movie nights - casey gardner (discontinued)

season 1 - chapter 1

Harriet Steale tapped her foot on the floor of her math class, it was the last period of the day on a Monday. Her maths teacher was talking and she was trying her hardest to listen but she couldn't. The sound of the chalk on the blackboard screeched in tune with the bell as it rung throughout Newton high school.

Harriet picked up her back pack and lazily slung it over her right shoulder and sighed as she walked out of the classroom, making her way to her best friend's classroom. She walked down the halls waving to a few member's of the track team as she passed them by. When she reached the corridor that Casey's classroom is on, she notices the taller girl straight away and a smile spreads across her freckled face.

Casey walks over to the redhead beaming at her and greeting her with a "Hey, Red. Did you get shorter?" As she says the last part she pats the Steale girl on the head playfully.

Harriet pushes her hand away with a giggle and say to her "Oh shut up, Brown." Using the nickname she had given Casey many years ago. The nicknames had become tradition for the girls, calling each other by them more than their real names. Most of the track team and their other friends playfully made fun of the nicknames but they didn't mind it. 

Setting down the hallway Casey said to the shorter girl "My mom's making chicken tonight" raising her eyebrows. "Oooooo, nice." Harriet had been staying at the Gardners' for almost a year, her parents had died in a car crash and Elsa, Doug, Sam and Casey had been more than happy to welcome her to their home. She had been attending therapy at 4pm every Monday since the car accident, the same time as Sam's sessions with Julia.

Casey and Harriet walked out of the school and to Elsa's car in a comfortable silence. When they reached the car they both got in the backseat as Sam was already in the passenger seat as Elsa was talking to him about some homework or something, Harriet wasn't listening, she sparked up a conversation with Casey and they all took off to their home.

The family all sat around the table as Elsa rambled on about some t-shirts, Harriet wasn't paying attention to the woman as her head was throbbing. She had just got home from track practice with Casey and she was still tired from school and therapy. She couldn't wait to get to sleep. 

Casey's voice brought her out of her trance as Harriet rubbed her eyebrows with her forefinger and thumb, "Wow that's a great story, Mom." Her voice dripping with sarcasm as it usually was. She stabbed the fork into the chicken, lifting it onto her plate. 

"Oh, don't be a dick, honey" Doug said defending his wife as she sat down next to him. 

"So, Sam, Harriet, how was your sessions today?" She asked, sparking conversation.

Harriet replied with "Good" whilst smiling at her mother figure before taking some chicken for herself, she sat at the top of the table unlike everyone else who faced another person in their tight-knit family. 

"Julia wants me to donate my brain, but don't worry it's after I die." Sam said, going into a considerable amount more detail than Harriet had. That was one of the many things Harriet loved about Sam, he always answered every question with detail and honestly. Sam was like a brother to Harriet and she usually took Casey's side in defending him. But to be fair, she took her side on most things. 

Harriet nodded, thinking the idea was kind of cool. So did Doug apparently as he said "What for like research? That could be kinda cool." But Elsa was quick to say her point of view on the matter, "Absolutely not." She said it with such offense that you would think some one had just asked her to drink toilet water. Elsa was always quick to share her opinion and usually got her way.