FicWad

That night the Vortex’s had their last dinner together before Jimmy, Cindy, and Angel left for three months with a guest of Angel’s choice.


“You know a bad report card could be a good thing in some cultures, I mean maybe your putting too much pressure on me to be perfect” Alex said with Angel shaking her head smirking as Jimmy and Cindy laughed too.


“Nice try straight F’s but the next person that comes is Angel’s choice not yours, and whoever she chooses can like we said be someone in this house or one of her friends” Cindy said as Angel hated to admit that she had no friends.


“Well if I had to pick somebody to go with me and to ease Gabriel’s mind with the babysitting I’d have to pick Leo” Angel said as Leo smiled up at Cindy and Jimmy.


“Well onliest son looks like we’re going to have to get you packed after dinner, and we’ll have to do some major clothes shopping” Jimmy said as Leo jumped up and down excitedly and kissed Angel’s cheek smiling at her.


“You know Angel you are the best older sister ever and I love you so much, can we swim with the dolphins where we’re going?” Leo asked as Angel smiled and ruffled his hair.


“Well what can I say Lee you deserve this trip more than me being a boy in a valley of girls, I mean I would really love to know how you deal with it” Angel said as Leo skipped merrily back to his seat waiting for the Chinese Food.


“All right all you know the rules buffet style, whatever you get you eat and what you don’t eat you replace back into the containers” Cindy said as Jimmy walked to a banquet table and opening the containers.


“Can I at least have my cell back daddy?, I can’t even tell you how many people could have called me in the last four hours” Alex said as Jimmy shook his head no and handing it to Gabriel.


“She doesn’t get this until next Monday do you get the idea?, I want her to suffer the consequences of her bad report card” Jimmy said as Alex snapped her fingers angrily and held a stout at dinner.


“Your breaking rule number 2 Ally, mommy always says to turn that frown upside down at the breakfast, lunch, and dinner table” Kennedy said her mouthful of pork fried rice.


“Yea well she never had her only source of communication taken away from her, I mean how am I supposed to talk to my friends without a cell phone?” Alex asked as Jimmy pointed outside.


“It’s called outdoors, ride a bike, go on a skateboard, rollerblade to someone’s house, walk to somebody’s house it’s called exercise”.


“It’s called a total waste of time if you ask me, I mean I’m grounded from going out aren’t I?, there’s no way I can walk anywhere it’s like house arrest without the bracelet” Alex said as Gabriel stashed Alex’s phone in her purse.


“In one week you’ll get the phone back, now enjoy your last dinner with our parents, sister, and little brother before they leave tomorrow” Gabriel said as Alex had a plan in her head.


“Since Leo’s going doesn’t that mean that Angel will have to babysit him on the nights dad and you go out?, I mean I don’t know about you but I heard absolutely no work on this vacation”.


“That’s why we’re inviting Lauren to come along too, she’s Leo’s favorite babysitter and she did say that she could use a vacation from the Vortex twelve for awhile” Cindy said as Alex stared lovingly at Leo.


“Sweet little brother I think since Angel has a wild card to pick who she wants to go with her, It’s only fair that Leo get’s to pick someone to go with him” Alex said hoping to God Leo picked her.


“I pick Lauren because she makes me pizza and she plays games with me, plus she tells me that one day I’m going to make some girl very happy” Leo said gnawing apart an egg roll as Alex saw her plan failing.


“But you can’t pick Lauren because mommy and daddy already picked Lauren, so you see picking Lauren would just give her a chance to say yes”.


“I can so pick Lauren it’s my pick not yours, and anyways if I didn’t pick Lauren I was going to pick Kennedy because she’s the littlest”.


“And if he picked Kennedy then Angel would have had to babysit because there’s only enough tickets for Your dad, Angel, Leo, Lauren, and myself so thank your brother Angel” Cindy said as Angel hugged him.


“”She only picked him because she has no friends to bring, everybody knows the egghead get’s nobody to befriend her” Alex said slamming her fork down as Angel’s eyes watered up and she ran off as the room grew deathly quiet.


“All right until your father and I get back nobody touches their food am I understood?, this started as a family dinner and it’ll end as a family dinner”.


Cindy, Jimmy, and Leo stormed off up the stairs dragging Alex with them against her complaints and moans of forgiveness.


“I was angry about the trip and I didn’t mean what I said, I mean come on mom and dad she knew I was kidding”.


“Let’s just confirm what she already knows, one she has a very jealous and mean sister, two she has no friends because she decided to work through life, three her little brother loves her more than anything in this world, and four she has a family who loves her” Cindy said stopping at Angel’s door and hearing sobbing.


“Fine I’ll apologize to the crybaby and then I’ll go back downstairs and try to enjoy the last meal with my parents, older sister by one month, and little brother” Alex said shoving past Cindy and Jimmy as they blocked the door.


“With an attitude like that you just brought yourself another weeks grounding, Jimmy why don’t you tell her what she’s won”


“Well Cin she brought an all expenses paid trip to Alex’s bedroom, that’s right Alex’s bedroom where she’ll spend 14 fun filled days and 14 fun filled nights in solitude, back to you Cindy” Jimmy said in a game show announcers voice as Alex just sighed angrily and looked at Cindy and Jimmy.


“All right so what do you want me to do pretend I’m sorry for doing what I did?, because if you want me to apologize It’s not going to happen” Alex said as Cindy grew a fire in her eyes.


“Thanks to you we just earned another week in the Bahamas so keep going and we may never come back, then you’d be stuck with Gabriel as your babysitter” Cindy said angrily as there was a knock on the door and Jimmy ran down to answer it.


“Until you can find it in your heart to apologize to your sister you’ll be spending the night in the hallway, so have fun crashing on the hardwood floor while one of your sisters or brother get’s your bed for the night” Cindy said.


Jimmy led a boy with a jean jacket, tan Vans with a brown sole, black hair, hazel eyes, tan skin, and a graphic Tee that said I Am Mclovin up to Angel’s room as Cindy smiled.


“I never thought we’d be seeing you again John, now I don’t think Leo will be coming but I do hate making his little hopes shatter” Jimmy said as John produced a plane ticket.


“Well that’s why my mom and dad pitched in to get me a plane ticket, tell Leo to get packing and I’ll handle the sad girl” John Ward said knocking on Angel’s door as Cindy ran off to help Leo pack.


“Go away whoever it is I don’t want to talk to anyone from this family right now, just leave me alone to bawl for awhile and I’m sure I’ll be fine” Angel said as Alex made to leave but Gabriel grabbed her collar holding her in place.


“How about old friends who are living back in town do you have any time for them?, or are you so popular that you’ve forgotten all about the promise you made three years ago?” .


“Is that who I think it is?, but then again it couldn’t be because he’s in Colorado probably going out with a bleached blonde bimbo saying he loves her”.



“Come now Angie you know I’m not like that, now if it was Jessica Alba it’s be a completely different ball of wax from the ear of life” John said as Angel excitedly jumped up and ran to the door her blonde hair sticking to her face.


“Girl either you’ve changed into a blonde mass of hair, or you need one of the biggest makeovers you’ve ever seen”.


Angel bawled and wrapped her hands around her old friends mid section as he stroked her hair and Alex just stared at the both of them.


“This is so pathetic Gabby, just let me go and we can go about our business as sisters and she get’s her Prince Charming” Alex said as Gabriel shook her head.


“She is getting her apology if I have to stand here wrestling with your collar all night, you aren’t going to walk all over her just because your jealous of the gift mom and dad won’t let her refuse” Gabriel said as Angel’s cries stopped and she smiled up at John.


“So how long are you going to stay in town Jonny?, I mean does forever mean forever this time or are you going to drift from this town again?” Angel asked as John kissed her cheek and nodded.


“Forever means forever this time Angie, now why don’t we get your I’m sorry’s from Alex and we could continue from there” John said as Angel held a smile on her face and walked into the hall with John close behind.


“Well I believe your sister is looking for the words I’m and sorry if you don’t know how to use them look them up in the dictionary, that is if you know how to read”.


“I’m not sorry for anything so saying sorry would just be a waste of time and my breath you idiot boy” Alex said as Angel smiled down at Alex and she angrily grumbled something.


“What was that I don’t believe the rest of us on the planet Earth speak Alexish, why not translate the grumble to English if you don’t mind” John said as Cindy, Jimmy, and Leo walked up smiling.


“I’m sorry are you happy now?, there I said it now get the hell out of my face and let me finish my dinner with my family” Alex said as John’s mother slammed the front door and John winced at it.


“That would be my mom Mrs. Vortex and I’m so sorry for the door slamming, she doesn’t know her own strength half the time”.


A woman with brown hair smiled as Angel skipped down the stairs with John and she threw her arms around the woman’s middle.


“Now isn’t this the homecoming we were waiting for, Come on Jonny let’s get home and eat then we can leave to get you some new clothes for your trip” John’s mother said as Angel looked into Jimmy and Cindy’s eyes pleading with them.


“Look Nance why don’t you leave John here for dinner then we can go clothes shopping together seeing Leo needs new clothes and I don’t think Angel can say no to some new clothes herself” Cindy said as Nancy Ward just shook her head no.


“We couldn’t impose Cin I mean what are you having homemade Chinese or something?” Nancy asked as Angel, Jimmy, Leo, and Cindy laughed at Nancy.


“You are a laugh it up riot Nance Jimmy doesn’t cook so when it is his turn to cook we have pizza, Tacos, Fried Chicken, or Master Wong’s Chinese takeout”.


“Yea if my daddy tried to cook the kitchen would be full of smoke, then you’d hear mommy telling us that we’re having a fire drill” Leo said close to tears from laughing.


“Well if you insist and you have enough food than why not we’ll join you, just let me call Max and see if he and Whitney will be joining us” Nancy said as Angel jumped up and down in happiness.


John was also a song writer and little did Angel know that his next big hit was going to be about her, and that is the reason John was struggling with his words because he was falling for her.


“You look troubled John maybe you need Master Wong’s more than I do but then again you may need the brownies my mom’s cooking for dessert”.


Leo licked his lips at the thought of Cindy’s brownies as John just continued to stare off into a field where he hoped the words would come to him.


“Space cadet maybe you didn’t hear me but my mommy’s making brownies, yummy ones with chocolate chips baked right inside of them and their chewy” Leo said as John just smiled and ruffled his hair.


“Sounds great kid chewy sounds just great, let’s attack that food before your sisters eat it all up shall we?” John asked as Leo dashed into the kitchen and pulled a chair between him and Angel for John to sit in.


“Here you go John you can sit next to me and my bestest sister Angel always room for one more, besides you and Angel have a lot to catch up on”.


John settled in the chair between Leo and Angel as Angel handed him a plate the smile never leaving her face.


“So let me guess the little twerp called Leo is staying home because John the biggest idiot in the world of idiots is going with you guys tomorrow morning?” Alex asked envy showing in her eyes and her voice.


“Actually the best little bro to end all little bro’s is coming with us, but then again the jealousy for him can show all around you” John said as Alex slumped in her chair and Leo beamed at John after he was called the best little bro ever.


“If you think he’s the best little brother maybe you’d like him to live with you, telling on you over every little thing you do, making his little sister a master tattler, and going around like he’s the prince of the house”.


“I don’t tattle on anyone anymore that’s Kennedy’s job, I never gave her that job either life did because everyone knows that the little brother or sister becomes a master tattler” Leo said sticking his tongue out at Alex.


“Yea and I get to teach the new baby how to catch people at work of bad things, just like Leo taught me and Alex taught him” Kennedy said twirling some noodles onto her chopsticks.


“Personally I think Leo needs this trip more than anybody else in this house for another reason also, in case any of you have been doing a head count he is the only boy in this house of arguing, fighting, and bathroom hogging girls” Cindy said as Leo took a piece of chicken and popped it into his mouth.


“Nicely put mom very nicely put and I commend Leo for never complaining when he had to go through all the perfume smells, makeup with every color of the rainbow, all the dollies and tea parties he threw with Kennedy, and lastly all those times he wanted to take a shower but we were hogging it” Gabriel said.


“I don’t commend him for anything that’s what he gets when he has eleven sisters to deal with, in fact the things he went through builds character in my book, how about anybody else’s book?” Alex asked as John just held a smirk and Jimmy and Cindy stared at Alex.


“Great now we get to hear idiot boys words of wisdom, what two cents do you have to put into my conversation today John and please say it’s something useful this time”.


Well I just want to say that being a boy surrounded by girls can get nerve racking at times, like say Leo wants time to himself without all the fruity smells then what?, I’ll tell you what he has to deal with it because he has eleven sisters to deal with luckily I only had five”.


“All right all hurry up and eat Gabby’s in charge tonight while Leo, Angel, John, his mom, your dad, and I go clothes shopping, which means bedtimes are as follows the youngest 7:00, 10:00 for the rest of you” Cindy said clearing her plate from the table.


“Lucky Saps get whatever the hell they want while we have to wait in the wings for them to come back three months later tanned, changed, and by the looks of things in love with each other by the end of the summer” Alex said meaning John and Angel as Leo jumped up and down trying to get John’s attention.


“Come on John where is your head at these days?, you used to love hanging with me and now it’s like your minds on vacation with us” Leo said as Cindy noticed John staring at Angel and she smiled down at Leo.


“Sorry Lee but John has been bitten by the love bug like most boys his age get bitten by, for the next couple of days your sister is all John’s going to think about” Cindy said as Leo waved his hands in John’s eyes hoping to get a reaction.


“Her favorite song is Beautiful Girls by some man named Pete something or other if that’s any help” Gretchen said as Angel angrily glanced in Gretchen’s direction.


“All right so I read a passage or two from your diary but if I might ask one question, why do you want to play baseball so bad Angie?”.


“What do you mean by baseball Gretch?, I don’t mention anything about baseball in my diary whatsoever” Angel said as Gretchen remembered where she heard rounding bases before.


“Alex is good at baseball she rounded first, second, and third base and she says she’s waiting to go all the way-”.


“Before she could finish her sentence Alex covered her hand over Gretchen’s mouth as Cindy jerked at the words rounded first, second, and third base as did Jimmy.


“Young lady if this means what I think it means your about to be grounded for the whole Summer, why don’t we chat about these rounding base’s shall we?” Jimmy asked barely able to control the sound of his voice.


“All my friends have dine it so hell yea I rounded the base’s too what’s it to you guys?, I mean come on how dangerous could rounding base’s be?” Alex asked removing her hand from Gretchen’s mouth as Gretchen looked up confused.


“It was rounding base’s that you came to be Alex, your mom and I were so much in love in High School that we decided to dive into the world of love and here all of you are” Cindy said as Jimmy nudged her and she stared at him.


“Do you really want the kids to go around spreading rumors like that to their friends Cin?, I mean come on their not in the right mindset to take all this in yet”.


“So I went close to all the way, I’m going all the way before Summer’s over and there’s nothing you can do about it, unless taking me to the Bahamas is a punishment” Alex said as Cindy was on the phone with Lauren Flannigan Leo’s sitter.


“Well it was Leo’s idea too so you can thank him when you come here tomorrow to go to the airport with us” Cindy said as shrieking of happiness met her ears.


“Sure bring your little sister but you’ll have to pay for the ticket in order for her to get on the plane, I mean Mr. Neutron and I are not made of money you know”.


Cindy stopped for a second and listened to Lauren as her gaze became angrier when she stared at Alex and she shrank into her chair.


“Alex did not make me aware that my publisher called with a book deal or I would have called her back, Thank you for telling me Lauren at least somebody around here knows how to take messages, I’m going to have to call you back” Cindy said as she bounded toward Alex her shadow covering half of Alex.


“So Ally all’s I have to ask is how much and when does she want the new book by or did your fragile, little, rounding bases with boys mind forget all that?”.


“Two hundred and eighty million dollars a day and the new book is due in a week, she said that you already sent it out and she was just waiting for your phone call” Alex said in a little less than a whisper.


“That’s all fine and good if I knew she called which I didn’t because think she would save her own skin, my preteen daughter decided to rip up a perfectly good machine tape” Cindy said as her cell beeped and she picked it up to see that her publisher left a voicemail.


“Boy are you lucky she called back, you better hope this is good news because if not I’m holding you entirely responsible for me getting fired”.


Cindy called her publisher back on the double and it answered after the first ring as a woman’s voice greeted Cindy.


“Boy girl your harder to get a hold of than the President these days, I mean how busy can one woman with 12 kids be?” Her publisher asked as Cindy smiled.


“I would have gotten back to you earlier but someone I’m not mentioning any names never told me you called, so let’s talk book deal Share” Cindy said as Sharon Masterson looked down at Cindy’s new book.


“Well I have a nice figure of two hundred and eighty million dollars a day for you ma’am, and I also have a few people who would love to meet you once you get back from you trip to the Bahamas” Sharon said as Cindy squealed in excitement.


“Well you can send them to the Bahamas if you want, I mean it’s a family trip but you know work is work and if I must do it I’ll do it” Cindy said as Sharon nodded to herself.


“Well there’s a girl and a boy they say their your biggest fans, and their names are Libby Folfax and Sheen Estevez” Sharon said as Cindy froze up and dropped her phone as Jimmy looked on with concern.


“Cin are you still there you have to give me your address down there and you still have to say yes or no to me about bringing them down there”.


Cindy quickly picked up her phone and said yes to Sharon as she hung up with her and stared at Jimmy with loving eyes.


“All right Cin how come your able to work during vacation and Angel isn’t?, I mean come on Cin your work and Angel’s work are one and the same” Jimmy said as Cindy hugged Jimmy and looked up at him.


“Because what Sharon wants me to do isn’t work it’s a fan base, and you’ll never believe who she has coming to meet me first” Cindy said as Jimmy still saw no point in Cindy working and his daughter not having to work at all.


“All right I give who do they have meeting you in the Bahamas, and if it’s anybody famous maybe we can go out to dinner with them and get your name out there to get a bigger fan base”.


“Well their famous to us but not to much other people, and their names are Sheen and Libby our old friends from College” Cindy said as Jimmy smiled and Cindy smiled with him.


“The last time I saw them they just had Mariah and Apple, they looked so good then but I’m thinking with two kids their going to look a little different” Jimmy said as Cindy nodded and the kids all looked confused.


“None of you would know Sheen and Libby except for the stories we told you Britney met them but she was too young to remember them”.


“A wacky guy and a girl with cornrows right?, we met them in California when they had twin girls and we had dinner with them after?” Britney asked as John continued to stare at Angel and she was getting a little freaked out by it.


Well that’s it for now please r&r and I’ll keep writing