Chapter 1 - Gen 2 - Blake

The twins are really missing Mom, but I am really angry with her - angry at what she has done to Dad and angry that she took Mint with her.  I am never going to forgive her for breaking up our family, we were happy till she went and ruined everything!!!!  Since the day Grandma Summer died, everything seems to have just fallen apart.  My Grandma died then Grandad Marty died only days later,   It was an awful time and then just as we were picking ourselves up and looking forward to the new baby coming - it turns out that Mom has had an affair with Pear and the babies, more twins were actually Pears and not my Dads so obviously their marriage broke up and Mom moved in with Pear and their twins.

Dad cries all the time, he tries to hide it but he doesn't do a very good job of it, and I know that's why he keeps wearing those stupid glasses to hide the bags under his eyes and the fact that his eyes are all red and puffy.  My Dad the famous Rockstar - if only the rest of the world could see him right now!!

Petal took Mom leaving the hardest, she is miserable all the time, she can't understand why she had to leave.  Poppy, even though she misses Mom, she is angry like me, I suppose because we have always been closer to Dad than Mom.  Petal and Mint were closer to Mom, I did not have a clue how Mint was feeling, I had not spoken to him since Mom took him.  Dad was really upset when he realised that Mom had Mint, she was not supposed to take him with her, he was supposed to stay here with me and the twins.  Now that Mint had had his birthday and was now a teen like me, hopefully I would get to see him at school.

"Mint I told you, he will be happy to see you."

"Well Mom said he told her to take me."

"Forget what she said - she was lying to you Mint!!"

"She also said that she wanted to stay with Dad, she would have let Pear take the twins away but Dad kicked her out, she did not want to go."

"Well can you blame him - she was sleeping with another man!!"

"They fight and argue all the time you know Mom and Pear."

"Good I hope she is miserable!!!"

I spoke to Mint at school, he was confused more than anything, he thought that Dad had sent him away because that is what my lying mother had told him!!  He wanted to come home and hated living with Mom and Pear.

"Dad."

"Mint, does your mother know you are here."

"No she doesn't."

"Good - the last thing I need from her is earache!!"

"Dad why did you send just me away and none of the others?"

"I didn't send you away you were supposed to stay here, she was not supposed to take you."

"She told me that you told her to take me away"

"I did no such thing - I went mad when I realised she had taken you and when I tried to get you back she told me you wanted to go with her, that you did not want to live with me and you were happier with her and that's why I left it because I thought that was what you wanted."

"That's not true, she made me go, she dragged me off and told me you said I had to go with her."

"Sounds like she has lied to both of you!!"

"Dad I want to come home I don't want to live with Mom."

"Of course you can come home, I never wanted you to leave in the first place."

"Can you tell Mom, she will just shout at me"

"You can tell her first, she needs to hear it from you, when she starts yelling then pass me the phone and I will talk to her."

"You heard what Mint said Jade."

"Good so he lives with me from now on."

"Its what he wants and I don't appreciate you lying about me to my children."

"No you listen, this was your doing, not mine, its your own fault that you have to live without our kids, but you tried to turn Mint against me with your lies, he thought I didn't want him, how can you stoop so low!!"

"It is all sorted out, Mint she knows you are staying here from now on, she is not happy about it but she has had to accept it."

"Thanks Dad!!"

"Now I need a word with you boys - I need you to help me out a little."

"How?"

"Well, I may be a little paranoid, but your mother seems hell bent on taking you four kids away from me, so I need you two to look out for your sisters especially when I have concerts to perform."

"So you want us to babysit the twins?!"

"Only when I have a concert, I am not asking you to do it full time, but you know sometimes I work very late and I am going to worry when I am not here to watch out for them.  Poppy wants to start ballet lessons after school and I will only feel comfortable about letting her do after school activities if I know that you boys will promise to go and bring her home from ballet class."

"I suppose."

"I don't want suppose Blake I need to know you will do it for definate, else I can't let her do ballet class, and it won't take up too much of your spare time if you share the responsibility"

"Ok - Ok - I will do it!!"

"Mint?"

"I'll do it, she will only have a tantrum if we don't and she can't go to ballet class!!"

"Good - Thank you - now don't you both have homework to do!!"

And there he goes - out come those stupid glasses again - he has been crying again because he has spoken to Mom, I really hope he gets over this soon!!!

I was really glad to have my brother back home again, I had really missed him while he had been living with Mom.

"So who did you ask to prom?"

"No one - I am not really bothered about going, what about you?"

"Not yet, I am trying to pluck up the courage."

"Who?"

"Lemon Curd."

"Why didn't you ask her already?"

"I don't even know if she likes me."

"Well you won't know till you ask her will you!!"

I was really nervous about asking Lemon to prom, I liked her and wanted to ask her but I did not have a clue how she would react, I am not even sure that she likes me enough to go on a date with, we are really good friends and hang out alot together but she has never given me any hint that she might want me as a boyfriend.

"Hello, is Lemon about?"

"Yes Blake go in she is just finishing her homework."

"Hey Blake, sorry - did we arrange to hang out tonight?"

"No, I errr .... I came round to ask you about Prom"

"What about prom?"

"Do you have a date for prom?"

"No why do you?"

"No, I wandered if you wanted to go to prom with me?"

"Finally!!"

"What?"

"I thought you was never going to ask me!!"

"You wanted me to?"

"Yes - you really are stupid Blake?"

"Am I?"

She said she had liked me for ages and she had been asked about prom by a few other boys who she said no to just in case I did ask her!!!!  - how was I suppose to know if she has never said anything and she definitely had not given me any clues!!  Why didn't she just tell me!!

Mint had been teasing me and winding me up over Lemon at breakfast and got me all embarrassed in front of Dad.  The first thing Dad said was "Is she "ugly" or "berry"?
"Ugly why?"
"Well at least you have the sense to go for an "ugly" girl and not a "berry"!!!!!  I knew he had said this because of Mom.
He said "Give her some flower, they like that" and walked off looking upset.  Not really sure what that was all about, but I am sure I could guess it had something to do with Mom.
I did what he suggested and gave her some flowers, and she did seem to really like them.

I was a little shocked when she kissed me, but I wasn't complaining.

I persuaded Mint to come to prom even though he really did not want to.  The girl he liked had already got a date for prom so he was not bothered about going.  Mint rode with us in the Limo and when we got to school he hung back a little I thought maybe he might slope off, but he did eventually come inside the school.

Me and Lemon had a great time at prom, she is now officially my girlfriend.  Mint did not have such a good time - he got in a fight with the boy who was there with his crush, its really not looking good because the boy he was fighting with was our cousin Nectarine and I had a feeling this argument was going to rumble on for a little while longer yet!!!

For as long as I can remember when you walked into our house the first thing you always saw was Mom and Dad's Prom photo.  The day Mom left Dad moved it. throwing it across the living room in temper, I put it away in one of the chests in the basement, maybe one day he might get it out again.  It has been strange not seeing it there so I placed mine and Lemon's prom photo where Mom and Dads used to sit.

I

I thought maybe I might have done the wrong thing when I saw Dad just stood there staring at the photo like he was in a trance.

"Dad"

"Mmmmmm"

"I'll move it if you want me to."

"No its fine - so, what is her name, I don't recognize her."

"Its Lemon Curd, she has been here loads of times."

"I don't remember seeing her before."

"She was here probably when you have been at work, but she hasn't been round since Mom left."

"Well she looks a lot happier than Jade ever did, why did I never notice."

"Dad?!"

"Sorry just thinking out loud."

He asked me how prom went, so I told him about Mint and Nectarine coming to blows over a girl and I told him all about me and Lemon, I was rabbiting away and I suddenly realised he had that painted smile of his and he was wearing those stupid glasses again.

"You have seen or spoken to Mom haven't you!!"

"What?"

I was going to have it out with him, that stupid fake smile and the way he keeps wearing those glasses to hide the fact he has been crying, I went to say it then quickly changed my mind.

"I was just wandering if you had spoken to Mom lately?"

"Earlier actually about the twins visiting her at the weekend, why?"

"Just wandered that's all."

"I need to ask you - about your mother."

"What about her?"

"She wants to know when you are going to see her, you haven't seen or spoken to her since she left."

"I don't intend to either!!"

"She thinks that I am keeping you away from her."

"Well tell her I just don't want to speak to her, I hate her!!"

"Hate - your angry, you don't hate her, she is your Mom.   I know you are angry Blake, but you need to speak to her only if it is just to tell her how you feel.  You are upsetting her and in return she is taking it out on me, so do me a favour and just speak to her for me please!!!"

"Mom wants you to phone her."

"Tell her to GET LOST!!"

"Wooow don't bite my head off I am only passing on a message."

"Did you speak to her?"

"Yeah she phoned me - she says you keep cutting off her calls."

"Cause I don't want to talk to her doesn't she get the message!!??"

"What's the matter with you anyway?"

"Nothing."

"It doesn't look like it, Lemon dumped you already?"

"NO!!!!!!"

"So, come on - what's up?"

"Mom I wish she would just get lost - as if it isn't bad enough what she did, what does she want us all to do - play "happy families" well I don't think so and I am fed up of her upsetting Dad all the time!!!!"

"Upsetting Dad, how?"

"Do you not notice he cries all the time - those stupid glasses, they are just to hide the puffy red eyes because he cries too much - every time she speaks to him he starts again - she needs to get lost else he will never get over it!!"

"I hadn't noticed!!"

"He tries to hide it, but he isn't fooling me - maybe you need to watch him a little more carefully, then you might notice!!"

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Chapter 2

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