WC: Interlude 1 < | Challenge Home Page | > WC: Day Eleven

It was Saturday. Club meeting day. Jaz woke up early, and decided to get some chores before the rest of the household was up and getting ready for the day. There were some puddles in the kitchen, who knows from what.. nothing was broken.. but nevertheless, Jaz got out the mop and got rid of them. The excitement bubbled inside them, because they knew they’d be able to finally see Colin again – as well as all the rest of their friends.

WC: Day Nine < | Challenge Home Page | > WC: Day Ten

Penpal Project: The weird-letter World

Marlin was just about to go to recess with the others, relieved that so far nothing had gone too horribly wrong -after all, it was his first day at middle school!- when something on the notice board caught his eye.
“Letters around the world – LGBTQIA+-friendly pen pals
Do you feel like you don’t belong? Like no one really understands? Different? Sign up and find others who feel just the same – and perhaps make a friend for life!”
He sighed. He really just wanted to be normal and accepted by the others -he’d seen what happened otherwise through Milo!-, and anyway, what was that weird garble of letters? LGTBCKA? But still. Something on this poster just spoke to him. The world did feel like a bubble to him where everyone had their place, girls and boys, and he was just… outside that bubble. Wrong.
And maybe, just maybe… maybe he’d be accepted there, should the others at school not warm up. He really didn’t understand them. It wasn’t even anything he had done. They’d had one look at his shoulder-long hair and snickered. “What, don’t you know what scissors are? You can use mine if you want, and at least try to look not-horrible…” But he liked his hair! It felt soft and shiny and when he turned his head, it swooshed a little. And then they seemed to follow weird rules nobody had told him about, when something was funny and when laughing was bad, how to greet each other, all that… so he just stuck out even more.

WC: Day Eight < | Challenge Home Page | > WC: Interlude 1

Jaz’s day started with a pell-mell run for the bus after sleeping through their alarm. They made it, though, so it all worked out okay.

WC: Day Seven < | Challenge Home Page | > WC: Day Nine

Jaz woke up early the next day, and was not surprised to see a cheerful Penny preparing to dash downstairs.

“What’s up, Penny? Why the rush?” Jaz asked, curious.

“Oh, I just want to check my email before school! Want to come down with me??” Penny asked, smiling broadly at Jaz.

Slightly surprised to be invited to something Jaz had assumed would be a private affair, checking one’s mail… Jaz stumbled over their words, “Um.. sure. Sure Penny. I’ll come with you.”

“Great!” Penny replied, and, to Jaz’s further surprise, grabbed Jaz’s hand and pulled them along with them down the stairs in their slippers and PJs.

WC: Day Six < | Challenge Home Page | > WC: Day Eight

The Application

Wendy was up at the crack of dawn, making some Breakfast Scramble for her house full of hungry sims.

By the time it was ready, everyone had managed to get themselves downstairs by the smell alone.

WC: Day Five < | Challenge Home Page | > WC: Day Seven

Learning to Be Normal

Jaz woke up and ran their hand through their hair, feeling the new lightness of the shorter cut. It felt weird. With a surreptitious look over to Penny’s bed, Jaz quickly ascertained that their room-mate had already headed downstairs for breakfast. Nobody had seen them fussing with their hair in the confusion of waking up. With a relieved sigh, that almost turned into a wry laugh – when had they suddenly become so worried about what others thought of them?? – Jaz rolled out of bed and stretched. A look through their side of the closet was sobering. Their new foster Mom had spent a fortune on them. How on earth was Jaz ever supposed to pay them back for this?? Clearly, there were a LOT of chores in Jaz’s future. Running a hand over the threadbare clothes they had brought from home, Jaz remembered the glee with which Penny had disposed of her old clothes, and wondered if they should do the same. However, these were one of the only things they had left from their previous life… and it felt weird to get rid of it. Peering around to make sure Penny hadn’t returned, Jaz pulled out her backpack and stowed the old clothes in there, out of everyone’s view. Nobody could make fun of her for keeping her nasty old clothes if they didn’t know about it, right?

Zipping up the backpack and stuffing it into the back of the closet, Jaz looked down at their brand new PJs, and, hearing the sounds from downstairs (not to mention the delicious smells), Jaz headed down for breakfast.

WC: Day Four < | Challenge Home Page | > WC: Day Six

Shopping

Jaz was up early before school, and found out they weren’t the only one awake. They tried to draw Timika into conversation, but all they got for their effort was a weird look, so Jaz just shut up and ate breakfast in silence. Jaz wondered what Timika’s story was, but didn’t feel like they could ask, so … silence it was.

Once breakfast was over, it was time to get ready for school, and at least there was Penny to talk to while doing that. Penny was about Phoenix’s age, an orphan, and apparently – until recently – they’d been in a home with mostly toddlers. Talking about them made Jaz feel even more lost without their siblings, and Penny empathized with them, remarking that she was glad she had no siblings to miss. Being moved to a new home was bad enough without feeling like they’d been ripped away from family. Jaz agreed with Penny sadly, and the two went out to wait for the school bus.

As the youngest in the house, and the only one to stay at home with Wendy during school hours, Jimmy was able to get a lot of attention during the day. Matt worked in the business industry, and between his paychecks and the payments from the foster agency, Wendy was able to be a stay at home parent like she really wanted to. After Layla, they had been unable to have another biological child, so the decision to become foster parents had been easy, really. So many kids these days were in need of a stable family life after falling on hard times.

After school, Jaz and the other kids all sat down to finish their homework. It was a rule in the house that homework had to be done before anything else, and it was one Jaz wholeheartedly approved of. Jaz was done first, and sat down for a moment to enjoy the peace and quiet of the house, wondering what to do with the rest of their afternoon. They decided that maybe they’d work on their Creativity aspiration, which needed Jaz to play with several different toys. With a sigh, Jaz got up and headed for the toybox they remembered seeing in Jimmy’s room.

“Oh, there you are, Jaz!” Wendy said cheerfully, “I was just coming to find you.”

“Oh? What for?” Jaz asked, hoping it wasn’t anything bad.

“I just talked to Penny, and I’m going to take her shopping. I thought maybe you’d like to get a bit of a makeover. I understand times have been rather hard lately, and I noticed your clothes aren’t the newest. Perhaps something new would be good?” Wendy asked, hoping Jaz wouldn’t take the offer wrong.

“Really?” Jaz replied, unsure of what really to say.

“Of course. We could make a whole afternoon of it. Maybe get hair cuts, if you are interested, and then go to Magnolia Promenade to see what we can find for new clothes.” Wendy replied with a smile.

“Magnolia…? Not the thrift store?” Jaz asked, astounded that they’d actually get to go shopping at a REAL store, not just get hand me downs or thrift store castaways.

Wendy chuckled, “No, honey. I meant new clothes.”

“I’ve never had new clothes.” Jaz commented quietly, then reached up to touch their shaggy hair, “And a haircut might be nice.”

“Well, let’s go then. Let me get my purse and keys. I’ll meet you at the car, okay?”

Jaz nodded, and went to find Penny excitedly.

After a short drive to the shopping district, they all got out of the car and followed Wendy into the store.

Both kids browsed for new clothes, surreptitiously looking at price tags. This was so much money, and both worried that this was just too much expense when there were other kids in the house. Wendy caught them, and told them to stop looking, and not to worry about it for today.

Jaz’s jaw dropped, and tried to not feel weird for doing actual shopping without being given a budget.

As if sensing a big sale, the saleslady came over, and insisted on helping Jaz and Penny find styles that would fit. Before long, even Jaz had gotten into the retail therapy, and happily picked out some new outfits that would fit closer with the boyish style they felt more comfortable with.

After picking almost a whole new wardrobe, Jaz felt horribly guilty about the total cost, but Wendy assured her that it was easily covered in the budget. They then went around the corner, to the salon – a place Jaz had NEVER been to. Marnie had always cut Jaz’s hair to save money. Not even sure what to tell the stylist they wanted, Jaz pored over style magazines until they found a style they felt would work. The style seemed more appropriate for a boy, which fit well with their new outfit style. Since Wendy seemed to be okay with it, Jaz sat nervously while the scissors snipped. When the stylist turned them around, Jaz’s jaw dropped. They looked so different! With a hesitant grin, Jaz showed Penny and Wendy, to resounding compliments. Both seemed to really like what Jaz had picked, to their relief.

The drive home in the dark was noisy, with all three of them chattering excitedly. Jaz had completely forgotten about calling Kayla. When Jaz finally remembered, they were already curled up in bed. Promising to try to call the next day, Jaz drifted off to sleep, happily fingering the ends of their new haircut and feeling so much older in their new pjs. Being able to get rid of that ridiculous rainbow bunny suit and slippers felt like actually growing up.

Bonus shot: Post-makeover Jaz

And: an outfit tour for both Jaz and Penny.

WC: Day Four < | Challenge Home Page | > WC: Day Six

WC: Day Three < | Challenge Home Page | > WC: Day Five

The Concert

Jaz woke up the next morning feeling far less disorientated than previous mornings. Perhaps they were getting used to their new home. Rolling over, Jaz, noted that Penny was already up and gone for the day, so Jaz decided it was probably past time to get up. Getting themselves dressed in their normal clothes, Jaz made a face at the thin-ness of the fabric. It had been getting close to time for another thrift shop run, but that seemed out of the realm of possibility now. Jaz wondered if they should mention it to their new foster mom. After a moment of thought, Jaz decided not to. Things were still tense, and asking something about money just seemed.. wrong.

All dressed, Jaz headed down to the living room, and found their new foster mom, Mrs. Judd, hanging out with her daughter, Layla – while Layla watched some questionable TV. Jaz said good morning, and Mrs. Judd immediately told Jaz to call her Wendy, and patted the spot next to her on the loveseat.

“How are you settling in, Jaz? Any problems so far?” Wendy asked in a friendly tone.

“Oh, no, Mrs. – I mean Wendy – things are going just fine. I just miss my brothers. Especially the twins. They were fun to play with.” Jaz replied, then continued, “I really appreciate you making room for me in your house, .. um. .. Wendy.”

“Oh, Jaz, you are so sweet. Of course we have plenty of room for you. Perhaps you should talk to your caseworker, Kayla, and see if it would be okay for you to get the numbers of your siblings. I am pretty sure they’re not in the office today since it’s a Sunday, but you could always call them tomorrow after school?” Wendy suggested.

Jaz paused, thinking about Colin mentioning the same thing. “I think I will do that. Thanks, Wendy. Is it okay if I go grab some breakfast?”

“Of course, sweetie! There’s some leftover pancakes on the stove, and they should still be warm.” Wendy replied with a smile, then got up and continued, “Here, I’ll go with you and make some bacon and eggs to go with them. We need to get some meat on your bones!”

Confused as to what “getting meat on your bones” meant, but unwilling to ask, Jaz followed quietly, equally unwilling to turn down freshly made food.

Layla shook her head to herself, wondering at her strange new housemate. This non-binary “they/them” thing was kind of weird, but Jaz certainly seemed like a sweet, genuine person. How sad they had lost their whole family in one really bad week.

Later that day….

The entire family packed up and headed to the park in the middle of Willow Creek. Jaz was handed a ticket for a concert, and looked at it curiously. They’d never been to a concert before. Heck – they’d never even heard of such a thing happen. This was terribly exciting.

Wendy immediately went to get some t-shirts, and some food for herself, while everyone else went to gather around the stage. Before long, the first performer showed up, and the music was … unreal. Jaz had never heard live music before, and this was amazing.

The whole evening was utterly magical. Jaz would never forget it. Jimmy, the toddler in the household, seemed to be stuck to Jaz’s side for most of the evening, and Jaz really didn’t mind. He reminded Jaz of Brett and Braydon. Which was both a good and a bad thing. Jaz decided they would definitely have to talk to Kayla at some point this coming week… because losing track of their brothers was out of the question in Jaz’s mind. Heck, Jaz even missed Phoenix, although telling him so wasn’t exactly high on their list of priorities.

Once they all arrived home, everyone filed silently off towards their own area of the house, focused on getting ready for bed and just falling into sleep as quickly as possible.

WC: Day Three < | Challenge Home Page | > WC: Day Five

WC: Day Two < | Challenge Home Page | > WC: Day Four

Leadership

To Jaz’s delight, the next day they were allowed to travel to Oasis Springs Desert Bloom Park for their club meeting. Above anything else, Jaz was really excited to spend some time with their best friend, Colin. It was hard to spend more than a few minutes together at school, so hanging out at club meetings was at the top of Jaz’s list of favorite things to do. After a big, relieved hug from Colin, they set out to enjoy the day.

They played some soccer, swung on the swings, and then played some Space Pirate. Then, Jaz noticed one of the newest club members, Pierce, seemed to be trying to get Jaz and Elsa’s attention.

Walking over to him, he hailed them enthusiastically, and asked them if Elsa had told them the news. Baffled, Jaz shook their head.

“I’m afraid to tell you, I’m going to have to leave the club. I am very glad for the offer to join, and you guys are amazing, but I know it’s currently kids – only, and my birthday’s coming up this week.” Pierce explained. “If it’s okay with you, I’d still like to be friends, though!”

“Oh.” Jaz replied, taking a moment to take all the information in. “I’d forgotten you were older that us, Pierce! I’ve had such a good time getting to know you. Good luck in high school!”

“Thanks a bunch, Jaz!” Pierce replied, and wandered off to talk to other club members.

Elsa, who appeared to have other things on her mind, asked Jaz if they had any ideas of who could replace Pierce in the club, now that there was an extra spot.

“Shouldn’t you be deciding those kind of things, Elsa?” Jaz asked, confused. “Aren’t you the leader?”

Elsa’s face fell. “Jaz, I really wanted to talk to you about that. I think, truly, you would be a better leader for the club at this point.”

“Wait. What??” Jaz asked, stunned. “You’re a great leader, Elsa, why would you want to step down?”

“Well, it’s no secret that I’m older than you by a year. That, and my parents are sending me across town to a private school, so I’m not sure I’ll be able to put my full attention into being a leader. I’m not leaving the club, and I’ll still try to make meetings on Saturdays, but.. yeah, I just think you should be the leader, not me. You’re the one everyone looks up to, after all.”

“I am?” Jaz squeaked.

“Definitely.” Elsa said, decisively, “I’ve already talked to everyone else, and they all agree you’re the best choice. So, what do you say?”

“Um… sure. I guess I can give it a whirl. At least I have your excellent leadership skills to pattern mine after.” Jaz replied with a smile, “I guess that’s why you were asking me who I thought would make a good new club member, huh?”

“Yep!” Elsa replied with a smile. “So, you have anyone in mind?”

Jaz thought for a moment, and then an idea occurred to them. “Give me a minute, I think I know who would be perfect.”

Jaz wandered away, made a quick phone call, then waited by the front of the park.

“Get this, Penny.” Jaz said excitedly when their foster sibling, Penny Forrester, arrived at the park. “There’s an open spot in the club. Would you be interested in joining?”

Penny broke into a smile, “I can’t believe that you’re asking me to join, of all people. I’d love to!”

“Cool!” Jaz replied, then pointed out the other club members, suggesting that Penny go get to know everyone.

Colin came over to congratulate Jaz on being club leader now, then, since nobody was around, he leaned in close to whisper, “So, we really need to talk, huh? My Dad got remarried and his new wife is already expecting. I feel like they’re replacing me and my other siblings, since we chose to stay with Mom. And.. seriously, what’s been happening with you to make you so cheerful? Is everything okay?”

“Things are great. In fact,” Jaz said, waving Penny over, “This is one of my new sisters, Penny. Penny, meet my best friend of all time, Colin.”

Penny broke into a smile, and greeted Colin happily.

“New sisters? Now I really need to know what’s going on!” Colin replied with a chuckle.

Jaz pointed at the chess tables, which were almost empty, and suggested a round of chess with some chatting on the side.

Colin readily agreed, and the two waved a temporary good bye to Penny, who seemed perfectly happy to go mingle with the other club members.

Jaz insisted on catching up with Colin’s life first, and Colin spilled all the details. He even mentioned that seeing Jaz doing so well as non-binary was inspiring him to maybe pursue coming out as trans. Jaz broke into a smile, and ran around the side of the table to give him a hug. “That would be amazing, Colin! Congratulations!”

Colin hugged Jaz tightly. “Now, I absolutely have to know. What happened to make you so much happier??”

Jaz launched into the whole sad story about Kayla Bliss and Gemma coming to the Malone’s “rescue”. Jaz expressed their worry about their other siblings, and even poor Marnie, in their new places, but especially how much Jaz was missing the twins.

“Why don’t you contact Kayla, and ask for their numbers, that way you can check up on everyone. Maybe you can even go visit them sometimes?” Colin suggested.

“Oh, Colin, what a great idea!” Jaz replied, “I didn’t even think of asking her.”

The conversation continued, the chess game ended (with Jaz as the winner), and Colin and Jaz joined the other club members for some more playtime.

By the end of the day, Jaz was exhausted, but happy. It had been a busy day, but by far the best part had finally been being able to catch up with Colin. After a big hug goodbye, Penny and Jaz headed home to Willow Creek, chatting happily about the day.

Wendy had food waiting for them, and they watched some cartoons while eating. Then, with tired but happy souls, both climbed the stairs to go to bed.

Author’s Note: Sorry I’m behind a few days, I’m working on catching up. I had a major inspiration slump this past week, and, on top of that, when I moved the kids to their new homes, I used the “adopt child” interaction on MCCC. Unfortunately, this resulted in EVERY relationship – family, friend, etc, being wiped from all the kid’s memories. By the time I noticed it, it was too late to revert the save. So it took AGES of painstaking work to fix the family and friend relationships for each and every Malone kid, which didn’t help my writer’s slump any. I’m happy to report, everything is now fixed, though, and inspiration is coming back (as evidenced by being able to finish writing this today. I will have another chapter up later, too.)

WC: Day Two < | Challenge Home Page | > WC: Day Four

Magnolia Promenade Recap < | Challenge Home Page | > Newcrest Recap

Week 5: (continued)

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.

Week 6:

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.

Week 7:

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.

Week 8:

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.

Week 9:

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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