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Chapter 22
Harm Mac and Mattie had moved into a three bedroom townhouse. There had been a room set aside for Chloe when she visited and a studio room above the garage that wasn't as yet being used. Things now though, were going to have to shuffled to accommodate their now considerably larger family.
The newly formed family got out of the taxi and stood in front of the house.
"Home sweet home." Harm said.
"Sure is." Mac said.
"Nice digs." Chloe said with and affirmative nod of her head. "I think I might like it here."
"I hope so honey." Mac said pulling her into a hug. Josh looked a little unsure and embarrassed like he wasn't really sure where he fitted in. Mattie noticed and tugged on his arm.
"Come on Josh...I'll show you..." she started. "Hang on...where IS his room gonna be?" Harm looked at Mac.
"I guess that's something we need to discuss." he said.
"I know...I'll make it easy for you...I'll have the apartment over the garage." Mattie said.
"Hey...why do you get the apartment?" Chloe asked indignantly.
"Because I called it first."
"Stop!" Mac said. "We...as in Harm and I...will talk and THEN we'll get back to you."
"Can we just go inside now?" Chloe said. "If you give her the room then it totally isn't fair at all...of COURSE she called it forst, she was the only one of the three of us that knew it was there!" She poked her tongue out at Mattie. "Just sayin..."
"Shush...Now what Mac said." Harm said. "Lets go in and sort this out. We don't want to scare the neighbours off before we've even had a chance to settle in properly."
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"Ok..." Mac said. "How do we do this?" Harm thought for a minute.
"Well the girls each have a room so we could let Josh have the apartment...but I feel a little off about that."
"You think he'll run off." Harm chuckled.
"First time he gets in trouble...probably." he said. "If the girls don't get to him before he has the chance." Then he became serious. "But it's not that. I don't think any of the kids should be out there. They should ALL be in the house together. Whoever is out there would be too isolated." Mac nodded.
"And you don't trust them as far s you can throw them." she giggled. "That much freedom is too much of a temptation for any teenager let alone this feisty bunch."
"Oh yeah." he said. He couldn't imagine any of them living out there really.
"So...who sleeps where."
"Well...I guess Chloe can move into Mattie's room and Josh can have Chloe's room."
"Only option really." Mac said. "And I have an idea about the garage room."
"Jen." Harm said. "I was thinking the same thing. I felt as though we just kind of deserted her when I moved out and took Mattie. She wouldn't let me help her with the rent once Mattie wasn't there anymore.
"Yep. She hasn't found anyone to share the apartment yet."
"It wouldn't hurt to have someone else to keep an eye out if we can't be here either."
"I agree. I don't know why I didn't think of it before."
"May have had a few things on your mind."
"That I have." he said happily.
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"Well I only see two ways around this problem." Chloe said as she sipped on a can of soda. "One...they let one of us have the room above the garage...or Two...and this may be the better option...THEY have the room above the garage and WE three have the house..." she said with a grin.
"That's NOT going to happen." Josh said with a laugh. He had to admit, Chloe was funny, even if that did actually seem like some of her crazy ideas might become a reality in her head.
"Well whatta you think'll happen?"
"Well I'm the last one here...and a boy...I should get the room."
"Um...what does you being a boy have to do with it?" Chloe asked as she gave him a punch.
"I was here first AND I called it." Mattie added.
"I've lived on the street...I'm more self sufficient and everyone knows that boys are more capable of looking after themselves."
"Are you kidding?" Mattie scoffed. "You've lived on the streets...I RAN my own crop dusting business...by myself...it doesn't get more self sufficient than that."
"Hey! What about me? I want that room too."
"You have no hope." Mattie said.
"Why not?" Chloe said in a wounded voice.
"Because you're the baby... "
"I am not...I'm only a year younger than you..."
"Not as far as life experience goes." Mattie said. "Besides...you're always in trouble."
"Well that's the pot calling the kettle black...you stole Harms car and drowned it!" Mattie rolled her eyes.
"You STOLE Harms car?" Josh asked. His eyes widened.
"No I borrowed it." Mattie said matter of factly... "Drowning it was an accident."
"Oh sure...it happens." Josh said sarcastically with a roll of his eyes. He was a shoe in for this room. There was no way either of these two were gonna be allowed to live out there.
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The three kids were sitting like the three wise monkeys along the sofa waiting for the final decision about the garage apartment. Each imagined that they were of course the only choice.
"Ok." Mac said. "We've decided about the sleeping arrangements." All three sat up importantly in their places ready to look at the others smugly. Sadly it was three crestfallen faces that faced Mac and Harm a minute later.
"I've spoken to Jen..." Harm said. "And SHE will be living over the garage." He was hit by a chorus of complaints from the no longer silent, three not so wise monkeys that were more like noisy chimpanzees.
"That is SO not fair." Mattie said loudly. She liked Jen and the two had become close while she was living there but she'd been SO looking forward to the freedom the garage would have given her.
"NOT cool Harm..." Chloe pouted.
"Come onn..." Josh said. "I guess I get the couch...there's nowhere else for me to sleep."
"HEY!" Harm yelled. "Quiet!" All three stopped shouting but none were happy. "Thank you."
"We decided that as Jen also needed a place to stay that it would be helpful to her and also to us. There may be times when we can't be here and Jen will be able to keep an eye on you." Mac tried to explain.
"Like a sitter?" Chloe said with disgust. "We're almost adults ourselves."
"No your not as the last few days have demonstrated." Harm said. Chloe would seriously have loved to poke her tongue out...but even she could see that might come across as being childish.
"So where's Josh gonna sleep?" Mattie asked.
"We were just getting to that Mattie." Mac said. "Josh is the only boy... which leaves us only one solution."
"No way!" Mattie said. "We have to share?"
"For now. Yes." Harm said. The look he gave her told her the subject was closed. She looked over at Josh and realised being mean about it would only make him feel uncomfortable. Harm was right. They needed to let it go. Chloe must have missed the point cos she wasn't ready to give in yet.
"I know..." she said. "What if...Mattie and I share...but we share IN the garage room." she said. See she'd found the perfect solution.
"No." Harm said. "You kids will all be in the house with us. If anyone needs privacy it's Jen not you kids."
"Geez..anyone would think you didn't trust us." Chloe folded her arms in a sulk. Mattie grabbed her arm and dragged her off the sofa.
"Come on..." she said. "It'll be fine Harm." The two went up the stairs with Mattie whispering to Chloe. "Leave it. We can still have some fun out there...Jen's cool and she can't be here all the time." Chloe grinned.
"You're smarter than you look." she said happily.
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"You ok with sleeping on some girly bedding for one night Josh?" Mac asked. "We'll get you some more masculine stuff tomorrow." she said.
"And some new clothes." Josh smiled nervously.
"Thanks." he said. "But what if I'm not allowed to stay here?"
"You will be. I already have people on it. Everything's gonna be fine." Harm said. "Now...there is something we have to talk about..."
"I'm not going to school." Josh said.
"You know you have to." Harm said.
"I don't." Josh said. "I really don't wanna go and I'm not gonna."
"Honey...what is it about school that scares you?"
"Nuthin!" Josh said heatedly. "I...don't wanna go, that's all."
"Josh...all we want is to help you."
"Can we please talk about this later."
"Yeah...for now." Harm said. "Come on..I'll show you your room."
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"Harm...what if we can't make him go to school?" Mac asked later that night when all their cherubs were tucked up in bed. Harm pulled her into his side.
"I have a couple of things up my sleeve." he said.
"Oh?"
"I think he needs a reminder of a forgotten dream." Mac smiled.
"And if that fails?" Harm chuckled.
"Then it's your turn to think of something." he chuckled. Mac winced...
TBC