Chapter Twelve- Of BMWs and a Teenage Girl

Kelsey stared at her father in disbelief. She obviously had misheard him. Clearly, he had not just told her what she thought he had told her.

"Kels?" her father asked from his seat on the sofa. "Did you hear me?"

Kelsey blinked. "Are you serious?"

"Of course, I'm serious." Caleb held back a laugh.

"But, isn't it more important for you to have one?"

Caleb chuckled. "I am not going back to work until after Thanksgiving. I'm still instructed to stay in bed as much as possible. Besides, I am getting a hefty settlement from this bozo. And, it isn't really important, since I have enough money to buy whatever we want, so long as it's reasonable."

Kelsey was convinced that her father had lost his mind. "You do realize I'm still just 17, right? I haven't even gotten my adult license."

"Yes, but you do have a license. And, you've been driving since you were 15, anyway. I was going to wait until you're 18th birthday, but I think it would be better now. It's getting close to winter. Plus, you are getting a job."

"After school is out for Christmas break, dad."

"Kelsey, stop fighting me on this. You need a little responsibility, and having a car is a huge responsibility at your age. I would feel much better knowing that you aren't walking on your own from school at night. Or on a bus with a bunch of weird men."

"My arm is still broken." she added on to her list of reasons for why having a car was a ridiculous idea.

"It will be out of the cast soon." Caleb shook his head. "I never dreamed I would have to fight with you about this. I thought I would fight with you over you demanding a car, but not over me buying you one."

"I don't want people to know how much money we have." Kelsey admitted as she sat up in the armchair that she had been lounging on. "I hated that most of my friends in New York only liked me because you have money."

"Kels, odds are that your friends like you regardless. Besides, they can ride in your new car. So long as it's only Julie and Connie, of course. And, maybe Gina Portman's kid, but that is it."

"You don't have to worry about any guys being in the car." she said as the doorbell rang.

She loftily stood up from the chair and opened the door. She was quickly enveloped into a hug as the cold air whipped across her bare arms and face.

"Are you guys ready to head to the car lot?" Rosa asked as she let go of her niece, looking at the pajama clad teenager. "Apparently not."

"I didn't even know you were coming." Kelsey said as she started up the stairs. "Dad just informed me of this ludicrous idea."

Rosa suppressed a smile as the younger lady went upstairs to change back into the school clothes she had just changed out of an hour before.

"She is actually arguing with you about this? I would have exploded from happiness if mom and dad got me a car at her age."

As Kelsey snuggled into her jacket, she looked around the parking lot, fully convinced now that her father's brains had been addled in the car accident. They were in Bloomington, at a car dealership that exclusively sold BMWs. Kelsey had come to terms with getting a new car on the ride to Bloomington, in the airport rental SUV that Rosa was driving, but she had never imagined her father was going to spend this kind of money on a first car for his teenage daughter.

"Well, you have the pick of the lot." Caleb said as he motioned with his hand.

Kelsey couldn't hold it back any longer. "You have lost your mind, haven't you, dad?"

Caleb guffawed loudly, with Rosa chuckling. The car salesman even looked entertained with the question.

"Honey, I have not lost my mind. You have done so many good things to merit this decision I have made. I trust you completely, and know that you will never goof off in anyway while driving. Just accept this present, sweetheart."

Kelsey felt rather embarrassed for questioning her dad. She knew he meant well, but she just didn't want the headache that would come along with her driving a brand new car to school.

"Okay, but nothing too flashy." she consented as they toured the car lot.

Three hours, $50,000, and a mountain of paperwork later, Kelsey was staring in disbelief at the 2006 BMW 325xi that was parked in the garage. Though Kelsey had wanted the base model without any special trimmings, her giddy father insisted on getting the more expensive model that included heated leather seats, automatic transmission, automatic sunroof, and many other fancy trappings. Kelsey was initially skeptical of how a fully decked out car in a mystic blue metallic paint was already at the dealership, but since she really didn't know how these things worked, she just assumed they kept one completely upgraded car on the lot. As she took one final look at her beautiful new car, she couldn't help but do a happy dance. It would easily be the best car sitting in the student parking lot at Eden Hall Academy, and Kelsey couldn't wait to be able to drive herself to school.

Since neither she nor her father was in much of a condition to drive safely, they had to have someone from the car lot drive the shiny blue car to the Paris' apartment. It was so surreal to her that she now owned a car. Sure, she wouldn't be able to drive it until the cast came off, but it was still grandly parked in the two-car garage in the back of the apartment. As she left the garage and trekked across the small backyard, she waved at the children playing in the yard on the other side of the chain link fence. She quickly went into the back door and into the warm kitchen, breathing in the smell of cinnamon.

"What's for dinner?" she asked cheerfully as she washed her good hand and turned to her aunt.

"Roast." Rosa answered as she placed a pan into the oven. "I'm baking pumpkin rolls for dessert."

Kelsey grabbed the other pan from the counter and placed it in the oven beside of the first. "When did you manage to make all of this?"

Rosa gave a small laugh. "You've been out in that garage for at least half an hour, honey. Plus, I was over here earlier while you were in school, so I fixed the roast and vegetables and slow cooked them. It only finished twenty minutes ago."

"Well, then why did you just show up at four o'clock?"

"I had a meeting to attend. That's most of the reason I'm here; my company has recently opened a small store in downtown, and I am here for the next week to train the employees. It is very hard to open up an organic whole foods store with untrained employees. If they don't even know why it is better to consume these foods than others, then the store won't make any money."

"Oh, I forgot that the store is opening next Friday." Kelsey said as she put the plates and silverware onto the table. "Is Marion going to be home for dinner? Or do you know?"

Rosa looked rather nervous as she wiped her hands onto the flowered print apron. "Your dad really doesn't want me to say anything, but Marion left earlier in a fury. I don't think she'll be home any time soon."

Kelsey finished setting the table then turned back towards her aunt. "What was she mad about?"

She could really care less about Marion's feelings being hurt; she was more interested in knowing what the next battle was going to be over when she crossed her stepmother's path.

"She came in from her shopping trip about the time that your dad and I were discussing whether to get you a BMW or an Audi. She was really mad and started screaming about your dad spoiling you and how he never bought her stuff."

Kelsey began helping her aunt place the various side dishes onto the table. "I don't see why she is mad. She has a lot of money since she was a model."

Rosa sighed as she brought the roast over to the table and carefully placed it in the center. "I honestly just think she is mad that your dad hasn't given her a card to his bank account. She is under the impression that you buy frivolous things with his money, and that she deserves it more than you do."

"I don't ever use his card." Kelsey said as she rolled her eyes. "The last time I used it was in New York. I use my allowance money to buy stuff."

"Which is what your dad told her, but she has convinced herself that she knows it all. Besides, you are entitled to some of the money in his account because it belonged to your mom. And, even if it didn't, you are his child and you should come first." Rosa shook her head. "She ended up storming out the door and slamming it behind her. I really wish your dad would just divorce her. She isn't a very good mother figure to you, or a good wife for that matter."

"Yeah, but he loves her." Kelsey replied.

"I don't-"

The kitchen door opened, and Rosa sat down at the table, as Caleb entered the room.

"Man, I am starved." he remarked as he sat down.

Rosa and Kelsey exchanged a knowing glance before helping themselves to the delicious food.

A.N. - Hello! I'm sorry I haven't updated in so long. I hope this chapter is as good as the previous ones. I would really appreciate some reviews for this new direction towards the story. The first time I wrote it out, I implied that Kelsey came from a wealthy background, and I have dropped several hints in previous chapters that over the years her father has become a world-famous photographer, implying that he has a lot of money in the bank. But, I want to make sure that I haven't lost anyone with the purchase of Kelsey's car. She isn't going to change personality-wise, nor will she drop her teammates for the elite of the school, so I don't think the recent admission of wealth will distort the story. But, I would really like to know what you, the reader, think. Anyway, thank you for taking the time out to read this fanfiction!