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Sunday, September 23, 2018

Story 13: The More Things Change

Our story picks up with a slight overlap on last time.  John and Pocahontas have stepped aside to speak privately while Anakin and Roxy get acquainted.


John: You have got some gall, asking me to do this after making it clear that you hate my guts.

Pocahontas: I'm not asking for myself.  Anakin -- 

John: Like Anakin's the first new kid in school ever.  

Pocahontas: The boy's been carried hundreds of miles away by a total stranger.  Yes, it was at his mother's request, but it's still pretty traumatic.  It's almost like he's been kidnapped.

John:  I'm assuming he came from your long lost father?

Pocahontas: God only knows how many other siblings I've got out there.  He ran out on Anakin's mom when he was a toddler, she's got drug problems, and for some reason she thinks he's better off with me just because we share DNA. 

John:  You always were a bleeding heart.  

Pocahontas: And proud of it.  (changes subject slightly) Look, I just want Roxy to help him get his foot in the door.  Something she would have probably done anyway.  She's a kind child.  



After Pocahontas and Anakin leave, John decides to feed his children.  Mace and Stacie come in as they dig in and come over to chat. 

Mace: Hey, Smith!  How's it going, man? 

John: I should be asking how you are.  Losing a wife is never easy.

Mace: I guess we're both widowers now, aren't we? It must have been terrible for you, man.  At least in my case, we saw it coming.  

John: We can shove over if you and Stacie are going to eat.

Mace:  Picking up carry out for my army of grandchildren.  (to Stacie)  Sit with Roxy while I get the food, you little stalker.


Stacie: He calls me a stalker because I follow him around all the time.  I didn't get much time with Grammy and I want to get lots with him.  My other grandparents aren't as cool as the Windus.

Roxy: What about your Mommy's parents?

Stacie: She was took away from them when she was a kid.  I never even met them.

Roxy: Hey, I met Pocahontas's new brother.  He seems really nice.  

Stacie:  Nakoma asked me to introduce him to my friends.  I told her I don't have any but you.  (both girls giggle)  I said I'm a loner.  


Mace comes back with two big bags of food and they leave. 

Roxy: Bye, Loner!  See ya later! 


At school the next day.

Nakoma: Apparently she didn't think to tell him we owned an amusement park.  The boy thought he was in heaven.  (mimics Anakin)  I can see roller coasters out my bedroom window!  

Finnick: That little trailer must be getting crowded.

Nakoma: Not really. I'm used to three people in it, remember?  


Tanner: Keep Barbieville Virtuous wasted no time twisting this one around.  

Nakoma:  Oh, no. 

Tanner: Apparently Pocahontas gave birth to him when she was 14 and he's been living with relatives all this time.  John Smith is his father.

Nakoma: KBV is so full of it.  

Finnick:  Dude, why do you even read their crap?

Tanner:  Zenobia told me about it.  She thinks it's hilarious. 



Back at the diner, Whitney clocks in right after school.  Ben Kishi is sitting at her first table.

Whitney:  Eating out?  Things must be looking up for you. 

Ben: Just having coffee, actually, but things are looking up.  The store is paying for me to finish my degree.  I did have to promise to work there at least five years after graduation, but I was already planning to do that.

Whitney: How are you going to manage that?  Working full time and going to school full time?



Ben:  Claudia can stay with the Pikes or the Montezes after school.  It's not even for a year, and she's already welcome at both houses, so it works out.  Who knew Violet was doing me a favor when she fired me?  


Becky:  Violet?  At American Splendor? You were the guy she fired?

Clara: I knew you looked familiar when we saw you at Orientation. 

Ben: And here I thought you just talked to me because I was so sexy. (laughs) Yeah, I was the guy with the snoopy little sister.  

Clara: She fired you for releasing confidential client information, didn't she? 

Ben: No.  She fired me because my sister and her friends asked for the information, Violet was rude to them, and then their parents were angry.  I didn't give them the information.  

Becky: Why did your sister want private information about the print shop's customers?

Whitney:  It was KBV - you know, the group that's spreading all the rumors about the mayor candidates and their friends?  Two of Claudia's friends are Taylor and Nikki Pike. 

Clara: The mayor is actually worried about that?

Becky: It's so obviously speculation.

Whitney: Gossip can kill a career.  KBV could ruin things for a lot of people. 


Rose-Grace's plans for a peaceful afternoon at home are interrupted by a visitor. 

Brent: My source has tracked down the phone number.  She knows who KBV is.  I spoke to a lawyer and he said the insinuations can be considered libel.  

Rose-Grace: Brent, I told you, acting against them only lends credibility to their claims.  

Brent: Honestly, at this point, I don't even care.  They can cost me the election.  


Fred: Step-mommy, I know I'm in-trump-ting, but they are telling fibs.  Telling fibs is badder than in-trump-ting, right? 

Rose-Grace: Fibbing is worse than interrupting, yes.  But it's just not that simple.  (to Brent)  Do what you feel you must.  I'm not getting involved unless laws are broken.  I have more faith in the people of this town than you, obviously. 


Anakin goes to Pocahontas's office when he gets off the school bus.  

Anakin: I have a question.  Why do you hate Roxy's dad so much? 

Pocahontas: That's an adult matter, Anakin. 

Anakin: Roxy said it's cause he had two girlfriends in school - you and Roxy's mom.  I don't understand the problem.  Our ancestors had more than one wife all the time.

Pocahontas (seeing that she's not getting out of this): When our ancestors did that, the wives knew about each other.  The wives were okay with it.  John told me that he was only dating her to appease his parents.  He told her that I was just a friend.  

Anakin: Oh.  I don't think Roxy knows that part.

Pocahontas: I'm pretty sure she doesn't.  John doesn't want his daughters to know what a jerk he was. 

Anakin: Is he still a jerk?  



Late evening, in a small apartment complex.  A knock on the door answered.

Esmeralda: I know who you are and what you've been doing.  What I want to know is why. 

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