???? ??????? ? ??????

   DECEMBER 17th, 2005.
      NEW LONDON, NEW HAMPSHIRE

     "SARAH?" Marceline knocked on the newly-aged teenager's door.

There was no response from the girl. Marce let out a big sighed and her eyes turned behind her and out the window, where snow fell softly.

Birthdays in the Everhart-household were never a big liking for the two women in the Bungalow. Birthdays were a reminder of the unfortunate day and reality of how you are indeed growing old, how nothing can stop your growth of life and every year, on the same day, on the same hour, you're forced to be reminded of which life is one you can't step away from.

"Sarah, sweetheart, open the door." Marceline said softly, knocking once more, her arms moving to cross her arms over her chest, leaning on the white door frame, waiting.

The door soon slowly opened, and Marceline caught sight of her daughter, who was still in her pajamas, and plopping right back down onto her soft bed, turning and staring at the wall.

Marce looked around her slightly messy room. "What do you wanna do today?" Knowing she wouldn't receive any form of answer, a sigh went past her lips and she kissed her teeth, shaking her head. "Your Aunt Maria came over. She's expecting you in the living room, honey."

Then she left.

Sarah laid in her bed for a few moments more, before slowly standing, making sure her quite messy hair was at least decent for her aunt.

She didn't know why, but 'aunt' was a term for Maria she used often. Even if Maria had absolutely no relation to her, blood wise. She apparently was just close to her mother, much like her uncle Phil. Yet, she hadn't said anything about it.

Her footsteps fell gently along the hardwood floor, her hand instinctively touching the patterned walls, the lightly bumped surface leaving behind a small tingle in her fingers as she ventured to the living room.

Hill's sharp ears picked up the noise of her niece, standing from the cushions of the couch, sighing, the eyes falling onto her.

Sarah stood at the other end of Maria. Staring at her, whilst Maria stared back.

"C'mon." Maria motioned out the door. "We're going out."

And Sarah could aka questions, Maria was already across the room, dragging Sarah up and out the door...

〖  ❀ ✮ ❀  〗

    Sarah sat in her bedroom, surrounded by holograms and written notepads, jotting down a few things, not even noticing how her father slipped into the room.

"What're you doing?" The man's voice filled the room.

Sarah flinched away from the holograms, her gaze falling onto her dad. "Oh. Uh..what?" She hopped off her bed and held up the yellow notepad, waving it in the air. "Y'know mom went to Stanford? Made her little flower business off of whatever degree she got. And she was known mostly for her high academics, and participation in sports, won a state competition for singing." She said proudly, skipping over to the man.

Tony watched her curiously, and gently took the notepad that was full of letters, About five or six pages all full and littered with scribbles of words. "You...wrote all this—?"