WHILE BLIND-JANE WAS ON HER BED, CONFUSED in thoughts, twiddling with her dreadlocks – as Alicia was still looking out from the bedroom window…

“Look! I see Paul and his mother… Peter is with them too… I think they are your ‘visitors’ – Janey, I think I better be going home now.”

“Okay.”

The Chinese girl WHO WAS ‘NOT’ in the good-books of the doctor-mother – ‘now’ regretted that…

… she had agreed to re-braid Jane’s dreadlocks.

-O-

At the front door…

… Ms King introduced Caroline to the Wilsons FOR THE FIRST TIME…

Paul on his wheelchair ‘noticed’ a ‘similar’ pattern ‘again’ from the ‘other’ Perth where…

… they were invited for a dinner invitation by the Wilson ‘back there’ – and by the end-of-the-evening was where an earthquake had devastated the coast of Queensland.

He instantly wheelchaired forward to shake the parents’ hands -- and apologized…

“Mr and Mrs Wilson, I’m Paul – and, it was my idea to bring Jane to the zoo – it was ‘not’ her fault, please don’t blame her…”

… Caroline too was ‘surprised’ at Paul’s straightforward attitude to ‘own-up’ his mistakes – unlike her other twin son – whom she then introduced…

“This is my other-boy, Peter…”

The posturing Peter just waved at them with his single-arm… without saying a word nor hand-shake…

… the doctor-mother had an instant disliking of the shmuck Peter – whom her B-girl had run blindly after him in the recent dangerous thunderstorm in Treeton – that ‘almost’ killed her.

Caroline had a double-surprise when the Wilsons told they had prepared a luncheon for them – as her initial plan was to apologise-and-run to avoid any ‘more’ embarrassments from her twin sons.

The inspector-mother accepted the invitation and thanked them…

… everyone who was downstairs was distracted…

… to see Jane and Alicia descending the stairs…

Shelley was horrified at her B-girl’s hairstyle – where she had re-braided her hair into her WILD-REBELLIOUS LOOKS -- with the school-final term reopening next Monday.

Still holding her BFF’s hand, Jane asked…

“Daddy, can Ali stay for lunch too – I have lot to talk to her with school reopening on Monday…?”

“Yes-dear, she’s most welcome,” replied Anthony.

Shelley gave an evil-eye to her husband when he said that – as the B-girl’s best friend -- was the ‘next' bad-influencer after her AI SIMY, that was destroyed in the Treeton storm.

Jane then acknowledged as she waved to her ‘blue’ beacon…

“Hi, Paul… G’ day Mrs Walker…”

… the ‘blushing’ blind girl dragged Alicia’s arm and hurried towards the living room -- where her baby brother was engrossed with the telly.

Peter scoffed at her for ‘not’ greeting him – HER-EX -- who had brought her recognition by teaching the ‘blind-girl-on-how-to’ play tennis and the ‘Perth-Famous-Couple-fame’ which he had single-handedly given to her in the ‘other Perth.’

The wheelchaired Paul followed the girls to the telly, with his twin tagging behind…

… they had ‘been’ here before – nothing in the house had changed – the same polished marble surrounding with the matching set of luxury furniture, from the company Jane’s father worked for.

Jane and Alicia got cosy on the couch, with Paul ‘parking’ himself close to them – while Peter joined Samuel sitting on the floor on the woollen sheep-rug…

… the one-armed tween teased the black baby boy…

“Hiya, Popobawa Jr – yea, how are you Lil’ rapper?”

The toddler looked at Peter -- and pointed to the telly saying…

“… Jingle Book…”

“… yep, Jingle Book all the way -- without Santa…”

Peter expected some laughter from the girls – but got none…

…unlike in the Methodise church van during the Treeton field trip -- where he had them in stitches -- when he was on a roll by ‘mocking’ his cripple twin.

The nonchalant Peter joined them watching telly, even though he was ‘not’ a Disney fan -- unlike Paul and his mother who were -- into the illogical world of ‘talking-animals.’

He was eavesdropping at the adults gathered in the dining room, where Jane’s father had opened a bottle of white wine as an aperitif.

Then Jane spoke to the blue glowing beacon…

“Pauly, are you excited to go back to school?”

“… yea, I’m kind of looking forward to it.”

They laughed and Alicia piped along…

“… you stick with us in the finals, Paul -- and I’ll keep my promise that you’ll end up as the 5th top in class from your current 9th spot – provided you buck-up and do your homework.”

“Thank you, Ali – and, thank you both, I can ‘never’ do it this far without you two…”

Seated below, Peter rolled his eyes – as he was ‘always’ the last student in the class as a backbencher – unlike in the ‘teenaged-Perthland’ where he wasn’t…

… when Paul and Jane were the last students in their senior classroom.

-O-

A car arrived at Wilson’s front gate -- and the tweens saw Anthony hurrying outside – to welcome a ‘friend-of the-family’…

… everyone looked on as Principal Tom Harris entering the house, with a bottle of wine.

Peter froze in fright…

… anticipating ANOTHER ‘ADULT’ LECTURE ABOUT his offence committed ‘allegation’ -- of ‘making-out’ with Bella-Frenchie at the West-wing gym’s Boys room.

Paul too froze in fright…

… worried about the presence of Peter’s anger-trigger of the Tom-and-Carol ‘relationship’ in the other-Perth, where resulting in the catastrophe in Queensland.

The twins saw the principal was led to the dining room.

-O-

Shelley Wilson ‘introduced’ Caroline to Principal Harris – and, they ‘both’ pretended meeting the first time…

… even though they ‘both’ WERE ACQUAINTED – and-now having a one-month of secret relationship affair, from the public – but ‘met-regularly’ in Tom’s membership country club.

Anthony Wilson then asked, pouring white wine for the late guest…

“I hope you like seafood lunch, Tom.”

“Any ‘home-cooked’ food will do – that’s what I miss most since after my divorce – I would grab any of Wilson’s invitation -- to rush and come-over here to eat any time, any day.”

“No worries, you’ll find a good woman soon, Tom – and you’ll settle down again soon,” said Shelley. Tom responded…

“I hope so too – because it is so expensive to dine out every day.”

Everyone at the table laughed – and…

… Caroline ‘got’ the hint…

… where she WAS A PROSPECT to be a Mrs Harris soon…

… and her wayward twin sons would have a father-figure under-the-roof soon…

… to guide them to be decent law-abiding citizens.

Caroline’s reverie moment ‘popped’ when Shelley said…

“Don’t worry about the seafood, Caroline – I had a separate vegetarian dish cooked for you.”

“How did you know I’m vegetarian?” she asked -- and Ms King answered instead…

“Oh-Peter told me in one of the anger management sessions, that you’re vegan.”

The inspector mother grinned sheepishly to it…

… and, before long, Anthony called the children to come over and have lunch.

-O-

The tweens entered the dining room and greeted their principal except for Peter -- who was looking like a fish-out-of-water looking for ‘where’ to sit.

Paul noticed the sitting arrangement for the table for 9 was different from the ‘dinner-invitation’ of the past where Tom-and-Carol sat-by beside each other. Today, the principal sat at the ‘other-side’ at the table head…

… with all the 3 women were sitting on the right-side and with Anthony the head-host seated on the opposite side, with his wife-and-daughter on his left-and-right. Alicia sat beside Jane – with 2 chairs at the table removed to fit Paul’s wheelchair…

… Peter was ‘FORCED’ TO SIT ON the principal’s right-side -- facing Paul across…

Caroline was pleased that both her sons were sitting with Tom Harris – that reminded her of their square-IKEA table at home -- where the boys sat left-and-right with their late father Solomon.

Paul the ‘foodie’ was excited to eat – the last time he had a sumptuous meal gathering was at the Perthland’s Easter lunch, where his ‘step-cousin’ Mervin Dickson had said grace on the table before the eating.

… Paul too had said grace at Wilson’s evening dinner invitation…

… unknowing the Wilsons were atheists – which he found out later when Peter used to badmouth his blind-girlfriend on the ‘other-Perth’ with that label. He did so again in the situation where Alicia was in a state of near-death coma – to be converted to be a Christian as the Chinese girl was labelled as a pagan who wouldn’t attain salvation in her-afterlife.

The subject of religion was a sensitive topic to Paul – which was like red-flagged underwear that should be worn hidden in one’s pant -- but…

… the tactless-and-uncaring PETER WORE IT outside his pants -- just like Superman.

Lunch was served with prawn-cocktails and deep-fried crab-sticks as the appetiser. Then came the main-course with pan-fried Barramundi fish-steak cooked with herbed-oil…

… Paul who had Barramundi for the first time – enjoyed it with mashed potato and mixed-veg on the side…

… but ‘not’…

… the red-meat lover Peter who disliked eating fish – which he perceived the animal as ‘garbage-eaters’ of the oceans-and-rivers...

‘… when you die in the sea – the fishes will ‘eat’ you’ -- was his argument. Even fish burger was the least liked on the menu -- when he frequents MacDonald’s…

… Lola had to serve him ‘leftover’ fish and chips – of baby Samuel’s food that day – and the fussy one-armed boy ‘ate’ whatever ‘non-red-meat’ that was deep-fried to ‘well-done’ in oil – ‘not’ something that was served soft-and-mushy.

Then came dessert of desiccated coconut Lamington cakes with its jelly-in-centre fillings. As they ate, the adults were conversing about John Blake…

…the millionaire businessman who was also the Mayor of Perth -- who then had ‘recently’ purchased the tallest building in the city and -- renamed it Blake Tower.

Peter recalled the same tower building in his ‘Dreamworld’… in which he and the panther-head demon rode mythical bull-dragon creatures as they ‘both’ razed that building in aerial attack…

… his reveries halt when Tom Harris brought up the subject of the yesterday’s tragedy at the zoo -- where a Black-rhino was killed by a bull elephant -- which also sustained injuries itself… and also, another rampaging rhino that was in a coma.

Soon everyone was looking at the crippled tween in the wheelchair -- when the principal told him…

“Paul, you too could have been killed yesterday – you are underaged and should ‘not’ go places on your own ‘without’ your mother’s permission, do you understand?”

As the crippled boy nodded – he was dumbfounded recalling the principal had cautioned him before at the other-Perth -- during ‘Joe-Dickson’s-questioning’ -- when he told that he had entered the enclosure of a silverback gorilla.

The doctor-mother too piped in…

“You heard that Jane – THAT GOES FOR YOU TOO – don’t be disobedient to your parents and listen to them, for your ‘own’ good!”

… Paul intervened again --- and strongly apologized on Jane’s behalf…

“Mrs Wilson, it is not’ her fault – I’m the one to be blamed for taking Jane to the zoo…”

The dining room was quiet.

Peter was anticipating to be ‘next’ in the line of fire in the principal’s questioning – pertaining him of ‘making-out’ with Frenchie, in the Boys-room…

But it did ‘not’ happen – and HE WONDERED ‘WHY’…

… instead, Tom Harris had questioned him…

“So-Peter, will you get yourself disciplined and organize well to start your final-school-term to study hard like Paul – and ‘improve’ your grades?”

“Yes.”

“And, you would ‘not’ skip your meetings with Ms King?”

“Yes.”

“And, most of all – you will ‘not’ fight in school again?”

“Yes.”

Caroline Walker was rapt that Peter did ‘not’ argue -- and ‘MORE’ IMPRESSED of her ‘boyfriend’s ability-and-weight’ to submit her delinquent son TO OBEY ‘RULES,’ where she herself had ‘failed’ as an inspector-mother, to instil THE ‘FEAR’ IN HIM…

‘… these boys ‘need’ a good father-figure…’

With the ‘success’ -- Peter ‘was’ chucking-in-his-belly that he was left off the hook in the Boys-room fiasco – after the ‘accusation’ by the VP and the peon were squashed, where…

… he had falsely anticipated today that -- he would have to ‘repeat’ his ‘denial-routine’ again -- if he was ‘to-be’ questioned by the principal.

The sly one-armed boy gazed at his twin, who was looking ‘DOWN-AND-DEFEATED’ after the Tom Harris’ questioning…

… where he had TO REPEATEDLY’ APOLOGIZE’ -- and yet it yielded no mercy…

‘… hahaha, what a mediocre sloppy shit you-are, short-legs – your apologies are ‘not’ accepted in this Perth-realm – whereas I even got away for taking Janey out skateboarding – and I did ‘not’ apologize for that, hahaha…

‘… I even ‘entered’ her bedroom on-that-day when her parents weren’t around – and I did ‘not’ apologize for that either, hahaha…’

-O-

The tweens were excused from the table – blind-Jane led her ‘friends’ to go out to the backyard to talk-school at the rotunda. Peter did ‘not’ follow and sat on his spot on the dining table – his mother ‘noticed’ that…

“Peter, go join your friends outside…”

… he ‘wanted’ to say – that ‘those’ were ‘not’ his friend – but he did ‘not’…

… and left the adults’ group, and headed to the kitchen…

He walked to the backdoor in the kitchen – and halted when he heard fierce growls…

… lo,’ and behold…

… in the cage, WAS THE ‘RIVAL’ TO his ‘Perth’s Famous Couple’ branding – which was the Hero-dog…

… where the ‘animal’ had taken the social media’s ‘glory’ several times…

… when it topped the trend by toppling his #1 spot of PFC tennis.

Piper barked at the ‘stranger’ -- and Peter backed away -- until he heard a voice behind him…

“… boy, don’t be afraid – the cage gate is locked.”

… he turned to look at ‘Lady Heimdall’ – the ‘gatekeeper’ who had ‘always’ prevented him from seeing Janey whenever her parents were at work.

Peter saw a padlock on the dog’s cage – WHERE IT WAS ‘NOT’ THEREIN HIS-PERTH – when he had ‘accidentally’ unlocked the cage…

… resulting the big-dog had fled-and-missing from the Wilsons.

He decided ‘not’ to go out – and instead hang out with Lola, knowing that…

… since the black panther ‘attack’ incident had ‘not’ transpired in this realm – where Jane had gone with the dog ‘then’ -- on her own at night to see her ‘boyfriend’ – thus…

… this version of Lola would ‘not’ have known that he ‘was’ that boyfriend – but seeing him as…

… a regular classmate of Janey -- like Chinatown Wong.

Right-now, he had to ‘change’ his approach and tactics -- if he was to be in the top-of-his game in this realm – where in the past ‘mistakes’…

… he was strung-up with his addiction of soft-drugs and energy drink like RedBull where that combo – made him eccentric and hyper-wired…

So, this time, he was calm in demeanour with his approach – while being friendly when he ‘interviewed’ her tactfully…

… as the ‘other’ version of Lola in Perthland – WAS A HOSTILE-ONE -- as his ‘father’s 2nd wife.’

He ‘learned more’ by listening to this side-of-Lola -- to learn that she came into employment ‘after’ Samuel Jaheem was adopted from Kenya. She worked a regular 8 hours 5-days a week -- and go home in the evening to her 3 young children of her own – and her Filipino husband worked as a sailor.

Coincidently, her eldest son’s name was Ryan…

… the same name as his ‘step-brother’ in Perthland.

-O-

The rest of the tweens were seated at the outdoor rotunda – joking and laughing loudly at the past events of the middle-term -- with class-bullies Charlotte Thompson and Zoe Williams as the butt of their jokes.

Both the ‘futurist’ Paul and Jane have controlled the ‘information’ for this version of Alicia – for her ‘own’ safety and wellbeing.

Half an hour later, after the adults had polished 2 bottles of white wine…

… Anthony Wilson came to the backdoor – and called out to them saying that the ‘visitors’ were leaving…

… Alicia was the first to leave…looking at her Swatch…

“O-shoots – it’s close to 2:30 – I better get going, or my Mummy will kill me if I’m ‘not’ back to the shop for tea…”

… while Paul was about to turn his wheelchair over – the seated Jane came-in fast forward to her glowing blue-beacon -- and kissed him – it surprised him in a good way as he asked…

“What was that for…?”

“… for standing up for me just now – against my mummy.”

Paul grinned and looked back – he was instantly horrified to see afar of Anthony ‘still’ standing at the backdoor… looking over…

In a panic voice, Paul said,

“… did your father ‘see’ us kiss…?”

“… how do I know silly – I’m blind!”

Jane chuckled as she pushed her boyfriend’s wheelchair to the house. By then, Anthony left…

… smiling to himself that his daughter HAS A ‘BOYFRIEND’ – and hoped that his wife would ‘not’ find that out.