Penelope

Chapter 21: Playing Nice

       *Picture of Ian*

        It had been almost 3 weeks since the Dawson's had moved back to their cushy estate. Everything inside the Anderson house hold was turning upside down. Besides the sounds of construction on her new brother or sister room they house was usually unnervingly quiet. Penelope was starting to miss the sounds of chaos and loud music echoing around their home. Granted the girls would still come by on occasion, but now they were too busy wrapped up in their own lives to even see each other as often as they did before. Penelope even missed random times of night hearing Ryder music echoing through the walls. She missed being able to just walk down the hall and see him. She wanted to tell him about that disastrous date with Stephen. Now she never Ryder he didn't hang out with them at lunch or even after school. It was as if he had completely disappeared. She thought she was good at avoiding uncomfortable situations, but she had nothing on Ryder.

Even Hunter wasn't home much anymore. When he was he would be locked in his room for hours without making a single sound. She was almost at the point of feeling sorry for him. Yet she can't find herself forgiving him just yet. Even though his betrayal had nothing to do with her directly. His lying and cheating just brought back unwanted emotions from her past. He knew how she felt about cheating since she found mother in with a Marco, her now stepfather. It wasn't the last time she had caught her mother in bed with another man either even though she hated Marco, she despised her mother even more for cheating.

Her parents were even missing most of the time her father was so excited about the new baby that she was starting to feel a small tinge of jealousy. She even missed the frequent arguments between her and Axel. Or the screaming matches between Scarlett and him. ranted he still annoyed her in class, but that was just one period of the whole day.

She couldn't help, but also notice Scarlett's moody behavior. Since Mr.Dawson kept Axel busy with frivolous activities after school he barely had any time for Scarlett. Even at lunch it was a hit or miss with them. As Scarlett was recruited to help with the winter formal and most of the meetings were held during lunch the only time Axel had free for himself. Scarlett was beginning to wonder if he was just simply avoiding her. As the days grew colder and closer to Christmas,She and Penelope decided that they would throw a small Christmas party to bring everyone closer again.

"Pen do you really thing a party is going to fix everything?"Scarlett asked staring at the ceiling.

"No I don't, but I think its a start. I feel like we are all so busy doing our own things and avoiding others that its causing a giant rift between us. Violet doesn't come around because she's afraid that she will run into my brother and have a break down all over again.Caroline and Matt are at the beginning stages of their relationship which only means they spend a lot of time together being one those nauseating couples like you and Axel were when you first started dating. Ryder's MIA like all the time when I think I see him in  the hallway he's like a ghost and disappears. Hunter too busy sulking his own misery and who knows what's going on with you and Axel anymore. I just want things to start going back to normal." Penelope huffed folding her arms across her chest like a child.

"If you really think a party will help things get in order, you might have to invite some people you don't exactly get along with as well."

"I am not inviting Samantha and Heaven to our Christmas party."Penelope huffed. "That would just defeat the whole purpose. It would just piss off Violet and make Hunter uncomfortable. Not to mention the night will probably end in murder. I don't look good in orange."

"I'm just saying. It's better if everyone just gets everything out in the open. Besides whether you like it or not Heaven is going to be a part of your life and your going to have to learn how to deal with her being around. With her comes two other things as well Stephen and Samantha. And I know your date didn't pan out the way you wanted it to, but cut the guy some slack you two grew up in completely different worlds. He's been trying to make it up to for weeks. I mean you had gifts and flowers piled a mile high in you room from that boy just trying to apologize to you."