Story 16: Lunch at the Sunburst Diner

Lunchtime on a Saturday, at the diner.  

Midna:  Sorry, I'm gonna have to stand you up for our lunch date.  Two of my people called off and you know how crazy the weekends are.

Pocahontas (clearly disappointed):  I need to talk, but it isn't urgent.  I'll stick around til after the big rush.  

Midna: Are you all right?

Pocahontas (chuckles): So far.  Go on, get your work done.  

Mariko:  Will that be all for you?  (They assure her it's fine and she hurries off to the next table.) 

Ben: I can't believe you two turned out to be KBV.  

Clara: Yeah, once Esmeralda Eaton blew us out of the water, we didn't have much choice but to make the public apology.  Gonna have to be more careful in the future. 

Becky:  What?  No, Clara, what we did was wrong.  I knew it when we started the project -- 

Clara: How naive are you?  This is how the world works, Becky. You're never going to make it big in Journalism with that attitude.

Becky: I'd rather work for the Barbieville Gazette my whole life than stab people in the back.  I'm taking Journalism to bring back unbiased, fair news media. 

Ben: You aren't sorry you got me fired?  I thought we were friends.

Clara jumps out of her seat and starts shouting at them.  

Clara: Your stupid little sister got you fired, she got us busted, she caused this whole mess!  

Becky (embarrassed): Calm down.

Clara:  Calm down, my foot!  You two can skip off together into the sunset into fairyland if you want, but I live in the real world!  (Storms out of the diner.) 

Ben:  Don't chase her down.  She's wrong and we both know it. 

Becky:  I gotta go, Ben.  I'll see you around campus? 

Ben: Sure.  You know where to find me.

After Becky pays the bill and runs out after Clara, Mariko checks on Ben.

Mariko:  Is everything all right over here?  

Ben (a bit lost): I think so.  Well, Clara spilled her drink... 

Mariko: I'll clean that up.  What else can I do?  (Ben doesn't reply, staring morosely at his burger.  Mariko cleans the spill and slips away to give him some time.)  

With the rush over, Midna joins her friend only to find someone else at their table.  

Midna: You're the last person I'd expect to see sitting with her.

Pocahontas: I thought maybe he could help with my problem.  After all, he's raising two members of the opposite sex.  

John: I don't think your problem is related to his sex.  You already knew Nakoma and she was nearly grown.  You've taken on the care of a kid you just met. 

Midna: Aren't there support groups?  

Pocahontas: None nearby for my particular problem.  There are for people raising grandchildren, for single parents, for foster parents, but I'm none of the above.  I've fallen through the cracks.

John: Well, if Midna can chat now, I'll get out of your hair.  Call me if you need me, Pocahontas.  I mean it.  (To Midna)  You're pretty much her entire support system since her mom died.  She doesn't trust me.

Midna: Not yet.  

Pocahontas (amused): Stop talking about me like I'm not here.  

When Midna has to go back into the kitchen, Pocahontas decides to leave.  She's got work to do back at the park and has already neglected it too long.  

Ben:  Excuse me.  I'm Ben Kishi. I kind of eavesdropped on your conversation and might be able to help.   We're in the same boat. 

Pocahontas: You had a nine-year-old boy dropped in your lap by fate?

Ben (laughs):  A twelve-year-old girl.  My sister Claudia.  We're both raising younger siblings of the opposite sex - I'm thinking I could help with his guy stuff and you could help with her girl stuff.  Maybe we could even put together our own support group.

Pocahontas: I'm kind of in a hurry right now, but I'm intrigued.  Can we exchange numbers? 

Ben: Absolutely.  And please don't hold my friend's earlier outburst against me. 

Pocahontas:  Anyone calls my sister stupid, I'm sure not referring to them as a friend.  The words I'd use are a few letters shorter. 

Collector? Not me!

Despite the combative sound of that title, it's just a comparison.

I'm a player, myself, but I've seen many of my dolls for sale at prices that blow my mind.  My Kyra is "Secret Spells Kayla" and apparently she's pretty rare.  Of course, mine had been removed from the box and even rebodied, so her resale value is - well, not good.

Kyra and her second body donor

(Bye, click knees)

A while back, my world collapsed and among other things, finances were tight.  My sister was a seller on EBay and she sold a lot of things for me.  I knew I wouldn't make much from the ones my minions played with, but did have some still-in-box Collector Dolls.  What I discovered about my "investment" was disheartening.  Pretty much anything with "Collector" on the box sold for less than I'd originally paid!  (Granted, these were fairly recent productions and they weren't coming from a pet-free home.)  That was pretty much the end of my career as anything resembling a serious collector.

After I got through, I was given three dolls still in box. One was a knock-off collector edition.  The other two were Kelly and Tommy as The Flintstones.  The giver intended them to be investments, like the ones I'd had to sell.  I managed to keep them in box for a good while, watching the value guides I had access to.  The knock-off wasn't even listed in most of them, and when she was - I could have had a fast food lunch.  The Flintstones' value was better, and they took up a lot less shelf space.  I decided to keep them in the box (despite their pleas for freedom) and free the knock-off.  She wasn't a keeper but I'm pretty sure I still have her dress and shoes!

Fred and Wilma continued to plea for freedom.  And they were just so darn cute.  The only ones bringing in any sort of value were the complete set of four - I didn't have the Rubbles - still in intact boxes from smoking- and pet-free homes.  My boxes were pretty beat up and I lived with three cats.

I moved.  Fred and Wilma lived in their boxes, on a corner of my desk.  Every day I debated and finally I gave in.  Wilma's hair was uneven when the updo came down.  After a trim and even a couple boil rinses, she still looks like a wild child!  I guess it's rooted weird.

Fred in the front, green shirt

Wilma in the back, patchwork dress

Of the things I had to sell, the items I miss the most are my VW Minibuses.  I want them back, dang it.  😢  I love me some vintage VWs.  I love me some doll cars that hold more than two. Best of both worlds!  Also, one of them was my favorite color - purple!

Anyway...  I hold no ill will towards the collectors.  I have simply embraced that I ain't one of them.  Unless it's some discontinued (scandalous) play line doll I stumble across, anyone who crosses my threshold will be unboxed so they can play!

Story 15: Costumes and Current Events

Barbieville Schools incorporate a Costume Day into the week before Homecoming.  It gets everyone in the Halloween spirit (and gives me a head start on my real-life Halloween party preparations) except for a few party-poopers...  Even the Day Care, Elementary, and Middle Schools get in on the fun!

Tanner drops the little ones off at Day Care on his way to school. 

Tanner:  Dad gets off work early today so he'll pick the brats up about noon.  

John: Hey, we're both in Star Trek uniforms! Your dog tags aren't regulation, soldier.

Tanner: Neither one of us has the right pants.  Captain Kirk's gonna bust us down to Ensign.

Jenny:  Look!  I'm a Fred today! 

Fred: I'm a mummy.  Wanna help me eat baby brains?

Jenny:  Mummies eat brains?  I thought that was zombies.

Fred: Oh, yeah...  what do mummies do?

Vivica:  BOO  I'm a ghost rattling my chains at you, mummy boy!

John:  That's whipping chains around madly, not rattling them.  Settle down or I'll put you in the brig.

Vivica:  Ghosts can go through walls!  BOO (But she stops swinging the chains so hard.) 

Wilma:  After school, I get to be on YouTube with my mommy's friend Zenobia.  She gots blue hair.

Kelly: I know her.  I fink she gots a crush on my Daddy.  Look at that silly Bobby!  

Ty: Being a girl for Halloween?  LAY-ZEE!  

Bobby: Fat lot you know.  I'm a graveyard.  See all my headstones?  

Ty: I thought Kelly was a princess and she said she's a Pink Lady from some singing movie.  

*****

At the High School, Frodo is waiting for Tanner when he walks in.

Tanner: Who are you supposed to be?

Frodo: Yo Momma. 

Tanner: Forgot the green and yellow stripes in your hair.  Or are you my Step Momma? 

Frodo: Man, you're dumb.  I'm Yo Momma from the jokes.

Tanner: Did you see Finnick yet? I thought he was Vegas Elvis but it's some couple costume with Nakoma.  Who the hell are Donny and Marie?

Frodo: Brother and sister.  Kinda makes that a bad choice for a couple.

Four:  How'd you manage to get away with a costume?

Tris: I made the skirt in Home Ec.  Wore a black dress today and put the skirt on over it when I got here.  Not sure what I'm going to do with it after school.  (Checks him out) Nice pirate pants.

Four: I had to wear a shirt because of the dress code, so I just matched them.  Real Pirates didn't wear shirts, you know.  Except the captains and I'm just the dude that swabbed the deck.

Tris: Of course.  The captains took all the nice clothes. (laughs)

Four: I'm going to the diner after school.  You know, in case you should happen to want a milkshake and run into me there.

Tris: I'm still grounded for cutting my hair.  

Four: Your parents are going to keel over once you're out of their house.  

Tris: Tell me about it.  I'll do horrible things like date. 

Mariko: I love team costumes!  Donny and Marie is kind of a weird choice for a couple, but whatever.  Whitney wouldn't team costume with me.

Whitney: We couldn't agree on one. 

Finnick:  You can have these for next year.  If one more person calls me Elvis...

Nakoma: Don't be giving away my mom's stuff!  

Mariko: Okay, I got the shot.  Now put your stupid shoes that don't match back on. 

Nakoma: Mine matched.

Mariko: Another team costume!  Jurassic Park for the win! 

Peeta: It looks better with my scarf and hat, and his shades.  They could relax the dress code just for today, don't you think? 

Ken: I'm not complaining.  We've got one of the most relaxed dress codes in the county.  Maybe even the state.

Raven:  Hey, guys!  I want to apologize for my mom being such a hag to your sisters.  

Tanner: She's the one who should apologize.  You're cool.

Finnick: Is she like that at home?  

Raven: She'll probably disown me if I don't make valedictorian.  

****

At the Middle School

Guinness: Please gather over there for a photo, class.  Even those of you who aren't in costume.  

Student:Who are you supposed to be?

Guinness: The name is Bond.  James Bond.

Wendy: Skipper, why didn't you wear a costume?  

Skipper: I did.  I'm a Disney Fangirl.

Nikki: So you came as yourself? (Giggles)  I'm Aphrodite, goddess of love. 

Claudia: I'm a spiderweb on a pumpkin.  We had to get creative - Ben's still catching up the bills from when Violet fired him. 

Ricky: How do girls keep these kind of dresses up? 

Courtney: It helps to have, you know, boobs. Or elastic tops.  Or both.

Gabriella: Kevin's a party pooper.

Kevin: Halloween's for babies.  

*****

Pocahontas makes Anakin pose with his new friends before school.  She wants to show his mother how well he's doing. 

Pocahontas: Lumberjack, Marty McFly, and Power Ranger.

Roxy: No, I'm the paper towel guy. 

Stacie: I think the paper towel guy is a lumberjack.  

Anakin: She's gonna send a copy to my mom.  She's gotta get it right.

Stacie: Well, it that case...  I'm Kimberly, the Pink Ranger.  Before she got a boyfriend and her brain fell out.  

Pocahontas: A lot of girls have that problem, don't they? 

**** 

After school, the theme continues...

Zenobia: Welcome to the October edition of Zenobia's Vlog - the only news source in town that openly admits to being biased.  Today, I'm here at Mayor Pike's home to discuss the upcoming election.  The things everyone is talking about are Keep Barbieville Virtuous, Eminent Domain, and two school levies.

Rose-Grace: Keep Barbieville Virtuous, I have to admit I underestimated.  Since Becky and Clara came forward, a lot of people admitted to letting their propaganda sway their thinking.  Which was, of course, the entire point of the project, and those girls should get the highest possible grades for it.  

Zenobia: I am officially endorsing you for Mayor.  And not just because I'm friends with your kids, either.  I've got nothing against Brent Spiner, but you are doing a great job and should therefore get to keep the position.

Rose-Grace: His campaign is based on the issue of Eminent Domain.  Because I used that power to remove unsafe buildings from the Beach Highway, a lot of folks think I plan to continue that pattern.  I didn't like doing it.  The property owners left me no choice if I wanted to keep structures from collapsing into the sidewalk and roads.  

Pocahontas: There's also the ludicrous rumor that we're going to use that to expand the park.  Not true.  Mom never meant for it to be huge.  For what a visit to one of those parks costs,  you could come to ours a few times.  Their parking lots are as big as our entire property. 

Zenobia: You are making some changes, and expanding a bit, though. 

Pocahontas: Yes.  I bought a bit of land off Hadley Drive.  A new roller coaster is going in on that property, at least part of it is.  There's a name change in the works.  (Chuckles) One thing Mom and I never agreed on was the name of the park.  

Zenobia: You're the guardian of two younger siblings, both of which attend Barbieville schools.  How do you feel about the levies?  

Pocahontas: I support both of them.  But I think your other guest has more to say on that subject and she'll make my points very nicely. 

Zenobia: Whitney Darling is a student at Barbieville High and an employee of the Sunburst Diner.  

Whitney: I moved here when I was 13.  I need to tell that story to illustrate my points.  (Heavy sigh)  I passed out in math class and was taken to the hospital, where we discovered I was pregnant.  Yes, at 13.  My school had no Sex Ed at all.  My knowledge of those things was limited to, basically, girls have periods.  My dad ordered me to get an abortion.

Zenobia: But you didn't.  

Whitney: My parents ended up divorcing, actually, over it.  Mom got custody of me and my sister and we moved here.  I didn't think - and still don't think - inconvenience is a good reason for an abortion.  I debated my other options, but eventually we decided to keep Wilma. Say hi, Wilma. 

Wilma: Hi, audience people!  Vote for Freddy's step-mommy!  

Whitney: Mom does most of the parenting, to be perfectly honest, and I love Wilma to pieces, but it's very difficult.  If my old school had a comprehensive Sex Ed program - or even just a basic one - I could have waited a few years.  Issue 1 wants to give us that.  The program proposed would teach it just like any other bodily system.  Things like birth control and STDs would be covered no differently than, say, smoking or diabetes.  

Zenobia: What about the people who say it will put the idea in our kids' heads?

Whitney: Trust me, that idea is already there.  Puberty kicks it into high gear, but it's there from the time we're born.  Maybe even conceived.

Rose-Grace: You also wanted to talk about Issue 2.  I personally feel the existing security is more than enough. How do you feel about the security in our schools? 

Whitney: It's true that the way they do it now is good.  It kept my dad out when he showed up to take Wendy back - he'd given up on me by then.  He was stopped at the entrance and turned away.  But that was an unarmed man.  

Rose-Grace: School shootings get a lot of press, but they're rare. 

Whitney: Yes, they are.  I don't want our schools to be fortresses, but kids can't learn if they're scared.  Issue 2 isn't a whole lot different from me giving Wilma a nightlight.  Sometimes we have to go a little extra to make our kids feel safe.

Zenobia: Well, this Vlog is getting kind of long.  To sum up: Vote for Rose-Grace Pike.  The amusement park isn't going to engulf Barbieville.  Vote yes on Issues 1 and 2.  Unless you agree with our esteemed mayor, then vote no on 2.  

(General laughter.)

Whitney: Oh, and I apologize for my costume destroying the Disney Princess vibe the rest of you have going on here.  I must have missed the memo.  

Zenobia: At least you're a princess.  Little Wilma here, she's the one who killed the vibe.  

Outro music plays over Zenobia tickling Wilma.

*********

Note from the story teller: Some residents of Barbieville didn't make it into the story, but they want to show off their costumes.  Check them out:  

  

  

... the party poopers

 

And, of course, the BOUSes 

Story 14: Lessons Learned

Mr. Guinness addresses the seventh graders before they make their presentations.

Guinness: Today we're finishing with the section on the Great American Melting Pot.  Your assignment was to bring us your family's personal stories that relate to the topic.  My own story is a fairly simple one - I was born and raised in the United Kingdom, moved here because I had a splendid scholarship from an American university, and met my wife there.  

Wendy: My mom says we're good old American mutts.  Most of my heritage is European, but it's all mixed up.  The best way I can think of to explain the Melting Pot is to just look around.  Even just here in Barbieville, we've got so many different kinds of people.  My house is a Swiss chalet, our car is Italian, and my favorite food is Chinese.

Ricky:  I like that term, American Mutt.  That's what my dad is, but my mom's family came here in the 1940s because of Hitler.  Technically, I guess we're Romany or Rom, but most people know us as Gypsies.  My grandparents travel and take manual labor jobs, like the old days, but they do it in a camper instead of the little wagons we see in movies.  

Claudia: My grandparents on Mom's side are super traditional.  They got mad at my parents for not giving us Japanese names, even. But they're first generation Americans.  Dad's side of the family was in one of FDR's camps during World War 2, even though two of the sons were in the service.  I'd call that a Melting Pot Fail!  

Courtney:  A lot of people think we're Hispanic because our name is Montez.  We aren't.  Dad is a Navajo and Mom's a white girl of mostly Irish heritage.  Dad's not real traditional, though.  His family left the Southwest back in the 1950s as part of a government program.  I think that was one of the last-ditch efforts to do away with tribal governments.  

Claudia: Another Melting Pot Fail.

Courtney: The Melting Pot is an ideal and people fall short of ideals all the time.  Dad says we should work for a better future instead of dwelling on the past. 

Nikki: Speaking of Melting Pot Fails...  my ancestors were slaves.  My father's people were part of a famous slave uprising in Haiti, even.  My house is a kind of melting pot, though.  My step family are white and the new twins are biracial.  

Skipper:  Wow.  I just realized that me and Wendy are way outnumbered.  People talk like most Americans are white, but look at us.  Us pure white girls aren't even half the class!  (Stops for a moment)  I didn't mean that the way it sounded.  I just never realized how melted our pot is, if you know what I mean.  Even me and Wendy are a mix of different European groups.

Guinness: You just summed up the lesson for me, Miss Roberts.  This nation was never meant to be anything but a cultural stew.  

While the presentations are being made in her daughter's class, Rose-Grace meets with Pocahontas.

Pocahontas: If you look at old maps of the town, the area of the park was called Witch's Cove.  Mom didn't want people to think it was only open in October, so she called the park Nedakh's Amusement Park.  

Rose-Grace: She was a simple woman.  You're thinking of changing it to Witch's Cove?  What about backlash from people who find that offensive? 

Pocahontas:  Believe me, I've thought of that. (laughs) I've seen the fuss over sports teams called Redskins.  I've got people working on that, playing up the historical aspect and even my own paganism.  I'm aiming for minimal backlash. 

Rose-Grace's reply is interrupted by a knock at the door.

Marcus:  Sorry to barge in on you like this, but my wife has been up to some shenanigans.  You need to hear about this. 

Pocahontas: Sounds urgent.  I'll go now and file the paperwork we were discussing.

Esmeralda: No, you want to hear this, too.  

Two hours and several phone calls later: 

PJ: Do you have any idea what this is all about? 

John: Judging by who is here, my guess is Keep Barbieville Virtuous.  But the mayor's office wasn't acting on that, so I'm as confused as you are.  Who are the girls talking to Esmeralda?

Rose-Grace gets every one's attention and introduces Clara and Becky.

Clara: I'm a political science major and Becky is a journalism major.  We recently conducted a project you might recognize as Keep Barbieville Virtuous.  It was meant to show how easily public opinion can be swayed, usually by things unrelated to the issue at hand. 

Becky:  We didn't realize we were hurting anyone.  Stupid, I know, considering the entire point of the project.  Of course people were going to be hurt.  We speculated about things that we should not have, things that cost some of you professionally.  And maybe personally.

Clara: We've sent a statement to the local media outlets, refuting all the allegations and apologizing for any harm done.  We're hoping this sets things straight. We did not expect the campaign to be as successful as it was.

Becky and Clara hang their heads, ashamed of themselves, as the group grumbles its way out.  They wait a few minutes for the halls to clear before leaving.

Rose-Grace: So you were Brent's contact, Esmeralda?  You tracked them down using questionable methods and bullied them into confession? 

Esmeralda: Damn straight.  

Rose-Grace:  Marcus, did you know anything about this?

Marcus (laughs):  No, I didn't, but I'm not really surprised.  Esmeralda sees something that needs dealt with, she deals with it. 

Esmeralda: Violet can press charges against me for snooping in her files.  I honestly don't care.  

Rose-Grace:  You'll care if your boys have to visit you in jail. 

Esmeralda: They'd be proud to visit me in jail.  (To Marcus) Wouldn't they? 

Marcus: Despite my best efforts to make them follow the rules, yes, they would.