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Marnie spends some time cleaning up the house’s garden, planting with plants that are better suited for the desert. Then, her priority was making the dryer lint-proof and safe. Bennie tries to talk to Benji, only to find out that Benji is planning on moving out as soon as he can after becoming an adult. Marnie then tells Jaz that their first therapy appointment is tomorrow, others will be after school, but this one is during, so they’ll have to stay home. Jaz is shocked that therapy isn’t just a one time visit. Phoenix and Myles find a monster under Myles’ bed, and monster lights quickly go on the shopping list.
The next day, Marnie and Jaz take the long bus ride to Newcrest to the Mental Health Center. Jaz gets more and more worried, and Marnie is no help (as usual). Jaz finally meets Dr. Gemma Fleming, her therapist, and immediately finds a kindred spirit. Gemma concentrates on Jaz and her needs, immediately pinpointing why she won’t go to the bathroom with others around, and brings up the possibility of alternate genders. Marnie, on the other hand, shows off her ignorance and laughs at Jaz contemplating not “wanting” to be a girl, telling her that since she was born that way, she was stuck with it. Gemma disagrees, and scolds Marnie for laughing at her daughter, immediately solidifying Gemma as a friend in Jaz’s mind. Gemma ends the appointment by offering Jaz a real handshake, and a positive interaction with an adult who is willing to advocate for her (something Jaz is completely unfamiliar with).
Myles has his next club meeting at the library, and Marnie decides not to attend with him. Myles puts all his energy into making some friends and getting his homework done with them. This is a new thing for Myles, because he’s never really had friends before. He finds he likes it. Later, Benji asks the Future cube about his current romance with Shaylee, and the cube does NOT respond favorably, to Benji’s dismay.
Benji’s Young Adult birthday party was the next day, and he wakes up in a great mood, having forgotten about the future cube. Bennie is proud of his son, and therefore is in a great mood, and Marnie keeps planning her family party blissfully. She makes a cake, and plans the dinner.. only to be told by Benji that not only are all of his friends coming over, but he’s also packed and ready to move to the city at the end of the night. As the friends arrive for the party, everyone dresses in their best and has some fun socializing. Benji ages up, and everyone enjoys cake and games for a while after dinner. Then, Benji gathers his things and leaves with his friends. All of them have gotten an apartment in the city. (I decorated it and remodeled it to hold all of them.) At the last moment, Jay and Rita elope without telling anyone.
The next day begins with a mass effort to clean up after the party. Since Jaz’s club meeting is later in the evening that day, she plays on the monkey bars in the back yard for a while to kill time. Out in the front of the house, however, is a not-so-peaceful scene. It’s Neighborhood Brawl day, you see, and Bennie takes full advantage of it to get into as many fights as he can, winning all of them. Myles comes home from Scouts bragging about his new badge, only to have his younger brother beat him up for it. Jaz finally heads to the park, and finds Colin sitting off to the side of the park, not playing with anyone. She finds out that his parents divorce was finalized, and does her best to cheer her friend up.
The next day, Jaz uses a “school project” as an excuse to go to the library. She uses the time to work on her typing practice for her aspiration, but gets curious and starts doing some googling for information on the gender dysphoria and alternate genders that Gemma had talked about in their therapy appointment. Very quickly, Jaz realizes that they no longer want to go by “she”, and that they identify strongly as non-binary. Billie, her nemesis, is also at the library, however… and Jaz is exceedingly lucky that Billie doesn’t see what Jaz is researching. After a small argument that gets both of them in trouble with the librarian, Jaz goes back to typing practice, and finishes out all the stuff for their aspiration that requires a computer.
Jaz has Colin come over after school on Monday, ostensibly to have him help with their volcano project. However, Jaz takes this time to “come out” to her friend, only to be completely shocked that Colin is actually Transgender, but still very much in the closet. Both friends swear each other to secrecy, and the project is finished beautifully. Colin and Jaz get some outside playtime while waiting for his dad to pick him up.
Tuesday, Bennie shows up with a microphone so he can practice his comedy routines at home, without saying how he got it. After a day of cleaning, Marnie accompanies Jaz to Newcrest for their next therapy appointment. Jaz confesses to doing some research and discovering the term non-binary. Jaz then admits that Non-binary describes what they feel they are perfectly. Gemma is supportive and offers to try to get Jaz a pass to use a private bathroom during school hours. Jaz decides not to tell their friends and family yet, however. Despite the fact they were talking about pronouns and genders, Jaz 100% keeps her promise to keep Colin’s secret.
Winterfest arrives with very little fanfare in the Malone household. It’s not even celebrated due to financial concerns. Bennie is worrying about paying bills and the power going out soon, and the kids are afraid to expect anything. Then, out of the blue, Benji shows up with a tree to decorate and a bag full of presents for everyone. There is very little mention of how he got the money for this extravagance, other than a brief mention of a “bonus at work”, but nobody is willing to turn down a great Winterfest. In thanks, Myles gives Benji a frog he’s bred, and it escapes while everyone chases it. Shaylee helps Marnie cook a grand Meal with ingredients that she and Benji had brought with them. Bennie then finds out the next morning that Benji had also paid their bills for the next two weeks without knowing how truly dire the need for money really was. At the end of the day, an interlude shows how Benji got the money – robbing the Landgraabs.
The next day, Bella Goth shows up at the front door, to Marnie’s wonder. She helps clean the house, and tells Marnie she missed her presence at last week’s club meeting. Jaz finishes her Motor aspiration just as Marnie, Bella, and Myles are leaving to go to the club meeting at the Library.
At the end of the week, Bennie is in a great mood, and Marnie is reluctantly cleaning house while he spends time with the twins. Everyone else is also doing really well, and goes about their daily activities without issue.
Saturday is New Year’s Even, and everyone gets in their resolutions. Jaz and Phoenix head to Oasis Springs park for their club meeting. Jaz has a great time other than getting picked on by another kid for a while, and Phoenix makes nice with Wolfgang Munch. Phoenix eventually completes his aspiration, and both kids head home.
Sunday, Bennie practices his comedy and ignores the kids, while Marnie cooks breakfast and cleans house. Jaz gives the Future cube a try, and it tells them that their future looks bleak. Jaz tries to convince themselves that they don’t actually believe in that sort of stuff, but it worries them nonetheless.
The next day shows Bennie worrying about bills, but that yes, Benji had paid this week too. Bennie has concerns for the next week, though. All the kids end up watching TV together and chatting, then they split off to do other things. Myles goes to work on his Mental skill, being very close to getting his aspiration complete. He had already gotten his last scouts badge. Finally, he finishes that Mental aspiration, and heads to bed. Marnie, however passes out on the floor, and unbeknownst to everyone else, is feeling a little under the weather.
The next morning, Marnie announces to Bennie that she’s pregnant, which makes Bennie furious. She claims it’s an accident, and seems un-naturally happy about another addition to the family, while Bennie gives into his rage and throws a plate across the room. After Jaz gets home from school, they go with Marnie to their next therapy appointment, unaware of Marnie’s drama. At the appointment, Gemma confesses that the school refuses to allow a special bathroom pass without parental approval. We have a side moment where Marnie is sitting outside the therapy room, waiting on Jaz, and considering their decision to try for a baby. Marnie isn’t about to tell Bennie, but this baby is all her doing again, and she’s looking forward to raising her new baby alongside Bella’s youngest. All Marnie can focus on is that it’ll make her “closer” to her new friend, not the fact that she is lying to her husband. Again. We swing back to Jaz, who has come up with the idea to come out to their parents. Gemma expresses doubts, but Jaz is convinced that it’s a good idea, and can see no reason why their parents wouldn’t support them. Once home, an exhausted Marnie joins everyone else in the living room to hear Jaz’s announcement. Jaz blithely announces their decision to go by they/them pronouns, to the hilarity of the rest of the family. Jaz doesn’t understand why they think it’s funny, and protests angrily against the hurt of being laughed at by the people closest to them. Marnie, however, decides to over-ride this by shocking everyone with an impromptu announcement about her pregnancy. Everyone but Jaz forgets Jaz’s announcement, and they head to the bathroom mirror to give themselves a pep talk. After that disaster, Jaz firmly decides not to come out to their friends the next day as they had planned.
Overnight, we see an interlude. The entire Klepto club has descended upon an empty house and are robbing it blind. An astute reader will notice that it’s the Goth’s home, and Cassandra’s family heirloom violin is one of the things stolen.
The next day sees Bennie working on a new comedy routine – one based on Jaz’s failed “coming out” announcement. Max (Phoenix and Jaz’s friend) is over, and hears the practice routine, but all of the boys decide not to warn Jaz, so Jaz is completely unaware of the disaster in the making, and in a fantastic mood despite the mess of the previous evening.
Bennie is practicing his routine the next day again, and Jaz catches him at it. Hurt and furious, they make Bennie promise to never perform the routine. Bennie, baffled at Jaz’s hurt and anger, promises, and walks away, still not really understanding. Later, Marnie and Myles go to club meeting, and Marnie notices that something’s wrong with Bella. Bella confesses that they were burglarized, and that Cassandra’s precious (and priceless) violin has disappeared. The alarm company never reported a problem, however, and the police appear to be at a dead end with their investigation. Marnie expresses concern, and asks for more details, worried about her friend. Bella admits that the police also mentioned that this burglary seems to be part of a series of heists in the area, and that the Landgraabs had also been victims while they were on Winterfest vacation. Marnie starts putting two and two together.. and finally gets four. In concern for their friend, they forget that ratting Benji out is a betrayal of her own family, and she tells Bella about Benji (who has stolen things in the past) and his Winterfest windfall. Bella, being smart, immediately realizes what is happening, and, to Marnie’s uneducated horror, plans immediately to go to the police. Marnie tries to back pedal and promise to get the violin back, which is what she had intended to “make things right”, but Bella laughs at her and leaves the club meeting to go to the Police Department. There, we meet the Police Chief, Scott Barrier, who is investigating the case on his own because of how high profile the case is, and Bella tells him about Benji and the money he has suddenly come into. Scott isn’t dumb, and plans to investigate immediately.
The next day.. everything that shouldn’t happen.. does. We see Phoenix eating burnt popcorn for breakfast because there really isn’t anything else in the house, and Jaz calling Gemma to tell her about their failed coming out attempt. Gemma is appropriately horrified, and it gets even worse when Jaz tells her about the comedy sketch and Bennie’s promise. Gemma offers to talk to Jaz’s parents for them, but Jaz is dubious about the prospect, and afraid it would make matters worse, so they say they’ll think about it. Then the camera swings to a café in another town, where Benji is scoping out their next target. Unfortunately, it seems the police are onto him, and he ends up getting arrested instead. We see him fingerprinted, searched, and getting his mug shot taken. He’s then thrown in a cell. Later, back at the Malone’s Bennie gets a phone call from the jail – Benji begging for his dad to come bail him out of jail. Bennie admits to not having the money, and then heads to work. Amazingly, we then see Bennie get a chance card at work to film a live on TV comedy sketch and get promoted to the top of his career. Of course, he agrees, and picks his “best” routine – the one he promised Jaz he would NEVER perform. The studio, being all about the ratings, allows the performance to stand, and Bennie is awarded a huge bonus to both his fame and his pocket money. The last we see of him this evening is him drinking champagne liberally in the back of a limo on the way back home from Del Sol Valley.
The next morning, we see a hungover Bennie alone at home (Jaz and Phoenix are at club meeting, Marnie and the rest of the kids are at the grocery store) searching for a cure for his headache. Instead of pain medicine, he finds an un-used prescription for Marnie’s birth control, hidden in the closet. He’s not that stupid that he can’t do the math on this one, and immediately, the hangover is gone in a rush of rage at being lied to. He sits and waits for Marnie to get home, getting angrier by the moment. Meanwhile, while at the park for their club meeting, Jaz runs into their enemy, Billie, and finds out about Bennie’s comedy special. Their secret is out. And it’s out in a big way. Jaz attempts to rectify the situation by admitting to being non-binary, but Billie won’t hear anything of it, and just keeps making fun of Jaz. One of Billie’s friends steps in to Jaz’s defense (Pierce), writing his ticket out of Billie’s club. Olivia, another kid in Billie club, steps in to Billie’s defense. Things are looking bad, but then Jaz’s friend Lucas shows up to alter the numbers, backing Jaz and Pierce. As Jaz walks away from the confrontation, still reeling, they find out that most of their friends support their decision. Mika, and Elsa weigh in on Jaz’s side of the argument, whereas Max and Phoenix, Jaz’s own brother, take Billie’s side. Overwhelmed, Jaz heads home, only to have two other young girls step in and show support for Jaz. Once finally home, Jaz walks into a horrible situation. Bennie and Marnie are fighting – loudly – in their bedroom, and every word can be heard. When the fight comes to blows, Jaz tries to stop it, but things have gone too far. Bennie claims to be “done” with Marnie’s lies (because it’s now come out that all but the twins’ pregnancy were planned by Marnie, including the first one that “trapped” them into a marriage at a young age.) and goes to sleep on the couch. in the living room. Jaz accuses Phoenix of not backing them up at the park, and they, too, get into a big argument about it, causing Jaz to be very angry and bitter towards their brother.
The next morning, Bennie is gone. It’s also his birthday, so everyone assumes he’ll be back for his party in the evening. Party plans continue, and decorations are put up, and presents appear on the table, along with a cake and a meal. Bennie never shows up, however, and everyone goes to sleep worried.
Bennie never shows up, his cake spoils, and Marnie, dejectedly tries to pay the bills and pick up the shattered pieces of her life, only to get a call from the bank that there’s no money to pay the bills. She gets groceries with what little money Bennie left for her, and wonders what to do next. At the police department, we see Benji get questioned by the police chief. Thinking he’s saving Shaylee, Benji eventually confesses to everything, including the fact that they had an inside man at the alarm company for the heists, and the fact that he stole the suit of armor from his father’s store. After all this, Benji “negotiates” for another phone call, and calls his mother, unable to get in contact with Bennie. Consequently, Marnie is blindsided with the news that Benji is in jail. Benji finds out that his father is missing, and suggests Marnie talk to the authorities. He tries to get Marnie to get him a good lawyer, (a little late on that one, Benji), but Marnie admits to have no money to do so. We then see that Benji isn’t the only Klepto in jail. In fact, they all are. And not only that, but Shaylee seems to be pregnant, and it’s not Benji’s child. The last photos of the day are Marnie, reporting Bennie missing and the money gone at the police department.
The power goes out at the Malone household the next day due to non-payment of bills. Marnie is at wit’s end, and mentions she would even be okay if Bennie came back. At the jail, Benji is finally meeting his public defender, Nikolai Delossantos. He finds out that the cop who interviewed him lied, or at the very least, stretched the truth about Shaylee needing saving, and that he really shouldn’t have confessed to “Save” her. The lawyer also mentions Shaylee being VERY pregnant. Benji does the math, and concludes the baby can’t be his. Furious, he refuses to participate in his own defense and leaves the room. At bedtime in the Malone house, Jaz asks Marnie why they couldn’t go to therapy that day, and Marnie lets them believe it’s because Bennie is gone. (When it’s more that Marnie just can’t handle anything right now, especially not taking Jaz to a therapist that Marnie hates.)
Then.. the water gets shut off. Marnie invites a thrift store purchaser to come over and buy their electronics and un-necessary appliances, and barely squeaks by making enough money to pay the over due bills and another round of groceries. She wonders how on earth she is going to get the money if Bennie can’t be found to pay child support, because she has no employable skills at this point in her life. With low energy, trying to clean up the house is too much for Marnie and she ends up passing out several times before finally giving up taking a sleep replacer potion so she can actually get some work done.
The day for Benji’s courtroom trial arrives, and Marnie takes the kids out of school so they can all attend. There are no major surprises during the trial – other than just how pregnant Shaylee is. Benji is livid and sad all at the same time. By the end of the trial, his lawyer’s inexperience has only tightened the “noose” around Benji’s neck further. The jury stays out for barely any time at all, and comes back with a guilty verdict on Felony Larceny. Benji takes out his frustration on his lawyer before being led away to jail. Marnie decides that after such a disaster of a trial, she doesn’t need to see the sentencing tomorrow.
The next day, after school, Jaz finds some personal time to call Gemma, and takes advantage of it. She fills in Gemma on what has happened, including the disaster of Bennie outing them and then disappearing. Gemma is horrified, and it only gets worse when Jaz mentions the power outage from earlier in the week. Phoenix comes out, and Jaz has to cut the phone call short. A bit later, Jaz’s phone rings, and they answer, only to find Colin calling. He asks if he can come over, and Jaz, of course, agrees, and runs out to meet him with a Daisy for Love Day. Colin is clearly upset over something, though, and the flower does little for his mood. He goes on to say he feels that he cannot be friends or associate with Jaz anymore. He is terrified he’ll be outed as Trans. Jaz tries to tell him that she hasn’t told anyone, and never will, but Colin will have none of it. We then see Shaylee being released from jail, and running straight into Cade’s arms. He proposes, and Shaylee accepts – news that will certainly be circulating through the police department and the jail soon. The day ends with Marnie getting a phone call about Benji. He’s been “made an example of” and was sentenced to 6 full years in jail. Marnie, distressed, hangs up before remembering to mention Bennie’s disappearance.
The next week begins with Marnie checking the mail. she finds, to her horror.. divorce papers. After a good cry, she tries to pick herself up and continue with life. Furious with Bennie and his selfishness (let’s not even talk about how hypocritical this is of Marnie – who was so selfish she didn’t even let Bennie in on the decision to have kids or not…), Marnie signs the papers and mails them out without taking a moment to actually think. At the park, Jaz looks around, hoping to find Colin and convince him that he is not in any danger, but Colin is missing in action. Jaz asks Elsa if she knows anything, and Elsa is clueless, but sympathetic. Jaz won’t tell her why Colin won’t be coming back, just that they had an argument. Elsa tries to console Jaz, but it doesn’t help much. Jaz ends up sneaking out of the meeting early, and walking home slowly. Then, remembering Gemma, Jaz tries to call her, only to find out their phone isn’t working at all. Asking Marnie about it, Marnie admits that she can’t pay the bills for it, so they’ll have no more phones. Sadly, Jaz tries to go get dinner, and finds only stale cereal with water. Depressed and lonely, they tuck themselves into bed.
The next day, Marnie starts the day with selling another couple things and going to buy a cooler. The kids rebel at the idea of only having cereal, yogurt, and granola, but it’s all that Marnie can do. She is hoping to get some child support, but has no idea of how to find Bennie. Colin, dejected, shows up at the front door and begs Jaz to forgive him. Jaz, of course, says there’s nothing to forgive, and ends up telling Colin about the situation at home. They make up, and spend some time playing in the yard before Colin has to go home. Colin is beside himself with worry, and wonders who he can trust to do the right thing by Jaz. Jaz tiptoes past her brothers and just goes to bed without dinner. Marnie never notices.
Marnie sadly pulls the unpayable bills out of the mailbox the next morning, and hides them in her closet, ironically right next to the offending birth control pills that gave her away to Bennie. Marnie is clearly falling apart at the seams, and we watch as she just crawls back into bed and pulls the covers over her head. We see Colin at his therapy session with his therapist, Mindy Altman in Newcrest. She notices something is wrong, and tries to ask Colin about it. After some serious thought, Colin confesses his worries about his best friend, Jaz, and Mindy is appropriately horrified to hear about it. Colin finally tells Mindy what Jaz’s last name is, hoping against hope that she can do something.. adult.. and hopefully help Jaz out of her situation. Later, Mindy goes to the Social Services center to report endangered minors. The officer takes down the information, but Mindy has no idea when she will actually investigate. Sick with worry, Mindy goes home.
The next day, Marnie never gets out of bed. Thinking she’ll get up to take care of the twins at least, the other kids make sure they’re fed before leaving for school, and leave the twins literally alone. Luckily, the worst thing that happens is the twins making a big mess of the house and being desperately hungry by the time the other kids get home from school. Jaz immediately recognizes the problem, and vows that if Marnie is still in her room the next day, that Jaz will stay home to care for her brothers. They can’t stand to think of them home literally alone all day again. Jaz, as young as they are, still understands that toddlers shouldn’t be left alone. Later, at the Social services center, the same officer takes a report from Gemma this time, again blowing the whistle on the Malone family. The officer, Kayla Bliss, tries to put the whole thing off again, but finding out that the police have already been contacted makes her rethink her position. She moves the Malones up on her investigation list. That night, Jaz’s bed produces a monster, and they have nowhere to turn but to themselves. The eventually talk the monster into leaving them alone, but it’s a long terrifying night until that happens.
The final day of this month.. Marnie is still a no-show for the twins, and Jaz stays home.. in the dark, because the power is out again. They manage to take care of the twins and do a considerable amount of house cleaning before, later in the afternoon (after Jaz’s brothers come home from school), Gemma and Kayla Bliss from the Social Services arrive like the cavalry to save the kids. Jaz missing school that day was the trigger to initiating an unannounced visit. Gemma is called to come along to smooth things out during the visit. After seeing the condition of the house, the amount of food provided, and having a long, nasty, conversation with Marnie, Kayla decides the children must be removed from the home for safety. Kayla also discovers Marnie’s pregnancy and promises to come back for her later that evening. The kids are taken in a van to an emergency foster family in Newcrest, where they stare in awe at all the fun things in the house. They are treated to a fresh, HOT meal, and tucked into their beds. Kayla then takes an exhausted and at-the-end-of-her-rope Marnie to a women’s shelter in Del Sol Valley later that night. Marnie falls into bed without bothering to ask questions or even learn the name of the owner of the shelter.
… The week will continue in next month’s summary.
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Jaz woke up for the second night in a strange bed, and felt an overwhelming sense of disorientation wash over them. Only this morning, there wasn’t even a familiar face to count on. They weren’t alone, but it felt like it, because Jaz didn’t know any of them other than the rudimentary details – like names. Jaz slipped out of bed without waking their room-mate, and headed downstairs. Jaz hoped someone they knew would be in the kid’s chat room, but no dice on that one. Sighing deeply, Jaz went back upstairs to get ready for school. Penny greeted Jaz cheerfully, and offered to help Jaz organize their stuff in the closet. Jaz shrugged, and declined, not wanting to show how depressingly empty their small backpack of personal things really was.
From downstairs, there came a clear call to breakfast, and, realizing that once again they were going to get a hot meal before school, Jaz hurriedly stuffed their feet into their worn out sneakers and tried to tie them while running for the stairs. Giving up, they just were careful to not trip, and grabbed a plate of Eggs and Toast.
Everyone headed for the living room, which seemed odd when they had a REAL dining room, but who was Jaz to say? At least tying the shoes was finally accomplished, then food quickly disappeared. Jaz tried to help with dishes, but was summarily shooed out of the kitchen to head to school. Feeling even more disoriented, Jaz grabbed their school books and followed their foster siblings out of the front door.
In Del Sol Valley, Marnie’s phone rang:
“Hello??” Marnie replied, grateful that at least her phone was actually working again. Finding out it was the bank definitely wasn’t the best “welcome back” to phone calls, however.
Marnie listened, and the longer the phone call went on, the more her face fell. So much so, that the actress woman who ran the shelter seemed to feel the negative emotions and came in to investigate.
“Are you okay, Marnie?” she asked after Marnie hung up the phone.
“I am. I guess.” Marnie replied, “Just not a nice phone call. More things going wrong.”
“Oh? I’m so sorry. What is it this time?” the woman asked sympathetically.
“The bank was just calling to let me know the house was foreclosed upon and if I can’t pay the balance due by next week, it goes up for auction. Apparently Bennie hasn’t paid a single payment on the mortgage since we moved in. There’s nothing I can do about it. I will be homeless – and jobless – after I leave this shelter.” Marnie stated matter-of-factly. Looking away, she followed it up with a muttered, “And since I’ve lost the kids, I’m not sure it matters anymore.”
“Oh, sweetie. Even though the kids are in care, you know you could always work to get them back! What can you do? What are your skills?”
“Cleaning? Feeding kids? … and apparently I’m not all that good at that, either.” Marnie said drily.
The actress gasped, and asked, “Nothing else? Hm. Well, there’s plenty of things you can learn to do here. And I suggest you take advantage of Dr. Altman, a local therapist who donates her services here once a week, talking to our guests when they need someone to talk to. I can set up a time for her to meet with you, if you’d like.”
“Oh. Well, I’ll think about it…” Marnie said, then turned to look at the front door, where someone was knocking.
The actress answered the door, then turned to Marnie. “It’s for you, honey.”
Marnie looked in shock as none other than Bella Goth walked through the front door jauntily. “Marnie, sweetie, am I glad to have finally found you!” she said, holding out her arms as if to hug her.
Marnie dodged her, and went to sit down in the TV room, leaving room for Bella to sit beside her. “How are you, Bella? Better since Cassandra’s violin was found, I’d imagine?” Marnie commented.
“Oh, sure. Things are much better now. Although I’m terribly sorry about Benji. And then Bennie leaving you high and dry. You poor thing. I wanted to stop by and give you an offer.” Bella said, then paused to give Marnie a chance to respond.
“… An .. offer?” Marnie said, suspiciously.
“Yes. I’ve been looking for a housekeeper. We’ve also been talking about putting in another bedroom or two on our house, to accommodate the baby, and possibly to house live-in help. I know you’re good at cleaning, and .. well, without the kids, I figured you would need something to do. We could offer you room and board as well as some money for the position. You would have time to yourself, too, for improving yourself and working to get your babies back.” Bella stopped, and took a nervous breath, looking expectantly at Marnie.
“Bella….” Marnie sighed again, then continued, “I’ll definitely need to think about it.”
“Oh. Um, of course.” Bella said, looking extraordinarily disappointed, “I just figured, since your home was going up for auction.. you would need a place to stay…”
Marnie looked at Bella, considering what her friend had said. “How did you find out about that?” she asked, unhappy that her business seemed to be all over the town.
“Oh, I went to your house to see you… and I found the foreclosure notice. So I called the bank, and they told me the rest. I also was able to find out where you were. I hurried right over. I mean, obviously, we’d have to wait to move you in until either Cassandra goes to college next year, or the addition is done, but I wanted you to have some hope of a home coming soon.” Bella said, blithely.
Trying hard not to show their annoyance, Marnie mumbled something about being tired, and that she would definitely think about it. “I’ll.. uh, call you.” Marnie finished, and got up to retreat to her cottage where she could be alone for a while.
Bella sat there for a moment, looking rather confused at her friend’s obvious depression, and uninterest in the charity offered to her. Finally, Sophia Nelson left the company of the other two young ladies living with her, and headed over towards Bella. “Everything okay, ma’am?” she asked, curiously.
Bella dusted off her dress, and pasted on a smile. “Of course, Ms. Nelson. I really appreciate all you do for the women here. Can I offer you a donation?”
Sofia brightened immediately, and showed Bella to her office for a more private chat.
Back in Willow Creek:
By the time Jaz got off the school bus, the skies had let loose. All of the kids piled off the bus and made a mad dash for the front door, all glancing worriedly at the sky.
Jaz and Penny chatted after coming in through the door, but Penny then remembered her homework, and wandered away. Jaz shrugged, and went into the front office to check the computer. Having a computer in the home was still a novelty, and, after checking for Colin on the chat app, they got up, and accepted a bowl of fresh salad from Layla.
“Thanks, Layla. I am hungry.” Jaz said, then cringed at the clap of thunder from outside. “Yuck. I hate storms. How about you?”
“Actually, I like them.” Layla said, with a smile, then she rolled her eyes, “Most of the other kids are afraid of them, so my bed is often a safe place to hide at a midnight storm. At least it’s big enough for most everyone to hide under the covers together.”
Both turned to look as the phone rang, and then, amazingly, Wendy Judd came in with the phone, “Jaz, phone call for you!”
Looking very confused, Jaz answered the phone timidly. “Hello?”
“Hiya sis! How is your new home??” Myles asked, then, without a pause, “I have the best home, in fact, my new foster parents are letting me throw a party for my birthday tonight! Can you come?”
Jaz paused, then asked Wendy. They had never been invited to, or even had, a birthday party. Jaz didn’t really want to go to Myles’ … but who knew when they’d ever get another opportunity, so they’d better ask. Wendy agreed, and called Matt in, asking if he’d be willing to drop Jaz off. Matt agreed, as well, and asked where the party was.
“Myles? Where’s the party?” Jaz asked, obediently.
“The Landgraab house, in Oasis Springs. So, can you come? We’re going to play games, and have CAKE, and, yeah, it’s going to be GREAT!”
Confused as to why it would be at the Landgraab house, but unwilling to ask, Jaz turned and relayed the information to Matt. He looked as surprised as she was. “Sure, I can take you there. What time?”
Myles, who apparently could hear Matt, replied “6 o’clock, okay? I’ll see you then! Gotta go, I have other people to call!”
Jazz pulled the phone away from their ear, and looked at it bemusedly. “It’s at six, apparently.”
Matt nodded, smiled, and suggested Jaz go get ready, since that was less than an hour away.
Later, at the Landgraab’s mansion in Oasis Springs:
The fun and games had already started by the time Jaz got there, but clearly Myles had been waiting for them. He handed Jaz a controller without missing a beat, and Jaz was quickly swept up into multiplayer party games.
Myles’ whole club was there, and so was Phoenix, but Phoenix seemed to have mellowed out in the last day or two, because no mention was made of Jaz’s new gender. The party continued until they were called to the kitchen by a caterer.
Myles, who seemed to have adjusted easily to the high life, gathered all his friends, and ran to blow out his candles.
There were presents, and cake, and food.. and then they were handed “party favors.” Jaz’s head was spinning by the time it was nearly time to go. They bid their goodbyes to their brothers, and it wasn’t until Jaz got to Matt’s car that they realized they’d never asked exactly WHY Myles was at the Landgraab’s house.
Bonus image:
Myles’ teenage Makeover. He got the Perfectionist Trait, and the Curator aspiration. I will update this info to the cast of characters, along with his other outfits, in a couple of days.
WC: Day One < | Challenge Home Page | > WC: Day Three
OS: Day Thirty < | Challenge Home Page | > WC: Day Two
In the morning, everyone woke up a little blearily, and were called down for a HOT breakfast, unbelievably. The quality of the food was evident in the silence with which everyone ate. They then wandered the house, finding things to do.
Jaz checked in on her twin brothers, happily sleeping in in comfy beds upstairs. They worried about what was going to happen to all of them, but they had to trust that Gemma and Kayla only had their best interests at heart.
All of them were out of school for the day, but at least it was excused this time. At around 8 AM, Kayla showed up to pick up the eldest of the brothers, Myles. She explained that, no matter how hard she tried, she had been unable to get the five of them into the same home, especially at such short notice. She did explain that at least the twins would be kept together. Jaz said nothing, but was secretly glad they hadn’t been placed with Phoenix in the same house.
Myles found out on the way he had been chosen specially by the family he was heading to, and he wondered why. It turned out they were headed to the fancy side of Oasis Springs, and when Kayla pulled into the biggest house on the block, Myles couldn’t help but let his jaw drop to his chest.
Trying to slick his hair back and smooth his hand me down clothes down, but there was very little he could do to make himself look anything like he belonged here. Why would people like this have asked for HIM?!
Swallowing awkwardly past the huge lump in his throat, Myles trailed behind Kayla and tried to not look terrified.
Inside, he was introduced to his new “Mom”, Nancy Landgraab. She greeted him with a smile, and took him to see where he would be staying with his new toddler foster brother.
There was a big playroom with beds in it at the top of the third floor staircase, with more toys than Myles had seen in one spot in his life.
He was also introduced to his older foster brother, Malcolm Landgraab, who had recently gotten married.
Malcolm’s wife, Ayumi, was entertaining young Shane Landgraab while Myles was given his tour of the house, and waved jauntily at Myles when introduced. After his tour, Myles was given free rein of the house to unpack and explore and get acquainted with his new home.
Kayla bid him goodbye, and gave him her number, saying that if he needed anything, to call her on her cell phone. She then drove back to the Williams’ house to pick up Phoenix.
At the house, Jaz had installed themselves in front of a huge TV in the family room, and was watching cartoons happily, not at all worried that they were alone.
Kayla pulled into the driveway, and called for Phoenix.
Phoenix, on his best behavior for a change, grabbed his stuff and followed Kayla to the car obediently. The trip wasn’t very long, and soon, they pulled into the side driveway of a (in Phoenix’s mind) huge house. His new foster mom, Cecelia Cornwell, was there to meet him with a couple toddlers at her heels.
Trying to play at being well-behaved for a change, Phoenix greeted her nervously.
He then followed her and Kayla to the front of the house, trying not to gawk like an idiot.
Walking into the house was an eye-opening experience, and Phoenix couldn’t help it when his jaw dropped at the fact there was an actual formal Parlor in the front of the house.
During his house tour, he found that for the first time in his entire life, he was being given a room to himself, behind a laundry room on the main floor of the house. He looked around, dropped his backpack, and followed Cecelia around the rest of the house.
One of the other kids in the house, Claude, said hello sullenly, but didn’t seem interested in being friendly.
Claudia seemed very shy, and not in a great mood. Phoenix tried not to laugh at the fact that there was both a Claude and a Claudia, and instead sat down to chat with them for a short while.
He managed to get a smile out of Claude, who finally seemed to be warming up to him. Claude led him downstairs after Kayla said goodbye and left Phoenix her card in case he needed anything.
Downstairs, he met Rihana, and Ace. Apparently Bryce and Jade Elaonora (the two toddlers in the family) were taking a nap now and he would have to meet them later. He looked around the playroom in astonishment, and took note of all the fun toys scattered around. This was going to be AWESOME.
Kayla answered the phone on the way back to Newcrest, and had to change her plans in a hurry. The twins would have to be dropped off next because of a prior engagement that their foster parents had forgotten about. She collected the toddlers, strapped them into their car seats, and drove them all the way to San Myshuno.
It was the first time the twins had ever been in an elevator, and they followed Kayla with wide eyes, not sure of what to expect. They were more amazed at what was going around them than thinking about the fact that they had been taken away from the only family they’d ever known.
Lana McKinnon, and her husband Enele were waiting outside their apartment with Christy, one of the twins’ foster sisters. Christy seemed cheerfully ready to meet her new foster siblings, and Enele seemed to bond easily with Braydon.
The oldest of their foster siblings, Caitlyn, said hello headed back inside. What she thought of two new additions to the house, nobody could tell, because she hid the faces she pulled as she turned away.
After meeting their new family, they followed Kayla into their new apartment willingly enough, comfortably furnished with children in mind.
They had a small room to themselves, but there was plenty of toys in the rest of the house to keep them occupied.
In fact, their other new sister, Parker, was actually playing in the twins’ new toybox, and invited the two of them to join her without any hesitation.
Relieved to have her afternoon almost over, Kayla headed back to Newcrest for the final trip to get Jaz. Jaz was finally dressed and ready to go by the time Kayla got there, and expressed their worry about their siblings, asking how each of them had fared in their new homes.
Jaz was especially worried about Brett and Braydon, who had never been away from family their entire life. Kayla assured Jaz that the twins had been playing happily when she had left, and that Jaz would probably be able to visit them from time to time if they chose.
Jaz chattered happily about their club friends (although they kept Colin’s secret safe) all the way to Willow Creek, explaining how so many people had been supportive of their new pronouns. Kayla was curious, and asked a few questions, but before Jaz was even ready, pulled into the drive of a beautiful house in a nice neighborhood of Willow Creek.
Wendy Judd was the first to meet Jaz, and readily took to using the correct pronouns, to Jaz’s amazement.
Wendy introduced Jaz to her husband, Matt, and a girl named Penny who was, apparently, another new arrival in the household.
Layla Judd, the Judds’ teenage daughter was making some dinner in the massive kitchen, but took a moment to cheerfully say hello to Jaz, also seeming to be perfectly comfortable using Jaz’s they/them pronouns.
While touring, they had to take a detour to find little Jimmy, who was playing stealthily in the toilet in the downstairs bathroom/laundry room. Jaz snickered at his guilty face, and took him by the hand to have him come along for the rest of the tour.
Wendy gave Jaz a grateful look, and led them to the living room, where Jaz met Carlo, who was cleaning up some dishes.
Back in the kitchen, they finally met the last member of the household, Timika, who seemed a cheerful sort of girl. Kayla begged off for the day, leaving Jaz with her card in case Jaz needed her number. This concluded the tour, and Jaz was allowed to drop off their stuff in their new room, and wander the house at their leisure while dinner was cooked.
Jaz’s first priority was spending some time with their new room-mate, Penny. They played some chess for a while, although it was hard to concentrate with the cartoons from the other room being turned up a bit too loud.
Timika apologized, though, and turned things down as soon as she found out that Jaz’s head was actually hurting a bit.
Jaz, however, exhausted both physically and mentally, begged off of dinner and trudged up the stairs to their new room, falling into the comfiest bed they’d ever laid on, asleep before their head even hit the pillow.
Once they had woken up from their nap, Wendy made Jaz a FRESH salad with actual crunchy lettuce (a novelty for Jaz in all ways), and helped them upstairs to bed. The rest of the night passed peacefully, with Jaz too tired to be worried about sleeping in a strange new place. They would have time enough to adjust in the next few weeks.
I wanted to do a quick house tour, since this is where Jaz will be staying now that we’re into the Willow Creek month. I did not build any of the houses mentioned in this post, although I did update the apartment to make room for the twins, and the Landgraab’s house to make room for their toddler and Myles. All of the other houses were found on the gallery under the search for “foster house” or “foster home”. I did update each to make sure they were appropriate for the children in each home. All of the families except the McKinnon/Akana family (where the twins are) were also found on the gallery. I won’t even go into how long this has taken me to get “just right”, but I will apologize for this post being awfully late.
Overhead look at the floorplan:
OS: Day Thirty < | Challenge Home Page | > WC: Day Two
OS: Day Twenty-Nine < | Challenge Home Page | > Willow Creek: Day One
Marnie was still in her room, sleeping, by the next morning, so, without any other choice, Jaz stayed home from school. Phoenix and Myles laughed at them, and wished them “luck” with the twins and the granola… but Jaz’s mind was made up. The twins could not be left alone again. So, through the long day, Jaz did what they could. They cleaned up the piles of dishes, picked up some messes the twins had made, and made very sure they were safe, and fed, and taken care of. Sure, it wasn’t Jaz’s job.. but someone had to do it, and clearly Marnie wasn’t going to.
By the time school was out, Jaz’s absence and the lack of information from the family had definitely been noticed. Kayla Bliss, the Social Services officer had now heard more than enough to know that an emergency, unannounced visit was the order of the afternoon. Excusing herself from her other priority cases, she called Gemma Fleming up on the offer of coming along to introduce her, and hopefully make the visit easier on the family.
The arrived at the house on the outside of Oasis Springs, and listened for the sounds of kids playing. You know, what one would expect from a house with five young children in it. There was nothing. Even more worried than they had been, they approached the house and knocked. Hard.
A muffled voice called out that it was open, and Gemma walked into a disaster. It was clear the power was off, and there was no sign of the kids. Angrily, Gemma rounded on Marnie, and ground out, “Where’s Jaz? Where are the others?”
Marnie looked at her bleakly, then shrugged, and sat down on the couch.
One unspoken look between Gemma and Kayla was all it took, and they both picked a direction, looking for the kids.
They found Myles in the back yard, playing happily (although very quietly) on the monkey bars – without any sort of supervision at all.
The trip downstairs into the darkness was less than pleasant, other than the fact that they managed to find the rest of the children.
Jaz was trying to clean up some messes that were on the floor, the twins were playing in their room quietly, and Phoenix was experimenting on the science table.
Rounding everyone up, they got everyone started upstairs, where it was at least lighter, where they could talk.
Arriving upstairs to find Marnie in tears on the couch, Kayla immediately tried to calm the woman down. No matter what she thought of her, she couldn’t stand to see someone this desolate.
Jaz treated Gemma with a huge, relieved hug. “I wasn’t sure I’d see you again, Gemma!” Jaz commented, to which Gemma laughed.
“Not a chance, sweetie. I will always be here for you, even if I’m not your therapist anymore.” Gemma replied with a smile.
Kayla was immediately aware that there was another child who was in danger, as well. This was going to be a lot more complicated than just removing the children. Sighing, she sat Marnie Malone down on the couch, and tried to explain what was going to happen.
Aware that this wasn’t talk for the kids, Gemma took the youngsters outside to play in the back yard for a while.
One very unpleasant conversation later, Kayla bundled all the children up, and herded them outside with a promise to return for Marnie later. Each child had been given enough time to pack a small backpack and grab their favorite toys, and that was it. It was time to go.
Jaz looked at Gemma’s infectious smile, and tried to smile back. They felt an immense relief that at least their siblings and them were going to be safe, but all the uncertainty and the upheaval was upsetting. Taking a longing glance back at what had been supposed to be their dream house, Jaz sighed and walked to the big van waiting for them.
During the car ride to Newcrest, Kayla Bliss tried to explain what was happening to the kids. She explained that they hadn’t been in a safe or healthy situation, and she was there to fix that. They were being taken to a safe place for an overnight stay, and by tomorrow Kayla would find places for each of them to call home, temporarily. She explained that it was probable that they wouldn’t be all going to the same home tomorrow, but she would TRY her best to place as many of them as possible in each home.
Finally, pulling into a large and cheerfully well-lit house, Kayla took a deep breath and helped everyone get their things out of the back of the van. Every time she had to do this, she hated to see the hurt, confused, and lost expressions on the kid’s faces. Having so many of them this time made it so much harder.
She knocked on the Williams’ door, and they answered immediately with a big smile.
“So sorry it’s so late, Elizabeth.” Kayla apologized, and started shooing all the kids inside, “And on such short notice, too. These youngsters simply couldn’t stay where they were at any longer.”
Elizabeth Williams smiled, and shushed Kayla, “You know it’s not a problem. We’re here at any time of night for” she paused with a gasp, as her eyes widened at the state the kids were in… “any one in need.”
Each of the kids were introduced, and to Jaz’s delight, they were introduced with the correct pronouns and gender. The toddlers immediately located the toy box, and happily picked out toys.
There was apparently another kid in the house, too, but she didn’t seem to be very sociable, and avoided the living room for now.
Elizabeth asked when the last time the kids had eaten, and was horrified to find out they’d been surviving on cereal, yogurt, and granola from a cooler filled with melted ice. Excusing herself, she went to make a hot meal.
Jaz and their brothers sat awkwardly, looking worriedly around the room. There were fun things everywhere, but they didn’t feel comfortable enough to even grab the toys on the table in front of them.
Kayla finished her explanations, and instructions, and bid them all a temporary goodbye, promising to see them all tomorrow, and went to get Marnie to take her to her new home, too. Being that there was another life at stake, Marnie wasn’t going to be allowed to stay in the home situation she was currently in.
Gemma, also, said goodbye to everyone, with a huge hug for Jaz in particular, and promised to leave Jaz’s Tuesday appointment free for them. “As soon as you can come back, just show up, you don’t even have to warn me. I’m always ready to see you, sweetie!”
Before long, Elizabeth called everyone to a freshly cooked, hot meal. She’d made some homemade Mac N Cheese, a delicacy the Malones had NEVER had. The dish was polished off before long, and everyone, including the quiet blonde girl had smiles on their faces.
The twins didn’t even bother with the formality of finding a chair – both plopping themselves down on the kitchen floor and polishing off a full plate of Mac N Cheese each.
Elizabeth’s husband invited the boys upstairs to go to bed, and Elizabeth directed the blonde to bed, and turned to Jaz. “Ready, sweetie?” she asked.
Jaz nodded mutely, and went to grab her backpack.
With Phoenix and Myles in their PJs and ready for bed, both were lovingly tucked in and assured that the nightlights were working by each bed.
Through an open doorway, Jaz was tucked into another bunkbed, able to see their brothers to feel safe, and knowing the twins were just down the hall.
Speaking of the twins, They were tucked in with full bellies, and happy smiles, and read a bedtime story in a cheerful room just around the corner from the rest of the Malones.
Later, in Del Sol Valley, Kayla dropped Marnie and her meager belongings off at a women’s shelter designed for homeless, pregnant, and endangered women.
She introduced her to the retired actress who ran the shelter, but Marnie was so tired and distracted she couldn’t remember the woman’s name. She would have to ask again tomorrow.
There were two other pregnant women there, both much younger, and both not as pregnant as Marnie, but it felt better to know she wasn’t alone.
The actress showed Marnie to her cottage, pointing out the small laundromat and the pool and garden on the way there. There was even a small, well-stocked kitchenette in the cottage in case Marnie got hungry later. Exhausted and overwhelmed, Marnie apologized and begged to be allowed to get some sleep. The woman apologized, and left Marnie to herself. Marnie fell into bed in her clothes, and was asleep almost immediately.
Just a bonus image:
THIS… is the disaster that the Malone’s basement was when the kids were taken. (None too soon in my opinion!!)
OS: Day Twenty-Nine < | Challenge Home Page | > Willow Creek: Day One
OS: Day Twenty-Eight < | Challenge Home Page | > OS: Day Thirty
The kids got up and got ready for school silently, trying not to wake Marnie. They made sure the Twins had breakfast, then filed out the door with worried faces. Jaz honestly considered staying home with the twins since Marnie still hadn’t come out of the bedroom, but in the end- decided that she needed to go to school. Marnie would wake up soon, right?
The twins, however, ended up keeping each other company for the most part, and they were desperately hungry by the time the other kids got home from school.
Walking to the front door from school, Phoenix muttered something that made Jaz turn around angrily. “It’s NOT my fault!” they gritted out. “I didn’t make Dad leave. Take that back.”
“Is TOO your fault. You and your stupid non-binary stuff is what started this whole thing in the first place!” Phoenix replied.
Furious, Jaz just turned around and went inside.
Dishes and dirty laundry were everywhere, and dust was starting to accumulate.
It was very clear that Marnie had never gotten out of bed for the day.
With a worried sigh, Jaz went to get some food for the twins, and spend some time playing with each of them. If this continued, there was no way Jaz felt they could leave the twins home “alone” the next day. School was just going to have to suffer. Myles and Phoenix didn’t seem to think it was a problem, but Jaz just couldn’t leave them alone again.
At the Social Services counter in the Municipal Center, Gemma waited her turn to talk to a teller.
When she was finally called, she wasted no time, and introduced herself so she could get right to the heart of the matter. “I’m very worried about a young client of mine who hasn’t been to therapy for two weeks. Their family life has gone from just chaotic to bad, and I am honestly worried about them and their brothers. I tried to contact them and the family, but I’ve been getting no response. Their phones appear to be out.”
“Family name?” asked the teller, pleasantly, typing on the computer absently.
“Malone.” Gemma replied, hoping she was doing the right thing.
The teller gasped and threw her hands up. “That’s the second time in two days I’ve heard that name. They’re on my list to investigate. You just have to be patient.”
“I don’t think patient is going to work in this case, … Kayla.” Gemma replied, looking at the woman’s name tag.
Startled, Kayla Bliss looked over the counter at Gemma, and wondered what she could possibly tell her. “Have the police been contacted?”
“Actually, yes, they have. I reported in to them last week about my concerns, and they said I need to talk to you folks here at Social Services.” Gemma replied, reminiscing about her trip to the police department. “I think this is now on your shoulders, Kayla. If you need me to, I’ll come with you, but I think a visit to their house is absolutely necessary.”
Previously, at the police department:
Back at the Malone’s house…
Jaz was trying to clean up and take care of the twins at the same time – doing two jobs that they should never have had put on their shoulders. By the end of the evening, the power was once again – out, and Jaz had to use a flashlight to get the twins to bed.
Consequently, the anti-monster lights weren’t working. Jaz hadn’t slept long when horrible sounds came from under their bed. Terrified, they crawled out of the bed and panicked, wondering who – if anyone – could help them.
Finally, taking a deep breath, Jaz decided to do some art. Maybe the monster would go away on it’s own.
When that didn’t work, Jaz decided reading under the covers was a good option. Maybe if the monster couldn’t see them..?
Finally, with a deep sigh to gather all the bravery they could summon, Jaz sat down next to the tentacles, and prepared to tell it exactly why this wasn’t a good household to haunt.
After several arguments, Jaz stood up, energized and victorious. Wondering how long they had until it was time to go to school, they crawled back into bed to get a little nap in.
OS: Day Twenty-Eight < | Challenge Home Page | > OS: Day Thirty
OS: Day Twenty-Seven < | Challenge Home Page | > OS: Day Twenty-Nine
The morning started like any other. Hungry kids that needed to get ready for school, and a couple of toddlers complaining about breakfast. The only thing was – Marnie knew there was barely anything to eat, and expected complaints. The kids had never been fed yogurt and granola before, why now? … Marnie wryly thought of the depleted bank account, and reluctantly crawled out of bed.
After forcing the kids to eat stuff they weren’t really interested in, Marnie grabbed a bowl of granola for herself, choked it down, and went to pull the unpayable bills out of the mailbox. Miserably, she hid them in her closet – ironically, right next to the emergency medicine stash – and then, hopelessly, crawled back in bed and pulled the covers over her head.
In Newcrest, Colin was at the Mental Health Center, at his weekly therapy appointment with Mindy Altman. She had started the session normally, asking about his week, and Colin had studiously tried to describe his week like he usually did.
Towards the end of the session, however, Mindy was clearly onto him. “Ok, Colin, I have to ask. How are you REALLY. Because something is definitely on your mind.”
Looking down, Colin tried to figure out whether this was a secret he could tell. He trusted Mindy, of course, but he really wasn’t sure whether Jaz would be upset with him for telling or not. The harder he thought, the more confused he got. Then, it occurred to him that Jaz really hadn’t said NOT to tell. And she.. uh.. they.. hadn’t said it was a secret at all. So.. maybe Jaz wouldn’t be mad? Then again, Colin thought, maybe the question wasn’t whether Jaz would be mad.. maybe the real question was whether Jaz was in real danger.
…”Colin?” Mindy asked again, suddenly realizing that this wasn’t any normal problem. Colin had never had trouble talking to her about even the most private of thoughts. His pause and reluctance to tell was mute proof that this was something serious.
Sighing, Colin finally, reluctantly, answered, “I think my best friend Jaz is in trouble. Their dad disappeared, and I don’t think their mom has enough money to pay bills. Last week, they got rid of the TV and the Radio and other things just to get the power back on.. and this past weekend, the fridge was basically empty. Jaz complained about only having water and cereal to eat…. I’m really worried about them.”
Mindy gasped before she could stop herself. This WAS serious. Colin was a smart kid, and if he was honestly worried enough to “tattle” on his friend’s family, then something was seriously wrong. “Thank you for telling me, Colin. Can you tell me Jaz’s last name, please?” She finally asked, as gently as possible.
Colin looked stricken. “Do I have to tell you? What if they get mad at me for telling you? I’m afraid I’ll lose my friend….”
“I promise, I won’t tell anyone who doesn’t need to know. You are right to be concerned for your friend.” Mindy said.
Colin’s face clouded over and he raised his voice a little as he accused, “You SAID you wouldn’t tell anything I told you in these sessions!”
“Unfortunately, in this situation, I am required by law to report a child that is in real, physical, danger. And what you described counts as that, in my opinion. If you don’t want to tell me their last name, I can understand, but it would be best for your friend if you did. This is not a safe situation for them to be in, and you’re smart enough to realize that. You did the right thing by telling me your friend’s secret.” Mindy said, hoping to appeal to Colin’s logical side.
Colin sat there silently, thinking, for several minutes. Finally, being that the session was way over the time it was supposed to end, Mindy reluctantly wiped her hands on her skirt and said, “Well, think about it, Colin. It really is important. She stood up, and the two of them walked into the hallway. She watched Colin walking away towards the stairs, then, turn and run back.
He leaned in and gestured for Mindy to lean down. “Her.. THEIR .. name is Jazmyn Malone. They live in Oasis Springs. It’s not just them, either. They have brothers there, too. Please, help them if you can!” Then, before Mindy could even reply, he turned and ran to catch up to his mother.
Sighing, Mindy made a mental note, and tried to clear her worried thoughts before her next client.
After her last client, Mindy packed up and got in her car. She had an important errand to run before she could go home and relax. Pulling into the parking lot at the Municipal Center, she took a deep, nervous breath, and went to get in line.
Once her name was finally called, she approached the desk, and sat on the stool provided for her. The teller greeted her, and asked how she could help her.. and Mindy took a deep breath. This wasn’t something she had needed to do before, and telling a client’s secrets – even when there was a need to tell situation – really felt wrong.
So, to stall for time, she introduced herself, and avoided saying why she was there. The teller stopped typing, and smiling, and looked at her with some annoyance. “Can I HELP you?” she asked again.
“Okay. I’m sorry. .. Really. I’ve only been a therapist for a little more than a year, and I haven’t had to do this before.” Mindy took a deep breath, and leaned forward so other people wouldn’t over-hear, “I have a client who reported a minor in imminent danger. The father has gone missing, the mother appears to not be able to pay bills, or keep food in the house for the children.”
Gasping, the teller’s entire demeanor changed. She immediately turned, and grabbed a form out of a nearby file cabinet. Writing furiously, she looked up and asked, “Do you happen to know the child or family’s name?”
“I do. The Malones, in Oasis Springs. From what I’ve been told, there are more than one child that could potentially be in danger.” Mindy replied, seriously.
The woman wrote down the information, pulled out an empty file folder, and placed the form inside. “Okay. I can’t do anything tonight, but I assure you, I will investigate this personally. I should have some time later this week.”
“You can’t do anything now? Or.. earlier than that?” Mindy asked, confused by the wait.
“I do have other priority cases.” The woman said, calmly. “I assure you, I’m taking this report with the seriousness it deserves.”
“Thanks.” Mindy said, and picked up her purse to leave, wondering if there was someone else she could contact that would do something sooner. Colin wasn’t a whistle-blower, if he was concerned, this was dire. Feeling sick to her stomach, she walked away, and drove miserably home.
OS: Day Twenty-Seven < | Challenge Home Page | > OS: Day Twenty-Nine
OS: Day Twenty-Six < | Challenge Home Page | > OS: Day Twenty-Eight
Marnie woke up, and struggled to get out of bed. Day after day everything that had been happening was wearing her down more and more.
And now.. it was Sunday, and she knew bills were coming tomorrow. There was no money for them. So, she knew to expect the power to go out by Tuesday, and no water by Wednesday. So, unless money falls from the sky.. Marnie had no idea what was going to happen.
Cleaning out the fridge reminded her of another crisis. They were out of food. There was enough money in the account to do one more grocery run. However, she knew the fridge wasn’t going to be working in the next week. Power and all that. So she was struggling to come up with a different option.
Finally, inspiration hit. After a quick grocery trip, she came back with a cooler. She’d gotten some more cereal, some yogurt, lots of granola (that stuff was supposed to be good for you.. right?).. and plenty of ice to fill the cooler. She was counting on money coming from child support to save her and the kids. Because, to be honest, there was nothing else she could hope for.
Outside, a lone figure trudged down the street. By the time he got close to the house, however, he was no longer alone.
Jaz ran out to meet Colin as he turned towards the front door. That was when they knew he was actually coming to visit Jaz, and not just trudging down their street randomly.
“Colin! It’s so good to see you! Are you okay?” Jaz started, happy, but hesitant. Their last meeting had gone so completely wrong, after all.
“No.” Colin replied flatly. “I’m not okay. I tried to ditch my only real friend. I’m so sorry, Jaz.”
“Colin – it’s ok. I know how it feels. After Bennie exposed my “secret” to everyone, I felt so vulnerable and hurt. I can imagine how it would feel to doubt one of the only people who actually knew the secret… because it’s what I felt about Bennie.” Jaz replied, but Colin interrupted.
“That doesn’t make it right, Jaz. I …. I shouldn’t have doubted you. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that you would never betray me like that. Especially after Bennie did that to you.” Colin’s expression was breaking Jaz’s heart.
“Colin! Stop. Sorry is all you need to say. You panicked. It happens. Cheer up. Just know I’m always here for you, and I will NEVER betray you or tell your secret. It’s your choice. One I SHOULD have had, but didn’t. It turned out mostly okay, but – still – I lost some friends I regret losing. Like my brother. I can’t stand to be in the same room with him anymore.” Jaz confessed, then, realizing how close they were to the house, they looked around in terror, hoping nobody had heard the conversation.
“Okay, then. Sorry. I’ll say it again. Then I’m done. Can we be friends again?” Colin asked sheepishly.
“You bet! Although, I have to say, I never stopped being your friend, despite what you said. I hoped you would come back around. Want to go play in the back yard?” Jaz grabbed Colin up in a big hug, then smiled widely, and pointed around the side of the house.
The two of them played on the swingset for a while..
.. thrilled to have their best friend back. Then, unfortunately, Phoenix and Myles came outside, and the moment was over. Jaz’s face fell, and Colin motioned to the front of the house. They walked just far enough away so they wouldn’t be heard.
“Are you SURE you’re okay, Jaz? How have you been, really? I heard about Benji, but the rumors are also flying that your Dad is gone, too? How did that happen?” Colin asked, curiously.
So this was how Jaz came to tell Colin everything. Everything that had happened in the past week or so…
… up to and including today. Jaz mentioned the cooler that had appeared earlier, and how the power had been out. “I’m scared, Colin. I don’t know what’s going to happen. How are we going to survive without Dad?” Jaz whispered.
Then, from the house, Marnie called Jaz inside. Shrugging, Jaz said goodbye sadly and turned to follow their mother’s call.
Colin watched them go, thinking about the things he hadn’t gotten to say. How his Dad, too, had left. Only – he had not completely disappeared. He had gotten remarried, however. Colin swallowed, feeling jealous all over again at his Dad feeling the need to start a new family. And now.. Jaz was in serious trouble, it sounded like. Could he actually trust Marnie to take care of his friend, or… ?? He was honestly afraid Jaz was going to go hungry.. and without power or water in the next week. Colin chewed at his lower lip, wondering what, if anything, that he could do. Then, slowly, he turned and walked away, heading back to the bus. Someone, he knew.. needed to do SOMETHING. But who could he trust to actually do the right thing??
Inside, Phoenix and Myles chatted after Myles’ scout meeting. There really wasn’t much else to do in the house other than chat.. and everyone was afraid to include Marnie in their conversations. It was like walking on eggshells.
Jaz paused before the front door, noticing Phoenix on the couch. They made a face, and then tensely walked inside. Maybe he wouldn’t say anything to them. Maybe Jaz could sneak downstairs before Phoenix noticed them….
OS: Day Twenty-Six < | Challenge Home Page | > OS: Day Twenty-Eight
OS: Day Twenty-Five < | Challenge Home Page | > OS: Day Twenty-Seven
Today, it was the Dryer causing issues. Marnie cursed quietly to herself while fixing it.
In the other room was testimony that today was going to be yet another horrible day for her.
Stalling, Marnie went to the mailbox. Only to have her worst fears realized. Divorce papers. Trying to keep herself together, Marnie ran to her room and locked the door.
After a good cry under the covers, Marnie went to the bathroom and washed her face. Then, dismally, she went to take care of the rest of the house. She would deal with the papers later.
Then, not twenty minutes later, the anger hit, and Marnie decided to call the lawyers listed on the papers. Where was Bennie? Apparently, legally, they couldn’t tell. Well, legally, Marnie argued, she was due some money. The kids needed food, bills were coming due, and there was nothing left. The lawyers made a bunch of excuses, then said they’d check with their client.
Furious, Marnie signed the papers and sent them back, then called the only lawyer she knew – the one that had bungled her son’s case. What could she do? Shouldn’t she be able to sue for child support? Delossantos, also, made some excuses, but at least he promised to check to see what could be done.
Across town, at the park….
The club meeting had started, and Jaz looked around sadly. There was no sign of Colin. They had really hoped to be able to talk some sense into Colin today.. but it didn’t seem like that was going to happen. Spying Elsa on the swings, Jaz headed that way, wondering if she knew anything.
“So.. Elsa..” Jaz started, hesitantly. “I think Colin and I had a small misunderstanding. Do you know if he’s coming today?”
“No, I have no idea, Jaz.” Elsa replied cheerily, “Why, what’s going on? Are you okay?”
Jaz sighed, and looked away for a moment, trying to hide their distress. “I guess so. I just don’t understand why Colin is so mad at me. I can’t say why, but .. yeah. I have a bad feeling he won’t be coming to club meetings anymore. And I think it’s my fault. When I didn’t do anything.”
Suddenly very concerned for her usually cheerful friend, Elsa moved in closer, and pointed out a quiet area of the park, and said, very seriously, “I know you can’t say why, and I won’t ask, but if you need to talk, I’m here…”
Jaz nodded, miserably, and they walked over to the side of the playground. For a while, they chatted about Jaz’s horrible week, and Elsa tried to give Jaz some hope… but hope wasn’t high on Jaz’s list at the moment. Finally, out of things they could actually talk about, Elsa and Jaz watched the clouds for a while. Then, Jaz excused themselves to the bathrooms. Elsa watched Jaz go with some concern, but had no idea what they could do for them. Sighing, Elsa went back to playing, unable to hide her mood swing, and even more unable to explain to her other friends why it had happened.
Elsewhere in the park, the new club members were happily making friends, unaware of the storm cloud hanging over poor Jaz’s head.
Coming back from the bathrooms, Jaz looked again for Colin. Then, miserably, Jaz turned and made their escape early, heading home.
Turning onto their home street, Jaz picked up their phone, and tried to dial Gemma’s number. Sure, it was a weekend, but surely when Gemma said anytime, that included weekends?
…..
But nothing happened. Checking the phone’s power indicator, Jaz couldn’t understand what was going on. Running inside to Marnie, Jaz complained that their phone wasn’t working.
“I’m sorry, Jaz. I couldn’t pay the phone bills.” Marnie said with a dismissive shrug. “We’ll just have to do without for a while, ok?”
Confused, Jaz watched Marnie walk away.
Fine. They’d just get some dinner, then.
….
But the only thing in the fridge was empty plates. Searching the cupboards, Jaz found some stale cereal, and made do. They were in no mood to track Marnie down again.
Miserable, and still hungry, Jaz headed downstairs and crawled into bed.
OS: Day Twenty-Five < | Challenge Home Page | > OS: Day Twenty-Seven
OS: Day Twenty-Four < | Challenge Home Page | > OS: Day Twenty-Six
Friday, after school, Jaz went outside to play on the playground. Looking around, they noticed that they were alone and pulled out their phone. After all that had happened in the past week, and having to skip therapy, Jaz really felt the need to call Gemma. Hoping to catch her in between clients, Jaz listened to the phone ring on the other end.
Thankfully, Gemma answered almost right away, and seemed thrilled to hear from Jaz. “Hey, sweetie! I’m sorry I didn’t get to see you this week, is everything okay?”
“I guess it’s okay.” Jaz started, then paused. “Marnie wouldn’t tell me why we couldn’t come on Tuesday, but I wonder if it had something to do with my Dad being gone. He disappeared on his birthday, and things have gotten really weird around here since then.”
“Weird? What do you mean?” Gemma asked, sounding very concerned.
Looking around to make sure they were still alone, Jaz confessed, “Well, Bennie got on TV, and performed a routine about me trying to come out. He’s promised not to perform it, but he did. And he did it on TV.”
Gemma gasped, but let Jaz continue… “Then he and Mom got into a huge fight about Mom being pregnant again. I only heard some of it – but it seems it wasn’t really an accident. In fact, I guess none of us were, and Mom has been lying to Dad all along? I’m not really sure, but that’s what it sounded like. Bennie said some really awful things, slept on the couch, and was gone the next morning.” Jaz sighed, and paused.
“Things have only gotten worse since then. Tuesday the power was out, and Marnie wouldn’t say anything about why. It was out all day, and some the next morning, too. When I got home from school on Wednesday, the TV, stereo, and a lot of other things were gone, but at least the power was back on.”
Gemma didn’t respond right away, unsure of what to say that could possibly make any of what Jaz had just confessed okay. “Oh, sweetie. I’m so sorry. Bennie doing that must have hurt terribly, and in no way was it okay. You glossed over it a bit, are you doing okay after being outed like that??”
Jaz smiled, and replied, “Actually, it worked out okay. I had friends who aren’t friends anymore, but I made some new friends, too. And the ones I lost .. well, I guess they didn’t matter. Phoenix was one of them, though. He sided with Max, and both decided they’d rather be friends with Billie.” Just then, the sliding door opened, and the brother in question walked outside. “Oh, no, I have to go. Sorry, Gemma. I’ll call again later.”
Jaz quickly hung up and hid the phone, then went back to playing, hoping Phoenix hadn’t noticed.
Back inside the house, Marnie’s next chore was waiting right around the corner.
While trying to do laundry, the washer ended up spewing sudsy, dirty water all over the floor.
The above-mentioned missing TV and other furniture made the whole house seem very empty, but at least vacuuming was easier.
Back outside, Jaz’s phone rang, and, curiously, Jaz answered it. “Hello?”
“Hi! Um, Jaz? It’s Colin. Would today be a good day for me to come over?”
Jaz’s face broke into a huge smile. “Of course, Colin! I’ll wait out front for you!”
Running around the house to the front yard, Jaz occupied themselves with their soccer ball, and before long, Colin came running from the bus stop around the corner. Jaz put the ball down and ran to greet her best friend.
Jaz presented Colin with a wild daisy they’d found in the backyard. “Happy Love Day, Colin! I’m so glad to see you!”
Surprised, Colin accepted the flower with a smile, smelled it, and put it away. Then, his face fell.
“Jaz… I have to talk to you.” Colin started, “And it’s not good.”
Jaz looked at their friend, suddenly concerned. “What’s wrong, Colin?”
Colin took a deep breath, then broke into tears. Jaz watched, him for a moment, more and more concerned. “What’s going on, Colin??”
“I’m afraid I can’t be friends with you anymore.” Colin said, and Jaz reacted like one would expect.. disbelief.
“What?!”
Beside himself, Colin tried again. “I can’t be friends. With all the rumors flying about you, I simply can’t risk it.”
“Risk what? I don’t understand, Colin!?” Jaz replied.
“I can’t be outed. Not right now. I’m not ready. I just can’t be associated with you. I’m afraid it might come out that I’m Trans.” Colin confessed.
“I would NEVER tell your secret, Colin! I haven’t even told my therapist, and she’s not allowed to say anything I tell her. You secret is safe with me! How could you even think I would do that?” Jaz said, incensed.
“Sorry, Jaz. I just can’t do it.” Colin said, his hands in fists. Then, without another word, Colin turned and walked away, leaving Jaz near tears.
The one friend they had truly counted on was no longer their friend. How could this happen?!
Across town, after yet another court trial, Shaylee was being released from custody.
She walked out in jailhouse clothes, being that her other clothes didn’t fit anymore, and was immediately met by Cade Yeagar.
Overjoyed to see a friendly face, Shaylee gave him a proper welcome.
Then, to the surprise of everyone – Cade dropped to a knee right in the middle of the Police Station.
The answer was immediately clear, and the two left together leaving rumors flying behind them.
Back at the Malone’s house, Marnie’s phone rang.
Caught in the middle of cleaning house (again.. or still?), Marnie answered, and, with no surprise at all listened to her son’s lawyer telling about the sentencing hearing earlier in the day. Apparently, Benji wasn’t going to be leaving the jail anytime soon. The judge had “made an example” of him, and he found himself locked up for the next six years. Miserably, Marnie rang off, forgetting completely that she had mean to mention her husband’s continued disappearance.
Clearly, the strain was showing. Her misery and exhaustion were a daily thing, and she had no idea what might come next. One thing she was sure of, though, was that things were not getting better for the Malones anytime soon.
OS: Day Twenty-Four < | Challenge Home Page | > OS: Day Twenty-Six
OS: Day Twenty-Three < | Challenge Home Page | > OS: Day Twenty-Five
The kids were out of school for the day, the house was still a mess, but Marnie had no time to clean it right now. Her eldest son had his courtroom trial today, and she desperately wanted to be there to support him. Since there was no way to pay for babysitting, all the kids were getting drug along, and Marnie just PRAYED that they would behave.
Benji sat nervously next to his lawyer, who seemed to be almost as nervous as he was. Certainly this wasn’t his first courtroom trial… or was it?? The slick prosecutor sat at the table across from them, grinning from ear to ear, obviously at home in the courtroom, and ready for what came next.
The Malones sat behind Benji’s side of the courtroom, and Marnie threatened each and every one of them that if they misbehaved, they would most certainly pay for it later. (Behind them is Cade Yeagar, Shaylee’s old boyfriend.)
In his chambers, Judge Max Melvin took a deep breath and readied himself for the trial.
Out in the courtroom, the selected jurors sat in their seats: (from closest to farthest, randomly picked townies) Farhan Balderas (yes, Colin’s Dad), Akira Kibo, Jade Rosa, and a very pregnant Siobhan Fyres.
And on the other side of the courtroom: Mariah Andrews, Eric Lewis, Marisol Gerard, and Theodore Lemus.
Back in their holding cell, sat the Kleptos (without Benji), sitting in silence watched by a stony-faced cop. Also outside the courtroom was Scott Barrier, ready to testify.
Finally, things started to get underway. “ALL RISE!” And the judge walked in regally.
Benji, his lawyer (Nikolai Deolssantos) and the prosecutor, Michael Roman, all stood and listened to the judge quietly.
After opening arguments, the first witness called for the prosecution was Scott Barrier, the Chief of Police, the one who’d done most of the investigating in this case. He made his way to the witness box, sat down, and was sworn in.
The prosecutor started in on questioning him, and going through all the details of the case.
Benji tried to pay attention, but so much of the terms just went way over his head.
The Chief of Police seemed right at home in a courtroom, and the case against the Kleptos – Benji in particular – seemed rock-solid.
Michael Roman had not come cheap, either, because he was animated, knowledgeable, and even entertaining. He made the details of the case fall into place seemingly without effort.
After setting down the case details, Benji’s lawyer moved up to cross-examine. His inexperience was obvious. He asked a few questions, but didn’t seem to be able to put any doubt in anyone’s mind.
The trial crept along at a snail’s pace for Benji, with people from the alarm company being prominent witnesses, as well as Londyn Burt, who, after all, was the Kleptos’ connection to the alarm codes. Somehow, she seemed to have switched sides. Benji wondered what they’d said to her to get her to switch.
Finally, it was the defense’s turn. The first witness called was Shaylee. Benji cringed obviously with how very pregnant she was. How could he have missed this?
Upon being sworn in, Shaylee sat uncomfortably, and smiled towards Benji. Wait, no.. she was looking behind him? Benji twisted around and – for the first time, noticed his nemesis in the audience. Gritting his teeth, he tried to pay attention.
The court reporter typed away while Shaylee was introduced, and Nikolai started in on his questioning.
The more the questioning went on, the more nervous Benji got. Every answer seemed to tighten the noose around his neck further.
Shaylee seemed unconcerned, and – to Benji’s knowledge, she hadn’t even looked his way once. Shaylee related the details of the night, emphasizing that Benji had planned everything, and everyone else was just along for the ride. How was this “helping” the case, Benji wondered blackly.
By the time Nikolai returned to the table, Benji noticed even his lawyer was sweating this. The other Kleptos all testified “for” Benji, and the only real information that was shared was that Benji was at fault.
Even Rita, who had been the one to physically take the violin, seemed perfectly willing to point the finger at Benji.
The jury was dismissed to the deliberation room, and the only thing left for everyone else was to wait.
Inside the room, it was clear. Benji was the guilty party, everyone else was just “along for the ride”. Deliberations lasted only a half hour before they had a unanimous decision.
They filed back into the courtroom, all heading for their seats quietly.
The jury foreman – none other than Colin’s estranged Dad – stood up to read the verdict.
Guilty. Of Felony Larceny. Grand Theft. Whatever you call it, it sounded terrible. They had tried to argue that there was no intention of taking more than a few things, the violin wasn’t a target until Rita had taken it on the spur of the moment.. but their entire defense crumbled.
The first thing Benji did was throw his hands in the air.
Nikolai cringed, feeling horribly at fault. It had, indeed, been his first trial, one that the rest of the public defender’s office hadn’t wanted to touch with a ten foot pole.
Benji turned and yelled at his lawyer, swearing that he never wanted to see him again.
Sentencing was scheduled for the next day, and Marnie did not have a good feeling about it. In fact, she didn’t even plan to attend. It was clear her oldest was going to jail for quite a while. So much for hoping he could help her situation.
Bonus shots:
An overhead, out of character shot of what the screen looked like while working on these shots…
I’m sure some of you are going to ask how in the world I managed to get this trial in pictures. I assure you, it was a LOT of work. almost 40 sims all under my control, and I built the courtroom. (It’s on my gallery in the Generic Municipal Center lot). I had MANY more pictures, but only chose the best ones. And I went for a general description, simply because I know very little about courtroom procedure, and what I do know – let’s just say it’s from the internet… so please, give me some latitude here. This is fiction, after all. I’m hoping these shots will also explain why this post took me two days to write!
OS: Day Twenty-Three < | Challenge Home Page | > OS: Day Twenty-Five
OS: Day Eighteen < | Challenge Home Page | > OS: Day Twenty (Trigger Warning: This post involves bullying and family fighting) Pandora’s Box Bennie woke up and stumbled blindly to the bathroom to wash his face, feeling extremely fuzzy and having no real idea why. Then, he remembered the ride home in the limo. […]
OS: Day Seventeen < | Challenge Home Page | > OS: Day Nineteen You-Know-What Hits The Fan The day started out like any other day in the Malone house. Twins being fed, the three children getting ready and rushing off to school.. and Marnie starting her daily cleaning spree. Bennie had decided to sleep in, […]
OS: Day Sixteen < | Challenge Home Page | > OS: Day Eighteen The Promise and The Tip-Off Jaz walked into the living room, and nearly dropped the load of plates they were carrying. For a moment, they just stared at their father in shock, and moved out of the way as Marnie walked past, […]
OS: Day Fifteen < | Challenge Home Page | > OS: Day Seventeen Interlude (The night before today’s post…..) Just Another Day Brett tried to get some attention from his dad, but Bennie seemed uninterested. He had other things to do. Important things, apparently. Jaz was downstairs, clueless, eating popcorn. Brett decided that since Bennie […]
OS: Day Fourteen < | Challenge Home Page | > OS: Day Sixteen Bad Decisions It was a Tuesday. And poor Bennie had been called into the living room where Marnie and one of the twins (Brett, but Bennie sure didn’t remember his name) were watching TV. “What do you want, woman?” asked Bennie, mostly […]
OS: Day Thirteen < | Challenge Home Page | > OS: Day Fifteen Myles’ Monday After the kids left for school, Marnie found herself sitting across from Bennie, blithely eating breakfast. The twins had been fed, and had gone back downstairs. Who knew what they were up to, but at this point, Marnie was hungry, […]
OS: Day Twelve < | Challenge Home Page | > OS: Day Fourteen The Future It was another non-school day, and in the middle of cleaning, Marnie took some time out to play with Brett. Brett, of course, was thrilled. Marnie couldn’t stop thinking of all the things that needed cleaning. The kids tried to […]
OS: Day Eleven < | Challenge Home Page | > OS: Day Thirteen The Year Ends Jaz and Phoenix got ready, and headed down the road to the park as soon as they could in the morning. It might be raining a little bit, but at least it wasn’t actually cold, so playing in the […]
Challenge Home Page | > Oasis Springs Recap Week 1: Poor Jaz accidentally goes in the wrong bathroom on the first day of school. And Thus starts the bullying from Billie Jang and her group of bullies. We get to know some about Myles and his relationship with Marnie – she spends most of her […]
OS: Day Ten < | Challenge Home Page | > OS: Day Twelve Friday Bennie was up with the sun. He needed Comedy skill for a promotion, and so he was doing some “research” by watching the Comedy channel. Clearly, the TV was occupied for the day. Marnie, on the other hand, had another day […]
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!
Chapter One – Starting Anew
November 2025 Dev DiarySuperSweetBot Commands for Mods & BroadcastersOctober 2025 Dev DiaryProgress Report!Hacking Situation ResolvedHey all…
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