Erinsborough Bay, part five
Rebecca knelt in front of the toilet, her forehead resting on the seat. She hated the smell of the toilet, even if it was clean. Though that was sometimes worse, the strong chemical scents would make her stomach turn more. Feeling her stomach clench again, Rebecca moaned and leant over the bowl as her stomach emptied itself out yet again.
Owen stood in the doorway, not sure what he should do. Rebecca hadn't wanted to talk much about her situation as yet, and he didn't want to push her. Her morning sickness was hitting her hard, and it had been quite a while since he was around someone in that condition.
"Sweetheart? Is there any thing I can do?" he asked, wanting to be helpful, concern clearly written on his face. Rebecca shook her head as she continued to throw up.
Finally, her stomach settled, and she reached up to flush the toilet. Owen filled a glass with water at the bathroom sink, and handed it to her. He sat on the edge of the tub as she rinsed her mouth out and spat into the toilet.
Flushing again, she knelt on the floor and squirmed around until she was leaning against the wall, her knees drawn up to her chest.
"I hate this, I really, really do."
"I know you do. But, it's just part of the package, unfortunately. It'll pass soon enough."
"I hope so. I don’t know how much more I can take of it."
"Parenting involves doing a lot of things you don’t like, but have to do. Just consider this your first lesson in that. Oh, parenting also involves a lot of gross things, too, like vomit. Usually it's someone else's, but it’s still there."
Rebecca laughed, which was the reaction Owen wanted.
"I’m being a bit miserable, aren’t I?"
"You sure are. But I'll let it slide this time." Owen wagged a finger at her. "No more 'woe is me'! You haven’t got the time to mope about feeling sorry for yourself. If anything, feel sorry for me! Do I really look old enough to be a great-grandfather?"
"Yes," Rebecca dead panned, but laughed at his crestfallen expression. "Don't worry, I still love you, even if you are olllld."
"Now, now, there's no need to make fun of me because I'm old! Old and gay, and just out of the closet, there’s something to laugh at me about! Come on," he said, standing up and holding his hand out. "I only like to spend this long in the bathroom if I'm in the tub, not on it. Do you think you’re up for some breakfast?"
"You know, I think I am. My stomach seems to have settled down now."
"Would it be ready for some….waffles? With strawberries?" he asked.
"With syrup? I think I could handle that. In fact…I know I could. Yes, definitely. How soon can you make them?" Rebecca asked, grinning, quickly leading the way downstairs. Owen laughed and followed her, glad she was feeling better.
She grabbed some juice out of the fridge and pulled herself up onto the kitchen bench as Owen started pulling out the ingredients he needed to make breakfast.
"Ah, those sudden shifts in mood and wants. Pregnant women certainly keep you on your toes!" Owen joked.
"As opposed to pregnant men, I suppose?" she asked, rolling her eyes.
"Well, yes. Though I'm sure pregnant men have their share of mood swings and cravings too."
"Since when can men get pregnant? Is there some fancy-shmancy technology going on here that I don't know about?"
Owen started mixing the batter as the waffle maker warmed up, wondering where to start. "It sure seems like it! I guess your mother wouldn't have been interested in keeping up with the news, let alone from here. Do you believe in aliens?"
"Little green men in funny suits?"
"Yup."
"I've never really thought about it."
"Well, they’re real. Oh, there are still some people who don't buy it, but they wouldn't believe it's been snowing until they freeze. There have been quite a lot of reported sightings over the years, and they’ve been increasing every year. Along with that have been stories of alien abductions, and alien impregnation. So far, it seems the aliens prefer to impregnate men, though no one's really sure why. There have been quite a few alien children born over the years, though until recently, their parents kept them at home, or gave them up for adoption."
"Holy shit! Are you serious??" Rebecca was stunned. How could shit like this actually happen?
"And not only that, but there has been some contact between the aliens and certain members of the scientific community. They've been watching us carefully for quite a while, and a few of them have even started living here now. It was thanks to this alien technology that the fertility potion was introduced to the folks here." Owen flipped out the cooked waffles, and poured more batter in.
"What’s this fertility potion do? Help women get knocked up faster?"
"Well, it can do that, but it mostly allows for homosexual couples to get pregnant. You know how science class teaches that you need a male and female to reproduce?" Rebecca nodded, stunned. "Well, not any more. With this potion two women can have a baby together. I don't know the full details of how it works, but there have been some heavily documented cases of it, proved with DNA testing."
Owen flipped the final waffles out onto their plates, topped them with cream, strawberries and syrup and carried them to the table. "So because aliens are able to impregnate men, the labs have also been trying to replicate the process themselves. It's a bit trickier, because the aliens won’t give out all their secrets, but just enough for our scientists to get started."
"I am completely blown away by this, Grandpa! Wow. And this shi-stuff is readily available here? And oh my god this is delicious."
"Not as yet, no. It's still in the trial stages, though that’s nearing completion. There is a lot of debate about how they would release it, if it does get approved. There's talk about prescribing it through doctors, on an asked for basis. Other people want to put it in the water supply, so that everyone is affected equally, but that then raises the problem of contraception. It's easy enough to protect yourself from pregnancy when it's a man and a woman"” Rebecca squirmed uncomfortably at the knowing look he gave her. "But when it’s a woman and a woman? You don’t know exactly what you’re protecting yourself from. I've got some articles about it saved in my office, you can read up on it if you like." Owen paused, and looked at Rebecca thoughtfully. "Just how much do you remember about Erinsborough Bay, Rebecca?"
Rebecca shrugged, and swallowed another delicious mouthful of waffle. "I remember the kids, the beaches and the parks, and having fun with you and Grandma and daddy."
"Do you remember the beasties?" he asked, toying with his food. Rebecca had wolfed down her waffles, but he wasn't that hungry any more.
"The beasties?" Rebecca frowned. "No…I don't. What are they?"
"When you were little, that's what you called the "paranormal people" we have here. Those creatures you might think were just tales from a story."
"Grandpa, are you pulling my leg?" she asked as she stood up and started clearing the dishes.
Owen turned to look at her. "Not at all, sweetheart. I figure it's best you know about them now, before you run into them on the street and freak out. Aside from the aliens, there are werewolves, zombies, vampires, and plantsims."
"WHAT?! You’re kidding, right? Please tell me you're kidding!" Rebecca fumbled with the plates, and dripped syrup all over the bench. Owen tossed her some paper towel. She loaded the dishwasher as he put the leftovers away.
"Not in the slightest. They’re mostly like us, in how they behave, but they're not the same. You'll be able to spot the vampires, zombies and plantsims easily enough, but werewolves only show themselves at night. And…they like to bite."
"Holy shit Grandpa! Isn't it dangerous to live here, then?"
"Not really," he continued, walking into the living room and sitting on the sofa. There are potions you can take to reverse the effects if they do bite you, so there’s no long lasting side effects. Well, that they’ve found as yet. It’s a freaky place around here these days, sweetheart. You'll have to get used to that."
"This...it's a lot to take in Grandpa. I, my mind is blown. Seriously blown. I don't remember any of this."
"Your mother has always hated "the beasties", and she never liked you talking about them. I'm not surprised you don't remember them. But remember, they are people, no matter how weird they look."
"I think that I better shower. I'm all sticky with syrup," she said, excusing herself. She could not wrap her mind around this barrage of information. Werewolves? Vampires? Aliens?
As she showered, she tried to remember anything about them from her childhood. The only thing she could recall, was her mother angrily telling her after a nightmare one night, that vampires weren't real, never were, never could be, and to stop being silly.
Rebecca was more than willing to believe what Owen had said about her mother, it was just like her to try to warp the world around her.
After she dried off and dressed, she shuddered, placing her hands on her stomach, wondering what she had gotten herself and her baby into.
~*~
Icarus took a deep breath before getting out of his car. It was the same every morning, he needed to steel himself before joining all the other students at Bayside Private College. Most of the students were well off, and he wasn't. His mother earned a nice living, but it was nothing compared to the high flyers some of the other kids had as parents. He knew that most of the student body didn't care that she had the Zombie flu, either, and while he thought it was fascinating, the thought of other people staring and making fun of her was hard to bear.
He buried his nose in his book as he walked towards the school's entrance, hoping it would stop the other kids from noticing him.
He carefully straightened his hair, so that it fell over his face properly, and walked inside, still reading.
He wasn't comfortable standing around and chatting with the others in the hall, especially when they could only talk about who was dating who and what was on tv last night, or watching the teachers tell off the students for rough housing.
He felt so different to most of them. He did have some friends, like Jessica Parker, who was bright and bubbly and didn't care what anyone else thought or said. She knew that he was gay, in fact, she’d guessed it and told him what she thought. Bluntly, like she was with everything else. But he liked that in her, having a friend who would tell you the truth instead of what you wanted to hear was good. Having any friends at all was good.
Icarus found himself in front of his locker, and yet again he'd wound his way through the halls without even thinking about where he was going, just who he was avoiding. He started sorting through his locker, which was filled with books as usual, when someone slipped their hands over his eyes.
"Guess who?" someone chirped. Icarus leapt in surprise, then smiled. There was only one person it could be.
"Morning Jess," he smiled, turning around.
"Aww rats, you got me. Hey, I want you to meet someone! Well, reintroduce, anyway," she said, turning around waving madly behind them. Rebecca walked over to them, glad to have been dragged out of the waiting room. "This is Rebecca Fletcher. Remember her? From when we were kids?" Jessica pulled Rebecca closer, while Rebecca rolled her eyes at Jessica’s brashness. "I found her in the office, right where she said she'd be."
Icarus looked at Rebecca quizzically, trying to remember who she was.
"I used to live down the street from you, remember? We'd play in the water wiggler together," Rebecca said, trying to fill in the gaps for him.
“Naked!" laughed Jessica, covering her mouth. Rebecca and Icarus blushed.
"Oh, I do remember that! And you, of course. I thought you moved to Pleasantview?" he said, shutting his locker. The bell rang, and the other students started walking to class.
"We did, mum and me, but…we had a falling out, and I've moved back here. For good. What class do you guys have first?"
"Maths," Icarus replied.
"With ze Count! Mwahahaha!” Jessica added, in a bad Transimanian accent. "She used to be a vampire, she’s really cool."
"Whoa, seriously? Oh man, I hope I get her. Grandpa told me all about the freaky stuff that goes on here. I’m a little blown away by it all. I better get back to the office, the headmaster and Grandpa are talking about my enrolment right now." Rebecca ran back to the office, hoping she would have at least one class with Jessica. She hoped that she would be accepted, by the school, and the students.
Icarus shook his head, smiling slightly, as he and Jessica made their way upstairs. "I used to let her do my hair. She’d always put ribbons in it." Jessica laughed and raced him through the hall. Icarus shook his head and gave chase.
"Guess what Carrie did this morning?"
"Was it gross?"
"Yup!"
"Then I don’t want to know," he replied, pushing her into the classroom and sitting down. "Why do you love sharing the gross things so much?"
"I need to share my pain! She took her nappy off and shat on the floor. Then sat in it. And then wanted a hug. That is not my ideal way to start the day, I gotta say."
"I bet your mother laughed," he said, as the class slowly filled up.
Ms Liberty waited patiently for them to all sit down and settle.
"Heartily. She gleefully told me about the time that I did that, and said turnabout is fair play. She’s evil, I swear!"
Icarus smiled, glad that he had a friend like Jessica.
~*~
Rebecca sat in the office, waiting for her grandfather and the headmaster. Half of first period was already over, and they were still in there. She knew that Owen was discussing her “situation” with him, and she knew that it could be causing some problems.
But she hoped that her grandfather could use his charm to convince the headmaster to allow her in. She didn’t want to drop out of school, she wanted to go to university still, though having a toddler when that happened would make it extra hard.
The intercom buzzed on the secretary’s desk. "You can send Rebecca in now, Dagmar."
Dagmar barely looked up from her work as she waved Rebecca through.
Rebecca took a deep breath and walked over to the door, pausing for a moment before opening it. Trying to stay calm, and keep her stomach from churning too much, she opened the door, and walked in.
Solstice Cleardew was not what she expected in a headmaster. His hair was bright green, his clothes were far too hip, and he had what she could only describe as elf ears. Rebecca blinked in surprise.
She hadn’t expected him to look like this, it was so…un-headmaster like, especially for a school like Bayside.
Rebecca liked it. It made him seem more personable.
"Please, take a seat Rebecca," he said, gesturing to the empty seat beside Owen. She sat down, and tried not to appear too nervous.
"Your grandfather and I have been going over your…situation, and what your options are. As you know, Erinsborough Bay High would accept your enrolment, as they are a publicly funded school and are required to accept all students as long as there is room. I happen to know that they do have quite a few spaces available."
He cleared his throat.
"Bayside Private College is more prestigious. Aside from being a private school, we also have one of the best reputations around. We expect the best from our students here, and we look at your curricular and extracurricular activities when it comes to passing your courses and graduation. However, we wouldn’t reject an applicant just because they were pregnant. We do have other students who have been in your situation, and have a day care available on the school grounds, to allow them to keep up with their studies."
Rebecca bit her lip, wanting him to get to the point.
"Your school records show that you are a good student, with moments of excellence. I also understand the tragedies that have befallen you have shaped those downtimes. But after discussing this with your grandfather, I would be pleased to offer you the opportunity to complete your schooling here."
Rebecca leapt out of her seat and started clapping, unable to contain her joy. "Oh, thank you! Thank you so much! I really want to study at La Fiesta Tech, and being a student here will help with my college applications."
"That it will. I’m good friends with several of the Deans from there, and a good reference from me can help smooth the process," he said, smiling. "Now, in regards to your pregnancy. As I said, you’re not the first we've had go through this. If you have any doctor’s appointments that will fall during the school day, let us know so that we can arrange for a pass for those lessons that you will miss. We'll also arrange for your teacher to give you some take home material so you can catch up with what was taught in that class."
"When can I start?" she asked, feeling incredibly relieved, but also nervous, now that it was really happening.
"By this afternoon we will have processed all the paperwork, and assigned you a locker and have your timetable ready. If you head down to the uniform shop, you'll be able to purchase the uniforms you’ll need. You start at 9am tomorrow."
He stood up and high-fived her. "Welcome to Bayside Private College, Rebecca!"
Owen shook his hand. "Thank you, Mr Cleardew, I appreciate your time and understanding."
"It's what I do best," Solstice quipped, before Rebecca and Owen left his office.
"Oh Grandpa, thank you so much! This means so much to me. I promise I won't let you down," she said, hugging him, almost shaking with happiness.
"Just do you best, sweetheart, and you'll never let me down."
As soon as they were outside, Rebecca leapt into the air, unable to restrain herself or her joy any longer. Things were looking up.
~*~
"Spin me around, daddy!" Dionne begged. Charlie laughed, knowing he couldn't refuse her. He grabbed her by the hands and started to spin, and her delighted laughter filled the air.
As they spun, the school bus pulled around the corner. "Okay darling, off you go."
"Awww daaaad. Once more? Please?"
"No can do, Dee, the bus is here. Now scoot!" he said, smiling.
Stephanie slowly walked down the stairs, carefully not looking at Charlie. They hadn't spoken since he caught her sneaking out.
He just couldn't bring himself to look at her, he was so disgusted with her behaviour. Sure, she was a teen, but it was getting out of control.
Stephanie didn't know what to say, or do, to make things better. She wanted to keep going out and having fun, but she hated upsetting her dad. He was under so much stress as it was. Why did she have to be so stupid?
Charlie didn't know how to fix the situation either. He wanted to apologise for the things he said, but he didn't want her to think that what she did was okay. He just didn't know how to talk to her lately.
He didn't know how to talk to Adriana these days, or even about her. He was just tired of this whole situation. He just didn't know how to make it change.
He tried to distract himself with fishing, but it didn't work. He'd made and stocked the pond as part of the 'feed yourself' plan, but really, he just liked to fish. He was terrible at it, even with a pond stocked like his. But he enjoyed trying.
After he was unable to tempt even one of the bastards - as he affectionately thought of them - he gave up, and went inside. He still had those curtains for Dee's room to finish.
Charlie was struggling to finish the curtains when he was interrupted by a knock at the door. Sighing with relief, because the curtains just weren't co-operating, he stood up to see who it was.
Charlie didn't recognise him, a stranger with green hair and pointy ears. He was probably one of those freaks from the radio station.
"Mr Rebecchi, I'm Solstice Cleardew, headmaster at Bayside Private College, and I'd like to talk to you about Stephanie," he said. Charlie's eyebrows arched up in surprise. This guy was the headmaster of the most prestigious school around?
"About Stephanie? She's not a student there. What's she done?" he asked, sighing.
"Oh, it's nothing bad. Not at all!" he laughed, correctly reading Charlie's expression. "She recently applied for a scholarship to our school, and I wanted to discuss her application with you."
"She did what?" he asked, stunned. He couldn't afford to send her there, and she knew it.
"Throughout the year, we offer scholarships to students who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford to attend. We believe that education should be available to everyone, but also that exceptional education should be available to exceptional students. Stephanie's application was quite stunning, to be frank. I understand that your family situation has changed recently, which is something we also take into consideration."
"'Into consideration'?" Charlie asked, suspicious. "In what way?"
"One of the scholarships we have on offer is for children whose circumstances have...suffered, slightly, you might say. While we do rely on fees and private funding for the school, we are aware that not everyone is as financially fortunate as the majority of our students. We believe that finances, or lack thereof, should not be an impediment to a good education for those who have shown exceptional abilities. Stephanie fits this criteria, and we would like to offer her a fully paid scholarship."
Charlie was conflicted. He was thrilled that Steph had the initiative and drive to apply, but he was mortified and angry that he couldn't afford to send her there himself. That others might know his daughter was there on handouts.
"There's nothing to be ashamed of," Solstice said, having seen this sort of reaction before. "We have it in our budget to offer these scholarships, so it's not like you're taking anything away from anyone else. Doesn't Stephanie deserve the best?"
"You're right. The divorce, the changes, they're all so new. It is hard to get by, and she does deserve this chance. It should be good for her," he agreed, hoping that it would help pull her back into line. "I'd like to accept this offer."
"Fabulous! I'm so glad you're on board. If you come by the school later today or tomorrow, then you can sign the paperwork and she can start as soon as possible."
As they shook hands, Charlie hoped that things would be getting better for them.
His savings account was almost empty, and his pay could only stretch so far. He'd started growing some of their own food before the divorce, but that wasn't enough to keep them going.
He was sure that Steph would just want more things, expensive things, once she was around those rich kids.
How could he afford that?
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