Fan Fiction
This story has been set to a rating of G. Age verification is required to proceed.
Sugar and Spice ~ Chapter 5
Login to add story to favorites
Thursday, February 12, 7:00 p.m.
Porter residence
Bette had checked her solutions to the arithmetic problems twice before she gathered her schoolbooks in her arms and walked down the stairs to the den.
Every evening, late into the night, Melvin Porter sat in a large leather chair or at a huge antique desk in his study, reading or doing work he had brought home. After dinner, he checked his younger daughter’s homework.
Just before she reached the doorway, a wave of nerves caught Bette by surprise. Her father had not found an error in her homework in almost three months and she hoped she would not disappoint him. He would check her arithmetic problems, answers to social studies questions about Wyoming, and an English composition about why February has 28 days. After that, he would test her on the spelling words for the quiz the next day.
Her father had been very clear about his expectations. Bette was in the Ionic class in her school. “Ionic” was a word chosen for its blandness and it identified the advanced class. Even within the advanced class, a small group of the smartest students was usually culled from the mass and given more intensive work, Bette was in the group of the most advanced of the advanced. Her father explained that since her intelligence was a gift from the Almighty, she was obligated to maximize what she had been given.
Bette liked sitting with her father in his special room. She loved the scent of the leather furniture and the faint aroma of the cherry tobacco that her father used in the pipe he smoked occasionally. After the homework was checked, father and daughter sometimes sat together and read. He might recite some of his favorite poems. There were times, too, that the man patiently answered his daughter’s questions, which might be about almost anything.
That night, Bette had a particular question in mind.
~~
Kennard residence
“Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee.”
“Gotcha!” Bill Kennard unnecessarily announced to his daughter as he sprayed her with water from the nozzle at the kitchen sink.
“Daaaady!” Tina complained, as she blinked her eyes to remove water that wasn’t really there.
Comments
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
See, I got the Melvin Porter version of an explanation for St. Valintine’s Day but with the assurance that it is perfectly acceptable to be foolish when it comes to expressing love. Ah, to be a kid again =) Thanks Spumoni!
I see Melvin has a broken heart somewhere
this story is so cute, does bette have a mom or just melvin… i hoep she does… looks like tina’s dad is a big kid himself… pps
such different households, i don’t envy Bette at all…is Tina going to give her roses or kiss her on the playground? LOL
Love this story, Spumoni! And no, it isn’t saccharine at all, far from it. Rather, it’s like a truly delicious, tastebud-teasing dessert… lemon sorbet… or oatmeal cookies… or Irish Coffee… or of course spumoni :-)
I think I like daddy Kennard’s version of Valentines Day better. I would have loved to have half of Bette’s brain power, only half because she needs at least half of it to survive herself.
The girls want to know about v-Day, and what it all means. And Tina’s mother and father meet the same age as our girls, but no one acted on the feelings until 12 years later, interesting.
If this had NC-17 methinks you’d be turned in for literary child pornography. :P
Oh no. I have a feeling someone is going to get hurt soon. Melvin is such a fuddy duddy. :(
This is just darling. And they’re both thinking about the other being their valentine. Sweet and lovely. More please. Thanks for posting.
Melvin Melvin Melvin, let her be a kid please. The story is so cute, love the interaction between bette and Tina. Can’t wait to see them back to school lol. PPVS
This story is just so very precious. Thank you. Love it!
Melvin is a nightmare.PPS
I like how you presented the contrast between the families of little TiBette, Spumoni. One is stiff and highly intellectual while the other one is more playful and expressive. Would feisty Tina be brave enough to follow her father’s daring Be-my-valentine-forever-and-ever kiss in the playground tactic or the much safer giving of flowers? Oh, this is going to be so much fun to read. Btw, I think the more appropriate rating for this story is not PG but SO, as in Sugar Overload. =) Thanks a bunch for my sugar fix today, Spumoni! Cheers! =)
OK, no NC-17 for sex, but you really should consider the violence you’ve portrayed in earlier chapters. Judging by the bruised shins I think a PG is at least in order. Alas that Melvin is so intent on he and his daughter being smart that it makes him stupid. And no fun.
Hey Spumoni, What a treat you deliver. this was most definitely a case of Kennard sweetness versus Porter spice.These words just roll off the screen and paint a wonderful picture.It was funny to have Tina’s parents meeting while in third and second grade.Perhaps history is repeating itself.This is just a joy to read.Thank you so much.Your Loyal Fan.
Hey S, I’m just here to collect my ”20% off coupon for a therapy session that covers childhood angst.”… (see? we do read your author’s notes. If you need a further test, next time include your credit card # w its expiry date… ;-)
Ah yes, “The Chronicles of Narnia.” That was one of my favs as a kid…giggled when you wrote about Bette looking ahead at the many other books at the illustrations but not reading so it’s not cheating. That’s what I did too!!!! Clever contrasting of family dynamics. One can only hope it doesn’t warp our mini-B, too much…or hurt mini-T in her attempt of first love. 5-star rating for SC – Super Cute!