Thursday, January 10, 2013

Barbie & Ken: The Untold Story


Note: Enter BarbieWorld, where everything is materialistic and fake like mainstream pop culture.

       Barbie and Ken Dall are the latest Hollywood “It” couple of the 21st century! To what do we owe this honor, you say?
       Well, besides Barbie being a typical girly girl who has a mean tomboyish streak since she grew up among boys being the only girl in the family, she knows how to pull a prank or two on boys and has an undying love for sports. But she still loves to dress up-she calls it ‘playing dress up,’ looking for hotties cause she wanted to blend in with her gal pals in her hot pink convertible; the license of her convertible has her name on it. She loves to think the best in people.
       To look the perfect size 0, she has gone on crash diets, which includes taking diet pills. She has an eating disorder. She has gone from a size 4 to a size 0 but at what cost? All her life growing up, her family, friends,  even her peers told her she needed plastic surgery. She has had everything imaginable-you name it, she done it.
But since marrying her lifelong boyfriend, Ken, six months ago, she has devoted all her time to him and their 2.5 children (actually 2 children). I know this may be a little old-fashioned, but she is a stay-at-home mom while Ken brings home the bacon.
All of a sudden, one day, while talking on the phone with her BFF, Stacy (short for Anastacia) put the thought in her head that she should do something more with her life like get a job or give back to the community.
Stacy calls her everyday just to pester her, but today Barbie could really used the pick-me-up since she’s been so depressed lately ever since she lost her position as a teacher aide at her youngest’s preschool.
“Don’t you feel claustrophobic sometimes?” asked Stacy who works as an accountant.
“Yes, I do. But what can I do?”
“Why don’t you go look for a job on Craigslist or something? Volunteer at Bunny’s (the youngest) school. I don’t know.”
“Okay, I will do just that!” exclaimed Barbie.
“Atta girl!” Stacy praised. “Tell about it when you get back.”


Several days later, Barbie got a job! But instead of using her first name on her application, which she knows people won’t take seriously, she decides to use her middle name, Candice. She decides not to use her last name either; she uses her mother’s maiden name, which is Hart. In the professoional world, she is now known as Candice Hart. Her husband, Ken, is displeased with this when he finds out. When he finds out, there is hell to pay.
“Why did you take your middle name and your mother’s maiden name?”
“I thought it would be more professional that way,” Barbie said meekly.
“Are you ashamed of me? Is that it?” yelled Ken.
“Don’t be that way, Ken,” said Barbie soothingly, trying to placate him. “You know I love you.” 
“Well I don’t feel the love right now,” Ken said, keeping his cool, taking his jacket out of the closet and walking out of the door.
What have I done? commiserated Barbie, twisting a ringlet of platinum blonde hair around her finger. All my life I tried to be prefect, but where does that get me? Nowhere! I guess beauty is only skin deep after all.
Barbie decides to call her BFF, Stacy for advice. She calls up Stacy, who is with her boyfriend Ranger, at the moment, in tears. They are sleeping together in their penthouse after having full-on sex when she receives the call from Barbie.
“K-k-k-Ken- he walked out on me,” gasped Barbie by this time in hysterics
“Slow down, girl,” advised Stacy. “Do you want me to come over?”
“What’s wrong now?” mumbled Ranger in his sleep.
They are both used to these calls by now. Barbie and Ken aren’t all that cookie-cutter, picture-perfect as a couple. What lies beneath all that perfect exterior is a lot of messed-up craziness in that marriage. Only close friends and family know about the trials and tribulations they go through. Although they’re famous (make that infamous), they have no qualms about being on a reality show; only thing is they hate the media and how they’ll be judged if they were to be on a reality show.
Stacy comes over to Barbie’s Malibu condo she share with Ken but since Ken is probably out busily getting drunk at some dive bar, she’s safe from his violent temper. And you don’t want to be around when he comes home drunk.
Before he fell into a deep depression over losing his job of 5 years, on his downtime, he would go surfing. Tall, lean, muscular with a surfer’s body, he has sun-bleached blond hair and a carefree attitude about life. Being born with asilver spoon in his mouth, he worked very little until his parents cut him off over his all-night partying, which consisted of all-night drink binges and doing drugs. His parents gave him many warnings before-there was even an intervention but to no avail. (like ‘if you don’t shape up, we’re gonna cut you off)
After he was cut off, he went into rehab and now he no longer takes drugs. But ever since he was laid off from his job, she has been enabling him, feeding his drinking and drug habit. She gets her money from her very rich parents, the Cues, who has their very own real estate company for the stars. They often said that they’re ‘the real estate agents to the stars,’ selling million, sometimes billion homes a year.
Ever since Ken lost his job at a private, local construction company for faulty wiring nonetheless, he has been taking his anger out on Barbie. He also has been frequenting all these dive bars; every time a different one. By the time he leaves the bar, he is so unwelcome  to come back anymore because he is stinking drunk. But Barbie has been tolerating him, listening to him freeload  about him losing his job and not being able to go to his parents for money anymore. Now Barbie is at the end of her line.

It has been several months since there has been income coming into the Dalls’ home, so it is up to Barbie to get a job.
       When Stacy reaches the Dalls residence, she lets herself in. Barbie gives Stacy a key since she helps her through thick and thin and feels she could be trusted.
       “What happened, sweetcakes?”
       Her maid has moved her from the living room floor to the loveseat, which she is now curled up in a fetal position, crying her eyes out, her makeup streaking down face and making a general mess of the upholstered loveseat.
       “She’s been cryin’ for the last half hour. Poor dear,” said her maid Doria. Her maid used to be her nanny. “She’s afraid that loser Ken won’t come back but come back he will. Probably to wreck havoc on this household.”
       “Thanks for watching her for me.”
       “No problem,” said Doria. “Your debt is mine. She could be my daughter,” leaving the two friends alone. 
 “C’mon, let’s clean you up,” said Stacy, pulling Barbie gently to her feet. 
As Stacy leads her slowly to the bathroom to wash, she put her arm around her shoulders.
When they return, Barbie is as clean as a whistle physically, but emotionally she is in turmoil. Ken has never laid a hand on her even when he is drunk. He only used horrible words against her, more like verbal abuse, if you want to get technical. He has called her every derogatory name in the book that she lost all of her self-confidence, her self-worth. Even her self-esteem is at an all-time low. Poor thing.
“Why were you crying? What happened?”
“I-I-I g-g-got a job,” said Barbie, breaking down again.
“That’s good news, isn’t it?”
“Y-y-yes, but you haven’t heard the worst part: I changed my name. Used my middle name and my mother’s maiden name instead of Barbie Dall.
“Oh, I get it,” said Stacy, realization dawning in her eyes. “He found out about it and storm off.”
“Why don’t you come stay at my place for awhile till things cool down? Bring the kids along. They love hanging out at my place.”
“They do, don’t they? No way am I turning down that job! ”
“Who says you have to turn down anything?” said Stacy gently. “All I’m saying is, stay at my place for awhile till things cool down between you and Ken, then if not we’ll see how it goes.”
“Are you suggesting I dump him?”
“We’ll see how it goes,” Stacy cajoled.
“All right, but just for a few days.” Barbie finally relented. “I’ve got to go to work Monday.  C’mon, kids, let’s go! Daddy will be mad when he gets home; we don’t want that, do we?,” rousing the kids up
“Do we have to?” said Darien. “I’m tired,” rubbing his eyes sleepily. “Is Daddy mad at you?”
       “No, what makes you say that?”
       “I heard a lot of yelling.”
       “No we were just having a discussion,” Barbie said, packing some of the kids’ stuff.
       “Are we going somewhere?”
       “We’ll be staying with Stacy for a few days.”
       “Why?”
       “Because I said so. Now get a move on while I pack Bunny’s stuff.”
“Okay, we’ll go in my car,” said Stacy. She has a cobalt blue Corvette
“First let me pack a few things before we go.”
“No need, you can borrow some of my stuff.”
“Oh, no, he’s back!” Barbie said worriedly.
“I know, let’s go out that the back.”
“Okay, hurry up.”
Ken is turning the knob on the door when the girls ran out back hustling the kids out..
One thing for sure, Ken has never met any of Barbie’s friends and vice versa. So it’s highly unlikely that Ken knows what Stacy’s car looks like.
“Hello, Babs? Kids?” Ken called to the empty house (well, with the exception of Doria). “I’m sorry I ran out on you like that. Let’s make up.”
After calling Barbie’s name for awhile, Ken decides to talk to Doria to see if she knows where his wife went.
“Don’t ask me, all I do here is work here. I don’t get into anybody’s business and nobody gets into mine” was the reply.
After Ken turns away, Doria smiles secretly, thinking, Serves him right for treating her this way.

With the kids away at sleep-away camp, Barbie & Stacy have a mini-slumber party. Ranger is crashing at a buddy of his.
“I haven’t had this much fun since before I met Ken!”
“Remember, we’re not supposed to mention him tonight.”
“Yea, out with old, in with the new!” Barbie called out. “Let’s go snag us some arm candy tomorrow night.”
“But you’re married and I’m with Ranger.”
“You’re right, Ken is a loser.”
“Well we can go clubbing, dance the night away-have a girls’ night out with the old crowd! It doesn’t have to do with guys.”

“Okay, okay, okay, enough wine. I think you’re crazy drunk.” Stacy said. ‘
As soon as Stacy takes the bottle away, Barbie is zoned out on the sofa. Quietly, she covers her with the shawl that is draped on the sofa, turning off the light as she left the room.

       On Monday morning, she felt hungover still from Friday’s night little slumber party. Sunday was a quiet day, acting like a third wheel on a date with Stacy and Ranger. They’ve popcorn and sodas, no alcohol, not even spiked soda. Boring!
       She is prepared to work under her given name, Candice Hart. The first time she is called Candice she didn’t acknowledge it until the person called her several times, then she remembers, she is Candice Hart!
She doesn’t have a old cubicle like other employees; she has her own office being the Executive Assistant to CEO of Mattel John Jonero. She even have her own secretary. Cool, right? It gets better. She gets all-access pass to the CEO’s limousine, his home, which is a mansion, of course that’s cause she has to housesit from time to time. Whenever she housesits for him, she gets to use the amenities, which include a library, a full-size theatre with surround sound, an Olympic-sized pool that has a Jacuzzi and sauna. Not only that, there is a stable of purebred (of course) horses and ponies. There’s also a tennis court. There’s also a huge grand ballroom for dances. In the grand entrance of the mansion is a statue of the mythological Greek god Zeus, the mightiest of them all reeling a lightning bolt. The CEO welcomes her to invite friends over to have parties and such; she wouldn’t need to clean up after a party-he has servants to do it. Oh yea, BTW did I mention the house has 7 rooms?! Lucky number 7!  
       Although CEO Jonero is unmarried, he is a playboy. He is a fine foxy fella. He is tall dark and handsome (J/k) No, really. He is muscular with a six-pack and is bronzed to nth degree. Not only that, he is tall and has the most aristocratic nose ever with the bluest-almost aqua-eyes ever.
       The first time Barbie saw Jonero, she was burning with lust, but she kept her emotions in check (though she flirted innocently with him).
       She started wearing makeup again. She stopped ever since she gotten married to that loser Ken.
       “You’ve nice blue eyes,” she purred flirtatiously, lowering her long eyelashes.
       “Actually they’re slate gray,” Jonero said, looking her up and down. “Depending on the weather.”
       “You can have any color you want them to be,” Barbie purred, putting her hand on his arm.
       “Girl, you’re way too young for me!”
       Love in grand scheme of things is a mish-mash of trouble.
      

Barbie still stays at Stacy’s house. Though Ken knows Stacy, he doesn’t know where she lives, which is a good thing because she doesn’t want to be around his temper anymore; she wants Jonero now. There’s always rain on Barbie’s parade-this time it’s Ken, who still has her cell phone number, so what does he do? He keeps calling her and calling her ceaselessly, so what does she do? She changes her cell phone carrier from AT&T to Verizon. But before she does that, she texts Ken, “Im dvorcing u.” Then she went to City Hall to file divorce papers, stating the reason as ‘irreconcilable differences.’ Within days, she hears back from the courthouse. The divorce papers went through-all it needs is a signature from Ken, her soon-to-be former spouse.
       When the mail delivery service delivers the divorce papers, Ken apparently isn’t home at the moment. However, when he gets home, he goes ballistic! I’m ain’t gonna sign this, Ken thought. I’ve got to get a lawyer to see if this is legit. Gotta get me a pro-bono lawyer.”
       So he goes to the courthouse to seek out a pro-bono divorce lawyer. After his lawyer, R. Guttenberg, looks at the divorce papers, he said, “I’m afraid these divorce papers are legit. Your wife has served you with divorce papers. If you don’t want to go to divorce court, just give her what she wants.”
       “Never!” Ken shouted. “I still love her! Listen, you get me to talk to her to see things my way.
       “No can do,” Guttenberg denied the request. “The divorce denies you contact with her.”
       “That whore!” shouted Ken. “She probably has a boyfriend on the side.”
       “So what have you decided?” Guttenberg asked.
       “Go to divorce court!” yelled Ken. “Tell her I’ll see her in court!”
       Guttenberg told Barbie’s lawyer-the best, most powerful lawyer in town-named Jane-Kate Jameson that they’re going to divorce court. Since Barbie has one of Hollywood’s most powerful, top-notch lawyers in all of Hollywood, Guttenberg and Ken didn’t have a chance of prayer!
       Ken refuses to withdraw from going into divorce court even after hearing that Barbie has a world-famous legal team behind her, introduced to her by Jonero. This legal team has helped many different kinds celebrities through civil and criminal cases.
       On their first day of court, which is the first time they’ve seen each other since Barbie moved out of their Malibu condo and into Stacy’s place.
       “I love ya, Babs,” Ken pleaded desperately.
       “Well, you’ve got a funny way of showing it!” Barbie fumed angrily, turning away from him.
       “Please don’t go through with this. I’ll do anything.”
       “Can you believe how pathetic he is?” Barbie whispered to one of her lawyers.
       “Can you at least let me see the kids?” Ken continued as Barbie ignored him. “I’ll bet Darien and Bun-Bun miss me.”
       At this, Barbie turned to Ken furiously, “I wouldn’t let you see Darien and Bunny if you were their last living relative. I’m suing you for sole custody of the kids. I refuse to be your enabler, you got that?!”
       “Well, we’ll just see about that, won’t we?” Ken said cockily.
       When Barbie heard from her lawyers that they’ll have to dig up everything on Ken, she was all for it, saying, “Why not? It’s not like there’s nothing I don’t have anything to lose.”

       While Barbie’s lawyers were busily working to find out about Ken’s past. To worry about her kids and the divorce, Barbie herself continued her day job as Executive Assistant to the CEO of Mattel but was unable to flirt.
Several months later, her lawyers find out everything in Ken’s past that she needs to know. Oh yeah, all the sordid details. Every last one. She finds all the ‘ladies,’ more like whores, he’s been with. The list was longer than her arm!
“Are these the list of the girls who are friends with him or were intimate with him?” Barbie asked.
“Don’t be so naïve, Barbie!” admonished Bailey, her private investigator who did the background check on Ken. “These girls are his friends, all right. More like friends with benefits.”
“Omigod!” exclaimed Barbie. “These girls aren’t ladies-these girls are whores! So he’s been sleeping around with these whores?”
“It has been confirmed,” said Bailey, nodding his head soberly.
“I’ll drag his name through the mud! I’ll slander him!”
“Okay, okay,” Bailey said, putting his hand on her arm in order to appease Barbie. “Calm down.”
“I can’t calm down!” Barbie yelled, shaking his hand off her arm. “I’ll ensure him that he’ll never ever see the kids again! Oh no! What if-what if he gave me STIs? I gotta go get tested,” said Barbie frantically. “But who’ll watch the kids? Stacy isn’t home yet.” She looked at Bailey pleadingly.
“No, no way, I’m not watching your kids! I hate kids!” Bailey said hurriedly, practically running out the door. “Besides, I gotta go back to work!”
“Fine,” said Barbie. “I’ll just find someone else to look after the kids.”
“Hey Stac,” called Barbie as soon as she got ahold of her at her work, “I have to go out for a moment. Who would be a good sitter for the kids?”
“Why do you have to go out?”
After Barbie explained the situation, Stacy though it over, “There’s Old Ms Groheimer, 2 doors down from me who babysits her grandkids when their parents are at work. Your kids can play with her grandkids.”
Stacy would love to badmouth Ken, but ever the levelheaded young woman that she is, she remains firm, reasonable and sensible and a good friend to Barbie in her time of need.

Barbie places the kids in the care of Old Ms Groheimer, who turned out to be a trusty old woman with countless of grandkids because she has countless of kids herself. She also has 2 dogs, a beautiful tabby kitten.
Barbie goes to the free clinic. Upon learning that all tests and consultations are confidential and free, she was all for it. She did an all-out STIs test, testing to see if you have every single STI known to existence.

2 weeks later-
Barbie received a call from the free clinic to come down to get the results. Upon arrival, she heard that she needed more testing. But this time she needn’t wait 2 weeks for results.
“Do you have kids?” the clinician asked.
“Yes,” replied Barbie. “What of it?”
“Because you got gonorrhea,” the clinican replied. “But it’s perfectly curable.” With that, the clinician turned away leaving Barbie all alone.

By the time, she has picked up the kids from Old Ms Groheimer and reached Stacy’s place, tears are brimming in her eyes.
“Why are you crying, mommy?” asked Bunny her youngest
“Leave mom alone,” Darien said. “She had a bad day.”
“Go play, you guys,” Barbie told them. “I’m gonna cook dinner while I wait for Stacy to come home.”
When Stacy comes home, she listens like the good friend she is.
“But who are you gonna have kids with if you’re divorcing him?”
“I might eventually have more kids in the future.”
      “You know, you could sue that jerk for emotional distress,” suggested Stacy gently.
       “No, I just want sole custody of the kids. I don’t want to put the kids through that.”
       “Quit thinking about others, but what about you? What do you want?”
       “I just want him out of my life, a nice fresh start, to have the past wipe clean.”
       “That’s easier said than done, girl,” said Stacy sympathetically, touching Barbie’s arm gently with her hand.

       The next day Barbie went to the courthouse to get a restraining order against her ex-husband, Ken to stay away from her and their kids, Bunny and Darien because she’s afraid she might harm them although the only person he has harmed in the past was her. Ken has never laid a single hand on the kids, not even to molest them. But Barbie is afraid he might take out his anger on the kids and who knows what might happened then?
       Since he had a pro-bono lawyer and she had a full professional team of lawyers, there is no doubt to everyone closest to them to who would win. Obviously, Barbie wins. But it isn’t enough. She didn’t want revenge. She just wants sole custody of the kids. Because of the wonderful legal team she has, she is granted immediate sole custody of the kids without dragging it through the court. They settle it out of court.
       Although Barbie is granted sole custody of the kids, she wants to keep the restraining order intact against her ex-husband, Ken. She is fearful that Ken might come after her and the kids, so she decides to move without telling anyone. If she tells anyone, it’ll get back to Ken, then he’ll come after them and possibly kill ‘em.
The only person she told was Stacy whom she trusts with her life.

       Ken hasn’t seen or heard from Barbie in days and even weeks. Not unusual since there is a restraining order against him to stay away from Barbie. And Ken knew Stacy knew where Barbie is. Stacy wouldn’t say even though Ken cajoles her, acts aggressive towards her and obnoxious towards her. For days, he would harass Stacy till there is no end.
       At the end, he threatened, “I’m gonna tear you from limb to limb if you don’t tell me where she is. I know you know where she is.”
       To Stacy, mum’s the word if she wants to keep Barbie safe from the low-lifes of Ken Dall.
       He left as quickly as he came. As soon as he leaves, however, Stacy quickly calles Tulsa, where Barbie moved to. She always wanted to live in the countryside.

       Brring brring brring! The sound of the phone is echo-y in the small ranch villa since Barbie was working online at home while her kiddies are at school. Of course, they have to go the free local public school.
       “Babs’ Office & Retail,” answered Barbie chirpily. Even though Ken called her Babs, the nickname didn’t invoked any bad memories. As a child, her parents called her Babs and occasionally her closest pals did too. Her platinum blonde locks changed back to its original color: red. Yep, guys n’ dolls, Barbie was originally once a redhead.
       “Hi baby,” whispered Stacy. “How are doin’?”
       “Why are we whispering?” Ba said softly.
       “Because he’s outside, watching, waiting for my next move. He’s stalking me. Why, oh, why did you leave me with him? He knows I know where you are.”
       “Just stand your ground,” said Barbie quietly and thoughtfully. “Don’t let him push you around. Look, the kiddies are back. I’ll talk to you later. ‘Bye”
       Barbie is trying to remove everything from her old life. Including her bestie, Stacy.
       “Wanna go get some ice cream, kids?!”
       “What are you up to, Mom?” asked Darien suspiciously
       “We’re going into town to change my phone for a brand-new one. Will that be fun?!”
       “But how’ll Stacy contact us in case of an emergency?”
       “Forget her, will you, kid?” said Barbie in annoyance. “I just want you kids to have a whole brand-new life, is all.”
       “Okay, I agreed, Mom,” Darien said. “We should have new start cos we’re living in a new town, and we’re”-pulling his sister closer-“makin’ new friends. I don’t see why you shouldn’t either.”
       “Thanks for understanding, guys!” Barbie said, hugging all of his eight-year-old self to her. “Maybe you should get a phone also.”
       After Barbie got a new phone with a different phone number, she really did gave Darien, being the oldest and all, a cell phone of his own.


~The End~



                                       
Ranger-Stacy  Barbie-Ken
                                /
                                              Darien 8, Bunny 6

                        








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