Chapter 55: Leaving Home

"Hawke Enmity! Don't you dare put that dirt in your mouth!!"

Having just been dared, Hawke is even more determined to do it. Aislin turns away in disgust. "What am I going to do with you?" she sighs.

Phoenix meets Emilio at Sunshine Pond for an afternoon date.

It's supposed to be romantic, but she can't help thinking about fishing. Since childhood, this small park has been one of her favorite fishing spots.

Emilio's mind is on his game. As the school's team captain, sports is mostly all he thinks about.

He pitches a little too hard and inside, hitting Phoenix on the head.

"I'm so sorry, Nix. Please don't hate me, I didn't mean it."

"It's all right," Phoenix assures him, "I play too, remember. It's not the first time I've been hit with a ball."

Aislin and Trent have another studio required dance date at Cathedral.

So the triplets are alone with their grandmother when Grim finally comes for her.

More snapshots for Grim's scrapbook. He loves his job.

Trent and Aislin show up just as Grim is leaving.

His father and grandfather were both talented musicians, but never really did anything with their talent. Hawke isn't going to wate the talent he inherited, he's going to a be a rock star, like his more distant ancestors, Foster and Jasmin Enmity.

Prom night arrives. Phoenix goes with Emilio, while Hawke and Raven go as singles. Hawke has been unable to choose from the many girls available, while Raven consider romance a waste of precious time better spent honing one's skills. She's only going to this stupid dance because Hawke wouldn't stop pestering her about it.

While at the prom, Hawke hooked up with Annette Riley. They aren't exactly cousins, at least not by blood, as their grandfather was adopted into the Riley family. And since all they did was dance and flirt a little Hawke figures it's okay.

The day after prom, Hawke goes home with his friend Juan Winters, only to be approached by his sister Shantel. Since he and Annette aren't going steady, or even ever kissed, hawke figures it's okay to flirt with Shantel.

Annette hears about it, and does not agree that it was all right. "I thought we had something!" she yells at him, "You broke my heart!"

"I don't have anything with either of you," Hawke answers, "We just flirted, we're not married!"

Of course Shantel finds out that Hawke told Annette that he didn't 'have anything' with her, and both girls ended up dating Marlon Gibson, leaving Hawke happily single. These girls just aren't worth the drama.

Kennedy drops by to introduce her sister no her new husband, Gerard Maldonado. "If you see the old man," Kennedy says, meaning Sheridan's ghost, "Tell him I married Vito Maldonado's grandson, and I changed my named to Enmity-Maldonado. That will really bust his nuts." Sheridan shared stories of his various fights with his favorite granddaughter when he was still alive, so she knows what the name Maldonado meant to him.

Gerard is very young, much younger than Kennedy, and a rising sports star. He certainly seems more Kennedy's type than her first husband had been, and despite being so much younger, he seems to really be into Kennedy as well.

While uncle Gerard plays games with the teens, who he is closer in age to than the adults, Aislin takes her sister aside for a talk.

"Kennedy, I am happy for you, but --"

"But you're going to raise some objection to my marriage anyway?" Kennedy finishes for her.

"He's so young!" Aislin protests, "What can you possibly have in common?"

"Being young means he has the energy to keep up with me, if you know what I mean," Kennedy smirks, "I married old once, and I gained valuable experience which I'm now using to train my young buck."

"Great sex isn't something to base a marriage on!"

Kennedy laughs, "I'm not into that whole soul mate thing you have going on with Trent. Great sex is really all I need from a man."

"As long as you're happy," Aislin concedes.

Aislin is just happy she can have great sex, and her soul mate, all in one package.

The triplets attend the school award ceremony. Very soon, they will be graduating.

"Nixie, Raven and I have been talking," Hawke says as the teens have their post-ceremony dinner together, "We want to move to Brooklyn Heights after graduation. There's way more opportunities for my music career there, and Raven is going into business. We want you to come with us."

"I don't know, Hawke," Phoenix answers, surprised by this revelation, "I don't think the big city is for me. I like Riverblossom Hills."

"Nixie, you have to come with us!" Hawke protests, "We're a set. You can't break that up."

"I'm not the one that's leaving," Phoenix says.

"Look, if you want to bring Emilio, that's fine."

"It's not just about Emilio," Phoenix answers, "I don't want to live in a city. I love the wide open spaces, the great fishing spots..."

"I'm sure there are places to fish in Brooklyn Heights," Hawke says, not really sure at all. He never gave fishing a moment's thought, "You'll never know if you like it if you don't try it."

"I'll think about it," Phoenix answers, mostly just to shut Hawke up. Because he's persistent and won't leave her alone until she gives him something.

Phoenix broaches the subject with Emilio the next evening. "They want me to go with them," she sighs, "But I want to stay here."

"Whatever you decide," Emilio says, "I'll go where you go. Brooklyn Heights has sent recruiters for me, I could join the team there. And of course the local team here wants me. I could go either way."

It's birthday time for the triplets. They don't have a party; Hawke has alienated too many girls to invite anyone, and Raven was too intent in her studies to make friends or get involved in a romance, so their only guest is Emilio, who had his own birthday the day before.

Hawke becomes  a young man.

Followed by Phoenix.

And Raven.

"I really wish you were coming with us," Hawke makes a last effort to get Phoenix on board with his plans. "I'm going to be a huge star. There will be parties all the time, it will be a blast."

"Did you tell Raven about all the parties?" Phoenix laughs, "Because I don't think that would be a huge selling point for her."

"Raven will probably be stuck in an office 24/7, so I'll be able to party 24/7," Hawke laughs in response.

"I'm going to miss you guys," Phoenix sighs.

"You won't miss us if you come with us, Nixie," Hawke pleads.

Phoenix shakes her head, "Sorry, Hawke. This is my home."

Emilio interrupts the siblings, looking for some alone time with his newly adult girlfriend. Hawke reluctant gives up pleading and heads upstairs to pack. He and Raven will be on the train to Brooklyn Heights this afternoon.

"I'm glad we're staying," Emilio says, "My family moved around a lot when I was kid. I was so happy when we finally settled here and stayed. I'd hate to leave it."

"You said you'd be okay with moving," Phoenix laughs.

"Sure, I'd be okay with it, but I'm happy you decided to stay."

As is traditional for a new young adult staying in this house, Phoenix has moved into the bedroom formerly occupied by her grandparents. She still hasn't redecorated it, that's on her to do list.

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Challenge Notes:
So, generation 9 is getting started.
As a reminder, my roll is Couple, 2 kids, primary career is Firefighter, secondary is Fisher. The goal is perfectionist and the Misc Fun is Living in the Past.
I left off here, just hours after Phoenix became a YA, before getting to the Living in the Past. The transition will happen next chapter.

About Hawke and Raven leaving: I've already rolled for gen 1 of my next legacy, since this one is almost over. I got Single with help, 2 kids. Primary career Business, secondary Music/Rock, with Fulfilled as a goal and It's So You as Misc. Fun. So, I'll be using clones of Hawke and Raven to start the next legacy in Brooklyn Heights. As clones, they won't have any of the skills they earned as children and teens here.

Kennedy and Gerard had a daughter, Katharine.