Chapter 7: All That The Future Holds

 Luke Hans was about to graduate and one morning Lesley called him into her room and told him she wanted to throw him a graduation party.
"Let's invite everyone over and really let our hair down! You can ask the Fisher's over too! SInce you and Marjorie have been seeing so much of each other, it's time the families got to know each other better. What d'ya say?"

 Luke knew it was pointless arguing with his mother, so he walked over to the Fisher house to let them know.

To his relief, it was Durham Fisher who answered the door. Tessa was out at some fundraiser he said, "But come in and tell Marjorie all about it yourself." he offered. Durham was okay, a bit scatterbrained and a very corny sense of humour, but much preferable to Tessa any day in Luke's opinion.

 Marjorie made them some fresh juice while Luke explained the plan to Durham.

"So! This is it then eh? A man of the world are you now, young Lukey? I remember my graduation as though it was yesterday. Time flies you know old boy. I hope you have your five year plan spreadsheeted and some realistic but challenging goals mapped out? What is it you plan to do with your life, may I ask? Doctor? Lawyer? Dentist? All good solid career options.....none of this musician or actor rubbish, I hope?"

Luke had been accepted onto a business and marketing course at a nearby college, although he didn't think that would impress Mr Fisher much. Lesley had spoken to Dr Pinkerton about a job at the hospital, or she could train him herself in animal wrangling. But deep down Luke knew he would need to earn a LOT of money if he wanted to give Marjorie the lifestyle she deserved.
"Ummm, no sir. I errrrr....I enjoy business studies and I'm doing a course, so I might ...errrrm do something....be an....ummm entrepreneur! Entrepreneur! You know?" fumbled Luke, grasping at the first thing he could think of...
Durham Fisher looked decidedly unimpressed.
 

They went to hang out in Marjorie's room. Luke Hans flung himself onto Marjorie's bed and stared at the TV, not really watching it. Marjorie could tell that he was not happy.
"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked. "Don't pay any attention to my Dad. He's obsessed with qualifications and the right schools and the five year plan. He is convinced that I'm going to be a biochemist. But I want to do that acting rubbish, he was talking about." she laughed.

But Luke was not reassured. He was seriously worried that he did not have the wherewithal to hold onto Marjorie and make her happy. And he told her this.

Marjorie looked sad. She knew how Luke felt he didn't measure up to her parent's standards. But they weren't her standards.

"Luke Hans," she announced turning around. "Listen to me, I'm gonna say this only once. We belong together, I know this in my heart. You are the prefect guy for me and I want no one else. I am not interested in how much money you have, or how many animals you might have to wrangle to pay the rent. I don't care if you have the worst haircut on the block, or a strange fashion sense. I'll be a poor starving writer/actress/director when my dad kicks me out of this house. Can I rely on you or what?"

Luke Hans knew that what she said was the truth.

Marjorie was the great joy and pleasure of his boring, badly dressed, scraggy haired life and he once again vowed to to her that he would do whatever it took to keep them together.

"I believe you."she smiled. "Let's seal that vow with a kiss."

And it was sealed.

 When the day of the party arrived, Luke was up very early and already dressed in his best clothes, extremely nervous that everything would go well. He decided to prepare some salads to be on the safe side, because Lesley's cooking was a bit hit and miss and he didn't know if everyone would bring a plate.

Sammie couldn't hide his surprise at the sight of Luke in a dinner suit chopping vegetables at 9am.
But he managed not to snigger.

Marjorie arrived unfashionably early, at the precise moment that the TV blew up and Lesley was cursing under her breath as she tried to get it going again. Jethro did a really good job at distracting her though and talking over the top of his mother's cursing.

Not sure what else to do, Luke rushed a plate of salad at Marjorie and she sat and ate it happily.

But then the sink exploded when she took her dish through to the kitchen to wash up! Even Jethro was embarrassed by that. Marjorie slipped back home to change.

When she came back, Lesley apologised for the quirks and problems with the old house.
"I ended up taking a course in plumbing, you know, just to deal with the ridiculous hissy fits the toilets throw on a regular basis. Have you any idea what lurks around the u-bend in a house this age?" she asked Marjorie.
"Umm I can imagine." Marjorie replied, imagining fecal matter to the nth degree.

More guests arrived - his teachers Mr and Mrs Gonzalez seemed on a real high about Luke graduating and really got their party on.

The party gradually got more swing to it. Luke's best friend Kristofer Blanco seemed to be getting on like a house on fire with Sammie, who had changed out of his maid's outfit to join in the festivities.

 Luke got seriously concerned when he saw that look in Sammie's eye and noticed how close the two of them were dancing. He wondered if he should say something before Jethro caught on too.

But then Lesley called him over to blow out the candles on the cake she had made to mark the occasion and everyone gathered around to applaud Luke the Graduate. All except Jethro....

 ...who had in fact also noticed the looks that Sammie had been giving Kristofer all day, AND the total lack of daylight between them at times, AND their suggestive body language. He was outside doing a full on freak out on the snowman he and Sammie had built earlier.
"I hate ya....you...you...snowy two faced...backstabbing.....two timing...piece of...." he hurled abuse and flung snoww everywhere. 

Just as Tessa Fisher deigned to show her face at the party.
"Oh God....she has great timing..." thought Jethro to himself as he saw her approach and tried to look normal.
Tessa looked coolly from the snowman to Jethro. "Young man, I do not know what that snowman has done to you. But I can recommend a very good therapist. Looks like you'll be needing one."

As night fell, Luke Hans and Marjorie snuck outside for some privacy.
"I'll miss you." Luke confessed shyly.
"You're only away for a few months." said Marjorie trying not to think about their imminent separation.
"It'll seem like years though." Luke braced himself and went for the million dollar question.
"When I get back, will you....marry me?"
"Ohhhhh Luke! Yes I will."

And then, because the two of them were so deliriously happy they sat down in the snow to gaze up at the starry night sky. Frostbite or not, they would remember this night forever.

"Do you see that star up there...the one about three feet to the left of that big yellowish one?"
Marjorie looked and nodded.
"That's your star now. I give it to you....so that you can make wishes while I'm away."
"Thanks." laughed Marjorie "I'll wish on it every night." This was all getting as mushy as the snow under their backsides. So let's leave them there, contemplating their future, that hopefully doesn't involve pneumonia. 

And what of Jethro and Sammie?

Well eventually the love bug caught up with them too at the end of the evening.

And they laughed and loved away the feel of their own soggy, icy cold jeans chapping their bottoms too, because all was forgiven....again....for now.