"There's a video."
"No there isn't. The twins are lying through their teeth again just to get cookies from us. Don't listen to them Scar."
"Oh I know but I also know that since Jade is Clara she will have to smile on stage like a happy child so it's bound to happen." I responded rather optimistically. Clary rolled her eyes and turned back to her roller skates.
"There are multiple chances for us to see her smile. Last rehearsal does not have to be the time to see Jade made a complete scene for the entire studio." Clary responded assuredly but I couldn't agree.
"Dude, the chance of us ever seeing her act on stage is already small thanks to this. "I said pointing toward my roller skates still tightly tied to my feet. She looked at me for a solid moment before looking back at her feet and silently pulling off her last skate.
"Do you think Olive will still let us dance if we keep missing her rehearsals?" I asked meekly as my right foot finally was taken out of the skate. Clary chuckled to herself.
"You know the answer to that one already Scar. Why would you want to hear the answer allowed?" I made a mumbled answer of I-don't-know and I-don't-believe-it. Thankfully, Clary got my drift.
"Scar if you feel bad about skipping rehearsal then why don't you just drop roller derby? I'm sure the girls will understand." That made me turn and glare at my sister.
"Oh really Clary? Do you honestly believe that piece of bullshit that you just said?" This made her laugh although her attention was no longer on her skates or me but rather her phone.
"Okay fine. Fine. If you're feeling so bad about all of this, why don't we skip this next week's derby rehearsal, alright? It will even everything out." I nodded and continued to chuck my left roller skate as far from my aching legs as possible.
"Who are you texting?" I asked. Claire gave me a side look making me quirk up in a small smile.
"Tell him I say hi."
"Fuck off."
"Make me." Clary shifted herself to face me completely with one of her roller skates in her hands.
"I will bash your head in. Don't think I won't. Then I can gloat that I am the prettier twin." This made me roll my eyes and retreat to grabbing my left skate from across the room.
"So was that text really from him?" I asked.
"No. Mom wants us to pick Aria up from school. Supposedly, she is still there practicing for the school play auditions." I turned back around, skate in hand, and gave my sister a knowing look.
"You don't honestly think she's going to get the part, do you?" Scar shrugged.
"At least she's found another outlet to focus her energy on. We don't need another mishap like last year." I returned to my black candy bag and dropped my skates in before pulling the bag over my shoulder.
"I still say we make the twins cookies for that video." Clary rolled back on her feet with a sigh but otherwise said nothing to the negative, making my plans for making butter cookies with frosting solid.
Todd POV
"Hey! Wait up guys!" I turned around to see the one and only Phil running awkwardly down the slope to where we now stood waiting for him.
"You made it!" David called out in greeting as Phil slowed to a walk next to us.
"He was still late." Andrew muttered causing Phil to frown and Dan to momentarily glare.
"It's nice to see you back Phil." I started. "How was the master class?"
By this point we all decided to start walking again and Phil started to walk in step next to me and Dan.
"The teacher was harsh but I didn't hurt myself for once which is good." Phil replied optimistically.
"For once.." Dan mirrored allowed, making Phil look down at his shoes grinning.
"Where are we going?" Andrew asked from behind me. Seeing as it was a bit obvious, I decided to ignore the fucker. David on the other hand, didn't.
"We are going to Todd's art studio. He told us this already Andrew!" This was said a bit excitedly making both myself and Dan exchange looks.
"If that was the case, why are we heading into the woods?" Andrew asked, rather obnoxiously.
"I lied. I'm bringing you all as my victims for sacrificing in my new cult." I responded dead-tone as I jumped up onto one of the dead trees laying parallel to the ground. In my side vision I saw David stutter in his walking pattern while Dan only smirked my way and kept on walking.
Andrew on the other hand was momentarily turned off until we reached the bridge. Once he saw the bridge, Andrew opened his wide trap again.
"Why is there a fucking bridge in the middle of the forest?"
"Actually Andrew, If you noticed the Welcome Post a few blocks back you would understand that we are walking into a neighborhood highly guarded by trees.."
"Shut up Dan." Andrew broke in making Dan smudgy walk it off. David and Phil on the other hand were very interested now as to where this "art studio" was. I was only, too happy to show them.
Once we had reached the bridge, I took off up the ramp and then proceeded to jump over the railing. The response to this action was a miniature scream made by David most likely, and the quickly steps of the other three as they checked to see if I had seriously just committed suicide.
"I'm not dead you idiots. Jump on over." I called up to them.
"You're crazy!" Andrew called from above. There was some movement and then a solid shape dropped and landed smack into what was left of the creek.
Andrew.
"Of course you would be the first to jump." I muttered to Andrew who acknowledged my praise with a shrug before following me under the bridge.
It took the other three five minutes to finally jump and David only jumped because Dan and Phil had decided to finally go.
"Congratulations on making us commit fake suicide Todd. Can you stop fucking around with us?" Andrew asked not so politely.
"Don't be such a wuss Andy. Can't you see Todd is having an artistic moment?" Dan said rather stupidly making me turn around and chuck my flash light at him.
Thankfully for Dan, he had great reflexes and caught the sucker. I turned back to my backpack that was now on the ground and took out another flashlight. By this time, Dan had flickered on the flashlight and was pointing it at the wall of the bridge.
"What the-" Andrew muttered.
"Did you do that, Todd?" Phil asked in awe. I shrugged.
"Welcome to my studio, boys."
"This is fucked up." Dan said rather happily. I was eyeing all their faces with tense glances. It was not normal of me to show others my street work. But then again, they had always asked to see what I did in my free time apart from hanging out in everyone's basements on video game rants.
David looked back to my backpack that was now blended into the mucked floor of the bridge.
"Is that where you hide it all?" I grinned and turned to my bag once more, this time drawing out three spray paints in green, red and blue.
"I'm not spray painting this bridge." Andrew stated sourly. I rolled my eyes.
"Like I would let you Andy." This caught Andrew by surprise while making the others scoff.
I turned back to the wall of the bridge that was already pretty full of doodles. The finished master piece was far from finished and yet I was not sure where else I could paint.
Seeing a small corner to the far edge of the wall, blank, I took off the blue cap and started to shake the bottle.
"So what are we going to do now?" Andrew asked. Dan, being the smart ass, was already ruffling through my bag until he drew out four bottles of Lone Star beer.
"This is why we are friends. You always have something in your bag." Dan commented happily, as he passed out the other beers to my audience.
Fifteen minutes later and my groove for drawing was at full swing. The final outlines of the Skull on the wall was almost complete and that just left the excess blue lighting at the corner.
"Good for her for getting the part." Phil stated to the others. I had a feeling dance drama was going to come up in this talk sooner or later.
"Maybe so, but Lucy was not so happy. She obviously wanted the part." David cut in.
"Jade is a better dancer then Lucy. That's why she didn't get the part." Dan muttered in response.
"Jade has the better body too." Andrew added bluntly making me turn around for once. Seeing this, David looked over at my wall.
"Is it finished?" I shook my head, and walked over to my beer that stood near the boys.
"Then you agree with me over Jade huh?" Andrew guessed. This made me look up again at Andrew with a mixed response.
"I never said that. But I do question why you would be constantly judging those girls body types." I replied. Andrew shrugged nonchalantly.
"We are ballet dancers. It's a girl sport. Girls everywhere and the only guys to be seen normally or the gay ones so no rivals to deal with. It's paradise. Of course I am judging girls body types Todd." Andrew returned smugly.
"You're sick Andrew." Phil muttered, and David nodded in agreement.
"I'm glad that you don't have to dance with her anymore. Jade's obviously safer dancing with Todd then a total pervert like you, Andrew." Dan stated. Andrew only chuckled while I rolled my eyes.
"I didn't miss much, losing her as my partner. Alice is better and Jade's not the best partner. Right Todd?" At this point I had my back to everyone again and was staring down my graffiti but I could not concentrate thanks to the conversation.
"She's better than Alice. Just shy. Know the difference Andrew."
Andrew leaned back against the wall, not so cheery anymore and shrugged.
"Whatever you say fucker.
Cody POV
I finally pulled into our neighborhood. Only five minutes late. That's not too bad. I mean, yes the traffic was hell and my energy is low but at least the day itself went well.
Chris visited me for lunch so we obviously went out for wings. Although now, I may be regretting that just a bit. And Danny, my boss, was not a complete jack ass this afternoon so really, it's been a win win.
Now all I need is to be welcomed home by my sweet girls.
I parked my Ford into the garage and then continued to grab my bag from the side door. Looking over I noticed Sara was not home yet. Damn. That means I'm in charge of dinner tonight.
Maybe I could be a good husband and make chicken! Wait... I don't know how to cook chicken. Maybe Clary will know. She knows stuff.
I opened the door, expecting to see maybe one of my daughters in the kitchen studying for a test or drawing as I normally do. Not this time.
This time I may have judged how easy my evening was a little too early on.
The first thing that gave it away was how the door to the kitchen was shut firmly closed... and punk rock was blasting from the other side. That meant that the twins where there.
I walked over to the door and hastily opened it. All three of my girls were there. Two of which were hastily trying to decorate cookies that were hanging out on the cooling rack. Normally, the site of cookies from my daughters made me happy, but once I saw how well the kitchen was arranged after making said cookies, I lost it.
"Girls... what are you doing?" Like cats, all three girls turned toward me, completely stalk still. I opened my mouth to say some scary dad stuff when Scar started laughing. And then so did Clary. Aria smiled at me and then turned back to her notebook on the table.
"You're so cute daddy." Scar commented.
"Yeah, nice try but Mom still beats you by a mountain slide." Clary continued, turning back to icing her cookies in dark purple frosting.
I slumped onto the kitchen door and looked at the ceiling. I now realize how amazing Sara is at being Devil's advocate. For once I had no energy to deal with my daughters and was half tempted to run to my room and pass out on the bed but then I envisioned my wife coming home in a bad mood to find her daughters destroying her kitchen and then to go to her room and find her husband asleep like a baby.
Yeah my daughters are trouble, but Sara in full bitch mood is scary and I did not want to meet that side of Sara today.
So I did what was best and dropped my bag on the floor and walked over to the table where the cookies sat and tried to take one.
"DAD!"
"HANDS OFF SWIPPER NO SWIPPING!"
But even though they tried, I was a master at annoying people. So of course, I found myself with three cookies, two of which covered in purple frosting.
"Pretty purple flower cookies girls." I said before stuffing one in my mouth whole.
Scarlet glared my way while Clary started to pack up the left over cookies into a container.
"You girls make it seem that these are all not for me?" I stated sadly before stuffing another whole cookie in my mouth.
"They are not for home. They are for the twins."
There were two pairs of twins in my family. My sweet darling girls who make their father cookies whenever he asks and dances like pretty ballerinas... And then there were Elle's good for nothing little trouble makers that have a soft spot deep in my heart although they do cause trouble for even me at times.
The fact that my daughter's cookies were going to them did not go well with me at all.
"Supposedly the twins have news about Jade as Clara and the twins have to pay them back with cookies." Aria stated from the table. I looked over at her to see her blue eyes looking at me now. Her purple hair was tied up in a messy bun, a sign that she has been either stressed or busy. Or both. Either way, the fact that she has yet to go off about her acting career this evening is shocking.
I turned back to the twins though, with new information turning through my head.
"Jade got Clara?" The twins turned to look at one another like creepy Siamese twins, a trait Elle and I never followed along with and then glared my way.
"Dad we told you this two days ago at dinner." Scarlet informed me, placing her hands on her hips in a very Sara-like manner.
"And you remarked about how Jade was going to wear pink. Remember?" Clary asked, mirroring her sister's movement. I shook my head.
"Nope. No bells rung. But then again it was during dinner and two days ago we had meatloaf so there you go." I replied reasonably, causing my three daughters to roll their eyes and to my surprise, heard Aria mutter "Unbelievable. He remembers dinner from two nights back but not Clara news."
I was about to round on her when the phone rang. Like cats, we all froze and turned to the phone.
It was Aria who answered it, after happily hopping off her seat and quietly walking to the phone.
"Hello?"
I turned back to the twins and started motioning for one more cookie only to receive cold shoulders and glares in my direction.
It was like my daughters thought I was annoying or something.
"Oh, Hi mom!" Aria replied delighted. This made me freeze. The twins, noticing my movement, turned to me with questioning faces.
"You're going to be home in 15 minutes? Okay. Do you want to speak to dad?"
I turned to the twins and started pointing toward the dirty kitchen and then the fridge. Scarlet looked at me as if I was crazy but Clary read me like an open book.
"Don't tell me you are in charge of dinner for tonight." She half whispered, catching Scarlet on. I nodded dreadfully as Aria followed with "Okay. I'll give Dad the phone. Hold on."
Oh I'm fucked.
"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Scarlet whispered.
"I don't know! I saw cookies and my worries left my mind!" I said, now whispering and walking away from Aria as she came at me with the phone.
"No Aria! Tell Mom I'm busy." I ordered her. Aria glared my way before opening her trap and saying.
"Mom, Dad is running away from the phone. Would you like me to take a message?"
There was a silence where we all held our breath while Aria, the little traitor, blinked and then nodded.
"Okay mommy. See you soon!" With a final click, Aria ended the call and then looked at me.
"She says that she just got out of a Divorce meeting with a new couple she just got today and is now hungry. So basically, she is a brink away from being pissed off."
There was a silence before both the twins and I screamed: TRAITOR!" this made Aria roll her eyes.
"Oh come on. We can still do this. She is fifteen minutes away which means if we break up the tasks, we could get dinner on the table ten minutes after she gets home which she won't care about as long as dad gives her alcohol." The twins looked at one another and nodded in agreement while I looked at Aria with horror.
"You make my job sound easy. Your mother hates my choices in alcohol!"
Now it was all three of my daughters turns to roll their eyes at me before proceeding.
"Dad this is going to be fine. Just listen to me. Clary, start making the pasta. Scarlet you start the chicken for chicken parm. Mom loves that shit!"
"Language!" I cut in, again getting glares from all of my daughters.
"Don't be a fucking hypocrite dad." Scarlet said, giving me another look, before heading to the fridge.
"Dad. Stop worrying about how much I curse and instead go into the cellar and find the best red wine down there!" Aria replied, rounding on me. I raised an eyebrow up at her.
"Red wine? I was going to get beer..." Aria placed a hand on her head.
"Dad... your wife just walked through Seattle in three inch heels and a pencil skirt. She will not want to come home and drink a fucking beer with her hubby! Go get the fucking red!" I raised my hands in surrender.
"Okay, okay.. Jesus, when did you all become judgmental on beer!" Scarlet just pointed toward the door to the cellar, making their answer final.
When I came upstairs again, a few minutes later I was welcomed to a kitchen that was suddenly picked up. Aria was in the middle of sweeping the floor while Scarlet stood in front of the kitchen island with a knife in one hand and the other holding onto a block of cheese. Chicken sat in slabs on a sheet with bread crumbs rubbed all over. Clary was dumping pasta in a pot of boiling water.
I was never as proud as my girls as I was now. They were getting so much older..
"Dad! Quit day dreaming about butterflies and pour the wine. Mom is home in five minutes and you are still in that dirty shirt." Aria commented from the side of the kitchen. I looked down at my shirt surprised.
"What is wrong with my shirt?" I was again greeted by the most judgmental looks from all three of my daughters.
"Need we actually waste breath to say?" Clary asked, from the stove. I sighed, again seeing myself defeated and placed the wine on the island and started for my bedroom.
When I had changed into a clean polo shirt, I heard the garage door opening for an incoming car, making me run, full speed for the kitchen.
When I got there, I saw the wine already opened and two wine glasses poured a little generously with dark red wine. I saw Aria sitting again at the table reading her audition notes. Scarlet walked up to me and handed me a timer counting down.
"When that beeps, the chicken gets out of the oven. Got it?" I nodded stupidly making Scarlet smile and kiss my cheek and then skipped upstairs.
Clary followed after her, winking at me as she passed.
I saw the pasta already out of the pot and in a bowel ready to be served. The plates and cups were ready to be placed on the table and only the oven was making noise.
I took a deep sigh of relief and then moments later the door opened and in came a worked up Sara. I quickly grabbed the wine glasses and smiled, giving her a glass.
"Oh aren't you sweet. Thank you Cody. I thought you forgot dinner again." She said, giving me a quick kiss before walking back to our room with a glass of wine in her hand alongside her bag and coat.
Once she left the room I collapsed against the kitchen island and chuckled.
"Oh I did it." I muttered to myself happily.
"No you fucking didn't." Aria commented as she walked past the kitchen door.