De Nelson's Senior High Book 2 - Decisions

Chapter 16- GPA'S

The previous night

As Ashanti finalized her deal with Heather on the drive home, Heather informed her Channel had found enough competent employees to spearhead the program.

Arriving home right on time, Ashanti met Zaron at the gates, waiting for her and Heather to start cleaning. Her grandma had unexpectedly changed her arrival date to the next day.

They immediately got to work, joining Mrs. McAdams and Donald in dusting, changing the curtains to fresh, crisp ones, mopping, sweeping, and scrubbing every corner of the house.

"Your grandma must be really hard to please," Heather observed while dusting the seemingly dustless couch.

"Tell me about it. I wish I wouldn't have to be here when she arrives. When she's here, I cease to be the boss," Ashanti complained.

"I wonder what that feels like because you always seem to have everything under control around here," Heather remarked.

"Well, that's what she taught me. To run things without fear. It's what we Goodmans do. But I like the fact that she doesn't scold me in front of the office employees," Ashanti said, picking up the old curtains for laundry. Bruno sneezed simultaneously from his walker.

"What about Bruno, does your grandma know about him?"

"She's fostering him through me. If the authorities say if the stipulated time for his parents' return elapses, we can talk about full adoption. Right now, she allows him to use our name. So that's Bruno Goodman. I think my mom convinced her to, since she's also adopted."

"Oh my gosh, your mom and Dad were siblings?" Heather panicked.

"Oh come on. My mom was adopted in her late teens so she was practically an acquaintance than a daughter. My mom doesn't talk much about how they met, but my Dad always said that he was already in love with her before grandma adopted her."

"Aww, isn't that sweet, Bruno," Heather swooned, pinching his cheeks playfully, and he squirmed. "I seriously think he should be in bed right now; it's almost midnight."

Zaron showed up in the doorway, "Just finished hanging up the portraits."

"We need more hands upstairs," Ashanti informed him before heading out to the laundry room to wash the curtains.

Zaron turned to Bruno, who was chewing on a rubber ducky he had in hand. "Hey there, buddy," he greeted, and the baby giggled, banging the rubber ducky on the colorful buttons on the walker. Various nursery rhymes played at once and stopped.

"I know, I love you too," Zaron beamed.

Ashanti returned and turned to him, "Let's go, we're going to wax all the mirrors up there."

They were done exactly at midnight. The gardener had trimmed all hedges to perfection, the glass windows had all been waxed from downstairs straight upstairs, and they glistened regardless in the dry harmattan weather. Mrs. McAdams made sure to leave no stone unturned in the kitchen, and Mr. McAdams and the other guards cleared out the foyer and backyard where they usually had their fun boys' night.

Ashanti was a lenient boss, but they knew Mrs. Goodman was something else.

Zaron slumped into the cane chair on the porch, tired. "Your grandma must be one hell of a perfectionist," he complained.

"Tell me about it," Ashanti drawled, also sitting in a beanbag opposite him.

"With your personality, she shouldn't be so hard on you. Imagine she had Rebecca Asante for her granddaughter," Heather pointed out, sipping a cup of mocha, and they all had a laugh imagining Ashanti as Rebecca.