Room 212, Friday Afternoon
Ada had...been putting this off. Really, she should have done it before her party and gotten it out of the way but...
Reluctantly, she picked up her cell phone and dialed the number she knew by heart.
Chester Miller
Head of the Miller Family Carnival
"Ada!" Chester said, picking up on the first ring. "'Bout time my best barker called me back. Are you meeting us in New Mexico? If you're willing to wait a few days, we'll be in range so we can swing in to Albuquerque and pick you up, nice and quick.
Ada Miller
Mermaid-in-waiting
Ada bit at her lower lip. "Hey, Uncle Chester," she said softly, cradling the phone with both hands. "'Bout that..."
"'M stayin' t' finish out th' school year. I wanna graduate with an actual diploma, not take the GED tests."
Chester
There was a long pause, then; "You're eighteen, Ada," Chester said carefully. "Old enough to drop out. You don't need the GED test if you don't want to. You can come home, free and clear, and Social Services isn't going to take you away or start makin' noises about taking the littles if you don't take the GED."
Ada
"I know," Ada said quickly. "I know, but...I can do this. An' when was th' last time th' carnival actually had someone graduate from a Townie school? It'll look good if I stay, an' it ain't that much longer anyway..."
Chester
"Ada Miller," he said, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers. "You hate it there. Begged me to bring you home the first few months. Now you want to stay?"
"What the hell are you up to? What con are you running?"
Ada
"No con," she promised. "I still hate the walls. I hate them. But...I got a job. I can save up a little more money, an' it's at a clothing store, so if I watch th' sales an' use my discount, I can bring home new clothes for everyone."
A Truth! Because Ada knew lying to Chester wasn't going to work.
Chester
"That's a good one," Chester said dryly after a moment. "Now how about you tell me the full truth, Ada-girl, instead of half of one."
Ada
Busted.
"None one here seems t' care that 'm different, an' some people even know how different, an' this is th' first time I've had friends, not just family," Ada said bluntly, the webs between her fingers flexing and shrinking as she she fidgeted. "I love you all. I love th' carnival, an' that ain't ever changing, an' I will come home eventually, but it's my entire life. It's th' only life I got, Uncle. People here see me as Ada first, not 'Ada, th' mermaid's daughter.' I wanna keep that just a little bit longer.
Chester
"They know what?" Chester asked, voice rising in alarm. "Ada, you need to come home now. You can't trust them, it's not safe. You're going to get hurt."
Ada
"I love you, Uncle Chester," Ada sighed. "But you're right. 'M eighteen. I can do what I want."
"I want t' stay here an' graduate, an' 'm gonna stay here, an' that's all there is to it. Please don't make this into a fight."
Chester
Chester swore. "They're Townies, Ada. You can't trust them any farther than you can throw them. And if they know, you're a target."
Ada
"Most of 'em are about as much Townie as I am," Ada scoffed. "One of my friends lives in a trailer at a permanent carnival, when he ain't here. I'm just as safe here as I'd be at home."
Okay, that was a lie, because Uncle Chester didn't need to know about alien invasions or the time she'd gotten kidnapped or stabbed or... but it was a Truth because she wasn't in danger from anyone she liked.
"Ain't a discussion, Uncle. You can like it or not, but 'm stayin' t' graduate, an' maybe a bit after so I can stock up on more things for th' family, but 'm not coming home yet an' it's my choice."
Chester, the Very Stressed
"And how, exactly, do you propose I break that to the rest of the family, Ada-girl?" Chester asked. "To Duncan? Or your mother?"
Ada
"Does Marti actually know who I am this week?" Ada countered sarcastically, before wincing. "No, 'm sorry, that was wrong. But don't rightly see how it's any of Duncan's business, or th' rest of th' family, or even Marti, even if she understood what was goin' on."
Chester
"It's their business because you're a Miller, and if you get in trouble, we aren't going to be there to help, Ada," Chester pointed out. "And any trouble you get in can come back to bite us, especially your mother."
Ada
"You sent me here in th' first place, 'cause you heard they were more accepting of Biological Impossibilies than most, an' me bein' at th' carnival with my memory problems was puttin' th' family at risk," Ada challenged him. "You were right, they are accepting of different. So maybe put some of that trust you put in them when you sent me here, in to me."
Chester
Now it was Chester's turn to wince. "It's not that I don't trust you, Ada," he replied quietly. "But we can't lose you. If something happened to you out there, we'd be devastated and I'd never forgive myself."
Ada
"You aren't," she promised, chewing on her lip again. "I swear. I will come home once 'm done. But I ain't done yet. I need this."
Chester
"You're worse than your mother when you get something in your head," he breathed, shutting his eyes. "Fine, Ada. You'll stay. For now."
"But I'm coming out to that family weekend I know is coming up, and if I see anything I don't like, I'm slinging you over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes and marching you home."
Ada
"What?" Ada yelped, sitting bolt-upright on her bed. "No. No no no no no this is my place, Uncle! You can't just show up an' pass judgements on m' friends an' m' life!"
Chester
"Funny, because as your legal next-of-kin, that's exactly what I plan to do," he said dryly. "Duncan and I will see you next week, Ada-girl."
With that, he hung up, and Ada was left staring at her cellphone in utter dismay as she processed what just happened. A quick text was fired off to her friends -- Millers showing up next week, please don't mention alien invasions or fighting for our lives in front of them. Aliens, they could probably handle. Other worlds too. It wasn't like they didn't have a mermaid for a cousin. It was any hints the island wasn't totally safe that was going to get her in trouble.
Chester -- and probably Duncan -- were showing up next week. She was going to be grounded for the rest of her life.
[Open! ETA: Went NSFW in the comments]
Reluctantly, she picked up her cell phone and dialed the number she knew by heart.
Chester Miller
Head of the Miller Family Carnival
"Ada!" Chester said, picking up on the first ring. "'Bout time my best barker called me back. Are you meeting us in New Mexico? If you're willing to wait a few days, we'll be in range so we can swing in to Albuquerque and pick you up, nice and quick.
Ada Miller
Mermaid-in-waiting
Ada bit at her lower lip. "Hey, Uncle Chester," she said softly, cradling the phone with both hands. "'Bout that..."
"'M stayin' t' finish out th' school year. I wanna graduate with an actual diploma, not take the GED tests."
Chester
There was a long pause, then; "You're eighteen, Ada," Chester said carefully. "Old enough to drop out. You don't need the GED test if you don't want to. You can come home, free and clear, and Social Services isn't going to take you away or start makin' noises about taking the littles if you don't take the GED."
Ada
"I know," Ada said quickly. "I know, but...I can do this. An' when was th' last time th' carnival actually had someone graduate from a Townie school? It'll look good if I stay, an' it ain't that much longer anyway..."
Chester
"Ada Miller," he said, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers. "You hate it there. Begged me to bring you home the first few months. Now you want to stay?"
"What the hell are you up to? What con are you running?"
Ada
"No con," she promised. "I still hate the walls. I hate them. But...I got a job. I can save up a little more money, an' it's at a clothing store, so if I watch th' sales an' use my discount, I can bring home new clothes for everyone."
A Truth! Because Ada knew lying to Chester wasn't going to work.
Chester
"That's a good one," Chester said dryly after a moment. "Now how about you tell me the full truth, Ada-girl, instead of half of one."
Ada
Busted.
"None one here seems t' care that 'm different, an' some people even know how different, an' this is th' first time I've had friends, not just family," Ada said bluntly, the webs between her fingers flexing and shrinking as she she fidgeted. "I love you all. I love th' carnival, an' that ain't ever changing, an' I will come home eventually, but it's my entire life. It's th' only life I got, Uncle. People here see me as Ada first, not 'Ada, th' mermaid's daughter.' I wanna keep that just a little bit longer.
Chester
"They know what?" Chester asked, voice rising in alarm. "Ada, you need to come home now. You can't trust them, it's not safe. You're going to get hurt."
Ada
"I love you, Uncle Chester," Ada sighed. "But you're right. 'M eighteen. I can do what I want."
"I want t' stay here an' graduate, an' 'm gonna stay here, an' that's all there is to it. Please don't make this into a fight."
Chester
Chester swore. "They're Townies, Ada. You can't trust them any farther than you can throw them. And if they know, you're a target."
Ada
"Most of 'em are about as much Townie as I am," Ada scoffed. "One of my friends lives in a trailer at a permanent carnival, when he ain't here. I'm just as safe here as I'd be at home."
Okay, that was a lie, because Uncle Chester didn't need to know about alien invasions or the time she'd gotten kidnapped or stabbed or... but it was a Truth because she wasn't in danger from anyone she liked.
"Ain't a discussion, Uncle. You can like it or not, but 'm stayin' t' graduate, an' maybe a bit after so I can stock up on more things for th' family, but 'm not coming home yet an' it's my choice."
Chester, the Very Stressed
"And how, exactly, do you propose I break that to the rest of the family, Ada-girl?" Chester asked. "To Duncan? Or your mother?"
Ada
"Does Marti actually know who I am this week?" Ada countered sarcastically, before wincing. "No, 'm sorry, that was wrong. But don't rightly see how it's any of Duncan's business, or th' rest of th' family, or even Marti, even if she understood what was goin' on."
Chester
"It's their business because you're a Miller, and if you get in trouble, we aren't going to be there to help, Ada," Chester pointed out. "And any trouble you get in can come back to bite us, especially your mother."
Ada
"You sent me here in th' first place, 'cause you heard they were more accepting of Biological Impossibilies than most, an' me bein' at th' carnival with my memory problems was puttin' th' family at risk," Ada challenged him. "You were right, they are accepting of different. So maybe put some of that trust you put in them when you sent me here, in to me."
Chester
Now it was Chester's turn to wince. "It's not that I don't trust you, Ada," he replied quietly. "But we can't lose you. If something happened to you out there, we'd be devastated and I'd never forgive myself."
Ada
"You aren't," she promised, chewing on her lip again. "I swear. I will come home once 'm done. But I ain't done yet. I need this."
Chester
"You're worse than your mother when you get something in your head," he breathed, shutting his eyes. "Fine, Ada. You'll stay. For now."
"But I'm coming out to that family weekend I know is coming up, and if I see anything I don't like, I'm slinging you over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes and marching you home."
Ada
"What?" Ada yelped, sitting bolt-upright on her bed. "No. No no no no no this is my place, Uncle! You can't just show up an' pass judgements on m' friends an' m' life!"
Chester
"Funny, because as your legal next-of-kin, that's exactly what I plan to do," he said dryly. "Duncan and I will see you next week, Ada-girl."
With that, he hung up, and Ada was left staring at her cellphone in utter dismay as she processed what just happened. A quick text was fired off to her friends -- Millers showing up next week, please don't mention alien invasions or fighting for our lives in front of them. Aliens, they could probably handle. Other worlds too. It wasn't like they didn't have a mermaid for a cousin. It was any hints the island wasn't totally safe that was going to get her in trouble.
Chester -- and probably Duncan -- were showing up next week. She was going to be grounded for the rest of her life.
[Open! ETA: Went NSFW in the comments]