A Star is Born TG AR Chapter 6

When Lund got the kitchen, Jake was standing straight up as she could and Joan was using a tape measure.  "I read it as 61.5 inches."  Jake beamed.

"Okay, Keira, your turn." Joan came up to him with the tape measure.  He stood straight and joan brought the tape meausure up to his head.  Jake grabbed a kitchen chair and stood on it so she could see the tape measure at eye-level.

"Yup, 69 inches!  You've lost an inch!"

"Well, I was a hair under 5'10", so not a whole inch."

"Still, it's working.  You lost almost an inch and I lost half an inch.  It's awesome!"

"You are so excitable, aren't you?" Lund remarked at Jake.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Joan interjected.

"No, Mama Joan.  It's probably the perfect balance to me. I like that trait in Jake, I just have to get used to being around it all day." He shot Jake a smile and she stuck her tongue out at him very quickly when Joan wasn't looking.

Chuck came in the front door and into the kitchen through the living room at that moment, "Hey, team, how are we doing?"

"We're shrinking!" Jake responded.

"Well, that I would expect.  But, even though you're shrinking, I'm looking at buying a bigger car for the family."

"Oh, Chuck. My sedan is big enough for four of us."

"I know dear, but if I need to take the kids somewhere and you have a meeting or club, you're not going to drive the Crossfire or the Nissan pickup.  It's not even like I picked out those two cars anyway.  Clients just paid their bills by giving me their cars.  I want a hybrid of some sort.  So I've been out looking and," he pulled out a brochure, "we're trading in the Crossfire and pickup for a Toyota Highland Hybrid.  I found one in black at a dealer who will take both cars.  So, you'll have you 300 sedan and I'll have the Highlander.  We'll be in-style parents of this generation!"

"Chuck, is it really necessary?" Joan pleaded.

"Joanie, come with me down to the dealer.  I'll drive the Crossfire, you drive the Nissan since it's an automatic.  Drive the Highlander, and if you like it it'll be yours and I'll drive the 300."

Joan sighed.

"It's a hybrid." Chuck reminded her. "If we have to drive them to L.A. for auditions, we might as well get something more fuel efficient."

"Oh, all right.  You two can hang out in the house, have sandwiches and just don't answer the door for anyone.  The only person who knows you is David, and he's at work."

As soon as they left, Jake and Lund made sandwiches and sat in the living room.   On Chuck's 50" TV, they chose to watch 'The Matrix' on Netflix.  Much to Lund's chagrin, Jake kept acting like she'd never seen it before was making noises of encouragement for Neo and noises of disdain towards Agent Smith.  The actually got through 'The Matrix' and 'The Truman Show' before Chuck and Joan returned.  Lund heard noise in the driveway and saw a light blue Prius V wagon pull up into the front of the house.

"I knew it."

"You knew they wouldn't get the Highlander?"

"I worked in Marketing before, and I knew once Chuck played the fuel economy card to get her down to the dealer she would realize the Highlander Hybrid gets good mileage for an SUV, but not as good as the Camry Hybrid or the Prius.  I figured they'd come back with a Prius wagon so there's room to buy stuff at Home Depot or the Camry Hybrid because it's a bigger sedan."

"So? What do you want, a medal or something?" Jake shot back.

"Shut up, dork face."

"Oh, dork face, getting better."

Joan and Chuck came in at that moment.  "Well, we bought a Prius for all our trips to Hollywood!" Joan announced.

"Congrats, maybe someday we'll get to drive it.  I miss driving already." Lund remarked.

"Oh, I think the next several years will go very quickly, dear.  Did you two eat?"

"Yes'm."

"Now you two nap, eat and drink as much as you need to.  Roger warned us that these spells, while magical, will wear you out.  Your body is being forced to do things it's not supposed to.  The spell takes away pain, thankfully for you, and evaporates the excess body mass, but that was the limit of David's power."

Jake looked at Joan, "He didn't seem like much of a spellcaster, and frankly it didn't seem like much of a spell when he said it."

Chuck laughed a little bit and then said, "Most spellcasters are interested in using their powers in this plane of existence.  Once David becomes non-corporeal, he's going lose all those powers.  Most spellcasters aren't interested in that.  So, we got what we could.  He's a good kid."

Lund looked at Chuck for a minute, "I don't know, it all just seems too... simple?"

Chuck raised an eyebrow, "Well, this was all planned out before you were involved, and, well, Roger, Frank and Marion knew all the possibilities before we made a decision: makes the big decisions a bit easier."

"I know, it just feels... just too easy."

"Sweetie," Joan joined in, "being a famous model, actress and singer is not going to be easy.  Enjoy yourself now, this supposed to be the easy part."

"I guess," Lund yawned, "I feel tired.  I'm going up to my room to nap.  You coming, Jake?"

"Yeah, probably a nap would be cool," Jake agreed, yawning as if it were contagious.

"In your own bed this time."

"Aw, c'mon, we're brother and sister, we can share a bed... I just..." Jake trailed off.

"Okay, okay, c'mon before I change my mind.  For a boy, you're a real wuss," Lund teased.

"Oh yeah, we'll see about that when all is said in done."

Lund rolled his eyes and guided her with a gentle hand on her back to the dining room and the door to Chuck's office .