When Life Hands You Lemons
book 3
in Changing Scenes

by mintbaby

Life was looking up. After a fashion.

Andy Modine had survived the embarrassment of a lifetime when her parents rejected her first date, but the meetings at the mall with Ryan and his friends weren't enough. She wanted something more, but wasn't sure what it was. Then she had her chance. A ski trip that would take her far away from her nosy siblings and her overprotective parents. Now, free to do what her heart tells her is the right thing, she feels her life growing more and more entwined with his. But when she's caught between who she is, and who Ryan wants her to be, she discovers that she may be someone entirely different.

Author's Note: Revisions and modifications to be done at a later date due to revision of entire series.

One

Andy stared at herself in the mirror with a slight frown. She supposed Ryan Godler was right when he said she was pretty. Being a person solely concerned with others she hadn't noticed. Not really. Andy pulled her soft, wavy hair back from her face and slightly turned her head. Again, she'd never really taken the time to compare her hair to anything, but Ryan had once whispered in her ear it was the color of caramel. A smile tickled her lips, supposedly the color of roses, and her cornflower blue eyes twinkled as she let her hair fall back down around her shoulders.

Ryan Godler was too much.

Andy shook her head and wrapped her arms around herself as she made her way to the window seat in her room. She sat with a sigh and her smile slowly faded into a troubled frown. Ryan Godler was definitely too much. Too much for her to think about. Too much for her to feel. Too much for her to handle in this point of her life. Simply too much. Her gaze switched to the large oak that stood beside the house and she tucked her knees up to her chin. For the first time in her eighteen year life she didn't know what to do.

She liked him.

Ryan made her feel like she was the most important thing in the world when he looked at her. When they laughed together, or when he touched her hand, or brushed some hair away from her face it felt awesome. And it was all so new. So different to actually care what the guy thought of her. Or to worry about how she looked when he was around. What was she going to do? Ryan wasn't a Christian and she hadn't had a chance to ask him if he even wanted to be. It was another first for her. She wasn't sure how to approach him about her faith or her feelings for him.

She pushed her hair away from her face and stood with an exasperated sigh. It didn't help that her parents weren't letting her date him. He hadn't made a good impression when he'd come over for their first date. Her mom and dad had started to talk to him about his different views on life and then politely asked him to reschedule the date for a later time. Andy rolled her eyes at the memory and made her way to her oak vanity. She could hardly believe it had happened, but she had been there. True, some of Ryan's opinions had raised one of her own eyebrows, but she was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Why couldn't her parents do the same thing?

Now she could only be with him when there was a group of people around. She couldn't even see him every day at school because he didn't go toWestlake High. He attended some high school in Portland, nearly a half hour's drive away. Andy shook her head again and leaned against the side of her bed as she stared at her feet. How was she going to keep him interested in her if she was always so busy with school, and her after school job at the museum, and all the extra activities she'd signed up for at the church?

"Why do I always have to do so much," she mumbled.

She shrugged suddenly and passed a look to the homework stacked on her vanity, letting a smile lighten her face. Might as well get it over with, she thought. A good way to get my mind off things. Finals were coming to an end that week and she wanted to get all her extra credit done before she studied. Andy sat at the vanity, reached for her Calculus textbook, and then put her hair back in a ponytail. She sighed. Sometimes it was boring to have everything come so easily for her. When she’d been a kid, her parents had given their permission for her IQ to be tested. She hadn’t really understood what the big deal had been but she hadn’t wanted to upset her mom and dad by saying she didn’t want to be tested. When they had finished the testing, she’d kept them from telling her what her final grade had been. She’d simply told them that if it meant she wouldn’t be able to act like a kid anymore, she didn’t want to know. And if it meant she would have to be accelerated to a higher grade, she wouldn’t do it.

They’d agreed.

Andy cocked her head and flipped to the page of her assignment. She didn’t know why she wanted to act like she was no different than anyone else. Maybe because she didn’t want to grow up before she was ready. Maybe it was because she didn’t want to miss anything and be miserable for the rest of her life. But the teachers knew she was different and expected her to work harder. It was a drag most of the time. So much pressure was put on her to pass every class with an above average grade that she didn’t even realize she didn’t need to try. She even ignored the fact that most of the classes she took were college prep classes taught for the academically gifted.

To tell the truth, she didn’t really care as long as she got taught.

A piece of paper flitted to the floor beside her and Andy picked it up. A geneology assignment! Andy smiled and pushed all her other books away as she reached for her Advanced Biology textbook. This would be fun. She’d always wanted to find out about her family’s past and this would give her an excuse to go digging around in what could end up a mystery. One never knew until they tried. She read the paper and gave a smile. Not only did she get to trace her family’s history, she got to write the genetic codes of each one of her relations.

“Cool,” she said.

“What’s so cool?”

Andy turned to the door and gave her mom a smile as she walked into the room. “Hi, mom. Guess what I get to do in Biology for extra credit?”

“Disect something?”

Andy made a face and shook her head. “No, that’s gross. I get to trace our family’s history and make a record of their genetic codes that they passed on to their children and grandchildren. Doesn’t that sound exciting?”

Elizabeth Modine laid a hand on her daughter’s head and gave her a smile. “Sometimes I worry about you, Andy honey.”

Andy’s eyes darkened and she continued to look into her mother’s face. “Why?”

“Because…” She shook her full head of caramel-auburn hair and traced Andy’s jawline with a finger before touching her on the nose with a smile. “Nevermind, Andy. Yes, that sounds wonderful. When is it due?”

The twinkle was back in Andy’s eyes as if it had never left and she smiled wide. Not until Friday. Do you think Grandma and Grandpa would mind answering some questions? I could call them tonight…”

Andy turned back to her desk and began to scratch down some planned questions in a flowing hand, not aware of her mom’s worried look as she draped an arm around Andy’s shoulders.

“I don’t think mom and pop would mind a call from one of their favorite granddaughters. I know they would love to help. I only wish you hadn't waited until the last minute."

"Last minute? Oh. You mean because it's Monday tomorrow?"

Elizabeth nodded and Andy only shrugged. "Do you think you could get me their numbers for me anyway? Thanks."

Andy looked down at her piece of paper, barely even recognizing the kiss she felt on her head before her mom left the room. She could hardly wait to get started. Just think of all the things she would learn about her parents' families! This is going to be so great, she thought with a smirk. I wonder if there's anything in the attic? I bet I could get Vicki to help me. She stood and tucked the paper into her Biology book. Her sixteen year old sister would jump at a chance to help. Vicki always loved doing things with her, almost to a fault, but Andy didn't mind all that much. Except when Vicki insisted on spending time with her when she wanted to meet Ryan at the mall. That sometimes presented a problem.

Andy knocked on Vicki's door and couldn't hide her smile. Vicki had an obsession with her privacy that had caused a near argument on more than one occasion. One particular time she remembered was when Vicki had skinned her knee on the way over to her friend Wil's house. Vicki had wanted to talk to him about their relationship. The stress of the situation, in addition to the pain of bashing her knee on the sidewalk, had made her feel sick and Wil had tried to carry her into her bedroom. Andy had stopped him by saying that her privacy was really important. Wil, on the other hand, insisted that he could get her to let him in. In fact, he had bet Andy that he could smooth talk his way into her room. When he'd tried, Vicki hadn't let him in even one step.

It seemed so long ago.

Since that day, Wil had become a Christian and now came by the house to be with Vicki even more than usual. They always went for walks, or whatever, and at times Andy felt a little jealous. Vicki didn't have very much time for her anymore. She was always busy helping Wil with his different questions on the Bible and uncomfortable situations he found himself in. Among other things. At least, that was what Andy supposed they were doing together. Andy missed her, but didn't know how to tell Vicki without making her feel guilty.

"I said ‘come in’!"

Andy came to with a start and pushed into her younger sister's room. "Sorry, I was just thinking about some different stuff."

"So what did you want?"

Andy looked down at her sister with a smile before sitting down on the edge of her canopy bed. Vicki was beginning to blossom. Her long reddish brown hair seemed fuller than usual and brought out the deep blue of her eyes. It even made her chipmunk cheeks soften, especially when they were colored by her soft, rose colored blushes. Wait till the boys see her after Christmas break, Andy told herself with an inward smile. Vicki wouldn't know what to do with all the attention.

"Earth to Andy," Vicki said with an impish smile.

Andy laughed and wrinkled her nose. "Okay, so I have a lot on my mind, but just wait until you hear what we’re going to be doing today, and all week until Friday."

Vicki turned in the seat at her desk and pushed her journal away, her eyes brightening. "What?"

"For my Biology class I get to trace our family history and genetics that have been passed from person to person."

"So? When does the exciting stuff come in?"

"You are going to help me search the attic for any clues to our past. Doesn't that sound great?"

Vicki's eyes darkened and drifted away with a slight frown.

"I know what you're thinking, but I'm going to go ask Dad right now. Don't worry so much about things. Okay? Why don't you meet me up there?"

Vicki nodded with a sigh and Andy stood, letting a smile twinkle in her eyes. She was sure their dad would say 'yes' because he was always so excited when she started a new project. He was cool that way. In fact, she wouldn't be a bit surprised if he was the reason she was constantly finding new things to do and experiment with. Who else could she have gotten it from?

Certainly not her mom. She was almost overly cautious. Too a point of irritation sometimes. Although, they always seemed to talk so much that Andy seemed to forget about that one difference between them. Anytime Andy had a question she knew she could go to her mom. She wouldn't have it any other way.

"Hi, Dad." She messed up his hair with a laugh and collapsed onto the couch in the den beside him. "Are you busy?"

Mark Modine chuckled and wrapped his arm around his oldest daughter's shoulder, his blue eyes twinkling with a light of laughter. "Just reading the paper, Anna."

Andy gave him a smile and laid her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes at the sweet aroma of his after shave. "Dad, is there any reason why Vicki and I can't go up to the attic and look around? I've got this really rad assignment for Advanced Biology dealing with genealogy and genetics and I wanted to find some stuff for examples. You know? To make the history come alive?"

"The attic? I don't think so. What could we possibly have up there that we wouldn't want you to see?"

"I don't know, but Vicki wasn't going to help me unless I asked..." Andy straightened and cocked her head to one side as she looked up into her father's face, a worried frown making her lips pout. "Dad..."

The words died in her throat. What was she going to say? Was she actually going to ask him about Ryan? Ask him if the two of them could give him a second chance? Or was she going to ask them to be straight with her about why they didn't want her to go out with him, but let her meet him with groups of other people?

"You look like you're caught between a rock and a hard place. Something bothering you?"

"What was it about Ryan that you guys didn't like?"

Mark Modine kept silent and watched Andy with an intense look, his eyes darkening with both concern and caution. Andy noticed.

"Dad, I really want to know."

"Anna, you know that we have your best interests at heart, right?" Andy nodded silently and watched his face. He sighed and rubbed his forehead, brushing his red-brown hair out of his dark blue eyes. "I know you have feelings for him because I can see it in your face. But because you have those feelings you're not able to see the whole picture as we are."

"What do you mean? What picture?"

"The person he is on the inside." Andy's eyes darkened and Mark gave her a slight smile. "I know it's too much for you to understand right now, but you will... One day you will."

Andy looked away and slowly stood, her hands wrapping around herself as she turned and headed for the hall. "I guess."

"Anna."

Andy stopped with a sigh and slowly turned to face him, her eyes shifting from the floor to his concerned face. "Yeah, Dad?"

"Don't take it so much to heart. There will be others. Other chances. Other guys who will interest you. Don't rush yourself. Okay?"

She nodded and then started up the stairs with a growing frown. Her father had a point. She knew it. It was just so confusing for her to try and piece together why her parents wouldn't like him. What had he done? Why wouldn't they tell her? I better stop dwelling on it, she thought with a sudden smile. I have to get this assignment started and thinking about Ryan Godler won't make it go by any faster. She opened the door to the attic that was positioned across from Vicki's bedroom and ascended the stairs. This project would get her mind off of him. Or maybe she would think of why her parents had reacted the way they did.

Andy shook her head. She was not going to let this affect her school work. Guys weren't worth ruining her life over. She knew who she was and she was fine with that. A guy who accepted her for who she had become was not an important issue for her. I'll just go on with my life as I have done for so many years. No big deal--- Andy stopped at the top of the stairs and let a mischievous smile twinkle in her light blue eyes as they focused on Vicki's back. I can't resist this. The moment when she could scare her younger sister out of her mind was too much to pass up. No sound invaded the attic as she crept closer, her hands going out in front of her as her fingers teased the air. Not a sound. Closer. Closer. She could hear the nervous ticking of Vicki's fingernails on the trunk she sat on. The short gasps of air Vicki took into her lungs as she stared at one section of the wall nearly screamed terror.

Perfect timing.

"Are you ready?"

Vicki screeched and leaped to her feet, her eyes wide as she spun around, throwing her hands out in front of her. Andy grabbed her hands with a smile and Vicki rolled her eyes.

"I can't believe you did that! You nearly gave me a heart attack," Vicki complained as she grabbed her hands out of Andy's grasp.

Andy snickered and sat down on the trunk that Vicki had just vacated. "I'm sorry, but I just couldn't resist it. I mean, you were sitting here, in the dark, all nervous and scared... I'm sorry, Vicki. Really."

Vicki nodded reluctantly, pushed Andy off of the trunk with a gentle shove, and proceeded to lift the lid. "Well, I'll find some way of getting you back. Mark my words. For now, let's just find some good stuff for your report, or whatever it is." She sneezed as a cloud of dust rose from the lid, then rubbed her nose. "There's got to be something good in here with all this dust everywhere."

A scowl darkened Andy's normally crisp blue eyes and she ran her fingers over the rough wood of the trunk. There was something familiar about it. Something that she couldn't quite get a hold of.

"Cool."

Andy barely heard the hushed yet excited exclamation from her sister and forced herself to move around to the front of the trunk. Her eyes focused on the books and memory albums in Vicki's hands. One of the books was a large photo album bound and covered with white satin, trimmed with gold. The other was a smaller size, but just as finely decorated, this time covered with black satin and trimmed with silver.

"What do you think they are?" Vicki's voice was quiet and filled with awe as her fingers ran lightly over the soft fabric. "Do you think they're Gramms'?"

A deeper scowl wrinkled Andy's nose as she gently took the white photo album from Vicki's trembling hands. "Only one way to find out."

"Cool! Pictures." Vicki peeked over the top of Andy's shoulder and looked down at the first page of the large, white satin bound book with a wide smile. "That looks like mom. And isn't that Steven when he was a baby? I remember that head of no hair."

Andy let her face relax into a smile and laughed over the pictures the same as Vicki. They had seen only a few pictures of herself and Steven when they were babies. When they had asked their mom she had frowned in consternation and told them she couldn't remember where they were, although she had been sure they had some. They had finally left her alone because they had seen how annoyed she was with the fact that she couldn't remember where she had put them. Now the mystery was solved. The albums had been accidentally packed with the old things of their grandmas.

"Look at that," Vicki squealed with laughter. She pointed at a picture of Andy, her face smeared with spaghetti sauce as well as her hands and high chair. Apparently, Andy had been a messy eater as a child. "No wonder you don't eat pasta."

A well placed hand covered the grinning cherub face and Andy quickly turned the page. "I think that is enough of that page," she murmured with a smile. "Why don't we see if there are any scandalous pictures of you in here."

"You're no fun," Vicki pouted, but she scrambled up closer beside Andy, straining to see more pictures. "Who's that with mom?"

A frown darkened the girls' eyes and they brought the page of confusing pictures up closer to their faces. Andy's mind wandered and she traced the outline of the man's smiling face with a finger.

"I don't know who that is, Vicki, but I have this strange feeling that I've seen him before. Or, at least, I should have." Andy shook her head and turned the page again, her glare disappearing when they focused on a picture of their dad, the strange man, and their mom gathered around in a laughing circle. "Maybe he's a friend from college that they never told us about? See? They do look awfully young. And Steven was just a baby..."

Vicki nodded, but Andy just stared at the picture of the small, laughing group with a growing uneasiness in the pit of her stomach. She had a feeling that the two of them had unearthed something they shouldn't know about. Why else were these photo albums hidden away in the attic? In a trunk that gave the appearance of being as old as Steven was. Something isn't right, she thought to herself. Andy closed the book and set it aside with a mental shake. There had to be other stuff in the trunk that would help solve the mystery. The two of them just needed to be patient and look through everything with a thorough eye.

"Why don't we look through this black one?"

Andy eyed the other photo album with a raised eyebrow and then suddenly shook her head. "No. For some reason I don't want to look at any more pictures right now. Let's just look to see if there is a year book, or scrap book filled with articles, or something like that." Andy took the black photo album from Vicki's outstretched hands and set it on top of the white one. "We'll look through that one later."

Vicki shrugged. "Okay, but I don't understand what the big deal is. It's just full of photographs."

"One picture is worth a thousand words, Vicki, and I have a feeling that in that one book there is enough for a very large novel."

She dragged her eyes away and carefully reached into the trunk to pull out a well-worn cigar box. The pictures that decorated the outer covering were faded and the paper hinge that kept the lid fastened to the back side was nearly worn through.

"This has seen some better days," Andy muttered.

"Open it. Open it."

A dark look lit Andy's eyes and she carefully flipped the lid up, only to freeze when the two girls' eyes fastened on a glint of metal just inside. Andy set the box down carefully and lifted the velvet ribbon out with gentle fingers, her eyes fastening on the large, silver, heart-shaped locket that danced at the center of the navy blue ribbon.

"Wow," was all Vicki dared to breathe. She reached out a small hand and lightly fingered the locket, her eyes twinkling as the lamp light reflected off the surprisingly shiny surface. "Are there any pictures in it?"

"I don't know," Andy whispered.

She laid the ribbon in Vicki's hands with a tentative smile and then gently pried apart the two sides, her breath catching in her throat before she let it drop. Vicki gripped the velvet ribbon with a strangled cry and then sent Andy a glare.

"What's the matter with you? You could have dented it and we don't even know who it belongs to."

"It's Mamma's."

Andy's voice was a choked whisper and Vicki stared at her with wide eyes moving from her older sister's face to the locket.

"Why do you say that? If this was mom's she'd wear it. You know how she is with jewelry like this. She wears it almost all the time."

"Look inside."

Vicki shrugged and slowly opened the locket. Silence fell on them and Andy's thoughts whirled like a raging river. What was her mom doing with a locket that had another man's face in it? Why were there two photo albums hidden up here, one of which had pictures of Steven and Andy, but none of Max or Vicki. Barely any of their father, but several of this strange man who looked familiar to Andy, but who she'd never seen before in her life? What were the two sisters finding in that dusty trunk?

"So? Maybe it's her brother, or something. Come on, I want to look for more stuff." Vicki set the locket carefully back inside the worn cigar box and laid it on top of the two albums. "Andy, help me out here."

A mute nod was all Andy could handle as she hesitantly scooted closer to the trunk. Vicki was probably right. She had a talent for being right about some things that always irritated Andy. It was true that Vicki usually always came to her for advice, and talked to her about things that were flying around in her overactive mind, but then Vicki usually made her own decision. Sometimes the decisions were ones Andy wouldn't have wanted to make without talking to the parents.

"Wow," Vicki suddenly breathed.

Andy's troubled blue eyes darkened. Vicki held a brass frame in-between her trembling fingers. Covered with a thin shroud of tissue paper that easily ripped, Vicki handed it to Andy with a guilty smile.

"Here. I don't want to ruin it."

Andy swallowed hard and took it from her with an anxious glance toward the stairs that led down to the second story. "Okay. Here goes."

The tissue paper fell away and Andy's eyes widened in shock, tears making her eyes glaze. Vicki reached for the frame, but Andy jerked it away and slowly stood with a shake of her head. She couldn't let Vicki see this.

"I'm going to take this to my room so I can read it better," she whispered gruffly.

"But there's enough light to read it---"

"I said I was taking it to my room," she cut in with a sharp look.

Andy turned away and hurried down the stairs, hugging the frame to her chest as she blinked rapidly. This couldn't be happening. A sob pushed through her constricted throat and she shut her bedroom door firmly behind her. She stumbled to her oak vanity and sat down with a choked sob as she set the framed parchment down in front of her. She traced the first name with her finger, careful not to flake the ink. It read: Elizabeth Anne Archer. Her mother. But on the second line was a name she had never seen before. Douglas Michael Lyn.

"My father?" she asked in a harsh whisper.

But how could that be? Her father was Mark Robert Modine. She was sure of it. How could she have been wrong for so many years? Why hadn't her mother ever told her she had been married before? Did they get divorced, or did he die, or was he... Andy shook her head and hid her face in her hands. All this time she had been so sure of who she was. How could she go through the rest of her life as if nothing had happened? This wasn't fair. It wasn't fair of her mom to hide a part of her past.

I had a right to know.

There was a slight knock on the door and Andy heard it slowly open as she quickly wiped the tears off her face. "What do you want," she asked softly.

"I wanted to know what I did to make you mad. Did I break it?"

"I'm sorry for snapping at you, Vicki. I... I didn't realize what I was doing."

"So it's not broken?"

"No. It's not broken." She heard Vicki's sigh of relief and couldn't hide the wry smile that twisted her lips as her dark eyes opened again. The frame wasn't broken, but her life would never be the same.

"Can I see what it is?"

Andy shook her head and turned the frame over without a second blink. She wanted to talk to their mom before Vicki saw it. What would it do to her younger sister to find out they weren't as close as they had thought they once were? How would that affect the trust that Andy had already felt dwindling?

"Why not? It's not fair. You wanted me to help, so I did. Now you won't let me see what you've found." Vicki stepped closer and reached for the frame. "I want to see what it is."

Vicki's voice was firm, but so was the hand that grabbed her wrist. Vicki's eyes widened as she stared at her sister.

"I said no, Vicki. Leave it at that." Andy's voice would have been gentle if it hadn't been for the blackness of her eyes. "Will you please go back up to the attic and get the scrapbook, both photo albums, and that locket?" She released Vicki's wrist, but continued to hold her gaze with dark eyes. "Don't argue please. Just do it."

Vicki rubbed her wrist, her face twisting into a slight scowl before she turned and made her way out of the room. Andy let out a ragged breath which caught in a sob just as the phone on the bedside table rang. Andy stood with a sad shaking of her head before she picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Hi, beautiful."

A slight smile tickled the corner of her mouth and her eyes returned to their normal light blue. "Hi yourself, Ryan." She brushed her hair out of her eyes and slowly sat on the edge of her bed. "What's up?"

"Nothing much, I was just hoping you and I could meet at the mall. Sound like a plan to live by?"

"Ryan, you know what my parents say about meeting by ourselves----"

"We wouldn't be alone," he cut in with a soft tone. "Think about it, Annie. It's the mall. Hundreds of people."

"I think that's a technicality included in the ruling."

"Oh, come on. I thought you liked adventure. This isn't like you, Annie."

Andy let the smile dwindle and closed her eyes shut tight. He didn't know the half of it. "Ryan, I'm really sorry, but I'm not feeling very good today. Could we put this off until later. I know Christmas Vacation starts next Monday, but...."

"Don't worry about it. You're still going to ask your parents about going skiing with the ski club, right?"

Andy nodded. "Yes, I'm still planning on doing that. Just... Just let me relax this week. Okay?"

"Sure, Annie, but you better ask them quick because we leave this coming Saturday. I don't want them mad at you because you waited until the last minute."

Andy heard his gentle laugh and laid back on the bed with a hand over her eyes as she cleared her mind. "They already know I want to go, but they wanted to discuss it amongst themselves for a few days."

"Okay, then. See you later, beautiful."

"Bye."

Andy clicked the phone down and let out a sigh that seemed to tear out her lungs. She hoped that her parents let her go on the skiing week. It was exactly what she needed. To get away where she could think. A heavy knock sounded and Andy turned her head. Vicki stood in the doorway with a slight scowl still darkening her face. Andy sighed and changed her gaze back to the ceiling.

"There are your stupid books that you wanted."

Andy heard the loud slam when Vicki dropped them on the bedside table and let out another sigh. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Please don't mention it," Vicki snapped slightly.

Andy heard the door slam and closed her eyes, letting the tears come.