Charlie + Janine = ?

[bscfan1997]

"Come on, Charlie," My thirteen year old sister Kristy Thomas urged. "Start the darn engine already! I'm going to be late for the BSC meeting."

"Calm down, Kristy. It's 5:10. It is a fifteen minute drive. You won't be late."

"It's 5:11." She replied hotly, looking at her watch.

I sighed and shook my head. I swear, she is such a busybody. She is going, going, going all the time. She never stops to take a breath of air. That is a good thing and a bad thing. Today, Friday, it is a bad thing because she is really getting on my nerves.

I started the engine and drove her to Claudia Kishi's house, the BSC headquarters. She paid me fifty cents as I dropped her off.

"Bye!" She called over her shoulder as she ran into the front door. "Be back at 6!"

"Had I ever not been back at 6?" I muttered to myself.

I drove off and decided to go to downtown. I stopped at the ninety nine cents store and went in. I bought a bag of potato chips, a new football for my fifteen year old brother Sam and I to toss around, and a pack of pens for school.

After I bought the items mentioned above, I left the store and returned to the Junk Bucket. I climbed in and buckled up and drove back to Claudia's house.

I saw Kristy bustle out the front door, her hair flying past her shoulders, thunder down the paved driveway, and jump into the front seat of my car.

"Janine received an interesting letter," She commented.

"Yeah?" I said, not sure where this is going.

Janine is Claudia's big sister. She's sixteen years old, and she takes college courses. Recently she skipped junior year and became a senior. She's in my Literature and History and German classes. She's a genius. Claudia claims that she has an IQ of 196, but it's actually 177. Still high, though, and well above the genius mark.

I don't know why Kristy mentioned her to me. She's not a part of my life at all.

"Isn't there, like, this big project seniors have to do. Um, where they have to write a research paper on a certain career. The students are paired up based on the career they desire to achieve." Kristy said hesitantly.

I nodded my head. "Yeah. We had to fill out forms and mail them to SHS, then they send letters notifying what student you are paired up with."

"Right. And, well, according to her letter, she's working with you."

"Me?!"

she nodded and I could tell she'd been holding back a grin.

"Oh my God," I murmured in disbelief.

"It is due next Friday. You and Janine need to get started!" She looked excited for some reason.

I shook my head. I can't believe it. Janine and I aspired to be brain surgeons. We were forced to do a project together. From my very reliable sources (Kristy and her friends, and the students at SHS), Janine is a real pain. 

[bscfan1997]

It is Saturday late morning, almost 11. I'd phoned Janine to discuss the assignment. I could tell by her voice, she's excited and eager to work on it. She loves school, after all. I like it, but I wish I hadn't been paired up with Janine the Genius.

Oh, well. There's no time to waste on grieving the fact I am forced to do a week-long project with her. I am visiting her place to start at noon.

I dressed in a sky blue polo t shirt, jeans, and loafers. I combed my dark curls and carefully parted it to the side. I always try to look nice and presentable.

Sam teased me how I'm doing the old, cliche technique, 'dress to impress'. He thinks for some bizarre reason, I like Janine. I told him that he's crazy.

Then Kristy remarked that I liked Janine, too, and we'd both make a good pairing because we're both smart and sensible and studious. I told her that she lost her mind.

David Michael wrinkled his nose and made a face. He sympathized working with an unwanted person, and he agreed it's awful that I'm in such a situation. I ruffled his hair affectionately.

Karen Brewer, my stepsister, announced that boys are icky, and she's in a fight with her husband Ricky Torres, and they might get a divorce. I ignore her 'cause somehow she makes everything revolve around her.

Andrew, my stepbrother, announced that girls are icky, and there's a secret admirer after him, leaving him drawn pictures with hearts. He is so sweet and cute. He's the most easygoing kid. Too bad he's only around twice a month.

I grabbed a quick snack, which included an apple and a bag of potato chips, I said my goodbyes to my big, mixed up family, and I jumped into the Junk Bucket, and I sped off.

I reached Bradford Court in fifteen minutes. I pulled up onto the driveway of the Kishi's house. I jumped out of the Junk Bucket, carried my schoolbooks and notebooks and writing tools, and marched to the front door. I rang the doorbell.

Here goes nothing.

[bscfan1997]

Claudia answered the door thirty seconds after I'd rang the doorbell.

She wore yet one of her wild outfits: a black-and-white tie-dyed jacket left unbuttoned, a large, baggy, black T-shirt with glittery pink hearts and rainbows and suns printed all over the front, light blue ripped jeans underneath pink leggings, and knee-high rainbow tie-dyed sneakers. Her jet black, long hair had been curled and put up into a ballerina bun on top of her head. She'd pinned bows shaped like pencils and erasers and notepads. Her earrings were opened lockers with small pictures of the BSC inside.

I had to admit that this is a pretty cool outfit.

(I know, I sound just like Kristy and her friends.)

"Janine is waiting for you in her room." She explained. "Second floor, first hallway, last door on the left. Mom and Dad are at work. I'm on the way to the Pikes' to babysit. So it's just you and Janibe. So you should be able to concentrate well. Bye!" She left in a hurry.

I shook my head. I walked upstairs and located her room fairly easily. All of the houses - apart from the mansions - are built the same way. I guess the guy who built them didn't have much imagination.

I knocked on the door.

"It's Charlie Thomas," I called.

I heard Janine stop typing away on her computer and she called, "Come on in!"

I opened the door and entered the room.

[Honeybee]

This is good. Can't wait to see, what happens next.

[bscfan1997]

Thank you I will update soon!

[bscfan1997]

Thank you I will update soon!

[mistrali]

Just a small bit of concrit: I'm pretty sure 'busybody' means someone who makes a habit of sticking their nose into everyone's business - think Rachel Lynde from the Anne books.

I chuckled at the "I know I sound just like Kristy" bit. Hope to see an update.

[bscfan1997]

Oct 23, 2015 14:35:30 GMT -5 mistrali said:

Just a small bit of concrit: I'm pretty sure 'busybody' means someone who makes a habit of sticking their nose into everyone's business - think Rachel Lynde from the Anne books.

I chuckled at the "I know I sound just like Kristy" bit. Hope to see an update.

Thank you for pointing that out. I'd been typing this out on my iPad so a lot of annoying autocorrect. I meant to say busy bee.   Thank you for reading this. I'll try to update soon.

[bscfan1997]

"Hello," I greeted with a polite tone and a tightl smile.

"Hello," Janine said formally and solemnly.

You'd easily mistaken us to be at a funeral, not in her room.

In. Her. Room. Mm...I tried to block that disgusting thought out of my mind. Doing that with Janine, heck, no...

I studied Janine. Now, she is pretty, naturally pretty. She used to have a pageboy cut Claudia loathes, but Janine recently grew it to chin length and layered it. It seems good on her. Cute almost. Her skin is smooth and silklike, and her almond-shaped eyes, well, I could gaze into them for hours. The outfits she chooses are very generic and boring, though. Today she'd worn a white collared t shirt held up by black suspenders and a knee-length plaid skirt and penny loafers. Ew. If I were to rate her beauty on a scale from a 1 to a 10, I'd say around 3 or 4.

Of course, looks don't matter that much. But, really, she could look nicer. At least she got a new haircut, and her smile is warm. Too bad she's a total geek.

"What a warm welcome," I said, a sorry attempt of a joke.

"The metaphor you've recently used is incorrect. It is rather cold here. Of course, not literally, but the undertone currently isn't warm at all. It is cold, actually. I suggest - sensibly - that you'd study your proper English skills." Was her reply. She sounded like one of those computer voices.

Boy, I thought, annoyed. What a know-it-all. All I said was, "I agree with your statement."

"Good. Now, we shall start the project."

"We shall."