Bates - Preperation

Yes, Melitta had a plan indeed. She hadn't told anyone except Tyreek about it. She had dreams of being a successful business woman. Of course, her ultimate dream was becoming a famous athlete but she also wanted to be a resturant owner too. She wanted to bring her own healthy lifestyle to the masses. There was an empty lot currently located a few blocks away that Melitta had her eye on. It was the perfect place for a nice little resturant. But money was short. "After college," Melitta repeated to herself, "After college, I can have it."

The girls were growing up fast and it saddened Orion. So he tried to spend as much time as he could with them. He found it was easier to spend time with Melitta. She was the calmer of the two sisters and shared more in common with him. She was an old soul, as his departed wife had once said. He could spend hours just painting aside her, talking about politics and life in general.

Hersilia was too wild for him to keep up with. One minute, she was on the phone jabbering away to boys and the next, she was jumping on the couch. "Don't you ever get tired?" He asked, exhausted just by looking at her.
"Nope!" She grinned as she continued to bounce. Orion shook his head and moved on.

Melitta was becoming tired of her sister calling her a social reject so she tried her hand at making some new friends. She met a young girl who was passing by and tried to start a friendly conversation. But the girl was somehow put off by Melitta and made it clear she wanted nothing to do with her. Maybe Hersilia was right. Maybe Melitta was a social reject.

It wasn't long before the girls left the house for college. The house was incredibly empty. There was no laughter, no furious typing, nothing. Orion tried to keep himself busy by playing chess, but it only reminded him of the girls, how they'd argue over the chess table.

Orion couldn't stand the lonliness. He needed companionship. So he invited over two of the neighbors, Teresita Loyola and Lorelle Holt. Lorelle's brother had recently moved out and her sister was engaged, so she was going through similar changes. Teresita had lived alone for the longest time, so she knew how he felt. The two women helped take Orion's mind off his granddaughters by instead talking about Murder, She Wrote.

Bates - Priorities

"Why does it matter if I don't get As?!" Hersilia growled as she took a peak at her report card once she stepped off the bus. Her grandfather made it clear, he was expecting exceptional grades. She didn't know why it was so important to him. Grades weren't everything. Hersilia had better things to do with her time. She couldn't constantly be studying. That was just boring. Life was supposed to be much more.

She stuffed the report card under a pile of bills. She'd worry about them later. Right now, her duties were to her friend Sophie. The poor girl was distraught over her appearance. Hersilia couldn't blame her. Her hair was styled in strange cups and it just looked weird. So Hersilia led her into her bedroom and sat her in front of the vanity. There, she worked hard to straighten Sophie's hair out until she was able to form a chic new style. "There!" She said triumphantly, "Now you look perfect! ...Well...not quite. Consider wearing something less...nausea-inducing."

She had to send Sophie home when her grandfather returned from work, though. He found her report card and needless to say, he was not happy. "Why can't you be more like your sister?" He asked, exhausted. Hersilia crossed her arms and shrugged. "No answer? Fine. Why don't you go do your homework? Better yet, do it in front of Melitta. That way, I know you are actually doing it." Hersilia was going to protest but clamped her mouth shut when she realized it was useless. Then she took her homework and wandered into her sister's room.

She really hated her sister. Melitta was the golden child. She always got good grades. Orion was so proud of her. He told everyone he could about her. "That's right, she got all As. Melitta is just like her mother, a smart little cookie!"
"How wonderful! Hayate got all As too. Perhaps we should introduce them?"
"Oh, that sounds good. Melitta would want friends of her own intelligence, right, dear?"
"Uh...sure, Grandpa."

And she would. While Melitta was the top of her class, she envied Hersilia for her ability to make friends. Since moving to New Lanshire, Melitta hadn't made any friends at all. She didn't know why. She was a nice enough person, right? Her only friends exsisted on the internet, so that's where she spent most of her time. It was a bit sad but it was all she had.

"Cheer up!" Hersilia would tell Melitta when she got too depressed, "You'll make friends! We just moved here. Don't worry so much." Despite having differences, the sisters really did love each other. Hersilia didn't enjoy seeing her sister so down in the dumps. So she promised to help her find friends.

Of course, most of the potential friends didn't work out. She introduced guys to Melitta, only to have them making the moves on her. She was a young girl who was just beginning to explore, so she didn't resist it. So this one guy wasn't into Melitta. Big deal. Hersilia would still find her someone...after her date.

Orion wanted to help Melitta as well. But he had other priorities. His job often had him out late. He worked very hard, though Melitta's part time job as a waterperson helped out greatly. He still had to bring in the money to pay the bills. But he missed his granddaughters. He wasn't sure they were ready to be left on their own.

They felt differently. Hersilia and Melitta proved themselves worthy by inviting the headmaster of the private school over for dinner, in hopes of entering his prestigious school. They couldn't afford the tuition but they heard that if the headmaster grew to like a family, he made exceptions. Melitta prepared a salmon dinner while Hersilia put her charismatic ability to good use. Despite their humble home, the headmaster was impressed and accepted the girls. From today on, their lives would change. They just knew it.

Bates - A Girl Thing

Orion dreamed of relaxing on a beach somewhere, reading contently as he waited for his days to come to an end. He was done raising his children and could finally attend to himself. But unfortunately, his beloved daughter Aurelia passed away suddenly and now, he is left with her two teenage daughters. Melitta, the eldest, looked much like Orion and her mother. She was a money-minded girl, who wanted to someday be a famous athlete. Her little sister, Hersilia, was more of a fun-loving girl who wanted to have fun and meet boys. Of course, she too had dreams. She wanted to be a famous chef. Together, this family came to New Lanshire to forget their loss.

The girls kept each other occupied while their grandfather helped the movers with arranging what little furniture they owned. Hersilia proposed a game of janken. Her sister agreed. The two of them played for a bit. They mostly ended in ties. But Hersilia still held the most wins, which made Melitta a bit mad.

So she let her sister know how she was feeling. She grabbed her tightly and proceeded to mess up her hair, something Hersilia had spent hours perfecting. Hersilia finally squirmed free and was about to give Melitta a piece of her mind when their grandfather called out, "It's ready!"

The family went inside to inspect their new home, not even noticing their new neighbors coming to greet them. Finally, Orion noticed them and happily went out to greet them. The girls stayed back, laughing at one of their neighbors. Yuzuki Saito was hunched on all fours, smelling their flowers. This was something the girls found strange but amusing, especially since she rose and threw her knee out of joint.

Melitta liked cooking but her grandfather urged her to try other activites as well. So, she took up painting. It wasn't that boring. She actually liked it. It was nice to learn about different styles. She knew she could apply them to her cuisine. That would really help her win the upcoming cook-off.

Hersilia spent her free time on the phone, talking to the cute paperboy. She was making plans for later that night, plans her grandfather knew nothing about. Melitta overheard and threaten to tell but in the end, it was all too much effort. Besides, Hersilia was more than capable of getting herself in trouble.

Hersilia stayed up late, waiting for her ride into the downtown district. She was so exhausted, though. Every few seconds, she caught herself nodding off. She fixed herself a salad to keep herself occupied but she only ended up falling asleep in it, waking up fully when she felt the creamy ranch dressing on her cheeks.

Finally, he arrived and she snuck out quietly. Both Melitta and Orion were asleep when she left. She giggled, "I hope we don't get caught..." Derek looked at her with a grin and sped off once she was secure in the passenger seat.

Orion knew nothing about his granddaughter's night, only that she was surprisingly very tired going off to school the next morning. She was a bit of a sloth anyways. Melitta was a more active girl and very intelligent. He had no problems with her and never worried about her. Hersilia, on the other hand...

Secure in the knowledge that his girls could take care of themselves for a few hours, Orion got to know some of his neighbors a bit more. He was a lonely man and craved female companionship. It had been some years since his wife passed away. It took much to finally get up the courage to date again. So he hoped the ladies of New Lanshire were gentle with his heart.

Unlike Hersilia. She only hoped that the boys were rough with their hands.