Ch: 51-61
Chapter 51: Lisa
I was having breakfast in Malibu when I heard someone complaining from the laundry room.
"Good Lord, I wash more sheets than a roadside motel," Berta remarked dryly from the other side of the room.
Summer froze mid-bite, cheeks turning pink.
I shrugged. "At least mine always has the same perfume."
My girlfriend scoffed. "It better be, or she'll be cleaning up a murder scene."
"Yeah, I'd leave the face intact..." she added, after seeing my smirk
We went back to our breakfast.
A moment later, she stood up. "I gotta go - we mere mortals with normal-sized brains still have to attend school on time," she teased, giving me a quick kiss before leaving.
After finishing breakfast, I headed to Dad's room and knocked lightly on the open door
"Morning, Francis. Come in," Charlie called. He was fixing his collar in front of the mirror.
"Hey, what are you doing?" I entered his room.
"Picking out a shirt," he replied while buttoning it.
I eyed him for a moment. "That one looks nice," I remarked with a nod.
It was a dark blue shirt - Dad's style was casual but somehow still charming.
"You think?" He looked in the mirror again. "That'll be it," he decided with a grin.
Right then, Uncle Alan appeared in the doorway.
"Morning. What are you two doing?" he asked.
"Dad's meeting someone interesting," I answered, "and I'm going back to sleep."
Alan frowned. "Don't you have school?"
"Don't mind the small things, Alan" Charlie dismissed. "How's your book going, son?"
I told them I was Jake Scribbles and had released Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
"Not bad - sold a hundred thousand copies in two months," I reported casually. "Three hundred grand waiting for me at the start of next year."
Royalties are usually paid semiannually or annually.
"Three hundred thousand dollars?!" Alan blurted out.
"Ah, the feeling of having a son who makes me proud," Charlie patted my back. "He's like me, Alan - creative, makes a lot of money doing very little work, drives a nice car, and gets laid every other day," he smirked.
"Yeah, and I've already written the second and third books. Might not need to work for a longtime," I commented.
Uncle Alan looked between us as if God had personally insulted him. Finally, he sighed and switched topics.
"So… do you guys have any plans for Thanksgiving?"
"I'm going to my cousin's birthday party," I replied.
Phil confided in me that they were throwing a big party for Luke this time. Since his birthday is close to Thanksgiving, it seems like Luke never had a proper one.
Charlie shrugged. "Alan, I don't plan that far ahead."
"It's this Thursday," Uncle Alan replied, giving him a disbelief look.
"No kidding?" Dad blinked. "Didn't we just do the whole pumpkin, costume thing with the kid?"
"You mean Halloween?" my uncle asked, baffled.
"That was three weeks ago, Dad," I noted, amused. Claire would scold him if she heard that. Halloween was her favorite holiday.
"Huh, okay. Want to go to Vegas?" He looked at his brother, since I'd said I was going to a kid's party.
"I was thinking something a little more traditional," Alan murmured
"That reminds me, I have another reservation at Malibu Rocky Oaks Estate Vineyards next week," I revealed.
Then I added, "We could do a family trip, like I did with the other side of my family."
"You're not thinking of inviting Mom - The Impaler - are you?" Dad turned to me.
"I don't think we have much choice," I said to him. "And relax, that place is marvelous."
"Anyway, who's the lucky chick, Dad?" I wondered, changing the subject.
"Her name is Lisa," Dad replied.
"Lisa-who-used-to-live-here Lisa?" Alan continued.
"She lived here, she moved out... she lived here, I moved out. At one point, neither one of us lived here. Yeah, that Lisa," Dad explained.
"Wow, now I'm curious to meet her," I remarked, waving as I headed back to my room.
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After taking a nap, I went back to the kitchen.
"Huh, you're still here, Uncle Alan?" I said, seeing him sitting and watching TV.
He turned to me. "Yeah, one of my patients rescheduled for seven o'clock tonight," he answered, sounding a bit exasperated.
Then dad appeared, carrying what looked like a giant frozen turkey.
"Change of plans," he announced to us. "We're gonna have a big family dinner right here," he declared, sitting on the couch with the turkey on his lap.
Alan looked at him oddly. "Uh-huh, and whose big family were you planning on inviting?"
"You know... you, me, Francis, his girlfriend, Jake, Mom, turkey - just like the good old days," he replied, giving the turkey a slap.
"What good old days?" Alan asked sarcastically.
Charlie waved a hand dismissively. "It's just an expression, don't get hung up on it."
"Let me guess," I spoke, walking closer with a cup of coffee in hand. "Lisa's also invited, right?"
Charlie gave the face of someone caught red-handed.
Alan turned off the TV and asked, "Okay, what's going on?"
"I need to show Lisa that I'm a family guy," Charlie revealed.
My uncle promptly denied, "But you're not."
"Sorry, Dad, but I gotta agree with Uncle Alan. Your best shot at being a Family Guy is to gain fifty pounds and change your name to Peter," I said, sipping my coffee.
Alan let out a nasal laugh while Charlie glared at me. "You should be on my side, son."
"I am," I confirmed. "I'll even be here and bring Summer along. But sometimes we need to tell a few truths."
I won't deny that I have some moral flexibility, especially when it comes to people I care about. But I never let them get away without a few jabs.
Chapter 52: They are everywhere
"But why do you need to show that you're a family guy, exactly?" I asked.
Dad sighed. "She's about to go off and marry some jerk just because he loves her and wants to settle down."
"I get it, you're Satan," Alan muttered flatly.
"Alan, this is serious. I could lose her forever." Dad's tone grew a little tense. "She's the only one I ever thought I might eventually wind up with," he added.
"Eventually wind up with. I'm touched," Alan quipped, letting out a dry laugh.
I patted Charlie's shoulder. "You'll need more than that, Dad."
Then I turned toward the door. "Count me in. But now I'll swing by school first and pick up a gift for Luke later," I told as I was already stepping out, giving them a quick wave.
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"Look who's here," Summer teased, pulling a face as I entered the classroom.
I slouched into my seat and set a small box of fries on the desk - I had stopped by McDonald's on the way.
After the first day, I'd given up bringing a backpack or any school materials.
Marissa spun halfway around in her chair. "Are you okay? Coming so early..."
I frowned and glanced at Summer. "What happened to her, Sum? She used to be so nice. Now she's all sarcasm."
Marissa rolled her eyes and stole a few fries before turning back.
Summer did the opposite - she left a few fries and stole the box...
She even whispered, "I'm your girlfriend," as if that already justified everything.
Then, a young blonde woman appeared next to the principal.
"Class, this is Miss Paige Swanson. She'll be your new Geometry teacher," the Principal announced.
I leaned toward Summer and whispered, "What happened to the old one?"
She looked at me, shaking her head in disbelief but answered, "He was caught having relations with one of the girls in Haley's class."
I frowned again. "And they decide to bring in a very beautiful young blonde teacher? Is it to give us boys a chance too?"
My girlfriend pinched my arm.
Professor Swanson began the class, introducing herself and getting to know the students.
I stared at the ceiling, mentally outlining a few steps from the latest analyses of graphene's properties (too bad I didn't read much in my past life)
The behavior of electrons in graphene seems to replicate endoscopic representations of unitary and orthogonal groups.
Who would've thought this could bring a chance to unify quantum field theory with algebraic geometry.
I blinked. "What is it, Sunny?" I asked since she nudged me
She gestured toward the teacher and murmured, "Your name and your dream."
"My name is Jake Pritchett, and my dream is to live a happy life," I said, making the class chuckle a little.
Paige nodded encouragingly. "Anything more?"
"Do we need more than that?" I returned the question.
Miss Swanson looked like she was about to respond but paused for a second, thought about it, and decided to move on to the next student.
I just raised an eyebrow and went back to focusing on the problem.
-----------------------------
During the break, Haley was complaining at our table, "Ugh, the guys won't stop talking about the new pretty teacher. Isn't it bad enough that it's Geometry?"
"About that, I have something to tell you," I glanced at Marissa and Haley. "I'm a genius," I revealed casually.
"What?" Marissa looked at me strangely.
"Yeah, I'm dating Albert Einstein here," Summer remarked, resting her head on my shoulder.
Haley made a weird face. "The guy from Back to the Future?"
We all snapped our necks in her direction.
"Haley," I gritted my teeth, "sometimes you really make it hard for me to like you."
"Okay, that was totally out of sudden" Marissa joined the conversation again, "so you're like Einstein?!" She thought for a moment. "Is that why you can do whatever you want here?"
I nodded. Marissa caught on quickly. "Yep. Someone valued by all the most prestigious universities in the world is far more important than any ordinary student. Small privileges are to be expected."
"Small..." Summer scoffed beside me
"I thought you had bribed the principal," Haley muttered.
"You can't really bribe the dean of Brentwood High School," Summer replied, "but you can make big donations or have powerful families behind you," she explained
I nodded again "I'm not the only one who gets special treatment. Some others also receive a blind eye because of a specific status."
"Well, now we know who to ask for help on every test we have," Marissa joked lightly, not thinking too deeply about it.
I smiled. One thing I like about Marissa is that she's not overly impressed by money or intelligence.
Haley placed a hand on my arm. "We still love you, even if you're actually a big nerd," she spoke affectionately.
"Uh… thanks?" I replied in a conflicted tone.
We started talking about other things.
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"We'll talk more after class," I said as I stood up. "I'm going to say hi to the guys."
As I approached the other table, I greeted them, "Hey, Ryan and Seth, how are you guys?" Then I joked, "Ryan, your girlfriend looks a little different today," noticing a new girl sitting with them.
"Jake, this is Anna," Seth introduced. "She's from Pittsburgh and just joined our class."
"Anna Stern," she greeted. "And I already know about you - the bad boy who drives a Ferrari, gets into fights, makes his own schedule, and still never gets punished."
"You forgot the good-looking part," I helped her, not denying any of it.
She made an amused face and asked, "Does this school protect prodigies or kids from influential families? Which one are you?"
I glanced at Seth first. "This girl really says whatever comes to her mind, huh?" But then I turned back to Anna.
"The answer's the first one. The school doesn't want to lose a future Nobel Prizes and Fields Medal winner," I responded.
Anna burst out laughing. "Sorry, I thought you'd be more like the jerk type, not the funny one." She remarked, thinking as a joke.
Chapter 53: The Big Bang Theory
I ignored Anna remark.
"So, what's with this influx of blonde girls?" I changed the subject, clearly referring to the new teacher.
"Are you complaining?" Anna asked.
"Not really, but I have a girlfriend, so I'm not that excited either," I remarked
Anna glanced over at the other table where Marissa, Summer, and Haley were sitting. "Which one is it?"
"The brunette," I replied.
Anna took another look. "I assume the one who's not Seth's huge crush."
"Haley is Jake's cousin," Seth clarified.
I raised an eyebrow, "Dude, Anna's been here less than a day and she already knows you have a crush on Haley?"
"We were talking about sailing," Seth tried to explain.
Anna kept going, "And he explained why he named his boat Little Comet..."
I winced.
"I was twelve!" Seth shouted. "Can we go back to the new teacher? She's twenty-three."
and we talked a bit more.
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Later that day, I went to the new Moore-Pritchett Complex, in Brentwood, near UCLA, which had expanded beyond a math center to include a physics wing (thanks to graphene). More advanced laboratories were still under construction for the physics department.
"How are you doing, Leonard? How are the experiments going?" I asked the young physicist.
He greeted me enthusiastically and reported, "We've just completed another material. Now, besides graphene, we've isolated five other 2D materials: h-BN (hexagonal boron nitride), MoS₂ (molybdenum disulfide), WS₂ (tungsten disulfide), MoSe₂ (molybdenum diselenide), and WSe₂ (tungsten diselenide)."
"Great!" I exclaimed
He looked unsure. "Are you sure it's okay for me to put my name on it?"
"Come on, Leonard, put some faith in yourself," I told him, patting his shoulder. "You're part of the team."
I changed the subject. "You look a little tired. You're not staying here overnight, are you?"
"No," he denied. "I wish. My new roommate can be a difficult person sometimes," Leonard admitted, though his expression suggested it was more than just sometimes.
"Who is he?"
"His name's Sheldon Cooper. He's also a physicist," he revealed.
"Sheldon Cooper?" I gazed surprised. "He's my friend's cousin."
"Wow, what a coincidence," Leonard said, "just hope she's nothing like Sheldon." he joked.
"Nah, she's fine," I replied, going back to reading the report he'd handed me.
Then another person entered the lab. "Dr. Hofstadter," she greeted, but froze when she noticed me. "Dr. Pritchett..." she finished shyly.
"Future Dr. Jensen," Leonard smiled, trying to ease her nerves.
"God, Alex, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Jake?" I lightly scolded her. "I'm not a fan of all that 'Doctor' stuff."
As for the 'Dr.' title, I had received honorary PhDs from both Caltech and Harvard -and many more were likely on the way.
It probably wouldn't take long before the media found out, even with DARPA and the NSA trying to keep it quiet.
"You're like Newton, Einstein, Gauss... none of them are remembered or called by their first name," Alex said, looking at me like a fangirl.
Leonard chuckled. "She kinda has a point."
I shook my head and began writing on the board everything I'd been working on. It was enough to fill four massive boards.
"Hey, Frank (Wilczek), James, Gerald - I didn't hear you come in," I acknowledged, giving them a quick nod.
Gerald approached, squinting at the equations. "What's all this about?" he asked, trying to make sense of the board.
"It's the new problem I'm trying to solve," I explained. "The behavior of electrons in graphene seems to replicate endoscopic representations of unitary and orthogonal groups."
"If that's correct, you'd be unifying quantum field theory with algebraic geometry," Frank noted thoughtfully.
The others stared at the board, Leonard and Alex with their mouths wide open, realizing the magnitude of idea: unifying two branches - physics and mathematics.
-----------------------------
Three days passed, and Thanksgiving arrived.
I was in the living room when Jay came downstairs and asked, "What is that in your hand?"
I showed him by shooting a dart his way. "Nerf guns. I bought a few for Luke's party."
"Perfect with my present," he said, showing the crossbow he was holding. "One for hunting, one for tickling the prey," he added dryly.
Then Gloria entered the room as well
"Hey, Gloria, you got any idea how to wrap one of these things?" He pointed the crossbow in his hands as if he were aiming it.
"Is that a crossbow?" Gloria asked, surprised.
Jay looked proud. "Yeah. Am I the greatest grandpa in the world or what?"
"We can't give Luke a crossbow," Gloria protested. "He pokes himself in the eye every time he uses a straw."
"Are you kidding? I had one when I was his age," Jay argued.
"Yeah, but we're not living in the Age of Discovery anymore," I remarked sarcastically. "And relax, Gloria - Claire's gonna confiscate that thing like... forever."
Hell would freeze over before Claire let Luke wander around with a crossbow (with arrows).
"Am I charming?" Manny asked as soon as he appeared.
Jay gave an exasperated look. "Oh, boy."
"Of course you're charming," Gloria promptly replied. "Who said you weren't?"
"No one. But there's this girl at my school, and I want her to like me," Manny confessed. "I need your advice, Jake and Jay," he added, looking at us.
"Really?" Jay muttered, raising a brow.
"She's gonna be at Luke's party," Manny continued.
"So we're finally talking about a girl your age?" I asked, sitting down on the couch across from Manny, with Jay beside me.
"Yes, but she's more mature for our age."
"Sure she is, pal."
Jay and I taught him how to be the funny guy since the other options were a bit scarce.
Chapter 54: Long Thanksgiving
"Wow, Marissa, I didn't know you could cook," I exclaimed, seeing her in the kitchen.
After Manny's conversation, I went straight to the group home. Marissa and Summer were helping make the Thanksgiving lunch for the kids.
Coop kept stirring the pot. "Mac and cheese are one of the few things I know how to make," she laughed.
"You, on the other hand," I turned to Summer, "are exactly what I expected," noticing her struggling to cut some of the ingredients.
She let out a cute "humph," which made me kiss the top of her head.
"You two look like newlyweds," Tommy approached us and remarked innocently.
Summer flushed and froze, while I grabbed a Nerf gun and opened fire on him.
"Ahh, Uncle Jake, you told us we were on a break!" he shouted, running away.
I had handed out plenty of Nerf guns to all the children, and we'd played earlier before I stopped to help with lunch.
Elly had been hiding and watching us, then suddenly appeared. I fired at her too.
She pressed her hand onto the spot where I'd hit her. "What was that for, brother?" she cutely pouted.
"I know Tommy doesn't have the knowledge to talk about newlyweds. He wouldn't blurt that out unless someone told him to," I pointed out.
"He asked me how to make Summer like him more," she revealed with an innocent look.
"Ohhh," Summer murmured softly.
"Ouch!" Elly squeaked again, since I'd shot her once more.
"Jake!"
"Her puppy eyes and angel act don't work on me anymore. I can spot a mischievous one from miles away," I warned, pointing toward Elly. "Go help Sister Agnes, or I'll tell her to cut your TV time."
She left - but not before sticking her tongue out at me.
"You really are good with the kids," Marissa commented, placing the pasta in the tray.
"Well, I have to deal with three big ones during my day," I joked, making Marissa and Summer playfully slap me.
"Hey, I was talking about Luke, Manny and Jake, my cousins!" I tried to defend myself.
Summer repeated my words teasingly, "I can spot a mischievous one from miles away."
In that playful exchange, Marissa ended up throwing flour at my face.
"Ohh, you're on!" I retaliated against both of them, sending flour flying everywhere.
"Let's get him, Coop!"
Then Tommy appeared with five more kids - his reinforcements.
"War time!" someone screamed.
Suddenly, screams, laughter, and, most of all, flour filled the entire kitchen.
"Come on, kids, let's attack them!" I commanded.
"Jake, that's not fair!" Summer protested.
We were screaming and laughing until Sister Agnes appeared, her expression not exactly that of a nun (or maybe she was trying to recreate the horror movie scene).
"If you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. -Matthew 6:14," I quoted.
"You better be praying to the Lord and make this kitchen spotless before lunchtime," she warned me with a stone-faced expression, then grabbed a handful of flour and tossed it straight at Elly's face.
"Ahh, Sister Agnes!" Elly squealed, flapping her hands.
"I'll call the rest of them - let's make sure all the kids have fun equally," she said with a wide smile before walking away, restarting the war.
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After lunch, I was driving my second car, a Porsche Cayenne Turbo - the first SUV ever made by Porsche. I bought it because sometimes I need a car with more space.
"Are you sure you two are okay spending Thanksgiving with my family? It's going to be a kids' party and a not-so-conventional dinner," I asked them.
"My dad is with my stepmother," Summer said with a grimace. She never liked the woman.
Marissa spoke something similar. "My sister is at a boarding school and didn't come back for the holiday. Things are kind of tense with my parents right now," she admitted quietly.
I'd heard from Grandma that there were rumors going around about Jimmy, but no scandal had come out yet.
"Oh well, you're all welcome to the Pritchett and later Harper family," I stated
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I parked in front of the Dunphys' house. The place was already fully decorated, with a few inflatable toys and even some bounce houses in the front yard.
"Phil, you really went all out!" I greeted him, laughing.
"J-Money!" He patted my shoulder. "What's all this?" He noticed the boxes I was carrying - Summer and Marissa were helping too.
"Bought a bunch of Nerf guns as presents," I replied.
Summer joined in, "More like so he can play too," she teased, smirking at me.
"Sweeeet!" Phil exclaimed, excited
"Phil, is that a rock wall?" Claire asked, spotting a climbing wall being set up. "Is that even safe?"
Phil had his typical attitude. "Relax, it's all good."
Claire made a face that screamed she didn't trust it one bit. But then she noticed us. "Hi, Jake, why are you covered in white powder?" she asked, brushing some off my shirt.
"Summer, Marissa, and I helped with the Thanksgiving lunch at the group home. We ended up having a flour war," I laughed.
"Ohhh," Claire, Phil and Alex - who had just arrived - both let out a soft, affectionate sound.
"Can you two not look at me like I'm a puppy?" I joked, completely ignoring that Phil did too
Then I asked, "I'm gonna take a shower here, okay?"
If I tried that at the group home, the younger kids would want to join in, and it would turn into chaos.
"Of course, sweetheart," Claire said softly.
Phil agreed. "Yeah, you can have one with Summer if you want," he blurted out, still probably caught up in the moment.
"What??" the women burst out.
"Phil, sweetie," Claire spoke in a drier tone.
"I mean, one at a time!" Phil tried to correct himself, making me laugh. But I was the only one.
Chapter 55: Long Thanksgiving II
After taking a shower, I went back downstairs to the front of the house. Claire was carrying a box filled with what looked like colorful decorations.
Haley was talking to her. "Mom, just so you know, Dylan can't have mayonnaise."
"That's random. Why are you telling me that?" her mother wondered.
"Because he's coming to the party," Haley responded.
Claire made a less-than-thrilled face. "Is that absolutely necessary?"
"Yes, because she can't go ten minutes without her boyfriend's tongue in her mouth. It's like he's feeding a baby bird," Alex commented sarcastically.
Haley shot back, "Don't be so jealous. I'm sure you'll meet someone super hot at dork camp."
"Girls", Claire raised her voice a little to stop the bickering before it could escalate.
Just then, Marissa and Summer showed up, each eating a snow cone.
"Thanks." I took the one Summer handed me.
Haley turned toward me. "Wait, is that your new car, Jake?" she asked, pointing at the Porsche.
"Yep," I confirmed while taking a bite of the blue snow cone.
Now it was Claire's turn to glance at me. "Did you sell your Ferrari?"
"No!" I protested, indignant. "How could you even say that? He's like a son to me! I just bought a second car - sometimes I need one with more space."
Phil examined the car with curiosity. "Is that a Porsche?"
I nodded. "It's the SUV version they launched last year, the Cayenne Turbo."
"You know, the money..." Claire began to lecture.
I cut her off. "Save it, I know what I'm doing. And I have more than enough money."
Gauss LLC already has over half a billion dollars in net worth, after taxes.
"I have a source of income," I added.
"He writes books," Haley revealed. I had already told the girls about the book, since Charlie and the others knew as well.
The content is believable, since I have three cousins around that age, not counting the kids from the group home.
Alex and Claire both widened their eyes surprised. "What?" they exclaimed in unison.
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid," Phil mentioned. "It's a funny book." He gave me a thumb-up.
"So I was the only one who didn't know?" Claire looked at Haley and Phil, ignoring that Alex didn't know either.
"Now you know, Aunt Claire," I continued, "and soon everyone else close to us will too…" I murmured the last part.
Phil laughed but quickly swallowed it back when he saw his wife's expression.
Claire snapped, "Are you calling me a loudmouth?" narrowing her eyes at me.
"No, how could I?" I said with a poker face. "Hey Dylan, good timing," I greeted him, and Claire's attention quickly shifted.
I slipped away with Marissa and Summer.
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We stayed chatting in the corner for a while, enjoying the party food. Marissa had a nostalgic expression as she watched the kids running around.
"Jake!" Marissa spread her arms, both surprised and annoyed, since I had just hit her on the head with a Nerf dart.
I shot her a few more times. "If you keep slipping into that melancholic mood, I'll keep shooting you."
Then I fired again, this time hitting Summer right on the nose.
"Come over here, Jake!" My girlfriend tried to smack me.
"See? That's how a teenage girl should act," I mocked, shooting at Sum's nose again.
Both girls steal the toy guns from the nearby kids and started shooting at me.
"Wow, Marissa, you can actually shoot someone now," I joked as she hit most of her shots.
And the rest of the kids joined in the fun too.
Haley sighed watching all of it. "Sometimes you're such a kid, cousin." She pointed out.
But Dylan, who was standing beside her, got excited too. "Cool, I'm in!"
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After playing with the kids, we went outside.
"Ew," Summer exclaimed, "that clown looks like he escaped from a low-budget horror movie."
I pinched her waist and approached Mitchell, who was nearby. "Hey Mitch, is that Cam?"
"Yeah," Mitchell confirmed, though he didn't look so happy about it. "Fizbo," he clarified.
"It's just Cam. It's just Cam," Phil muttered near us.
Mitchell glanced at him. "You all right?"
Phil tried to play it cool. "What? Yeah. I just have kind of a complicated relationship with clowns."
"Well, join the club," Mitchell snorted.
We stayed a bit longer before heading to Malibu
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"Wow, Dad, Lisa might be quite something," I commented, seeing him wearing long pants and a blue sweater vest over a dress shirt. Almost looking like a responsible person.
"She is, son," Charlie greeted Marissa and Summer.
After that, we said hi to Jake, Judith, and her parents.
We went to the kitchen. "Merry Thanksgiving, Berta," I said, already handing her a bonus envelope.
She took it. "There's already chilled champagne outside with some appetizers,"
She whispered to me, adding with a mischievous grin, "Maybe you can get lucky," nodding toward the two girls - probably implying that Marissa could join in as Summer and I already had our relationship more than established.
I just shook my head, amused, and told the girls to head outside.
Out on the deck, Summer spoke, "I think we deserve this," taking a generous sip of champagne after we toasted.
"But I liked what we did today more than the parties we used to go to in Palisades," Marissa commented, admiring the view. She was particularly fond of the deck (sometimes the girls come here during the week).
Summer grew thoughtful. "Me too. Look what Pritchett did to us, Coop," she said, turning to me with a grin. "Jackass."
"Turned shallow, vain, airheaded girls into normal human beings," I murmured. Both of them stared at me with their mouths wide open. "Oops, I said that out loud."
They started hitting me playfully.
"That was soo mean," Marissa laughed. "Maybe you've been hanging out with Summer too much."
"Coop!" Summer opened her arms betrayed, and we kept teasing each other.
Chapter 56: Long Thanksgiving III
I walked toward the entrance since the most awaited guest had finally arrived.
"I like what you've done with the place," Lisa remarked to Charlie.
"You picked out everything here," he answered.
"I know," she gave him a quick look. "Just wanted to make sure you did."
Then, noticing me, she said, "You must be Francis!" She gave me another once-over. "He's so much like you, Charlie," she observed, stunned.
"Are you sure, Lisa? Grandmother said I'm way more handsome than Dad was at my age," I smirked.
"Charlie," she lightly scolded him, "you're already teaching him your bad habits."
"No," he placed a hand on my shoulder, "that came straight from the factory."
"She's a good one, Dad," I muttered.
Lisa was very beautiful, and didn't look like your typical bimbo I sometimes saw around here
"Told you so," he murmured back.
I then introduced, "This is Summer, my girlfriend, and Marissa, my friend."
After that, Charlie went to introduce Judith and her family to Lisa.
"She's soo beautiful," Summer commented. "Good taste clearly runs in the family," she added shamelessly, also complimenting herself.
Marissa rolled her eyes while I laughed, pulling her into my arms.
We went back to the deck where Grandmother was talking to my cousin.
Jake was saying, "Dad's a doctor"
"No, sweetheart," Evelyn corrected, "Your father's a chiropractor. That's like a masseuse without the hot oil."
"Here," I handed a small box to Jake. "Go play this new game."
"Ohhh cool! Thanks, Francis!" he shouted and ran off to the living room.
Grandmother chatted with us for a while before Dad and Lisa joined us outside.
"Hi Mom, you remember Lisa, right?" Dad gestured toward her. "We used to live together."
"No, I don't. I'm sorry," Evelyn replied, looking at Lisa as if seeing her for the first time, and shook her hand. "Hello, dear."
"My son has had so many little roommates," she added casually.
I winced.
Then she pointed toward the living room. "I just hope you've got better taste than whoever picked out his hideous furniture," Grandma smiled at both of them before heading to the kitchen.
From Summer's and Marissa's faces, it was clear they had also heard Lisa mention earlier that she was the one who decorated everything here.
Before Charlie or I could say anything to smooth things over, Rose appeared on the deck with a pie in her hands.
"Sorry, I'm late, but I didn't realize you were having a party," she smiled brightly
Then she introduced herself to Lisa. "I'm Rose. Don't worry, Charlie and I had sex once, but now we're just friends."
"Who's ready for mystery pie?" Rose announced as she walked into the living room.
We all gave an awkward smile. Lisa was glaring at Charlie.
I placed a hand on both girls' shoulders. "We'll give you guys a moment alone," I spoke, "feel free to drink all the champagne"
We headed for the living room as well.
Alan was talking to Judith's parents. "I really think your daughter deserves a lot of respect," he began, continuing, "It takes real courage to make changes in your life and not care about what everybody thinks."
"Thank you, Alan," Judith replied.
"That's true," Evelyn joined in. "The lesbians of my generation were too scared to come out of the closet."
Judith's mother widened her eyes and turned to her husband. "Does that mean what I think it means?"
"You haven't told them?" Alan asked.
"No," Judith answered sharply, "I thought it would be more appropriate coming from your mother."
"I'm sorry, did I make a faux pas?" Evelyn placed her hand on her chest.
Chaos once again took over.
Marissa murmured next to me, "This is more messed up than my family."
"Hey," I exclaimed, "don't exaggerate it," earning a glare from her.
But soon, the three of us started laughing.
Summer leaned closer, "Aren't you going to help your dad?"
"I'm trying to figure out how. There are so many unreliable variables here that the easiest thing would be to kick everyone out and leave just the five of us," I stated
"I'm a genius, not a loony bin director," I thought out loud, and went to grab another bottle of champagne for the three of us.
-----------------------------
We sat down at the table to finally have dinner, the atmosphere still tense after all the chaos. I was a little tipsy.
"There it is!" Berta slammed the giant turkey down at the end of the table, near us.
Seeing that no one said anything, she sarcastically added while sitting on the other side, "Berta, nice looking bird, thanks for blowing off your family and cooking for ours."
"See, Lisa," I remarked, "at least with my dad, you'll never have a boring moment."
Evelyn joined the conversation. "Just make sure you're not the cause of the awkwardness," she said - quite ironically, since she was the main source of it today.
"Don't worry," I looked at Lisa again, "we have Uncle Alan living here. You couldn't compete with him even if you tried."
Alan glared at me. "Thank you, nephew."
"Are we gonna go around the table and say what we're thankful for?" Jake asked, probably at my dad's request.
Rose quickly raised her hand. "Me, I got one," she said and began, "I'm thankful for the food we eat, and thankful for the friends we meet."
Then it got weird. "I'm thankful for my comfy seat. I'm thankful for the birdie's feet," she finished singing, "White with foam, God bless America."
Good Lord, this chick is crazy
Charlie cut her off, "Pull up, Rose."
"Sorry," she stopped.
Chapter 57: Long Thanksgiving IV
Jake decided to be the next one to say what he was thankful for. He pulled out a piece of paper from under the table, making me almost facepalm, and started to read:
"I'm thankful for my mom and dad, my cousin, and my Uncle Charlie, who has shown in the few short months that I've been here that he is capable of..." He paused and looked to his mom for help.
"Significant," Judith murmured, a bit embarrassed.
Jake finished, "...significant change and growth."
"Too obvious?" Charlie muttered deadpan to Lisa.
"Little bit," she replied.
I stood up to grab a piece of turkey. "Dad, you paid him twenty bucks; you couldn't expect much more."
He glared at me then changed to a surprised look. "What are you doing, Francis?"
"Getting a piece of turkey," I said, then whispered just loud enough for him, Lisa, Summer, and Marissa to hear, "So far, it's only been the nutty chick and the kiddo. There's still a whole line of clowns to go - I'd bet good money it'll only get worse."
"He gets meaner when he is drunk," Marissa mentioned
Alan spoke next. "Well, I'm thankful that I can spend the holiday with all the people I love, and all the people who love me," he paused for a moment, "and Judith."
I sat back down. Summer and I were visibly holding back laughter.
Marissa leaned toward us. "You two are terrible."
"What?" I exclaimed. "That was a good one - give my uncle some credit."
Judith's mom went next. "And I'm thankful that our daughter gave us at least one grandchild before she..." she began to cry.
"I'm thankful I finally found a therapist who has no compunctions about prescribing powerful sedatives!" Judith shouted right after.
"Ohh, that is a good one," this time it was Rose who agreed with Judith
And Berta continued in her usual dry tone, "I'm thankful I can sit here and listen to you rich people whine while my family's scrabbling for a corn dog at the Pomona Fairgrounds."
As much as I wanted to keep watching this freak show, I got up to use the bathroom.
-----------------------------
When I came back, Dad was proposing to Lisa, "Lisa, marry me!"
That basically sobered me up.
She widened her eyes, "Marry you? You want me to marry you?"
"Yes," Charlie confirmed, paused, and added, "you know, eventually."
I cringed. What the hell just happened?
I went to sit beside Summer. "I go to the bathroom and come back to find my dad proposing marriage and then screwing it up right after?"
"That was... pretty much it," Summer said thoughtfully, seeming to try to find a better explanation.
-----------------------------
Charlie was saying goodbye to Lisa after all the awkward moments of the night.
As soon as he closed the door, I offered him a glass of whiskey and gestured for us to go to the deck.
We stayed silent for a moment. I poured myself a bit of whiskey too.
I finally started the conversation. "You know, Dad, if you go all in - without that 'eventually' - I think you can still get her."
He didn't reply at first, just kept staring at the dark ocean. "I don't think I want to get married right now… if ever…" he spoke, turning to me.
I just nodded.
"Aren't you going to tell me it's time to settle down?" he added.
"If you want to, yes. If you don't, no," I answered simply. "I don't see any reason for you to do what society expects of you if it doesn't make your life happier."
I went on, "Uncle Alan and Judith got married and now they're getting divorced. They're both miserable right now, and I doubt they were much better during the marriage."
"Marissa's parents are going through a rough time, and Summer's mom just ran away without saying the reason." I concluded, "if you're not fully committed, it's better to stay as you are."
Charlie took a generous sip of his drink. "Sometimes I wonder who is the father in this relationship," he joked.
I drank too. "You're clearly the older one, but I'm by far the more mature."
Dad nudged me. "Your friend was right - you get meaner when you're drunk."
"I prefer to think I just get more honest," I shifted the subject. "And I like how I can let loose here. Basically, drink and have 'fun' without anyone giving me judgmental looks," I paused for a moment. "Well, except Uncle Alan."
"At least I can still be the cool dad," Charlie remarked, and we clinked our glasses.
"Yeah," I smiled. "Besides, I can put all the blame on you for my flaws and mistakes," I smirked.
"Hey, that's not how you talk to your dad. I swear I'm gonna ground you," he mocked.
I shouted back, "Are you sure? My girlfriend's still here - grounding me will only make you more envious!"
He attacked me playfully, giving me a few headlocks.
Then, "I'm going to rest; I'll leave you in better company," Charlie nodded to Summer and Marissa and went to his room.
"The conversation got even weirder after that," Summer said as she poured a bit of whiskey into her and Marissa's Coke.
I frowned. "How so? How could it possibly get any weirder? Enlighten me."
"I don't even know how it came up, but your grandmother suddenly blurted out, 'At least my future great-grandchildren will be beautiful and smart,'" Summer explained.
"Good Lord, Grandma was inspired tonight," I muttered.
Marissa started laughing.
"What are you laughing at, Coop?" Summer caught the mood too.
"Maybe with all these loonys, Marissa's realizing she's kinda normal," I uttered.
"Hey!" She threw her arms open.
We kept teasing and chatting, forgetting the rest of the guests.
Chapter 58: Singing for No Reason
A few days have passed since Thanksgiving. Uncle Alan, Dad, and I were out at night to watch a movie.
"Okay, after I get the tickets, you line up for the popcorn while I go nail down some good seats," Alan began outlining his plan to Charlie.
He went on, "I want butter in the middle - don't just let them squirt it on top. And a large cherry slushy."
"Then you hold the seats while I head to the men's room, and then I'll do the same for you. That way, we can enjoy our drinks during the movie without fear." He wrapped up his plan like a general briefing his troops.
"Got you," Dad acknowledged with a nod.
Alan stood in line for a moment before glancing back. "You're not gonna do any of that, are you?"
"Nope."
"Relax, Uncle Alan. It's just a movie," I remarked, sipping a cold Coke.
Then someone called my name. "Jake?"
I turned, spotting a familiar face. "Anna? You came to watch a movie too?"
"Yeah," she replied with a small smile.
"That's my dad and my uncle," I introduced, gesturing toward them. "And Anna's a classmate from my school."
Seeing that I was waiting for something, she told, "I came alone."
"Huh," I muttered, thinking for a moment. "I don't know if you'd like some company, but you're welcome to join us," I offered.
"Wouldn't your girlfriend get mad?" Anna teased playfully.
"Summer? She might get a little jealous, but she trusts me." I gave her a steady look. "I can be many things, but I'm not a cheater."
And just like to make things awkward, another voice called, "Dr. Pritchett?"
Alex Jensen, as always, stood there looking like a fangirl.
Anna shot me a suspicious eyebrow.
"Oh, sorry, is she your girlfriend? Are you on a date?" Alex inquired.
I motioned for us to step aside to clear up the situation. "Alright, let's straighten this out. Anna's just a classmate from my school, not my girlfriend." Then, turning to Anna, I clarified, "Alex is my assistant - I'm also helping her with her PhD."
"What??" Anna stared at me, utterly bewildered.
And I ended up explaining to her about the Moore-Pritchett project, since it wasn't exactly a secret, even though several people close to me didn't know about it yet.
Anna was looking at me completely differently now. "You must be kidding me! You're like Newton?"
But before I could respond, I spotted another familiar face (probabilities be screwed).
"Judith?" Uncle Alan called first, and she finally noticed us.
"Wow, look at you. New hair, new clothes. You look... wow," Alan exclaimed, seeing how his ex-wife was dressed.
"Thank you," Judith smiled awkwardly.
"No, thank you," Charlie chimed in. "It's a public service when a gay chick goes lipstick instead of lumberjack."
"So, how was the movie? Where's Jake?" Alan asked.
"Home with the babysitter," Judith replied, a little uneasy. "Alan, I'm kind of on a date."
Uncle Alan glanced at the woman standing next to Judith. "Okay, is that her?" he asked, pointing. "Hi, nice to meet you. I'm the ex," he added when the woman looked at him.
Judith denied it. "Alan, that's not my date."
Then a tall, broad man appeared. "Hey, Alan."
"Phil? What a coincidence," my uncle greeted. "Phil is Jake's soccer coach," he clarified to Charlie and me.
We exchanged looks, already understanding the situation.
"Phil, you remember Judith?" Alan asked.
Phil looked uncomfortable too. "Well, yeah..."
After a moment, Alan finally pieced it together. "Wait, you're dating Phil? How can you be dating Phil?" he blurted out.
"Alan, he asked me out," Judith explained.
He continued his rant, "What about the whole gay thing? Did you even give that a chance?"
I pulled Alex and Anna aside and told them about the situation.
"Yeah, not my thing," Anna shook her head about the family gossip. "Let's talk more about you being the next Gauss."
The three of us went to watch a movie together and kept talking afterward. I let Dad handle my uncle.
-----------------------------
The next day, we were having dinner at the house in Malibu. Jake, Summer, and I were sitting with pizza on our plates while Charlie was mixing a cocktail and Alan was grabbing something to drink.
"Hey, guess what? Coach Phil made me first-string on the soccer team," Jake announced to us.
"Is that so?" Alan's expression turned less than friendly.
Jake confirmed again, "Yeah, it's weird, 'cause I suck."
"Maybe Coach Phil sees some potential," Charlie commented, earning a glare from Alan.
"So, what else is new?" my uncle tried to change the subject.
"Mom's got new clothes and new hair. It's like she's a different person or something," Jake started explaining.
Alan shook his head. "But she's still the same person, Jake."
"No, not really. She walks around the house singing for no reason," he went on, then added innocently, "just like you do here, Summer."
Summer choked while Dad and I burst out laughing.
"I love this kid," I said amused, but Summer kicked me under the table. Dad joined the conversation again. "Your Uncle Charlie also sings for no reason. Does Coach Phil sing for no reason?"
"For God's sake, Charlie!" Alan snapped.
Jake turned to him. "How come you haven't changed anything yet, Dad?"
"Why should I change?"
"So you'd look cool like Mom."
"You don't think I look cool now?"
"No."
"You know what, it doesn't matter if I look cool. We judge a person by what's inside them, not by what they wear," Alan lectured my cousin.
"Lucky for you, huh" Jake added with another gem.
Summer leaned against me to hold back her laughter. Jake went to his room to watch TV.
"Gentlemen, Summer and I are also going to watch TV in my room."
Chapter 59: Shopping
The next morning, after brushing our teeth and taking a shower, Summer and I were still under the covers, naked.
"You and your naughty hand," Summer lightly scolded me.
Her head was resting on my arm, while my other hand was exploring her curves.
"What? You work out so hard," I justified myself, "and I'm the only boy who gets to appreciate it," I added, a little possessively.
"You're the only boy who ever has…" she murmured. "Ahh, you're impossible," she yelped softly, feeling my playful nudge under the sheets.
"My girlfriend turns me on, isn't that normal? And she's already teasing me," I whispered as Summer started stroking me back.
"Well, I have to take care of my boyfriend," she smirked, her head disappearing beneath the covers.
-----------------------------
After our intimate moments, we had to brush our teeth and take another shower before heading to the kitchen.
"So, what are you guys doing today?" I asked Charlie and Alan, who were already seated.
"We're going shopping to see if we can change a few things about Alan's wardrobe," dad explained.
"We could use a female opinion," he added, gesturing toward Summer.
My girlfriend took a quick look and commented, "Hmm, you could change your hair, your shirts, this pants, belt… and those shoes - eww."
Realizing she might have gone too far, she tried to fix it. "I like your… teeth. Yeah, your teeth are really white," she said, making gestures with her arms.
Charlie burst out laughing while Alan forced a smile and said, "Thank you?!" baring his teeth in irony.
I handed her a cup of coffee, and she nodded toward the other room, already wanting to escape the awkward situation she'd created herself.
I pinched her cheek. "Relax, Sum, that happens all the time - in both my families," I teased, dismissing her complete roast of my uncle.
She made a face at me. "I blame you - and spending too much time with you guys," she said, already heading to sit on the couch near the entrance
"Oh yeah?" I raised an eyebrow. "So you're not coming with us to the mall? Here I was, thinking of gifting you some new clothes," I smirked.
"You are so annoying. Can you let me win an argument for once?" she mocked, then whispered suggestively, "Buy me shoes, and I might be willing to pick some new outfits."
But the argument between Alan and Jake broke our flirting moment.
"I don't want to go. I hate clothes shopping," Jake complained.
Alan kept insisting, "You can't stay here alone."
"Why not?"
"You know why."
"But I don't have a turtle to put in the microwave anymore!"
"Get your jacket," Alan ordered firmly.
"Fine! I'll put on my stupid jacket, we'll get in the stupid car, and we'll go stupid clothes shopping!" Jake threw a tantrum, storming off to his room.
Charlie yelled from the kitchen, "Don't talk to your stupid father like that!"
As karma is a bitch, Grandma showed up too, complaining that we always went out whenever she arrived and that she never got time with her grandkids.
Alan made his mom babysit Jake - to both dismays.
-----------------------------
Marissa and Haley ended up joining us. Later in the afternoon, I was driving my cousin back to her house.
"Margaret told me that you and Marissa are learning really well and have a natural talent for the fashion world," I commented.
She was the one who helped with the fundraiser that took place in October.
Haley turned to me with a big smile. "She's so incredible! Next week she's taking us to a fashion show that's happening here."
I nodded. "That's great."
"Thanks again, cousin," Haley said warmly, patting my arm. "For convincing her to teach us."
Haley and Marissa had been taking classes with Margaret since the event. Summer went a few times but said it wasn't really her thing.
Haley looked back at me. "Mrs. Margaret is the Fashion Director at InStyle (fashion magazine). How did you even pull that off?"
I patted her head. "Don't mind the small stuff."
I gave her a good bonus - enough to make her interested in mentoring the two girls.
When I was parking, Claire was in front of the house, arranging some decorations, already getting ready for Christmas.
Haley took the shopping bags and went to her room, while I went to talk to Claire.
"Hello, Aunt Claire," I waved.
"Hello, sweetheart," she replied, still fixing some string lights.
"Can I talk to you for a moment?" I asked.
She stood up and looked at me. "Sure," she agreed. "What did you do this time?"
"Whoa, why do you thing I did something?"
"You're a mix of Haley, Phil, Alex… and Dad." She explained
"Ohhh, I didn't think you thought so highly of me," I stated, placing a hand over my heart. "Thankfully, I came prepared with gifts. I bought those wines you liked, and I already talked to Jay about doing a Jay's Night today. You and Phil will get to enjoy the night."
Claire narrowed her eyes at me, "What is the catch?"
"Your daughter…" I paused, "…Alex," I grinned.
She started smacking me playfully.
"Seriously now. I need to have a talk with Alex," I revealed. "I'm a genius, Claire."
"Huh?!"
"Like Einstein, Newton, or Gauss," I explained.
"HUH???!" She made an even stranger face
Then Phil showed up too, and I told them about my math and physics work.
Phil commented, "You know, I built a volcano in high school once. Maybe science runs in the family!"
Claire, who was already looking completely incredulous, widened her eyes even more at her husband's comment.
I burst out laughing. "Totally!" I went along with Phil's energy. I just love how he is.
"Now let's build a rocket and launch it into space!" I encouraged Phil.
"Sweet!" Phil started to say, but his wife immediately cut him off
"Phil! Jake!" she shouted, giving us a murderous glare.
"Okay, you need to stop doing that, Jake!" Claire admonished me. "Now I'm sure you do it just to irritate me," she huffed.
She pointed out how I always go along with Phil's vibe (or nonsense)
"See? Intelligence runs in the family," I teased, dodging her next playful hit. "Just like violence."
Chapter 60: Shock
Alex was looking suspiciously at me from the passenger seat. I glanced briefly at her, then back to the road. "What is it, Alex?"
"It's strange, us going out together, especially with such a big push from my parents," she remarked.
I thought for a moment. "Yeah, sorry. I've only been giving attention to the Powerpuff Girls."
That made Alex crack a smile and stifle a laugh.
I continued, "I told your parents I wanted to talk to you, since you'd be the one most directly affected. And maybe the only one in the family who could understand even a fraction of it."
"Okay... now you're getting even weirder," she said, making a face.
"I'm a genius, Alex. On the same level as Newton or Gauss," I revealed.
She burst out laughing.
"I'm not really joking, Alex, or making a prank," I went on, unfazed, "I told your parents I wanted to have a conversation with you about it."
"And you want me to believe that ??" she looked completely incredulous
"Not believing per se," I shrugged. "I'm just making a simple statement. Just as I can say I've basically guaranteed myself a Nobel, an Abel, and a Fields Medal, aside from the smaller ones," I revealed everything.
And then we arrived at the Pritchett-Moore Complex.
-----------------------------
(Alex POV)
My cousin stopped the car in front of what looked like a small university.
Since the beginning, he had been somewhat of a mystery - a cousin I had never seen before.
I thought he was like Haley at first, but he was always nice to me, and somehow everyone in the family treats him more like an adult, despite his childish behavior sometimes (but well, my dad is way worse).
"Do you even know what Nobel means??" I said, outraged by his early statement. It was already incredible that he knew about the Abel and Fields Medals; most of our family wouldn't even have a clue.
He simply ignored me and stepped out of the car. I huffed and followed him.
"Pritchett-Moore?" I murmured, seeing the sign right at the entrance.
Pritchett? Doesn't seem like a place related to grampa
He nodded. "It's a mathematical and physical complex. Gordon is the main investor, and I'm the leader."
He walked in, not waiting for me to ask more questions.
Right at the entrance, he greeted an old man. "Mr. Anthony Leggett, it's a pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure is mine. I must say you're quite different from what I expected," Anthony replied.
Another elder approached. "Don't let appearances fool you."
"Mr. Moore, good to see you again," Leggett greeted him.
Jake turned and introduced me, "This is my little cousin, Alex Dunphy, and these gentlemen are Anthony Leggett and Gordon Moore."
I gave a slight nod to both of them. I had the faint impression that I had read one of their names before.
Then two more people appeared, this time much younger. We were introduced as well, and one of them was also named Alex.
Leonard, the younger man, handed some papers to Anthony. "These were our latest findings on 2D, NbSe₂ (Niobium Diselenide) and TaS₂ (Tantalum Disulfide)."
"It's still unbelievable, this whole story about 2D materials," Leggett commented. "If I hadn't conducted one experiment myself, I'd still be skeptical, even with all this data," he smiled.
My namesake approached me. "Dr. Pritchett told me to explain what's going on."
"Dr. Pritchett??" I interrupted her.
She explained, "Caltech, Harvard, and Princeton have already granted him an honorary PhD."
"What???" I screamed, making everyone look at me.
Jake was smirking. He totally did it on purpose!
And they went back to reviewing reports, with Leonard and my cousin explaining a few things to the gentlemen.
I murmured to Jensen, "You're saying my cousin is really a genius? A PhD at sixteen??? How could that even be possible????" I was almost hyperventilating
"He is," Alex Jensen replied, her eyes sparkling.
I went back to that crazy conversation from earlier, "He talked about Nobels and the Fields Medal!?"
"He certainly will win!" Jensen agreed, almost fanatical. "You know those two older men over there?" she murmured. "Mr. Leggett is the current Nobel Prize winner in Physics, and Mr. Moore is a billionaire highly respected in the academic field."
I was left speechless. That's where I had heard of Anthony Leggett - he had won the Nobel Prize two months ago.
After a moment, we went into one of the rooms, which looked like a giant laboratory.
"Who are all these people?" I asked, seeing several people working.
Jensen explained, "They're Intel engineers, one of our sponsors. In the other labs we have IBM and others from DARPA," she whispered. "For that last one, you'll need to ask your cousin for permission to enter."
"DARPA? Isn't that part of government funding?? The one who created the internet?"
And even more unbelievable things happened when I found out that several Fields Medal winners were waiting for another 'chat' with my cousin.
-----------------------------
(Back to MC POV)
I handed a small cup of ice cream to Alex. "Hey, how are you feeling?" I asked.
She took it but didn't show much of a reaction.
"I know it's a lot to take in," I said, sitting beside her and speaking while eating my own ice cream. "I thought of many ways to tell you, but I couldn't find a good one."
"And you decided to dump everything at once?" she turned to me, with a dripping sarcasm.
"You wouldn't have rested until I told you everything, once you knew a part of it," I explained.
Then I spoke softly, "It's normal to feel frustrated, overwhelmed, and a bit of an inferiority complex. Even feel like your place in the family as the smart one is being threatened." And I finished, "But you'll see, I can open an entire new world to you."
We stayed quiet for a moment.
"Ahh, I asked another assistant to film all your reactions. Your parents are going to love it!" I gave a mischievous grin.
Alex looked at me astonished. "No wonder Mom wants to kill you from time to time," she said, as dry as the Sahara.
Chapter 61: Money Problems?
A few days had passed since I talked to Alex. I was in Malibu watching football with Charlie and Jake.
"The kick is up, it's long enough... The kick is no good!" the commentator announced on TV.
"Yes!" the three of us shouted in unison, high-fiving each other.
Alan, who had just walked into the room, asked, "Who won?"
"Who cares? We covered the spread!" Jake replied excitedly.
"Charlie, call me an old-fashioned dad, but I was hoping my son wouldn't start betting on sports until he was old enough to have a drinking problem," Alan lectured.
Charlie waved it off. "He didn't really make a bet. I just gave him a taste of my action."
"Nor do I want him tasting your action," Alan countered.
"Dad, without action, there's no juice," Jake explained matter-of-factly.
"See?" Alan said dryly, "All of a sudden, he's Frank Sinatra."
I joined the conversation, "Relax, Uncle. We just bet pocket money."
"And how much is that?" he questioned.
"A grand each," I replied casually.
Alan's eyes nearly popped out. "You're betting a grand?!"
The doorbell suddenly rang
"I bet that's the pizza,"
My cousin asked eagerly, "What's the spread?"
"Pepperoni," Dad grinned, ignoring Alan's outburst.
-----------------------------
The next morning, Alan and I were already having breakfast.
"Morning, Berta. Need some help?" Alan offered as she entered with a grocery bag.
Berta gave him a flat look, "Yeah. Come to my house and explain to my daughter that we don't post bail for cute guys with Costa Rican passports."
I smiled. "Nothing like starting the day with good humor."
"Morning," Dad greeted as he walked into the kitchen.
"Got your groceries, Charlie. You owe me seventy-four bucks," Berta informed him.
"Why didn't you just use my credit card?" he asked.
"I tried. Funny story," She pulled a handful of tiny fragments from her pocket - the remains of what used to be a card.
"My platinum card. Look what they did to my platinum card." Charlie stared in disbelief at the shredded pieces. "They decapitated my holographic eagle."
"Here," I handed Berta a hundred-dollar bill. "Keep the change."
Berta smirked. "Do I need to hook up with every bimbo and pass out drunk in alleys for God to bless me with a son like that?" she quipped, throwing Charlie a sarcastic glance.
"I'll pay you back, son," Charlie said while still staring at the shredded card
I dismissed, "No need. And Berta, I'll pay you in full - just keep everything spotless."
I don't mind helping with the household bills. I would do the same in Brentwood too, but Jay never lets me help, so I just buy him nice drinks and gifts instead.
"Gentlemen," Berta looked at Charlie and Alan. "If you had any doubt before, now it's crystal clear who I work for."
"Finally, I've got a very smart boss," she muttered loudly as she walked away.
Later, Dad called the bank and found out that several bills were overdue, and his cards were blocked. He and Alan went to see the accountant who handled all the payments, while I stayed home and called a few contacts I knew.
-----------------------------
After taking an afternoon nap, I went to the kitchen. When I got there, several boxes of documents were spread across the table while Alan was inspecting some of them.
Charlie was beside him, doing absolutely nothing.
"So, how's the situation?" I asked, already reaching for a cup of coffee.
Alan began explaining, "The good news is that a substantial amount of royalties is going to come in over the next couple of months."
"Great. Problem solved. Let's go out to dinner," Charlie suggested enthusiastically.
"No, problem not solved," Alan replied dryly. "It's going to take a while to pay off all the bills your accountant ignored. Until then, you're going to have to cut back."
I grabbed the compiled expense sheet Uncle Alan had prepared and asked, "Dad, what are 'miscellaneous cash expenses'?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. Go see a movie, buy a hot dog, stuff like that."
Uncle Alan frowned. "It was eighty thousand dollars last year."
"That! That's women and gambling," Dad admitted without a hint of shame.
"Okay, from what I'm seeing, you really need to manage your finances better, Dad," I observed. "Your expenses are all over the place."
I tossed the papers on the table. "Come on, let's have dinner at that restaurant nearby - I'm starving too."
"Francis, we need to cut expenses," Alan repeated firmly.
"Hello?! Did you both forget that I also have a source of income? I can lend some money to my dad," I replied, unfazed.
Charlie patted my back. "Thank you, son, but I can't accept that."
"Hey, if we don't pay the bills, soon we won't have power, internet, or anything else," I pointed out, looking at Charlie. "And Dad, you can pay me back when you get the Royalties. Otherwise, I'll just take your Jaguar," I joked.
Charlie thought for a moment and said, "Okay, I'll accept," sounding a bit resigned.
Uncle Alan quipped, "You could also lend me some money."
"Yeah, fat chance. Unless you start giving 'happy endings' in your massages, I don't want to be paid in years," I replied sarcastically.
I wouldn't lend money to someone I didn't deeply care about, let alone to someone I have little to no respect for.
"Hey," Dad said, touching his chin thoughtfully. "Now I know what to get you for Christmas, Alan. Baby oil, so you can make more money," he smirked.
"Shut up, Charlie," Alan shot back.
We went out for dinner. Later, Alan and Charlie returned to the Malibu house while I went to meet Summer, who helped me pick out Christmas gifts for everyone.
A few days later, Charlie's former accountant was arrested for import and export issues and for embezzling from some of his clients (not Dad, though - Charlie spent money faster than the guy could even get his hands on it).