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*** Jade wasn't happy about being stuck with the dishes again - Kat seemed to have this knack for having something come up as soon as it was time to do the dishes. She would stand there, tea-towel in hand, but the second the first dish touched the water, the doorbell would chime, or the phone would ring, and Kat would have to answer it - and it was *always* for her. And so the dishes would air-dry, and Kat would put them away the next morning - or Lucia would. Jade refused, because she had washed them. Erick always teased Kat about having a buzzer - she pressed it and someone would call. Kat took their teasing good-naturedly - She could afford to, she didn't have to do the dishes. This time Kat had been pushing the "I cooked so I don't have to wash" line, when Glenn had arrived. At which point Kat had bounded out of the kitchen to say hello. Jade shook her head and ran the water. Glenn entered the kitchen and moved over to Darryl. The two boys vaguely
knew each other, and greeted each other before starting to talk about
Glenn's new car. Jade shook her head and washed the dishes. Glenn noticed
her when she dropped one of the plates into the sink with a loud clunk. Jade turned back to the dishes to avoid watching Kat flirting with Glenn.
Jade wasn't sure what she thought of Glenn. He was obviously hooked on her
sister, but he was a fair few years older than her, and Jade wasn't
completely sure about his intentions. Nicole entered the kitchen, and
Darryl also stood up. It was about 1:30 when Jade finished her book and moved into the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea. She went upstairs to put the book away, and gathered her sketchpad and drawing materials. Returning to the kitchen, she made her tea and moved into the lounge room. She turned off the lights, and began to sketch the old oak tree in the front yard, bathed in moonlight. It was a difficult sketch, and Jade was concentrating so hard, that at first she didn't register the car pulling up out the front of their house. She only noticed it when Kat got out and paid the driver, and began stalking up the footpath to the front door. Jade jumped up and turned on the lights, and unchained the door, just as Kat yanked it open. Kat threw her purse onto the couch, moved into the bathroom and began scrubbing her face, removing her make-up. Jade carefully locked the door, then moved to stand in the doorway. Kat was drying her face, and then she looked in the mirror for a long minute. "What happened?" The two sat in silence, until Darryl's car pulled up out the front, and then
they stood. Jade gathered the cups and teapot, and put them in the kitchen
as Nicole got out of the car. Kat picked up Jade's cup from earlier, and
followed her into the kitchen. Nicole walked up the footpath, with Darryl
watching from the car. Nicole rang the doorbell, and Jade answered it as
Kat began putting the dry dishes away. Darryl drove off as the door was
shut behind Nicole. Jade headed to her room. She wished her parents hadn't gone away this weekend. Michael was really starting to make Jade nervous but she knew that Kat wouldn't say anything to her parents and would be upset if Jade did. She really wanted to curl up with someone and be told it was oki but she had no-one and dispite what her parents and her sister thought she was sometimes very vulnerable and lonely. Jade's thoughts drifted to Daniel as they always did when she was lonely. She could always write to him but it didn't seem the same. She could call him but they spoke last weekend and calls were expensive. Instead she grabbed her mini little diary and poured her heart out to no-one in particular. *** Jade awoke to sounds of clanging in the kitchen followed by lots of giggles. Jade looked at her alarm clock and was suprised to see it was nearly midday. Normally she was awake at 9am on the weekends. Jade put on a robe and headed downstairs to the kitchen where Kat and Nicole stood looking a little mischievious. "We wanted to make pancakes" Kat said as if that explained it all. The was flour on the floor, broken eggshells on the bench and some spilt milk to match. Jade grabbed the milk cartoon and put it in the fridge will retrieving some juice. She grabbed a glass and pour herself some careful not to get any of the golden syrup on her robe that also seemed to have decorated the bench. "We did try and wake you up but you were really dead to the world. Did you
sleep well?" Kat asked Jade thought it best not to ask again, she probably didn't want to know anyway. She put the juice away after Kat and Nicole had poured themselves some and then headed outside to the patio, after ofcourse she declared that she would not under *any* circumstances clean up *their* mess. "So what do you want to do today?" Nicole asked as she ran the sink and
started on the dishes while Kat cleaned everything else up About an hour later they all headed down towards the mall. Kat was a little suprised by Jade agreeing to come but was glad she had said yes. She couldn't really remember the last time Jade and her had gone out shopping together and Kat suddenly realised she missed it. As they got near the entrance Kat grabbed both Nicole and Jade's hand and skipped all the way to the entrance. It was childish she knew but she was happy for now and refused to worry about what happened last night. "Let's go get a chocolate milkshake" Kat said The chatted for awhile and Jade again suprised Kat by sharing some local gossip. After they finished and paid they went to the jeans store so Jade could get new jeans. "Why don't you try something a little different" Kat suggest Jade protested but Kat shoo'd her into the change rooms. As Jade got changed she couldn't help notice how much weight she had lost. She shouldn't have been suprised, it was the reason why she was getting some new pants. Jade held up the jeans that Kat had tossed her and had to admit they looked good. They were tinsel jeans and hand a grass and flower drawing on the bottom of each leg. It appeared as if it had been air brushed on. Futher up the jeans there were some little pixies, faeries and the occasional lady bug. Jade put them on and noted they showed her figure off just a little. She blushed slightly. "Are you done yet?" Nicole asked Jade stepped out and noticed that both Kat and Nicole visably breath in. "Come on turn around lets have a look at you" It didn't take long for Jade to change again and she paid for the jeans. They headed out the store and were now just window shopping. They looked at hats, teddybears, nail polish and practically everything else. They however stopped for a long time when they got to the magick shop at the end of the mall. The store was owned by Kat and Jade's aunt. "Hello girls" Their Aunt came around the counter and gave them each a hug. They started talking about day to day stuff when Michael walked into the store. "Why Kat there you are" He said then turned and glared at Jade and Nicole "For a guy who had the crap beat out of him last night he can run" Melissa watched as Kat knelt down by Jade and started crying. It was time to take some real action and though Melissa couldn't do much to protect Kat she decided to put a restraining order against Michael to stop him from coming anywhere near her shop and she was going to encourage Erick and Lucia to do the same. This just had to stop. A man approached them, and after explaining that he was a doctor and had seen the entire scene, examined Jade. Luckily Jade wasn't seriously hurt. Michael had knocked her out, but she did not have a concussion, or anything more serious than a black eye. She had regained consciousness as the security guards arrived, and they had taken a description of Michael, and promised to keep an eye out for him in the future. Once the doctor had proclaimed Jade to be fine, other than a bruise and probably a very nasty headache, the girls didn't feel like shopping any longer, and decided to go home. Melissa left her shop in the hands of her employees and a security guard who had decided to station himself by the front of the shop in order to drive the three girls home. Jade's head was starting to throb painfully, and Kat was in deep reverie. Melissa dropped Nicole at her house, then dropped her nieces home. The girls did not invite her in, and Melissa watched as the twins walked up the path, and let themselves into the house. Once inside, Jade went immediately to the kitchen, took a couple of pain killers, and went up to her room in silence. She wanted to be alone, and hoped Erick and Lucia would get home soon. They were planning to arrive home that afternoon, and Jade couldn't wait until they got home. She sat on her window seat, and rested. Downstairs, Kat entered the study and called the police department. Michael's behaviour had finally gotten too much for her. He had never physically threatened anyone before, and suddenly since last night he seemed to have crossed a line. Kat simply wasn't prepared to put up with it any more. He scared her, and she wanted something done about it. Unfortunately the woman at the police department wasn't all that helpful. She promised to send out the information sheets on restraining orders and officer protection orders, but not the actual forms themselves, claiming that Kat had to present her cause to the department in person. Discouraged, Kat hung up and called Glenn. He told her that he'd be over as soon as he could. When Jade roused herself, it was dusk. She realised she must had dozed in
her seat, and felt much better for it. Her headache was almost gone,
although her eye had deepened to a lovely shade of purple. She washed her
face carefully, wincing as she prodded her bruise with her fingers, and then
moved downstairs. Jade glanced into the kitchen, and saw Kat sitting with
Glenn, with paper strewn all over the table. Erick and Lucia weren't home. At that moment, the phone rang, and Jade picked it up. ***
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nfortunately, his expression was exactly the same as when he opened and
closed the car door for Kat - polite, courteous, but not considering
potential date material. Nicole muttered under her breath.
