House 013 Chapter 4 < | > House 013 Chapter 6

First, we get a look at our goals:

House 013 Building Goals:
2 Bedroom, 1 Bathroom home worth at least $100k Simoleons
-Must include a designated gaming room
House 013 Generational Goals:
Achieve Level 10 of the Gamer branch of Tech Guru on Jax
1st place in Pro tournament for both Hillock II and Sims Forever on Jax
Achieve Level 10 of Start-Up Entrepreneur branch of Tech Guru on 2nd sim
*Note* All sims are Controllable in this house!
Produce and raise The Heir to the Young Adult life stage

Author’s Note: While writing the next post and sorting screenshots, I discovered a few pictures I completely missed from before this post. Adding them here between separators.

---

Fiona passes away. 🙁

Sadie and Adrienne come out to mourn.

Later in the day, I get the notice that it’s graduation day.

The hat toss goes off without a hitch.

Geek Con shows up while we’re at graduation, and I finish that up and send them immediately to Geek Con. Adrienne sweeps the hackathon, netting us some cash and another computer.

… While Jax wins the Ultimate Gamer Test. First time I’ve ever had a sim win that one.

And with that.. back to our regularly scheduled post….

---

Well, at least we finally have a start on the house.. and the careers. Jax got hired in at level 7 of his career, Adrienne was hired at level 8 of hers.

Pregnant Adrienne washing a filthy, grown-up Fidget.

Oh yeah – and it’s Harvestfest. Even Fidget isn’t happy to see the gnomes.

A little girl named Journey is born. 🙂 Welcome to being a Drifter, Journey…. you have a busy life ahead of you!

I finally start decorating the house.. here’s what I did to the kitchen.

… And we have a little bit of a master bath, too.

Later, I really spend some time with the house (this is what the living room now looks like)

The mostly complete kitchen…

The dining area…

Journey’s room…

And, finally, we welcome our second baby.

House 013 Chapter 4 < | > House 013 Chapter 6

OS: Day Twenty-Two < | Challenge Home Page | > OS: Day Twenty-Four

Everything Must Go

Wednesday. Marnie woke up in a poor mood – and in the dark. Getting the kids off to school was a struggle when the only thing you could make was Fruit Salad. Still, she managed to get it done. Then we get this notice.

Poor Marnie. At least she had finally figured out what to do about it. There was a guy who was coming over to buy anything that Marnie had deemed “unnecessary” – the TV and game console, the stereo, Bennie’s microphone, the old Murphy bed and bookcases… and, unfortunately.. also Marnie’s precious hidden computer. With the twins playing in the growing layer of dust in the dark basement, Marnie haggled with the guy for a half an hour before she managed to talk him into just barely enough to pay the overdue bills. With what was leftover, she restocked the groceries.

Before next week, she was going to have to contact the police again, or maybe Social Services, .. or.. a lawyer? Anyone who might be able to help her get child support payments. Or something. Because there was nothing left to sell for next week’s bills. Marnie took an extra moment in the bathroom, trying to cheer up, but she was pretty sure her eyes were still bloodshot and puffy from crying herself to sleep last night.

Clearly last night’s sleep hadn’t done much for Marnie, either.. because her energy was incredibly low. And there was so much to clean. Waking up on the filthy floor spurred her into action, however, and she took a Sleep Replacer potion and dug in.

… At least, until the vacuum broke. Grumbling loudly, she fixed it.. and got back to work, glaring at Jaz who was heading for a lovely nap. If only Marnie had time for one of those, she mused.. and put on yet another pot of coffee.

OS: Day Twenty-Two < | Challenge Home Page | > OS: Day Twenty-Four

House 013 Chapter 3 < | > House 013 Chapter 5

First, we get a look at our goals:

House 013 Building Goals:
2 Bedroom, 1 Bathroom home worth at least $100k Simoleons
-Must include a designated gaming room
House 013 Generational Goals:
Achieve Level 10 of the Gamer branch of Tech Guru on Jax
1st place in Pro tournament for both Hillock II and Sims Forever on Jax
Achieve Level 10 of Start-Up Entrepreneur branch of Tech Guru on 2nd sim
*Note* All sims are Controllable in this house!
Produce and raise The Heir to the Young Adult life stage

Still busy with school, so goals haven’t happened. Yet.

Taking Sadie to the vet. She had turned elder before I could breed her, and that was not a good idea in my book. So I aged her down.

This is pretty much what I see all the time. Take a potion, do school work. Do school work, go to class, take another potion or sleep a little… Really boring game play!

They’re still living on the lawn, too.

Presentations for the LAST WEEK!! of school completed!

Tried to adopt a pet, but not ONE of the potential adoptees were male and small dog with decent markings. So I made one. Meet Sam.

Yay! Puppies?? .. Not yet, apparently.

It’s a terribly hot summer, so I build them a pool to cool off.. and Sadie is the first to use it. She LOVES this thing.

.. Finally!!

Welcome to the challenge, little Fidget! He’s got two different color eyes, and some really cute markings.

Chatting. Sister Tracy keeps calling and visiting, but we don’t really have time for her, unfortunately.

I decide it’s time to try to save some money. I have them make a Gardener and a Cleaner bot, which I’ve never used before, so this should be fun.

Then, the final term grades come in…. 🙂

(No idea why Adrienne’s portrait disappeared.

Finally!.. As a celebration/graduation present, I build them a big – and very empty – house. Outside pics to follow:

House 013 Chapter 3 < | > House 013 Chapter 5

OS: Day Twenty-One < | Challenge Home Page | > OS: Day Twenty-Three

News

Today was not going to be a good day. Shortly after the kids all got off to school, the power went out. Marnie gritted her teeth, put the now useless vacuum away, and tried to make the best of things. The twins still needed care, and food.. and the kids would be coming home from school later in the day.

Marnie dreaded the next day, and started really wondering what to do. There was no way she was going to be able to care for all these kids in the situation she found herself in now. At this point, she would even take Bennie coming back. Him riding in like a white knight would definitely improve the situation.. but she was pretty sure it wasn’t going to happen.

---

At the Willow Creek Municipal Center jail, Benji was escorted from his cell to an interrogation room to meet his new lawyer…

Hello, Benjamin! I am Nikolai Delossantos, I have been assigned to your case.” the man said, and Benji cringed internally.

“Benji. Please.”

“Oh. Yes. Um… Benji. I’ve looked over the case file, and I’m afraid you don’t have much of a case. Since you pretty much already confessed… it’s going to be tough to even get a judge to reduce the sentence.” said Nikolai, shaking his head sadly.

“But Shaylee will be able to go free, right?” Benji tried to confirm., looking worried.

“Shaylee? Oh, right. The girlfriend. Yes, as far as I can see, she’s not in danger of more jail time than she’ll already have served by the time the trial happens. She was only along “for the ride”, after all.” The lawyer replied after a moment of confusion.

“I thought she was in trouble for taking the violin?” Benji asked, also confused.

The lawyer (Benji had already forgotten his name) shuffled through his notes, looking confused. “No, I have it right here, it’s .. uh.. Rita? that actually took the violin. And the police have already recovered it, luckily. So that’s in your favor.”

Benji cursed and threw his hands in the air. “WHY did I confess to save Shaylee, then? The cop said.. well, he said Shaylee was in big trouble, almost as much as me.”

“I’m sorry, Benji, but I can’t tell you why the man said that. Clearly it was a tactic that worked, unfortunately. Shaylee will also be getting a reduced sentence – because of the baby, of course.” the man replied.

Benji just sat and looked at him for a moment. ” …. Baby?”

“Oh. Yes. She’s pregnant. I figured you knew that, since she was so far along.” the lawyer replied.

“Oh. Um… no. How far along did you say she is?” Benji asked, reeling.

“Second trimester. So she probably has known for quite a while. She didn’t tell you?” the lawyer asked, again just shaking his head.

“No. No, she didn’t.” Benji replied, putting his head in his hands for a moment. Then he sat up, trying to do the math. that would mean.. she’d been pregnant the entire time she’d been dating him. And had never told him a thing. She hadn’t even tried to pass off the baby as his.

Angry, Benji stood up from the table and walked to the door where the guard waited. “Let me out. I’m done.” he demanded.

Standing up behind him, the lawyer sputtered, “But.. Benji, we have more to discuss….!”

“Figure it out yourself.” Benji growled as the door was unlocked, then stomped through it, not needing any directions to get back to his cell.

---

Just before bedtime, at the Malone’s…

“So.. why couldn’t we go to therapy today?” Jaz asked, confused.

“Because I had too many things to do, Jaz. I already told you this.” Marnie replied, frustration showing in her voice.

“Oh. Is it because Dad is gone?” Jaz asked, looking down sadly.

“Umm.. yeah. Sure, because Dad is gone.” Marnie replied, then tucked Jaz into bed. She had other kids to tuck in. Hopefully ones without so many questions.

OS: Day Twenty-One < | Challenge Home Page | > OS: Day Twenty-Three

OS: Day Twenty < | Challenge Home Page | > OS: Day Twenty-Two

… And I’ll Cry If I Want To!

Bennie’s cake was stinky, mute evidence that he never did come home, Drunk or sober. And his work apparently hadn’t seen him, either, because Marnie had gotten a call from them, looking for him. She was starting to get pretty worried.

The twins, however, were definitely having a good time. They seemed mostly immune from the melancholy that was sweeping the Malone household. A sadness that was only going to get worse…

Because, shortly after Marnie went to pay the weekly bills, she got a call from the bank. There had been a major withdrawal the night Bennie disappeared, and there was only about 200 Simoleans in the bank. His bonus from the TV show was gone. Marnie took a deep breath, and put on a brave face for the kids.

She may not be able to pay the bills, but at least they still had groceries… for now. So she made some Franks N Beans for breakfast, and called the kids in to eat.

It was clear to Jaz that something was wrong. I mean, other than the fact that Bennie seemed to be missing. Jaz didn’t quite know what to do about it, though. They were a bit afraid to try to call Gemma with Marnie watching everyone’s moves closely, though, so Jaz simply looked forward to Tuesday’s appointment.

---

In Willow Creek, at the police station…

Chief of Police Scott Barrier was prepared for a long day. He’d already interviewed Benji’s associates, and knew most of the story.. so getting a confession would just be icing on the cake. But there was one major piece missing, and he meant to get it out of the youngster in front of him.

“So.. Benji, huh? How’d you get saddled with a dog’s name?” Scott asked, sitting down across from Benji.

“It’s not a dog’s name.” Benji growled. “It’s just short for Ben Jr.”

“You mean you’ve never seen the movie Benji??” Scott joked.

“There’s a movie?” Benji asked, clueless as to why the man was talking about movies and dogs.

“Yeah, it’s about a stray dog that.. oh, who am I kidding, it’s a sad movie anyway. You didn’t miss much.” Scott smiled, and pulled out some file folders.

“Let’s go over what we know. We know you robbed several retail stores in the area. Most petty crimes, just a few bucks worth of stuff here and there. We also know you and your girlfriend, Shaylee, robbed the Landgraabs the night before Winterfest. You spent most of that on a party for your family.. which was nice and noble.. but still.. misguided. So your gang got greedy. You went for the Goths and made out like true bandits.” Scott began, flipping through the file in front of him while watching Benji’s face flash briefly with pride about the Winterfest party and the Goth robbery.

“And?.. What do you need me for, if you already know everything?” Benji said, full of bluster.

“We’re missing one important detail. None of these robberies triggered an alarm. They were still caught on surveillance.. so don’t try to say it wasn’t you doing the deed.. but the videos were all closed circuit at the victim’s residence, so the alarm company was completely in the dark. Literally. How’d you get past the alarms? Master Codes? Inside knowledge?”

“I am not telling you anything.” Benji spat out, knowing it was best that he kept quiet. Even if it was about a detail that should have been obvious.

“Really? That’s how you’re playing this?” Scott asked, drily.

Benji just sat there and looked at him. Sighing, Scott just watched him for a moment, but apparently Benji was used to staring matches having grown up in so large a family.

“Fine. I have something else to show you.” He reached down beside him and pulled out another file folder.

“These are the surveillance shots. The big-ticket item was Ms. Goth’s prize violin. Now, that’s the piece that takes this crime from petty larceny to grand larceny, simply by value alone. We know your girlfriend, Shaylee, is the one who actually took it.”

Scott slid the still images from the video across the table at Benji. Benji looked at the pictures with a smug smile, then looked back at Scott, still silently.

“At this point, we know you’re the ringleader. Most of your friends will be free to go. But Shaylee, now, she’s in for the long haul, just like you. Because she took that violin. If you cooperate with us, and explain the alarm thing, help us find the missing violin, and tell me that Shaylee only took it because you told her to…. I can maybe see that Shaylee gets less time.” Scott picked up the images and slid them back into the folder.

“Now, I can understand that you want to keep yourself out of trouble, but making Shaylee pay for something that wasn’t her idea seems pretty mean. Especially as she knows that whether she does hard time or not is riding completely on you. I don’t think she’s likely to be very happy with you if you keep holding out on us.” Scott said slyly, watching a sort of panic cross Benji’s face.

But after that brief moment, Benji stayed quiet.

“Fine. Think about it. I’ll talk to you more tomorrow.” Scott started to stand up, and gather his file folders.

“So, if I talk, Shaylee gets what? A shorter sentence? Or can she go free? I need to know what the deal actually is.”

Scott smiled to himself. Jackpot. “I can see to it that she gets only time already served after the trial. She’ll go free.”

“And Shay will know it was ME who got her out of hard time, right?” Benji said, still stalling.

“Of course.” Scott said, taking out a pen and a paper.

With a big sigh, Benji rubbed his hands together. “Okay. The violin is at a storage locker. We haven’t been able to find a buyer for it yet, unfortunately. I can tell you where it is. As for the alarm, you must not be very perceptive. Londyn has an inside man at the alarm company. They’ve been dating for months. She can get any alarm code to any house for miles around. We just had to cherry-pick which houses we wanted to hit. And none of this was Shaylee’s fault. She was only along for the ride. Her idea of stealing things is candy bars from the shops.” Benji snickered, then sighed and continued, “What else do you need to know? Is that enough to let Shay go free?”

“Not bad, son. Not bad. There are a few other details you could clear up, though. There used to be a suit of armor in front of your Dad’s store. We’ve heard tell a remarkably similar one has come up for sale at an auction not too long ago. Your Dad, however, knew nothing about it when we talked to him. In fact, he had no idea it was worth anything. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about it, would you?” Scott asked.

Looking down guiltily… Benji said, “If I tell you that, can you get me another phone call?”

Scott looked at him quizzically. “Of course.”

“Alright, Yeah. That’s where I got the money to get out of that rat’s nest of a house with Shay.”

“Ahhh. Okay. Now that’s better. All you need to do is write a statement about what you just told me. I assume you actually know how to write, despite your high school grades?” Scott slid some paper and a pen towards the young man, as he watched anger rise into Benji’s face.

Benji snatched the pen. “Of course I can write, you fool….” and looked down, immediately starting to write.

Scott Barrier stood up, adjusted his hat, and smiled to himself. Easy as taking candy from a baby. Not that he would do that sort of thing, mind you.

---

Much later, he handed the young man a phone, and watched him with a bemused look, wondering who he was going to call.

Marnie’s phone rang later that afternoon, and she answered it nearly right away, only to find out it was from the Willow Creek Police Department. Thinking it might be Bennie, stuck in the drunk tank or something, she okayed the charges (glad that the phone hadn’t been cut off for non payment… yet…) .. and waited to hear Bennie’s apology. (She had answered the phone so fast, she hadn’t bothered to check caller ID..)

“Hey, … Mom?” Benji started, hesitantly.

“Benji!! What on earth are you doing at the police department?” Marnie asked, taken aback.

“I’m in jail. I thought Dad would have told you.” Benji replied.

“Um… no. Actually, Benji, your father is missing. I haven’t seen him in a couple of days. .. but.. wait.. why are you in jail?” Marnie was confused, and the news that her eldest son was in jail felt like a blow to her chest.

“He’s .. what?” Benji asked, stunned.

“We.. uh .. we had a big fight. About me being pregnant again. We both said some things we shouldn’t have. He slept on the couch that night. When I woke up, he was gone. Nobody has seen him since.” Marnie kept the bit about the missing paycheck money and the unpaid bills to herself. “Did he say anything to you about where he might have gone?”

“No, Mom, I have no idea. I was just calling to see if you could call to get a good lawyer for me and Shay. I don’t care about the rest of the gang, but me ‘n Shay definitely need some help, here.” Benji said, trying not to sound desperate.

“Benji, hon, I can’t afford a good lawyer.” Marnie finally confessed with a sigh, “I can’t even pay the bills. Your father took all the money that was in the bank with him.”

“Oh.” Benji said, trying to process the news that his Dad was probably gone for good from the sounds of it. Running off with the cash was taking a page out of Benji’s book, but it definitely sounded permanent. “Um… Yeah. I have no idea where he could have gone. Maybe you should go to the cops. I mean – about him being missing. Maybe something happened?”

Marnie thought for a moment, then answered, “I should probably do that. I’m sure the kids can keep the twins busy for a couple hours. Since I can’t afford a sitter….” her voice trailed off.

“30 seconds! Wrap it up, son!” the officer barked, startling Benji.

“Oh, uhhh.. Mom? I gotta go.”

The last thing he heard from Marnie was a faint “Okay” and a click as she hung up. Looking at the phone for a moment, still reeling from the news of Bennie’s disappearance, Benji looked a bit like a deer in headlights.

The officer took the phone back, and escorted Benji back to his cell.

Benji, for once glad he had a cell to himself, laid back on the bed morosely, trying to process all that had happened that day.

… Elsewhere in the jail, his cohorts all had things on their minds, too. But getting Benji a good lawyer wasn’t one of the things they were concerned about.

Also in a cell by herself, Shaylee was curled up in a ball on her bed. She’d been feeling sick to her stomach for several weeks now, and she was afraid she knew what the cause might be. She had never said anything to Benji, however…. because, based on the timing of the sickness, it wasn’t Benji’s baby. She didn’t think he was going to be all that happy about who’s baby it was, either. Maybe she could just not tell him. What he never knew wasn’t going to hurt him, right? …

---

(Message gotten on Marnie’s phone after talking to Benji…)

---

Later, also at the police station:

“Ma’am? Can I help you?” an officer asked from behind the desk.

“Yeah. I .. uh.. need to report my husband missing.” Marnie said, standing up and walking over to the man.

“Oh? How long has he been gone? We can’t put in a missing persons report for at least two days, you know..”

“Oh, it’s been more than that. His cake spoiled.” Marnie paused, swallowed, and apologized, “Sorry, It was his birthday that he went missing on. He also drained the bank account.”

“Oh? Well, then that’s different. What’s his name?” the officer asked, sitting beside her.

“Bennie.. I mean Benjamin Malone. Senior.” Marnie replied, hoping against hope that the man would recognize the name and be able to tell her something. Hopefully good news.

Scott Barrier gasped. The coincidence was uncanny. “Bennie, huh? I would assume he’s Ben Jr’s Father? Has he a history of disappearing?”

“No, of course not.” Marnie said sharply. “What can we do about the missing money, by the way…. And how do I fill out a missing persons report?”

“Here, Ma’am, just come to my office. I can help you with that. We can put in a report about both. But I will tell you.. You’re not likely to see a penny of that money every again if he did take it when he left.”

Marnie hid her face in her hands for a moment. Then, she managed to get herself together. “Well, then. Let’s get this report done. I need to get back home to my kids.”

OS: Day Twenty < | Challenge Home Page | > OS: Day Twenty-Two

OS: Day Nineteen < | Challenge Home Page | > OS: Day Twenty-One

It’s My Party…

Marnie woke up at dawn – alone, just as she’d been when she went to sleep, and for a moment, she tried fuzzily to remember why. Then it all came back to her. She’d been found out. The moment she’d had nightmares about for her entire adult life. Thinking back, the first time she’d lied to Bennie had been out of desperation. She’d been afraid she was losing him to another girl. So she’d lied. It had worked. He’d ridden to her rescue like the white knight she’d imagined him to be.. but everything after that wasn’t exactly what she’d dreamed it would be. She’d been young when she first saw him, performing at an open mic night at a local bar. She’d immediately fallen for him, and refused to listen to his arguments that she was too young for him. What a mess that had turned her life into.

Her stomach feeling queasy, Marnie sat up, and felt. Still no bump – but then, it was still early for that. It’s not like she didn’t know what to expect. Why hadn’t she checked the bottle of pain medicine in the cabinet like she usually did, so Bennie wouldn’t have gone searching…. and for goodness’ sake, why hadn’t she just disposed of the birth control medicine!

It was just an unfortunate coincidence that the day after Bennie had gotten himself drunk on the way home from work was the morning she’d decided to go grocery shopping. Feeling even sicker, Marnie walked to the bathroom to wash off her face and calm herself. Surely Bennie hadn’t meant what he said. He had a temper, sure, but he was always sorry the next day. And Marnie wasn’t above apologizing to try to keep her family together. Steeling herself for Bennie’s likely reaction, Marnie walked out to the living room to wake him up.

…. and ended up standing there, staring at an empty couch .. and driveway. Bennie’s yellow truck was gone, too. Bewildered, she looked around, and the only things she could tell were missing was his keys, wallet, and what he’d been wearing. So clearly he meant to come back. Breathing a sigh of relief, she woke up the kids and got started on breakfast.

Jaz was the first to ask where Bennie was – nobody else seemed concerned… and Marnie had to tell her daughter that she didn’t know where he’d gone. She emphasized that he’d be back, though.

By the time breakfast was cooked, Marnie’s stomach had finally settled, and she made quick work of the fruit salad she’d made.

“Are we still having Dad’s party, Mom?” asked Phoenix – reminding Marnie that she still needed to bake the cake and get the party supplies from the basement.

“Of course we are. Did you still need wrapping paper for the present you made him?” Marnie asked in reply.

“Nope! I found it in the box downstairs like you said!” Phoenix replied.

“You should remind your brother and sister to get their gifts out, too.” Marnie said, patting Phoenix on the shoulder. She ignored Phoenix’s snicker at Marnie calling Jaz his “sister”, and headed back to the kitchen to bake Bennie’s cake. It wasn’t every day that a man reached his elder years, after all. She meant to make the day special.

Jaz was downstairs, taking care of the twins, who were curious about all the preparations for the party, and kept trying to open the gifts themselves. Scolding Braydon with a chuckle, Jaz rescued the gifts and hid them in the closet away from little fingers.

Phoenix helped set the table, while Myles and Marnie set up the balloons and the streamers. It didn’t look half bad by the time they were done, either.

Checking her watch, it was about time for Bennie’s shift to be over at the comedy club, so Marnie got the cake ready and everyone piled up the home-made gifts for their Dad. Then, she called everyone to dinner. Jaz had taken to sitting by the front window, watching for Bennie, but Marnie didn’t want the kids to wait too long for dinner on a school night, and she insisted Jaz get up and come to the table.

Jaz took one more worried glance at the empty driveway and obeyed Marnie. There was an empty feeling in the pit of their stomach, and they were pretty sure it wasn’t because they were hungry.

Everyone ate their sandwiches, and talked together softly, avoiding looking at Marnie, who kept getting up to check out the window herself. With the sun going down, and school the next day – Marnie finally told everyone to go get ready for bed, promising to wake them when Dad got home (if it wasn’t too late .. and Marnie thought to herself.. and providing Bennie wasn’t too drunk. She had nothing to go off of other than the fact that he’d been late – and drunk – the other night.. so maybe he was picking up a new habit?)

Picking up the twins one by one and getting them to bed was accomplished by rote, but even the twins were subdued tonight. Everyone seemed to be a bit worried. It really wasn’t like Bennie to not be home – especially if it involved cake and presents.

Finally.. leaving the party set up.. you know, just in case.. Marnie headed to bed. Surely he’d be back in the morning….

OS: Day Nineteen < | Challenge Home Page | > OS: Day Twenty-One

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. The whole bottle of champagne he’d finished on his own. So, that explained the headache. He opened the bathroom medicine cabinet, and picked up the pain medication… only to find it empty.

He thought about it fuzzily for a moment, and went to look for the bottle Marnie always carried in her purse. However, Marnie wasn’t home. In fact, strangely.. no one was home. Thinking to himself, he tried to figure out where everyone could be… on a .. Saturday? Shrugging, he returned to the problem at hand. His headache. With a flash of brilliance, Bennie headed back to the mast bedroom closet, remember the stash of “emergency” medicine Marnie kept. This was clearly an emergency… (at least in Bennie’s mind).. so he started digging through piles in the closet, looking for the box that the medicine was kept in.

Finally, he found it, and opened the box. Heading back to the bathroom, where there was more light, he set the box on the edge of the sink and started examining the bottles one by one looking for anything that referred to pain relief. Fiddling with one bottle after another, he got closer to the end of the box. Down at the very back was a prescription bottle that looked promising, so he picked it up and glanced at the label. And froze. He might not be the brightest, but he knew what “birth control” meant. And he could read dates. It was for last month. And it was FULL. What would this be doing in the stash of unused, emergency medicine?? A wash of anger flooded through him. Accident, his fat rear end…. She had planned this. She had LIED right to his face. Even worse… Bennie thought back. All of the babies had been “accidents”. How many of THOSE accidents had been planned, too??

Bennie cursed loudly, and went to sit on the bed, waiting for Marnie to come home, the pill bottle still in his hand, and the headache forgotten.

---

Across the street, at the park…

Jazmyn arrived at the park on a beautiful sunny day, looking forward to seeing their friends and having a nice day at the park playing on the playground equipment. They had never been so wrong in their life.

Within moments of arriving at the park with their brother, Billie Jang confronted them.

Expecting the usual, Jaz smiled with confidence. “What do YOU want, Billie? Can’t find anyone else to pick on today?!”

“I saw your Dad on TV last night!” Billie crowed, laughing.

“Wait.. what?” Jaz said after a pause, very confused. What had Bennie been doing on TV??

“Yeah. He was on the comedy channel on the special … he was talking about YOU.” Billie taunted.

“What do you.. mean?” Jaz asked, hesitantly.. a feeling of dread growing in the pit of their stomach.

“You tried to “come out”, huh? Saying you’re not a boy or a girl. So what are you? A NOBODY?! Even your Dad thinks you’re full of POO!” Billie’s voice was clearly carrying, and Jaz cringed and jumped away.

WHAT? Bennie had gotten on TV last night?! For a moment, Jaz simply let Billie keep talking without actually listening to her. Filled with confusion, Jaz wondered what on earth could have happened that not only was Bennie on TV, but that he had also decided to betray Jaz’s secret. Shaking their head, deciding those questions would have to wait, Jaz once again returned their attention to the bully standing in front of them.

“I… can be whatever I want, Billie.” Jaz said, breaking into Billie’s tirade about being nobody with a slightly shaky voice. “It doesn’t matter whether I actually come out or not. I’m not a boy or a girl, it’s true. I’m NON-BINARY. That doesn’t make me any less of a person than you are. It just makes me different.”

Billie looked at Jaz with open skepticism for a moment, then tried to return to their argument about Jaz simply being nobody if “she” wasn’t a boy or a girl.

“Billie, leave Jazmyn alone. Your argument is stupid. Jaz can be whatever Jaz wants. They’re not hurting you.” Pierce Delgato, a member of Billie’s own club of bullies, walked up and broke into the argument.

For a moment, Billie looked at Pierce like she didn’t understand that he was standing up for Jaz.

Before they could say anything, Jaz turned, and, ignoring Billie completely, put their hand out to him. “Hi, I’m Jaz. My pronouns are they/them. I don’t think I’ve met you before?”

“I’m Pierce.” he started. “He/him pronouns. And I USED to be friends with Billie. But I don’t like the way she treats other people.” He glared at Billie, as if daring Billie to continue berating Jaz now that someone else was clearly on Jaz’s side.

Olivia Kim-Lewis headed over, clearly on Billie’s side of the argument. “What are you saying, Pierce? Are you actually defending this trailer-trash nobody??”

Pierce took a deep breath, and smiled. “Yes. I don’t believe Jaz is either of those things, to be honest. I’ve never seen.. them?” (he looked over to Jaz for confirmation, who nodded) “.. THEM be less than nice to anyone. They don’t deserve your nasty talk. And I don’t want to be in your silly club any more.”

Billie just looked at him in shock, but behind her, someone else had showed up to join the confrontation. Lucas Munch.

Jaz didn’t know him all that well, but he was in the same club as Jaz, so they hoped he was coming over in support.

“Billie, just go away.” Lucas said. “Welcome to the Adventurers, Pierce. I’ll vouch for you with Elsa. Anyone who will stand up for one of our members deserves to be in the club.”

Pierce blushed a bit, and smiled at Jaz, “I only did what anyone SHOULD have done.” He glared at the retreating forms of Billie and Olivia, then turned to Lucas. “You mean that?”

“Of course!” replied Lucas. “Let’s go see her now!”

“It was nice to meet you, Pierce.” Jaz said, then finished, a bit more quietly. “And.. thank you.”

“Anytime, Jaz!” Pierce said, waving as he walked away with Lucas.

Jaz was still standing there, reeling from all that had just happened, when Mika came over shyly.

“Hey, Jaz. I heard what happened. That wasn’t fair. You totally didn’t deserve that. Not what Billie said, and not what your Dad did to you on TV. I’m sorry.” Mika said as they performed the club handshake automatically.

“Thanks, Mika. I suppose you heard. I’m stopping going by “she” – I’m non-binary. I wasn’t planning on telling everyone yet, but I guess since my .. um.. Bennie decided to “help” out – I guess now is as good a time as any.” Jaz replied, specifically avoiding calling Bennie ‘Dad’. He didn’t deserve that anymore.

“That’s cool.” Mika said, a bit shyly. “What exactly does that mean, anyway?”

After explaining it to Mika, Jaz felt the adrenaline from the confrontation slowly draining away, leaving them feeling very tired. “I’m going to swing for a while. I think I need a moment.” Jaz said, apologetically.

Smiling at their friend, Mika replied, “I completely understand. I’m going to go see what Elsa, Pierce, and Lucas are up to.” .. then walked away with a jaunty wave.

Jaz wasn’t really paying attention to who was around, and just headed blindly to swing on the swings for a while and think. Which is why they were so surprised when Max Villareal blocked their way.

“What do you MEAN… you’re not a girl?” he accused.

Sighing, Jaz tried to explain, but it seemed like Max wasn’t really even listening.

“I liked you, you know. I guess that’s stupid, now.” Max said quietly, his fists down by his side.

“What does that have to do with anything?” Jaz asked, confused. “I’m still the same person that I always was. I just have different pronouns.”

“Yeah, well I’m not okay with it. I don’t think that’s right.” Max said, looking around uncomfortably.

Pushing past him, Jaz sat down on the swing, sighed, then said, firmly, “I’m sorry, I don’t think you get to say whether it’s okay or not. Or whether it’s right or not. It just IS. And it’s my choice – not yours.”

“It’s disgusting.” Max said, then raised his voice, “And so are you.”

“Fine. Whatever, Max. Just go away. And forget coming to my house anymore. I don’t want to see you.” Jaz said, holding her head.

Max decided that he’d had enough of this, and headed over to where his best friend, Phoenix, sat with Elsa and Billie, wondering what was going on over there.

Phoenix, it turns out, had decided that if his best friend wasn’t okay with his.. sister?.. or whatever she .. it? was (he hadn’t been really listening), then he wasn’t okay with Jaz, either. He had resigned his position with the League of Adventurers and joined up with Billie’s gang. Max followed suit, and they worked on learning their new club handshake for a while.

Over by the swings, Jaz had really just had enough for the day, and was heading home wearily, when someone ELSE stopped them.

“Hi!” Jaz, is it?” a young girl said, one Jaz had never seen before.

“Um, yeah. I’m Jaz Malone. I’m non-binary.” Jaz said, quietly, and with a slight question in their voice.

“I think that’s really cool! I’m new in town. I had a friend in Newcrest, where I used to live, that was non-binary, too. My name is Christy Hutchinson. Maybe we could be friends?”

“I would like that.” Jaz replied, smiling. “Shall I introduce you to Elsa? She’s the leader of our club.”

“REALLY?” Christy replied, overjoyed. “That.. um.. that would be really nice of you!”

After introducing Christy.. and finding out, to their dismay that even their brother was choosing sides in the argument.. and Max had clearly won Phoenix’s support. Rolling their eyes, Jaz once again turned to leave the park.

“Hi, Jaz. I’m Christine.” a girl said, intercepting Jaz on their way out of the park.

Pausing, and looking at the girl quizzically, Jaz waited to see what she wanted.

“I’m sorry about Billie. And Bennie. I saw the special, too. And I didn’t think what your.. Dad.. said was either fair to your, or even the slightest bit funny. My brother is friends with your brother, Myles, by the way.”

“OH!” Jaz said, finally placing who the girl was. “Well, thanks. I appreciate that. Really. But I need to go now. I’m sorry. I’m really just done with people for the day.” Jaz explained, feeling emotionally exhausted.

“Oh, that’s okay. I just wanted to tell you people are on your side. Don’t let Billie’s words hurt, because they’re not true.”

“Thanks, Christine.” Jaz replied, waved, and finally, wearily, headed home.

---

Unfortunately, Jaz’s day wasn’t over. Far from it. Before they even got home, they could hear the yelling from their house. Now in a hurry, Jaz ran in through the front door, only to find Myles sitting on the couch, watching TV. Their parent’s bedroom door was open, and everyone in the neighborhood could hear the argument.

Apparently Bennie had found out that Marnie had been lying to him for their entire marriage. Ever since they had married while Marnie was still in high school. She had gotten pregnant, which Bennie now knew wasn’t an accident, to trap him into marrying her while she dropped out to take care of their new baby. Marnie kept swearing that she hadn’t meant any harm, but clearly Bennie wasn’t believing her anymore. No matter how many times she apologized, Bennie only got angrier. When he pushed Marnie a little, apparently it was the last straw. Marnie slapped him – and the real fight ensued, to the kids’ horror.

“STOP!” yelled Jazmyn, running into the room. “JUST STOP IT!”

But neither Marnie nor Bennie were in a place to hear Jaz’s words. Marnie won the fight.. if one could say there was a winner.

“That’s it!” Bennie yelled, “I’m done. I’m done with you, I’m done with these kids. You wanted ’em, you can HAVE them!” With these words, he turned, grabbed his pillow of the bed and went to the closet to grab a blanket. Clearly he planned on making his bed in the living room tonight.

Marnie just stared at him, looking slightly frightened, and then watched him leave the room. Turning to see her children’s expressions, she lost her nerve, and escaped into the bathroom, locking the door behind her without a word.

With Marnie and Bennie both out of the room, Myles broke into tears and ran out the door. Jaz plopped down on their parent’s bed beside Phoenix, and shot him an accusing look.

“You know, I could have used your backup at the park today, BROTHER.” Jaz started.

“Whatever, FREAK. You’ve already said you’re not my sister. Or my brother. Which only leaves freak. There isn’t anything else. And I don’t defend those.” Phoenix replied.

“Oh, okay. Fine. Like Bennie said. I’m DONE with you. If you won’t even try to understand, I don’t need you. I don’t need you at all.” Jaz snapped, losing their temper. Then, horrified at what they’d just said, Jaz stood up and left the room, miserable and exhausted.

They headed downstairs, tiptoeing past a “sleeping” Bennie, and quietly crawled into bed. To heck with brushing teeth. Jaz was absolutely done with the day. Tomorrow could only be better.

OS: Day Eighteen < | Challenge Home Page | > OS: Day Twenty

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, and didn’t actually wake up until mid afternoon. After school, the kids discovered that Marnie hadn’t bothered to make lunch for them – so they resorted to the downstairs popcorn popper.

However, Phoenix discovered that there must be a trick to it, because his kettle corn certainly didn’t taste quite right…

Jaz ignored their brothers discussing the ins and outs of popcorn popping heatedly, and finished her homework. Feeling overwhelmed by the whole hullabaloo of the Malone family, Jaz retired to their room, and decided it was past time to call for some mental and emotional support.

Gemma answered on the first ring, and, upon hearing Jaz’s voice, was immediately concerned. Jaz took a deep breath and tried to explain.

Jaz told Gemma all about the aborted attempt at coming out to their family, and Gemma was appropriately incensed by the fact that Jaz’s parents and brothers had not only refused to let them change pronouns, but had actually gone so far as to LAUGH at them. Jaz immediately felt better, having someone support that it was OKAY to be mad at their family for what they did was a balm to Jaz’s hurting soul.

“Gemma, I’m afraid that’s not all.” Jaz finally confessed. “I found Bennie practicing a comedy sketch that he was writing about my trying to come out.”

Gemma was quiet for a moment, and Jaz immediately worried that maybe they shouldn’t have told Gemma that.

“He… what??” Gemma said, finally.

“Yeah. I yelled at him to stop, and made him promise not to use it.. but I don’t know if he’ll keep his promise. He’s never kept any other promises he’s made.. although he doesn’t make them very often. I just don’t know what to say to him to make him understand.” Jaz replied miserably.

Gemma, again, paused. Then sighed deeply. “Some people may just never understand. No matter how much you try to explain, or how good you are at explaining, sometimes it’s not enough. I’m so very sorry this happened to you. I had high hopes that things would work out better for you.”

“Yeah. It’s okay, though, as long as Bennie keeps his promise. I chickened out on telling my friends that I’m non-binary because of this whole mess, though.” Jaz confessed.

“I think, under the circumstances – you did exactly the right thing. Would you like me to try to speak to your Dad? I could try talking to your mother, too, but I don’t think she’s going to listen to me – not after her reaction to our initial meeting.” Gemma said softly.

“Let me think about it, Gemma.” Jaz replied after a moment. The only thing that was running through their mind was the way their parents had reacted to the school calling. What would they do if Gemma called?? Jaz didn’t want Gemma to be laughed at and treated badly – and Jaz was sure that, with their parent’s attitudes, Gemma’s talking to them would not be taken well. Protecting their friend was more important to Jaz than getting their situation improved. “I’ll let you know.”

“Okay, sweetie. We’ll see you on Tuesday, okay? Call me before then if you need ANYTHING.” Gemma emphasized.

Smiling broadly, Jaz said “Okay!” and said their goodbyes. Pulling out their homework, Jaz happily started work on their Extra credit work, despite the fact there was certainly no need for them to improve their already top-notch grades.

---

In a neighboring town, Benji was scoping out a café as a possible target when he noticed something he really didn’t want to see. There was a policeman walking around talking to people with a notepad. Hoping that he hadn’t been spotted, Benji decided this café was a “bust”, and headed back to the bus stop.

“Excuse me!” the officer called, stopping Benji in his tracks.

Trying to hide his nerves, Benji turned and smiled at the man. “Can I help you?”

“Sure thing. I’m looking for a young man by the name of Benji Malone.” the officer said, then continued, “I’ve been told he was planning on visiting this café this morning. Have you seen him? He’s probably about your age.”

“Oh, Sure. He was in my class at school.” Benji fibbed, trying to hide the gut-level ball of cold worry that had come over him the instant he heard his name. He pointed behind himself, and continued, “I think he went across the street after seeing how long the line was for coffee.”

“Oh? Really?” The officer was looking at him shrewdly. “Can I see your identification, sir?”

Resisting the urge to nervously giggle at being called a “sir”, Benji smiled and said, “Oh, dear, I actually left that in my other pants…. ” then pretended to pat his back pockets as if he’d lost something. “And I really must be going. I have a job interview in Newcrest this afternoon, and I have to ride the bus to get there…”

Turning to leave, he hoped the bus was going to be on time, and he could just walk away and hop on the bus… but the officer was apparently more aware than Benji thought he was.

“Stop!” the officer called, grabbing him by the arm as he tried to walk away. “Please take that wallet out of your pocket, young man. Then hand it to me.”

Sighing miserably, Benji pulled out the obvious wallet and handed it to the officer. He watched closely, hoping for an opening to turn and run, but the man took one look at the ID inside the wallet and reached immediately for his handcuffs.

“Benjamin Malone, Junior, you’re under arrest under suspicion of multiple grand larcenies.” The officer said, jingling the handcuffs and quickly taking control of the situation. Before Benji could react, he was cuffed and in the back of a police car, headed to the local police station.

Back at the station, Benji obediently followed the officer to the booking area.

His picture was taken, then they instructed him to face the wall, put his hands on it, and spread his legs for search.

After finding some unusual things in Benji’s pocket, the officer indicated the fingerprint machine.

After an almost unsuccessful fingerprinting, Benji was led away towards the holding cells. The officer still hadn’t said a whole lot, and Benji was too upset to say anything. Somewhere in his brain, he had already realized that talking was probably the worst thing he could do, anyway.

The officer led him to the holding cells, and locked him in. Benji, suddenly realizing the finality of the clanging bars… yelled out, “Wait! I thought I got a phone call!”

He tried again, but the officer seemed to be ignoring him. Walking around the cell, Benji sighed and tried to swallow the lump in his throat. Looking in the cell mirror, he wondered idly who had given him up. The plan had been foolproof. This wasn’t supposed to happen!

---

Back at the Malone house, Bennie was on his way out the door to go to work, humming softly to himself, when his phone rang.

“Hello?” he asked, then paused to listen.

“Will you accept a call from Benjamin Malone, Junior, from the Police Department in Willow Creek?” a tinny voice asked, and Bennie closed his eyes and sighed.

“Fine. Yes. Put him on.” Bennie said unhappily.

On the other end of the line, Benji paused as if waiting for people to leave the room, then started in on the fact that he’d been arrested, but he didn’t DO anything, and if Bennie could just pay a tiny bail fee, Benji could go back home tonight and call a lawyer to fight this whole thing.

Shaking his head, Bennie listened for a while, then, just after the bit about bail and lawyers, interrupted his eldest son. “No, Benji. I will not pay your bail.”

“DAD!” Benji wailed, “You have no idea how bad this is, I NEED to go home. What’s going to happen to Shaylee when I don’t come home tonight??! Can’t you just get some money out of the bank and forward it to me? I don’t think you’d even need to come all this way. You could still make it to work!”

“Son, I don’t have the money. And even if I didn’t.. I wouldn’t pay your bail. I knew one day you would end up just where you are. I was hoping you’d change your ways before that happened, but apparently that didn’t happen. Please, don’t call here again. I’m not interested in your excuses.” Bennie sighed, hung up on his spluttering son, and put his phone away. Dusting off his hands on his slacks, he headed off to work.

---

Later, at the lounge Bennie was due to perform at, a man came over to where he sat and, out of the blue, made him an offer.

… One Bennie most definitely couldn’t refuse. He agreed, and signed a bunch of paperwork, then was taken off in a fancy limo to Del Sol Valley’s TV studio.

The director told him to pick his best sketch, and give it a practice or two, and they’d be right back to get him to perform it. Looking around, nerves started rattling in his head. Tonight was his debut – on LIVE TV! He’d always known he was destined to hit it big, but this was more than he’d ever dreamed of. As he sat there, going through all the routines he had memorized, he tried to find one that hadn’t had a bunch of hecklers or boo’s from the audience while performing. One by one, he crossed every single one off the list.

The door opened, and someone poked their head in. “We’re ready for you. You ready, man?”

Bennie felt his heart drop to the soles of his shoes. Then, a thought popped into his head. Sure, he’d promised Jaz that he wouldn’t use his new sketch… but she wasn’t here to ask … and he was SURE she would be okay with it, if she knew the situation. He was going to be famous. Jaz would be able to buy all the new toys she could ever want, this silly thing about being non-whatever-she-called-it would blow over, and – finally – Bennie would be able to pay bills on their new house. They wouldn’t have to move again!

“Sir?” the man at the door asked, and Bennie realized he hadn’t replied. With no time left, Bennie made a split-second decision. Taking a deep breath, and pasting on a smile he hoped wasn’t completely fake, he replied, “Yep! Let’s DO this!”

The bright lights and the hopeful faces of the crew burned into Bennie’s mind, and he managed, somehow, to pull off a perfectly executed performance. His promise to Jaz forgotten, he relished the chuckles from the audience (whether it was laugh tracks or people actually on the other side of the lights, Bennie couldn’t say), and performed his sketch flawlessly. Afterwards, the director congratulated him, and told him they’d give him a call the next day when the reviews came in.

Still reeling, Bennie headed home with a goofy smile on his face. Finally, he’d made it. The limo driver proved that. Climbing into the back of the limo, and pouring himself a celebratory drink, Bennie started the celebration. He couldn’t wait to tell his family. Everyone was going to be so proud…. he would have to remember to ask for a tape of the performance when they called tomorrow, since there was no way that the comedy channel had been recorded tonight. The kids had probably been on their silly games all night, and Bennie really wanted a copy of that performance to show off.

OS: Day Seventeen < | Challenge Home Page | > OS: Day Nineteen

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, chuckling at the “joke” Bennie was practicing.

It only took those moments for the rage and hurt to rise to the surface, and Jaz took a deep breath and yelled at Bennie to stop. “Stop – RIGHT NOW.”

In shock, Bennie stopped, and just held the microphone for a moment.

Jaz continued, “I can’t believe you. Dad, this is ME you’re poking fun at. And my coming out isn’t funny. It’s not a joke!” Jaz took another deep breath and tried very hard not to burst into angry and hurt tears.

“It was funny as heck!” Bennie replied, confused at Jaz’s apparent anger.

“No, Dad. It’s really not. It hurts. Promise me you will stop practicing that routine. Promise me you’ll never perform it.” Jaz wiped a stray tear away from their cheek, and Bennie sobered up almost instantly.

He couldn’t see why Jaz was so upset – but he realized that he may have crossed a line he didn’t fully understand. Moving to put away the microphone, he nodded. He wasn’t about to say sorry, because he didn’t know what he’d done wrong, but maybe he could placate his daughter. “Fine. I won’t.”

“You promise??” Jaz asked sharply, wiping away more tears.

“Okay, Jazmyn. I promise.” Bennie replied, and watched Jaz pick up the dishes she had been cleaning up, and take them into the kitchen.

Slightly bewildered – he hadn’t seen Jaz that emotional – maybe ever… (and he didn’t deal well with emotional females) … and very confused as to what exactly he’d done wrong, Bennie sighed and left the room. He felt terribly disappointed that what he regarded as the best comedy sketch he’d ever written now apparently had to be scrapped. He needed new material – and fast. But, after Jaz’s emotional plea, he wisely dismissed the idea of using Jaz in any more routines.

---

Marnie and Myles packed up to go to the Geek club meeting, both looking forward to seeing friendly faces. Marnie couldn’t wait to tell her friend Bella about the coming baby, and Myles was looking forward to doing some Voidcritter training and fighting against Alexander’s critters. Both had completely forgotten about Jaz’s issues, and were more focused on their own cares.

Upon arrival at the Library, Marnie joined Bella at the chess board… and immediately noticed that Bella didn’t have her usual smile.

“What’s wrong, Bella?” Marnie asked, worried about her friend.

“We were burglarized. The kids were at friends’ houses, and Mortimer and I were out on the town. We came home to find the house ransacked, and so many valuable things missing. The alarm wasn’t even going off!” Bella confessed in a low voice, looking to see who might be nearby to overhear. “We called the police right away, and they contacted the alarm company, but nothing appears to be wrong with the alarm. The burglars got so much. They even took Cassandra’s prize violin!” Bella promptly burst into tears, and dropped her head into her hands.

Marnie looked at her new friend in shock, wondering what to say. “I’m.. sorry, Bella.” She paused, considering the information she’d been given. “Did you maybe forget to set the alarm when you left?”

Bella stopped crying, and considered this for a moment. “No, I’m very sure Mortimer set it. I watched him do it right in front of me. The company apologized, but they have no idea what could have happened, and they’ll have to investigate. The worst part is that violin. It’s priceless, and a family heirloom. If the police can’t find it, there’s no way it can be replaced. Cassandra is beside herself.”

“That’s horrible!” Marnie said, feeling really bad for her friend and her daughter. “What did the police say?”

“The detective, Scott, was extremely sorry about the whole situation, but apparently there have been a rash of burglaries all over the place lately. They’re working with other police departments, trying to figure out if they’re all connected. Most have been smaller incidents, but he did say that the Landgraabs had a major break-in while they were gone on Winterfest vacation. They came home to find all their electronics were gone, and the alarm company had never gotten a single alert the whole time.” Bella replied, wiping away tears, and glancing around to see who might have noticed her uncontrolled emotions.

“Winterfest, huh?” Marnie said, her mind reeling. She looked away, wondering if she ought to say something about Benji’s sudden influx of cash around that same time. She didn’t want to involve her son, but it wouldn’t be the first time he’d stolen something. It would, however, be the first time it was something big – that is, if he were involved. She shook her head and Bella kept talking, but Marnie wasn’t able to listen. Benji certainly had had a lot of money available to make that Winterfest possible, and he hadn’t exactly said where he’d gotten it. Feeling guilty for ignoring her friend, Marnie looked back up and tried to pay attention.

“We don’t know what to do. The police are not hopeful that they’ll be able to find any of what was stolen.. and a violin like that would be easily sold on the black market, apparently. We will likely never see it again.” Bella continued, looking morosely at her friend. “I don’t know why someone would DO this?!”

Marnie swallowed. Her friend needed her. It had been so long since Marnie had had a friend who actually needed support from her, and she truly wanted to help. But the thought of giving up her own son.. that hurt. Trying to decide between her new friend and her son, Marnie tuned out the next couple minutes of dialogue. Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore.

“You know, Bella..” Marnie broke into her friend’s miserable monologue, “Benji came into a lot of cash around Winterfest. He wouldn’t say where he got it, and he has been known to steal. Maybe I could ask him about your robbery. Perhaps, if he were involved, we could at least get back your violin?” Marnie smiled, as if she’d just come up with the best solution in the world.

Bella looked at her in utter astonishment. “You think just getting back the violin would be enough?? No way, we’re prosecuting whoever did this to the full extent of the law!!”

Marnie’s jaw dropped for a moment. She hadn’t thought things through, apparently. Suddenly, she realized that she could very well have just gotten her own son into a huge amount of trouble. “No, if it was Benji, I’m sure he didn’t mean any harm!!” she exclaimed, worried. “If he could just return the things, it’s no harm done, right??”

Bella shook her head, and gave Marnie an accusing look. “You’re naïve if you think that would solve the problem.” She stood up, and called to her son. “Alexander! We must go! Now!”

Alexander looked up from his science table, and immediately ran to grab his coat and follow his mother out the door. He looked apologetically at his club friends, but clearly his mother’s distress was more important than taking a moment to say goodbye.

Myles looked up from his very interesting book on Vampire Lore, surprised by the sudden departure. Seeing the stricken look on his mother’s face, he rushed to her side to give her a hug. “What’s wrong, Mom? Are you okay?”

“I think.. I messed up.” Marnie said absently, but then refused to say anything else about the matter. “We should go home…”

Obediently, Myles ran to get their coats, and say goodbye to his friends.

---

It was a miracle that the police chief was still at the station when Bella Goth stormed through the front doors, demanding to see the officer in charge.

“Mrs. Goth! What a surprise! What can I do for you??” Police Chief, Scott Barrier asked pleasantly.

“I must talk with you. I have a possible lead on our case!” Bella said, urgently, looking around the empty waiting room nervously.

“Certainly, Mrs. Goth, Lets go to my office?” Scott replied. standing up to lead her towards the gate by the reception desk.

She followed obediently, and took a seat in front of his impressive desk. “My friend Marnie Malone mentioned something tonight that I knew you needed to know about. Apparently her son, who has a history of stealing, came into a large amount of money around Winterfest…”

“Oh? Really? … What’s her son’s name?” the chief asked, shuffling some papers on his desk as if looking for something.

“Benji Malone. He just recently moved to San Myshuno after graduating high school..” Bella said, trying to hide how very upset she was.

“Benji, huh?” Finding the file folder he’d apparently been looking for, Scott pulled out a paper and wrote down some notes. “I very much appreciate your tip. I assure you, we will investigate this .. Benji?.. along with our other leads, ma’am. Is there anything else?”

“I’m afraid not. Have any of your other leads looked promising?” Bella asked, wringing her hands together.

“I’m afraid I can’t divulge that information at this time, Ma’am. I promise, we’re doing everything we can, though.” Scott said, standing up to escort her back to the waiting room. “I advise you to go home and get some rest. It’s late. Try not to worry.”

Bella sighed, and grabbed her purse, following Scott to the front door. “Thank you, Scott, for taking the time to see me.” She said, then headed wearily to her car, parked haphazardly in the handicapped parking space.

OS: Day Sixteen < | Challenge Home Page | > OS: Day Eighteen

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 was unavailable, and Marnie was cleaning (as usual), that he’s find some flour and paint and make a mess on the floor downstairs.

The boys (Myles, Phoenix, and Myles’ best friend Max), were pretty much trying to ignore Bennie.. but it was definitely hard. Despite the fun of the game, it was apparent Bennie was trying to write a new comedy sketch. Only – this time, it seemed to be about his own family. Specifically, about Jaz trying (and failing) to “come out” as non-binary.

The boys, feeling awkward, finished the game, and went to find something to eat – but said nothing to Bennie.

By the time Jaz came upstairs, Bennie had gone to take a break, so Jaz never found out. Max thought about trying to warn Jaz, but – to be honest, he didn’t really know what non-binary was, and felt a bit scared about showing his ignorance. So he stayed quiet and went to find his friends.

Jaz, on the other hand, was done with homework, had enjoyed a bowl of tasty cheddar popcorn, and was playing with a pink dinosaur. They were having a great day. In fact, Jaz was on a high, really feeling confident about themselves and their new (if mostly secret) pronouns. Knowing what they were and WHO they were was a really comforting feeling, and even if everyone didn’t know yet, Jaz truly felt that things were finally going to work out for them… eventually.

OS: Day Fifteen < | Challenge Home Page | > OS: Day Seventeen