The Parade

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Marie while chaperoning, finds the birthday girl. They talk Plans For The Future. Nothing like scary thoughts on Halloween.



Marie watched a ketchup and mustard bottle wander by, followed by two popes holding hands. Shaking her head, she walked over to where she saw Jennie standing. "How's it compare to last year?" she asked with a smile.

"Doesn't even," Jennie said smiling, and tugging down her skirt. Stupid static electricity. "Last year I got a cupcake and a riot, this year I got an actual party and a parade. Not a bad way to turn eighteen. And the presents haven't sucked either."

"Yeah, Ah suppose your best friend healthy beats a riot any year," Marie said with a wink. "Though cupcakes are always good things." Straightening the edge of one lace trimmed glove, she watched a few more costumed individuals walk past. Why had they all lived lifetimes by the time they turned eighteen?

Jennie laughed as a pack of playing cards wandered by. "Yeah, still. This year? Much better. We actually get costumes even," she did a little curtsey. Zombie prom queen hadn't been her first choice, but it wasn't like she'd had a lot of time to prepare. Other things on her mind and whatnot. "When I was little, I thought that people got dressed up for my birthday, not because of Halloween."

Marie laughed, switching her parasol from one side to the other. "Well, Ah think that's a much more fun idea. That everyone out there is celebrating your birthday - not that it'd give you a big head or anythin'. An Ah already had this thing in my closet, so it was nice to put it to use. Don't have many costume balls to attend these days."

"To tell you the truth I haven't had a real birthday like this since I was a kid. Kinda ironic seeing as how I'm now technically an adult." Jennie paused, and then adopted a look of mock horror. "Oh God, I'm an adult now, aren't I?"

"Eighteen's a bit of a kicker, huh? Makes you start feeling old." Marie dropped the parasol off her shoulder, setting the point against the ground and twirling it slowly in a circle. "Of course wait 'till you hit twenty one and people start calling you Ms. Stavros or Ms. Jennie," she said making a face.

"Ha! That is assuming I end up doing something at the mansion. Could you see me teaching? I'd probably pelt kids with erasers for not paying attention in class or something." Jennie thought for a moment. "You know, I really hadn't considered what I'm doing next year? At all? I mean, I assume college. But I haven't actually sat down and thought about it."

"Sometimes the things we end up doing aren't what we expected," Marie said. "And it doesn't have to be any sort of formal sittin' down to figure it out. What do you like learnin' about? And where do you want to be?" She grinned apologetically. "Not that you want to be thinking about life plans on your birthday."

"I dunno. I like math a lot. And dance. And I know I would like to go someplace close by, because well, all my friends and family are here." Jennie shrugged. "Doesn't exactly narrow it down a lot, you know?" She lifted her arms to let a group of children run by, followed closely by their parent.

"No one says you have to know what you want to do with your life yet, y' know? Go to college, have fun..." Marie said, then shrugged. "Plus, sticking around does help narrow it down...Pace or Westchester to stay close to the school, NYU, Columbia, any of those others if you wanna go into the city." Marie paused, cocking her head to the right. "You know, Ah bet a bunch of students are like you, wondering what they want to do...maybe we should set up a day or two to go tour some of the local colleges, so y'all can get a feel for things."

"That would be great." Jennie said, smiling. "It's also good to start, because I might be screwed when it comes to scholarships. But money's no object when it comes to my education now. Or at least that's what my father told me last night. He was the one who got me thinking. So I wouldn't have to worry." She still felt weird about accepting any sort of money from him. She knew he felt it was his duty as his parent, but it was still bizarre.

"It's nice not to have to worry about that," Marie said. "Though it's gotta be hard, adjusting to a family you didn't know you had." The last was said without a trace of bitterness, though thoughts of her own family flashed through her mind.

"Yeah. It's still weird. My little sister's great, and so's my Dad, if a bit stiff." The girl tugged at her dress again. "The rest of them, not so much. I guess it takes time, or something. I might even drag Olivia up for a visit. Mostly because she's been begging to see the school and it'll give her mother a heart attack." Jennie grinned wickedly.

"Well, what good are you if you don't give your stepmother a few grey hairs?" Marie said, her smile returning. "Ah just hope she doesn't look like that," she added, pointing to a couple of drag queens dressed as Cinderella and her evil stepmother and sisters.

"No, just your generic old money New England rich middle-aged woman. The jury's still out on whether or not her breasts are real." Jennie sighed. "Nah, shouldn't say that. She's been getting nicer to me. She actually acknowledges my presence now. If this keeps up, she might address me by name by Christmas."

"Heck, if you're lucky, she might bump you up on the Christmas card list from 'sincerely' to 'with warm regards.' But that's enough of you hanging out with the ol' lady of this trip. Ah'm sure all your buddies are wondering where you're at." Marie made a shooing gesture. "Go have fun, you still have an hour 'till we gotta head out."

"Awwwwww!" Jennie whined playfully. "Can't we stay a little longer? Pleeeease?"

"Ah'll think about it," Marie said with a smile. Truth be told, she'd probably let the group stay out as late as she could...seeing smiles on all their faces was a nice change from the atmosphere in the mansion less than a month before. The deserved a night of fun and games, a night to just be kids.

"Woo!" Jennie reached out and was careful to hug Marie's covered shoulders. "Bestest RA ever. I'll be good, promise!" And with that the girl turned and disappeared into the crowd, in search of her friends