Post by Angela on Feb 5, 2008 15:07:09 GMT -5
It was the year 2024. Margarita Evgenievna Potemerenko was a junior at Franklin High School. The girl had been on the honor roll ever since she could remember, always earning A's and B's. She was particularly interested in the scientific subjects and math. She was a member of the yearbook committee, science club, math club, foreign language club, newspaper, and a member of the school band as a violinist. She also sang, played piano and violin, and tutored. But all these activities took up a great deal of her time. While she had her fair share of friends, and was perhaps the most popular girl in her year, she had never been on a date. She was nearly seventeen years old, and had been asked by several boys over the past few years. But whenever she would ask her father, Evgeni Potemerenko, a priest at St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, he would always refuse the offers outright. To her, it wasn't fair. Her parents started dating when they were fourteen! Why should she have to wait?
She was determined, however, to make this time her first time out with a boy. Max Shepard had been eyeing her since middle school, but her father always kept the boys at bay. Finally, Max decided once more to ask her out... in his own special way.
Rita walked into her chemistry class, went over to her table where her lab partner, Emily, was siktting getting notes ready for the lab project.
"This is for you," Emily said absentmindedly, gesturing to the rose that had been left on her side of the table. Wrapped around its thornless stem was a small piece of paper.
The brunette cocked her head, picking it up intrigued. She carefully slipped the red ribbon off that held the paper in place and proceeded to unwrap the paper itself. On it were some words written with computer font:
Roses are red
Violets are blue
Sugar is sweet
But not as sweet as you.
Margarita grinned at the tacky yet adorable note, giggled a little and put it in her purse along with the rose.
"What did it say?" Emily asked as the teacher walked in.
"I'll tell you later," Rita answered, giggling.
Later, during lunch, Rita was sitting with several of her friends, eating her Lenten food that her parents packed for her.
"I don't know how you can stand fasting like that," Olivia said, shaking her head. "Not being able to eat meat on Friday, I can deal with that. But all those restrictions! No chocolate? I'd shoot myself!" She laughed.
"It's not that bad," she said with a laugh. "But yes, it can get annoying at times when I see everyone enjoying pepperoni pizza on Friday and I'm stuck with fish. So look what I got in chemistry!"
She showed her friends the rose and note. They oggled over it and debated over who it could be. Max had come up in the conversation several times.
"You know it won't happen though, right?" she asked with a sigh. "Papa would never allow it. 'As long as you live under my roof,'" she mimicked, rolling her eyes.
"Your dad really is a weirdo. Mia's engaged already, and she's only three months older than you! Her parents are fine with it."
"Her parents aren't Russian Orthodox," Rita said with a sigh. "Believe me, I wish I could be Mia. She gets to stay out till midnight on school nights, no curfew on the weekends, she can have boys over, parties, no adults around to bug her. Just once I wish I could be in her shoes."
Rita hardly touched her lunch. Now that a boy was really interested in her, at least interested enough to leave gifts, she wasn't sure how to handle it. Should she tell her father? No, he'd freak! But then, maybe he wouldn't.. She was seventeen, after all... Maybe he'd be okay with the fact that the boy was at least taking the time to be romantic to get her to go out with him. Still, that wasn't the least of her worries. What if she didn't live up to this boy's expectations? What if he turned out to be an asshole? What if he was ugly? What if he ended up cheating on her? What if she was making too big a deal about this? What if it were all some kind of crazy joke? The thoughts raged through her mind all through the rest of the day.
Evgeni Potemerenko was working on his sermon for the following weekend's church services. He had the Bible out as well as various books and papers about the readings that were scheduled. Ekaterina was in the kitchen, fixing dinner. Their children, with the exception of Miroslav, their eldest, were still in school. Margarita and her twin brothers, Maksim and Aleksei, were in high school, while Kyril was in middle school with his younger brother Evgeni. Their daughter Viktorya was still in elementary school, however, having only turned eight a few weeks ago.
All of the children were active participants in their school and community. Vika was a member of the Girl Scouts, Kyril and Evgeni were in the Boy Scouts, Aleksei worked at an animal shelter, and Maksim spent time with the elderly. In addition, all of the children were active in the church as altar servants.
Rita, Maksim, Aleksei, Kyril and Evgeni were naturally the first ones home from school. Miroslav had his own apartment near the campus of Point Park University, where he was on sholarship at the Conservatory of Performing Arts, trying to earn his Master's in Fine Arts. He was not too far away from the family, however, and still took Sunday meals with them. He also visited often and called using a video phone service nearly every day to see how everyone was doing.
"What's going on, Rita?" asked Maksim as they walked inside the house. "You hardly said a word on the way home."
Rita shrugged, putting her car keys on the hook near the door. Chauffering her siblings was one of the main disadvantages of being able to drive. There wasn't anyone she could confide in, so she believed.
"Nothing's wrong," she said, rolling her eyes.
"You look like you just got second place in the Science Fair," Maksim ommented.
"I told you, it's nothing, you putrid, presumptuous protozoan." Rita sat down and opened her chemistry notebook to look at some notes.
"Jeez, that was harsh even for you," Aleksei said, sitting beside her.
"How was your day?" Ekaterina asked, walking in with a plate of celery sticks, some with peanut butter, some with cream cheese, some with ranch dressing beside them. Rita took some of the latter, Evgeni and Maksim had some of the peanut butter ones, and Kyril and Aleksei munched on the ones with cream cheese.
"Not bad, Mama," Rita said casually. "How was yours?"
"Uneventful," Katya said, sitting across from them.
"Anothyer episode of the Paul saga," Evgeni commented with a sigh. "He taped a sign to my back this morning. Thankfully I saw it before anyone else did."
"You didn't fight him again, did you?" Katya asked with a sigh of her own.
"No, I listened to your advice," he replied, rolling his eyes. "Other than that, the day was cool."
"What about you, Maksim?"
"Eh, it was boring. Nothing really happened. I got an A- on my English mid-term, but other than that." He shrugged. "That's it."
"I gotta get to practice," Aleksei said, standing up. "But my day was okay. I might be going to the mall later with some friends. Is that okay?"
"It's a school night. You'd better ask your father," Katya pointed out. "He's in his study."
Aleksei nodded, and went to the study. "Papa?" he asked, knocking at the door.
"Come in," Zhenya called. Aleksei came in and smiled.
"Working hard?"
"Ah, you know how it is. How was your day?" Evgeni put his pen down and marked the page he was on so he could focus his attention entirely on his son.
"It wasn't bad. Can I go out with some friends at the mall later tonight?"
"How much later?" Evgeni asked, raising his eyebrows.
"I'll be back before ten," Aleksei promised. "I want to get to practice now though."
"Of course," Zhenya said, nodding thoughtfully. "All right. You may go, so long as you are back before ten, as you promise. Have fun," he said with a smile.
Aleksei grinned. "Thanks, Papa. I'll see you later."
"Be safe."
"Always," the sixteen-year-old replied, and left the study to go to his room. There he grabbed his skate bag and a change of casual clothes.
"Papa said yes," he announced as he returned to the living room. "I'm off to practice, and from there I will go to the mall. I'll be back before ten though," he said, tossing his car keys in the air and catching them.
"Have fun, and be safe," Katya told him.
"Always, Mama. Don't worry, I'll be fine." He kissed her cheeks, and headed out.
"It smells amazing in here, Mama," Maksim said. "Eggplant parmasagn?"
"Modified for Lent, but yes," Katya replied, standing up. She went to the kitchen to check out how the dish was coming along.
Rita looked after her and reached for her purse, fingering the rose that she received earlier. She smiled wistfully, wondering who this mysterious Prince Charming could be...
"What are you doing?" asked Evgeni, age fourteen. Before she could answer, he took the purse away from her.
"Argh, you annoying amoeba!" she cried.
Evgeni opened the purse and pulled out the rose. "Where'd you get this?" he asked.
"None of your business," Rita growled.
"It is fake, you know," Maksim pointed out, touching the blossom.
"Thank you, Maksim," Rita said, rolling her eyes. "That's not the point. The point is, that rose will never need water and it will never die."
"Who gave it to you?" Maksim asked, raising his eyebrows.
"I said it was none of your business, slimy sporozoan!" Rita said through clenched teeth.
"Sheesh! Okay, okay!"
"Must be from a boy," Kyril said, sticking his tongue out at her.
"Who?" Maksim asked, surprised.
"I don't want to talk about it, incorrigible imbecilic insects!"
Bu Maksim paid no mind and fished through her purse, finding the paper immediately. "'Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet, but not as sweet as you,'" he read, fighting off Rita's attempt to grab the paper from him. He, Kyril, and Evgeni laughed. "What genius came up with that gem?"
Rita gave them all a look that ould kill. "Say one word to Mama or Papa about this, and I swear to God you will wish you never evolved from the Primordial Soup!"
She was determined, however, to make this time her first time out with a boy. Max Shepard had been eyeing her since middle school, but her father always kept the boys at bay. Finally, Max decided once more to ask her out... in his own special way.
Rita walked into her chemistry class, went over to her table where her lab partner, Emily, was siktting getting notes ready for the lab project.
"This is for you," Emily said absentmindedly, gesturing to the rose that had been left on her side of the table. Wrapped around its thornless stem was a small piece of paper.
The brunette cocked her head, picking it up intrigued. She carefully slipped the red ribbon off that held the paper in place and proceeded to unwrap the paper itself. On it were some words written with computer font:
Roses are red
Violets are blue
Sugar is sweet
But not as sweet as you.
Margarita grinned at the tacky yet adorable note, giggled a little and put it in her purse along with the rose.
"What did it say?" Emily asked as the teacher walked in.
"I'll tell you later," Rita answered, giggling.
Later, during lunch, Rita was sitting with several of her friends, eating her Lenten food that her parents packed for her.
"I don't know how you can stand fasting like that," Olivia said, shaking her head. "Not being able to eat meat on Friday, I can deal with that. But all those restrictions! No chocolate? I'd shoot myself!" She laughed.
"It's not that bad," she said with a laugh. "But yes, it can get annoying at times when I see everyone enjoying pepperoni pizza on Friday and I'm stuck with fish. So look what I got in chemistry!"
She showed her friends the rose and note. They oggled over it and debated over who it could be. Max had come up in the conversation several times.
"You know it won't happen though, right?" she asked with a sigh. "Papa would never allow it. 'As long as you live under my roof,'" she mimicked, rolling her eyes.
"Your dad really is a weirdo. Mia's engaged already, and she's only three months older than you! Her parents are fine with it."
"Her parents aren't Russian Orthodox," Rita said with a sigh. "Believe me, I wish I could be Mia. She gets to stay out till midnight on school nights, no curfew on the weekends, she can have boys over, parties, no adults around to bug her. Just once I wish I could be in her shoes."
Rita hardly touched her lunch. Now that a boy was really interested in her, at least interested enough to leave gifts, she wasn't sure how to handle it. Should she tell her father? No, he'd freak! But then, maybe he wouldn't.. She was seventeen, after all... Maybe he'd be okay with the fact that the boy was at least taking the time to be romantic to get her to go out with him. Still, that wasn't the least of her worries. What if she didn't live up to this boy's expectations? What if he turned out to be an asshole? What if he was ugly? What if he ended up cheating on her? What if she was making too big a deal about this? What if it were all some kind of crazy joke? The thoughts raged through her mind all through the rest of the day.
Evgeni Potemerenko was working on his sermon for the following weekend's church services. He had the Bible out as well as various books and papers about the readings that were scheduled. Ekaterina was in the kitchen, fixing dinner. Their children, with the exception of Miroslav, their eldest, were still in school. Margarita and her twin brothers, Maksim and Aleksei, were in high school, while Kyril was in middle school with his younger brother Evgeni. Their daughter Viktorya was still in elementary school, however, having only turned eight a few weeks ago.
All of the children were active participants in their school and community. Vika was a member of the Girl Scouts, Kyril and Evgeni were in the Boy Scouts, Aleksei worked at an animal shelter, and Maksim spent time with the elderly. In addition, all of the children were active in the church as altar servants.
Rita, Maksim, Aleksei, Kyril and Evgeni were naturally the first ones home from school. Miroslav had his own apartment near the campus of Point Park University, where he was on sholarship at the Conservatory of Performing Arts, trying to earn his Master's in Fine Arts. He was not too far away from the family, however, and still took Sunday meals with them. He also visited often and called using a video phone service nearly every day to see how everyone was doing.
"What's going on, Rita?" asked Maksim as they walked inside the house. "You hardly said a word on the way home."
Rita shrugged, putting her car keys on the hook near the door. Chauffering her siblings was one of the main disadvantages of being able to drive. There wasn't anyone she could confide in, so she believed.
"Nothing's wrong," she said, rolling her eyes.
"You look like you just got second place in the Science Fair," Maksim ommented.
"I told you, it's nothing, you putrid, presumptuous protozoan." Rita sat down and opened her chemistry notebook to look at some notes.
"Jeez, that was harsh even for you," Aleksei said, sitting beside her.
"How was your day?" Ekaterina asked, walking in with a plate of celery sticks, some with peanut butter, some with cream cheese, some with ranch dressing beside them. Rita took some of the latter, Evgeni and Maksim had some of the peanut butter ones, and Kyril and Aleksei munched on the ones with cream cheese.
"Not bad, Mama," Rita said casually. "How was yours?"
"Uneventful," Katya said, sitting across from them.
"Anothyer episode of the Paul saga," Evgeni commented with a sigh. "He taped a sign to my back this morning. Thankfully I saw it before anyone else did."
"You didn't fight him again, did you?" Katya asked with a sigh of her own.
"No, I listened to your advice," he replied, rolling his eyes. "Other than that, the day was cool."
"What about you, Maksim?"
"Eh, it was boring. Nothing really happened. I got an A- on my English mid-term, but other than that." He shrugged. "That's it."
"I gotta get to practice," Aleksei said, standing up. "But my day was okay. I might be going to the mall later with some friends. Is that okay?"
"It's a school night. You'd better ask your father," Katya pointed out. "He's in his study."
Aleksei nodded, and went to the study. "Papa?" he asked, knocking at the door.
"Come in," Zhenya called. Aleksei came in and smiled.
"Working hard?"
"Ah, you know how it is. How was your day?" Evgeni put his pen down and marked the page he was on so he could focus his attention entirely on his son.
"It wasn't bad. Can I go out with some friends at the mall later tonight?"
"How much later?" Evgeni asked, raising his eyebrows.
"I'll be back before ten," Aleksei promised. "I want to get to practice now though."
"Of course," Zhenya said, nodding thoughtfully. "All right. You may go, so long as you are back before ten, as you promise. Have fun," he said with a smile.
Aleksei grinned. "Thanks, Papa. I'll see you later."
"Be safe."
"Always," the sixteen-year-old replied, and left the study to go to his room. There he grabbed his skate bag and a change of casual clothes.
"Papa said yes," he announced as he returned to the living room. "I'm off to practice, and from there I will go to the mall. I'll be back before ten though," he said, tossing his car keys in the air and catching them.
"Have fun, and be safe," Katya told him.
"Always, Mama. Don't worry, I'll be fine." He kissed her cheeks, and headed out.
"It smells amazing in here, Mama," Maksim said. "Eggplant parmasagn?"
"Modified for Lent, but yes," Katya replied, standing up. She went to the kitchen to check out how the dish was coming along.
Rita looked after her and reached for her purse, fingering the rose that she received earlier. She smiled wistfully, wondering who this mysterious Prince Charming could be...
"What are you doing?" asked Evgeni, age fourteen. Before she could answer, he took the purse away from her.
"Argh, you annoying amoeba!" she cried.
Evgeni opened the purse and pulled out the rose. "Where'd you get this?" he asked.
"None of your business," Rita growled.
"It is fake, you know," Maksim pointed out, touching the blossom.
"Thank you, Maksim," Rita said, rolling her eyes. "That's not the point. The point is, that rose will never need water and it will never die."
"Who gave it to you?" Maksim asked, raising his eyebrows.
"I said it was none of your business, slimy sporozoan!" Rita said through clenched teeth.
"Sheesh! Okay, okay!"
"Must be from a boy," Kyril said, sticking his tongue out at her.
"Who?" Maksim asked, surprised.
"I don't want to talk about it, incorrigible imbecilic insects!"
Bu Maksim paid no mind and fished through her purse, finding the paper immediately. "'Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet, but not as sweet as you,'" he read, fighting off Rita's attempt to grab the paper from him. He, Kyril, and Evgeni laughed. "What genius came up with that gem?"
Rita gave them all a look that ould kill. "Say one word to Mama or Papa about this, and I swear to God you will wish you never evolved from the Primordial Soup!"
