Here's the newest chapter! Hope everyone's having a great holiday!
I'm revisiting Thanksgiving real quick. ;-D.
Enjoy!
"Typical." Aisha rolled her eyes as she strained the peas over the sink. "Guys watching football while we slave over the food."
"Well, then you shouldn't have told them that they could sit back and relax," teased Trini.
Kim, Amy, and Hayley laughed. Aisha rolled her eyes again when a loud yell erupted from the living room.
"Do you ladies need any help?" asked Billy. He sat on a stool next to Kim. "Football has never really been my thing."
Kim shrugged her shoulders and looked at Aisha. "She's usually in charge."
Aisha looked between Billy, Kim, and the napkins sitting in front of them. "You can take over the napkins. Kim, show him how it's done and then get started on the pies." Aisha put a stack of napkins in front of Billy. She pointed to the array of china drying on the china. "When those are dry, go on and start setting up the main dining room table."
Kim smiled slyly at Billy as she picked up a napkin to show him how Aisha likes it folded. "And don't forget when you're setting the table, later. Forks on the right, spoons on the left."
"How's the stuffing coming along, Trini?" asked Aisha.
"It's coming, 'Sha," she answered. "Don't worry. Now get back to your turkey."
"Amy, make sure you don't put too much sugar in that tea."
Amy rolled her eyes. "I know."
Another yell erupted from the living room. Hayley glanced over at the guys with a look that told Kim she wished she weren't in the kitchen. Kim nodded toward the bottles of soda on the counter and winked at Hayley. She smiled and raised her eyebrows in response.
"Aisha," Hayley started. "I don't think we have enough sodas."
"WHAT?" Aisha frantically looked around at the bottles of soda.
"I'll go get some more."
"I'll show her where she needs to go," added Kim. "What else do we need?
Aisha sighed. "One more bottle of Coke. A couple more of Sprite. And some more juice for the punch."
Kim and Hayley nodded and jetted out of the house with Billy, Amy, and Trini throwing them dirty looks on their way out.
"Whew," sighed Hayley as she buckled her seat belt in the passenger side of Kim's car. "Intense stuff in there."
Kim laughed while she turned the car on. "Sometimes she's worst. Last year, Adam and I were out of town and our arrival flight was delayed. We were like, five minutes late. We barely made it in time for Thanksgiving. 'Sha was so mad at us; she almost made us eat at the breakfast table instead of the dining room table."
Hayley laughed. "Thanksgiving last year consisted of me, Billy, and Tommy eating turkey sandwiches and downing smoothies at the café. I'll gladly be a part of 'Sha's craziness."
"Except that you've already figured out a way to get out of it."
"Well, I didn't graduate from MIT for nothing."
Kim and Hayley stayed at the grocery store for a couple hours. An hour and a half longer than they really needed to be. The two of them took their time and walked up and down each aisle as slow as they could.
"Think we should head back now?" asked Hayley.
Kim looked at her phone and nodded. "Dinner's in thirty. Aisha will have a fit if we're not back in time."
Hayley giggled. "Has she always been like this?"
"No. Not really." Kim looked thoughtful. "In high school, she was pretty laid-back. More of a go-with-the-flow type of person."
Kim and Hayley moved into the express check-out lane.
"I think after my accident, Aisha got a bit more motherly toward me. Everyone got pretty overprotective, but 'Sha was overprotective and overbearing. Still is in some ways."
Hayley smiled.
"So, ever since then, Aisha's always been so crazy about the holidays, always trying to get us closer together. Drives me insane, but I love it."
Kim paid for her purchases and she and Hayley picked up their bags.
"I used to always be the crazy one about everything, back in high school," Kim recalled fondly. "Always went all out for everything. Anything and everything. But I think I've mellowed out a bit since high school."
"Well, we can't be the same person that we were in high school forever."
Kim smiled. "Yeah, I think we've all changed since high school, Hayles." She started up the car to go back to the house. "Except Jason. And Trini. And Rocky. And Adam." She laughed. "I guess it's just me and 'Sha, then. Almost as if we've switched places.
Hayley laughed. "So the two of you have changed and the others haven't?"
'Well…we've grown up, of course. But honestly…" Kim shook her head. "Jase, Trini, Rock, and Adam have always been there for me. And when we met up with Zack, Billy, and Tommy, it was…well, once particulars were out of the way, it was almost as if we've never been apart."
"Sign of true friendship."
"I hope."
Hayley looked at Kim. "Tommy missed you. All those years, he's always missed you." Kim glanced at Hayley very quickly, taken aback. "The Tommy that you guys talk about in high school, the Tommy who lives here, in Florida, I don't know that Tommy."
"Of course you know---"
"He was a different person in college and grad school. And in Reefside. Didn't smile much, barely laughed. So sarcastic. So serious."
Kim smiled. "I can't imagine Tommy like that. Only when he's under an evil spell."
The two of them laughed as they pulled into Kim's driveway.
"Make sure you get out that peace offering for Aisha," said Kim. "She's already gonna be pissed that we've been gone for so long."
Hayley pulled out the box of Ferrero Rocher chocolates and followed Kim to the front door.
"Where have you guys been?"
Kim and Hayley looked at each other with wide eyes. Kim nodded toward the box of chocolate in her hand.
The two of them slowly walked into the kitchen, where everyone else was gathered, bringing food and beverages into the dining room.
"Smells good, 'Sha," said Kim.
Aisha raised an eyebrow at Kim. She looked at Hayley.
Hayley grinned and shoved the box of chocolates in Aisha's hands.
Aisha pursed her lips at the both of them and nodded toward the dining room.
Jason shook his head. "You guys so would've been dead."
"Whatever," said Kim. "A minute later than we are, we would've been dead."
"Keep believing that."
Kim followed Jason and Hayley into the dining room and settled into her seat next to Tommy. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and he grinned at her in return.
"Happy Thanksgiving, Beautiful," he whispered to her.
"Thanks Handsome," she replied.
Everyone settled into their seats and looked around at Kim.
Kim shrugged. "What? I get first pick?"
Aisha shook her head. "I know this is cheesy, but it's been such a big year. I think we should go around saying what we're thankful for."
Kim rolled her eyes. "All right, Mom." Aisha rolled her eyes. Kim cleared her throat and looked around. "I'm thankful for…wait. Let's not be generic and say that we can't repeat what somebody has already said."
"Not fair," said Rocky.
Kim shrugged her shoulders and looked around the table. "Since I'm going first I'm covering everything." She grinned. "I am thankful for my health. My friends. Thank you for being my family." She smiled at the people around the table. "I'm thankful for my new friendship with you, Hayley, and for finding my old friends." She grinned at Zack and Billy. "And of course," Kim turned to Tommy. "I am thankful for finding you again."
She leaned over to kiss him while everyone 'awed.'
"And I'm thankful that the two of you got married this year." She looked at Rocky and Aisha. "Now you can't say it. HAH! Your turn, Handsome."
Tommy looked at Kim. "Can't repeat anything, right?" Everyone nodded. "I'm thankful that I moved down here to Florida. And I repeat everything else that Kim's said. Except replace the Hayley with the Amy." Everyone laughed.
"Doesn't count, Tommy!" scolded Aisha, playfully.
Tommy shrugged and looked to his right. "Trini?"
"I'm thankful that you guys can come down here a lot," Trini said, looking at Billy, Zack, and Hayley. "And for my job not being so stressful this year."
Jason sat in silence for a bit, thinking. "I'm thankful that Alpha 6 is helping out at the dojo. And I'm thankful that my kids placed first in the region."
Aisha stared at Kim, playfully, trying to think of something to say. "You stole what I was going to say."
Kim shrugged and smiled.
"I'm thankful…that we were able to pull off Thanksgiving this year. I'm thankful that we could spend the holidays together and I can't wait until Christmas."
"That was a good one," whispered Trini.
Aisha nodded with wide eyes. She giggled. "Rocko?"
"I'm thankful for marrying the---"
"Can't say that," interjected Jason.
"It doesn't count," protested Rocky. "Kim just said that she's thankful we got married this year. I want to say that I'm thankful I finally got to marry the person of my dreams."
Aisha grinned at Rocky.
"Still doesn't count," said Jason. "Pick something else."
"Well, I could tell you what I'm not thankful for." Rocky looked at Adam. "I'm not thankful that you got to go and---"
Adam looked at Rocky with wide eyes while Aisha kicked him underneath the table.
Rocky stopped when he realized what he was about to say. "Well, I'm not thankful that you got to go and travel the world some more," he finished, somewhat lamely.
Everyone sat in silence for a bit, trying not to laugh out loud.
"It's hard when you can't repeat anything!" Rocky crossed his arms and looked at Billy.
"Well," started Billy. He took a minute to think for a bit. "In order to keep with the rules of the game, I must say that I am thankful that I accepted the extra ticket from Kira and Hayley to go to your concert, Kim. Most especially the chain of events that occurred thereafter."
Hayley looked around. "I'm thankful that people I have never met before accepted me into their lives as if I were one of their own." She smiled around the table.
"I'm thankful…" Amy looked at Adam. 'For you,' she whispered to him.
"Cheating!" yelled Kim.
Everyone laughed again.
"Fine, I'm thankful…that I actually got a day off. My boss works me to the bone."
"I do not," said Aisha.
Adam looked around the table before saying what he was thankful for. "I'm thankful that I don't need fancy dance moves or anything to get my job done."
Everyone laughed, including Amy, who didn't completely understand the meaning behind Adam's statement.
"My turn!" said Zack. He looked at Billy and cocked his head. "I am thankful that Trent spilled his coffee on me at Starbucks that one day. And that I've been able to kick off that TV show successfully. With the help of my wonderful friends, of course!" He stood up and took the knife to cut the turkey. "We ready to eat?"
A chorus of yeah's echoed around the table.
"Then let's go!" Zack yelled as he cut into the turkey.
Kim took Tommy's hand underneath the table and waited for the food to make its way around the table.
A couple of hours later, Jason shut the dishwasher and joined his friends with coffee and pie.
"You know it really sucks," said Kim. "We have rehearsal tomorrow."
"Oh yeah," said Zack. "When is the concert again?"
"Next week."
"How's Kira doing?" asked Hayley.
"She's great," answered Adam. "You guys will still be in town for the concert, right? Kira said that Conner and Ethan are coming into town next week. Trent, I think, is here already. I think he's actually finished with school until next year."
"Yeah," answered Hayley.
"I'm going back to California after the concert, though," Billy said. "I have work piling up over there."
"Me too," said Zack. "I've got to go back."
"The show seems to be going good, Zack," said Jason.
Trini threw a pillow at him. "I can't believe you put in that whole 'afraid of heights' thing!"
"Hey," said Zack, raising his arms in surrender. "Kids have to learn how to get over their fears, too."
Everyone laughed.
"Oh, by the way, I got a phone call from Will the other day," Adam said as he casually threw his arm around Amy.
"Who's Will?" she asked.
"He's…umm…I met him…Kira and I actually met him…when we left a few months ago," he answered. "Back in July."
"What happened?" Jason asked. "What'd he say?"
"That…well…they…uhh." Adam looked at Amy. "Will's a spy. He…uh…finished what he was doing. The last thing that he was spying for."
Amy looked as if she didn't believe him. "Uh, ooo-kay."
Kim raised her eyebrows at Aisha, an exchange that didn't go unnoticed by Amy.
"So, anyways, guys," said Hayley. "Let's go on and mellow out a bit more." Hayley pulled out a board game from underneath a coffee table. "Let's play some Cranium!"
"I call Hayley and Billy!" yelled out Rocky.
"Not fair!" exclaimed Jason. "You can't have both of them."
"I called them."
"I didn't know we were a piece of meat that could get called on," Hayley said.
"You could have Billy, I'll take Hayles," said Jason. "She looks like she could handle the green."
"Let's just divide into teams by alphabet," said Trini, smoothing the situation over. "One team will have two people." She looked around. "Adam, Aisha, and Amy." The three of them moved next to each other.
"We've got the yellow piece," Aisha said, grabbing it.
"Billy, Hayley, and Jason."
"HAH!" Jason yelled in triumph. "Both of them!"
"Not fair," said Rocky.
Jason shrugged at him and smirked. "And we've got the red piece!"
"Me, Kim, and Rocky."
"Then we're getting the blue piece," Rocky said, snatching it from the box.
"That leaves Tommy and Zack." Trini said as she handed Tommy the green piece.
Tommy smiled as he eyed the piece.
Everyone put their piece on the game board.
"And since Tommy and Zack have the fewest people on their team, they could go first," Trini said. "And we'll go backward from there."
"Thanks Tri," said Zack. He picked up the die and blew on it. "Come on, green!"
There goes that chapter. Hope you all enjoyed it.
If anyone's ever played Cranium before (one of my most favorite games!), it's a trivia, charades, art, and spelling game all grouped into one. Red is the trivia. There are true/false questions, multiple-choice questions, and just all around trivia-type questions. Green is the fun one. In that category, you might have to act out something, pretend to be a celebrity, or hum a familiar song and your team has to guess. One of my favorite categories. The blue is the art. You have to draw, some with your eyes open, others with your eyes closed. And you may have to sculpt something out of clay that the game provides. Yellow is the word game. You have to spell something either forward or backward, or know the meaning of one of the words.
It's a pretty fun game.
