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Gaurdian Journal 1: So...I'm a Mom Now?

So I got a letter the other day from an odd yet adorable young lady that I was to go to Durem Caves. While the kid was new, the letter was not. I'm always being asked at the last moment to DJ at these raves at random places. Abandoned gas stations, warehouses, even at a graveyard. The time even fit, so I thought it was safe to assume that it was another gig. They usually pay well, and they are just as vague as this letter was, so I grabbed my stuff and headed out.

Much to my surprise there were only two people there. They had an odd vibe to them, and the woman of the pair was...how you say...less than friendly. Still, after much questions on my part and much convincing on their part, I came home with Imani, an odd little girl who looks like she just stepped off a boat from Africa.

She's a bundle of energy, but has come to the realization that I work later in the night usually and has learned to keep her playing more quiet, though then again she might be just as loud and I'm just a heavy sleeper...who knows...

Solo- Day to herself part 1

Imani was by herself in the family's small appartment, cleaning up the mess her pets had made while R.J. and her brother Chase were out and about at the park. Imani really didn't mind, she liked it when she had the house to herself, gave her time to think and work on things that she wanted to think about and work on.

She had been less...how you say...active these past couple of days. She had lost her vigor on the day that she saw that her friend Julie had gotten bigger while she remained small. She wanted to grow bigger so badly that she had become obsessed with checking her height each and every day to see if she had hit that magical growth spurt yet, but alas, she was still small, and she did not like that at all.

She wanted to play with Julie and all her brother's and sisters again. She liked it over at Julie's house, it was big and there was lot's of room to play and lots of people and toys to play with. It wasn't tight and cramped like her apartment, but R.J. was doing her best to take care of two kids on her salary, and Imani understood this at least somewhat. She wondered sometimes if Julie's mom had enough room for her family to live with her too...but she never brought it up to R.J. No, R.J. had pride and would never beg someone to let her little family move in with someone, but Imani wondered...if Julie's mom offered, would R.J. agree?

Imani shook her head and swept the paper shreds that Razzle and Twaddle had caused into a tilted over trash bin and set it upright again. There, all clean, and with Chase out of the house, Imani could give a proper tidying and straightening of her favorite thing in the whole wide world, her doll collection.

Ok, so it was only 4 dolls, the sock monkey Ooks, the Raggedy Anne RipOff named Tesla, and the doll that R.J. brought home for her, a Barbie Ballerina doll that Imani ended up calling Lace, and the one Julie had made for her, named Star. She set them out on her bed before going into the kitchen to grab some warm water, dish soap, and a few towels from the bathroom. It was bath day, and she was going to make sure that they were all clean before R.J. and Chase got home.

Solo- Dance class aftermath

R.J. should have beaten that woman's face into the floor of her pristine studio. She had been so close to doing it too, she was so close to snapping and wringing that...that...horrible heartless woman's neck, but she didn't.

Because if she did, she would have easily murdered the so called dance teacher, and then her kids would have to find new homes while mommy was sent to the slammer, possibly never to return, and she didn't want to put her kids through that.

Right now she had to focus on Imani, sobbing her poor little eyes out as she was carried home because of that...woman...

It was her first dance class. Imani loved to dance, and she had been rather down lately, so R.J. saved up bits of her paycheck and signed her up in a nearby studio. The woman only got stunning reviews, so R.J. thought it would be a nice place for Imani to learn to dance.

Imani was so excited when her mother surprised her with the news, that she was going to a dance class with other kids her age. She was beaming, all smiles, so jittery that she could hardly keep still as they walked over to where the class was to be held.

The teacher welcomed them warmly, and showed R.J. where to sit as she helped get Imani ready. It was going so well, Imani chatted excitedly to the other girls in the class while R.J. communicated with the other nervous parents about their own children's first dance class. Then, the class started, and everything went down hill.

Every time the teacher would do something for the children to mimic, Imani tried...too hard it seems. She'd spin too much, bend too much, jump to much. She kept getting off the beat of the music, speeding it up in her head as she thought the music that was playing was too slow and boring. It was obvious that the teacher was being a bit strained with Imani, but R.J. thought that with practice, with more lessons, she'd get it. That's how all classes worked, right?

After the class had ended, the teacher asked R.J. and Imani to stay afterwords. Once all the other children and parents had gone, the teacher rummaged through her desk and pulled out R.J.'s check and handed it to her.

"Here's your money back Ms. Johnson. You won't need to bring Imani back again."

R.J. stared at the woman. "Why?" was all she could ask. The woman sighed, irritated.

"I don't have the time or patience to teach a child as unskilled as your daughter. Bring her back when she's a bit more trained."

Right in front of Imani. So close to committing murder. So close.

"It's okay sweetie...we can sign you up for another class with a different teacher..." she said, trying to calm Imani down. This made Imani wail louder.

"No! I don't wanna learn to dance EVER!" she shrieked before burying her face into R.J.'s chest.

R.J. sighed. Imani might never get over this...and it was all her fault...