Chapter 6 - Gen 5 - Amber

Dixie got into the routine of grabbing me every night when she got home from school to help her do her homework, not that she needed my help, sometimes I think it was just an excuse to get my attention - not having her Mom around and me being the only female in the house, we had been getting pretty close lately.

 I needed a camera and I was beginning to worry because I couldn't find anywhere that sold them.  There were two consignment shops in town and neither of them had seen a camera for a long time.  Neither of them even had any photography books either.  I am getting pretty good friends with both of the consignment store merchants with the amount of times I was dropping into see if they had got a camera to sell me yet.  Honeydew knew what I was there for before I even got to the till.

"Sorry Amber, still no camera."

The other consignment store didn't have any camera's either and Neville also told me "No camera - sorry!!" when I walked into the shop.  I was getting a little worried at this rate I was not going to achieve my life time wish any time soon, and what if they NEVER had a camera to sell me??!!

I bumped into Penny Mango as I turned to leave the store.  I always found it pretty amusing that people I had been to school with were now asking me for my autograph like I was some huge celebrity that they were privileged to bump into and would never meet again.  She was my Uncle Reece's girlfriend for berry sake so why is she making such a fuss!!??

Brady got a little too over excited about getting a promotion, he is no longer a snitch and now is a Desk Jockey.  I walked in through the door and the next thing I knew he had launched himself at me, totally, I thought my back was going to break he was so heavy.

Brady has the virtuoso trait, like I do, but he really enjoys music where as I don't so much.  So when he is not swatting up for work or reading, most of his free time goes on playing the musical instruments that are all around the house.

Quite often the three boys jam together, and between the three of them they make a right racket, but it is getting better and they are becoming quite good friends the three of them.  I just hope they don't decide to form a band.

I have made a start on trying to master the painting skill, I can paint while I am still hunting for a camera.  Then I thought, I could be a Professional Painter like Dad and stay home, I have the Artistic trait so I don't see why I won't be able to paint as well as Dad some day with practice.  A stay at home job would be good for me too as Brady's Life Time Wish is to be surrounded by family and he says he wants at least 5 children some time in the future.

"Dad have you any idea where I can buy a camera, neither of the consignment stores have any and they are getting sick of me keep going in and asking?"

"What do you want a camera for?"

"My life time wish."

"The chest in the basement, Apricot's camera is in there, you can have it."

"Really!!??"

"Just take care of it, she loved that camera."

As Dad said there was a camera in the chest among all the other old family stuff, I was pretty relieved that I did not have to stress any longer.  I went to the Town Hall and signed the paperwork so I am now a self employed Painter like me Dad.

My first painting - $23 - lets just say I have a very long way to go  if I am going to get anywhere close to the $3,000 Dad gets for some of his paintings.

Dad has not been happy since Apricot died he has been quiet and withdrawn, it is rare that you even see a smile on his face these days.   He still waits for Apricots ghost to appear and I think spends too much time clinging on to the past instead of looking to the future, he has plenty of time to remarry and have more children, but I can never see that happening some how.  We sometimes wander if he doesn't spend more time with the family ghosts than he does with the living family inside the house, this is something that has started to bother me and my two brothers.

Giggling and gossiping about another family ghost with his mothers ghost, he spends a lot of time with his mothers ghost because like Genie, Grandma Lacey is out nearly every night.

I suppose a ghost would make an ideal sparing partner, its not like either of them could hurt each other, but still it is not really the normal thing to be doing is it!!??

He always seemed happy for a short time after he has been hanging about with his mother's or Kelly's ghost, but the happiness is always short lived and he goes back to being miserable again.

Still he is waiting for Apricot to appear, she hadn't been out once since she died and this is beginning to really upset Dad, especially as Genie and his Mother's ghosts are out virtually every night.  We see all the ghosts out from time to time but never Apricot's.

Another trip to the consignment store, this time for a music box.  Neville is a vampire which I am starting to get very curious about so once I bought the music box I decided to go round the counter and talk to him, I am not sure if wanting to become best friends with a vampire was a good idea, but I was fascinated by the whole vampire thing.  I didn't get to talk to him for long, we were interrupted by Lilac Sky who went out of her way to introduce herself to me.  I knew her vaguely as I went to school with her two children, Regan and Cloudy and I quickly realised that it was Alex she was more interested in talking about, she worked at the theatre with him, and according to her they were good friends.

When I got home Brady was waiting for me, he wanted to practice making babies, but only practice mind as we definitely were not having any until we were married according to Brady, but it suites me because I wasn't anywhere near ready to think about children.

But I had to ask .......

"Brady, what on earth have you got on your head?"

"Oh they say its part of my work uniform."

"You know they are taking the mickey out of you don't you!!"

"Yes I know, they are all having a right good laugh at my expense."

"So why let them?"

"I am the new boy, and the new boy always gets it some way or another, and the hats not so bad they could be doing worse, besides I forget it is there half the time."

"It's still wrong!!"

"Forget about the hat, we have better things to do!!"

 Needless to say his initial worries over our bedroom activities were long gone.

We found ourselves outside watching the stars, well I was, he was giving me another astronomy lesson.

He always sulks when I tell him to shut up, I don't want the details I just want to enjoy looking at them.

We started to play on the water slide

I got distracted and stood at the end of the slide, Brady only just stopped himself in time from knocking me off my feet.

I was watching a ghost, the ghost of Marty Keaton who I have only ever seen once before, but I knew he was one of the founders of our family along with his wife Summer Ugli.  His ghost was slowly working its way down the line of graves like he was actually looking at them all - checking up on his family so to speak.

Then he got to Apricot's, Kelly's and Genies graves and he froze.  I could see him hovering there shaking his head, like he was not happy about what he was looking at.  Brady then noticed what I was looking at - he had not really encountered any of the ghosts up until now.

He bolted into the house like he was scared to death of just the sight of the ghost.  He was not impressed when he ran into the house away from one ghost just to bump into another, the ghost of Lemon Ugli, this time who was hanging about in the bathroom.

We had quite a mental day at the weekend which started with me bumping into Regan Sky in our house coming down the stairs, throwing on her jacket like she was just getting dressed.  It puzzled me a little and wandered why she would be upstairs in the first place and why was she here, and more to the point who was she here with.

I was going to ask but then she started squealing and asked me for my autograph, she was my friend at school, another one acting like an idiot!!

I didn't need to ask any questions when Adam came bolting down the stairs in his underwear, chasing after Regan.

"Regan Wait!!"

She didn't say anything she just glared at him.

"Regan, I'm sorry, I will tell her today, I PROMISE!!"

"You promise me that last time Adam, but still you didn't do it."

"I haven't seen her, I didn't want to break up with her over the phone."

"Well you can phone her NOW Adam - or we are over!!"

I stood there pretty amused and surprised watching my brother phoning Michela to tell her it was over between them.  Obviously something must have been going on between Adam and Regan for a while and judging by Regan still being in her work clothes when it is Saturday and teachers don't work, she must have been hauled up in Adams room all night - how did I miss these things!?

I left them in the hall flirting with each other and went to eat.   A while later I noticed Michela stood out in the garden with Dad, I hadn't heard the doorbell go so she must have gone straight round the back.

She came into the house, I watched her coming and guessed there might be trouble coming, Adam and Regan still in the hallway making out, oblivious that Michela was heading their way.  Michela took one look at them and what they were doing, stopped for a minute burst into tears and ran out the house without saying a word.

I felt sorry for the poor kid and had half a mind to go after her.  Adam and Regan I am sure hadn't even seen her rushing right past them they were so wrapped up in each other.

That's when I heard Dad and Alex yelling out the back.  When I looked out back I could see Dad, Alex and Ashley was with them, Dad looked furious, Ashley upset and Alex looked like he was ready to kill someone.

What's going on now??

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Chapter 7

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