Frieda, Eric and Spencer were about a block away from Eric’s home when Lance; caught up with them. After having his late lunch with Lila Carpenter; a beautiful were-tigress, Lance calls up his niece to find out where she was and what she was doing. Agreeing to meet up; Lance starts asking Frieda question after question regarding her father.
“Uncle, I don’t know what to say,” Frieda shaking her head in confusion; “whatever doctor Tora showed or told him; father decided to agree to be tested for Bi-polar disorder. It threw mom and me out into left field.”
“Well your father has a tendency to do that Frieda,” Lance rolling his eyes; “I guess this is something he wants to talk to me regarding.”
“That and mom’s condition,” Frieda still shaking her head in disbelief.
“Changing the topic,” Lance quickly looking at Eric and Spencer; “what are your plans for today.”
“Teenager stuff;” Frieda trying to be evasive with her uncle.
“You know your father wants you to stay with me for the night,” Lance looking at Frieda’s friends again.
“He also expects me to act like a snob and not be bi-sexual,” Frieda shoots back.
“So what do I tell him when he asks where you are,” Lance asking.
“The truth,” Frieda answers; “that I’m with my friends.”
“I take you have clothes and whatever else you need for the night,” Lance sighing.
“Yes,” Frieda answering; “I also have my were-birth control pills. And I made sure I took one this morning. Besides I told father I will call him later. So if tries to give you grief just tell him to shut up and shove it. I’ve done it before.”
Lance laughs; “If only I could have been a fly on the wall when you did that.”
“If it will make you feel better,” Frieda stating; “I’ll call you a little later.”
“Fair enough,” Lance answers; “and Frieda, just be careful.” Lance gets back in his car and drives off to the hospital, leaving Frieda to rejoin her friends as they walk towards Eric’s house.
*****
Nate nearly had all the leaves in the backyard in a pile; heading to the garage to get several yard waste bags, he comes back to see Eric, Spencer and Frieda showing up from the forest abutting the backyard. With an evil grin all three race and jump into the pile causing the leaves to fly all over the place.
“You little trolls,” Nate shouts; “I’ll get you for that!"
Eric laughs as he, Frieda and Spencer head inside leaving Nate to grumble as he has to spend another hour re-raking. “And I still have the front yard to do,” Nate grumbles.
“Was that Nate shouting a few seconds ago?” William speaking up as he is on the last few papers to grade.
“Well a pile of leaves does begged to be jumped into dad,” Eric chuckles.
“True with that;” William chuckling as well. Seeing both Spencer and Frieda, he guesses what is in store for tonight. ”Leftover breakfast for supper, watch television until then; then you can make as much noise in the rec room after.”
“Okay,” Eric responds removing his shoes, with Frieda and Spencer doing likewise; “Cheesy horror movie or whatever is on one of the reality channels,” Eric asks Frieda and Spencer.
“When you say cheesy horror movie,” Spencer states; “do you mean badly filmed modern or cult classic?”
“I vote for Boris Karloff or Lon Chaney Jr.;” Frieda piping up as all head into the living room.
“Why not throw in Bella Lugosi in the mix,” spencer chuckling; “Or some classic Vincent Price.”
“Well if we are going blast in the past, then I have the perfect one for us;” Eric digging through the various DVDs until he pulls out the one he is looking for. “Nosferatu,” he smiles.
“Isn’t that a silent film?” Spencer looking interested.
“Yep,” Eric answers, “But I also have Metropolis and Le voyage dans la lune* if your interested;” Pulling those out as well.
Both Spencer and Frieda look at the three silent films and both say “Nosferatu”.
*****
About thirty minutes later Nate comes inside and grabs a soda from the fridge. He sees his father at the kitchen table doing his school work.
“Don’t you have the study to do that in?” Nate answers.
“Yep,” William answers; “But then I can’t keep guard on the basement door at least until after supper. And besides, Martha is using it to prepare her lesson plans for Monday.”
“Why would you want to keep guard on the basement door?” Nate asks, but then hears giggling from the living room; “Never mind. What are they watching by the way?”
“A silent film,” William answers; “You got the backyard done?”
“Yeah,” Nate answers; “No thanks to Eric and his two girlfriends.”
“Now don’t start there,” William finishing up grading papers; “Besides I recall you used to jump in leaf piles after I finished raking them up.”
Nate smiles at that; “Who hasn’t.” Sipping his soda; “I’ll do the front yard tomorrow.”
“All right,” William answers, “As long as it’s done before Monday.”
Nate is about to leave when William speaks up again, “Oh Nate; ditch school again and you’ll be walking for the rest of the school year.”
Nate walks out of the kitchen and heads upstairs. Looking in on Eric in the living room; Nate he sees his younger brother with his arms wrapped around Spencer and Frieda. While the two girls each have their heads resting on his sholders. All enjoying the movie with creepy music and no dialogue; Nate quickly heads to his room. He lies down on his bed and puts his phone on the charger. Thinking about what Mike Lawson said to him earlier about wanting some one more grounded in common sense; Nate grabs his phone still charging and writes up a message.
‘I have to do some yard work tomorrow, but can we meet up sometime after lunch to talk? Just the two of us?’
Nate sends the message to Jean Talbot; the eighteen year old were-lioness that rode him hard at the old barn. Sensing she might not be as freaky as Liv; its Nate hope that he could talk in hopes of understanding Liv more.
*Le voyage dans la lune is a french silent film from 1902 that translates to: A Trip to the Moon