Sweets for the sweet

July, Summer 2011, Liam and Tazikati Smith are 51 and Cameron is 14 (Brooke Sanchez is 13 and Suni Ramaswami is 14)




Tazikati Smith hasn't been the same since her oldest child, Annabell, died a few years back. And making or trying to make breakfast one summer's morning prove to be the same. She burnt the meal, and this time almost burning the kitchen down in the process.




Liam ran into the kitchen, grabbed the fire extinguisher and, quickly put the blaze out. He then turned to his frazzled wife, hugging her, reassuring her that everything was okay, that everything wasn't her fault.

Cameron watched from the sidelines, arms folded defensively across her chest. Why must her dad lie like that? Of course it was her mother's fault. Everything was always her mothers fault! Granted, everyone was still dealing with Annabell's death in their own way, but seriously, her mom needed to get of of her funk. Cameron was alive, she needed a mom!



She moved out of the way as her dad lead Tazikati away from the kitchen and back to their bedroom. Cameron rolled her eyes before making a bowl of cereal. She was secretly glad that the biscuits and sausage burned. She was trying to watch her weight, and eating greasy meat was not helping.



After breakfast Brooke Sanchez and Suni Ramaswami came over for a visit. "I really want to go to soccer camp." Cameron says. "And not because Viggo Kim will be there, and he's totally hot. I just really want to go!"



Brooke agreed. Viggo was totally hot! And she got to spend much quality time with him since he was in her class. Suni thought the idea was stupid. Was your parents money on a stupid summer camp just so you could be near a guy.



"You wanna go see Aerial Bionic?" Suni asked. The group had been an tour of SimNation for the summer and they were finally coming to Riverdale. Everyone was going to be there.



"Umm, duh. My dad is supposed to be getting the tickets as we speak." Cameron replied. She was going to get tickets to that show if it was the last thing she did. Her dad had left right after getting her mom settled back in bed that morning. Aerial Bionic would be playing at the end of the month.



"Don't think I ever said it, but I think that was so lame what AJ did to you. It was wrong on so many levels." Cameron told Suni. Because it was wrong. You just don't break up with someone in front of the whole school. If that had happened to her she could never show her face at school ever again. Her parents would either have to move to a new hood or send her to private school.



Suni rolled her eyes. Could someone remind her why she was friends with Cameron again! "Can we not go there. I'm trying to purge the incident from my memory."



"Whatever! I was only saying that I was sorry it happened. You don't have to get all defensive about it."



"I mean, he only cheated at a party. And the way I look at it, if you're not giving it to him let him get his kicks elsewhere. At least his coming back to you. You two could have mad it worked." Cameron just wouldn't drop the subject.



"There's no way I'm sharing my boyfriend! Besides, I said drop it, Cameron! I don't want to talk about it!" Suni huffed.



The girls decided to watch High School Musical 3 when Suni blurted out. "No more taking about me and AJ. Okay? It's hard enough trying to get over this without you two bringing it back up every five seconds."



"But for the reconrd, I am glad he's not coming back to school next year."

***

Tazikati wasn't sure what finally brought her out of her four year funk. She refused to call it a depression. She wasn't depressed, she was just sad and hurt with the loss of her oldest child. It just took her longer than everyone to grieve and heal.

But now she was healed. She was finally ready to return to her shop, Sweet's 'n Treats. The store had sat and waited for her return. Sure, there was old inventory that had to be thrown away. Cobwebs to be clean up. And customers to be won over again. But Tazikati was sure she was up for the task.



And after much elbow grease and slaving away over a hot stove she was able to win back the trust and love of Riverdale once more.



Many Riverdalers where happy to she her shop open once again.



Cameron on the other hand had convinced her friends to come to the local fair with her. It wasn't much, just some bumper cars a few food stalls.



And some eye candy. It would be nice if an amusement park was built, but until that day came they would have to settle for this.



Dinner between Liam and Tazikati was a quiet affair since Annabell's death. Normally Cameron supplied all the conversation that was needed, but she was out with friends that night. Plus, Tazikati was actually tired from working. She was tuckered out. Too tired even for light conversation.



"So, I was thinking, a tub of pop corn, some pajamas and a moved from On Demand watched in our bed." Liam paused, watching his wife's face. "How does that sound."

A smile slowly spread across Tazikati's lips. "Yes, that sounds like a wonderful way to end a busy day!"



The two cleaned up their remaining dinner, made the pop corn and slipped into their pj's. Liam picked some cheesy 80's slasher flick. Tazikati gave him a strange look before bursting into laughter.



Cameron finally arrived home. She was hoping that her parents were sleep. She was an hour past curfew, but it looked as if luck wasn't on her side. Their bedroom light was still on and, she could see their silhouettes through the window. Why couldn't they be sleep? She really didn't want to get in trouble. Or worse yet, getting grounded.



But the two adults hadn't noticed their daughter's return. Maybe they had, but they were to busy reacquainting themselves with each other. It had been soon long since they lay in bed together, just cuddling. It was nice. Tazikati hadn't realised that it had been so long since the last time they had done this.



She missed the way his lips felt on her skin, so soft and gentle. Or they way his fingers lightly traveled over her goosed flesh. She shuddered at the feel of them. It truly had been a long time. And she was amazed that her husband had waited so patiently for her to come back to him.



Cameron groaned. The giggling and other sounds coming from her parents room was just wrong. Couldn't they have done this when she wasn't home? Cameron pulled her blanket over her head to drown out the sounds and to hopefully fall asleep.



Liam snuggled up to his wife, burring his nose in her silky hair. A smile on his face. His wife was back.



Not surprisingly, Cameron was the first to rise. She may not have been the first up, since she heard her parents murmured voiced behind their closed door. But she was the first to head out of a bedroom.

But she was happy, and, as she made breakfast-a healthy one at that-she hummed to herself. Her mom was finally better and she was back (hopefully) to being her mom. Cameron really did need her mom. She was at that important stage in her life of being a teenager. A growing teenager who needed her mother's guidance.



She explained all this to her dad. Making sure to get across the importance of needing her mom. So her dad couldn't hog Tazikati all to himself anymore. Once she was graduated and moved to college, then Liam could do what ever he wanted with his wife. Liam laughed, nodding his head in agreement. Cameron could be a handful at times.



"So if there was one thing you could wish for, what would it be?" Cameron asked Suni. The girl didn't even pause to think about the question, just blurted out her answer. "I'd wish for AJ to be in love with me once again."



Cameron rolled her eyes. Yeah, Suni was getting over AJ really quickly, wasn't she? "You do realize how pathetic you sound, right? We'll just keep this between the two of us. Okay. Wouldn't want to come off looking or sound desperate."

Suni narrowed her eyes. "Whatever, Cameron. I have to go anyway. It's getting late."



Cameron watched her friend leave before she started her warm up. She needed to work out. She promised herself that she would try to get in shape so she could go to soccer camp next month.



Keegan Ottamas had developed a small crush on Cameron the last few weeks of school. Now, over summer, he had taken to walking past her house to get a peek of her.

Cameron dosen't notice. Her thoughts are focused on soccer camp and getting Viggo to like her. She maybe he a grade ahead of him, but she likes him. And soccer is the only way. Only if she can convince her parents to let her go.

***

(notes from GB: I think Cameron's going to be a teacher when she grows up. All she does is talk about school. And if she's not talking about schools, she's telling one how awesome she is or how hot Viggo Kim is. LOL So it's safe to say the small crush she developed on Ye T'ang is long gone.

Also, I have no idea why she and Suni are friends. They both had the want to become friends and how since they are friends they both want to be come best friends. But they are like oil and water. They can't have a single conversation without fighting. LOL If one of them were a boy I'd think they had the hots for each other. Brooke is like the vinegar, she makes it possible for everyone to be together.

Tazikati has finally rolled away the want to bring Annabell back from the dead and the fear of her coming back as a zombie. So I took that as her finally pulling out of her depression. It took her the longest to get over Annabell's death.

And yes, Suni is still not over AJ. You'd think after the way he broke up with her she's be over him, but she's not. I hope she's able to move on soon.

And ignore Cameron's coat in those two pics. When I entered their lot I last played them during winter. Normally what I do is change the season, but play a full day with aging off. Just so the new season can kick in, before I play the new round. But I forgot to do that, so that's why she's wearing a winter coat in the middle of summer.)