Middle School Time

by Seanrudin

Lori left Royal Woods and went to College. She thought here would be her future. But on one shopping trip with Marisa, she met someone after many years again. One of some people she shares a lot of Memories with.

3. Trouble

Chapter 3: Trouble

---

Lori and Marisa were in their Apartment. It was a sunny Friday evening. They were putting in their shoes and their light jackets. Marisa looked in a small mirror that was hanging at a wall, and adjusted her hair.

"How far is it from here to Tatiana's place?" Marisa asked.

"Half an hour. It's on the south east side of Great Lake City. Well, not Great Lake City but a nice suburb of the city. I looked at it on google maps. It has a lot of green, and the house of Tatiana is directly at a forest." Lori said.

"Sounds very nice."

"Im looking forward. And just around five hundred meters away from her home is the scrapyard. And believe me, it looks massive."

"I hope she shows us what she build up."

"Are you still concerned about the things we made?"

"Well, kinda. Though I think when you do such stuff again with Tatiana, then her scrapyard would be the best place."

Marisa said.

"Yeah… You remember the dough mixer fly?" Lori said and scratched her head with a slightly embarrassed look.

"Yes?"

"We did that in the kitchen of my home back then." Marisa rolled her eyes.

Lori opened the apartment door.

"Well, let's go." Lori said.

Marisa and Lori left the apartment. Lori locked the door. They went downstairs and walked to the parking lots, where Lori's car was standing. They drove over a country road towards a suburb of Great Lake City. It was very green there. It had a lot of trees next to the streets. Lori turned to a Street. The street was long and at the end of it, a big complex on the right side of the road was visible, with strange gray piles and with smoke rising from it.

"I think that's her scrapyard." Marisa said.

"If I remember correctly it is." Lori said.

She turned in a street that was pretty empty. Two houses stood there. At the end of the street was a big White House with two floors and a black roof.

"That's her house." Lori said.

"That's a massive house." Marisa said.

Lori drove her car into the driveway and parked there. They got out and walked to the front door. Under the doorbell button was the name Jaruzelski written. Lori rang.

"I wonder how this house looks from inside." Lori said.

Ten seconds later, Tatiana opened the door. She had wet hair.

"Hi. Come in." Tatiana said.

Lori and Marisa entered. Tatiana closed the door. The hallway they stood in was empty. Only hooks at the wall for jackets were in the hallway. There was a stair going upstairs, and two doors. One on the left side and one on the right side. Lori and Marisa looked at Tatiana.

"Hi. How are you?" Lori asked.

"Good. Just took a shower. Was a hard day today. We had to press lots of cars today, and there was a container full of unsorted stuff. That's especially painful to fix. How was your day?" Tatiana asked.

"We had class. Just doing math and sports." Marisa said.

"It was okay I would say." Lori said.

"Okay. Do you want something? I have drinks, I have some snacks." Tatiana asked.

"Sure. What drinks do you have?" Lori asked.

"I have water, I have coke, I have ice tea, I have all you want." Tatiana said.

"Ice tea sounds nice." Marisa said.

"Yeah." Lori said and nodded.

"Okay. Follow me." Tatiana said.

Lori and Marisa followed Tatiana through the left door in the hallway and entered a living room. A big table was in the room. And a big couch facing a TV at a wall. They went through another door and stood in the kitchen. Tatiana opened the fridge.

"Peach or Lemon?" Tatiana asked.

"Peach." Lori said.

"Me too." Marisa said.

Tatiana took two bottles of peach ice tea and closed the fridge.

"Here. And here."

Tatiana gave them the bottles.

"Thank you very much." Lori said, opened the bottle and took a sip of the Ice tea.

"So, welcome to my home. And the home of Anastazja. She also lives here sometimes." Tatiana said.

"Is she here now?" Lori asked.

"Yes I think. Probably in her room."

"Anastazja is your sister, right?" Marisa asked.

"Exactly. A reason why English is spoken so rarely here. I never talk English with my sister when we're alone. Thus, if you ever call me and I answer in polish, I'm sorry, I need some seconds to switch."

"No need to apologize. It's very nice here by the way." Lori said.

"Yes. I bought this house with the heritage of my parents. Also a reason why I was able to open the scrapyard. God bless their souls."

"What?! Your parents aren't here anymore?" Marisa asked, shocked.

"Yes. But can we let this aside please?" Tatiana asked.

"Yes sure. But how? And why?"

"It's not really know. Accident or something else. My family is a very rich one and with many influential people. Now, please change the topic."

"Okay. Sorry." Marisa said.

"Anyway, life is great. I have a house, I have a loving family. I'm healthy. Life is good." Tatiana said.

"It looks like your life is good. This house is awesome." Lori said.

"It is. I fell in love with it the moment I saw it. It has so many rooms, a giant attic. And it's quiet. Well, when the scrapyard is closed. Otherwise it's a really nice place."

"I believe you. Can you show us the rest of it?" Lori asked.

"Sure thing."

They went through the living room and walked up a narrow stair.

"The stairs are a bit narrow." Marisa said.

"More narrow than other stairs." Lori said.

"It is but it's okay."

"Why is that narrow?" Lori asked.

"Not sure. Yet it works fine. The only problem is bringing furniture through it. You need to take it apart and then build it together again. Was a pain to get Anastazja's stuff upstairs." Tatiana said.

They reached the upper floor. They stood in a hallway with many doors. Tatiana went to a door.

"So. This is my room." Tatiana said and opened a door.

In the room was a big bed, a big wardrobe and a giant polish flag at one wall. Lori and Marisa looked in awe at the room.

"Wow." Marisa said.

"I've never thought that it looks so nice." Lori said.

"What did you expect from me? That it looks like a scrapyard?" Tatiana said.

"No. We didn't." Marisa said.

"Nah all okay. This is my room. Pretty nice. But I think you already like it."

"We do. It's really nice." Lori said.

The girls entered the room. Tatiana sat on the bed. Lori and Marisa sat down next to her.

"You remember what we did back then, Lori?" Tatiana asked.

"What exactly?" Lori asked.

"The nonsense we made."

"We didn't a lot."

"I know. But two things stayed in my mind."

---

September 28, Saturday, 2013:

Lori and Jane climbed a scrap pile. They were on the scrapyard of Royal Woods with their friends. Lori stepped on a steel beam and went higher.

"Almost there." Lori said.

Lori reached the top. Jane looked at her, who was already at the top.

"Are we ready?" Lori asked.

"I think." Jane said.

"Good. Did you find anything?"

"No. Though I have the feeling that Tatiana is about to find something."

"Sounds like you're very sure about that." Lori said.

"Well, Tatiana knows what she is looking for." Jane answered.

They started to dig in the junk pile. After ten minutes, Jane climbed to Lori with a dough mixer in her hand. The mixer had a broken agitator, but looked fine.

"Here. Is that something Tatiana said she needs?" Jane asked.

"Tatiana said that we should find something that spins." Lori said.

"Well, this seems like what she wanted."

"I wonder what plans she have with something like that."

"I don't even ask anymore. Never really understood what Tatiana liked about these places." Jane said and looked around.

"Shall we go to her?" Lori asked.

"Yes. The less I have to be in that junk the better." Jane said.

Lori and Jane climbed down. When they were on the ground, they walked to another part of the scrapyard. Many car wrecks and old engines stood between the junk hills. Ava was standing there, and looked in a certain direction. Lori and Jane approached Ava. She was look wing in a direction.

"Hi Ava. What are you looking at?" Lori asked.

Ava pointed to Tatiana, Carol and Quinn who were pulling a washing machine.

"Oh I get it." Lori said.

"Seems like you don't want to join them." Jane said.

"No." Ava said.

"Why don't you join them?" Lori asked.

"I don't want to." Ava said.

"Very friendly." Jane said and rolled her eyes.

"Well, we help them." Lori said and walked to Tatiana, Carol and Quinn.

"We?!" Jane asked, slightly shocked.

"Yes. We."

Jane handed the dough mixer to Ava.

"Hold that." Jane said with a tense voice, and followed Lori.

Lori and Jane went to the other girls.

"You need help?" Lori asked.

"Yes. Would be good." Tatiana said with her thick accent.

"Okay. Jane."

Jane looked mad at Lori and started pushing the washing machine together with Lori, Carol, Tatiana and Quinn.

"What is your plan with this thing?" Lori said while pushing.

"I have a funny idea. You will like it too." Tatiana said.

The girls reached a ship container that had a window in its side. The office of the scrapyard. The girls pushed the washing machine next to the container, and took a breath.

"My god that thing is heavy." Quinn said.

"Yes. I hope Tatiana's plan is worth the effort." Carol said and looked at Tatiana.

"All I do is worth the effort. Like always." Tatiana said.

"I question that." Ava said.

Lori almost got a heart attack. She didn't expect Ava to appear behind her.

"Oh my god. What are you questioning?" Lori asked.

"If Tatiana's idea was worth the effort." Ava said.

"My idea is worth it. You will see." Tatiana said with a raised index finger.

"And what is your idea?" Carol asked.

"We let it dance." The girls gave Tatiana an odd look.

"How? Just how?" Quinn asked.

Tatiana took a screwdriver out of her pocket, and screwed off the back plate of the washing machine. She took the wires from the power cord and wired them directly to the motor of the drum.

"The first step. Now the next."

Tatiana walked to a pile of junk and took a big brick. She opened the washing machine and laid the brick into the drum.

"Now the machine is ready to dance."

Tatiana said with a smile. The girls backed up. They felt nervous about Tatiana's next step. Tatiana took the long power cord and plugged in the power outlet for less than a second. The washing machine started rocking up and down.

Tatiana looked with a happy expression at her friends.

"Ready?"

"Yes." Lori said.

"Do it." Carol said.

Tatiana plugged the power cord into the power socket and the washing machine started to jump up and down. Tatiana ran to the other girls. The washing machine jumped around and made a ton of noise.

"Oh my god!" Lori said and started laughing.

The top cover of the washing machine flew away. The front part with the spinning drum was loosing itself from the remaining parts of the washing machine.

"It takes itself apart!" Quinn said, laughed and pointed to the machine.

"It dances! It dances!" Carol laughed.

The front part with the drum shook off the other part of the machine. The drum jumped on the edge, and bumped into the container, and started dancing in the other direction. The washing machine jumped on. The door of the container opened. A thin man with a goatee in his fifties, wearing a sleeveless shirt that was red, with blue jeans, a baseball cap and cowboy boots left the container. Clark, the scrapyard owner. He had a cigarette in mouth and laughed.

"Do you like what we made?" Tatiana asked with a loud voice, trying to make herself understandable with the noise of the machine.

"It's wonderful I don't need to take it apart anymore." Clark said with a fast voice.

The drum of the washing machine flipped over and laid on its front. It hovered over the ground while it rocked in all directions.

"Mowing the lawn!" Quinn said with a overjoyed laugh.

The washing machine hovered on, and bumped several times in the container office.

"Sorry for that." Lori said.

"Nah that's why I let you on the scrapyard." Clark said.

The washing machine somehow got up and jumped away from the container, unplugging itself from the power outlet. The machine stopped jumping and fell on the ground.

"That was funny while it lasted." Jane said.

"What did I say? And girls? Was it worth it?" Tatiana asked with a smile and looked at Lori, Carol, Ava, Jane and Quinn.

"Yes. It was." Carol said.

"Yes. You were right." Quinn said.

The girls looked to Ava.

"Ava?" Lori said.

"I guess it was." Ava said.

The girls started to take the remaining parts of the washing machine and put them onto the junk piles. Lori was surprised and went to Tatiana.

"Hey, don't you need any of this stuff?" Lori asked.

"I have all I need." Tatiana said and started screwing off the motor of the drum part that jumped around.

"I only need the motor." Tatiana said.

"Okay, and why did you let the machine dance around?" Lori asked confused.

"First, because it was funny. Second, it took itself apart, so I just needed to unscrew a few things. The third, it was really funny to do it."

"You said that it was funny twice." Lori said.

"Yes because it was really funny." Tatiana said.

The girls left the scrapyard and walked on the sidewalk.

"I can't wait to think of something else to build." Tatiana said.

"Wait, you don't know what you want to make yet still you bring us to the scrapyard? Are you serious?" Quinn asked slightly upset.

"I don't know but I better have something and then I can make something out of it than not having it. Ain't I right?" Tatiana asked.

"Kinda." Carol said.

"Well, I have a great motor and I think Ava holds it in her hands." Tatiana said.

The girls looked at Ava who still held the dough mixer.

"That reminds me, what do you need this thing for?" Jane asked.

"I have a funny idea for later." Tatiana said.

"And what is your idea?" Lori asked.

"You will see."

They reached the Franklin avenue and walked to a certain house. Lori, Carol, Tatiana, Ava, Quinn and Jane entered the House of the Louds. Rita sat on the couch in the living room, holding baby Lana and baby Lola. Lucy was on the floor and played with wooden cubes. Rita greeted Lori and her friends.

"Hi girls. Where have you been?" Rita asked.

"We were at the scrapyard and had some fun." Lori said.

"Oh. Tatiana's idea?"

"Yes." Tatiana said with a smile.

"And you liked it too?" Rita asked and directed the question at Carol, Quinn, Jane and Ava.

"We did." Carol said.

"A lot." Quinn said.

Ava nodded and petted Lucy's head. Lucy looked up at Ava and laughed.

"I like her. She is cute." Ava said quietly.

"Ah. Someone has a soul." Lori said.

Ava stepped away from Lucy.

"I say nothing anymore." Ava said.

"Oh come on. Don't be like that." Jane said.

"It's nothing bad that you like her." Lori said.

Ava stayed silent. Rita got up.

"I need to go. I was getting groceries today and forgot a lot. Can you take care of Lucy please?" Rita asked.

"Do I have too?" Lori asked.

"Yes." Rita said, and put Lola and Lana in the Baby seats that stood on the floor near the front door.

Rita put on her shoes.

"Mom? Why?" Lori asked with a frustrated tone.

"You always wanted to take care of her, now you can. I'll be back soon."

Rita opened the front door, took the seats with Lola and Lana, and left. The front door got closed and Lori, Carol, Tatiana, Quinn, and Jane looked to Lucy, who was in Ava's arms.

"She already is in your arms?" The girls were shocked.

Ava shrugged and kept holding Lucy.

"Well now you don't need to take care of her." Jane said and looked to Lori.

"Probably. Ava, you know how to take care of her?"

"I guess." Ava said.

"You better help her Lori. Just in case." Quinn said.

"Okay. Ava if anything is wrong, tell me immediately." Lori said.

Ava nodded. "Good."

Tatiana grabbed the old dough mixer Ava held just a minute before.

"Well, what do you want to do?" Tatiana asked.

"What do you want to do?" Carol asked with a suspicious tone.

"Uh, I will see. Maybe I'll do it here or…"

Lori stopped Tatiana and spoke with a threatening tone to Tatiana.

"You won't!"

"Okay. I won't." Tatiana said and lifted her hands.

"You better." Lori said.

Lori and Ava, with Lucy in her arms, walked through the house. Lucy looked happily at Ava, while they walked through the dining room.

"She seems to like you already." Lori said.

"Maybe." Ava said. Lori facepalmed herself.

"Not even now you enjoy the moment."

She looked to Lucy and went close to her.

"Even now Ava acts weird and you just accept it." Lori said and petted Lucy's head.

"Apparently she enjoys sitting in my arms." Ava said.

"Seems like it. Well, good that you do something normal at least." Lori said to Ava.

Ava went silent, and focused on Lucy. Tatiana and Quinn were in the kitchen. Tatiana screwed off the broken agitator from the dough mixer Jane found, and next to the dough mixer was a propeller from a toy plane.

"Tell me, what is your idea?" Quinn asked.

"Well, I put the propeller on it. This is a strong motor in the mixer. So the propeller will push a lot." Tatiana said.

"Okay… Then?"

"Then I mount it to the ceiling with some wire or string, so it hangs on our waist or shoulder level, and with a power cord extension, I plug it in."

"Okay… So you tell me you want to make something you can't control?"

"Not that I can't control it. I can, but not directly." Tatiana said and removed the agitator from the dough mixer.

Tatiana started screwing the toy plane propeller to the dough mixer.

"Didn't Lori say that we shouldn't do this?" Quinn asked.

"I guess." Tatiana said and continued screwing on the propeller.

"I won't! You don't do that!" Quinn said with a threatening voice.

Tatiana screwed the propeller tightly on the dough mixer. Quinn took the dough mixer, wrapped the power cord around it and held it firmly.

"Forget it Tatiana!"

"What did you say?!" Tatiana asked, upset and got up.

"Forget it!" Quinn said angrily.

"You don't talk to me like that!" Tatiana yelled and raised her index finger.

Lori, Carol and Jane ran into the kitchen and went between Tatiana and Quinn.

"Are you guys serious?!" Lori asked, upset.

"We are here for five minutes and you two are about to kill each other! What the hell happened?!" Carol asked with a really annoyed tone.

"Lori said no to Tatiana about the mixer thing and she still wanted to do it!" Quinn said with an angry voice.

Lori looked angry at Tatiana.

"No! I said no! Didn't you understand that?!"

"I did." Tatiana said.

"Then why did you try to do it?!"

"Because it was supposed to be fun."

"Then do it at your home!"

"You don't talk to me like that!" Tatiana said angrily.

"I talk to you how I want!" Lori yelled.

Tatiana raised her hand.

"Chcesz policzka, Kurwa!?"

(You want a slap, bitch!?)

Carol and Jane knew it was going out of hand. They stepped in between Lori and Tatiana.

"You both stop now!" Carol said.

"Can't you discuss this like normal people?!" Jane asked, upset.

"I did and then she started to do that one thing I said she shouldn't do!" Lori yelled.

"Don't understand a no?!" Jane said loudly in Tatiana's direction.

"I did!" Tatiana yelled.

"Any why did you do it?" Carol asked loudly.

"Because I can!"

"You can't unless Lori gives you permission to do so!" Carol said.

"Fine!"

The girls went into the Living room. Ava stood there, Holding little Lucy. The TV was on, with the show «The Simpsons» being aired. Jane and Carol sat down on the couch and watched the show.

"The Simpsons?" Lori asked.

"Yup." Carol said.

"My mom wouldn't want me to watch that."

"Come on. Your mom isn't here. And it's funny. See?"

Lori looked at the TV and saw how the character of Ralph Wiggum got thrown through the window of the house of the simpsons with a note attached to him, saying «I'm a brick» with Bart grabbing the note on him.

"Kinda funny." Lori said.

"You see? It is." Jane said.

"Didn't you have the big problem with the math test a week ago?" Quinn asked.

Jane started to look stressed.

"That's something different."

"Of course it is." Lori said and rolled her eyes.

---

March 2020:

Lori, Marisa and Tatiana sat on Tatiana's bed in her bedroom. Marisa felt nervous about what she got told.

"Uh… You got in a big fight." Marisa said, looking nervously at Lori and Tatiana.

"How often did that happen?" Lori asked and looked at Tatiana.

"Way too often. But even if we had a really intense fight, after two days we were friends again." Tatiana said.

"For real?" Marisa asked.

"Yes. We rarely had a reason to hate each other. So even after a hard fight, we sat on the same stone wall again when class break was." Lori said.

"What wall?" Marisa asked.

"There was a wall made of cobbled stone on the school area where we always sat to eat lunch." Tatiana said.

"Ah. I get it." Marisa said.

"We sat like every day on this wall, in spring, summer and Autumn. Except in winter." Lori said.

"Don't know what your problem with winter is." Tatiana said.

"It's cold."

"If that's the problem. Anyway, was pretty nice."

"Something comes to my mind. It has nothing to do with winter. Actually it has to do something with school. Remember Betty?" Lori asked.

Tatiana's eyes widened.

"Betty? Yes Betty. She came back to our school the week after the washing machine dance. And we got really in trouble." Tatiana said.

"How did you get in trouble?" Marisa asked.

"I can tell you. And until today I regret nothing."

"Me neither." Lori said.

"Why?"

"Well because…"

---

Monday, September the 30th 2013:

Lori, Tatiana and Quinn entered the area of the school. It was still warm for September. But summer was soon ending. Already on the school place were Jane, Carol and Ava. Lori, Quinn and Tatiana approached them.

"Where have you been?" Carol asked.

"The train Tatiana and I were on had a delay." Quinn said.

"And I waited for them." Lori said.

"Looks like you're still on time." Jane said.

"I'm glad we are." Quinn said.

"Happens rarely." Tatiana said.

"That the train gets delayed?" Carol asked.

"Yes."

"We should go in." Jane said.

"Class begins soon." Quinn said.

The girls walked towards the school and entered through the big entrance. They went through the school hallway to their lockers. At the place where the lockers of the girls were, stood a girl. Red hair in the same style as Jane. The same boots as Jane. The same dress yet in dark red color. Without earrings. She was the same size as Jane, and had the exact same face. Her name was Betty. Jane's twin.

"Ah look Betty is there." Quinn said.

"Back again from her special school?" Carol asked.

"Yes." Jane said and smiled.

The girls reached Betty. They all waved at her. Betty waved back.

"Ask her how she is doing." Lori said.

"Okay."

Jane started to talk in sign language to Betty, and spoke every word she symbolized to Betty.

"How… are you… doing?"

Betty answered in sign language.

Jane spoke the words Betty showed her.

"I'm well… Happy to be here… with my friends… I missed you all."

The girls felt touched by Betty's silent words.

"Tell her that we all love her."

Jane started to communicate with Betty again.

"They're… All… thankful. They love… you."

Betty answered with her hands.

"You're welcome." Jane translated.

Betty pointed at Lori. She made a gesture that was showing her pushing a imaginary big hair. The name Lori had in sign language. Jane started to translate again.

"Lori… how are… the baby siblings?"

"They are well thank you for asking." Lori said.

Jane translated Lori's words into sign language.

"Always wondering why Loris sign language name is pushing imaginary hair." Carol asked.

"Because maybe it's something that is really visible when you look at Lori?" Quinn asked.

"It's something striking on Lori's appearance. She has big hair." Jane said.

"Doesn't count for Ava's name." Lori said.

Lori laid her index finger on the left mouth corner and ran her finger over her lips to the right mouth corner.

"Even Betty noticed how silent Ava is." Jane said.

"Even though she hears nothing?" Tatiana asked.

"Wait a moment." Jane said and turned to Betty.

She started to use sign language again.

"How… did you… come up with…"

Jane used Ava's sign language name.

"Ava's name… with not hearing.. that she… doesn't talk. And how… did you come up… Lori's name?" Jane said and used the sign language name of Lori, pushing her imaginary hair.

Betty answered in her silent language. Jane translated.

"I don't hear… But I see Ava's lips. They don't move. That's how. Lori has… Beautiful big hair… I like it… and noticed it. I hope… you aren't angry… because of the names."

"No we're not." Lori said.

Jane translated Lori's words.

"They aren't."

Betty answered. Jane looked at the signs Betty used.

"That's good… you're my friends… don't be angry." Jane said.

They went to their class. Lori, Carol, Quinn and Jane entered the classroom where their classmates were sitting. Whitney, Becky and Bobby were among them. The four girls sat at their desks and started two minutes later with the class. Lori opened the book she had to work in and went to the page number that was on the blackboard. Page 38. She looked at the first task.

«Find the wrong words and replace them with the right ones.»

Lori looked at the first sentence.

«My best friend didn't got the Vanilla Ice cream.»

Lori marked the word got and replaced it with get. Then the second sentence.

«My dog haven't catch the ball.»

Lori marked the word haven't and replaced it with didn't.

"Easy stuff." Lori said to herself and went to the next sentence.

«My cat catches many mice yesterday.»

Lori marked the word Catches and replaced it with caught. Lori looked at the next sentence.

«My neighbor had buyed a new garden gnome.»

Lori marked «had buyed» and replaced it with bought.

"That's so easy. Why am I learning that?" Lori asked herself.

"That stuff is really easy." Jane whispered from behind.

"I don't get why we learn certain things." Quinn whispered.

"It's also for people who don't do this stuff as much. And to be honest, repeating something isn't bad to learn." Carol whispered.

"Well, if that's the case." Lori said, and looked again at the English book.

The class ended almost an hour later. Lori, Carol, Jane and Quinn walked though the hallway.

"Wasn't as bad as I thought." Jane said.

"You thought that would be hard?" Lori asked and looked at Jane.

"I didn't feel at all today to go here. Just had no power. But today was better than I assumed."

"That sounds like something Ava would say. But with much less words." Carol said.

"Ava would simply say that she didn't want to." Quinn said.

The girls turned in the hallway where their lockers were. At this moment they saw Victor standing in front of them. The girls heard steps from behind. Alex stood behind them. She looked with a bad smile at them.

"Well well aren't those my little friend." Alex said in a sly voice.

"Can't you let us in peace?" Quinn asked with a stressed voice.

Victor laughed. Alex rubbed with her fist over Quinn's hair, wich was painful for Quinn.

"No. I want to see my piggy."

Victor made a pig sound and laughed at Quinn. Alex saw Jane, and disheveled her hair.

"Now you look like a real clown, clowny."

Alex looked to Lori. Jane's hair was messier than it was ever before. Alex stood in front of Lori. Lori was intimidated by Alex, because she was an entire head taller than Lori and her friends.

"Well well. Big hair. Oh my inner artist sees something."

Alex began to ruffle Lori's hair, like Jane's. Lori felt how her hair was getting ruffled up. And it was painful in two ways. Painful what she felt on her head, and painful in her mind. She never did anything to Alex. Alex stopped and laughed.

"You look now like what you are. A scarecrow!"

Alex looked to Carol and rubbed her fist over her head. Carol made a painful noise.

"Please stop." Carol said with a painful voice. Alex smiled.

"Maybe. But remember. I always come back. Bye piggy." Alex said and rubbed her fist again over Quinn's hair.

Alex and Victor left and disappeared into another hallway. Lori, Carol, Jane and Quinn looked at each other. They heard Quinn sobbing quietly. Jane had a tear in her eye.

"What have we done to them?" Lori said, feeling something hard in her throat.

"It's me… It's me." Quinn said, held her hands on her face and started crying.

Carol wrapped her arms around her.

"It's not you." Carol said.

"That's why I lay in bed the moment I get home. Why did I even wake up today?" Jane said with a sad voice.

"Don't say that I love you." Lori said, hugged Jane and started to sob.

The girls went slowly to the Math class. Two hours later was lunchtime. Lori, Carol, Quinn, Jane, Tatiana and Ava sat on the wall made of cobbled stone. They all had their lunch sandwiches in their hands and ate. Tatiana and Ava looked at Lori, Carol, Quinn and Jane.

"Something wrong with you?" Tatiana asked.

The girls looked at each other, and then to Tatiana.

"Alex and Victor." Quinn said.

"Those idiots waited for us." Carol said.

"They called me a clown…" Jane said.

"And me a scarecrow." Lori said.

"Oh. Sorry to hear that." Tatiana said.

"Sorry for that." Ava said.

"I don't want to come to school anymore." Quinn said.

"I wish we could do something against them." Lori said.

"No. Better not. Then they bully us more." Carol said.

"Be honest. Do I look like a piggy?" Quinn asked with a humiliated voice.

"You don't." Carol said and wrapped her right arm around Quinn.

"I think they were right." Jane said quietly.

The girls looked at Jane.

"What?" Lori asked.

Jane took a strand of her hair and looked at it.

"I really look like a clown." Jane said with a sad voice.

"You don't Look like a Clown." Tatiana said.

"Alex and Victor are wrong about that."

"I hate my hair." Jane said and teared up.

Lori wrapped her arms around Jane.

"Don't. It's wonderful."

"Thanks." Jane said and hugged Lori back.

The girls heard a strange cry. They looked to the direction where it came from. It was Betty. She looked like something bad happened. She was visibly stressed and crying.

"Oh no." Jane said and jumped off of the wall.

"Not Betty." Lori said and followed Jane.

The other girls followed them. They ran towards Betty. She had tears in her eyes and she did something she never did in normal situations. She used her voice. It was strange to hear her voice, since she just made noises, yet it sounded like Jane would do them. Betty moved her hands quickly while she tried to talk to Jane.

"Hadddmmm! Pphhaaa!"

Jane looked at Betty's hands with a desperate look.

"What happened?" Quinn asked.

"She's too fast." Jane said.

Jane took Betty's hands and made her stop. She started making handlings again.

"Please calm down… Tell me slowly… what happened."

The girls looked at Betty's hands. She moved her hands quickly. She made devil's horns with her hands. The sign name for Alex. They all saw how Jane's head got more and more red.

"I will kill them!" Jane said with pressure and anger in her voice.

The girls got angry.

"What did she do?!" Carol asked with anger in her voice.

"They threw her backpack on a tree!" Jane said.

The girls got really angry.

"Now they crossed a Line!" Ava said angrily.

"They can bully us but never Betty!" Quinn said.

Tatiana got so upset that she forgot to speak English.

"To kurwa ostatni raz, kiedy zrobili coś takiego! Nieszczęsne dupki!"

(This is the last fucking time they ever do something like that! The miserable assholes!)

"They deserve something they remember forever!" Lori said.

"We go to the Boiler room. We have to plan something they never forget. But first…"

Jane looked at her twin sister and started using sign language.

"Where… is your… backpack?"

Jane turned and pointed in the direction of the sports field.

"Hmmaa!"

Jane answered her in sign language.

"It's okay… We get it. We are all… here for you."

The girls walked to the sports field. Betty pointed to a marble tree. They walked to it and saw Betty's red backpack hanging in it.

"It's far up there." Lori said.

"Who gets up and gets…" Carol said, and got distracted like all the girls.

Ava climbed like a cat up the tree.

"Take care." Quinn said.

Ava reached the first big branches. And then she looked at the backpack. It was on a branch two meters away from the tree trunk. Ava stretched out to the backpack.

"Watch out!" Jane said.

"Don't fall!" Lori said.

Ava reached the backpack and took it. Betty jumped up and down, and clapped with a smile on her face.

"Awesome!" Carol said.

"Super Ava!" Quinn said.

Ava put the backpack on her back and looked around.

"Can you climb down?" Jane asked.

"Yes." Ava answered.

She stretched back to the tree trunk, and held to it.

"Don't fall down!" Tatiana said.

Ava climbed down. She carefully tried to get down but when she almost reached the ground, she lost the grip and fell from the tree.

"No!" The girls said and surrounded Ava.

They helped her get up.

"Are you okay?" Jane asked.

"Yes." Ava said.

Ava took off the backpack, and handed it to Betty. Betty smiled and hugged Ava.

"She is very thankful." Jane said.

"Now, meeting. A safe meeting." Lori said.

The girls walked to the school. Jane held Betty by her hand while they walked. The girls entered the building and walked down the hallway to a small room. Lori took off the cover of an air vent and crawled through, followed by Ava, Jane and Betty, Carol, and Quinn. And she got stuck. Tatiana shook her head.

"Kurwa!"

"Can you help me?" Quinn asked.

"Yes."

Tatiana went on her knees and pushed Quinn.

"Lose weight! Ah kurwa!"

"I try my best." Quinn said.

In the next moment Quinn was free again. She crawled forward and got followed by Tatiana. Quinn went down the slope in the vent. Then Tatiana heard her.

"You can come!"

Tatiana went on the slope and slid down. She flew out of the air vent like a projectile and landed on the floor of the Boiler room, surrounded by her friends. Tatiana sat up. The girls sat in a circle.

"So. Alex and Victor. They need something they remember forever. So, has anyone of you ideas what we should do?" Lori asked.

"We could fill their lockers with oil." Quinn said.

The girls thought for a moment.

"Not bad. Everything is disgustingly oily after that, but the lockers aren't sealed. All the oil will flow out." Carol said.

"Then it's a bad idea." Jane said.

"We could shove some firecrackers in the lockers." Tatiana said.

"Great and then the whole school explodes. No thank you." Lori said.

"I doubt that the whole school would explode." Ava said.

"Tell that to the trash can." Carol said.

"We all laughed at that." Lori said.

"We did. Other ideas?" Jane asked.

"I would use place paint but it's the same with the oil." Ava said.

"Okay. Locker ideas won't work. Other things they use?" Lori asked.

"Their bikes." Tatiana said.

"Good. The bikes. And no Tatiana we won't blow them up." Carol said.

"What else do you expect?" Tatiana asked with a mad tone.

"We can loosen the screws." Jane said.

"Seems like the best idea." Lori said.

"Yes. How do we do this?" Quinn asked.

"I always have tools with me." Tatiana said.

"Good." Carol said.

"I agree on that." Ava said.

Betty looked at the girls. She probably noticed that they were up to something. She tapped Jane's shoulder and started using sign language. Jane looked at Betty's hands, and spoke what Betty told her.

"What are… you doing?"

Jane prepared her hands and started telling Betty.

"We will… loose screws… on Alex… and Victor's bike."

Betty saw what Jane told her and started panicking.

"Hmmma! Dmaa!"

Betty started with the sign language and she moved her hands really fast and stressed. Jane spoke her words.

"No… they get angry… all will be worse."

"Tell her we try to be careful so that we don't get in any more trouble." Lori said.

Jane looked at Betty and showed her what Lori said.

"We will… be careful… Alex crossed… a line… we won't get in trouble. They crossed a line… they can bully me… but not you… nobody will hurt you."

Betty answered. Jane read her signs.

"I know… I don't want it… to happen again… but I don't want… you being in trouble."

"Tell her that it will happen in one way or another." Carol said.

Jane translated Carol's words.

"It will happen… anyway… Alex… and Victor… will never stop… but if we hit them… in one way… they might stop."

Betty answered in her silent language. Jane translated her signs.

"I know… I don't want… to hurt anyone… They get… more angry… maybe…"

Jane hugged Betty.

"I think we said what we had to say. Let's start with the plan." Lori said.

"Okay." Carol said.

The girls got up and Jane took Betty by her hand again. They left the boiler room and walked upstairs to the hallway. The girls walked upstairs. They walked through the hallway and crossed the janitor who was cleaning the floor. Tatiana went to her locker and took her backpack out. Then the girls left the school building. Lunch time was over, and no one was outside anymore. They walked to the bike rack and saw Victors and Alex's bike. Both were black and has a skull sticker on them.

"Okay. I make this. Tatiana, wrench." Jane said.

Tatiana opened her backpack and took out a wrench.

"Here." Tatiana said and handed the wrench to Jane.

Jane didn't hesitate and immediately started loosing the screws on the wheels. She took the first screw out, and looked at it.

"Never do something to Betty, dear Alex."

Jane threw the screw in a bush that was near the rack. She started losing the other screws, and threw them all in the same bush.

"Will anyone find those screws eventually?" Carol asked.

"Maybe, maybe not. But honestly, I don't care. As long as Alex and Victor get what they deserve." Jane said.

"You sure?" Quinn asked.

"I lost way too many little things in such bushes." Tatiana said with an annoyed tone.

"What things?" Carol asked.

"Mostly screws, two very small hex keys I really needed. I looked for a long time but never found them."

"Okay. We should go back to our class." Lori said.

"Okay." Quinn said.

Jane went to Betty, and hugged her. They hooked their index fingers together. The sign for deep friendship. The girls went into the school. Lori, Quinn, Jane, and Carol went to the English class. One and a half hour later, they left the classroom and went to the changing room. Gym class was about to begin. Whitney, Becky and Dana were changing their clothes to the gym school uniform.

"Hi." Whitney said.

"Hi." Lori said and took the gym uniform out of the bag she had from her locker.

"How are you?" Dana asked.

"Good."

They changed their clothes and went to the gym hall. Mrs Anderson was waiting for them with the other kids from their class.

"Now there you are." Mrs Anderson said.

"Good afternoon Mrs Anderson." Carol said.

"Good afternoon. So, now that we're complete, we start with warming up. Go go go!"

The students started to turn rounds around the gym hall. Lori and Jane ran together around the gym hall.

"So… What do you think will happen? With Alex and Victor?" Lori asked.

"They drive their bikes home, then they fall apart and both fall down with speed. That won't be gentle." Jane said.

"And if something bad happens?"

"Victor lives in a calm part and Alex lives in a horrible trailer park. In both situations there won't be traffic. So they will just hurt themselves but there is nothing to worry about."

Carol approached from behind. She ran without any trouble and wasn't even breathing hard.

"Jane is right. There won't be any big things happening to them." Carol said, and left Lori and Jane behind.

Lori and Jane looked shocked after Carol.

"How can Carol do so well?" Jane asked.

"I'm not sure. But she is really good." Lori said.

"And fast. I mean look how easy she overtakes everyone."

They watched Carol overtaking Whitney, and then Quinn.

"I mean look at that. Like she has some kind of superpower." Jane said.

"Yeah. Something about her makes her run very good."

Lori and Jane overtook Quinn.

"Maybe she is just fit and sporty." Quinn said.

Lori and Jane slowed down.

"That would make sense." Lori said.

"I wish I could run like Carol." Quinn said.

"To be honest, your health isn't as good as Carol's." Lori said.

"You should also do some gym workouts outside of here." Jane said.

"I try to. I get more and more unhappy with myself." Quinn said.

"Good. Then you know what to do. Don't eat garbage, and do sports. And only drink water." Lori said.

"Okay. I try it." Quinn said.

"Good. I know you can do it." Jane said.

Lori and Jane ran on and left Quinn behind again. Five minutes later, Mrs Anderson whistled through the whistle she had. All the kids gathered around her.

"You all warmed up well. Especially you Carol."

"Thank you Mrs Anderson." Carol said.

"Now, we will go to the actual thing."

Mrs Anderson took a tennis ball out of her training suit.

"Tennis. Get the rackets, and the we put up the nets." Mr Anderson said, and bounced the ball from the ground in her hand.

The students went to the gear room and started to build up the tennis nets in the gym hall. The nets got built up and the students got the brackets.

"Good. Now one vs one. Choose your opponent." Mrs Anderson said.

Lori looked around. She saw Whitney standing and looking around. Lori approached her.

"Hey. Do we want to do this?" Lori asked.

"Sure. I actually thought about going to you about this." Whitney said.

"Awesome." Lori said.

"Yeah. My favorite sport by the way." Whitney said.

"Cool. Can you teach me some tricks?"

"Sure thing."

Lori and Whitney went to the net. Lori grabbed a tennis ball and held it.

"Prepare!" Lori said.

She threw the ball in the air and hit it with the racket. The ball flew to Whitney. She hit it with the racket and the ball flew back to Lori. Jane and Carol were at the net next to Lori and Whitney. Jane tried to hit the tennis ball every time Carol hit it back, but Jane rarely hit it back.

"My god this doesn't work at all!" Jane said angrily.

"Calm down." Carol said.

"I can't hit this damn ball!"

"We try it again."

"Okay."

Jane took the ball, threw it in the air and then hit it with the racket. The ball flew over the net and Carol hit it with her racket. It flew back and Jane hit it. The ball flew again to Carol, and then back to Jane. It happened ten times. The ball landed on the ground. Jane on the other hand was happy.

"It worked." Jane said.

"Well done. Let's try it again." Carol said.

Quinn and Becky played tennis together. Quinn hit the ball over the net. Becky hit it and it flew back. Then Quinn again, and then Becky.

"You're good." Becky said.

"Thank you." Quinn said and hit the ball back.

"Didn't think you were that good."

"I'm surprised."

Becky hit the ball back.

"Don't be."

"But I am." Quinn said and hit the ball.

Becky tried to hit the ball but missed.

"Well, you're actually good." Becky said.

"Thank you." Quinn said and wiped the sweat off of her forehead.

Dana and Bobby played tennis together. They were at the last net of the gym hall. Dana hit the ball and it flew to Bobby.

"Well, pretty good." Dana said.

"You're good too." Bobby said and hit the ball back.

"Thanks."

Dana hit the ball back.

"By the way, what is with you and Lori?"

"Lori?" Bobby asked and hit the ball back.

"Yes. Lori. You look so often at her."

Dana hit the ball back.

"I do?"

Bobby hit the ball to Dana.

"Yes."

"No I don't." Bobby said.

Dana hit the ball back.

"What do you think about her?"

"She is interesting. But we only talked once." Bobby said and hit the ball back.

"Will you ever try to talk to her?" Dana asked.

"I don't know. Maybe? I don't know if Lori wants it. She always hangs out with her friends." Bobby said.

"You should talk to her one day. She's cool." Dana said.

"Well, I know she is cool."

"Okay." Bobby said.

"Maybe you like her and don't know it." Dana said, smiled and rolled her eyes.

"No! I don't! Stop teasing me!"

"Aw come on. I just teased you." Dana said.

"You stop now!" Bobby said.

"Nope." Dana said.

Bobby took the ball and hit it as hard as he could under the net, and closely missed Dana. The tennis ball jumped around in the whole gym hall.

"Oh boy…" Bobby said, shocked.

He watched the ball jumping around, bouncing off of the wall, the ceiling, another wall, and then hitting directly the nose of a red haired girl. Jane felt a hard hit and a strong pain in her nose. She screamed and held her nose.

"My nose!" Jane screamed through her hands.

She started tearing up.

"Are you okay?" Carol said and approached Jane with Lori, Quinn, Whitney and Becky.

They all saw how Jane's hands and nose got red and blood dropped on the ground. Jane started crying.

"What happened?" Lori asked.

"A tennis ball hit her. Not mine." Carol said.

"Who did that?!" Mrs Anderson yelled.

The kids and Mrs Anderson looked to Bobby and Dana. Dana pointed without any words at Bobby.

"Roberto! Did you do this?!"

"I didn't want to do that." Bobby said scared.

"Okay! Hundred pushups! And five hours of detention!"

"Idiot!" Lori yelled towards Bobby.

Lori, Carol, Quinn, Becky and Whitney walked out of the hall with Jane to the changing rooms.

"Hundred pushups now!" Mrs Anderson yelled.

Bobby started the push ups. The girls were in the changing room. They all surrounded Jane who held a handkerchief over her nose.

"Always! Always in gym class my nose bleeds!" Jane said with a sad and angry tone.

"Say thank you to Bobby! He threw that ball!" Carol said angrily.

"I'm really mad at him!" Quinn said.

"Can you talk to him about what he did to Jane, Lori?" Whitney asked.

"Why me?! I have nothing to do with him!" Lori said, upset.

"Just ask if he did it on purpose!" Carol said.

"Fine!"

Lori changed her clothes to her normal ones, and then went back into the gym hall.

Bobby was in the gym hall and was doing pushups. He had a hard time. His head was red and he was sweating really hard. Mrs Anderson watched him. Lori went to him.

"Did you do it on purpose!?" Lori asked with a angry voice.

Bobby stopped and looked at her, panting loudly.

"No… I was arguing with Dana…"

"About what?!"

Bobby looked at Lori for some seconds.

"Not important." Bobby said.

"Not important of course! And then you threw a tennis ball at her?!"

"Yes."

"You wanted to hurt Dana!? And then you hurt Jane a lot! You're such a pathetic idiot!" Lori yelled.

"I didn't want to hurt Jane."

"But you did! And you wanted to hurt Dana! Never ever talk to any of my friends again! And never dare to talk to me!"

Lori walked out of the gym hall.

"Pushups! Now!" Mrs Anderson yelled.

Bobby continued with the pushups. Lori went back into the changing room to her friends. They all were wearing their normal clothes again. Jane washed her face. But her nose was still red.

"The talk didn't go as you hoped." Lori asked.

"You just had to ask him if he did it on purpose or not." Carol said.

"Weren't you able to ask that?" Whitney asked.

"He was arguing with Dana! And wanted to throw the ball at her!"

"And what had I to do with that?!" Jane asked upset.

"Nothing. I think he didn't want to hurt you. But he wanted to hurt Dana!" Lori said angrily.

"He is such a moron!" Quinn said.

"Well now it doesn't matter if he hurt Jane on purpose! He wanted to hurt Dana on purpose!" Becky said.

"Where is Dana?" Lori asked.

"She went home before you came back." Carol said.

"Okay. I guess she needs time for herself." Lori said.

"I hope she is okay." Whitney said.

"She looked okay right after Jane got hit." Quinn said.

"Yes. Anyway, I go home. Bye everyone." Becky said, took her backpack and left the changing room.

"Well, me too. Bye girls." Whitney said, and followed Becky.

"Let's get home." Lori said.

"Okay." Carol said.

"I hope this day ends soon." Jane said quietly.

"Me too." Quinn said.

The girls left the changing room and walked out of the school building.

"Something just came to my mind." Quinn said.

"What is it?" Lori asked.

"When will we see what happens to Alex and Victor?"

"I don't know. When they drive their stupid bikes?" Jane said.

"Where will they try to drive them?" Carol asked.

"When they drive home, duh!" Jane said and rolled her eyes.

They went to the gate of the school area. Betty was waiting there for them, with a red backpack on her back. She looked at them and waved.

"Ah. Betty." Quinn said.

"How is she?" Lori asked.

"Wait, I ask her." Jane said.

They approached Betty.

"How are you?" Jane said and made the signs with her hands.

Betty started moving her hands. Jane translated her words.

"I'm well… But stressed… Alex and Victor… I hope they… won't find out… that we did it."

Jane answered Betty in sign language, and spoke what she told her.

"Calm down… All will be good… Come with me… we go home."

Jane and Betty took each other at the Hands and walked with Lori, Quinn and Carol to the Bus stop. Tatiana and Ava were waiting there. Lori, Quinn, Carol, Jane and Betty went to them and stepped to their side.

"How was your day?" Tatiana asked.

"Horrible." Jane said.

"I know. Was a bad day."

"This idiot named Bobby hit me with a tennis ball."

"But not intentionally. He wanted to hit Dana." Lori said with an angry voice.

"Shame on him." Ava said.

"It's again a day where my nose is bleeding. I hate my nose." Jane said.

"You and Betty have beautiful noses." Carol said.

"Thanks. But I'm not really happy with it."

The bus approached. They got in, went to the main railway station, said goodbye to each other, and went home.

Victor and Alex left the School building. They went to the Bike racks.

"Finally this is over." Victor said.

"Shut up. I wanna go home." Alex said.

They sat on their bikes.

"See you tomorrow Vic." Alex said.

"See you Al." Victor answered.

They drove out of the school building with their bikes, and then went their ways. Alex reached the forest, and drove through it on a path. Her bike started shaking. She felt like her heart stopped beating.

"What is going on?" Alex said and felt shocked.

Then she fell to the front. The wheels of her bike fell off and Alex rolled down a slope and rushed through many bushes. She heard branches breaking and felt hits all over her body. All she saw was turning and the light between the leaves of the trees. Alex felt a strong hit on the left side of her head. It hurt a lot. She stopped rolling. Alex breathed heavily, and tried to get up.

"Ahhh!" Alex screamed.

Her arms and legs hurt. She had bruises everywhere. Something in her stomach felt weird. And in the next second she threw up. Alex stood up.

"Fuck… Fuck…"

She held herself to a tree. She didn't want to fall down again. Something warm was flowing down on the left side of her head.

"My head…"

Alex touched her head. When she looked at her fingers, she saw that they were red.

"Fuck…"

Alex sat down, and tried to breath. Alex walked uphill. She saw her bike laying on the ground. It was bent and completely demolished. Alex got scared.

"Oh no… My bike…" Alex said. Alex looked at her bikes.

"They will kill me."

She started tearing up.

"I hope they don't ask."

Alex kneeled down, feeling a lot of pain, and held her hand on the bike frame.

"I'm sorry."

Alex reached the trailer park ten minutes later. The trailers looked badly maintained. She stepped through the path between the trailers. Everywhere was trash. Alex stopped. She stood in front of a door, of a white middle sized trailer. The trailers looked badly had stains all over it and in front of it were rusty barrels, bulky waste, and empty beer bottles. A lot of empty beer bottles. Alex stood there for a few minutes. She saw her parents watching TV. They both had tan skin like Alex. Her father was wearing a white, stained sleeveless shirt and blue jeans. He had a mustache and was bald. Her mother wore a similar shirt like her father and very short pants. She had curly, dark brown, shoulder long hair. They sat on the couch. Alex took a deep breath, she felt afraid. Then she entered the trailer.

"Hi." Alex said quietly.

Her parents didn't react. Alex wanted to walk to her door, but then her father spoke loudly.

"Beer!"

Alex walked carefully to the fridge. She opened it and took out a can of beer. She slowly approached her father. She stretcher hand out, shaking. Her father ripped the beer out of her hand and opened it. She took a step backwards. Then her mother said something that let Alex's blood freeze.

"The fuck happened to you?!"

"Nothing…" Alex said quietly.

Her father looked at her.

"Tell!"

Alex, totally intimidated, answered immediately.

"I fell off the bike."

"Where is the bike?!!" Her father yelled.

"It's broken." Alex said.

Her father got up.

"You stupid brat can't even ride bike."

Her father threw the beer cat at her. Alex ran to her room in fear, closed the door and locked it with a padlock. She heard steps coming to her door.

"You will stay in there! No dinner! And leave us alone!"

Then the steps went away. Alex went on her bed, pulled the cover over her head and started to cry.

Victor rode his bike home. He was close to reach it. He wanted to turn into the street where his family lived, in a nice part of Royal Woods. The moment he made his turn, the wheels fell off. Victor fell off of his bike, tumbled over the street, and banged into a picket fence.

"Oh hell…" Victor said.

He got up, and felt that he had bruises all over his body. He walked to his bike. It had no wheels anymore, and the brakes were broken, as well as the gears which were bent from hitting the street.

"Now it's trash." Victor said.

He took his bike and walked through the street to his home. It was a house with two floors, white facade, brown roof and a big garden with a garden house. Victor went into the garden, opened the garden house and threw the remains of the bike in it. Then he went to his house. Victor entered it. Victor immediately met his mother. She had shoulder length blonde hair and was wearing a gray blouse and blue jeans. She noticed the bruises on Victor's face and hands.

"What happened to you?"

"I fell off the bike." Victor said.

"Oh really? Oh do you need something?" His mother asked worried.

"Could I have an ice pack?" Victor asked.

"Of course."

His mother walkender the kitchen.

"Maybe two?" Victor asked.

"Sure." His mother answered from the kitchen.

She came back with two ice packs. Victor took the ice packs and smiled.

"Thanks mom." Victor said and held one ice pack at his right ear, and one on his left knee.

Victors father approached them. He had short brown hair and was wearing blue jeans and a red business shirt.

"Hey champ. What happened?"

"I fell off of the bike." Victor said.

"How did that happen?"

"Both wheels fell off."

His parents looked suspiciously at him.

"That's not normal." His mother said.

"Yes. I think somebody manipulated your bike."

"Really?" Victor asked.

"Yes. I think someone at your school did that. Do you know who that could have been?"

"I guess yes. Some girls that hate me." Victor said.

"Oh? Why do they hate you?" His mother asked.

"I don't know. I try to be nice at them but they always tease me."

"I think I will make a visit to the principal tomorrow." His father said.

"Okay." Victor said.

Dana stood in front of the school building. She was holding a bunch of roses, and waited for Bobby. Bobby left the school building. He was in detention for one hour. One of five. Dana walked to him. Bobby saw her and got annoyed.

"What do you want?!" Bobby said.

"I'm sorry for what happened." Dana said.

"Oh, now you feel sorry! Thanks for nothing!"

Bobby walked to the gate of the school area. Dana followed him.

"Please wait." Dana said.

Bobby turned around, looking angry at Dana.

"What?!"

"I think you should apologize to Jane." Dana said and held the bunch of roses to Bobby.

"Forget it!" Bobby said.

Dana started to feel annoyed.

"Why? If you don't make it better, it can't get worse!" Dana said.

"This wouldn't have happened if you didn't make me lose my temper!"

"I bought these roses for you so you can give them to Jane! I don't want you to have stress with Jane! I wouldn't do this for you if we both weren't friends!"

"Fine!" Bobby said and took the roses.

"Thanks. I will accompany you to Jane." Dana said.

Bobby and Dana walked off. Fifteen minutes later, they reached Jane's home. The view was blocked by giant hedges.

"There we are." Bobby said.

"Okay. I wait here." Dana said.

"You wait, no you come with me."

"Wait, no!"

"I won't go in there if you don't come. You also have your part in this."

"Okay. Fine." Dana said quietly.

They both entered through a gate and saw the giant house in which the reeds housed. Jane was on a swing that was hanging on a tree. Jane was swinging back and forth. Bobby and Dana approached her. Jane saw them and stopped swinging, but kept sitting there.

"Hi Jane… Listen, I'm sorry for what I did to you. I didn't want to do it, but it doesn't make it better. I hurt you, and I want to apologize. I get it if you didn't accept my apology. But I hope that we get along together."

"And me too. I had the argument with Bobby. I have to apologize too." Dana said.

Jane looked at them, and looked like she didn't know what to think. They heard an angry voice behind them.

"Hey! Leave her alone!"

Bobby and Dana turned around and saw Jane approaching in her typical dark blue dress. Bobby and Dana looked at the other girl. She looked like Jane but was wearing a dark red dress. Bobby looked between Jane Betty, and felt highly confused.

"Which one is Jane?"

Jane came close to them and was really angry.

"It's easy dummy! If she doesn't understand you and doesn't make any sounds, it's Betty!" Jane said.

"Okay." Bobby said.

"Why are you here!? To laugh at my nose?!"

Betty got up and went to her sister. She noticed that she was angry. She made some movements with her hands that looked like she was telling Jane to calm down. Jane answered with signs. Bobby and Dana weren't able to follow that conversation. Betty told Jane something, and then Jane turned to Bobby.

"Okay. What to you want to tell me what you told Betty that she didn't understand?"

"I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. I lost my temper and it wasn't good to try to hurt Dana. And I won't try to do it ever again. Do you accept my apology?" Bobby asked, and held the bunch of roses towards Jane.

Jane blushed slightly, and took the bunch of roses.

"It's okay. Please never try to hurt anyone. No one." Jane said.

"I also wanted to apologize." Dana said.

"It's okay." Jane said.

"Thanks."

"I will tell Lori that you apologized. But I won't accept something like that again. And thanks for the roses."

Jane went on her toes and gave Bobby a kiss on his cheek. Bobby was stunned by this. And Dana as well. Jane exchanged some hand signs with Betty, and then they went in their house, leaving Bobby and Dana behind.

"Did that just really happen?" Dana said surprised.

"Yes... yes It did." Bobby said with a stunned voice.

"I think… She isn't mad at you…"

"Yes…"

"I'm happy… for you…" Dana said.

"It felt… strange… But wonderful…" Bobby said.

"I believe that." Dana said.

They both went slowly out of the yard and walked down the street.

"I didn't plan this Bobby." Dana said.

"It's okay…" They walked some meters.

"It felt special." Bobby said.

"Can I tell you something?" Dana asked.

"Yes?" Bobby said.

"I admire Jane and Betty. They are really beautiful. And it was special to see Jane do that. I'm happy you got a kiss from her."

"Do you think about joining their group?"

"No… Because they do a lot of things I'm not into. They're so often in the forest and do so many things. I think the polish girl is into scrap. And I kinda have my own group. With Whitney and Becky."

"Why did you never tell me that you have a group with Whitney and Becky?" Bobby asked.

"I didn't? Oh. I did think it was important. We always hang out it's just normal." Dana said.

Bobby shrugged.

"Hey, have a good evening." Dana said.

"You too." Bobby answered.

They both went home. Lori sat at her desk and was drawing a picture of Cliff sniffing on a daisy flower, in a big meadow. The door popped open and five year old Lincoln entered Lori's bedroom.

"Lori!" Lincoln said with a happy voice.

"Hi Lincoln." Lori said.

Lincoln ran up to her, and hugged her. Lori was surprised, but then she wrapped her arms around her.

"Hi Lincy."

"I missed you." Lincoln said.

"I was just at school." Lori said and kept hugging Lincoln.

"I still missed you."

"I missed you too. What did you do today?"

"I was outside. Tried to dig a hole. Mom said I can't do that. Then I played with Cliff. Be was funny. Now he sleeps."

"Ah nice. Did you play with a long grass with Cliff?"

"No. I threw his little toy mouse around and he brought it back." Lincoln said.

"Cliff can be funny sometimes." Lori said and smiled.

"He is a funny kitty."

They heard someone running in the hallway. Lori and Lincoln left Lori's and Leni's room, and saw Cliff standing in the hallway, with his ears pointing backwards, and with widened pupils. He ran very fast past them, and went downstairs. Lori and Lincoln only heard is little paws hitting the floor with every step.

"What is wrong with him?" Lori asked.

"Strange kitty cat." Lincoln said.

They heard a voice from downstairs. It was Leni's voice.

"Ah, silly little Cliff." Leni said with a laugh.

Cliff ran upstairs again and went into Lori's room. Lori and Lincoln saw how Cliff jumped over the two beds. He stopped near the door, and looked around. Then he ran through the door again and then into Luan's and Luna's room. They heard a loud bang in the room. Something fell on the ground. Cliff ran out of the room and went downstairs again. Lincoln laughed.

"He is really hyperactive." Lori said.

"Cliff is funny." Lincoln said.

Nine year old Luna and eight year old Luan walked upstairs.

"Was that in our room?" Luna asked.

"Yes. It was Cliff." Lori said.

Luna and Luan went in their room.

"Oh great." Luna said.

"What happened?" Lori asked.

"He threw the lamp from the bedside table." Luna and Luan came out of their room.

Luna held a broken bulb in her hand.

"Well, that was it. I cleaned the glass away." Luna said.

She went downstairs.

"You know where the brush and the shovel is?" Lori asked.

"I do."

Luna came upstairs two minutes later and held a small shovel and a brush in her hands. She cleaned up the shards in her room and went to Lori.

"This is such a dumb cat sometimes." Luna said.

"He really is sometimes." Lori said.

"Cliff is a funny kitty." Lincoln said.

"As long as he doesn't break your stuff." Lori said.

"Yeah because this isn't funny." Luna said, and went downstairs.

They heard another Voice from downstairs. It was Rita.

"Lori! Leni! Luna! Luan! Lynn! Lincoln! Dinner is ready!" Rita called from the dining room.

"Dinner!" Lincoln said happily and went downstairs.

Lynn left her room and ran downstairs.

"Finally!" Lynn said.

Luan followed Lynn. Lori went to the stairs and followed Luan. They sat down at the table, which was already dished. Lori sat next to Leni. Rita put a big pot next to a smaller one.

"What's for dinner?" Lori asked.

"Spaghetti with tomato sauce." Rita said.

"Yay!" Leni said happily.

"Again?" Luna asked.

"Luna, I had a long day. And the twins didn't spare me. So please excuse me when I just cook something simple." Rita said.

Rita started to fill the plates of her kids. The moment Leni's plate was filled, she started to eat right away. Lori looked to Leni while Rita filled her plate.

"Okay. Bon appetit Leni?"

"Fanks." Leni said with a full mouth.

"Don't speak with a full mouth!" Rita said sternly.

Leni nodded. Rita sat down and started eating with her kids.

"So, what did you do in school?" Rita asked.

"I drew a drawing of a green dress." Leni asked.

"Betty is back." Lori said.

"Ah. Again a month over." Rita said.

"She was happy to be back I guess."

"She always does this weird sign language. Nobody understands that. Why can't she just talk like normal people?" Luna complained.

"Luna! She can't hear!" Rita said upset.

"How is she supposed to talk if she doesn't even know how her own voice sounds!?" Lori said angrily.

"And only your sister and parents who understand you!"

Luna looked at her plate. She felt ashamed of herself.

"Sorry." Luna said quietly.

"Don't judge a book by its cover. Just because she can't talk doesn't mean you have to say something like that about her!" Rita said.

"Okay… Sorry."

The Louds continued to eat. Half an hour later, Lori was in her room, combing her hair. She was still upset about what Luna said.

"She met her once. Why does Luna say something that mean about Betty?"

Lori combed open a small knot in her hair.

"Ouch. I hope it was the last time she said something like that."

Lori sighed.

"I have to be honest to myself. Luna doesn't do it because she is mean. I think she didn't understand what it means for Betty."

Lori combed another knot.

"Ouch! She didn't do it on purpose. I think."

Leni entered the room.

"Ah, Leni. Could you help we with that?" Lori asked and pointed at the comb.

"Yes." Leni said, went on Lori's bed and kneeled behind Lori.

Leni took the comb and started to comb Lori's hair.

"I absolutely love doing this." Leni said.

"I know. You also love to comb your own hair." Lori answered.

"Makes it beautiful." Leni said with a smile.

Leni caught a know in Lori's hair.

"Ouch! The third one!" Lori said.

"Oh so many knots? Don't worry I'll get them all out."

"Okay. But look, it doesn't hurt."

"Okay." Leni said and caught the next knot.

"Ouch! What did I just say?" Lori said.

"Uhm… Not hurting?"

"Look that it doesn't hurt!"

Leni continued combing. But she didn't find any other knots. The comb went through Lori's hair with no resistance.

"No knots anymore." Leni said.

"Thank you Leni." Lori said.

"Always." Leni said with a big smile and hugged Lori.

Lori got her pajamas, and went to the bathroom. Half an hour later, Lori left the bathroom freshly showered, wearing hat pajamas and barefoot, walking to her bedroom. She entered it. Leni was at the wardrobe anf held her pajamas.

"Ah. There you are. Now I can go shower." Leni said.

"Okay. See you later." Lori said.

Leni left the room, humming a melody.

"I wish I was that happy like she is every day." Lori said.

Lori went to her desk, sat on her chair, and turned on the radio. Channel 37 was being used.

"Sure but I didn't expect that to happen. Mike back to you."

It was Carol. Then someone else started speaking. Quinn.

"Yeah but you know what he said. Right conditions and the whole world hears you. And you that's something to be proud of."

Quinn's cracking signal went silent. Carol spoke again.

"Yes. I know. I still can't believe this happened. I mean, you know where this is."

"I know. And you made it with the original power. Not like Tatiana and her opened radios."

"Yes. But with the SSB thing. I think it was the upper side band. You know your radio has the modulation switch and on USB and LSB it has the efficient modulation and a bit more power." Carol said.

Quinn answered.

"I know. By the way, let's try the modulation. USB?"

"Sure."

It went silent for a few seconds, and then Lori heard very distorted voices.

"Okay. You changed it." Lori said.

She grabbed a turning switch and turned it from FM to AM. The voices were still very distorted. Lori turned the switch to USB. Now Lori heard Carol very clearly.

"You sound awesome here."

Quinn's signal appeared. The signal level of Lori's radio jumped around.

"Oh yes. It's awesome. It's also interesting how frank explained it to us. SSB is only one side of AM and without that carrier thingy."

Carols signal appeared.

"I think. Wait. Yes I have a note here. Only one half of AM."

"Okay. I can't remember this stuff that well. But Carol, be proud of yourself. Not everyone manages to talk to a guy with Australia over these things. You need to tell that to frank."

"I will. We need to go to him at a weekend. Ava told me that her hand radio broke and she wants him to repair it."

"Sure. That can get a problem when we're hanging around. By the way, did you hear about Tatiana's new idea to build a small dam at that little creek in the forest?"

Quinn's signal disappeared.

"No. But it sounds like Tatiana is convinced of her idea."

"As always. We know her too well. Anyway, nice to talk to you. See you tomorrow at school and seventy three. Mike to you for the final speech."

"Okay. I wish you a good night. Sleep well and seventy three back to you. Bye Carol."

Then the channel went silent. Lori turned the radio off.

"I tell them tomorrow that I heard them." Lori said to herself.

Lori stretched herself and got up. She closed the curtains and then went to her bed. She laid down and pulled the blanket over herself. She looked at the ceiling. She wasn't so happy with the day. It actually was a bad day. Alex and Victor were the biggest reason. But then Lori remembered that Betty came back. She smiled. At least something good happened. Leni entered the room. She was wearing her ocean green night dress.

"I showered." Leni said.

"Good." Lori said.

Leni walked to Lori. She hugged her big sister.

"Good night." Leni said.

"Night Leni." Lori said and hugged Leni back.

Leni walked to the door and turned off the lights. Lori heard her walking to her bed and covering herself with the blanket.

"Sweet dreams." Leni said.

"You too."

Then they closed their eyes.

Lori, Tatiana, Quinn and Ava entered the school area. It was a sunny Tuesday morning. School was about to begin.

"So, what did you do last night?" Tatiana asked.

"I was on the radio with Carol. She should tell you what she achieved." Quinn said.

"I heard both of you. Awesome what Carol achieved." Lori said.

"You listened to our conversation?"

"Yes. Ava, what did you do yesterday evening?"

"I scared Juliet with Vicky." Ava said.

"Aw come on." Quinn said annoyed.

"Is that all you do?" Lori asked annoyed.

"Poor Vicky." Tatiana said.

"I only opened the terrarium. I didn't even need to touch Vicky when Juliet came to my room." Ava said.

"Also true. And what did Geena say to this?" Lori asked.

"She angrily looked at me."

"You deserved that." Quinn said.

Ava shrugged.

"And now she talked for the whole day." Lori said and shook her head.

They entered the School building. Tatiana and Ava went to their class, and Jane and Carol joined Lori and Quinn. They entered the classroom. Whitney, Becky, Dana, Bobby, Teri, Mandee, Jackie, Fiona, and Shelby were sitting on their seats. Lori, Quinn, Jane and Carol sat on their seats and started to work in their English books. They worked on their English work for an hour. Then the intercom got used.

"Jane and Betty Reed, Quinn Smith, Tatiana Jaruzelski, Lori Loud, Ava Lafleur and Carol Pringrey have to come to the office!"

Lori, Jane, Quinn and Carol got up and left the classroom. They all were stressed.

"Did they find it out?" Carol asked.

"I hope not." Lori said.

The girls entered the office of the principal. Mrs Schwarz was in her sixties. She had grey hair and in a style only older women looked good in, wearing a dark blue jacket, vermillion pants, and brown boots. Tatiana and Ava sat on a couch in the office.

"Good morning. Please take a seat." Mrs Schwarz said.

The girls sat down. Lori next to Ava, with Carol next to her, and Quinn next to Tatiana with Jane next to her. Then Betty entered the room. She held a small notebook and a pen in her hands. She showed Mrs Schwarz what she wrote. Mrs Schwarz read quietly what Betty wrote there.

"I'm late. I apologize."

Mrs Schwarz pointed to the couch. Betty went to the couch and sat down next to Jane. Mrs Schwarz closed the door and got a founder out of a drawer. She took a photo of a arm with bruises our, and showed them to the girls.

"Whose arm is that?" Quinn asked.

"It's the arm of Victor." Mrs Schwarz said.

The girls Winced. It looked really bad.

"This looks bad." Carol said with a painful voice.

"Well, this isn't the worst thing that happened yesterday." Mrs Schwarz said, and took out another photo.

It showed the side of a girls head. The girls recognized Alex. A big wound from something like a hit was Visible. The girls winced even more.

"They got beaten up really badly." Carol said.

Mrs Schwarz sat down at her desk and looked at the girls sternly.

"Yes. Something only expected of hooligans after a football match. But you did that!" Mrs Schwarz said with a really upset tone. The girls started getting nervous. Jane told Betty something in sign language, and she was starting to get really stressed.

"H-How do you know we did it?" Lori asked.

"Two people saw you, all together at the bike racks shortly after the lunch break! They got suspicious! And the moment They saw how Victor and Alex looked like, they knew what you did!"

Jane translated what Mrs Schwarz said in sign language. Betty jumped up and wrote something with a very high speed in the notebook. Then Betty showed it in panic to Mrs Schwarz. Mrs Schwartz read what Betty wrote.

"It was my idea. My friends have nothing to do with it. It's my fault."

The girls jumped up the moment they heard that. They took Betty's shoulder.

"No. She didn't!" Jane said with panic.

"She is the least involved person." Quinn said and started to hyperventilate.

"She was hurt and we revenged us at Alex and Victor." Ava said.

"They threw her backpack into a tree and bullied her." Carol said and teared up.

"We got angry and wanted to revenge." Tatiana said and panicked.

"I decided to loosen the screws on their Bikes. I did it. Betty didn't want us to do that!" Jane said panicky.

"I understand what you try to tell me. But be honest, is that how to respond to this? Do you really think it's appropriate to do something that potentially could have killed them?" Mrs Schwarz said and held up the two photos she showed earlier.

Lori, Jane, Tatiana, Ava, Carol and Quinn shook their heads.

"You see at least that you did wrong. You are in detention. For one month you will stay two hours longer in school every day. All of you." Mrs Schwarz said.

The girls nodded.

"And you will apologize to Alex and Victor." Mrs Schwarz said.

The girls looked at each other. Jane started to translate.

"No. Not after what they did to Betty and to us." Lori said.

"So you don't want to apologize?"

"No. They bullied us before they bullied Betty." Carol said.

"We took the final straw when they did it to Betty." Quinn said.

"Uhm…"

The girls looked at Jane.

"What?" Tatiana asked.

"Betty wants us to apologize."

"Why does she want that?" Carol asked.

Jane made some signs. Betty answered. Jane spoke what Betty told her.

"Alex… and victor… never apologized. We are… the same… if we don't apologize."

"She has a point." Ava said.

"She has…" Quinn said.

"So we do apologize?" Carol asked.

"Yes. We do it." Lori said.

Mrs Schwarz took the phone on her desk and called one of the teachers. Two minutes later, Alex and Victor entered the office. Both had bruises everywhere and Alex even had a small bandage around her head.

"They want to apologize to you." Mrs Schwarz said.

The girls got up. Jane took Betty at her hand. Lori went to Alex and Victor. She held her hand to them.

"I'm sorry." Lori said.

Alex, Victor and Lori looked awkwardly at each other. Then Alex took Lori's hand and shook. Then Victor. Lori went back. Quinn held her hand to Alex and Victor.

"I'm sorry."

Alex and Victor shook Quinn's hands. Jane went to them.

"I'm sorry…" Jane said with a tense voice.

She held her hand reluctantly to them. They shook. Jane went back, and Betty stretched her hands to them. They shook. Ava went to them, and held her hand towards Alex and Victor.

"Sorry."

Alex and Victor shook her hand. Ava backed away and Carol went to them.

"I'm sorry." Carol said with a slightly annoyed tone.

Alex and Victor shook Carol's hands. Then Tatiana went to them. She held her hand towards them.

"Sorry." Tatiana said with a tense tone.

Alex and Victor shook her hand. Lori saw how Tatiana wiped her hand on her pants while walking to them.

"Good. And for you two, Alexandra and Victor, you will behave well in future! You're in detention for one week, two hours each day. Got it?"

Alex and Victor nodded.

"Good. I informed all of your parents about this. You all can go back to class."

The girls felt relieved. Alex looked at Mrs Schwarz, and then went out of the office with Victor. The girls went out of the office to their classrooms. Tatiana and Ava made their way to their classroom, Betty to hers, and Lori, Quinn, Jane and Carol to their room.

"Good that it's over." Quinn said.

"We have to stay two hours longer here, every day for one month." Carol said.

"And they told our parents. And they won't be happy." Jane said.

"They won't. But I hope that Alex and Victor behave from now on." Lori said.

"I hope so too." Carol said.

"My Mom and my Dad will be really mad at me." Quinn said.

"I think one month they will do it again. They know that we did that to them." Jane said.

"I hope you are wrong." Carol said.

---

March 2020:

Marisa, Lori, And Tatiana sat on Tatiana's bed in her bedroom. Marisa felt sorry for Lori and Tatiana.

"That's horrible. I mean, you have done something horrible to them but they did that stuff to you?" Marisa asked.

"Yes. And they liked to do that. And after some time, it started again." Tatiana said.

"It took some time until the issue named Alexandra and Victor was solved." Lori said.

"Oh man." Marisa said.

"Wasn't a great part of our school time." Lori said.

"It was the part of our school time that was especially bad." Tatiana said.

"Did they ever stopped being like that?" Marisa asked.

"Yes. They did. But that's something we tell when we have the time for this. It's a story, uh like that that." Tatiana said and held her hands up, like she was showing something big sized.

"Yes. It's a really long story."

"Well, then the next time." Marisa said.

"Maybe. By the way, are you interested to get a look at the scrapyard?" Tatiana asked.

"Okay. You tell us so much about it, sure." Lori said.

"Good. You won't regret it."

They got up, and walked through the door in the hallway.

"Anastazja!" Tatiana said loudly.

Nobody answered.

"Okay. She went home." Tatiana said.

"Was she here?" Lori asked.

"Yes. When you arrived she was still here."

They went to the stairs and walked down to the lower hallway.

"Her sister?" Marisa asked?

"Yes." Lori answered.

They left the house. Tatiana locked the door.

"Shall I drive to the scrapyard?" Lori asked.

"You wouldn't need to get back here to get it." Tatiana said.

They got in the car, and Lori drove off. She parked her car in front of the scrapyard. When they got out, Marisa and Lori noticed a smoke smell.

"Do you burn something there?" Lori asked.

"No. Today we had to get pressed cars away. We put them in narrow gauge freight wagons. And for this we have a small steam locomotive." Tatiana said.

"I didn't expect that." Marisa said.

"We only do that once a week when we have like fifty pressed cars we send to the furnace." Tatiana said.

They entered the scrapyard. Many old cars were stapled on each other. A small crane lifted pressed, cube shaped cars out of the giant press, and put them into freight wagons. Four four-axle freight wagons with a gray paint on them were coupled to a small steam locomotive with three axles. It was a really small locomotive. It had a black boiler, with threat painted olive green. On a plate on the site was engraved «SLM WINTERTHUR G3/3». Lori and Marisa looked at the locomotive.

"That's a small one." Marisa said.

"But interesting." Lori said.

"It's a small one because the tracks are only a meter wide. But believe me, she does a good job." Tatiana said.

"Where did you get a locomotive from?" Lori asked.

"I found someone who had this thing in his barn for many years. It never drove around. And I said I can use this Locomotive. So we made a deal and now it's the Best industrial locomotive in the whole region."

"Impressive." Lori said.

They went to the locomotive and looked into the cab. They saw many valves and gauges. It was very hot near the locomotive.

"I only know a bit what valve is for what. But the big lever is the break, the other big lever is for pressure, and one valve is for draining the cylinders." Tatiana said.

"And the whistle?" Marisa asked and wiped sweat off of her forehead.

"That's the rope at the top. But I don't like to pull that. It loud and painful if you're near it."

"It's so hot." Lori said.

"Why does it have to be so hot?" Marisa asked.

"Because this thing needs a lot of heat. It's a steam locomotive. And it need so much that we fired it up in the morning." Tatiana said.

"So long?" Lori asked surprised.

"I only heard it from telling, but the bigger locomotives need to be fired up a whole day before the service."

Lori and Marisa looked at each other and made a expression that meant something like «Yeah right». Tatiana looked at the coupling between the locomotive and the wagons.

"Can't say if it's true or not. But I think it's very possible. I mean this little lady takes hours until the water is boiling." Tatiana said.

"It is silly that it takes so long to steam her up." Lori said.

"There is no reason that it should take that long." Marisa said.

"There is. A lot of water needs a long time to boil. Until you have a fire that can heat this amount of water decently enough, it needs an hour. Then the water heats up. And I have no pre heated water. So it takes a while." Tatiana said.

"That makes sense." Lori said.

"It does." Marisa said.

"And that's why it gets done like this." Tatiana said.

A man approached them. He was wearing railway working gear, and a orange vest with safety strips. He had glasses and gray hair.

"So, good afternoon. Tatiana. Ma'am's."

He climbed into the locomotive.

"So you're going to bring them to hayfield station Garry?" Tatiana asked.

"Yes. The train is full." Garry said.

"Good. Then have a nice journey."

"Oh I will guaranteed have a nice journey. Attention!"

Tatiana held her hands over her ear. Garry pulled the rope of the whistle, and two times the locomotive whistled very loudly. Then he pulled two levers. The Locomotive hissed, and pulled the wagons slowly away from the press. The train went over several track switches and then left the scrapyard.

Tatiana led Lori and Marisa to a small house on the scrapyard. It was old and had a yellow facade.

"And that's the office." Tatiana said.

"Oh. It's not bad." Lori said.

Tatiana opened the door. They entered the office building and went into a room. It had a desk with a MacBook Air on it, a phone, and way too much paper documents. Behind the desk was a giant shelf with a lid of founders in it.

"So, that's my office." Tatiana said.

"That's not bad actually." Marisa said.

"But way too much documents." Lori added.

"I made the mistake of not really using the computer when I started. To I have to scan a ton of paper." Tatiana said.

"Do you need help with that?" Lori asked.

"Only if you have time in the week. And you don't have to." Tatiana said.

"We can. I mean, every Wednesday we work at a lot of places. And we could make that then." Lori said.

"Yeah. That's fine for us." Marisa said.

"Okay. So next Wednesday?" Tatiana asked.

"Yes." Lori said.

"Okay. That's nice."

They left the office, and walked to the gate of the scrapyard. Lori, Marisa and Tatiana stood next to Lori's car, and said goodbye to each other.

"Bye Tatiana." Lori said and gave Tatiana a hug.

Tatiana hugged her back.

"Goodbye. Until Wednesday."

Lori and Tatiana broke the hug.

"Marisa, until Wednesday."

"Until Wednesday." Marisa said.

Marisa and Tatiana gave each other a short hug.

"Then until Wednesday morning." Lori said.

"Exactly. Seven in the morning. In the office." Tatiana said.

"Okay."

"Take care." Marisa said.

Lori and Marisa sat in Lori's car.

"That was nice." Lori said and turned on the engine.

"Pretty nice what Tatiana built up." Maira said.

Lori drove off. She went to the street where they came from.

"You know how to scan documents?" Marisa asked.

"I know how. That's pretty easy." Lori said.

"Good."

Lori drove over the main road to Fairway.

"Any idea what we eat for dinner?" Marisa asked.

"I warm up the spaghetti from yesterday." Lori said.

"Okay. Tomato sauce is still in the fridge?"

"It is. Just need to put it in the microwave."

They reached the fairway university fifteen minutes later. Lori parked her car on her usual parking lot and got out. She and Marisa walked to the building, and upstairs to their apartment.

"So. Home now." Marisa said and went into the small kitchen.

Lori followed her. Marisa opened the fridge and took out a cooking pot with spaghetti. She put it on the kitchen counter and took tomato sauce from the fridge. Lori took two plates and put the spaghetti on them. Marisa poured the tomato sauce on it.

"Your first?" Lori asked.

"Okay."

Marisa put her plate in a microwave oven and started it. The plate turned around for a minute. The microphone rang. Marisa took it out.

"Now me." Lori said, and put the plate into the microwave.

After a minute of turning, she took the plate out. It was very warm. Lori and Marisa took a fork and a knife each, and went into the small living room. They sat on their couch.

"Wanna watch something?" Lori asked.

"Sure." Marisa said.

Lori took the remote control and turned on the TV. Marisa started with her dinner. Lori zapped through the channels. Then she landed on the Royal Woods channel 3. The dream boat was being aired.

"Dream boat?" Lori asked.

"Dream boat." Marisa answered.

Lori put the remote control on the small table and started to eat.

---

End of the chapter

---

Note by the authors:

We're open to your ideas. So if you have ideas what Lori and her friends should experience, then write this in the review. We will decide if it fits go the story.

We won't accept inappropriate or overly violent ideas.