The Monroe Legacy - G.1. Chapter 21 - Daring to Dream

Marlie's announcement was followed by a period of unusual quiet in the Monroe household. That evening whilst she and Brody went about their usual routine, the children seemed to be thinking of how this news would affect their dreams of the future.

Well, when I say the children I mean all of them except for Georgia.

Georgia figured that at fourteen she had a while before she'd be having to make any choices so she just went and admired herself in the mirror. She wondered if Marlie would let her have some of her money in advance because she really wanted to get her teeth whitened. Marie Fox had it done and it looked so good, though of course Marie really needed good teeth to make up for the rest of her face!

Georgia decided that she'd just see what life threw at her so she went to bed with an easy mind.

Belle had taken her guitar outside to think. She knew that she wanted to be a huge star and the pressures of a family might not be compatible. Belle knew that she had time to think but she wasn't sure if she had it in her to put the family name ahead of her own dreams. She thought that maybe she'd make it great in another way - by seeing a Monroe at the top of the charts!

Belle decided she'd sleep on it - she had her first day on the job at the local studio the next day and she couldn't wait!

As Belle played, Hallie painted. She'd been working on a gift for her parents for a few days and as she lost herself in the brush strokes she wondered if she had a chance of  being chosen.

Lola was smarter and Belle was louder, Georgia and Oscar were pretty and popular, she was the odd one out. Even her hair marked her out as different. But she loved this place, she was proud to be a Monroe, maybe..... no, Hallie told herself that there was no point building castles in the sky.

Hallie sighed and went to wash her brushes and finish her homework though her mind was elsewhere.

As she watched Hallie daydream, Lola's thoughts went in rather a different direction. The money was a huge relief - with her academics and a decent scholarship she would be able to go to medical school. But to be the heir to a legacy - that was a responsibility which scared her. Lola put on her coat and headed out for a walk only to be jolted from her reverie by a familiar and unexpected face.

She stopped dead as Carson said,

'Sorry I missed your party, my plane was late.'

Lola's high-school heartbreak was now a handsome man of 23 and it seemed he'd flown in from Europe to be there for her birthday. He said he was leaving again the next evening.

Lola was stunned.

They conversed awkwardly on the doorstep for a while, avoiding the subject of their past or any current relationships until Lola felt the walls she had carefully built around her memories of him begin to wobble.

Sensing the danger, she asked him to come back the next day to see the whole family before wishing him a shaky good night. Lola knew that she couldn't do that again. That she needed to find somebody new, and if Carson kept looking at her like he had that night she wouldn't be strong enough to do the right thing.

The next day Lola left at 5am to go fishing and despite the pouring rain she didn't return until after dark, avoiding the questioning gaze of her mother as she hurried up to her room and the safety of her textbooks. She knew that she wouldn't always be able to run away from her problems but with Carson on the other side of the world she had a chance of healing enough to move on.

Lola knew that if she was chosen to be the heir, she would need to be braver than she was. She resolved to be more like Belle, her twin was the bravest person she knew.

Whilst Lola had been fishing Oscar had been blowing off steam. Hallie's friend Marisol had blown him off again and Georgia was being extra annoying, screaming with laughter down the phone.

Oscar didn't really even know why he liked Marisol, she wasn't popular or stunningly beautiful but she was the only person he'd really been able to talk to recently. All his friends were mad on sport and girls and he just wanted someone to talk to about the big announcement, someone who would listen and sympathise.

 His face must have been a picture because Georgia hung up the phone and with the sisterly concern that lurked behind her flirty exterior asked if he was okay. Reluctantly he told her about Marisol, sure she'd laugh and suggest a more preppy girl but Georgia just listened and then went to speak to Hallie.

With Hallie's help she hatched a plan to help her hapless brother out!

The next day they all went to the Spooky Day festival, Georgia was there with Oscar and Hallie was meeting Marisol. When Hallie was called away with a "work emergency" Oscar would be able to get Marisol alone for once. Despite Oscar's doubts it worked perfectly!

 Soon Marisol and he were talking alone together, forgetting that they belonged in separate cliques as they laughed the afternoon away. Oscar found his worries about the legacy melting away as Marisol pointed out that he didn't have to stress about it now, his mom wasn't expecting him to pop out five kids in the next year or two, he could just figure out what he wanted from life and if he became the heir - figure out how the two could work together.

When Oscar asked Marisol if she would be his homecoming date, she looked shocked before blushing and accepting. Emboldened by her answer Oscar asked why she'd been avoiding him.

Looking sheepish Marisol admitted that she'd thought he was flirting with her for a dare, she couldn't believe that a popular jock would be interested in one of the school's art freaks. Oscar was horrified and just so she knew exactly what he thought of her he walked her home and summoning up all his courage, kissed her goodnight!

Back at the fair Georgia had had a great afternoon. She'd made four new friends, collected two boys' numbers AND won a pie eating contest! She loved her life!

While the younger family members had been flirting and playing their evening away, Marlie and Brody had sat down with Lola and Belle to hear what they wanted their money for - both twins had said they were decided.

Ever impatient, Belle got straight to the point.

'Mom, Dad, I don't think I want to be the heir.  I'll tell you when I'm sure but you know me. I'm impulsive, I like drama and adventure. I want to travel and be a rock star and I don't know if I can do that and be here preserving the family name.

I'd like to have my money for an apartment. Once I've saved up some money from work I want to get a studio apartment in the city and chase my dream.

I hope you can understand'.

Marlie and Brody smiled knowingly at each other.

'Of course that's okay Belle', Marlie replied. 'We wondered if you might say this and we actually have a different kind of legacy for you. We'd like you to have my mother's guitar - you love music and so did she. We thought it should be passed to you.'

Belle leapt up and hugged her mom.

'Thanks mummy' she whispered, with tears in her eyes, knowing how precious the guitar was to Marlie.

'And how about you  Lola,' Brody interjected, knowing how carried away Belle was liable to get. 'What have you decided?'

Lola didn't hesistate, 'I want to go to college. To medical school. I've applied and they've sent me an aptitude test. If I pass as well as I should the money should be enough to pay for college.

I think I could be the heir, if I'm the right choice, for now I just need to stand on my own two feet and go after what I want though.'

Marlie and Brody looked proudly at the two women they had raised. Perhaps the next big thing and the next heir of the Monroe legacy were sitting before them. Whatever happened, they knew they had done their job, raised them to be individuals who would fight for their own happiness.

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To read on and discover who becomes the heir to the Monroe legacy read Chapter 22 - The Changing of the Guard now!