The beginning
In Vallejo,California lived the Simmons and the Harrington families. Val Simmons and Georgie Harrington became friends while in their teens. Val went on some of their vacations with them. Richard Harrington was a well to do black man. He and his wife Victoria built their business together. When they moved to Vallejo, they bought a large home on a quiet street.
The Simmons ' a white family, lived a couple of blocks away in a duplex. Val lived with her mother and step dad and his son, Paul and their daughter Rachel one side. Val's mom Patricia worked as a free lance reporter. Robert , her step dad last name was the same as her own dad's -Simmons.
Val's dad, Joel married Brooke, a fashion model. They lived in the other half of the duplex. They had no children together.
While in High school Georgie and her other friend , Bonnie started modeling. It was around this time that Georgie suggested that Val open a small shop where she could sell her original (self-designed) cotton blankets. So with Georgie's help that's what Val did. Val named the place, This N That. She sold her blankets, which the kids bought and used for dresses, her paintings, baseball cards, puzzles, games and magazines, that sometimes featured Georgie and Bonnie. The shop was open after school until 6:30 P.M. Val eventually bought Georgie's interest in the shop.