Springer: The Great Escape

Title: The Great Escape

Lot: Springer, George and Quinn
Concepcion, Griffen, Moonbay, Clive
1501 Shimmer Ln.

First Visit

George and Quinn glanced at each other across the breakfast table, wondering if this was the right time to tell the kids about the new plan. Months ago they'd sent in an application to join an sociological experiment that included moving their family to an island off the coast. Silvery Bay. It had a very nice ring to it. NOw that they'd received the confirmation that they were booked on the first flight out to the island, it had an even nicer ring. Sometimes, George wondered what the other five families' reasons were for moving to the island. George and Quinn's reasons for moving had nothing to do with the promoting science in any respect. He and his wife had celebrated their newfound freedom last night by burning the three enormous boxes full of bills which had accumulated over the past few years. Between them they had only high school diplomas and menial jobs that didn't earn much, so raising four children when they were bordering on the poverty line, just hadn't been easy and their debts had mounted. If this whole Sociology thing hadn't panned out right when it did, they'd be running for their lives into Mexico or some other third world country without an extradition policy. They just hadn't been cut out to live such respectable, responsible lives and deep down they both knew it. Now, they had a way to escape all their problems. Thank goodness! Of course, there was just one small problem that they'd overlooked and now, must deal with. They still had to tell the children that they were moving, but, how to do it?

As Quinn looked at her oldest children, the twins, Concepcion and Griffen, she wondered how they'd take the news? Connie was quite popular this year at school and Griffen had just joined band. It was going to be difficult, pulling them out in the middle of the year like this, but it had to be done. The alternatives were just too dire. And then there was her youngest daughter, Moonbay. She might actually look forward to this as an adventure, unlike her older siblings, since she was just in elementary school. She was at the perfect age for trying new things, but it would be really hard to separate her from Juliette, the little blonde girl from next door. They'd been inseperable ever since Quinn and George had moved the family here, seven years ago. And, of course, there was Clive. Clive would be game for anything as long as it was noisy and involved planes, trains, automobiles or explosions. Toddlers are always on the go and it's not like he's had alot of time to set down roots in the neighborhood, yet. As long as he had his binky, baba and his Wobbley Wabbit Head, he was a happy camper.

She looked up at George again, raising an eyebrow, as if to say, "Well, do we rip it off fast like a bandaid or work through it slowly like a sunburn?" George cleared his throat, nervously.

"Ugh, kids, your mom and I have sort of a little announcement to make," he began. Connie's head whipped around and her big, curious blue eyes stared at him, pleadingly, as if to say, "Please, don't do anything to ruin my life or embarrass me, Dad?"

At the same time, Quinn was being stared down by her defiant teenage son, Griffen. His blue eyes could bore holes through steel when he got excited about something. "Please, Mom," his eyes were begging her, "Please don't do anything to mess up my game." Quinn felt horrible already.

"Well, your Mom and I found out about this really amazing opportunity to be involved in a sort of science experiment, well...er, I mean, a sociology experiment really. It's called the Prosperity Challenge. We applied to be one of the six families involved in this experiment and well, we've been chosen to be one of the first six families to participate. This is a monumental, potentially history-making kind of...er, uh, thing, that we get to do," he floundered along. Judging from the gaping mouths and horrified looks on the faces of the twins, he realized he wasn't breaking the news very well. He looked pleadingly at Quinn to take over.

"Oh...my...god!! We're going to be an experiment? Is everyone going to see this, Dad?!" Connie cried out.

"What are they going to do to us, Dad?!" Griffen blurted.

"What's a so-see, a so-see-logging-cul spearmint, Mommy?" asked Moonbay.

"Now, kids, just hold on a minute and hear us out. Your dad didn't really explain it all the way. Moonbay, it's a so-see-uh-logical ex-per-i-ment. IT's actually going to be very exciting. We're going to move to this beautiful island with six other families. Of course we'll have our own homes. And, basically, we get to live and work there," Quinn stated, brightly.

"We're moving?!" cried Connie, "But, Mom, Dad, I don't want to move! I don't want to leave my friends. Omygosh! What about Ted? He just asked me to the winter formal. You can't do this to us. It's so not fair!"

"What kind of island?" asked Griffen. This might not be as bad as it sounded, and he had a report card coming pretty soon with, he was 90% sure, a D in science from Mr. Milbrooks. Mr. M was his least favorite teacher and he was sure that he was Mr. M's least favorite pupil. Of course, it would be a drag to miss band, but he was only in band because Julie Conway was in band and it was the only way he could get within ten feet of a girl like her.

Concepcion shot her brother an icy look. "Traitor," she snarled under her breath. How could he be so interested? It was just another in a long list of crazy plans cooked up by their parents. Two years ago they came up with a plan to raise and sell iguanas. yeah, that went over really well with the landlord during a surprise visit to the basement to inspect the old water heater. Mom just couldn't stand the thought of those "poor little things" being caged up, so she'd let them roam free in the basement. The iguanas took their chance to make a run, or waddle, to freedom when the landlord ran screaming from the house, leaving the door to the basement wide open. Last year, Dad joined some kind of pyramid club, believing that he was one of the top "legs", only to find out that he was at the bottom, when the company was busted for racketeering and they lost their shirts, again. NOw, it's this stupid experiment? Why can't their parents just be like everyone else's parents? Why can't they just be normal?! Geez, she could do a better job of raising herself.

"Look, Connie, it's all settled, so you might as well just try to enjoy it like your brother and Moonbay. I promise, Connie, you're going to love it there. This is going to be good for us. I promise," George promised as he got up and walked around the table to wear his eldest daughter sat. She looked more like her mom every day, beautiful, gracious, smart, yet practical.

As her dad gave her a hug, Connie sighed, resignedly, "So, when do we have to go?" You gotta love him, she thought. Dad just hadn't been cut from parenting-type cloth. It wasn't his fault, or mom's. It was obvious that they tried their hardest.

"That's my girl," George smiled. "Actually, we leave in two days."

Connie, Griffen and Moonbay moaned. Two days? Their parents really were crazy!

Griffen gave his sister a light punch on the shoulder. "Hawaii," he mouthed to her. Connie smiled and rolled her eyes. Well, there's at least one good thing she could say about her family. They certainly weren't dull. She began to wonder what an island lifestyle would be like.

"Just tell me that our new house will have running water and electricity?" She asked.

"I didn't think to ask," replied her dad. She hoped he was teasing about that.

Two days later, the Springers were in the air, along with one bag of clothing each, on their way to Silvery Bay and a new chapter in their lives. Mom and Dad held hands, giggled and whispered about the future, just like the teenagers they thought they still were. Griffen watched action movies with his headset on. Moonbay played with her dolls. And, Concepcion, sat and stared out the window, holding Clive in her lap while he dozed drowsily with his bottle. Up above the clouds, Connie wondered what was next to come in their own flightplan. How would she like her new school? Would the kids like her? Did they have a basketball or football team? What would the boys be like? Would there be any boys? That's silly, of course there would be boys. lol It was the scariest moment of her life, not knowing what would happen once the plane touched the ground.