Chapter 3 Negotiating and the circus.

Hi! My name is Narrie Middlecreak and guess what?

So... Grammie has been posting this stuff...

(Circus coming to town? Vote now!)

I have one question. "WHERE!!!" That's what I asked Mom, I mean... "Where is this? Grammy has been posting it!"

"Ahh..." Mom totally deflected the question, "Umm..."

"You want me to ask Momma Lauri? Huh? She'll get it out of you!" Yeah, I chose the best stepmother in the world who is always on my side, and if she isn't, she takes me out for ice-cream!

"No, I just thought it would be fun."

Umm... I... Know that she can pull these plans together like Santa Clause really does live in this town... But!

"MOM! Do you know how much a circus costs!?! Mom!" I am pointing outside, where even the telephone lines look they've been abandoned for decades. "This town is BROKE!"

Mom smiled, scrunched up her nose and...

SIGH! I love how she does this sassy attitude of hers more these days as a stay at home mother who actually gets some rest sleep more then once a week. "And how do you know? Huh?"

"Number one," Like... You do know what Lauri does right? (Something with money? Maybe?)

"I know economics, and 2," I shrugged these shoulders of mine and said, "Joe told me."

"So..." Mom whispered all mousy like and, "Lauri doesn't know."

About the circus? Do you really think she won't notice who's mother posted the silly over the circus top meme and not think you had anything to do with it?

"HA Ha ha..." I just couldn't hold it in, so... I lost the game when I broke character... "You're kidding right?"

"Hey! I'm not the only one in this town with silly plans!”

I know that, I mean Noel is getting to be a pretty silly town! Like when my best friend told me about the Christmas dragon, I thought it was some silly Chinese new years thing, But it was really cool! Like, I think dragons might actually be real now cool!

But... Mom...

She is still playing right? I mean... What if something is actually wrong...

Gasp! Did she do a little more then make a SmileBook post... Or there actually is something wrong... And I think I know what it is...

So I give her a hug and said. "Well anyways, they'll be even better maths and economics in middle school."

That did it. Broke her out of "broken doll" mood with a sigh and... "You had better not ignore me if I ever need to see you, alright?"

"Would I do that?" I looked at her and knew that, yeah, yeah I would.

Next year I'll be in middle school and there's some rules that I'm trying to figure out.

Rule #1: Don't look like a baby. Okay, that's my main rule. And I imagine that I'll try to put on a strong gritty expressionless face and if I ever need her, I will NOT let it bug me... I might press the SOS button on my watch, but I won't be a baby!

And we will have rules too! Like...

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

“Mom! You have to wear business casual and that means a wig too!"

Now, some people might not understand why I want mom to wear a wig? Honestly, I am VERY proud of mom's hair, yeah, we sometimes get looks in the supermarket, but she and Momma Lauri taught me that just means we're interesting.

(Picture of Moms long colorful braids with our family.)

Well anyways, she dies the roots a different color like every week and it's really cool how since the engagement she's been letting it grow out and it even sometimes looks like a really long Celtic style braid that is wrapped around her head and tied in one of her crotchet hair nets now.

"I honestly don't know," Mom turned the other way, shook her head and let her voice break, "but it's not very fun, I know that Missy. And you promised."

Wait... What did I promise?

Chapter: 3.5 My first contract.

So... Narrie Middlecreek here and I told Mom something, I have no idea what though...

Wait!

Well... It was a really long time ago, like in March and basically my (phone) screen kinda cracked, I was not happy! I mean, I had a screen protector on it and everything! And then I slip and it goes flying and...

(Picture of old cracked phone that I still use for games. Argh!!!)

Well Momma Lauri smiled like a good stepmother who actually wants me to love and cherish her as if I wasn't going to anyways and said, "Let's get you a new phone."

And them Mom looked at the two of us and said... "... It still works right?"

"Yeah."

"And you're rewarding her with a new phone?" I love it when my parents fight, it's not like those scary fights the movies show, it's like the silly fights the cartoons show! "I bet it's even the one you've been eyeing!"

"Yeah..." I can usually tell when Mom has Lauri beat, what I mean is that I need to UP MY GAME!

"MOM! I'll totally do all my homework and most anything you ask until I can get a new phone in middle school!"

Mom, she basically just snarled at me, "How about after middle school?"

I, SO, waited for her signature, "Huh!!!"

But it never came!!! That meant she was serious! So I pleaded, "Months into middle school if I can get a new phone now."

"What's this?" Lauri is a contract layer or something like that. I think... "Some contract?"

Well... Mom was quick witted, took a whole 2 seconds to think about it before she asked me, "How about we negotiate a new contract WHEN you get a new phone?"

"Cool." I was so excited! Though... I wasn't actually sure if I should be, I mean... This is like my first contract EVER! And I did NOT sign up for this when I hand picked Lauri to be my really good and not evil stepmother!

(BTW, that is not even an open secret that I'm the one who hand picked her. Wait... That is a secret okay, so do not ever tell Mom okay, I mean like EVER.)

NEARLY A WEEK LATER.

So...

I did it, I got a new phone, and...

I even get to hide the tracker program! Like, I always hate how my friends make fun of it! (I secretly like it, and it's not just because I have misplaced my phone, it's also kinda nice feeling safe but...!)

I hated not having any privacy!

Anyways, my new contract says that I get a new phone EVERY SINGLE BIRTHDAY! And it's always going to even be the one that I want.

Of course I have to be really good in middle school, (like... I always am anyways!) And if I am, I don't ever have to actually talk to Mom at school!

I just have to make sure that I text her every lunch time.

So basically? I was in the win zone! I mean, bug off homework right? Yeah, I was good.

"Remember." My rich and wonderful stepmother who's tone was making me wonder if the predication about my name is true after all just set down a creamy cocoa on the other side of the counter and told me, "If you get below B's or whatever we renegotiate, cool."

“Okay!” She handed me a creamy mug cocoa cake with whipped cream and she even sprinkled some espresso powder on top! "So... I can get like a B, or a B plus, right?"

"Yes. But if you don't understand something," Lauri did not take her hand off of my drink..! Well... This is why she lets me have some coffee... It's this "reward for being courageous and patient or something” But honestly? I don't understand what she's trying to teach me.

"Narrie, we want, we really need to know about the things that you don't understand, alright."

"Alright." PHEW! That was sketchy. Thank God that's over, right?