The Miranda MacArthur Story

chapter 13

Miranda walked inside the house to hear her parents and their house guest laughing about a joke she probably wouldn't understand. She walked further inside and saw them at the kitchen table, having a good time. Miranda smiled, at least her parents would keep their friends. If only she could, but she had befriended Sabrina and betrayed her old friends. She just didn't understand it. 

"Hello, Miranda," Jen smiled at her daughter, but quickly frowned. "Miranda, are you okay?"

Miranda sighed. "I don't wanna interrupt..."

"It's okay, honey, come sit with us..." Jen invited.

Miranda shrugged, then walked over and sat in the middle. Her parents were on her left and Samey was on her right. 

"What happened, sweetie?" Brick asked. "We heard your friends' voices, didn't you invite them in?"

Miranda sighed. "They didn't wanna be my friends anymore..."

"What!?" Jen and Brick gasped.

"They didn't?" Samey sounded alarmed. "Are you sure, honey?"

"Yes, Miss McAuley," Miranda looked up to the blonde woman and nodded. "They told me it was 'cuz I was friends with Sabrina Shortman and Darcy Fenton."

"Oh, honey," Jen hugged her daughter. "I know you love and miss Layla, Devin, and Michelle, but you have to learn to be friends with other people... They also have to understand that and it's part of your school project."

"I tried to tell them, but they didn't listen," Miranda's crystal blue eyes filled with itchy tears. "They wouldn't listen, Mommy..."

"Honey..." Jen hugged her daughter again, trying to soothe her poor unfortunate soul. "I'm really sorry that had to happen... But they have to understand, just because you're making new friends doesn't mean you'll forget about them..."

"You want us to talk with their parents?" Brick offered.

Miranda gasped at that. "I don't' want them to get into trouble!"

"I promise, they won't, my little cadet," Brick soothed as he gently stroked her dark ginger hair. "Grown-ups just need to take care of business for the children they have."

"You won't get them in trouble?"

"I promise, they won't."

"You have our word." Jen added with a smile.

Miranda smiled at them and hugged them. She then looked to their guest. "Sorry about that, Miss McAuley."

"Oh, you're fine," Samey assured with a smile. "She's so adorable, you guys... Takes a lot after Jen, I see."

"I think she looks a lot like my father." Jen said as she kept a hold on Miranda, smiling.

"Yeah, I can see that too, she has his eyes." Brick nodded in agreement about his daughter's genetics.

"Were you really one of Aunt Mike's best friends?" Miranda asked the guest, very curious.

"Yes, dear, I was," Samey admitted with a smile. "When my sister and I first moved to her area, we were fast friends..."

"Can you tell me about it?" Miranda pleaded.

Samey smiled at her, she felt comfortable about doing that, she looked to her best friend's sister and brother-in-law. "Would that be alright with you folks?"

"I see nothing wrong with that." Jen smiled.

"If Jen's okay with it, so am I." Brick added.

"Oh, Samey, would you like to stay for dinner?" Jen invited. "We understand if you'd like to get back home..."

"No, I'll stay," Samey smiled. "I could also get to know little Miranda better if it's alright."

"That'd be nice." Brick grinned.

Jen smiled, taking Brick to the stove and decided to get dinner started with him. Miranda left with Samey to the living room.

"Can you tell me about Aunt Mike?" Miranda asked as she sat with the blonde woman on the couch.

"Of course, dear, I'd love to." Samey didn't seem as sad as the girl's parents, but she still did deeply miss her first true friend before she met the Australian Outback girl known as Jasmine. 

"Whenever you're ready..."

"Now?"

Miranda smiled, this seemed to get her mind off the argument she had with her friends earlier after she got back from Sabrina's. "Yes, please."

"Okay, Miranda, I'll tell you all about that I know of your aunt." Samey gently ruffled up her hair.

"Start from the beginning of what you know." 

"It all started in Manhattan, New York..."