Secrets Pt. 1
"Bye, dad, see you later." Dede kissed her dad's cheek as goodbye before she put her hat on and raced for the door.
"Bye, gumdrop. Don't forget you need to be straight home after school to pack for this weekend." Keith says, putting the newspaper he was reading down, to look at his daughter.
"This weekend?" Dede stopped, looking back at Keith.
"We're spending the weekend at your grandmothers, remember." Keith teased.
"Oh...yes, of course, I remember. Bye." Dede ran out of her home to get to her bike as Keith's laughter followed her. When she reached school she chained up her bike and ran to meet her friends on the playground, only to see Spinelli sitting on the cheese box and the others surrounding her. "Hey, what's up?"
"Don't know, Spinelli was waiting for you so she could tell us." TJ said, looking at Dede before turning back to Spinelli.
"Well, you see, I was at the breakfast table putting on my boots and picking through a box of crusher krispies, and that's when it happened." Spinelli said.
"What happened?" Asked Vince.
"The toy surprise was missing from your box." TJ guessed.
"Worse than that." Said Spinelli. "My mum tells me that after school today, she's taking me to that new museum."
"The glamour puss museum of make up, wigs and pantyhose?" Asked Gus.
"Bingo." Spinelli confirmed as the others gasped as she jumped down from the cheese box. "I think it's another of my mum's plans to make me more girly and junk."
"My heart goes out to you, Spinelli." TJ resting his hand on her shoulder.
"I was thinking it'd be a lot less boring looking around at all that lipstick and fru fru girlie junk if someone was there to, kind of, hang out with me. "
"Who....? Oh, no, I'm not going in that place." Vince backs out straight away.
"Yeah, I'm kind of busy." TJ excused.
"I've got my reputation to worry about." Said Gus.
"Thanks, guys, but I was hoping Dede and Gretchen could come." Spinelli looked at the other girls of the group with a hopeful smile.
"Well, though I seldom pass up a museum, a cosmetics museum doesn't exactly sound like my cup of tea." Said Gretchen.
"You gotta help me. I need another kid around so I can goof off and be myself." Begged Spinelli. "I'll be bored out of my skull if you don't come. Please."
"Oh, for you.... Why not." Gretchen agrees. "It'll be a girls day out."
"Yes, Gretch, you are awesome. And of course you're coming too, right, Dede?"
"Unfortunately, I can't." Dede said making the others look at her, shocked by her decline.
"What? But you never decline an outing with friends." Said TJ.
"I know and I feel bad not being able to hang out with you both, but I'll be leaving to spend the weekend with my nana, so I gotta get home to pack as we're leaving as soon as school gets out tomorrow. I'm sorry Spinelli."
"Nah, don't sweat it, you're always doing things for me. Me and Gretchen will have a great time together." Spinelli said, putting her arm around Dede's shoulders just before the bell rang. At the end of the day the group of seven all split up to go do their own things, when Dede got home she greeted her parents before running upstairs to her room to go and pack.
"You seem really excited." Asked Lapis as she sat on the bed, watching Dede drag her small suitcase down from the top shelf of her closet.
"You bet. I haven't seen my nana in awhile." Dede put her suitcase on her bed and opened it before turning back to her closet.
"I'm coming with you, aren't I? It's my birthday this weekend and I was told I can go on my trial mission with you this year. If you're away I'll have to wait until you get back before I can join you, I didn't like that pet hotel I got put in last time you went on a family vacation."
"Of course, I'd never leave you alone on your birthday and I know you've been waiting to start going on missions, besides nana lives on a farm so she doesn't get much foot traffic, so it should be ok."
"So, you're going to help her on the farm?"
"Not quite, you see every couple months Nana hosts a youth group for kids of any age to enjoy. We learn all sorts of things, from arts and crafts to dance, it's a lot of fun." By now Dede had finished packing and was sitting on her suitcase to help close it. "We even have a few night activities like playing flashlight tag or just sitting around a campfire telling stories and eating s'mores."
"S'mores?" Lapis tilted her head as she watched Dede struggle to close the suitcase.
"A delicious treat made with gram crackers, roasted marshmallows and chocolate."
"Oh, that sounds nice, you'll give me some, right? Right?"
"Haha, of course. Ah finally." Dede stood up as she managed to get her suitcase closed. Dede grabbed the handle of her suitcase and hurled it off the bed and made her way downstairs to put it in the foyer, next to her parents' ones and walking into the kitchen to see her parents there. "Hey, mum, do you need any help with supper?"
"That'd be lovely, thank you jewels." Crystal said as Dede put an apron on.
"Look at my girls, wearing matching aprons, so cute." Keith gushed looking at the mother daughter duo.
"Yeah, she'd make a cute house wife in the future, right?" Crystal leaned closer to Keith with a teasing smirk, as Keith's smile dropped and his eyes widened.
"NO, not a chance, my cupcake is never allowed to get married. Besides If they can't cook for themselves, then my lollipop shouldn't have to look after them."
"But, dad, you can't cook either." Dede said as she was washing her hands.
"I'm the exception, right honey?"
"Of course dear." Crystal smiled as she kissed his cheek before going back to helping Dede make supper.
"Oh yeah, can Lapis come with us this weekend?" Dede said after all four sat at the dining table to eat, Lapis included, as Dede stroked her head. "It's her birthday on Saturday and I don't want to leave her alone in a pet hotel, she doesn't like them."
"I don't see why not. Your grandma is looking forward to meeting her, when I told her you got Lapis she seemed really excited." Crystal replies as Dede and Lapis smile at each other.
After supper was finished the three humans of the family got to cleaning up, with Keith and Dede doing the dishes and Crystal cleaning the table. Just as they were finishing up and discussing what movie they wanted to watch, the phone rang.
"Hello?" Crystal said as she picked up the phone. "Oh, hello Ashley dear, what can I do for you? Yes, she's right here. Jewel, Ashley is after you."
"Thanks mum, hey Spin, what's up?" Dede grabbed the phone and sat on a bar stool.
"This night has been nothing but a disaster." Spinelli groaned.
"Huh?? Why??? aren't you hanging out with Gretchen?"
"That's why it's a disaster!"
"What'd you mean?"
"All afternoon she's been showing me up, either with singing, fixing the tv or even saying that the black olives I put into the Spinelli family spaghetti causes heartburn."
"Why would she do that? Show you up, I mean."
"Cause she's trying to steal my parents."
"Huh?"
"I left the room, after Gretchen decided to show off some more on the piano, making sure to slam the door, but none of them have even bothered to come check on me, it's like I don't even exist. Can I stop at Yours tonight, please."
"Of course, you're always welcome here. We can play video games in my room as you explain everything to me in full detail."
"Thanks Dee, it's good to know I have one true girl friend."
"I'm sure everything may just be a simple misunderstanding. We'll figure it all out when you get here. See you soon."
"Yeah, See you soon, Dee, thanks again." With that both girls hung up.
"Everything okay?" Keith asked at seeing Dede look down.
"I'm not sure, Spinelli's on her way over to spend the night, that's okay, Isn't it?." Dede said, looking at her parents.
"Sure, she's always welcome, but why?" Crystal asked.
"Well, Spinelli was spending the afternoon with Gretchen at that make up museum and apparently something's happened, it's really upset her."
"Gretchen? Oh, the smart girl of your group?"
"Yep, that's the one."
"I best go and pick up Ashley, I don't want her walking all this way in the dark." Keith said as he grabbed his car keys and left the house.
"I best ring up Flo and Bob, and let them know so they don't worry." Crystal took the phone from Dedes hand and gave them a call and explained that Spinelli was on her way to theirs for the night, making Flo and Bob sigh in relief as they finally noticed that she wasn't in the house anymore.
After about fifteen minutes they heard a car door close before the house door opened and Spinelli walked in with Keith behind her.
"Look who I found." Keith cheered like he won a big prize, making the others chuckle at him.
"Thanks dad, we're gonna head on up to my room, play a few games before bed." Dede said before she gave her parents both a kiss on the cheek. "Goodnight, love you both."
"Thanks for letting me stay the night, Mrs Crystal, Mr Keith, I don't mean to be a bother." Spinelli smiled as she stood next to Dede.
"Nonsense, Ashley, you are never a bother. Now you both have a goodnight." Crystal kissed both girl's cheeks.
"Don't stay up too late now, you still have school tomorrow." Keith ruthled their hair before they ran up to Dede room with Lapis on their heels.
When they got to Dedes room, Dede gave Spinelli a spear pair of PJs before the three lay on the bed as Spinelli and Dede got really to play some street fighter. During the game Spinelli explained everything that had happened that afternoon to Dede and the two spoke most of the night before they fell asleep. The next morning we see the two girls laughing as they walked to school, but that laughter was cut short as Spinelli caught sight of Gretchen walking with their other friends and her mood soured again.
"Oh great, it's her." Spinelli grumbled.
"Oh, Spinelli, thank goodness. I've been so worried about you." Gretchen said as Spinelli stormed past her.
"Worried I might not croak soon enough for you to steal my parents?" Spinelli turned to look at her.
"Steal your parents? But I have two perfectly good parents at home."
"I guess that's why you kept showing off in front of them and making me look like a total loser."
"Showing off? That certainly wasn't my intention."
"So you ruined my life by accident? Well, don't worry. You won't accidentally get to do that ever again cause I only ever invite friends over to my house, and I don't want to be your friend anymore!" Spinelli turned and walked away, scaring a few students on her way.
"Wow. You must have really ticked her off last night." Said Vince.
"Yeah, Spinelli came to mine and she was really angry and upset." Dede said joining the others.
"But I didn't do anything at Spinelli's house that I wouldn't do at my own house." Gretchen replies to Dede.
"And that right there is the problem."
"I don't follow?"
"Most mums and dads don't see that genius kid achievements stuff up close, so when you were there doing all these things that most kids can't do, it was making Spinelli feel bad about herself."
"I didn't think of it like that, I should apologise."
"Hey, it's not your fault." Said Vince.
"Sure isn't, Vince. Gretchen, I'd say it's time you made another visit." Said TJ as he explained his plan to Gretchen.
With that, the day progressed quite differently then normal, with Dede staying by Spinelli's side, with the exception of having to tell king Bob that she couldn't meet him this Saturday for him to play with Lapis because of going away, and the others were with Gretchen, fine tuning the plan, that by the time the end of the day came, they were all glad to be going home. When school let out we see Dede standing next to her dads car with Spinelli, giving her a hug.
"I'll give you a call later, see how you're doing." Dede said as they broke the hug.
"I'll be fine, enjoy your weekend." Spinelli said before she walked off and Dede waved at her other friends that were by the school doors, before she got into the car and left for her grandmother's.
After a couple hours of driving, with Dede in the backseat playing Pokemon on a gameboy, with Lapis on her lap watching, and Keith and Crystal up front chatting amongst themselves, they pulled up to a nice modest house, with a barn off to the side and a big silo in the back. Standing outside of the house is an elderly lady with grey hair and green eyes, this is Beatrice King, mother of Keith King, mother-in-law to Crystal King nee Barrett and grandmother of Candy King.
"Nana!" Dede yelled as she ran out the car to hug her grandmother.
"Well, well, look at how much you've grown." Beatrice said as she pulled back from the hug to look at her granddaughter.
"Mum, it's been awhile." Crystal came to hug her next, then Keith.
"What's for dinner Ma, I'm starving." Keith said after he pulled away.
"Beef tongue, enough for all of us." Beatrice replies, chuckling as crystal and Keith both pull a face, which makes Dede laugh as well.
"That's gross." Dede said when she finished laughing.
"Gross? Hahaha, just wait till you taste it."
"You.... You can't be serious?" Asked Crystal.
"Go on, girl, go out back and get some wood for the stove. Me and the gloomy Gus's here have to get the tongue ready." With that Beatrice dragged both adults away as Dede looked back into the car, seeing that Lapis had fallen asleep, decided to leave her be for now and ran out back to grab the wood.
During her time gathering the wood she could hear Keith screaming in the background with buzzing following, making Dede giggle as she took the last of the wood Into the house, making sure to call up Spinelli to see if the plan worked; it did, before she left the house to grab Lapis.
"What was that noise?" Lapis yawned as she stretched, hearing a voice scream out.
"That was dad, being chased by bees, I believe." Dede said as she and Lapis walked into the kitchen, only to see Beatrice at the cooker and Crystal wrapping up Keith's finger.
"Thanks for getting the wood dear. Now who's this little one?" Beatrice said, bending down to stroke Lapis' head.
"This is Lapis, she's a very good friend of mine."
"Oh, what type of breed is she?" Beatrice asked with a knowing look.
"Uhhh... a rare blue haired species from... uh the kingdom of Achu? I was allowed to keep her after I found her on the streets. Hehehe."
"The kingdom of Achu, huh? That's very interesting. now be a good girl and get the fine dishes from the attic."
"Ok, nana." Dede ran up the stairs of the attic and opened a chest, grabbing the plates out of it before she turned to leave. As she was about to start her descent back down stairs she was stopped by a familiar beeping. "Huh?" Looking at her bracelet she could see that it wasn't lighting up like it normally does, so she looked behind her where the beeping had come from, only to see a small box on a desk, sitting next to an old framed photograph of three young women all in Hawaiian hula outfits, with a flower necklaces and a bracelet. Dede set the plates down and opened the box, only to gasp as she saw a bracelet very similar to her own, only purple. "No, it can't be." She denied before putting the bracelet back into the box, grabbing the plates and only looked back when the beeping started again, ignoring it and went back to the kitchen.