom with a large family. Katherine never felt alone, even when Jack was away. The family would always move to the city he was working jus so they could feel close to Jack. In every city they lived in Katherine and the kids made all sorts of friends. The kids had lost touch with most of their old friends but Kat maintained. She had a large scrapbook where she kept every letter and picture from her friends all over the country.
It had been hard to see her oldest child move away and get married but seeing Mollie begin to date, was harder than anything else Katherine had ever endured. Mollie was her baby, her baby girl. Ever since Katherine was diagnosed with cancer Mollie had been working double overtime to be the perfect child. If Katherine were having a bad day, Mollie would bring her mother tea and sit with her. The pair would watch old movies until the pain subsided.
Katherine watched from the kitchen arch as her daughter came down from her room. She couldn't believe that the beautiful young lady in the foyer was the same little girl who loved fairy tales and music. A little girl who loved dresses and hated getting dirty. Now she was a beautiful young lady, dating and becoming the woman God willed her to be.
"They didn't give you that much trouble, did they?" Mollie asked at dinner. "Just remember their bark is much worse than their bite."
"I don't mind. I really thought that Hunter was going to want a DNA sample or something," Casper teased. "It's really nice that they care so much."
"Sometimes I wish they would just back off," Mollie sighed. "They still treat me like I'm seven. Bugs me you know. It's not so bad with just those four. If Gavin were here, he'd try to act like Dad."
"And I would have given him the same speech I had planned to give to your father, had he been here. Abbie, I care about you. I'm happy we're together. There's nothing that anyone can say that will change my mind. If your overprotective brothers want to give me a hard time I will accept that with all the grace that you have taught me to have."
"What did I do to deserve you?"
"I think it should be me asking that question."
The rest of their dinner went well. They took a walk along the lake, Casper walking closer to the water. Neither said very much, just mostly enjoyed being with each other. Casper had so much that he wante to tell Mollie that it would spoil the nice time they were having.
They walked out onto the marina and past all the boats. Casper was taking her to his favorite spot in town. There was a small cove just past the marina that he and Matt had found one summer afternoon while they were racing on their jet skis. Casper had never taken any of his girlfriends to the cove. It was his special place and he never felt the need to share it with anyone. It was green and lush. There was a large driftwood log that had gotten wedged between the rocks. Casper would come down here to think, study, or just to get away from everything.
"What is this place?" Mollie asked, as Casper led her into the cove.
"You have your darkroom and I have my cove," Casper said. "Matt and I found this place a few years ago. It has been my sanctuary from everything. Come on."
Casper took a step onto the log and held his hand out for Mollie. She looked up at him and down at the swirling dark water of the cove. She shook her head in a "No way" fashion. Casper understood. He took a few hops on the log to show her that it was steady. He walked it up and down. Mollie stared at him as if he was crazy. He started acting silly and of course, he slipped on a patch of algae slime and took a nosedive into the cove. Mollie couldn't help but laugh.
Casper swam over to the side if the cove and pulled himself onto the dry ground at Mollie's feet. He looked up at her slightly embarrassed. She put her hand out for him to grab. She gave him the death glare if he even thought about throwing her in as well. He stood up and shook his shaggy black hair, in a vain attempt to dry it.
"Well that was cold," Casper sighed.
"We should get going so you can get dry," Mollie said. "It is getting late too."
"I'll take you home."
"Thank you for showing me your secret spot. I won't tell anyone about it."
Casper took her hand and led her back out to the main part of the marina. It was a long, cold walk back to the car. Abbie tired her best not to laugh too much as his teeth rattled. She hugged him trying to give him some warmth. In the car, he blasted the heater but he was still cold. He drove the half mile to Mollie's house and parked along the curb.
"Come on," Mollie said. "Mom will throw your clothes into the dryer. You can wear some of Bastian's sweats."
Mollie and Casper walked hand-in-hand up the walk of her house. She saw the curtains move and tried to guess which one had been keeping watch. They walked in and Abbie flickered the lights in a particular pattern. Katherine came down the stairs and stifled a laugh when she saw Casper.
"What on earth happened to you?" she said, trying to keep a straight face. In the light of the house, Mollie could see how wretched he looked. Casper had algae slime on his jeans, seaweed in his hair and the water was starting to leave blotches on his jacket.
"I fell in the harbor," Casper said, sheepishly.
"Well that I can see," Katherine teased. "Let's get you out of those wet clothes before you catch your death. Do you need to call your folks to let them know you're going to be late?"
"They know I'm in town. If it gets too late I'll give them a call."
"Let's get you something dry," Katherine said, pushing Casper towards the laundry room. Mollie went up to her room to put away her coat and purse. When she came back down, Casper was sitting at the kitchen table in her brother's sweats drinking a cup of coffee. The house was quiet except for the sounds of her brothers in the den playing video games.
"Will you just DIE! You stupid pink ball of fluff!" Hunter yelled. "Come down here and fight me like a man!"
"I think I'll just float up here for awhile," Bryan replied. "It's nice."
Casper and Mollie looked over at each other and figured the shouts and taunts from her brothers would make more sense if they were watching them play their game. They went down to the den and sat together on the couch. The Smash Brothers tournament was in full swing. A large bowl of popcorn sat on the coffee table. Mollie picked up a handful and tossed it at J.D who was controlling Link, who at the moment was shooting arrows at the floating Kirby who was being controlled by Bryan. Hunter was Donkey Kong; he kept jumping up at Kirby trying to bat him down. Sebastian had already lost and was waiting for the next game. J.D turned to Abbie and glared as her assault of popcorn had messed up his attack.
"Casper and I got next," she said, popping a handful of popcorn into her mouth. "Fourth place does first's chores for a week."
"No way, Mollie," J.D muttered. "Mom's got me washing the windows inside and out this week. No way am I adding vacuuming and dusting to that list."
"Same here sis," Bryan added. "I'm gutting the garage and re-landscaping the yard. I don't need your chores too."
"Wimps. I can't believe you're sacred of a little girl," Mollie teased, throwing more popcorn at her brothers.
"An evil little girl," Sebastian muttered.
Casper looked over at Mollie and her brothers. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Mollie was just as good, if not better, than her brothers at this particular game.
"I can't believe this," Casper said.
"Believe it. She'll have us down to two lives before she even loses one," Sebastian said. "Trust me Casper; you do not want to bet my sister anything when it comes to this game. Before we wised up and quit betting her stuff she had us doing all her chores and a few other things that were major blows to our egos. She's both silent and deadly."
"Fine you cowards," Mollie said. "If I take all of you out before I lose one life, you have to be nicer to Casper. If I don't I won't complain to Mom that you're being jerky, over protective, obnoxious older brothers."
Hunter, Bryan and J.D, paused their game for a moment to huddle up. The animated faces and hand gestures had Casper convinced that they were going to take the bet. J.D hit the restart on the Wii and handed Mollie her neon pink controller. They had it special ordered for her last Christmas. Sebastian joined Casper on the couch. Mollie and her brothers sorted through the characters. Reynolds sibling rules of Smash Brothers was that each had to close their eyes and mute the TV while the others picked their character, that way they wouldn't know whom they were up against until the brawl began. They also let the challenger to pick the board. In Mollie's case, it meant they would be playing on the Fountain of Dreams, her favorite and best board to play on.
"Let the slaughter begin," Sebastian muttered.
"Oh crap she's King DeeDeeDee!" Hunter moaned. "This is going to be bad."
Five minutes and much moaning and crying later, all three boys had lost all five of their lives and Mollie was sitting quite pretty with not a one gone. She smiled at her brothers like the cat who ate the canary and was going to get away with it. Casper slid off the couch and kneeled in front of Mollie. He started to bow.
"I'm not worthy! I'm not worthy!" he chanted.
"Get used to it," Hunter muttered. "You'll find that our baby sister is full of surprises."
"I think that's the understatement of the year," Derrick replied.