Shannon

Shannon story continues.

I have to speed this along, there's so much left to happen!


The rest of the semester passed without much happening. Jeremy had become strangely distant after that day. Final exams came and went and soon it was summer vacation.

Shannon's final exam was the last one of the school year. As she walked home she found Eddie had already left for the summer. Amanda had gone away with her family as they did every summer, so it would just be Shannon, Meredith and Fredrick together.

"Let's do something special this summer!" Shannon suggested at the breakfast table. "Every year you guys just work all summer. You should take a vacation this year!"

"Shannon," Fredrick set down his newspaper and looked at her over his bifocals "we just can't afford a vacation right now. Meredith isn't working and the office needs me this time of year. It's just not possible." He pulled his newspaper to his face clearly uninterested in continuing the conversation.

"Meredith, help." Shannon pleaded.

"I'm sorry, Shannon, but Fredrick does have a point." Meredith said as she cleared the table. "We just can't afford a vacation.

"What if I got a job to help?" Shannon asked.

"You're still too young for a part-time job." Fredrick said from behind his newspaper.

"And I don't want it to interfere with your studies." Meredith added.

"We never do anything fun." Shannon pouted.

Meredith looked over at Fredrick. Fredrick sighed and put down his paper. "How about we save up and plan a trip for next year?" Fredrick asked.

"Really?" Shannon's face lit up. "We'll actually go somewhere?"

"Yes we'll go somewhere." Fredrick said finally.

"Promise. PROMISE we'll go somewhere!" Shannon stared down Fredrick trying to look as menacing as possible.

"I promise." Fredrick said. "But you have to promise you'll get straight A's on your report card."

"What?! That's not part of the deal." Shannon protested.

"Now, Shannon. We'll have to work extra hard to afford a vacation, so you should have to work extra hard to earn it." Meredith said nodding to her. "Do you think you can do that."

Shannon thought about it for a moment. "If it means I get to someplace new for the summer I'll do it!" Shannon jumped up and hugged Fredrick. "Thank you, Fredrick! Thank you so much!"

"Calm down. We won't be going until next summer anyway." Fredrick reminded.

"I know, but I'm going to go start planning. Can never be too prepared."