Jess shivered as she stepped out of her car, Coral's beetle, Cindy's sports ute, and Delilah's very expensive sports car that her grandmother had gifted her had been carefully parked to make space for her car. Sally's jeep that Evie had been given was absent however.
As Jess headed for the house to announce her arrival she heard loud live music coming from the second garage and changed direction.
Everybody welcomed Jess back to the 'Hollow'. It felt more like she had only been gone for a few weeks rather than a whole year. The girls spent the rest of the night catching up on Midnight Hollow and University Life gossip. Eventually Cindy pointed out that Jess' imaginary friend was still invisible and Evie asked if it was a trick, and suggested Jess had just paid some random girl at Uni to stand in for the photos. Jess had pointed out that Mia had met her dream boy, and that they would be dropping in to visit on the following weekend.
Coral hadn't really used her degree, she had been working three part time jobs, as a beach and pool lifeguard, a shelf stocker at a local supermarket, and as a animal wranglers assistant for the local council. Coral spent most of her spare time as a volunteer reader at the local hospital, although she had been trying to write a book about the Black Rocks, it really wasn't working out.
Cindy had taken the third floor and turned it into a bedroom, while the fourth floor, which didn't even have room for a single bed was turned into a repository for her Buzzberry plant. Cindy had turned the house garden into a very successful business despite the frequent cold weather. She took out business costs and then wages similar to that earned by Delilah and Eve, and put the rest of the income into a special savings account. Now that Jess was home, Cindy needed to talk about what they were going to do with all the simoleons in the group account.
Delilah and Evie had taken Edwards old room, as it was the only one with a double bed at the time, and while they had replaced the bed, they had left all of the original furniture in place, while adding a few of their own personal touches in the way of artwork. Eves work as a sports agent had her traveling out of town frequently, and although her sister Sally had left her a bright pink jeep, she was working hard to buy a car more fitting to image as sports consultant to the stars. Besides, Sally would return from Simazonia one day, amd eve was determined to return the jeep in the same condition that she had received it.
In the last year Delilah had gone from dusting frames at an art gallery to being the local Art Gallery owner's personal assistant, her job had her traveling to all sorts of unexpected places around the 'Hollow', as well as occasionally out of town. Delilah's maternal grandmother had gifted her with a sports car that cost three times more than Delilah would earn in a year. Delilah had paid for advanced driving lessons because she was afraid she might wreck the car otherwise. Even so, Delilah only took the car out on days when the weather was good.
Jess settled into her room at the end of the night, she contemplated how well life was going for her friends and herself, and she contemplated the big puddle of money that Cindy had earned, but had not felt entitled to. Jess remembered back to when the garden first came to life. It had been a group effort of her closest friends bringing other friends to help. Eve, Sally, Delilah, Coral, Cindy and herself had all maintained it before going off to Uni, as well as Kim and her father Edward, especially during the first year of further education.
Jess thought about ways to spend the simoleons that would benefit the people who had helped earn it.
Jess was still working on the best way to use the account a week later when Mia and Shelby arrived.
Mia jumped out of Shelby's car proudly showing off her shiny engagement ring. "Wow, it's perfect, when is the wedding?", Jess asked enthusiastically. Mia's smile faded and Shelby stepped forward to explain.
"My mother makes your average control freak look like an indecisive pushover, she overheard me propose to Mia, and by the end of the day had sent out the first five hundred invitations, and booked half of Paradise Island for the venue", Shelby mumbled apologetically. "I doubt if I even know any one on her list."
"Which is why..", Shelby said as he dropped to one knee, "I am asking you to marry me here in secret with your friends this weekend, before, uh, before we get married next weekend." Shelby pulled out another ring.
Jess introduced Shelby and Mia to everyone, although Mia already knew them.
Kim, who among many things, was also a registered celebrant, married the couple. Shelby and Mia had their first honeymoon in Midnight Hollow before returning to Shelby's mothers to get married... Again.
Over the next week Delilah and Evie whispered to each other about also having a secret wedding. Jess contemplated what could have been with deceased criminal Vampire Adonis. Coral thought about returning to the Black Rocks, and Cindy communed frequently with her Buzzberry plant, as well as anyone she could pick up at the local nightclubs.
Jess called her house mates together. She had an announcement to make.
Authors Note:
To have this generation conform to the 'Marital Status' or 'Family Type' roll, Jess needs to either adopt or evict someone. Evie and Delilah are a couple, and Coral and Cindy are fantastic moral sparring partners, so the choice I have made, has been a difficult and drawn out process for me to decide who and how. This chapter has covered two weeks story time, even though it is less than 24 hours game time since Jess returned. (repeated technical issues). Time distortion issues may be apparent, especially in the way of sudden cloth changes and especially over the next few chapters. I apologize in advance for 'continuity' errors!
Also Buzzberry is the key ingredient in the adult 'Bubble' flavors, hence is illegal to grow without a special license. Which is why Cindy's Buzzberry is hidden away.
