3.6 Harmless Potion

MaKenzie sat at her desk peering at her computer screen but not getting any work done. She enjoyed her job, most of the time. It was hard to concentrate after Gerard’s phone call the previous night. Although she had doubted their relationship would last long distance, it had so far held up. Countless visits and hundreds of long distance phone calls later, they were still going strong and he was planning another visit. And hopefully a proposal.

She was a test subject at the local laboratory and usually, something was always happening. There was always some strange concoction to drink or shots to take, or the occasional freak that streaked throughout the office.
For the most part, the life of a test subject wasn’t hard. Sit around, drink or eat something that had the possibility of being dangerous, and cross your fingers and hope for the best.
Deep in thought, MaKenzie did not hear footsteps behind her. It was Alan, the cute lab tech. “Hey MaKenzie, Robert needs you down the hall. "

Makenzie got up from her desk and followed Alan down the hall towards the top secret lab tech’s work rooms.

Robert was waiting on MaKenzie to arrive. On the table were four cups with smoke rising. Robert brought a cup to her. MaKenzie closed her eyes and took a sip.

Most concoctions MaKenzie drank were harmless. Once she had turned into a tiger, complete with hairballs, but that was the worst she had encountered. Right now, MaKenzie felt sick, sicker than she had been ever before. She thought about quitting her job as she bowed over the toilet.

Jace entered the bathroom quietly, “MaKenzie, doll, are you okay?”

“Yes I am,” she whispered between dry coughs. Jace turned to leave when MaKenzie called out,
“Dad, call Robert. Tell him to come over.”

Robert walked around the bedroom observing MaKenzie. He felt her back and her arms; he looked exactly like a doctor should. “Well MaKenzie, it looks like the sickness will pass. The concoction did misfire. So the good news is you will be okay. The bad news is you can’t have your own children. The medicine destroyed your reproductive system.”

MaKenzie sat in her corner chair, stoic. She never thought about having kids before she just figured she would at some point. But now she couldn’t.

MaKenzie returned to work the next day. She was physically present but her mind was elsewhere. She was staring absently mindedly at the computer screen when her boss approached her. “MaKenzie, I have noticed your hard work and I want to promote you to Lab Tech. I had to pull some strings but I think you deserve it.” MaKenzie just smiled. Deep down she knew it was only a condolence effort.

3.5 Coming Home

The next two days were a blur. MaKenzie woke up next to Gerard, who later over breakfast suggested a tour of the Forgotten Burial grounds. Heidi, who was afraid to leave MaKenzie alone, hardly let her out of her sight. Sometimes, it was sickening to watch the love birds gush over each other. But Heather followed MaKenzie and her new lover none the less.

The time had come to board the plane back to Sunset Valley. There was more to the plane ride back than just leaving Gerard. Although he promised to keep in touch and visit frequently, deep down MaKenzie knew they wouldn’t last. The plane ride also signified the coming of age for MaKenzie. When she began her trip, she was excited that everything was going her way. Everything seemed so perfect before. Now, as she returned home, it was time to really grow up. It was time for her to take over the bills of the house and the responsibility of a full time job. Heather would be moving out, moving across town to be with her high school sweetheart. Together they would pop out kids and be merry. MaKenzie shuddered at the thought.

MaKenzie felt like she was trapped. Trapped and forced to marry and have kids. That was all that was left right? But as MaKenzie said goodbye to Gerard she made a promise to herself that she would wait for marriage. And she would definitely wait for kids.

3.4 Foreign Flings

MaKenzie left Heidi and walked back to her room. The room felt empty even though it was nicely equipped. There was a soft knock on the door and MaKenzie pushed herself out of the bed to answer it.

Before she could get the door open, Heidi pushed her way inside. “I was downstairs drinking with this guy,” she started through sobs. “Well, I had drunk a lot. A LOT.” She stopped and composed herself. “Well I really didn’t realize, but I was following him down some stairs into this cellar.” MaKenzie could tell this wasn’t going to end well. “He locked the door behind us. And. And..” Heidi’s story was abruptly ended by loud sobs. MaKenzie grabbed her and held her close.

After what felt like hours, MaKenzie finally calmed Heidi into an almost silent sleep. MaKenzie sat in bed, blaming herself until she was too tired to stay awake.

Heather took up a large part of MaKenzie’s bed. Unwilling to wake her, MaKenzie grabbed her sister’s key and a change of clothes and headed to her sister’s room, locking her own door behind her. “MaKenzie!” MaKenzie turned to see Gerard running up behind her. “I heard what happened,” she said, stopping to catch his breath. “Now’s not the place,” she said, opening her sister’s door and inviting him in. Gerard looked around the untidy room with wide eyes, “Do you need this much clothes?”

MaKenzie grinned, she didn’t think she would own this much clothes in her life, “No, my cousin went shopping today. She didn’t have time to straighten before we left.”

MaKenzie bent downand began shoving clothes into an empty bag. Gerard pulled her to her feet and laced his fingers through her hair, “I can take care of him. If you want me too. This isn’t the first time. I tried to ban him but he’s the owners brother,” MaKenzie looked at him, toying with his offer. “It’s not worth getting in trouble over. She’ll go to the police tomorrow.” Gerard looked slightly amused at the idea. He gazed deeply into her eyes, “if that’s what you want.”

Gerard wrapped his arms around her once again and pulled her close. His fingers slid to the back of her head, pushing her ear to his lips, “now where were we.” This time, the little voice MaKenzie had spent the night ignoring, was gone.

MaKenzie felt like she was watching a movie. She watched herself kissing this guy, running her fingers down his arms. She watched as he lifted her, almost tripping over a blouse. She watched as their clothes blended in with Heather’s clothes on the ground. As her outside self watched the scene unfold in front of her, the only thing she could think was Heather’s not going to like this.

3.3 Unperfect Ending

The girls walked up to the winery in awe of the beauty of it. It’s perfect, MaKenzie thought observing how the building was lit inside and out. Inside the party was in full swing. As the girls approached the door, a soft murmur of noise cascaded into the night air. At the door, MaKenzie stopped, her feet frozen to the ground. This was not her scene. MaKenzie belonged in the art gallery, not here. Not at a social with many strangers. MaKenzie could feel her heart beat quickening. “Kenzie?” Heidi called from behind, “just walk in.” MaKenzie put her hand on the door knob and pushed open the door.

“MaKenzie!” a voice rang from the crowd, “I was wondering when you’d show!” Gerard leaned in to greet MaKenzie with a kiss on each cheek. “And this must be your cousin you were telling me about!” He said, greeting Heidi with the same gesture. “Let me get us drinks,” he said disappearing off into the crowd.

Heidi grabbed MaKenzie, “I’m going to go get me one of those!” she whispered before also disappearing into the crowd.

MaKenzie stood there alone and nervous. But before she could focus on her own anxiousness, Gerard returned. “You look nervous, want to go somewhere quiet?” MaKenzie, too scared to talk, nodded her head. Gerard led her up a flight a stairs she had not noticed at first. She followed him without question into an almost empty room with a fire place.

Alone in the room, Gerard stepped close to her and put his hands on her face. He leaned in and for the first time that night his lips met hers. MaKenzie felt her heart racing in her chest and reached up to tangle her fingers in his hair. He kissed her passionately, pushing her up against the bed post.

MaKenzie. No. leave, her mind screamed but MaKenzie wasn’t sure why. She had never questioned her judgment before. But then again, she’d never wanted someone so bad as she did now.

Suddenly the mute music from downstairs became strikingly clear. Gerard retreated quickly, dropping his hands down to her waist. MaKenzie left out a soft whine before turning and looking over her shoulder.

Heidi stood in the door way, her tank stretched out and her cover up missing, tears streaming down her face. “I want to leave MaKenzie. Take me home.”

MaKenzie looked from Gerard to Heidi, family first, she thought. “I have to go,” she sighed, pulling away from Gerard.

“What happened?” MaKenzie said as the girls approached Heidi's untidy room. Heidi's entered her room, “I really don’t want to talk about it,” She said shutting the door in MaKenzie’s face.

3.2 New Love

“Ahem,” MaKenzie heard a voice beside her. She turned to find Heidi standing there. MaKenzie quickly shoved away from Gerard, red quickly filling her cheeks. Heidi looked her cousin up and down, trying hard to not laugh as she spoke, “I was thinking of eating. Do you want to accompany?” MaKenzie’s gaze fell to the ground and she nodded her head. Gerard stood up after her and took her face in his hand, “Don’t forget about my invite.” MaKenzie smiled and kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll be there,” she said before running after Heidi.

MaKenzie entered Heidi's hotel room, stepping over shopping bags. “How are you going to get this home?” She asked looking at her in front of the mirror. “So who was Mr. Cuddly?” Heidi teased, throwing a new shirt aside. MaKenzie felt the blood puddle under her cheeks. “His name's Gerard,” she whispered. Heidi could sense that she made her uneasy and darted across the room to hug her. “Kenzie! I’m sowry!” Heidi said in her best baby voice, “he was kind of cute!” she finished winking at MaKenzie. MaKenzie looked up at her and a smile crept across her face.

"So any plans for tonight?” MaKenzie asked, picking up a short skirt from the floor.

Heidi looked around nonchalantly, “None. What are we doing?”
“Not shopping,” MaKenzie said looking around the state of the once immaculate room, “Gerard invited me to a wine tasting. Told me to bring a friend,” She finished, dragging out the last few syllables.

The girls squealed in delight, “And I have just the outfits!” Heidi said, dumping the contents of a bag on her bed.

3.1 Coming of Age

For MaKenzie, life couldn’t get any better. Yesterday she graduated from high school, today she was bidding her best friend Logan goodbye and loading a plane with her cousin, Heidi, to France, and when she returned, MaKenzie would start at her dream job at the Landgraab Industries Science Facility.

The plane touched down in Champs Les Sims in the early morning just days after graduation. It almost seemed unreal to MaKenzie. She and Heidi were thrilled and overwhelmed; not only by the new sense of freedom they had, but the gorgeous landscapes and cute men Champs Les Sims had.

After checking into the hotel, which was really the last thing on their mind, the girls headed off to the local market place, much to MaKenzie’s disgust. MaKenzie knew this was as much of Heidi vacation as it was her own, and decided to humor her a bit more than usual. Heidi, on the other hand, was ecstatic that she had even got MaKenzie so far from the hotel, decided it was best to not push her into shopping so she left her alone reading.

MaKenzie didn’t stay alone very long. Heidi returned, only to drop her bags off, to find MaKenzie, sitting on a bench, book in her lap and a guy at her side. Heidi stopped in the distance and watched, her mouth falling to the ground.

To say that her cousin wasn’t pretty would be a lie; especially now that she had cut her pigtails and changed from glasses to contacts. But MaKenzie wasn’t exactly a social butterfly. That’s what stopped Heidi in her tracks.

Heidi watched the gentleman flirt with MaKenzie and MaKenzie respond positively to his body language. They looked like two newlyweds. It was almost disgusting. Almost too disgusting to watch. Heidi turned around and walked into the next little shop, taking her bags with her.

(So I completely lost an entire set of images from this whole plot line, then I attempted to "replace" them, except I demoed the house and rebuilt... .)

2.17 The End

MaKenzie thought it would be awkward between them. She wasn’t blind to his feelings, she just didn’t return them. And now she was sure of it.

This is what I cherish, MaKenzie thought, sitting across from Logan on the monkey bars. He was in the middle of discussing his idea for this year’s science fair, “You’re not listening to me are you?” MaKenzie looked at him blankly, “Hmm? Oh yes, great idea.”

“MaKenzie, we have to talk,” Logan said, closing up the space between them. “We can’t go one pretending nothing happened.” MaKenzie shook her head and knew there was no way out of this.

The two friends sat for hours on the monkey bars talking about their relationship, or lack thereof. The conversation was ended abruptly by Jace, who heard the two screaming at each other.

It wasn’t long before MaKenzie began making excuses to avoid Logan. Sometimes it was easy, after all graduation was quickly approaching and there was plenty to do. But at the end of the night, MaKenzie sat alone on the monkey bars.

Logan was always her number one friend. He was the only one she felt comfortable talking to and now she wanted nothing more than to talk to someone.

MaKenzie picked up her phone and dialed the familiar number.

The time came to walk the stage. MaKenzie turned around and met Logan’s eyes and smiled. “Where done!” She mouthed as the principal began his speech. With high school behind her, MaKenzie looked forward to the rest of her life.