LIFE AS IT IS

"urgh!. I really don't mind being late for class but i think my butt is beginning to complain due to the pain of sitting and waiting". Diamond said to the rest of his siblings. Raymond, Stephanie, Victor, Diamond, Lawrence and Hudson Howard are about to leave the house on a Friday morning but are forced to sit and wait in the car for their sister, Gabrielle Howard. " But I mind it! Of all school days I can't be late today!" Hudson,the youngest son panicked as he starred nervously at the front door wishing it would open up any second now. 'Please be an A. Please be an A' Hudson prayed in his mind. He had one big science project yesterday,the grades will be out today and he can't wait to hear from the judges! The huge front door swung open and there she was,Gabrielle in all her glory. She ran toward the car with a small crate in her hands. " wait for me!" She hopped into the car and sat next to Stephanie, before the car accelerated. " what took you so long?" Victor asked as her siblings gave her questioning looks. " I was looking for my pet chameleon". She answered as she shrugged her shoulders slightly. Her siblings gazed at her with disbelief written all over their faces. Gabrielle lost her Hamster over a year ago,She got the hamster when she turned twelve years old. It was her very first personal pet because the family already had a dog, Doll. So it was special to her and her siblings thought she hadn't gotten over its death. But she looks okay now with her chameleon? " you got another pet?" Raymond asked after a good few seconds of starring. "Mm mm..elle gifted it to me ". Gabrielle answered with a smile on her face. Annabelle is Gabrielle's best friend since birth. They are both fifteen years old and are inseparable, Annabelle is two months older than Gabrielle but they are like actual twins and are both called Elle She opened the crate and picked up the chameleon, brought it close to her face and started talking to it cutely. It was green coloured and had cute, big black eyes. " Aren't you Adorable?.. Her name is Lulu". " Ooh! I wanna hold her too". Stephanie stretched out her hands expectantly and Gabrielle carefully placed lulu on her open palms. Stephanie rocked lulu gently as she talked her. The boys huddled together in one corner of the car with their furrowed brows as the watched their sisters playing with Lulu. Stephanie looked up and saw her brothers reaction, she knew they weren't fond of reptiles so she wanted to tease them.. "Who amongst my brothers... Wants to hold lulu?" She asked with a bright smile on face. The boys shared a terrified look then declined the offer immediately. " Thanks... but no thanks!" Raymond was first to refuse, followed by Victor then diamond. " Nope! Absolutely not!" " Nah! I'm good!" Lawrence and Hudson just shook their heads. " Fine....if you say so." Stephanie sighed as she shook her head. Stephanie gave Lulu back to Gabrielle. Gabrielle gently placed Lulu back in her crate. The boys sighed in relief before moving back to their original positions and continued their journey to their respective locations.. ************ Inside the Liberty Biotechnology and Laboratory building, where Stephanie recently started working as a forensic scientist. Stephanie is seated in her desk working on her computer next to her friend's desk, Emily Justin " Stephanie what happened? You went on leave out of nowhere!" Emily silently dragged her chair closer to Stephanie's desk. " I know it was a bit sudden but I made a promise to a bunch of kids at the Loud House and I had to fulfill it." The LOUD HOUSE is a big foundation for kids and young adults. A little like an orphanage but more fun that's why it's called the Loud House. The LOUD HOUSE is located in the heart of the capital on a land owned by the Howard Group and was founded by Mrs Regina Howard. " What kind of promise?" Emily asked with a raised brow. " I took them out on a field trip instead of their teacher. She went on maternity leave". Stephanie answered without looking up from the computer. " Oh! I see. Well, where did you guys visit? Did you take pictures? Did you have fun?". Emily bombarded her with questions. " We went to the countryside... And yes I got pictures and videos.. and Fun?.. sure, why not!" Stephanie answered nonchalantly. " You don't sound enthusiastic about it!" Emily commented. Stephanie sighed before leaving her computer and faced her friend. " Last night I had to sleep in one big tent with ten...five-year olds..,.the tour-guide dude slept in a different tent." Stephanie told Emily. Emily nodded her head waiting for the fun part of the story. "Mm-hm... Go on!" " When they were all sleepy, I tucked them in their different sleeping bags before going to sleep in mine. Then i woke up a little past one AM in the morning and...guess what?" Stephanie trailed off, building up the anticipation. " What?!". Emily asked, wide-eyed. Stephanie sighed as she sunk back into her chair and closed her eyes. Emily's gaze followed her movements expectantly. " They were all out of their sleeping bags and was sleeping peacefully on my body.. they were scattered everywhere....all over my body." Stephanie finished in one breath, Emily burst into a fit of laughter. It was hard to imagine Stephanie in that kind of situation. Stephanie smiled as she recalled the scene,it was too cute. *********** Meanwhile,in Laverock High-school. Lawrence, Victor, Gabrielle, Annabelle and Hudson are seated at a table having snacks, alongside other students having their lunches in the hall. " Dude! Why is diamond late for Lunch?" Victor asked Lawrence,who was busy playing with his phone. " No idea, dude!" Lawrence answered without looking up from his phone screen. " Ladies,any idea where diamond might be?" He asked Gabrielle and Annabelle,who were having a conversation. They shook their heads with an apologetic look on their faces , before they continued chatting Victor tried asking Hudson but got no response from Him. Hudson had his head bent Down as he read the book he had on the table with a lot of focus, so much that he didn't hear Victor call his name twice. " Hey! Genius..!" Victor called Him his nickname as he jabbed Hudson's shoulder lightly. Hudson's gaze snapped from the book to Victor's face. " I'm sorry, Dude. You were saying?". Hudson asked with a confused look on his face. " Do you know where diamond is?" Victor asked again. " Oh.. if I'm not wrong,He should be at his rowing practice right now ". Hudson answered with a relaxed tone. He knows almost all their schedules. "Hey dudes". They were interrupted by Lawrence's best friend, Dylan Farrell. He reached the table and sat down next to Lawrence before Bowing his head slightly greeting the girls. " Ladies?" " Hi Dylan!" The girls greeted him in a synchronised voice with a shy smile on their faces. Lawrence gave Dylan an elbow jab to the stomach for being cheesy with the girls. " Dude! where have you been? I couldn't find you after the last period!" Lawrence asked him pretending to be upset. "Well,I had soccer practice..oh and I met Diamond about an hour ago, he told me to tell you guys that he'll see you after school. He had rowing practice". Dylan delivered the message to the others. " The rowing tournament is in four months, you guys excited for it?" Hudson asked enthusiastically. The boys cheered enthusiastically while the girls just gave an exaggerated smile as the nodded their heads. Every year there are different athletic competition, winners get scholarships. This year is the rowing tournament and multiple rowing teams from different high-schools are competing for the price. " Sure! Why not?!" The girls answered in unison. They have no interest or what so ever in the rowing club. It's mainly because they want to support Diamond,that's why they attend the tournaments and root for Diamond's team only. They all exit the hall and returned to their classes,as the school bell rings indistinctly. Few Hours later, school was dismissed. Victor, Lawrence, Hudson ,Dylan Gabrielle and Annabelle all walked down the hallway that led to the school exit door. And for some odd reason,it was somewhat empty! " Where's everyone? this hallway is always chaotic during closing hour". Lawrence asked with a furrowed brow as his gaze scanned the environment. " Ugh! Tell me about it!" Gabrielle groaned. " The 'after-school science geeks' aren't here"! Annabelle announced as she peeked through the glass door of the laboratory.. There's always a different group of students doing their projects after school everyday. Hudson also peeked through the glass door of the room on the opposite side of the hallway... Inside the room were a few students, seated on their different desks. They were Starring intensively at their phones and cheering every five seconds as if they were watching an event. " Um,these guys in detention are all on their phones... Do you think something is happening at the 'Basement'?!" Hudson asked as the turned and faced the others with a thoughtful look on his face. 'The Basement' is an old boxing gym six block away from the school,that only the students know about. Whatever happens in the the Basement Has nothing to do with the school! We're talking parties, fights, concerts,etcetera.. The others nodded their heads with a thoughtful look on their faces too. " Diamond is not here yet, maybe he's in the Basement. So.. he should know what's happening, right?!" Victor said to the others before pulling out his phone, ready to text Diamond. His cell phone vibrated followed by a loud ding. The others gazed at Victor expectantly. "So... There's an,um.. event at the Basement and Diamond is one of the main stars!" Victor trailed off with a sheepish grin. " What?!" The others asked in unison, confusion written over their faces. " Diamond and C.J are fighting!" Victor yelled. They all shared a surprised look before heading out through the exit door...