Middle School Time:
Idea by crafordbrian17
Written by Sean Rudin
Chapter one: Beginnings
March 2020: 16:47: Fairway University: Great Lake City: Michigan:
It was a small apartment on the College Campus near Great Lake City, on a sunny afternoon. The door opened, Lori Loud and Marisa Rodriguez entered the apartment. Marisa had a voluptuous build, light brown skin, and long straight dark brown hair. She was wearing an ocean blue polo shirt, white cargo shorts, and white golf shoes with a black stripe on each of them. Both Lori and Marisa felt exhausted.
"Finally it's over." Lori said and sat on her couch.
"I never thought there could be something that hard like calculating a sphere." Marisa said.
"Yes. Even though it is such a simple shape."
"Unless is has any asymmetrical sides or is round. I will have nightmares of geometric shapes." Lori smiled.
"Huh. The sphere of death and the Cube of doom."
Lori and Marisa laughed.
"That's a new idea for a movie." Marisa said.
"The total craziness of a movie." Lori said and laughed.
"Yeah like, I can't decide if this idea is good or horrible, but it's funny anyways."
"I saw once a movie, totally crazy, the attack of the killer tomatoes."
"What?" Marisa asked in disbelief.
"You think I'm joking, but I tell you, that movie was very real."
Marisa went to the fridge and looked in it.
"And now I'm disappointed."
"What happened?" Lori asked.
"No drinks… We have food but where is the canned Pepsi? Where is the canned coke? Where are all these flavors of coke? Vanilla, lemon, and the cherry Pepsi? It's all away again."
"You want to go shopping?"
"I want to go buy these things." Lori rolled her eyes.
"Fine. Not like you're totally addicted to soda." Lori said.
"I just like soda. No more, no less."
Lori and Marisa took a shopping bag, their wallets, and got to the tram station near the college complex. They went fast into the city, and changed to a subway. In the city they went into the grocery store and came out ten minutes later with full bags.
"You really drink too much soda and that sugary stuff. And what you eat. Unholy." Lori said.
"The soft drinks are mostly without sugar." Marisa said.
"Then I don't want to know what kind of chemical cocktail the sugar replaces." "I'm sure it gets well regulated." Marisa said. "Let's hope it does get well regulated."
"They should." Marisa said.
"How many cans did we even buy?" Lori asked curiously.
Marisa looked at the receipt.
"Twenty… fourth… sixty five cans."
"My god…" Lori said.
They walked past a construction site that was enclosed by fences with advertisements on them. They heard a very loud sound of metal pipes falling on concrete, followed by the voice of a young woman.
"Kurwa!"
"One moment… I know this voice." Lori said.
"Really?" Marisa asked.
"Yes. To one hundred percent. But I don't have a name."
Lori looked around. She went on her toes and looked over the fence. She saw a woman in her age, with back long bright blonde hair, wearing a black and red checkered business shirt, and blue jeans. She was checking old metal pipes and other things made of metal.
"Oh my god it's you." Lori said.
The woman looked at Lori.
"Nah wait a moment." She walked away, and Lori heard a gate in the fence getting opened.
She tried to get out, and got stuck.
"Kurwa what a horrible construction site!"
"Do you need help?" Lori asked.
"Yeah. Could use that."
Lori went to the woman and took her hand. She pulled her out.
"Ah. Wonderful." The woman said.
"I know exactly where I know you from. But I don't get the name." Lori said.
"Me neither. I start. Tatiana."
"Tatiana right. Lori."
"Ah. Lori. I remembered you really well but I forgot the name." Tatiana said.
"It's impressive how you changed. No accent. And you look well fed." Lori said.
"Not funny. Horrible thing to say. Anyway your hair is still the same. Otherwise you also changed a lot."
"It was so long ago." Lori said.
"Come here." Tatiana said and gave Lori a hug.
"Good to see you old friend." Lori said.
"An old friend?" Marisa asked.
"Yes. Tatiana. Like, my best friend in middle school. One of my best friends. There were some others."
"Ah okay. Hello. Nice to meet you." Marisa said.
She shook hands with Tatiana.
"Nice to meet you too." Tatiana turned to Lori.
"You left home don't you? What are you doing now? Work?"
"No. College." Lori said.
"College? You need college? I never went to college. First because it's too expensive, second I have a job I love where I don't need any special documents that I visited an overpriced school."
"What? You never went to college?" Marisa asked shocked.
"Why should I? I mean, the heritage of my parents was big, and I could go ten times to college and still have no money problems, but why should I? Everyone goes to college, and for what? To get a middle payed job so you can pay off your debt of the college? Nah man without me. I have a job I love and make a ton of money with it. And just now I found very good stuff." Tatiana said.
"And what kind of job is that?"
"I own a big scrapyard. All old electronics, metallic things and cars come to me. I even recycle plastic and glass." Lori looked at Tatiana.
"Oh yes… I remember how you loved to take things apart and then reuse the parts. Or just your experiments. Remember the time we put soda in a microwave?" Lori asked with a smile.
Tatiana laughed.
"Oh yes that was very funny."
"You seem to have a lot of stories from your childhood." Marisa said.
"Yes. Many." Lori said.
"I can tell you them when we're home. By the way, if you have nothing to do, you can come with us." Lori said.
"I guess yes. I mean I got the job to get the metal away and I have to make that tomorrow… Yeah I have time. Should I drive after you?" Tatiana asked.
"We came here with the subway and the tram." Marisa said.
"Ah okay. I have a van. Wanna drive with this?"
"Sure thing." Lori and Marisa said.
They went to the next street. Tatiana pointed to a VW T6, in silver color and with the writing «Jaruzelski Recycling».
"Wow." Lori said.
"Not bad." Marisa said.
"Yes. By the way, that's the company's car. I have a nice car at home." Tatiana said proudly.
"You brought it far." Lori said.
"I guess."
Tatiana said and opened the Van. She sat on the driver seat and Marisa and Lori got on the passenger seat.
"So. Where do I go?" Tatiana asked.
"I tell you." Lori said.
Tatiana started the engine and drove off.
"So… College. What do you study there?" Tatiana asked.
"Mostly mathematics related things. It's complicated because I don't really know how I continue." Lori said.
"And then there is golf." Marisa said.
"Yeah… It's nice but I less and less like all that golfing stuff. Gets a bit much lately." Tatiana chuckled.
"What?" Marisa and Lori asked at the same time.
"Nothing. Just confirms what I think."
"You're so funny…" Lori said.
"I know someone, also didn't get to college, and he is around fifty. He is an important guy in the local company who operates the telephone network. All the phone lines in the neighborhood are run by him. No college, no problem. He runs the community."
"How can he handle all that?" Marisa asked.
"That is a good question. First, you know these guys who have Modell railways at their home and build tiny worlds for them? So, really just needs?"
"Yes?" Lori said.
"Well, this guy is a phone freak. This man has fun just looking at the phone lines. And I get why. They are pretty nice to be honest. So he went of course to the company who runs them. Worked there, and eventually became the boss. He has fifteen employees and the right tools. And yeah that's how he runs that. And I of course love it when he brings old wire to me."
"Wich you can make to money." Lori said.
"Exactly."
"And how it's going with your life?"
"Good. I have a big house. My business works. Couldn't be happier." Tatiana said.
"Why do you have so many drinks?" Tatiana asked.
"Because we like soda. Or coke." Lori said.
"We really do." Marisa said.
"Okay. But drink enough water. That's the stuff you need."
"We have a tap water filter here. We have enough water and enough drinks." Marisa said.
"Well that's perfect." Tatiana said.
"Wanna sit?" Lori said, and sat on the couch.
Tatiana nodded and sat down next to Lori.
"Wanna have a drink?" Marisa asked.
"Sure. What do you have?" Tatiana asked.
"Coke vanilla taste, coke lemon, Coke Zero, Pepsi cherry?"
"The Pepsi."
Marisa took a can and gave it to Tatiana.
"Thank you."
"One thing I wonder is, how close friends where you?" Marisa asked.
"Very I guess?" Tatiana said and thought.
"Pretty close. We had a group of friends and Tatiana was one of them. We did everything together."
"So, best friends?" Marisa asked.
"Yes. Best friends." Lori said.
"One of many. We all were best friends." Tatiana said.
"Yes. Like a group of besties."
September 2013:
Eleven year old Lori sat in her room and was drawing. It was a rose. She had the same hairstyle like ever, yet with a hair clip in her hair. She was wearing a bright blue t-shirt and beige jeans. It was calm while Lori was drawing. Then a voice spoke. Lori looked at a radio. It was a black radio with a simple display, that showed a signal level and a number. Channel 37. A cable ran to the window and went to the room. The voice had a strong polish accent. It was Tatiana.
"Loud20 for Jaruzelski1. Loud20 for Jaruzelski1."
Lori took the microphone and pressed the PTT button. She spoke into the microphone.
"Loud20 hears!" Lori said and let the button go.
"Good to catch you. Listen, me and the other guys hang out again do you want to join us? Mike back to you."
Lori pressed the button again.
"Yes sure. Usual place? Near your apartment block? Mike back to you."
"Exactly. Take your handheld radio with you. Channel 37."
"Roger channel 37. I'm on my way."
"See you seventy three."
Lori took a handheld radio and switched to channel 37.
"Let's go." Lori left her room.
Leni, ten years old, with a ocean green dress and black slippers looked at Lori. She held blue flowers in her hand.
"Lori! Look! Blue flowers! They had a lot of water!" Leni said excitedly.
"Why do you think that?" Lori asked.
"Because the water is blue and the flowers are too. Water flowers!" Leni cheered.
Lori looked sheepishly at Leni.
"Leni, that's not how flowers get colors…"
"Not?" Leni asked disappointed.
"Yes… Flowers look always how they are supposed to look…"
"Oh…" Leni said and looked at the flowers.
"Don't be sad. Flowers are complicated. I'm with the girls now. If you need something, I'll be back in some hours. Okay?"
"Okay." Leni said and nodded.
"Good. See you tonight." Lori said and went downstairs.
Lori left the house, clipped her handheld radio to her pants, and got on her red bike. She rode off, and left Royal woods. On half of her way, a girl on a bright blue bike came up to her side. Jane. She had red, wavy and shoulder length hair, and was wearing a dark blue dress with white socks and black boots. Around her neck was a necklace that was made from silver.
"Hi Lori." Jane said.
"Hi Jane. Also heard Tatiana's radio call?" Lori asked.
"Yes. I had a roundup on channel twelve with Quinn, Ava and Carol. Tatiana then yelled a Z in the round and we talked for a moment. Did she reach you on call up channel 37?"
"Yes. Like every time."
"Okay. Ava, Quinn and Tatiana should be there already."
"Already? Did Tatiana use our hut station to contact me?" Lori asked.
"No. She was at her home and used the stuff she always used. Including that wacky wire antenna that hangs from the tree." Jane said.
"Well then she was pretty fast on her bike."
They reached an old leftover hunting hut at the edge of a forest. On the hut was a tall antenna, and moss was already on the roof. Three bikes were in front of the hut, a black one, a red one with a basket, and a gray one with a small bike trailer attached to it. Young Tatiana was standing in front of the hut with two other girls. All were eleven years old. Tatiana was wearing a gray wool cardigan with a pink shirt beneath it, blue jeans and black slippers. The other girls were Ava and Quinn. Ava had back length, straight and pitch black colored hair. She was wearing a black long sleeved shirt and black pants with black slippers. A typical goth girl. Quinn had shoulder length blonde wavy hair, and was pretty thick. She was wearing a yellow t-shirt and blue jeans that were too small for her. Even the shirt wasn't long enough anymore and thus a small portion of her belly was visible. Lori and Jane stopped in front of the hut, got off of their bikes and went to the other ones.
"Hello girls." Jane said.
"Hi." Quinn said happily.
Ava blinked at them. Her way to say hello. Tatiana looked at Lori and spoke with a thick polish accent.
"Hello. Where is Carol?"
"We didn't see her." Lori said.
"So she is still on the way." Quinn said.
"Obviously." Tatiana said and rolled her eyes.
"How was your radio group talk?" Lori asked.
"Good. Well, too good. We had interference." Quinn said.
Ava spoke with her quiet and calm voice.
"The sun is strong today."
"Right. The propagation was so good that we often heard stations from England."
"Ah yes. That's annoying."
They heard a bike bell ringing. Eleven year old Carol approached them and stopped her bike near the hut. She had the same hairstyle as always, yet had no hairband. She was wearing a purple shirt, a purple-grey skirt, purple-grey socks, and brown shoes. Carol got off of her bike and walked to them.
"Sorry girls. There is a construction site and they ripped open the whole street." Carol said.
"It's okay. How are you?" Lori asked.
"Good. Very good."
The girls went to the door of the hut. It was made of dark oak wood and was covered in moss. It was very narrow. Lori unlocked the door and entered followed by Carol, Jane and Quinn. And Quinn had a problem. She got stuck.
"Come on!" Tatiana said upset.
"It happens every time why are you even mad." Jane said from the inside of the hut.
"It happens every time that's why I'm mad."
Lori took the hands of Quinn.
"Come on Quinn. As always."
Lori pulled on Quinn's hands and Tatiana pushed on her back. Quinn fell in the inside of the hut.
"Finally!" Tatiana said and entered the hut.
Ava looked at the door frame, walked through and closed the door. Lori turned a switch and a small lightbulb enlightened the hut. In the hut were two couches, between them a small table. A fridge was in the corner of the room, and a small door led to a washroom.
"Every time I enter this it feels like a jackpot." Jane said.
"The grid forgot the power line to this hut. It's a real jackpot." Tatiana said.
"And the flowing tap water." Quinn said."
The girls sat on the couch.
"Good to sit here before the storm." Lori said.
"Storm?" Jane asked.
"We are on big trouble. That's what I mean."
"Because blew up the trash bin at the school?" Quinn asked.
"Exactly."
"You all laughed and wanted me to do it." Tatiana said.
"Come on. You ignited the fuse and threw it on the trash." Quinn said.
"You all said I should do it. You all laughed when it happened." Tatiana looked at Ava.
"You can confirm it. Right?" Ava looked at the other girls.
"We all wanted it." Ava said.
"So we all get in trouble." Lori said.
"How do we avoid it now?" Carol asked.
"If you mean the trouble we are already in, then never visiting school again. If you mean to avoid that kind of thing we are in trouble for, then we should let the firecrackers at home." Lori said.
"Or we just don't take them to school anymore." Quinn said.
"You really love these things don't you?"
"Well why? These are the greatest things my uncle got from Poland." Tatiana said.
"Yeah. Your great uncle the polish ambassador. Who brings us always things to mess around." Lori said.
"Anything owned can avoid trouble? Any idea?" Jane asked.
"We go to school normally and hope they don't know who did it." Quinn said.
"And what if that doesn't work?" Carol asked, slightly panicking.
"We get in trouble." Ava said.
Lori, Carol, Quinn, Tatiana and Jane looked upset at Ava.
"Not beneficial!" Tatiana said.
"You always make things worse." Jane said.
"Try to find a solution please." Quinn said.
"We Just want a way to get out of this." Carol said.
Ava looked at Lori, Carol and Jane, and then at Quinn and Tatiana.
"If they know that we did this, the trouble is guaranteed. No matter what we do." Ava said.
"And how does this help us?" Jane asked.
"If they don't know, then we don't get trouble. If we act like normal, and they don't know, our problem is solved."
The girls thought for a moment.
"I guess that will work." Lori said.
"I hope so. We already got in trouble some times." Jane said.
"Good that you are the thinking girl of us. Now please talk a bit more." Tatiana said.
Ava looked at Tatiana and shook her head.
"And now she doesn't talk for half of the day." Carol said.
"Don't be afraid to talk." Carol said.
"I'm not afraid, I don't speak when I don't see any need." Ava said.
"Okay. Is there anything else?" Lori said.
"No. I don't think so." Tatiana said.
"Seems to be alright." Carol said.
"Everything okay." Jane said and raised her thump.
Ava shook her head.
"Okay. Then we see us maybe tomorrow, for sure at Monday." Lori said.
"It gets harder every time." Carol said.
"If Quinn keeps eating like this she can't even fit through this door at all." Lori said.
"It's already hard on the border!"
Quinn fell out of the door. Lori and Carol left the hut and Carol closed the door.
"Thank you." Quinn said.
"Bye everyone." Quinn said, and got on her bike.
"Bye." Jane said.
"Take care." Carol said.
"You too." Tatiana said.
They drove away with their bikes. Ava went to Lori.
"I feed Vicky today. Do you want to come with me?" Ava asked.
"Your Bismarck-ringed-Python? Okay." Lori said.
Ava and Lori got on their Bikes and drove towards Royal Woods. They crossed a railroad crossing, and a creek. After ten minutes they reached a house in a nice neighborhood. It had a slightly yellow facade, and a roof made of brown bricks. Lori and Ava drove on the driveway and got off of their bikes. "Are your parents at home?" Lori asked.
"Just mom." Ava said.
They entered the house.
"I'm here." Ava said and took off her boots.
"Okay. Hi Honey." Ava's mother said.
Her voice came from the kitchen. Ava walked barefoot upstairs followed by Lori. In Ava's room was a large terrarium with some wood and a broken flower pot in it. Lori and Ava looked into the terrarium. A dark yellow snake with a yellow so dark that it looked like black, and black rings was crawling around. Vicky. Over two meter long and thick like Loris arm. She licked around and let her tongue fast up and down.
"She's cute." Lori said.
"I will defrost the rat."
Ava left her room. Lori looked at Vicky. She was a beautiful snake. After five minutes, Ava came back and held a rat at its tail. It was already dead.
"Where do you get this stuff?" Lori asked.
"Pet store." Ava said and opened the terrarium.
Vicky came pretty quickly to the opening. Ava held the rat into the terrarium, and in a quarter of a second, Vicky catched the rat and wrapped her body around it. Lori got a bit startled while the whole terrarium shook. Ava closed it and laid on her bed, crossing her feet while she watched Vicky strangling the dead rat.
"How is it going? With your family?" Ava asked.
"Good. Lucy is crawling around like there is no tomorrow. And Lincoln is trying to dig a hole in the garden. He wants to reach china." Lori said.
"Leni?"
"Leni? Well, she is doing her own things. She is really into flowers currently. She always puts a rose in her hair and tries to make all flowers in the garden bigger. She wants to have a wonderland like Alice had."
"Alice in wonderland. Seeing this movie makes my miserable life a little bit more enjoyable." Ava said.
Lori laughed. Ava looked at her with no emotions on her face.
"Aww come on Ava. Laugh." Lori said and lifted Ava's mouth corners, trying to look like she was smiling.
"I don't like that." Ava said and sat up.
"Does anything make you happy?" Lori said.
"Vicky."
Lori and Ava looked to the terrarium and saw how Vicky was eating the mouse, while her jaw was visibly detached from her head, only held by the skin from her mouth.
"She is already eating?" Lori said.
"She knows that she doesn't need to strangle something dead."
A small smile appeared on Ava's lips.
"You love this snake don't you?" Ava nodded.
A little girl entered the room. She was seven years old, was wearing a pink skirt with a blue shirt that had daisies on it, and white socks. She had brown shoulder length straight hair. Her name was Juliet. Ava's little sister.
"Ava. Dinner is ready." Juliet said with her high pitched voice.
"Okay." Ava said.
"Vicky also just had dinner." Lori said.
Juliet looked to the terrarium and saw Vicky with half of the rat already in her mouth. Juliet screamed.
"Iiieeeck!"
Juliet ran out of the room.
"Uh… I forgot she is afraid of Vicky." Lori said.
Then someone else came to them. It was Ava's older sister Geena. She was wearing a dark blue tank top with a black mini skirt, black slippers and big earrings made from silver. Her hair was light blonde, wavy and had back length.
"Why did Juliet just scream?" Geena asked.
"Vicky." Ava said. Geena looked at Vicky in her terrarium.
"You and your strange animals. Why can't you just have bunnies like your friend Quinn?"
"I like snakes."
"What ever. Hi Lori. Are you well?" Geena asked.
"Yes. Pretty well." Lori said.
"Wonderful to hear. We soon have dinner. You surely can stay here."
"Okay. Thank you."
"No problem dear."
Geena went downstairs.
Lori smiled and looked at Ava.
"Your big sister is great." Lori said.
"If you think." Ava said.
"Do you have problems with Geena?" Ava shook her head.
"Then what is it?"
"Nothing. She is my sister."
"I swear one day I will make you laugh." Lori said.
"No." Ava said.
Lori and Ava went downstairs into the ding room. They sat on the table next to Juliet and Geena. Ava's parents also sat on the table. Markus was 50 years old, had brown short hair that was about to become dark grey. He was wearing a white business shirt and black pants, and had big glasses. Next to him was Diana. She was 40 years old and had black back length wavy hair, and was wearing a black cardigan with a grey shirt and blue jeans. She was portly and looked friendly at Lori.
"Hi Lori. It's good to see you."
"Thank you Mrs Ash." Lori said.
"So, I wasn't really able to make a lot but you all love spaghetti and meatballs." Diana said.
"Yes!" Juliet said.
"How was your day?" Markus asked.
"Good." Geena said.
"It was great!" Juliet said happily.
"Normal." Ava said.
"You said the same the day you met Lori the first time. When you say normal it means from a disaster to a great day everything." Geena said.
"How did you meet Lori for the first time?" Juliet asked.
"We sat on the same stone during class break." Ava said.
"Yea. Friends since then." Lori said.
Lori ate a meatball, and then continued talking.
"She was sitting on that stone. And looked pretty sad."
"She always looks like this." Geena said.
"It was the first day and I saw her the first time. So I sat down next to her and tried to cheer her up."
"Why were you sad in the first place?" Geena asked.
"Vicky didn't want to eat." Ava said.
"That's ridiculous." Juliet said.
"She didn't eat for two months there."
"I was surprised that someone could not eat for two months. And even more when she said that it was a giant snake." Lori said.
"Vicky is a small snake." Ava said.
"And how did you become friends?" Markus asked.
"I said I will try to make Vicky eat again. When Ava showed me this giant snake I was shocked and even more about the frozen rats in your freezer. She defrosted one and I tried to hold it in front of Vicky."
"Did it work?" Diana asked.
"She catched it and I was so scared that I was screaming." Geena laughed.
"No wonder. Vicky is scary."
"She is a good snake." Ava said.
"I know you don't like Vicky but she is Ava's pet and don't mock her." Diana said.
"If you want." Geena said and rolled her eyes.
"Vicky is scary." Juliet said.
They continued their dinner. After they finished, they put the dishes in the kitchen. Lori and Ava went upstairs and entered Ava's room. Vicky was laying in her terrarium and her belly was thicker than before. Lori looked at Ava's closet where her clothes were.
"Do you mind if I try some of your clothes?" Lori asked.
"Try them. Maybe you can make you look like me."
"That won't be that hard." Lori said and opened the door of the closet.
Lori looked at a bunch of black clothes. Even the underwear was black.
"Girl you love black." Lori said and looked at the clothes.
"So many clothes but you don't have any socks."
"I don't get the point of socks. Those are a piece of clothing that you put over your feet that make walking more slippery than normal. Shoes are enough." Ava said.
"You should try using sick one day." Lori said.
"Maybe."
"Maybe. Better than no. So, what do you recommend? Black long sleeved shirt or black long sleeved shirts? And with what combination? Black jeans or black jeans?" Lori said with a smile.
"Take what you want." Ava said.
Lori took a short and the pants and changed the clothes. After a minute she looked at Ava wearing the black clothes.
"Now we look similar." Lori said.
"You have blonde hair." Ava said.
"I know but we look similar now."
"Sour skin has some color."
"And yours is pale like vampire." Lori said.
A small smile appeared on Ava's lips.
"I know." Lori changed back to her usual clothes.
"It was nice here. It's nice to hang out with you." Lori said.
"It's nice with you." Ava said.
"Thank you. Take care Ava."
"Bye." Lori walked downstairs and went to the door.
"Goodbye Mr and Mrs Ash!" Lori said.
"Bye Lori." Diana said.
Lori opened the door and left the house. She got on her bike, and went home.
Lori reached her home and put her bike in the garage. She walked to the front door and entered the house. 7 year old Lynn saw Lori and went to her. She was wearing a red T-shirt with red short. She had her usual ponytail and one of her teeth were missing. She was really excited to see Lori. "Lori! Lori! Look what I can!" Lynn said. She went on her hand and tried to do a handstand. Lynn held herself for two seconds before she fell over. She got up and had a big smile on her face.
"I did it Lori!"
"Congrats Lynn. You do very well." Lori said with a smile.
Lynn smiled and gave Lori a hug.
"Thank you Lori!" Lynn said and went in the living room.
Lori then noticed someone else approaching her. 9 year old Luna. She was wearing a purple skirt with black stripes, as well as a T-shirt purple and dark blue checkered. Her hair had shoulder length and was straight and free.
"Hi Lori. Where have you been?" Luna asked.
"I was hanging around with the girls."
"Tatiana and the goth girl?"
"Yeah. And all the others."
"Also the one with the red hair?"
"Yes. Jane."
"Oh. Okay."
"And the fat one?" Luna asked.
"Quinn? Yeah her too. She is always with us."
"Ah okay. Quinn is the fat one I try to remember."
"Hey! Watch what you say!"
"You said nothing the first time." Luna said.
"I should have. Be respectful to Quinn!"
"Fine!" Luna said with a salty tone. Luna stormed off to her room.
"My got she is so salty so fast." Lori said.
"Did someone put salt on Luna?"
Leni approached Lori. Lori facepalmed herself.
"No… Oh my good… It means she was mad."
"Ah. Because someone put salt on her?" Leni asked.
"No… There is no salt involved. It's just a way to say she's mad."
"Oh…" Leni said and was feeling dumb. Leni went away to her and Lori's room.
"My god…" Lori said.
Five year old Lincoln came downstairs. He was wearing a orange shirt and jeans dungarees, and white socks. He held a paper ship that had a flagpole made of an popsicle stick glued on it. Lincoln showed it to Lori.
"It's a ship."
"Okay. Well done Lincoln." Lori said and raised her thump.
Lincoln smiled.
"Thank you."
He ran to the kitchen.
"Mom! Look what I made!"
Lori went upstairs in her room. Leni was sitting in her bed facing the wall. Lori sat on the chair at her desk and started drawing. She heard Leni sobbing. Lori turned around.
"Why are you sad?" Lori asked.
"I don't know." Leni sobbed.
Leni got up and ran to Lori, hugging her while crying. Lori was surprised. Then she wrapped her right arm around Leni.
"It's okay. It's all alright." Lori said.
"I don't know why I keep acting so dumb… please forgive me!" Leni cried.
"It's okay Leni… I'm sorry that I was mean to you." Lori said. Leni nodded.
"Can I draw with you?" Leni asked.
"Sure Leni." Lori said, and gave Leni a pencil in her hand.
Leni smiled and started drawing a paper. Lori took a pencil for herself, and started drawing too.
March 2020: Marisa, Lori and Tatiana sat in the apartment:
"And that's how you were hanging around?" Marisa asked.
"Yes." Lori said. "So you radioed each other and then met at and old hut? That's pretty cool."
"It was." Tatiana said. "The thing that wasn't always cool is that Tatiana opened her radios." Lori said.
"Opened?" Marisa asked.
"She screwed it open, cut through an electrical connection, and then her radio was transmitting ten times stronger."
"Is that allowed?"
"No. But I did it anyway." Tatiana said.
"Okay. How did you find that hut by the way?"
"We were hanging around together near the forest and found it. We got curious and tried to open the door. Wich worked." Lori said.
"And since then, we used this place and our little meeting place." Tatiana said.
"We just called it hunters hut. But there wasn't anything better than this place. It was perfect." Lori said.
"Like the lounge on the complex here?" Marisa asked.
"Yes. But much better."
"What do you like so much about this place? Fairway?" Tatiana asked.
"Well, it's nice. There are nice people, and we learn for the future." Lori said.
"Yes. And I wouldn't know Lori if we weren't here. Here are a lot of people you would never know otherwise." Marisa said.
"So a giant mix of people from every social group?" Tatiana asked.
"Exactly." Lori said.
"And that's one of the wonderful things about Fairway." Marisa said.
"Well. I guess I get why you like this place." Tatiana said.
"Yes. like our old school."
September 2013:
11 year old Lori and Quinn walked with the backpack on their backs to the school. Lori was very tired. Quinn noticed that.
"You look very tired." Quinn said.
"No wonder. I have cliff, my kitten, who was very active tonight." Lori said.
"What did he do?"
"He ran without any reason through the whole house, and even jumped on my face. He even threw my pencils on the floor."
"My two bunnies would never do that."
"Yes. Your bunnies are very calm and cute." Lori said with a smile.
They entered the school building and went to their classroom. Lori sat down on her chair. On the right next to her was Tatiana. On the left was Jane. Behind Lori was Carol with Quinn to her left. Carol watched Quinn how she squeezed herself between chair and desk. Quinn's belly was pressed against the desk. She crossed her legs.
"You alright?" Carol asked.
"Yes." Quinn answered.
"I don't think so."
"What?"
"Don't you notice? You get thicker every month."
"Not true." Quinn said.
"So you're not fat?" Carol asked.
"No."
Carol shook her head and whispered to herself.
"Yeah you're not fat you're a goddamn tank."
Lori looked backwards. Ava was in the dark corner at the very end of the classroom. All the girls looked backwards, and then to each other.
"I kinda worry about her and where she sits." Jane said.
"Really? I think she absolutely loves this place." Tatiana said.
"Isn't she totally alone there?" Quinn asked.
Lori got up, and went to Ava. Carol followed her. Ava sat in the corner and Lori was wondering how Ava was able to read properly, with the darkness there.
"Hey. How are you doing?" Lori asked.
"As always." Ava answered.
"Is that well or not well?" Carol asked.
Ava shrugged.
"Do you even think about requesting switching seats one day?" Lori asked.
"Yes. Better sit with us. It's much better there." Carol said.
"This place is perfect here. It's dark." Ava said.
"Yes. And that's why our place is better." Lori said.
"You become a vampire." Carol said.
"Vampires… nice." Ava said with a small smile on her lips.
Lori and Carol shook their heads.
"Come on Ava."
"Please. If we request the next time a seat change, then please consider moving to us." Carol said.
"I will consider it." Ava said.
The door of the classroom opened. A woman in the age of gorty entered the room. Her hair was dark blonde, straight and reached her back. She was wearing a white t-shirt with black, thin, horizontal stripes, and blue jeans. She also had rectangular glasses on her nose. Her name was Mrs Jill Franklin.
"Good morning class. We begin as usual. Open your English books."
Lori and Carol went to their desks and opened their books. Now the topic was basic grammatical rules of the English language.
The class continued. After the class ended the girls left the room and walked to their next class.
"Finally English class is over." Jane said.
"Yes but now follows math." Tatiana said.
"You are good in math why do you complain?" Quinn asked.
"Because I hate math."
"But you are good. And not just in math. You made the hut better." Jane said.
"You fixed the light there. And even found an old fridge to use there." Carol said.
"That reminds me, we didn't get in trouble." Tatiana said. Jane started speaking.
"Yeah, like you never blew…"
Ava held her hand over Jane's mouth.
"This never happened. You imagine strange things. We don't talk about something never happened." Ava said determinedly.
The girls walked down the hallway to their lockers. And that's when they saw a girl and a boy they knew too well. Alex, a girl in the age of 12. She had Afro like brown curly hair, and was wearing black knee length short and a red t-shirt with black boots. her skin was typical Latin American colored. Next to her was Victor. He was wearing a blue jeans jacket, blue jeans pants, a grey shirt and black shoes. He had short brown hair and tan skin.
"Oh my god not them." Lori said.
"Kurwa." Tatiana said upset.
"We have already been waiting for you." Alex said with a bad smile.
"You got in trouble." Victor said.
"Oh uh… They know what we did." Jane whispered with a panicky tone.
"We are screwed…" Carol said.
"Kurwa…" Tatiana said.
"That's really bad. Were in a lot of trouble." Quinn said stressed.
Ava stayed silent. Lori stepped forward.
"It's better for you, and for all of us, if you don't tell the teachers anything about what happened last week. Let alone the principal." Lori said.
"Give us a good reason not to do it." Alex said.
"We all get in trouble. We know what you did. If you get us in trouble, you also get in trouble." Alex came close to Lori. Lori saw directly into Alex eyes and heard a locker getting closed behind her. Alex spoke with a very aggressive voice.
"I don't like how you talk to me. And I don't like how you want to get us in trouble. Who do you think you are?" Alex said.
"Let us alone." Quinn said.
"Shut up!" Victor said.
"Don't do anything we don't like. That would be the best for you." Alex said, and walked away with Victor.
They disappeared into another hallway of the school. Lori looked at her friends.
"Finally they're gone… Wait… Where's Ava?"
The girls looked at each other. But Ava was nowhere. In that moment a locker opened and Ava came out of it. It was her own locker she was in.
"You went again in your locker?" Carol asked.
"Yes." Ava said.
"Why did you do that?" Quinn asked.
"Thats what I always do."
"But why?" Lori asked.
"To avoid pain."
"I get why but at least stand with us against them." Carol said.
"Maybe." Ava said.
"We all would also stand for you if you need it." Lori said.
"Yea. We all hold together." Jane said.
They kept walking. They entered the math classroom and sat on their places. The math teacher mir Gibson was there and talked with the students. He had thick glasses, was bald, and was wearing a white business shirt and blue jeans. Gibson was in his fifties. Lori sat in the first row with Carol and Jane. Behind them were Becky and Whitney. Becky had straight shoulder length hair, and she was wearing blue t-shirt and beige pants. Whitney had the same blonde and curly hair as always. She was wearing a purple dress with knee length skirt. Becky leaned back to Lori and whispered.
"What the hell was going on in the hallway?" Becky whispered.
"What do you mean?" Lori asked quietly.
"Alex and Victor. Why did they threaten you again?" Whitney whispered.
"We did some stupid things and they know what we did. That's why." Lori said quietly.
"Was it the trash can?" Becky asked quietly.
Lori blushed and nodded.
"Of course it was someone of your group." Whitney said.
"Did you even have taken care about the trash can?" Lori whispered.
Becky and Whitney looked at each other and then looked back at Lori.
"We have many trash cans in the school and to be fair, it was kinda funny." Becky said quietly.
"But don't make that again. We still need the trash cans." Whitney whispered. Mr Gibson turned to the students.
"Now, I need two of you to solve a problem. Tatiana, Jane, you can come to the blackboard."
Jane and Tatiana got up and walked to the blackboard. Mr Gibson wrote a math calculation on the blackboard. 749-719(6378-188)=. Jane looked at the calculation. She started thinking hard. The whole thing written there was making her feel uncomfortable. Tatiana looked at the calculation.
"The answer is 6220." Tatiana said.
Mr Gibson nodded.
"That's correct. How did you come to the result?"
"Easy. First solve the thing in the parentheses, that's 6190, then 749 minus 719 is 30. Then add 30 to 6190 and you get 6220."
The whole class looked impressed at Tatiana.
"That's the best way to calculate it. Well done Tatiana." Mr Gibson said.
"Why is she so good at that?" Lori whispered.
"I ask myself the same thing." Carol said.
"You can go back to your desks." Mr Gibson said.
Tatiana and Jane walked back to their desks and sat on their seats. Jane looked stressed at her math book.
"All alright?" Lori asked quietly.
"Absolutely not. I just can't calculate anything." Jane whispered with a stressed tone.
"You will get it next time." Lori whispered.
"Just try hard enough and everything will work out." Carol whispered.
"I tried my best. And Tatiana just makes it like it's nothing." Jane said and laid her head on the desk.
The class ended. Lunch time started. The girls went out on the school area and sat on a wall made of cobbled rocks. They ate sandwiches with bacon, and Quinn had one with eggs and bacon.
"We really made us a name." Lori said after she ate the first bite.
"What do you mean?" Carol asked.
"Long story short, Whitney and Becky do also know that we blew up the trash can." Lori said.
"Oh…" Jane said.
"Kurwa. Do they want to get us in trouble too?" Tatiana asked.
"No… Becky and Whitney are good." Lori said. "How much of that thing is still left?" Carol asked.
"Not much." Tatiana said. Lori finished her sandwich.
"Finish lunch girls. We gonna check it." Lori said.
"Okay." Quinn said.
The other girls nodded and do shed their lunch. They went to the sport place where the soccer field and the lanes for the relay race were. And there was a small pole of steel that had a shredded piece of steel sheet on it. Tatiana started giggling.
"I just remember, how funny that was." Tatiana said and held a hand in front of her mouth.
Jane laughed.
"Oh it's glorious." Carol said and laughed with Jane.
Ava was standing next to Lori and had a small smile on her lips.
"Girls we almost got in big trouble for that." Lori said.
"Yes. And I don't want to get in trouble again." Quinn said.
"Quinn is right. Let me…"
Lori pulled on the remaining part of the can. She let the metal sheets go.
"My god that thing has sharp edges." Lori said.
"Did you cut yourself?" Carol asked.
"No. But I don't want to get a cut in my hand." Lori said.
"Take this." Tatiana said and gave Lori a Swiss Army knife.
Lori pulled out the screw driver from the knife and unscrewed the metal sheet. She put it on the ground and stood on it, folding the sheet. Lori took it and put it in her backpack.
"Good. Thank you Tatiana." Lori said, and gave the knife back to Tatiana.
"What are you gonna to do with the metal?" Quinn asked.
"I throw it in the trash at home." Lori said.
The break ended and Lori, with, Quinn, Jane and Carol went to the history class. They entered the room and Lori sat down next to Carol and Mandee. Mandee was wearing a green dress with a knee length skirt. Behind them were Fiona, Quinn and Jane. Fiona had a purple pink horizontally striped shirt, and blue jeans. She was wearing her hair free. Behind them was Dana in a row with some other kids. Dana had free shoulder length hair, and was wearing a purple t-shirt and a black skirt. The teacher sat at his desk. Mr William Baker. He was wearing a wool sweater that had mostly dark red color, but had some green and white in it, so that it looked like an ancient carpet. His pants were beige and his shoes were brown and made of leather. He spoke with a British accent.
"We are complete now. So, who of you wants to tell where we left off last time?" Mr Baker asked.
Carol lifted her arm.
"We left off at the Allied-occupied Germany." Carol said. "Exactly. Now, we will go through a very tragic part of history. On 23 May 1949, the federal republic of Germany was founded. And on October the seventh of the same year, the German Democratic Republic, a Soviet satellite state was founded in the east. Now, what did that mean for the German people? Lori, can you explain?" Lori got up and started speaking.
"The country was split and not even families could meet each other anymore." Lori said.
Lori sat on her seat. Dana and Jane looked surprised at Lori.
"Why did they do this?" Dana asked.
"That is terrible." Jane said.
"Well, it was obviously better to have a united Germany. But the allies wanted to have their own system in Germany. So we had France, Great Britain and the US, they wanted to have a democratic capitalist system. Why the Soviets want to have a socialist system. And thus two states started to exist. States that hated each other. A terrible thing. And that would last for fourty years. Now open your books. Page 163." Mr Baker said.
Lori, her friends and all the other kids in the classroom opened their books and started reading. Mr baker got up after half an hour, and gave everyone a sheet of paper. Lori looked at it. The paper had questions written on it. The first question was, «How did World War Two end in Europe?» Lori took her pencil and wrote an answer. "With the capitulation of the German army." The next question was, «Who were the big three and which country did they belong to?» Lori wrote her answer. "Franklin D. Roosevelt, USA, Winston Churchill, Britain, Josef Stalin, Russia." The third question was, «What was the biggest fear of US tank crews?» Lori wrote her next answer. "The tiger tank." The last question was, «What was the main difference between the US military and their behavior and the Soviet military's behavior?» Lori wrote her final answer. "We Americans weren't brutal and freed the people in Europe." Lori got up and brought the sheet to Mr Baker. Lori continued reading. After some time the class ended and The girls went through the school to their last class. Gym.
"I hope we won't do something stupid in gym class." Jane said.
"Like what?" Dana asked. Basketball, soccer, dodgeball, climbing, rope climbing, and hopefully no Leapfrog."
"You mentioned what we do all the time in gym class." Lori said.
"Because I hate gym class." Jane said.
"I thought math is something you hate?" Fiona asked.
"That too."
"Is there something you actually like in school?" Dana asked.
"Yes. Swimming class." Jane said.
"Like every Friday when we have to get in the tram to reach the water park we have class in the whole morning?" Fiona asked.
"Exactly." Jane said.
"A whole morning every week where we can use the park to make swimming class. It's really nice." Lori said.
They reached the changing room and they changed to the sport school uniforms. It was a Marigold shirt, with blue shorts and a white stripe on each side.
In the changing room were several other girls. Becky, Whitney and Shelby. Shelby was wearing a yellow dress without sleeves and a knee length skirt. She also was wearing a black waist band over her dress. Her hair was brown, straight and bound to a back length ponytail.
"Hi girls." Shelby said.
"Hi Shelby." Lori said.
"Yeah hi." Jane said with an annoyed tone.
"Did I something wrong?" Shelby asked.
"No." Jane said. "She just hates the gym class." Carol said.
"Me too." Quinn said.
"Doesn't surprise me. You lack of performance here." Carol said.
The girls went into the Gym hall where they met the rest of the class. Ms Helena Anderson was the Gym Teacher. She had a blonde shoulder length ponytail, and was wearing the adult version the gym uniform the girls wore.
"Good afternoon class." Ms Anderson said.
"Good afternoon." The students said.
"So, we're going to warm ourselves up a bit. Then I tell you what we are going to do today. Let's go!"
The class started to run around the gym hall in a clockwise direction. Jane was running next to Lori, with her earrings and her necklace taken off. She looked mad at the floor in front of her.
"Are you mad?" Lori asked.
"Very. I am more mad if we play dodgeball." Jane said.
"I know my luck too well. We play dodgeball. I kinda feel it."
"Total disaster this gym class." Jane said.
They approached Quinn from behind. She was so slow that Lori and Jane made one turn more than her. They slowed down. Quinn was looking exhausted and she was sweating and breathing very loudly.
"You okay girl?" Lori asked.
"Can't talk… heart attack… thirsty…" Quinn said.
"You can do it Quinn." Lori said.
"Try your best. And the more you do it the easier it gets." Jane said.
"Yeah. You even get healthier. Does this sound good?" Quinn nodded.
"Give your best Quinn. We believe in you." Jane said.
Lori and Jane walked on and left Quinn behind.
"You sounded very encouraging now. Didn't think to hear you like this." Lori said.
"If it's for Quinn, I try my best. She is my best friend like you all." Jane said.
Carol ran past them with almost no effort. She turned around and ran backwards in front of Lori and Jane.
"I saw you, took you over, and wave at you while I overtake you."
Carol waved and turned back.
"See you from behind." Carol said and ran on, faster and with no big effort.
"That was kinda rude." Jane said.
"It was. Never mind." Lori said.
"We're done!" Ms Anderson yelled. The students stopped running and went to her.
"Perfect. Now you're warmed up. Time for…"
Ms Anderson took a dodgeball out of a chest.
"Dodgeball."
Jane let of a scream. Everyone, including Ms Anderson were taken aback by this. Lori looked at Jane.
"You alright?" Lori asked.
"No, I'm very fine." Jane said with a tense voice.
"You gotta work on that young lady." Ms Anderson said.
Lori, Quinn and Carol made a team. While Jane, Whitney, Fiona and Shelby made another. Fiona and Whitney noticed that Jane had a hard time dodging the ball.
"You okay Jane?" Whitney asked.
"Absolutely not." Jane said and threw the ball back at Lori.
"Looks like it." Fiona said.
Whitney catched a ball thrown by Carol. Whitney aimed at Lori and threw the ball at Lori. Quinn jumped in front of Lori and bounced the ball off with her belly.
"What the hell?" Whitney said, upset.
"It's in order." Ms Anderson said.
"And she goes with that." Jane said.
Jane took the ball and aimed at Lori. Lori catches it and threw the ball back. Jane saw the ball becoming very big, and felt a hit on her face. Jane got thrown backwards and held her nose. She looked angry and with some tears at Lori.
"What is your problem?! Why did you throw that hard?!" Jane asked, upset.
"Sorry…" Lori said with a distressed smile.
"Okay that's enough. Girls, hit her hard." Jane said.
Whitney threw a ball in the direction of Quinn who was looking at Lori.
"You overdone it you know…"
The dodgeball hit the back of her head. Lori took the ball and threw it back as hard as she could. The balls flew in all directions. They took out every one of them. Then Carol threw the last ball at Shelby. And it was over. Carol stood as the last one.
"Congrats Carol. You won." Ms Anderson said.
"I did it!" Carol said happily.
"Why is she so good at the gym class?" Lori asked herself.
"I ask the same." Jane said with a nasal voice.
Lori looked at Jane and saw that she was still holding her nose, and that something red was on Jane's hands.
"Are you alright?" Lori said and looked at Jane.
"No. My nose bleeds again. And I thought after I woke up today and had the issue that it wouldn't happen again." Jane said.
Ms Anderson took a handkerchief out of her pocket.
"Take this." Ms Anderson said and gave it to Jane.
"Thank you." Jane said and held the handkerchief on her nose.
They went out of the gym hall and went to the dress room. Ten minutes later, Lori, Carol, Jane and Quinn left together the school. They were wearing their usual clothes again, and walked to the bus station in front of the school gate. Tatiana and Ava stood next to the timetable of the bus line, that was mounted at a street light. Tatiana and Ava had both black spots on their faces and looked at the street in front of them. Lori, Carol, Jane and Quinn placed themselves next to their two friends.
"That was a hard gym class today." Quinn said.
"Not for Carol. She won like everything we did." Lori said.
"And didn't get hurt." Jane said, holding her handkerchief over her nose.
"I'm sorry Jane." Lori said.
"Forget it. My nose bleeds already too much."
"It was fun though." Carol said.
"For you maybe." Jane said.
Lori turned to Tatiana and Ava.
"How was your chemistry class?" Lori asked.
Everyone looked at Tatiana and Ava. Tatiana and Ava looked at each other with widened eyes and then looked back at the street. The girls got suspicious.
"You blew something up didn't you?" Quinn asked.
Tatiana looked at Lori, Carol, Jane and Quinn.
"Not intentionally this time." Tatiana said.
"What are you trying to say?" Jane asked.
"We transported the things we mixed… we fell on the ground and the chemicals went right onto a small electric heater…" Tatiana said.
"Okay. I don't believe that. Ava, is it how Tatiana said?" Carol asked.
Ava looked at Carol and nodded. Carol got surprised.
"I didn't think that."
"And that's why you have black spots on your face?" Jane asked.
"Yes. It came close to our faces." Tatiana said.
"You got lucky that nothing more happened." Lori said.
"We both are. Right Ava?" Ava nodded again.
The bus approached. It was a Red Mercedes Citaro that had a horizontal grey stripe on its whole length. The bus stopped and the girls got in. Tatiana, Ava, Jane and Quinn shared a four-person seating group on the left side while Lori and Carol sat in an identical seating group on the right side. The bus drove off.
"Wasn't too bad today after all." Carol said. "You can be happy of course." Quinn said.
"She is." Lori said and rolled her eyes.
"I'm good at sports. I can't do anything about your perfomance." Carol said.
"We have our best." Jane said.
"Other topic, what are you all gonna do today evening?" Lori asked.
"I need to clean the bunny house." Quinn said.
"You love them don't you?" Jane said.
"Yes." Quinn said and smiled.
"I hope Cliff lets me sleep tonight." Lori said.
"Kitties love to keep you awake." Carol said.
"Yes… And destroying things." Lori said.
"And you will have fun with your snake? Right Ava?" Tatiana asked.
"I will watch Vicky." Ava said. Quinn shook her body.
"Uh… Snakes." Quinn said.
"You don't like snakes?" Lori asked.
"No. They're so… strange and… I just can't see them." Quinn said.
"You don't need to see Vicky." Ava said.
"Okay." Quinn answered.
The bus reached the railway station. The girls got out of the bus and looked at each other on the bus platform E.
"So, then see you all tomorrow I guess." Carol said.
"Yup. See you tomorrow." Jane said and walked of into the direction of her home.
"See you girls." Lori said.
"Bye." Quinn said.
"See you." Tatiana said. Ava waved at her friend and walked home. Lori and Carol walked off.
"Now we have to get a train." Tatiana said.
"Yes." Quinn said.
They walked into the Railway station. On platform four was a regional train waiting. It was a old train. The composition was made from an old Railcar in olive green color with Chrome letters on it. «RWR». It looked like it was made in the seventies. It had small, square, modern lights, and had an old pantograph on the roof. The Railcar was facing towards the buffer stop. Four wagons were in front of it. And the one on the front of the train facing the direction the train would drive, looked like the railcar, but it was just a wagon. Tatiana and Quinn went to the second door of the railcar, and pressed the button to open it. The four segmented door folded itself open with a hiss of pressured air. Tatiana walked up the stairs of the railcar.
"Uhm, Tatiana?" Tatiana turned around. Quinn was stuck between the wall of the stairs and the railing in the middle, separating the stairs in two.
"Ah Kurwa! You stuck again?" Tatiana said annoyed.
"Yes." Quinn said.
"Next time we take the luggage door!" Tatiana said, and pulled on Quinn's arms.
It took her a few seconds until she freed Quinn.
"Thank you." Quinn said.
"No problem. Now, we sit where the cool kids sit."
They went through the railcar and opened a door. The stood between two cabinets that had a lighting bolt on it, a small and a big one. And next to the small cabinet was a small bench to sit on. This was the Luggage Room. Tatiana and Quinn sat on the bench. They both looked at the door they could have used, and in which Quinn wouldn't have been stuck.
"Sometimes I feel dumb." Quinn said.
"Me too." Tatiana said.
A snapping and banging rang out of the railcars control cabinets, and with a few small jumps, it started driving. They saw in a window how they left the station and then it went dark, and became loud. The tunnel. The train shook as it went through the tunnel. After a minute the train left the tunnel and was driving in a deep ditch with the slopes grown over with grass. A voice rang out of the speakers, barely understandable.
"Downtown."
The snapping came again, and the train went slower.
"I need to get out. See you Tatiana." Quinn said, and got up.
"Bye. See you tomorrow." Tatiana said.
The train stopped and the door opened. Quinn got out, and the door closed again. Tatiana heard how the snapping and banging started again, and the train continued driving. It accelerated pretty fast and went out of the ditch. Tatiana saw many houses which all had great backyards. Sometimes she even saw families playing together. Tatiana looked at the ground. The train shook and went in a curve. The whole railcar leaned to its right. The voice of the train driver came again from the speakers.
"Monolith-Street, stop on request!"
Tatiana got up and pressed a red button with the worn out label «Stop» on it. A small red display on the ceiling lit up, showing the word stop. The train became slower, and Tatiana had to hold herself at the grab bar. She saw concrete apartment blocks. The train stopped at a station made from only a small platform, which had cracks in it. The door opened and Tatiana walked downstairs out of the train. She heard the door closing behind her, and the narrow gauge train, with its loud electric motors, drove away, leaving Royal woods. Tatiana walked to the apartment block number seven, and took out a key. She opened the door and walked to the old elevator. She entered it and it went to the higher floor, floor 10. Tatiana got out and went to an apartment door, belonging to a family named Hanson. Tatiana opened the door and entered.
"Mike! Samantha! I'm home!" Tatiana yelled.
The voice of a woman came from the balcony.
"Super. How was school?"
"As always." Tatiana answered.
Tatiana went in her room. Two kids entered the room. A boy and a girl in the age of six. The boy had brown short hair. He was wearing a blue t-shirt and blue pants. His name was robin. The girl had the exact same hairstyle as Tatiana, yet her hair color was light brown. She was wearing a gray t-shirt with red flowers on it, and blue jeans. Her name was Anastazja. She was Tatiana's sister.
"How was your day?" Robin asked.
"Good. And yours?" Tatiana asked.
"Yes. Very." Robin said.
"Ha." Anastazja said.
(Tatiana)
"Miło mi to słyszeć."
(I'm glad to hear that.)
Robin got angry.
"Stop talking that weird language!"
"No." Tatiana said, and sat on her bed.
Robin rolled his eyes.
"What is your matter making for dinner?" Tatiana asked.
"Some chicken nuggets and fries." Robin said.
"So she is tired again."
"She was… uh… working." Anastazja said, with a strong accent.
"Get it. At least it's something we all like."
"Nuggets!" Robin yelled and ran out of Tatiana's room. Tatiana and Anastazja looked stunned after Robin.
(Tatiana)
"Mój dobroć jest nadpobudliwy."
(My goodness, he's hyperactive.)
(Anastazja)
"On jest zabawny."
(He's funny.)
(Tatiana)
(Może wydawać ci się zabawny. Ja nie. Zdecydowanie nie, gdy Robin jest nadpobudliwy.)
(You might find it funny. I don't. Certainly not when Robin is hyperactive.)
"Hmm." Anastazja said, and left Tatiana's bedroom.
Tatiana sat down at her desk, and looked out of the window on the concrete living blocks which stood there. She thought about her parents and that everything was better.
Quinn came home. Her home had a white facade and a black roof. She went to the backyard where a bunny enclosure with a small house, one and a half meter tall and one meter wide and deep was standing. Two bunnies were jumping around, a black one and a white with a black spot. Quinn entered the enclosure through a gate. She picked the black bunny up.
"I missed you. I will clean your house very soon so you live like kings again."
Quinn gave him a kiss on the head and put him down. Quinn went out of the enclosure and entered her home. She immediately saw her siblings. Her brother Tom, 15 years old, who had short black hair. He was wearing a black t-shirt and blue jeans. And her sister Jessica. She was 9 years old, had straight shoulder long blonde hair, and was wearing a green t-shirt with a blue skirt.
"Hi." Quinn said.
"Hi." Tom said.
"Hi Quinn. How was your day?" Jessica asked joyfully.
"Good as always." Quinn said.
Quinn went upstairs. In the room of her parents was Violetta. Quinn's mother. She had the exact same hair as Quinn, and was wearing a black blouse and black pants. She was folding laundry, but noticed Quinn immediately.
"Hi Quinn. How was school?" Violetta asked.
"Good mom. We had gym class at the end. It was a hard one this time. But it was good." Quinn said.
"Great to hear that. And your friends?"
"They're good as well."
"Wonderful." Violetta said.
"By the way, what's for dinner?" Quinn asked.
"Spaghetti with cheese and tomato sauce. And honey, only one plate for you. You're already to heavy and if you don't loose weight you get permanently sick." Violetta said.
"What!? Why!?" Quinn asked upset.
"I saw a boy with diabetes today. In the mall, he had to sit down and inject insulin with a syringe. God I don't want that to happen to you."
Quinn went into her room, feeling upset.
"I won't get sick!"
She put her backpack on her bed and went downstairs to the garage. There she took a shovel and a bag of sawdust, and went to the bunny enclosure again. She entered it and shoveled the old dirty sawdust out of the bunny house.
"You can't believe how much I love you two." Quinn said while shoveling out the dirty sawdust from the bunny house.
"Now you get a nice and clean bed again." Quinn said.
Quinn put the clean sawdust from the bag into the bunny house. After she was done, she took the white spotted bunny and put her in the bunny house. The bunny squeaked happily and started digging.
Jane arrived at home. Her house was two floors high and three times as big as the house of the Louds. She entered through the front door. The hall was big and at a wall was a giant fish tank. She went upstairs. Jane entered her room and saw her mother looking at the curtains with frantic in her hands. Her name was Britney. She was wearing a ivory collared dress, with a narrow skirt and short sleeves, a pearl necklace and a wristband made of gold. She had red hair that wich was neck long and straight.
"Hello mom. What are you doing here?" Jane asked.
"I see that you get new curtains honey. The old ones are… not really suitable." Britney said.
"New ones? I got the current ones like three months ago."
"I know honey but they don't fit anymore."
"They don't fit because…"
"The rose bushes the gardeners planted outside don't look good with the wrong curtains. It looks wrong. That's it. Wine red fabric."
"But the current ones are wine red." Jane said.
"But not the right red. Oh honey, please when you have a own home, let me furnish it for you. I know how to do it properly." Britney said.
"Oh god…" Jane said annoyed, and rolled her eyes.
"It will look great honey." Britney said and held a piece of wine red fabric next to the curtain.
"You got it now?" Jane asked.
"Yes! Oh it's wonderful." Britney said and showed the fabric to Jane.
"But that's not even a bit darker than the current curtain."
"Yes but it fits more."
"And how expensive is that?"
"Ah just 100 dollars per square meter."
"Not as expensive as my clothes, but is dad okay with that?"
"Oh he is. I asked him and he said I could do whatever I want."
Jane grumbled, put her backpack on her bed and walked out of her room. She walked through the hallway, walked downstairs and again through a hallway, until she reached a door made out of oak wood and glass. Jane opened the door and saw two men. One was thirty years old, had short brown hair, and was wearing a black suit. The other man was sitting in a giant leather chair, was in his mid sixties, was bald, and was wearing a black suit. He was smoking a cigar, while he looked at a ring that had a red diamond on it. Jane walked to the man and pulled on sleeve of the old man. His name was Gregory Reed.
"Dad. Did you allow mom to buy expensive stuff again?" Jane asked.
"Why do you ask?" Gregory asked and looked at the ring again.
"She buys again curtains. Expensive curtains."
"Your mom knows why she does that. And even if she would buy hundreds of curtains again, it wouldn't be a problem."
Gregory put the ring in a small box that was protecting the ring with blue silk pillows.
"And nice people like mister Smith here make it possible that your mom can make this." Gregory said and got up.
"Yes. And it's a wonderful ring. My fiancé will love it." Mr Smith said.
"Only the business part is missing."
"Exactly. How is the price?"
"Oh red diamonds are rare. And with the connection of gold with that quality. I think it goes for 30000 dollars."
"Not bad. Is like gifted."
Mr smith took a briefcase, opened it, and took out bundles of paper money.
"Ten thousand, twenty thirty."
Gregory took the money and counted it. The moment he was done he smiled.
"It was nice to trade with you mister."
He took the box with the ring, closed it and gave it to Mr Smith.
"Mister reed. Miss reed. It was nice to meet you." Mr Smith said and left.
Half a minute later they heard the front door opened and getting closed again. Jane looked at her father again.
"So you allowed it to mom?" Jane asked.
"I did."
Jane left the room and went back in her room. Her mother was gone. Jane took her homework and started working on it.
Lori finished her homework. She got up, put the homework in her backpack and left her room. She walked in direction of the room of the twins. Luna appeared to her right.
"The twins?" Luna asked.
"Yes." Lori said.
"I hope they are awake."
"I hope the same."
Lori and Luna entered the room carefully. In the crib was one baby, with a green shirt, a diaper, and a small bracelet. She was awake and looked at Lori and Luna.
"She's cute." Luna said amazed.
"I think that every time I see her." Lori said.
"Wait a moment, which one is she?"
Lori carefully lifted her arm. On the bracelet was the name Lana.
"It's Lana." Lori said.
"Lana." Luna said and tried to remember it.
"Come here little one." Lori said and picked Lana up. "You hungry girl?" Luna asked.
Lana looked around.
"You might be hungry."
"Let's give her something."
Lori, with Lana in her arms, walked downstairs, followed by Luna. They went to the kitchen. Luna opened the fridge and looked at some bottles filled with milk.
"Milk?" Luna asked.
"Yes. What else should Lana want?" Lori said.
"Sorry." Luna said and took a bottle of milk.
She held it to Lana, and Lana knew immediately what she was supposed to do. She took the bottle in her mouth and started drinking.
"Aww." Luna said with a warm smile.
Lori smiled and held the bottle for Lana. Lana drank like she didn't eat for a whole day.
"Hungry little girl." Lori said.
They heard a rumbling noise from upstairs and almost immediately Leni was in the kitchen.
"You feed Lola?" Leni asked.
"No. That's Lana." Luna said.
"Okay."
"And she is Lola's twin sister." Lori said.
"Okay." Leni said with a smile.
"Good. Now, do you know where mom is? And Lola?"
"Mom got out for a walk with Lana an hour ago. She was crying all the time." Leni said.
"Leni, Lori is holding Lana. Mom went out with Lola." Luna said.
"I… Can't tell which baby is which one." Leni said.
"Us neither. That's why they wear bracelets with their names on them." Lori said.
Leni shrugged and left the kitchen. Lori and Luna looked again at Lana, and watched her drinking. She finished the bottle a minute later and let out a loud burp. Lori and Luna laughed.
"That was so funny." Luna said.
"A little burp Lana? A little burp?" Lori said and hugged Lana.
Lana looked at Luna with wide eyes. Luna waved at her with a smile, and blew a kiss in her direction. Lori broke the hug and looked at Lana again.
"I love you." Lori said.
Rita entered the kitchen, with Lola in her arms. She was wearing a red shirt and light blue jeans. She had her usual big hips, had white earrings and her hair was bound to a ponytail. Lola was wearing a pink t-shirt, diapers, and had a similar bracelet like Lana. Rita saw Lori holding Lana.
"Ah Lana is awake. How was it going with her?" Rita said with a happy tone.
"She was hungry and didn't cry." Lori said and smiled.
"Ah great to hear. Lola here was… not so quiet."
"Was that why you went on a walk with her?" Luna asked.
"Yes. And it worked." Rita said.
Lori and Luna noticed Lola sleeping in Rita's arms. They looked heart warmed at Lola.
"She is cute." Lori said.
"I love her so much." Luna said.
"Now she is very cute. An hour ago… Not so." Rita said.
"What should I do with Lana?" Lori asked.
"Play with her. She shouldn't feel bored." Rita said.
Lori went to the living room, laid Lana on the couch, and took a rattle. Lori waved the rattle over Lana's head. Lana laughed. She grabbed the rattle, shook it, and then tried to bonk it into Lori's head.
"Hey! You little cheeky!" Lori said, with a happy tone.
Lori lifted Lana up and gave her a kiss on the forehead.
"Cute girl. I love you."
She put her back on the couch.
Lori kept playing with Lana. Two hours later, Lori was in her room and sat on a chair, holding a cardboard with a paper on it, and a pencil. She looked at Cliff, who was rolled up on Loris bed, and sleeping peacefully. Lori drew him. She started with his head and face.
"So… The whisker are like this…"
Lori drew Cliffs whiskers on his face.
"Now, your big cute ears." Lori said and drew his ears.
His ears were facing forward, yet when he heard some sound, he moved his ears to the direction of the sound. Mostly it was from downstairs where the other sisters were. Lori finished his ears and started drawing his body. And at the end, she drew the blanket Cliff was laying on. Then she was done. Lori held the drawing next to Cliff and it looked very good. Every detail was noticeable. Cliff stretched his body, and continued sleeping.
March 2020:
Lori, Marisa and Tatiana were sitting on Loris bed. They had Soft Drinks in their hands and laughed about Loris and Tatiana's memory.
"Oh my god, and you did that stuff every day?" Marisa asked while laughing.
"Yeah. And it was funny every time." Lori said and laughed.
"And we got so often in trouble." Tatiana said, and tried to drink.
"I still wonder, how did you get your hand on those firecrackers?" Marisa asked.
Tatiana almost spilled her drink when she heard Marisa's question. She started laughing.
"My uncle, was the polish ambassador back then and still has diplomatic status. He can bring luggage over the border and it's illegal to control it. He always told me about the stuff he did in the polish army with the hand grenades so I wanted some. One day he came back with bags full of polish firecrackers and the words, don't annoy me with the grenades, here you have something as good as grenades. And that's how the fun began."
"It really began." Lori said and laughed hard.
Lori and Tatiana had to hold each other from laughing.
"Oh my belly hurts." Tatiana said.
"Do you… do you remember the manhole thing?" Lori asked.
Tatiana nodded and laughed.
"Manhole?" Marisa asked and knew something funny was coming.
"The sewers made the bang louder." Tatiana said.
Marisa was surprised.
"Really? Your uncle gave this stuff to you?" Marisa asked.
"Yes. Uncle Paweł. He is the best." Tatiana said.
"I remember him well. Just saw him rarely but he was such a cool guy. Well, if we define cool a bit differently than normal." Lori said.
"But he is." Tatiana said.
"By the way how is he?"
"Oh he is very well. He still is on diplomatic travels here."
"Do you have a photo of him?" Marisa asked.
"Yea. Wait a second."
Tatiana took her phone out of her pocket and started searching in her gallery. She held the phone to Marisa.
"That's him." Tatiana said.
On the phone screen was a picture of young Tatiana and a man in his fifties, with barely any hair, thick and big glasses that had darkened lenses, and wearing a black suit. On the jacket of the suit on the left side was a metallic brooch that showed a flag that was split in an upper white part and a lower red part. The flag of Poland.
"That's him. Paweł Jaruzelski." Tatiana said.
Fifteen minutes later, Tatiana was about to leave. They stood at the doorframe of the apartment door of Loris and Marisa's apartment.
"You have my number right?" Lori asked.
"I have your number and you have mine. We won't loose each other this time." Tatiana said.
"Alright. Then, we plan for next time soon."
"We will. Marisa, it was nice to meet you. Look that Lori doesn't make nonsense."
Tatiana went to Lori and gave her a hug.
"Take care girl. It was great to see you again. It was the best thing that happened to me." Tatiana said.
"Thank you. Take care of you too." Lori said.
They broke the hug. Tatiana went to Marisa.
"Marisa, it was nice to meet you."
"Thank you. Hug?" Marisa asked.
"Sure thing." Tatiana said and gave Marisa a hug.
They broke the hug.
"So, I need to go. Take care of you." Tatiana said.
She opened the door, closed it, and Lori and Marisa heard her walking downstairs. Lori and marisa went to the kitchen, and made dinner for themselves before going to bed.
End of the chapter