Posted Dec. 1, 2021, 3:22 a.m. by Civilian Patrice Wesley-Grey (Resident) (Russell Watt)
OOC: What you are about to read happens on Earth … 12 year old Patrice is turning 13 soon and that means … party time! Patrice has just told all of her classmates that she’s going to have a party for her 13th birthday and that they are all invited! Of course, everyone is excited, especially Evan, the boy next door who she has had a crush on forever. We pick up the action in the aftermath of the invitation, and Patrice is in a brand new dress …
Like Patrice, all her friends are 12 becoming 13, and it is a time of great change as everything that was normal has changed and is no longer normal for them.
We’ve all been there, some of us closer than others … I was there back in 1987, so yeah a little while ago. Let’s get done with the exposition and on with the action. We pick up the action with Patrice and Evan and their friends …
IC:
“… so the folks have said it can be done on the back deck at the house overlooking the bay. Awesome food, amazing views, brilliant entertainment and wonderful friends, and some places for some more intimate catchups.”
Dark hair blue eyed Evan, yet to hit his growth spurt openly was openly admiring Patrice and her dress, “Oh Patrice, your 13th birthday is gonna rock! Love the dress! I got you something special for your thirteenth birthday.”
The male classmates near him overheard the comment and looked at each other and then at Evan, “DUDE!!” they said in unison, fist pumping him and carrying on like early adolescents.
“What?” Evan said, “I know she’s learning Klingon next year and she’s concerned about it … for me, I just hope I can get through without my voice” his voice breaks at that point, “breaking.”
“Yeah, sure,” Brad, one of the other boys in the group said, he had already been through some ofthe changes including the growth spurt, “I just wnat to know how I can lose 20 pounds by Friday to make weight. But, yeah, keep telling yourself its just the Klingon lessons, dude.”
“Oh Patrice, you know Evan’s getting you something special for your birthday, don’t you?” that was Louise, Patrice’s best friend, “maybe that wonderbra.”
“You’re the one after the wonderbra, Louise, not me,” Patrice said smiling at her friend, “if I can get through Klingon that’s all I want. I’ve never been good with languages, particularly that one.”
“Oh sure, Patrice,” Louise replied with a laugh, “tell yourself that all you want, we all know better, don’t we girls?”
The other girls in unison sang, “Patrice and Evan sitting in a tree, each and every one of us wish it was me!”
“Though in the case of Barb, she’d be in the tree with Patrice, not Evan,” another girl said.
Barb, the girl in question nodded and said, “truth. Any time Patrice, any time.”
Patrice blushed at the attention, and looked to make sure Evan didn’t hear the banter, he seemed to be engaged in some kind of rowdy discussion with the other guys. Satisfied, she turned back to the girls, “Oh you guys, plenty of me to go around, you know that. So yeah, the party has Rock the Horta performing live - mum and dad organised them a long time ago for it. Catering by Master Butcher Quonos as well, its going to rock so much … it is going to be absolutely perfect … you all there, me, Evan, the other boys. Nothing could possibly going wrong …”
Oh dear, why did Patricia have to say that? Hasn’t she seen teen tv shows or movies. And what happens when the protaganist says that, or something very similar to that? In her case, the thing that went wrong was her communicator chirped, her action to listen to the call was the second mistake she made. She wondered for several years thereafter what would have happened had she simply not listened to that call. But she was a good girl and she wouldn’t do that. Besides, it was her mum, and at 12 one did not simply ignore a communication from your mother, particularly when she’s arranged a 13th birthday party for you.
Patrice =}{= Hey mum, =}{=
Patrice’s mum =}{= Hi Patrice =}{=
Patrice =}{= What is it? Dad’s not sick is he? =}{=
Patrice’s mum =}{= No, nothing like that, but we do have some news for you =}{=
Patrice =}{= What? =}{=
Patrice’s mum =}{= We’re moving. =}{=
Patrice =}{= Oh, to another city nearby? That’s ok =}{=
Patrice’s mum =}{= No, not nearby, actually not even in North America =}{=
Patrice =}{= Oh, just to another continent on Earth? I’m sure people would still come to the party =}{=
Patrice’s mum =}{= Actually we’re moving offworld. =}{=
Patrice =}{= But still in the solar system, right? Sure that’ll make it a bit more difficult for them all to make it but some will make it, and I’m sure that the Master Butchers can cook and carve the meat just as well on any of the planets in the slar system. =}{=
Patrice’s mum =}{= Well actually, we’re not going to be remaining in the solar system either. =}{=
Patrice =}{= Vuclan then? I know dad always liked the idea of visiting Vulcan some day. Though I wonder if they’d allow Rock the Horta to play there. =}{=
Patrice’s mum =}{= No dear, not Vulcan either. Listen, just let me tell you. We need a fresh start. We’re moving across the Federation to Fleet 6, and a planet on the outskirts of the Federation, Oed V. =}{=
Patrice =}{= a place named for a dictionary? Seriously mum? Can’t I just stay here? =}{=
Patrice’s mum =}{= No, dear, you can’t just stay here. They have a school, a hospital, and they are covered by domes. It’ll be fun =}{=
Patrice =}{= But … my school … my friends … my party … =}{=
Patrice’s mum =}{= And we leave tomorrow first thing. Things are being packed as we talk. Sorry dear, but this is for the best, it is to keep us safe. =}{=
Patrice =}{= NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. =}{=
Patrice began to sob as she removed her hand from her communicator. Evan and Louise looked at each other and then at Patrice. They heard snippets of the conversation Patrice had with her parents and knew it couldn’t have been good news.
“Sit here, and rest your head on my shoulder,” Evan said to her.
“The party’s off, Evan,” Patrice said without preamble, “mum and dad are moving away from here. I want to kill my mum.”
“That’s strange, even for you, Pat,” Louise told her, “tell us, what do you mean?”
Patrice sobbed, but she got out her tale, “As you know, I’m just another cool kid, living here on earth, the Academy, Golden Gate Bridge, just how good does it get?”
“We live here as well, Patrice,” Louise said, “we know how sweet life is here by the bay.”
“Louise, let her finish,” Evan said quietly to her, holding the sobbing Patrice in his hands.
“That call just now from mum? She tells me that we are leaving tomorrow for some distant run down planet called Oed V. It is totally unfair! Don’t they know I need to be here with all of you? Don’t they know I have a party coming up? Don’t they know?”
“You aren’t making any sense, ‘Trice,” Louise said, “why would your parents do that to you, to us?”
“She said they got into trouble, and their suppliers are upset and we’re in danger and we need to move to be safe,” Patrice said, sobbing. Evan continued to hold her during the storm of her tears.
“Maybe we can still do something special for you Patrice…” Evan said softly, his heart breaking, “we’ve still got what … 16 hours?”
“What can we do in 16 hours, Evan?” Patrice asked, “no, its all ruined and I’m just about to turn, just about to turn, just about to turn Thirteen!”
She untangled herself roughly from Evan half pushing him to the ground.
He went to go after her, but felt an arm on his shoulder. He turned and saw Barb.
“Don’t go, Evan, Louise” Barb said, “you’re both too close to her. She might say something to you that you both regret later.”
“You, why you?” Louise asked, “you aren’t exactly the msot comforting person, sorry Barb, but its true.”
“Because I can listen and I don’t judge, and there’s nothing that can be said to me here that hasn’t been said before. My feelings are shielded , some say I have no feelings, but that’s not true, I’ve just … become immune. Besides, didn’t I hear you say something about a party and 16 hourse? I can’t plan that, but I can see to Patrice.”
Patrice, almost a teenager
With her school friends, including Evan, Louise, Barb and Brad
and her mother, bearer of bad news
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