5.21 Larry Won't Judge

Holland kept up with his painting hobby, and even joined art club.

Art club is where he was noticed by Suzetta Marchesi.

Suzetta picked up the hopeless romantic trait on her teen birthday, and finds herself deeply attracted to her fellow artist, who just so happens to be the son of the famous psychic who freed her house from ghosts. (Ghosts that were never there in the first place.)

When Suzetta asks Holland out on a movie date Friday, he accepts. What can it hurt?

"Can't believe I had to hear about this date like third-hand from Eva!" Olive exclaims, returning from her friend's house that evening to find her brother working out in front of the television.

Holland answers with a grunt.

"Suzie is pretty cuuute," Olive teases.

"Way too cute to say no to," Holland agrees.

"I don't think one work out session before the date will cancel out a lifetime of loafing though. Just sayin'."

Holland is unruffled. "It definitely will. You gotta believe."

"But... you know..." Olive's tone takes on some hesitancy, "Friday is a full moon."

Holland stops with the stretches and the jumping jacks. "I know. I'll make it home in time."

Olive frowns. "I wish you'd pick some other day. Dad's gong to—"

"Dad doesn't have to know," Holland cuts her off.

Friday is as cold and miserable as every other day this week has been. Thick snow covers every outside surface, and continues to fall.

"It's so sad to be dating in winter," Suzetta sighs. "I can't wear any cute clothes, and we can't go to any of the romantic Monte Vista parks..."

"I think you're pretty cute," Holland reassures her.

Suzetta smiles and grabs Holland's hips, pulling him closer. He places his hands on her shoulders awkwardly, feeling more nervous than he thought he would. He has a chance to get a good look at her large blue eyes, inches from his face, while she's unashamedly studying his own unusual silver irises.

"Sometimes it seems like your eyes glow," she says.

"Well, if I were a Goa'uld, I wouldn't admit it."

"Eh?"

"Nothing. Nothing."

"We'd better get inside... we don't want to miss the previews."

"Or freeze to death," Holland agrees.

As the full moon makes its ascent, Dysen notices his son is nowhere to be found! Of course his first thought is to ask Olive about it, and what she has to say isn't exactly comforting.

"I thought he'd grown out of this by now!" Dysen snaps. "Why is he trying to kill me with stress?!"

"I figured he'd be back before the moon came up," Olive puts on the sad face.

Easily manipulated by his daughter's sad face, Dysen quiets his voice and pats her shoulders. "Everything will be fine," he promises.

"I don't know. Maybe I should go look for him."

"No!" her father says quickly. "I don't think I could stand you both being gone."

"I'm not a werewolf," Olive protests, but Dysen is pretty agitated already trying to keep un-transformed as long as possible, so he's not listening.

Molly hears only one howl ring through the house, but isn't too concerned. She told Dysen their son was smart and could handle himself.

Several hours pass before Holland bounds home, having taken the long way through the woods to keep out of sight, just as he was taught to do.

Dysen senses Holland's approach and greets him with an angry showing of teeth as soon as Holland walks in through the kitchen door.

"Do you know how worried I was?" Dysen snarls.

Holland glances at his feet and snorts dismissively before looking back up. "I'm older now... can take care of myself."

"Am I joke to you?" Dysen growls through his teeth.

Holland shrinks back sulkily. "No one saw me. Was careful! Walked Suzetta home, had enough time to get into the woods before the change. I knew what I was doing!"

"Go. To. Your. Room."

"That was the plan!" Holland huffs, already skulking upstairs.

Holland tells Larry about his date. At least Larry won't judge.

Olive waits a while before intruding on his privacy. "Sooo I hate to say I told you so, but..."

"Go away. I'm not reasonable like this." Holland turns a page in the novel he's reading.

"What, and you are normally?"

"I don't want to be seen."

"How about... a magic trick? To cheer you up?"

"Olive... seriously."

"At leeeeeast tell me how the date went," Olive begs.

"Fine."

"More details than fine!"

"She's a Sagittarius."

"Umm..."

"She seems to think that's important."

"Well do you like her?"

"Sure."

"Sure? Just sure?"

"It's been one date, Ollie, we're not getting married."

"Did you kiss her?"

"I said get lost!"

"Gaah he won't tell me anything!" After leaving Holland alone, Olive went to bother their big sister, who does not have the luxury of shooing her from the bedroom because they happen to share it. The illusions Olive is practicing swirl around her while holographic confetti rains over her side of the room from a special effects machine she likes to keep running.

Apollo responds with a big yawn. "He's a teenage boy. You're not going to be twinsies besties forever. You'll see when you start dating someone. You won't want to tell Hol all the details."

"I guess I'm jealous both my sibs are dating and I'm not," Olive admits. "But I am willing to wait for true love. ♪"

Apollo grins. "Okay... when you find Prince Charming... invite me to the wedding."

"Sooo how did your last date with the Z go?"

"Zag spent most of our last date playing guitar for me."

"Whoa, that's so hot."

Apollo rolls her eyes, but smiles. "Sure."

"Sures again with the sures..."

"He's so driven and focused. Thanks to his dad's connections in the industry he already has things set up for when he graduates... he's going to be a backup guitarist for The Dust Ambassadors! He's going on tour with them."

"Wow..."

"And I was thinking I might go with him. I want to see more of the world." Apollo's smile turns dreamier as she imagines what it would be like to walk the streets of Bridgeport, Starlight Shores, or Roaring Heights. She'd also love to visit more remote places, like Aurora Skies, but she has plenty of time to figure out how she'll get there.

Dysen is surprised when his son comes crying to him the next morning. "I'm sorry I overreacted and snapped at you," the over-emotional teen whimpers. "Not that you even remember what I'm talking about right now because you're still a werewolf so you have the attention span of a flea. Why the hell don't you change back at first light? What is wrong with you, Dad?!"

Apollo frowns. "Uh, should I come back later?"

"...and everyone pretty much agrees Polly is hotter than me," Olive chatters on. "Why, Mom? What makes me so ugly?"

"You're not ugly," Molly reassures her.

"Is it my style then? My clothes? My hair? Or is Apollo just... super gorgeous, and I'm plain? I don't understand."

Molly continues clumsily preparing crepes, ignoring the magic whizzing around behind her. "Polly is a little older than you are, that's all."

"Well it's not like I'm worried or anything! Someone will like me for me eventually."

"You're very likeable," Molly agrees.

Akari comes over to play video games with Holland, as is their weekend routine.

"You could have asked me out, you know," she casually drops drama into an already tense part of the level. "I thought it was kind of obvious I liked you."

When Holland is silent, Akari glances over to check on his reaction. "Wellll? Say something?"

"Tell me you're not serious right now," he grumbles.

"What if I am?"

"Well I don't know what you want me to do with that. I'm going steady with Suzetta right now."

"Whatever. Never mind." Akari tucks some of her hair behind her shoulders and goes back to kicking in-game ass, too irritated for this to be a joke.

"It wasn't obvious," Holland adds.

5.20 The Pigeon Incident

"So let me get this straight," Molly begins. "While I was at work, Bluebird died..."

"...and you replaced him with a pigeon?"

"Pigeons need love too," Dysen says. "Technically, it's a present from the cats..."

"This is the kind of thing people go to marriage counseling for."

"It's only until the wing heals."

Molly scrunches up her nose. "You should have just let the cats eat it."

Dysen pouts. "But it makes pleasing coo, coo noises."

"You really want to keep this pigeon."

"Only until the wing heals!"

"Fine."

"I love you, Molly."

"I love you too."

The twins make plans for later tonight. Holland's is to stay indoors and play video games. Olive's is to drag him to some club uptown where several of their schoolmates are gathering.

The plans are mutually exclusive.

Of course, Olive is the one to win. "Scissors beats paper!" she crows. "You go to the club tonight."

Holland scowls. "Dammit, why did I agree to this?"

The club is a tiny, stale old building. It must have served some more dignified function in days long past, but with no space for new construction in Monte Vista's crowded uptown, it was inevitably repurposed. The decor is garish, the wood on the countertops looks rotted and splintery, and the sneering bartenders don't care enough to check IDs.

That last bit is obviously why this dive was chosen. Galen May, one of the few upperclassman Holland spots in the room, is sitting by himself and looking a bit confused about how the younger high schoolers have invaded his favorite haunt.

Zab Ziggfield showed up in a fashionable hat and strappy dress and made the mistake of trying to order food - it smells bad, really bad - and Magan Sielen has already downed enough Kneecappers to approach Olive.

"Y-you look good," he half stammers, half slurs. Olive grins and strikes a pose.

Holland narrows his eyes at Magan before taking the seat next to Galen.

"Hey Hol," Galen mumbles. "Is Polly out?"

Holland stares at the drink menu. "Polly's too classy for this place and so am I."

"Cool," Galen says. "So, I recommend the Spline Reticulator. It's not bad."

Holland doesn't remember what he orders, but it helps him lose focus on the cringe that is Magan Sielen talking to his sister.

"Plumbob, I have such a crush on Apollo," Magan sighs. "But then, so does every guy."

Olive smiles and rolls her eyes.

"I bet you'll be as pretty as your sister when you're older," Magan says quickly, seeming to notice his mistake but incapable of fixing it in his current state of inebriation. "I mean, you're pretty now... I'd go out with you..."

"You are literally the worst," Zab insults Magan, coming to Ollie's rescue.

"I'm sorry," Magan moans before he scuttles away.

At this point the strobe lights went nuts and I had to get rid of them.

Most of the evening is a blur of dancing, cheap drinks and cheaper food. Magan's foolishness is forgotten quickly as more teen foolishness fills the hours with plenty of ammunition for gossip come Monday morning.

"The point of this is to socialize," Olive leans in to whisper in Holland's ear, chiding him for his behavior which has been wallflowery at best and standoffish at worst.

After enough pestering from his twin, Holland gives in and socializes with Zab a bit. They both agree that this bar is pathetic, and probably the ugliest community lot I have ever created.

Obviously they've never visited the bowling alley.

Holland's close friend Akari arrives, causing him to automatically gravitate towards her presence.

"Hey Hol, what's up?"

"Nothing. Lame party."

"Yeah? Sorry I'm late. I spent a few hours getting my hair right."

"It's nice."

"Thanks! So were you flirting with Zab...?"

"What? No. She's with Toledo."

"Oh like that's going to last," Akari laughs, then stops laughing when Holland doesn't seem to get the joke. "So are we doing video games tomorrow?"

Holland stifles a yawn. "You betcha. Someone has to slay the megademon."

Akari drags Holland to the "dance floor", but the two dance separately, careful to project that they are only friends.

There's Lorimer Stout-Porter, owner of the tallest hair in the room, unashamed to show up wearing an ugly sweater.

On the way home, the twins are busted for curfew violations.

After they're unloaded from the police car and released into the capable care of their parents, their father offers them congratulations and a celebratory dance for their hard earned street cred.