The Badger Biscuit Tin

New Texmexalaskifornia

Today was Jessica's very first day at Lady Antoinette's Academy for Alternative Learning. She looked down at her uniform, it was scratchy with a blazer and hot with tights when it was barely September. At least Ariana, Hannah and Clara were going to her school and she was very excited to see them again after nearly two whole weeks apart. Lady Antoinette's was an old brick building with a wall and small car park in front, and a reception desk inside where they had to "sign in" before going to their form class.
As much as she had insisted to her mum that she was not nervous, Jessica couldn't help but feel the slightest note of trepidation about her latest adventure, but she was doing it alone- well, except for Josh- and her mum bid them goodbye on the street beside the red brick wall. They'd visited on three occasions- firstly on the open day when they were ten, secondly when they took the scholarship test, and thirdly for the interview with their mum. Each of those days felt like the most important day of their lives and this was no different. Jessica wondered if every day of high school felt this important. Well, she decided that there was no better way to find out than going to class and starting.
They walked in to see their teacher wearing an oddly shaped dress that bunched at the sleeves in a classroom with lots of colorful projects adorning the walls. She spotted Ariana and quickly slipped into the seat beside her while Josh walked to the other side to ask one of the others if he could sit.
"Hi," Jessica whispered to Ariana.
"Hi."
"Okay, welcome everyone!" the teacher began, clapping her hands to get their attention. "I'm Miss Clifford but I want you all to call me Kathy; it makes me feel young, hahahaha," she said, laughing to herself.
"Good morning Miss Clifford," the class mumbled awkwardly. No one wanted to call her Kathy.
"Okay then..." she continued, seemingly unimpressed with their enthusiasm. "Can we all sit in a circle - I don't mind if it's slightly an oval, all shapes are unique - and together we're all going to learn a little about one another. When it comes to you, I'd like you to say what your biggest dream would be: it can be as big or bold as you want it to be. As your form teacher, I'm going to help you achieve this dream by the time you graduate in seven years time. Does that sound good? Great! Fantastic! Here we go."
They dragged their chairs loudly into some kind of formation around the classroom, ending up at least facing the rest of the class as they sat nervously. Some pupils looked down at their feet while others glanced around with curiosity. Jessica thought her teacher seemed fairly nice but she didn't know how to answer the question- what was her dream?
"All right... who wants to start?" Miss Clifford smiled expectantly, looking around to see no one raising their hand.
"I guess I'll start us off then," she continued. "You all know my name already, and my biggest dream is to become a fashion designer."
"That sounds fun," Ariana whispered to Jessica who nodded in response.
"Dacia Allen, why don't you go next?" Miss Clifford asked, reading the first name on the register that she still hadn't taken.
"Um... okay. My name is Dacia and my biggest dream is to be an inventor."
"Wow, that's interesting. What would you like to invent?" Miss Clifford asked.
"I'm not sure," replied Dacia.
After Dacia, Miss Clifford made them go in order of the circle clockwise- some quick counting informed Jessica that she had six people left to think of a dream. She had lots of wishes of course; to travel to loads of places, to go back to summer camp, to jump off a rock into the warm sea...  She also wanted to fix her family's money problems and teach Lian to read and find out who her dad was, but nothing was exactly dream material. Grandma had told her that she should have a dream by now, even if it turned out she hated that dream but Jessica questioned the point of putting effort into something you don't actually want. Her classmates wanted to be artists, to be famous, to get really really good at their favorite sport and go to the Olympics and finally the circle made its way to Jessica to share hers.
"My name is Jessica Garrett and my dream is to find something that makes me happy," she decided.
"Thank you Jessica, would you care to elaborate?" her teacher replied.
"Well, my mum's a doctor and my uncle's a surgeon and they love their jobs- they get really, really happy when they talk about what they do and they'll come home and read books about it in their free time. I want to find something that makes me as happy as they are," Jessica answered.
"That's very well put, Jessica," Miss Clifford replied, looking impressed. "Would you like to go into the medical field too?"
"No, definitely not. Science is really boring to me but I want to find my thing."
"Well, I'm sure with that confidence and eloquent way of speaking you'll get there soon," said Miss Clifford. "Moving on to the person beside you there?"
"Ariana Martens," her friend answered.
"Ariana, can you tell us your dream please?" the teacher asked.
"My dream is to visit Italy," decided Ariana.
"Why do you like Italy?" asked Miss Clifford.
"I want to see ancient Rome and all of the historical buildings and culture and art," she replied.
Jessica vaguely remembered Lian saying that he'd like to go to Italy sometime.
"That's very nice," Miss Clifford told her.
A few people later it was Josh's turn.
"I'm Joshua Garrett-" he began.
"Hang on a second, we have a Joshua Garrett and a Jessica Garrett?" Miss Clifford interrupted.
The twins nodded awkwardly.
"Are you two related by any chance?" she asked.
"Yes, we're twins," Jessica answered.
"Oh twins!" she exclaimed. "How exciting is it that we have twins in the class?"
Not very exciting at all, Jessica thought to herself. Pretty boring and mundane in fact.
"Your mum and dad must have their hands full raising both of you," she laughed.
"Actually, we only have a mum," Joshua corrected her.
"Well, she must be a very impressive person then," said Miss Clifford.
Jessica and Josh nodded once more. Here we go again, Jessica thought- everyone staring at the pair of average twins with the compassionate and actual genius mother. Sometimes Jessica wished she was the smart and pretty one that everyone loved.
"Now that everyone has shared their dreams," Miss Clifford announced when they were done, "we're going to start some class bonding activities. I'm going to split the class into two and I want you all to come up with an idea for a new country- okay Joshua, you're group one, Clara group two, Elliot group one..."
Jessica and her friends immediately looked at eachother and swapped seats with others in the class so that the teacher would put them in Clara's group.
"All group twos at this table," said Miss Clifford, tapping a table on the left hand side of the room.
"Ariana!" said Jessica excitedly.
"Hi, Jessica!" she replied.
"Hi, I'm Jessica," she introduced herself to the others.
"I'm Hannah."
"Clara."
"I'm Alaya. It's lovely to meet you all," said a taller girl that they'd never met before.
"Natalie," the person beside Alaya said. They were dark skinned with short dark hair.
"Dacia," the final girl announced.
"So, we're meant to make up a country," Clara reminded them.
"Why don't we combine names of real places to create a new place?" Ariana suggested.
"Sweland?" proposed Hannah.
"New Texmexalaskifornia," said Jessica.
"New Texmexalaskifornia?" Clara repeated in confusion.
"How are we getting on, Group 2?" Miss Clifford interrupted, pulling a chair over to their table. Great, an interruption already.
"Jessica?" one of the girls double-checked her name, pointing at her. Jessica nodded. "Jessica named our country New Texmexalaskifornia."
"Very creative," Miss Clifford nodded. "And why did you pick New Texm... that name?"
"I don't know, I've always felt a connection to Texas," Jessica told her, making it up on the spot.
"Do you have family there?" asked Miss Clifford.
"Nope," said Jessica.
"Well I'll leave you all to plan the rules of New Tex- er... your country."
"So we need to think of rules," Jessica told the group.
"Peanut butter is banned," said Hannah immediately.
"Ooh I like that," replied Jessica.
"Everyone has to dress up as a monster every second Thursday," said Natalie.
"That one is perfect," Clara agreed, "but there has to be a mandatory competition of who can have the best monster costume- with no repeats."
"Who's writing this down?" Jessica asked. "Dibs not me."
"Not me," Clara said quickly.
"I'll do it- I have the best notebook this year," said Hannah excitedly, grabbing one of the many notebooks from her bag and a large neatly organized pencil case.
"When people get married they don't take their partner's name, they have to smush their surnames together so the kids get really weird surnames," Ari suggested.
"Ha- that means I'd still have the same surname because I only have a mum," boasted Jessica.
"But you'd still have your grandparents' names smushed together," Clara reminded her.
"Oh right."
"No seagulls allowed," Dacia suggested.
"Seagulls are illegulls," mumbled Alaya, speaking for the first time.
Jessica burst out laughing, followed by the rest of the group. Alaya smiled at her shyly. After everyone else had calmed down, Jessica still couldn't stop laughing.
"Are you okay, Jessica?" Ariana giggled.
"Quick, someone tell her something sad to make her stop laughing," said Hannah.
"There's no chocolate on New Texmexalaskifornia," Clara suggested.
"All the monster costumes are in grey," said Dacia.
"Seagulls appear on Sundays," added Natalie.
After one last laugh when Natalie repeated "seagulls", Jessica managed to compose herself.
"I think we need one more rule," Jessica said, looking over at Hannah's neatly organized list.
"Sweetcorn is banned on Saturdays," Clara suggested. "Or every day- it's disgusting."
"But corn in the cob is allowed," negotiated Hannah.
"Fine- no sweetcorn except corn on the cob."
"I think we're ready to present it," said Jessica excitedly.
The first day simultaneously seemed like the longest and shortest day of Jessica's life, but she wished she could get the bus with her three best friends.
"I'm so excited- we can go straight to the back of the bus and sit there!" Hannah exclaimed.
"We get to sit and talk for another 20 minutes and then in the morning my mum can leave me to you and Clara's bus stop," Ariana added.
"I wish I didn't have to miss all the fun," Jessica grumbled.
"Why can't you get the bus?" Clara asked curiously.
"We live nearby, and also my mum is scared of me and Josh being in London without an adult," she sighed. Jessica knew that they'd do well without her mum's hovering and safety if she just let them.
The second day of school went much like the first, except they had more classes. Jessica liked her English teacher, Mr Turner, but she hated the maths teacher Mr Alderwood. After school, Uncle Thomas picked them up as it was his day off and Jessica made a start on her very first homework assignment of the year- unfortunately maths, which for once she completed with no help from her uncle. It was seven or eight before her mum was home but little did Jessica know that the day wasn't exactly winding down.
"Thank you so much for the food, Rachel," said Tom as he prepared to leave, carrying some milk from their fridge. "We weren't expecting the fridge and freezer to go so quickly."
"I thought it was your car that broke, not your fridge," Jessica said, puzzled.
"Car was last week, fridge was yesterday," Tom frowned.
"You really have the worst luck," Josh commented.
"I agree," said Rachel. "You do often tend to epitomise the phrase "anything that can go wrong, will go wrong."
"I-" Tom began but was interrupted by a knock on the door.
"It's a bit late for a visitor," Rachel frowned, "maybe it's Lian?"
Tom shrugged. The person knocked again.
"I'd better answer that," said Rachel.
Jessica looked up curiously as her mum opened the door to a man around the same height with a larger build, red hair and stubble.
"Hey, Rachel," said the man casually, leaning on the doorframe.
Her mum stepped back in shock, gripping the door handle tightly as if she was ready to slam it at any moment. Uncle Tom stepped forward, it was clear he knew the strange man as well. The silence that hung in the air was thick as Jessica leaned to the side to get a better look.
"Was hoping you still lived here, saves me the trouble of tracking you down," said the red-headed man after a minute of no one saying anything.
"Paul," she whispered. To Jessica's surprise, her mum was trembling, frozen to the spot and gripping the handle of their door.
"Can I come in?" asked Paul, looking around.
"No. No- you can't- why- why- are you here?" she asked weakly, moving the door slightly to block Jessica's view of Paul.
"I want to meet them," Paul told her plainly. Jessica wondered who or what "them" was referring to. Clearly something important.
"No- you left," Rachel accused, and though she couldn't see her face Jessica could tell by her tone that she was crying. "And you- you- why are you back?"
Out of the three adults, Jessica could see Tom most clearly and he appeared nearly as shocked as her mother, but with that calculating expression that both of them had whenever they're working something out.
"I'm going to be a part of their lives," Paul stated.
"You don't get to make that decision-" she started.
"What age are they now? Seven, right?"
"Eleven. Not that it matters; a child recognises their parental figures at the age of three months," Rachel whispered furiously.
Jessica gasped and Josh put his hand over her mouth to stop the others hearing. They were discussing them. This strange man who their mum hated, Paul, was their dad?
"I don't think Mum wants him to hear us," Josh muttered in her ear and Jessica realized that Mum and Uncle Tom were blocking Paul from seeing them, not the other way around.
"Just let me meet them, Rachel."
"You have no legal rights to see them," she sobbed, still clutching the door.
"Screw all the legal stuff, or have you gone and married someone else?" he said, a hint of disappointment in his voice. "Wouldn't be a surprise, I mean you're beautiful... and kind and so bloody smart."
"No. I never married," Mum said quietly.
"Kids can get pretty messed up without a dad," he insisted.
"You have no right to decide what makes my children "messed up". That's right, they're my children- not yours, you lost the right to see them the second you left through this door. Besides, they've never needed anyone else. Neither have I; I have all the family I need," said Mum furiously.
"My husband and I are always there for the twins when they need a paternal figure," Uncle Tom interjected, speaking for the first time.
"They need a dad, Rach," Paul argued.
"DON'T- don't call me that!" she screamed. Mum never screamed or yelled. Ever. "And as if you know what they need."
Suddenly, Josh lost the restraint he'd been keeping so carefully, jumping up from his seat.  "Stop it! Stop it- both of you. Stop acting like you know what's best for us! Tell us and let us decide for ourselves. Now."
Their mum jumped backwards, startled. She'd forgotten they were listening, something she never ever did.
"I'm so sorry," said Mum to the twins, clearly still on edge.
"Tell us what's going on," Jessica demanded. She'd got most of the picture from listening but it was all still very confusing.
"Hi, nice to finally meet you," Paul said easily. "I'm Paul. Your dad."
"It's up to them what they wish to call you. You don't just appear after eleven years and call yourself their father," Mum told him, angrier than they had ever seen her.
"Dad- father? Mum- what on earth- please explain," Jessica told her.
Rachel pulled them aside out of Paul's sight while Uncle Tom stood in the doorway glaring at him.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. He left, he gave up his parental rights and I didn't feel it was the right time to fill you with hopes of a man who is only biologically connected to you and doesn't seem capable of loving you the way I do and your uncle does. I'm so sorry," said Mum.
"And when is the right time?" Jessica demanded.
"I was planning to tell you when you were fifteen and six months- giving you six months before making any decisions, and if at sixteen you wanted to contact him, I would help you. I decided that based on the laws that would have granted you free choice of who to live with at sixteen, if he had been a legal parent," Mum explained evenly. "I'm so sorry, will you forgive me?"
"Of course," Joshua told her.
"Please, Rachel, just let me talk to them," Paul yelled frustratedly. Uncle Tom looked ready to slap him.
"Do you want to speak to him?" Mum said nervously, turning to Jessica and Joshua.
They nodded hesitantly and she glanced at Uncle Tom, the two of them communicating something in silence.
"All right," she nodded. "If that's what you want."
She and Uncle Tom stood between the twins and Paul protectively as if they were worried he was going to snatch them away.
"What are your names?" he asked curiously.
"I'm Jessica," she told him awkwardly.
"Joshua," her twin answered.
"Ah," Paul said, pointing at Uncle Tom, "are you named after him?"
Josh nodded. Their uncle's middle name was Joshua, but Jessica was surprised that Paul knew it.
"I see you take after the Meyers, not the Garretts," Paul commented.
"Paul's family," Mum explained hurriedly. "Maybe in looks, but they are Jessica and Joshua Garrett, not Meyers."
The longer that Jessica looked at Paul, she realized that he was undeniably related to her and Josh. She'd always known she looked nothing like her blonde haired and skinny mum, but hadn't thought about where her looks came from.
"What school do you go to?" he asked, indicating their uniforms. "Somewhere fancy and smart?"
"Lady Antoinette's Academy," Josh answered.
"Yeah, that sounds about right. Take after your mother with that."
Jessica wondered where Paul's accent came from, it seemed vaguely cockney but with weird Rs.
"All right, I need to talk to Paul in private for a few minutes, why don't you two say your goodbyes," Mum told them, still very uneasy and gripping the door handle like a lifeline. She wasn't crying any more but appeared weak and pale with red blotches on her face.
"Do you want me to-" Tom asked.
"Please stay," Rachel begged him. Jessica saw her hand tensely toying with the door handle, as if she was ready to shut it in Paul's face at any moment.
"Bye," they waved awkwardly. The twins walked out to the hall and shut the door behind them before sprinting to the spot of Josh's room where they could eavesdrop.
"I'm going to fight for joint custody," they heard Paul say.
"You're not a parent," their mum insisted with frustration. "And the term is "child arrangements", custody is an outdated term."
"Mum must be really angry," whispered Josh.
"She's yelling at him, have you ever heard Mum's yelling voice before?" Jessica replied.
"Nope."
"Well, then I'll take you to court about it," Paul said. "I'm contacting my lawyer."
A tense silence hung in the air once again. They couldn't hear the next thing their mum said, and a minute later the door closed.
"Jessica, Joshua," Uncle Thomas called.
They walked through the hallway and back into the main room where their mum was sitting on the sofa and Uncle Tom stood beside.
"How would you like a sleepover with Lian tonight? Your mum will answer questions tomorrow evening after school, but for now she's not feeling her best," he told them.
"Fine," Jessica agreed. They weren't going to get anything more out of their mum or Uncle Tom tonight, Mum was crying again.
Josh nodded in agreement.
"Go get your stuff, I'll walk you over there and come back here afterwards to look after Rachel," he sighed.
They went to their rooms to grab their stuff, it had been a very eventful night.