Chapter 9: A Social LifeShortly after the triplets became toddlers, Tina-Pat celebrated her adult birthday with one of Vicky’s special meals and was amazed to find herself fully alive again.
Well, almost fully alive.
The three girls grew up as close friends.
All three made other friends at school and at least one seemed to come home with them every afternoon, so the house was always full of children and booby traps. With all this happy chaos, the time flew by and soon the triplets were celebrating another birthday.
Since she was a young child, Emily had known had known about the tasks she had to complete. Finding a ghost to marry seemed the most daunting. Being a sensible girl, she looked through the records while she was at work in the mausoleum and discovered that there was a teenage boy buried in the graveyard. Maybe they could make an early start on their relationship. The following weekend, she persuaded Aunt Vicky to take her along on one of her night-fishing trips – and there he was.
But then, just when she was about to ask Kid if he was single, Emily heard a siren – and realised that Vicky had gone. When she arrived home in the police car, she was met by a furious Aunt Vicky and promptly grounded. With Lee this would have turned into a slanging match but Emily quietly pointed out that Vicky usually stayed at the cemetery all night and she simply hadn’t noticed her leaving in the excitement of meeting a potential husband. She was so persuasive and charming that Vicky let her off the hook – but maybe she’d better not visit the graveyard again until she was old enough to go on her own.
She might have her future spouse marked out but there was no reason why she shouldn’t experiment with romance in the meantime. Tad Bronson was best friends with all three triplets and had been their most frequent after-school visitor. The next time he came over, Emily got in some serious flirting practice.
Emily graduated as valedictorian but was given the ‘most likely to be mediocre’ award, having just been pipped to the post by Kate for the title of most popular. Lee was voted most likely to write a best-selling novel.
After graduating, Lee and Kate moved out together to a house on the island in the lake, while Emily continued with her self-imposed mission to make as many friends as possible. The following day, she achieved her lifetime wish. Apart from being super popular, she hadn’t really decided what she wanted to do with her life. One day, she wandered into the fire station and found an easel. She knew Mother had been an artist when she was younger. Maybe she should have a go and see whether she liked painting, too.
With her painting skills and her new career as an architect progressing well, Emily decided that it was time to visit the graveyard again.
His real name was Charles but only his mother ever called him that. To everyone else, he was Kid – or, more often, That Crazy Kid. He was always the child who came up with the maddest games and dares and it was almost inevitable that he’d end up exploring the catacombs sooner or later. He hadn’t really thought things through, as usual. Getting trapped by a landslide wouldn’t have been in anyone’s plans but telling someone else where he was going and taking along some food supplies might have been a good idea. By the time his family had realised he was missing, organised a search party and dug him out, it was too late.
The next time Kid was aware of his surroundings, he was haunting the cemetery. There were other ghosts, of course, but they were all old, apart from that one annoying little girl. It was a lonely existence, even if it did give him plenty of scope for teenage angst.
And then, one night, he met another young ghost. A girl-type teenage ghost. Her name was Emily and she wasn’t buried in the cemetery; she worked there. Of course, the police turned up and ruined the moment, as they had done so often when he was alive, and when he saw her again, she had grown up. She still seemed very interested in Kid, though, and she said she could give him his life back. Did he want that? What a silly question – of course he did. A new adventure at last!
Only a few hours later, he was aware of his surroundings again.
Emily took him straight home to meet her family and have a birthday party.
Having been off school for rather a large number of years, Kid didn’t graduate with any great distinction. He became a couch potato and chose Gold Digger as his lifetime wish. Well, if you’ve just joined a family of rich ghosts, that tends to be the first idea that pops into your head.
Now that they were finally the same age and in the same place, Emily and Kid’s relationship progressed rapidly.
In between dates with Kid, Emily continued with her career.
Mastering painting took her close to the top and then she discovered a drafting table in the second house she renovated. She turned on the charm and asked to stay the night.
One and a half sketches were enough – she became a Dictator of Design without really trying. The next morning, she was given the key to the city…
…and followed that up by becoming engaged to Kid.
She had been buying and selling odds and ends in the consignment store since she was a teenager. Now she really started on the hard sell, concentrating on her own paintings.
With her requirements almost complete, Emily, like Will, received a present from Ana.
Following the family tradition, Emily Goole and Kid Mugg had a simple wedding. They chose one of their favourite spots, in a remote part of Twinbrook. Although it was a private ceremony, they dressed up for the occasion. The bride wore the family tiara and the groom swapped his habitual flat cap for something smarter.
The following morning, Emily’s phone rang. It was the opportunity she’d been waiting for: the mayor wanted to buy some of her paintings. Now she and Kid could start a family.
Summary – generation 4Heir: Emily Goole
Life state: mummy’s curse ghost
Traits: Brave, easily impressed, clumsy, charismatic, vehicle enthusiast
Lifetime wish: Super popular
Toddler requirements: best friends with both parents, reached level 3 in two skills (pegbox, writing books)
Child requirements: on honor roll, one opportunity completed (Scavenger Hunt: Beetle Quest)
Teenager requirements: on honor roll, reached level 3 in mausoleum clerk part-time job, had a romantic interest (Tad Bronson)
Unique best friend: Tarik Fitzpatrick (genie)
Two career rewards: Architectural Designer's Key to the City, Artist's Painted Ribbon
Three unique opportunities: Bestest Friends, A Small Painting, Painting the City
Four unique Lifetime Happiness Rewards: Extra Creative, Suave Seller, Motive Mobile, Carefree
Five unique 5000+point wishes: Own 7 venues, master painting skill, reach level 10 of Architectural Design career, reach level 10 of Painter career, paint something worth §4000
Six unique skill challenges: Consignment Store Sales, Proficient Painter, Brushmaster, Master Painter, Consignment Profit, Consignment Store Reputation
Seven items for mausoleum: paintings
