5 Game Addiction

The Crawford Shopping Center lived up to its reputation as one of the biggest shopping complexes in the country. It was still only nine in the morning, but there were already a lot of people busy with their shopping. Andrea dragged the two children towards the clothing stores. She began to dress them in various clothes.

The eyes of the salesladies became excited when they saw the pretty young girl and the angelic boy start a mini fashion show with the help of Andrea's coaxing. Ciel and Kate were quite helpless against Andrea.

She started taking pictures of them using Heinz's camera as they tried the different clothes that she personally picked for them. They had no choice but to strike poses as the giggling mother took their pictures.

The pitiful bodyguards that came along became the bag carriers as the trio bought things left, right, and center. Heinz did a good job as their chaperone and complimented the 'three kids' for their outstanding tastes. Unfortunately, this prompted them to buy more.

Andrea was not worried about the bill because she was using her husband's credit card so the sky was the limit. Since her husband was working hard to earn money, it was only natural for her as his wife to spend it. This was Andrea's reasoning and she didn't feel guilty about it. Not one tiny bit. Women were scary, especially when they hold grudges.

"Did you receive any news from my parents?" Andrea asked Heinz while the two kids were changing clothes.

Heinz just finished talking to someone on his mobile phone and Andrea assumed that it was her parents who made the call. "Yes, they're starting to prepare the venue, My Lady," Heinz replied. "So far, things are going according to plan."

"That's good. I want everything to be perfect. After all, this is a special day."

"The Sir, and the Madam, are doing their best. With their help, success is guaranteed." Heinz reassured her. "We only need to do our part, My Lady."

Yes, they only need to keep the kids away from the manor until the preparations were finished.

"When the kids return we are going to watch a movie," Andrea said, excitedly. "It's been a while since I watched a movie on the big screen."

"My Lady, I heard that the latest animated film from Disney was good. If I remember correctly, the title was The Land Before Time: The Stone of Cold Fire. I'm sure the kids will love it."

"Eh? Why would we watch that kiddy show? I was planning to watch 'Final Destination' with them. I've been waiting for it for months. Nothing is going to stop me from watching it."

Heinz almost choked when he heard Andrea's plan. He lightly coughed to hide his embarrassment. Letting the kids watch a horror film? What about age restrictions? Are they even allowed to watch it in the first place?

Various questions appeared in the butler's head, however he swat them away immediately. He would not allow Ciel and Kate to watch Final Destination. His lips twitched as he imagined the scene of the two kids leaving the movie theater with the eyes of a dead fish. If that were to happen, then everything they had prepared for today would be all for naught.

"My Lady, please reconsider." Heinz pleaded. "A movie like that is not suitable for young audiences. The young master, and young lady might have nightmares after watching that show. Can your conscience allow that to happen?"

Andrea pressed her lips together. She didn't understand why Heinz was being unreasonable. Isn't it just a movie? What's so scary about watching a movie? Isn't it just a work of fiction?

Heinz forgot that Andrea was the type that liked to 'act before she thinks'. She could be very stubborn at times and the way she viewed things was sometimes different from other people.

You could even say that common sense didn't apply to her. She liked to do things her way without thinking about the consequences. This attitude of hers had landed Heinz and Vincent in all sorts of trouble in the past. It was always their job to clean up after her mess.

"Heinz, what's so bad about Final Destination? It teaches people to be careful so that they don't accidentally die." Andrea decided to use proper reasoning to make Heinz understand. "If you are careful, and observe your surroundings, you will be able to live longer. Besides, it's just a fictional movie and not a true story."

"My Lady, that movie is meant for adults. There are scenes that are not appropriate for young children to watch," Heinz countered using proper logic. "If they were a bit older then perhaps they would be able to appreciate it. However, they are still young."

Andrea was still unconvinced. That just proves how stubborn she was.

"Oh? You also said the same thing when I brought Ciel to watch Jurassic Park," Andrea smiled sweetly. "My baby liked the movie very much. He wasn't even afraid of the T-Rex. You worry too much, Heinz."

"My Lady, Jurassic Park and Final Destination are very different from each other." Heinz had no intention of backing down. "If you really insist on watching Final Destination, then I will accompany the young master and young lady to watch the Disney Movie. We'll meet up afterward. What do you think, My Lady?"

Heinz was prepared to make a compromise. For the sake of the children, he was willing to take a step back and allow Andrea to watch Final Destination by herself.

"I think you're worrying too much." Andrea pouted. "Let's ask the kids when they get here. Let them decide for themselves."

A few minutes later, the group headed for the cinema. Andrea managed to convince Ciel to watch Final Destination. Although Kate was afraid of horror movies, she would accompany Ciel wherever he went. Andrea had a smug look on her face as she gave Heinz the see-I-told-you expression.

Heinz held back a sigh and didn't say anything. The movie was 'Rated R' which meant anyone under 17 was not allowed to watch it, unless they were accompanied by adults. Since Andrea and Heinz were there, the kids were allowed to enter the movie theatre.

When the movie started, Kate held Ciel's hand. She would not admit it, but she's not good with horror stories. Ciel knew that Kate was a scaredy cat and felt her anxiousness. He gripped her hand tightly to reassure her that he was here for her.

Heinz watched the movie with mild interest. He almost laughed out loud when he saw the reaction of the trio during a scene where the main character was reading a Penthouse Magazine, and on the page was a shirtless woman.

Ciel immediately covered Kate's eyes, and Andrea covered Ciel's. Although the scene only lasted for a few seconds, it still showed how protective the mother and son pair were. Heinz frowned because the movie was filled with abusive and coarse language that was not suitable for children.

Just as Heinz predicted, Kate's eyes were closed during some of the bloody scenes as she desperately hugged Ciel's arm for comfort (a soft whimper escaped her lips during the kitchen scene). Ciel, on the other hand, didn't particularly liked or disliked the movie.

He made sure to hold Kate's hand and hugged her during the scary parts (especially during the kitchen scene). As for Andrea, she seemed a bit disappointed. She was expecting something more, but sadly, it didn't meet her expectations.

When the movie ended, the group went to a restaurant to eat. Kate didn't order any meat dishes, and Ciel followed suit. Andrea was about to order a steak, but changed her mind halfway. Hence, they had salads, sandwiches (no meat added), and desserts for lunch.

Ciel knew that Kate still hadn't recovered from watching the movie so he took her to the arcade. It was there where they saw a group of people dancing on a machine. The two of them got curious and went to check it out.

The game was called Dancing Stage (Dance Dance Revolution), and the two children were soon hooked by what they saw. After two songs, the dancers stepped down and no one else took their place.

Andrea and Heinz glanced at each other and knew that this was a good opportunity to help Kate get over her fright from the movie. The two combined forces and coaxed the two children to try it out.

Ciel was very perceptive and understood his mother's goal. He took charge of the situation and held Kate's hand, guiding her to the dance machine.

At first, Kate was embarrassed because there were a lot of people watching them. The crowd cheered when they saw the pretty girl and handsome boy step on top of the dance machine. Since both of them were beginners, Ciel chose the songs with lower difficulty first.

Both of them made a few mistakes, but it didn't take long before the two of them were following the beat of the music. Andrea and Heinz cheered and clapped with the crowd as the two kids finished their first song.

Ironically, Ciel and Kate got addicted to the Dancing Stage. They even went as far as to challenge the difficult songs after their initial embarrassment had faded away. Andrea was also itching to give it a go, but Heinz held her back.

"Why are you stopping me?"

"Let the two of them have their fun first."

"How about my fun?" Andrea pouted. "Heinz, you're forgetting that I'm your employer. Why are you always getting in my way?"

"It's not like I'm getting in your way, My Lady," Heinz replied. "I just want you to listen to my idea first."

"Mmm? This better be good."

"My Lady, I think it would be best if we…"

Heinz proposed that they purchase their own dance machine and install it at the manor. Andrea liked the idea very much and immediately assigned the butler to contact the game supplier and have the machine delivered as soon as possible.

Little did they know that this decision of theirs would not only make the two children happy, but would also cause Andrea's parents to get addicted and join the Dance Dance Revolution Craze.

But that is another story for another time.