Cassarian Appreciation Week

Great Expotations

     "I can't do this, I can't do this,"

     "Yes you can Vivi-"

     "No! No, I can't." Vivienne-Rose sank down to the floor, resting her back against the back of the stage and hugging her knees.

     "Come on Stress-head. You've been here for three hours pacing and repeating that mantra," Jordan took a bite of an apple, "Jus' chill ou' an' shop whinin'."

     "You're not helping!" Fern snapped,

     Jordan held his hands up in surrender, "What? It's not doing her any good worrying is it?"

     Rolling her eyes, Fern walked to sit on the stage beside Vivienne-Rose, "Unfortunately, you're right." She put her hand on her younger sister's shoulder, "Come on Vivi, you've been working so hard on this and you're only twelve years old! We may not know what you've invented but you've put so much time and effort into it, I'm sure it's going to be amazing."

     Standing on trembling legs, Vivienne jumped onto to the stage and peeked through the curtain. She'd been waiting for Corona's Science Exposition for months, been counting down the days on her calendar every morning, but now it was here...

     She bit her lip and glanced to the right. Dr. Johnson was still making his speech. Though Mom had said that he was better than the previous guy, even if he did have a tendency to drone on. Vivienne-Rose remembered the previous years she'd been coming here, ever since she was a little kid who could still sit on her Dad's shoulders. Her Dad always opened the science fair - by Aunt Rapunzel and Uncle Eugene's insistence - and made a considerably shorter speech to start off the invention competition.

     There had been a few occasions when she'd grown so tired of Dr. Johnson's rambling that she'd snuck backstage to take a first peek at the inventions. The first time she'd done that her parents had gone crazy (though her and Dad had had a very long conversation on the way home about the inventions she'd seen and turned a blind eye every time after that so long as she told him everything afterwards).

     The stage and crowd had always seemed so happy and exciting on the other side but this side seemed a lot darker and scarier. The curtain seemed a lot heavier under her hand, ready to smother her. All she could focus on were the amount of eyes facing the stage.

     "There's a lot of people," Vivienne-Rose chewed her lip nervously.

     "Just pretend they're not there," Jordan said from over her left shoulder, "It's the same presentation and the same speech that you've been practicing for days, if not months," he muttered.

     Vivienne punched him in the arm, "Jerkface."

     "Hey I'm trying to distract you here, some gratitude would be nice."

     "You know what I say would be nice? Slapping that smirk off your stupid face," Fern quipped, "Luckily for you I won't because you'll tell and Mom will ground me."

     "Shut up..."

     There voices faded away as Vivienne-Rose focused on the crowd. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't do anything else. Stood right at the front were her parents. Beside them were Aunt Rapunzel and Uncle Eugene along with Heather and Adrian. Heather noticed Vivienne peeking through the curtain and waved. The young girl gave her a small smile in return.

     "Do you think Dad will like it?"

     "Are you kidding? Whatever it is he'll love it," Jordan said

     "And now let the presentations begin!" Dr. Johnson's voice was heard to exclaim.

     "Finally!" Fern huffed. She hugged Vivienne-Rose, "You got this Baby Sis. We'll be right at the front cheering you on with Mom and Dad."