Chapter 57 - The Other Bianca My name is Iris Bianca Elysi. Some people call me Iris, and others I. Bianca, but I prefer to use my full name. All three parts of my name are so lovely, it's difficult to choose just one to use. Also, it sounds much smarter, and intellect is the most lacking and important quality in this pixellated realm.
I suppose I should introduce you to the remainder of my family. You have already met my mother, of course, and my father is Miles Forthright Elysi. He works at the local hospital, and Mother doesn't like it when I talk to him or ask him for help with my homework. That's okay, because I don't know him very well and conversation is somewhat awkward.
I do not have a photograph of my Grandmother Serena, but there is a picture of the anniversary watch she received for working at the local bistro for seven years. She is now thinking of quitting to take up some more frivolous occupation, such as opening a daycare center.
And then there's my mother, Kara Elysi. She's my very best friend, and the only person who I call "Mama" upon occasion. Only when I run into her room in the middle of the night with one of my nightmares. If I could just remember one of the nightmares, they would be easily dismissed as simple tricks of the imagination--but as it is, I have no memory, only a dim sense of terror that is only calmed by
Mama Mother.
I was very excited for my first day of school. After leaving Mother's room fully-rested, I ate a delicious and nutritious breakfast of eggs and pancakes. My Grandmother Serena is an excellent cook, as you are aware of.
Next, having woken at six in the morning, I took a long and relaxing shower. My family is privy to most excellent plumbing, being quite wealthy. The last time I hacked into our bank account our family funds were over one million simoleons.
I was the only passenger on our school bus, which was quite nerve-racking. At least the silence and relative cleanliness were nice. The bus driver appeared disreputable, with a beanie and ripped-up jeans, so I made no attempt at conversation. Instead, I calculated the time it would take to reach school, based on the bus's average speed and wind resistance, then amused myself with a text on Simstein's theory of relativity.
School itself was quite enjoyable, though slightly ruined by coming home to find my mother's girlfriend had arrived.
Certainly, Bianca is very . . . nice. And there is the fact that we share a name. However, I dislike not being the
only Bianca, which could be seen as a metaphor for the rest. When Bianca is here, Mother and I still eat a family dinner . . . only Bianca is there. And she and Mother are constantly talking to each other and making inside jokes, with only a few questions about school for me.
And when we have barely finished eating, they immediately skip to a little "private time" for themselves. I suppose this is normal behavior for a couple, but Mother and Father certainly never act with affection, which is all right with me. How is kissing at all productive?
In addition, Mother can't assist me with my schoolwork, which is always enjoyable. Grandfather is my very best friend in the entire world, but even he believes that homework should be left to the parents.
"
Grandpa," I asked one afternoon, "
why aren't Mother and Father a couple like the parents of all my friends at school?"
He smiled and stroked his chin in mock solemnity, making me giggle. "
Well, Iris-dromeda (that's his pet name for me, referring to the Andromeda Galaxy)
you know that your grandmother and I are very much in love." He paused for me to nod. "
And you know that your mother and Bianca Frink are very much in love." Again, I nodded. "
Well, sometimes people fall in love, and sometimes they fall out of love, and sometimes they were never in love. There's no exact science to it. Now, let's run through the quadratic equation again."
I found this quite dissatisfying, but it was preferable to "you'll understand it when you're older," which most adults choose to tell me. Never mind that I understand many things people twice my age would be confused by!
The very worst part about Bianca's visits is that I'm not allowed in Mother's room, even if I do have a nightmare. Don't think I'm innocent as to why, either.
As aforementioned, I simply don't understand the need of my mother and grandparents to constantly kiss and Woohoo. Why engage in such trivial activities when you could be working towards the cure for the common cold? My family is truly quite unfocused on the real goals of life.
Nights would be more bearable if I could only have someone to sit with me until I fell asleep. As it is, I must try to think of happy things before falling asleep, only to have that happiness be twisted into awful images.
Grandmother and Grandfather would sit up with me and enjoy it, even. They would crack jokes and smile, and hold hands in a way that would make me feel happy and included. However, since Grandfather is so very old, they spend their nights on dates to the diner, movies, and park.
I know they talk a lot about what they'll do after the dynasty--and yes, I am aware of the dynasty. It's quite obvious, really, to anyone with half of a brain.
Grandfather Nicholas spends much of his time with his children. He has several children with River McIrish, even more with Tamsen Clemons, and his girlfriend Emma Hatch recently gave birth to twin boys named Kraig and Tim.
My aunt Rosalia has been taking correspondent courses to the University for several years now, and has finally earned a degree in Fine Arts. As such, she received a job at the local film studio that is very early in the morning, and so must go to sleep very early.
Everything would be so much easier if Mother and Father loved each other and the other Bianca wasn't even part of the equation. But I see how happy she makes Mother, when Mother gives her a quick kiss before leaving for work. She's an Art Appraiser, you know.
And Mother still loves to help me with my homework after school, when Bianca is busy. I really am becoming too old to be having nightmares and running to my mother's room like a scared toddler . . . especially when Mother just wants to spend time with the woman she can never marry.
Bianca's flight leaves very late tonight, and tomorrow is Leisure Day. Mother insists that we're all going on a family outing to the Summer Festival, no matter how many potions I have left to discover! I'm going to sleep very little tonight, being very busy bending the laws of the universe so we can all fit in Grandpa Nicholas's car.
