Not So Perfect

February 2029 - Arcadia, North Carolina
Gates Household: Nathan Gates is 39, Terri is 39, and Phoebe is 17

Phoebe can hear it starting already as she gets breakfast. She sits down at the table in the kitchen because she doesn’t need to be in the dining room with her parents.

“I don’t know why you think you can tell me what I can and can’t spend money on,” Terri snaps at her husband. “It is mine to do what I want.”

“Your money?” Nathan snaps back. “We’ve been married for eighteen long, miserable years now. The money is our money, not yours.”

“You need to get over yourself,” Terri tells him. “I only married you because of Phoebe. And just because I did doesn’t mean I have to share anything with you.”

“I didn’t marry you because I wanted to be stuck with someone like you, but I have been ever since college,” Nathan says. “Because I’m a good man and a good dad.”

Phoebe sighs and keeps her eyes on her breakfast. This happens every morning and there is no end to it. Her parents always find something to argue about.

“Think highly of yourself if you want,” Terri says as she leaves the room. “I’ll be in our bed for one last minute of enjoyment before heading off to work. If you’re interested in that part of our marriage you can join me, otherwise I’ll take care of it myself.”

Phoebe makes a face as her mom heads toward the stairs. She does not need to hear that kind of talk first thing in the morning.

After the breakfast fight with Nathan and then a bit of time in the bedroom, Terri heads off to work. Her clothing store Fashion Beyond is doing really well these days. Shoppers come in all day long and ask her about ideas for their wardrobes.

Some of them Terri isn’t so sure she can help. Some need drastic wardrobe changes. But she does what she can, if that’s what makes her more money she keeps her thoughts to herself and jumps right into helping her customers.

Everyone knows the store and comes to visit all the time. Except Kat Gates. Kat will walk by the store at times when she’s not in class, but she never sets foot inside.

Nathan had some contact with her when she was a kid, but now it’s like he’s not her dad. And if you ask Kat, she thinks it’s accurate that Nathan is not really her dad, Xander is. He’s the one who has cheered her along for everything she’s ever done while growing up.

But Kat is still curious about peeking into her biological dad’s life and the life of his other family. So she walks by the store, but she never steps inside.

 Terri continues her fashion advice at home whenever she can corner Phoebe.

“I think you deserve a complete makeover,” Terri tells her daughter after a long day at the store. Terri is still in the mood for fashion discussions and honestly, she’s always been a bit disappointed in her daughter’s choice of clothing.

“I don’t think I need a makeover,” Phoebe tells her.

“Nonsense,” Terri says, waving one hand to push away Phoebe’s words. “A makeover will attract all the boys in town.”
 
“I don’t care about boys,” Phoebe says.

“It’s every girl’s dream to be chased by a bunch of guys,” Terri insists. She gets up from the table. “I’ll go work out some ideas for new outfits.”

Phoebe looks at her mom with great disappointment as she leaves the room. She never listens to what Phoebe really says. If she would, she might understand the hints and know by now that Phoebe really isn’t interested in boys.

“How do I make Mom understand what I’m trying to tell her?” Phoebe asks.

Nathan laughs. “If you can ever figure it out let me know.”

“I’m trying to tell her the truth about something and she doesn’t listen,” Phoebe says. “It’s like she thinks she’s ruling my life.”

“She rules everyone she meets,” Nathan says. “You’re better off following her directions.”

“She wants to make me over so boys will be interested in me. But I’m not interested in boys.”

She hopes her dad might get the hint, understand what she’s really trying to say. It’s not the boys she looks at when she’s at school. It’s not the boys who make her blush. It’s not a boy she feels fluttery feelings in her stomach when she’s nearby.

But Nathan doesn’t understand her hints either. “Good,” he says. “Boys get you in trouble, so I recommend not dating until you’re in your thirties. Then you’ll have complete control of your life.”

 The mall is the place where Phoebe feels like she can be her true self.

She goes there with her guitar and plays songs in one of the halls, focusing on just who she really is outside of her parents’ vision for her.

And sometimes she gets tips from the people walking by. So she comes back to play her music every chance she gets.

****

 
Chelsea Gates is nervous about visiting Fashion Beyond, but she steps in one afternoon to take a look around. She’s in town for an annual check up at the doctor and so Terri’s store is just down the street.

“Hello, Chelsea,” Terri greets her. “Welcome to Fashion Beyond.”

“Hey,” Chelsea says. “I was in town so I thought I’d stop by.”

Terri knows she won the fight for Nathan long ago, so there’s no reason to be upset about Chelsea being nearby. Terri is focused on business and succeeding in life.

“You made the right choice,” Terri says. “I can give you a complete makeover.”

Chelsea shakes her head. “No, that’s okay. I was just looking around.”

Terri grabs her tablet and scrolls through her notes. “It’s fine. You do need one. Let me set up an appointment for you.”

Chelsea knows that Terri doesn’t listen to anyone, so she’ll have to arrange a time for this makeover meeting. But that doesn’t mean she actually has to come.

“I certainly stay busy every second of the day,” Terri says as she looks at her board on the wall. She uses it to plan the fashion makeovers she’s working on. Right now, she’s working on several makeovers at the same time.

Nathan just says “uh-huh” and keeps staring at the computer screen. He’s not worried about Terri seeing the screen. After all these years he just doesn’t care. They both do what they want.

And what Nathan wants is a woman who’s been shopping at his store. She has a young son with her, but that’s no problem for him. He has two daughters and that’s never affected anything.

She makes Nathan fill his head with thoughts of her. Thoughts outside of the grocery store, just the two of them.

And she looks back at him, smiling as if she knows his thoughts. And as if she doesn’t mind those thoughts because she’s having her own.

For now, Nathan will keep the professional behavior in front of the other customers. But he’ll work on other behavior later.

****

Phoebe isn’t sure about going to the little dance club across town, but she had heard rumors that it’s easy to get in and it is.

It’s easy to get a drink from the bar too. Not that she really knows much about drinks, except for the high class champagne and wine her mom will serve at the fancy get togethers she likes to have.

And there’s dancing. She gets on the dance floor, eying the girl from school that she’s been watching every time they cross paths in the halls.

Phoebe can’t help getting fluttery feelings whenever Dee Smith is nearby. Dee is a grade below her and they don’t have any classes together this year, but Phoebe still sees her in the halls.

And Phoebe isn’t sure what Dee feels about dating. So she’s stayed quiet and kept her feelings to herself.

Phoebe really can’t help the fluttery feelings when Dee approaches her.

“Hey,” she says. “Phoebe, right?”

She nods. “Right. You’re Dee.”

“Right,” she says, grinning. “It’s good to see you here. Now I’m not the only teenager sneaking in tonight.”

“Other people sneak in?” Phoebe asks.

Dee nods. “Yeah, usually the jocks who think they’re all grown up. And me, just the loner who doesn’t fit in anywhere. I have a couple of people I’ve become kind of friends with, but they’re not here tonight. Can I sit with you?”

“Sure,” Phoebe says, her stomach now a tumbling mess inside. She tries to keep her voice from trembling as she talks. “I’m by myself too, so we can form our own little club here.”

Dee laughs as she sits down. “Right. Just the two of us, no one else allowed.”

This gives Phoebe even more fluttering as she takes in the words of just the two of them.

She doesn’t even know if Dee might be interested in her. As more than a friend. But she’ll enjoy every second of sitting here talking with her.

And they talk a long time. About school, parents, hobbies. Dee is impressed that Phoebe knows how to play several instruments. Dee talks about her desire to live in a big city with lots to see and do.

“It’s just boring around here, you know?” Dee asks.

“Yeah,” Phoebe agrees. “Not much to do in or out of the city.”

The night passes quickly and Phoebe enjoys every second. Dee smiles at her a lot and it makes Phoebe shiver in happiness.

It’s getting late, and even though her parents don’t really notice how late she stays out, Phoebe knows she needs to get home and do homework.

“I hope I’ll see you in between our classes tomorrow,” Dee says smiling wide at her.

Phoebe grins. “I hope so too.”

****

“Hey, Dad,” Phoebe says a couple nights later. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

“Yeah,” Nathan says. “What’s going on with you?”

Phoebe sits down and sighs. “How do you let someone know you’re interested in them? As more than just a friend?”

Her dad doesn’t look away from the computer screen. “That’s easy. Just tell them in plain words that you want to do more than watch movies with them. Things in bed.”

Phoebe knows that neither of her parents can give dating advice. Sure, they’ve been with plenty of people over their lives, but just for bed purposes, not actually dating.

“But I want he—um, this person know I’m not in it just to have woohoo.” She almost said her instead of just staying secret about whether this was a boy or girl. She still doesn’t know how her parents will react to that. It’s mostly her mom she’s afraid of.

“Then I guess wait until you’re ready for that?” Nathan never looks away from the computer as he talks. “That’s the only way to really get anyone interested. Believe me, I have years of experience so I know what I’m talking about.”

Phoebe sighs and gives up hope of confessing anything to her dad. Her parents are more interested in their own lives than helping with everything she’s finding too hard to figure out.

——————

Phoebe really does seem to be an introvert and someone who can easily get upset, even about the small things in life. She walks around frowning a lot and goes into the closet to cry without me telling her to. She’s a bookworm, music lover and muser, so I don’t know exactly what’s going on with her. Maybe if Dee is interested in girls she can help change Phoebe’s outlook on life? I haven’t said yet whether Dee likes guys or girls. In the update for her house, she’s just arguing about her sister dating in general, not arguing because boys in particular won’t date her. So we’ll find out in a future update whether Dee feels the same way that Phoebe does. 🙂

This is the last update for this Gates household. Next we’ll have the March 2029 birthdays and anniversaries and then move on into the next household, Jessica and Richard Norman. They’ve moved up to Brindleton Bay, Connecticut, so they are away from family and friends!