CHUCK VS AN EXTREMELY NEW BEGINNING
EPISODE 1: THE BEGINNING OF A BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP
SANTA MONICA PIER / SANTA MONICA, CA
JULY 1999
It's another beautiful July day in sunny Southern California. Temperatures in the mid-80's and gentle sea breezes coming off the Pacific Ocean combine to create a nearly perfect early afternoon. Locals and tourists alike are taking advantage and flocking to the beaches along the coastline. Whether it's walking along the boardwalk or enjoying other attractions around the area, there's no shortage of places to see and ways to have a good time at the famous Santa Monica Pier.
17-year-old Chuck Bartowski ignores the hustle and bustle of all those around him, enjoying peaceful solitude and watching the waves at his usual sitting spot on the beach jetty. Although Chuck's alone at the pier today, he's thinking about how often he comes here with his childhood best friend Morgan Grimes. The two often spend hours on end at their favorite spot, PLAYLAND ARCADE.
Chuck's thoughts turn to a less happy subject, his older sister Ellie. He loves her dearly, at least in part because she's been the only parental figure in his life since their parents disappeared a few years ago. Although Chuck feels their love is strong, he has no trouble finding things about his sister that annoy him greatly.
For instance, Ellie comes off as a control freak with a bossy attitude, especially where Morgan is concerned. Chuck thinks of Morgan as the little brother he never had, while Ellie harbors an extreme dislike for him. Ellie gets over bearing; constantly pushing Chuck to grow up and stop playing video games with Morgan all the time. She has no problem letting him know that she doesn't approve of how much time he and Morgan spend at the Santa Monica Pier.
Besides that, she has a knack for figuring out if Chuck's hiding something from her. When she thinks he is, Ellie goes into her "interrogation-mode". Chuck knows she won't stop until he bares his soul to her satisfaction.
At that, Chuck had a happy thought. Thankfully, Ellie's at school right now with her "awesome boyfriend", Devon Woodcombe. They are both finishing up at UCLA Medical.
Chuck banished those thoughts from his mind. He came to the pier alone today so he could sit in his thinking spot and work on his five-year plan. As the first step in his plan, he has always dreamed of going to Stanford. That is about to become reality. He will start there next month.
Chuck plans on getting his Bachelors of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from Stanford. After graduation, he will start up a software company, making video games to pay for the research and development arm of his company. That side will design and produce computer systems that are more affordable for the public than anything now available. He will get those computer systems placed in school systems to help increase children's education levels. After all, knowledge is power and the more you know the better.
Chuck jokingly thought to himself that he should choose a bigger font for his plan, then returned to thinking about how much education he might need. He's not sure if he wants to further his education after getting his undergraduate degree; it's possible he will need to do so to accomplish his goals. A Masters will be extra work, but will also increase the number of places available for. Why stop at a Masters, when a Ph.D. could open even more doors?
Chuck stopped that train of thought and decided he will cross that bridge when he gets to it. In the meantime, it's back to thinking about taking over the world one day at a time. Deciding he can't take over the world with an empty stomach, he decides to visit a snack bar. Making his way to his feet, he begins walking toward the boardwalk.
Suddenly, a strong voice yelled out, "Dude! Heads up!"
The call definitely got Chuck's attention. In his peripheral vision, he noticed a group playing beach football, but all he could focus on was the football coming right at his head. His eyes got wide as he realized he is not gifted with great athleticism and tends to be clumsy by nature. Before he could properly process all those thoughts, he realized that by some miracle, he caught the ball!
Still reeling from the shock of actually catching the football, he neither saw nor felt the impact that took him to the sand. It was seconds later that Chuck realized he had been tackled by someone clearly smaller than himself. He finally realized It was a girl, and that she was apologizing for accidentally tackling him.
The girl's voice was gentle and full of concern, "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"
Chuck was stunned by how beautiful she was. It was hard to tell with her laying on top of him, but he guessed she was somewhere around 5'10". Her hair was short and curly black. What he really noticed was her hypnotic blue eyes that were shining like a pair of diamonds. At that moment, he was sure he just passed on to the after-life.
She gave him a radiant smile that melted his heart. He silently thanked the heavens that he was already on the ground, because if he had been standing, that smile would have made his knees buckle. He returned her smile with a megawatt one of his own, and was amazed to see he was having the same effect on her that she was having on him. Chuck wasn't sure if it was the heat of the moment, or a reflexive instinct with their eyes focused on each other that was creating the spell.
She softly runs a hand through his hair and around the back of his head, making sure he wasn't injured. Chuck was certainly enjoying the feeling from her actions. The spell between them continued growing as her hand began massaging the back of his head; his warm chocolate brown eyes continued staring into her hypnotic blue ones. Both seemed perfectly fine in their current position.
She relaxes quite a bit once she realizes that Chuck's okay. "Sorry about running into you like that. Thank you for the very comfortable landing. It didn't hurt as bad as crashing on to the beach would have, especially since I had someone to catch me."
Chuck just grinned back and replied, "Well I'm certainly glad to have given you a comfortable landing."
She laughed at his response, thinking it was cute. It didn't help that he looked adorable with those curly locks. She began playing with his curls before telling him more.
"My name's Hailey by the way. What do I call you, besides my handsome hero for saving me?"
Chuck was about to offer his name in return when another voice chirped in, causing them to break eye contact. The voice belonged to someone that clearly thought Hailey was a little too comfortable in her position, yet wasn't taking the moment seriously.
The tone was laid back, "That certainly makes things easier on your body. You'll soon find out that's better than trapping on a carrier, am I right Hailey?"
Hailey's response gave Chuck the impression these people liked to joke around a lot.
"Definitely, Hollywood, this was more like laying on a soft bed after a very long day."
With the spell now broken, Chuck finally noticed six imposing figures slowly forming a circle around the two of them. He started turning pale, figuring that the beautiful girl currently on top of him was most likely a niece of one of them, or worse, a younger sister. He originally thought she could have been a girlfriend, but judging by her age and the imposing figures, it gave off the niece or sister vibe.
His mind began racing through every possible scenario, looking for an exit strategy. He needed to untangle himself from the beauty, and save himself from the impending beating that was no doubt going to be a massive one.
Suddenly, huge smirks were forming on the faces of all those around them. Confused at this unexpected development, Chuck glances back to Hailey and notices her eyes sparkling with mischief, giving him the impression she wasn't about to leave her new position on top of him. That was alright with him, even though it still created a mystery in the logical side of his mind, as Chuck could clearly see these men were taller than he was.
What happened next surprised him, as friendly ribbing started between them.
Maverick was sarcastically eyeing them, "I thought you didn't like fishing Hailey? By the looks of it, you sure caught yourself a big one there, if I say so myself."
Khaos escalated the sarcasm by acting like Chuck was a catch she reeled in, "She caught him alright. First, she impaled this poor guy with that shot. She's already got him mounted. Now the question is, where's she gonna place him?"
Chuck could tell Hailey was starting to blush from their antics, and he could feel it also in his own face. He was thinking it couldn't get worse. That is until Wildfire had a much more rational attitude, "You know, I think there's an even bigger question than that. Since our girl here just captured herself this guy, what's the next course of action?"
Artman was quick to offer suggestions, "She could do one of two things. One would be the 'Caveman Routine. She's already knocked him loopy from the spear, so she won't have to use her club. Although, I think she likes his hair way too much to drag him around by it since she hasn't stopped playing with it."
Chuck could barely see the friendly grin from his position, after all Hailey was still laying casually on top of his lanky frame. Hailey adopted an over exaggerated voice while still playing with his hair, "You got that right, his hair's totally smooth and these curls are just oh so dreamy."
Hollywood's gruff voice, as Chuck realized it was the one that alerted him to the incoming football, made fun of Hailey's response, "Oh, just go ahead and gag me with a spoon why don't ya with that Valley Girl talk."
Gambino took the opening provided, "Now that pitch sounds right up your alley Hollywood. Goes along with your looks and your after-hours fashion."
The group busted out laughing as Hollywood gave Gambino the traditional expression of "I'm clearly not amused" look on his face, complete with the one-fingered salute. Chuck even thought that was funny and noticed these guys just loved to joke around, clearly it didn't matter who was the target.
Artman brought his gaze back on the two potential lovebirds, seeing they haven't moved from their position. With a twinkle in his eye he said, "You know there's another option. This could be more fun, depends on who you're asking."
Hailey sounded a little too curious for somebody Chuck had just met, and he couldn't help feeling a little nervous again. The group was too preoccupied with the situation to notice his discomfort, "Which option would that be Art?"
Artman answered with a grin, "You claim him the same way land used to be claimed back in the 17th century, back in the days of the pirates."
Gambino chimed in, "You pillage and plunder the land forcing the government already there to flee. Then plant a flag to seize it in the name of the crown you're serving. In this case, you've done that already to this poor guy."
Hailey looks back down into Chuck's eyes and smiles brightly again at him, "Before these knuckleheads came over and interrupted us, you were about to tell me your name. What is it besides Handsome?"
Chuck could swear the body heat being shared between him and Hailey was causing the sand underneath him to heat up even more. He felt it on his back and didn't want to come off as being disrespectful considering the figures standing above him.
"Chuck Bartowski, I'm sorry for interrupting your game."
Hailey runs a hand down the side of his face, while maintaining eye contact, the radiant smile still on her face with the mischief dancing in her eyes.
"Don't worry about interrupting their game, this is much better. Besides, I have the perfect idea on how I'm gonna claim you Chuck Bartowski. Would you like to know?"
Chuck's nerves were starting to show while Hailey's face leaned closer, her lips heading on a collision course for his. Inside he was going crazy doing flips, this beautiful angel was going to claim him for herself. He was about to experience a taste of heaven.
Suddenly, the spell was broken when Gambino decided to interject himself, "You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say things are beginning to get completely uncomfortable on this poor guy's end."
Privately, Chuck was grateful someone noticed how awkward things were getting. And things were definitely heating up in a bad way. The heat from the sand was starting to burn into his back and he didn't want to complain about it. He didn't want to come across as a wimp, especially with Hailey still laying on top of him. He vowed to tough it out, and suffer the consequences later when he was home alone.
Chuck watched Hailey bury her face in his chest, she surprised him by letting out a low growl before turning a very heated glare at Gambino.
"But it's completely comfortable on my end!"
She looks back at Chuck and her eyes change from the glare to that shining pleading look that every Dad falls victim too.
"He's nice and soft like a cuddly teddy bear, can I keep him just a little bit longer?"
Chuck was surprised right out of his Chuck Taylor's shoes with Hailey's comment. She sounded like a little girl that found a new puppy to play with.
The remark brought a chuckle from the group. Artman decided to be the voice of reason, "We're on a very public beach right now. Lifeguards are heading this way since we're surrounding you in a circle. It's drawing unwanted attention from the crowd of curious people who want to see what's going on."
Hailey wearing a smirk replies sarcastically, "That does fit your description, surrounding us like a pack of vultures. Circling us like your prey before swooping down and attacking."
Maverick corrects her comparison thinking otherwise, "Hey! Don't you mean like a pack of cats? We're just laying there in waiting for that moment, then bam! We pounce on you with our quickness."
Hailey quickly disagrees and throws back an insulting comparison, "I don't think so, cats are cute and cuddly. If you guys are any type of cats, you're more likely the laughing hyenas!"
Khaos voiced what the rest were thinking, "Ouch! That's clearly a Sidewinder up the six, definitely sounded like your Mom with that shot."
Hailey's expression told Chuck she didn't pull any punches and her response was rhetorical, "Considering who my parents are, would you expect anything less?"
Maverick acknowledged Hailey by crossing his arms. Clearly showing it's time for her to stop using the poor guy as a pillow, "Definitely not. On your feet little lady, I think you've saddled this poor guy long enough. Good thing he's not the abominable snowman, because he would've already turned into a puddle from this heat and you."
Hailey with a pout on her lips looks back at Chuck, "But I'm having such a fun time. You guys always love being such killjoys, especially to me and my sister."
Hailey slowly rolls off Chuck before the guys extend their hands to help them up to their feet. Now that he's finally standing, Chuck gulps seeing the size of these guys up close and personal. He knew that Devon's physique was well built from his constant workouts and active lifestyle, but these men clearly made Devon look not so awesome. All of them were taller and built like tanks.
A small slap to his chest brought Chuck out of his musings about the "man tanks". Looking down, he saw the concern on Hailey's face and notices the crowd already departed leaving the eight of them alone.
Judging by the "deer in the headlights" look still in his eyes, she softly places her hand on his cheek and gently pulls his head down until their foreheads are touching. This small act did its purpose, focusing his attention back on her.
With their foreheads already touching, she wraps her arms around him to hold him close while caressing the back of his head with her soft touch. Chuck clearly doesn't know what to think, much less these unexplained feelings he's currently experiencing. Everything in this encounter's like something out of the Twilight Zone! He clearly sees the concern in her eyes, which certainly surprises him. How could someone like this beautiful angel that he literally just met be showing him this amount of concern for his well-being? He's not sure what's going on, his entire being feels like a connection's been made between them. They're acting like they've been together for months, if not years. This was indeed the universe's biggest mystery to him, or perhaps in some strange Star Wars scenario it's "The Will Of The Force" and they're "Force-bonding". Maybe he could talk to Ellie about this next time he sees her.
Hailey takes a guess that Chuck's been lost in thought, "You sure that you're okay? It's like you zoned out or something."
Chuck awkwardly realizes he's been acting like a deer in headlights, "Uh yeah, I'm sorry about that. Your friends have me very intimidated. Normally when I'm surrounded by those type of odds, it ends in a beat down for my best friend and me. Been that way most of our lives."
Hailey nods, "Yeah, I agree. These guys are intimidating, but you couldn't ask for a better group to be friends with. Once you're friends with them, they watch out for you. By the way, I never was able to properly thank you for allowing me to use you for a pillow against the sand."
Wildfire chimed in, "You never did claim him either, now's your chance to get away Chuck!"
The guys all chuckle making both Chuck and Hailey blush, she gave him a soft kiss to the cheek. Clearly that wasn't what they were expecting as Khaos bellowed, "That's not much of a claim. Maybe you should run for it Chuck, she might tackle you again."
Another round of laughter from the guys brought a smile to Hailey's face, he notices her smile is turning into another one she used earlier when she was laying on top of him. Feeling his legs turn to jelly again, he returns the favor by giving her one of his own and adds the "Bartowski Eye Dance" that causes her to laugh.
Gambino notices the chemistry between Chuck and Hailey. He certainly wasn't going to let a chance to zing someone pass by, "Well if you two lovebirds can behave yourselves and want to chat, go right ahead. We'll just go back over where we were to finish the game that we had to stop to render some assistance."
Hailey agreed, "Now that's a wonderful idea, come on Chuck!"
She grabs Chuck's hand and just as they were starting towards the pier, Gambino shouted, "Don't forget to bring back your cuddly teddy bear boy toy, don't want to lose him!"
That brought laughter from everyone as Hailey scowled in their direction, she even stuck out her tongue at them before pulling Chuck away in the direction of the Pier, making the guys laugh even more before resuming their game. Chuck wasn't sure if his beautiful companion's aware they're still holding hands ever since she pulled him along from their meeting spot. He figures that either she's swept up in this very fateful moment, or she just really doesn't mind. Either way, it was of no consequence to him. For the first time in his life his aversion to PDA's wasn't an issue for him, especially when he's holding hands with such a beautiful girl. He was always shy when it came to girls, but this time it just seemed all too natural.
Once they arrived at Pier Burger to get a couple of drinks, Chuck paid for them before Hailey could react or say anything about paying for it herself. Hailey notices Chuck's a gentleman and traditionally the gentleman pays on a date, she decided to treat this entire excursion like a date and see where it leads. After all, she pretty much laid claim to him on the beach after tackling him and not wanting to move.
Once they had their drinks, she reclaims his hand and they continue their walk along the deck of the pier, heading for one of the benches to enjoy the view and each other's company. Upon reaching their destination, Hailey kept hold of his hand and used it to drape his arm across the back of her shoulders before laying her head on his shoulder.
She closes her eyes while her head lays on his shoulder, really taking in the moment. Chuck notices this and smiles seeing how relaxed she is, looking even more like an angel with a peaceful look on her face in that moment. After taking a couple of deep breaths letting the ocean air wash over them, Hailey figures it's time to get to know the guy she not only ran down but claimed as her own.
"So, Chuck, tell me about yourself. Are you from around here, or just visiting? Are you a tourist?"
"I've lived in the area most of my life, been coming here quite often for a decade with my best friend Morgan. Right now, I share an apartment in Echo Park with my sister Ellie and her boyfriend, Captain Awesome."
Hailey lifts her head from his shoulder to look up at him, "Really? His name is Captain Awesome? Is he in the military or something?"
Chuck laughs, "Not really. His real name is Devon Woodcombe, I call him Captain Awesome because everything he does is awesome: Skydiving, rock climbing, white water rafting, even flossing. He's a big adrenaline junkie and stays actively fit, working out every day and jogs. He and my sister both are enrolled at UCLA Medical School."
"That's definitely a great career field, everyone knows that doctors will always be needed in this world. What about you Chuck?"
"Just graduated high school a little over a month ago. I've been working at the Burbank Buy More during my summers for a little extra money, I'm going to be starting Stanford when the Fall semester starts up."
Hailey could see Chuck was getting excited talking about it. She knew that well known universities like that are expensive. She wanted to know more about this guy.
"That sounds wonderful Chuck, what are you majoring in?"
"I'm planning on getting my degree in Electrical Engineering, and to one day to have my own software company. Now what about you?"
Hailey knew it was going to come along, this was where things usually end. Other guys either laughed or didn't think she was serious. Taking a deep breath, she looked in his eyes holding his hands. Chuck knew something was up when he noticed the change in her.
"I just graduated as well. I came out here to visit my grandparents in La Jolla. Plus, my uncle A.J. owns some resorts out here. During the summer, I've been working part-time for him to make a little money."
"Well there's nothing wrong with that, what else?"
Hailey felt him squeeze her hand in support. She was thankful for it and gave her the courage to plunge on, "Well I'm going to start at the Naval Academy in the Fall, my plan is to become a Naval Aviator just like my Dad and Grandpa."
Chuck was confused, "What's wrong with that? Isn't that what you want?"
Hailey confessed, "Guys who tried dating me before thought I was stupid for thinking I could do that. Not to mention that those jerks, also found out they had to go through a gauntlet just to take me out on a date."
Chuck could sympathize with her considering how pushy Ellie could be when it came to dating. He leaned in closer as a result.
"Was it really that bad?"
Hailey retorted, "You saw those six guys that I was with earlier?"
Chuck grimaced, "Yeah, the mountain men of muscle. Of course they're intimidating."
Hailey's expression stiffened somewhat, "Those guys are basically my uncles. Just multiply that seven times, and add in a few more people. My sister and I had an extremely rough social life because of them. Our parents weren't at all helpful, Mom let them have fun and Dad was right there with them to pile on. One thing's for sure, they seem to like you since they allowed us some time alone."
Chuck was trying to figure out how she knew those guys liked him, "What makes you think they like me?"
Hailey's face had a look of disgust on it, "The last guy I dated was a mistake. He charmed me, and I was too stupid to realize it at the time. The guys were deployed with Dad and I was able to keep it a secret. Things were different just three months later when I found out how big of a jerk he was. I broke up with him and he wasn't happy about it."
Chuck asked, "What happened?"
Hailey's voice carried a sharper edge like the moment was still fresh, "I went to one of the local airports, Dad has some planes stored there we usually take out for relaxing flights on weekends. One weekend when I went, the jerk actually showed up. What he wasn't expecting was Artman and Gambino happened to be there after finishing up early and were visiting family. They noticed him and asked me point blank who the punk was. That's when I spilled everything to them, at that point Brian started running his mouth to them."
Chuck sighed, "Why do I get the feeling that's just the beginning?"
Hailey sighed heavily in response, "Because that's just the start of it. They advised him to back down, otherwise someone's gonna be in trouble. Brian ignored them and continued running his mouth, they warned him one last time to back down. He ignored them, and made the biggest mistake of his life."
Chuck asked, "What did he do?"
Hailey laughed, "He charged them like a bull. Artman got down low and used the momentum to toss him over his back, Gambino easily snatched him out of the air and power-bombed him into the ground. Luckily, they were on grass instead of pavement, it took less than ten seconds."
She laid her head back on his right shoulder and closed her eyes to enjoy the moment again.
Chuck couldn't help but shudder slightly as he pictured her story. He leaned his head down and whispered, "Remind me to never get them mad at me. Especially if you have forty of them."
Hailey chuckled while bringing her head up to watch his reaction as she clarified the details, "They're not my biological uncles, silly. They've been friends with my family since before I was born. They're great judges of character and made sure we stayed straight as an arrow. Now as far as career goes, after I graduate and get my wings. It will make me a 4th Generation Aviator. Flying's definitely in the bloodlines."
Chuck wasn't shy about offering a compliment, "Beautiful and smart. A very lethal combination, no matter how you match it up."
Hailey actually blushed into his shoulder from the compliment, she hadn't met a guy since the jerk that complimented her and actually mean it. She knew this Chuck guy was different. It all showed in his mannerisms and personality.
They got up from the bench and tossed away their empty drinks in the trash before walking back towards the beach. She noticed the crowd had cleared out mostly, and judging by the sun the time was getting late.
"So Chuck, what are your plans for the rest of the weekend?"
Chuck was very apologetic and wishing he didn't have to cut things short, "I'm actually free. Unfortunately, the next bus back towards Echo Park will be here in another few minutes. Knowing how the traffic is, it's going to be late by the time I get back home."
Hailey was surprised, "You don't have a car? You had to rely on the bus to come here?"
Chuck's face fell, he sighed like a bubble he'd been living in just burst. This was the main reason why his dating life sucked, "Me and my sister never had much to begin with. She was able to get a car with help. Unfortunately, because I'm not a full-time employee at work I don't have a luxury of using one of the company cars."
Hailey could tell Chuck deflated when she asked him if he had a car, truth was she didn't care whether he did or not, because most teenagers didn't get a car until they were 18. Especially if their parents could afford one in the first place.
She had one other question.
"Chuck, is your sister at school or home for the summer?"
Chuck mentally brought up his sister's class schedule and grimaced.
"She's got class tonight for another two hours, and has more in the late morning."
Hailey could see the bind Chuck was in. By the time he made it home, he could accidentally wake up his sister who would be exhausted from the long day. She decided to take the initiative. Grabbing his hand, she lead him back towards the group as they finished their game. When they got close, she stopped and put a hand on his chest.
"Chuck, please wait for me here. I need to have a talk with them."
Chuck didn't know what was going on, but he nodded. He watched her walk back towards the group and began explaining something to them. He was watching intently for their reactions, and could see they were contemplating a decision. All of them turned towards him and Chuck felt like he was about to be in trouble. Hailey began walking back to him with one of the "man tanks" accompanying her. Once the three of them were alone, she properly introduced him.
"Chuck, this is Artman. He's the oldest of my uncles and has known my family the longest."
Artman had to correct her, "Second oldest Hailey. Casino's got me by only a couple of hours and besides I'm not that old young lady."
Chuck noticed that Hailey was about to say something before Artman pointed a finger at her prompting her not to say a word, which she surprisingly didn't even though she had a grin on her face. He turned his attention to Chuck, the man was just a couple inches taller than him but size wise could snap his lanky frame with no issue. Chuck was especially aware of that after hearing what he and Gambino did to the jerk.
"So, Chuck, my niece here tells me that you're in a bind. I can sympathize with you on the transportation issues because I was in your shoes at your age. Public transit isn't always dependable and traffic is even worse. My niece came up with a suggestion and we thought to get your choice on the matter."
Chuck was afraid to ask, "What's that?"
Hailey offered, "You can stay here with me. Uncle A.J. has some property close by, it would save you the worry of riding all night on a bus and risk waking up your sister."
Chuck thought about the offer and as much as he enjoyed spending time with her, he didn't want to appear as the type to use it to his advantage.
"I'm afraid that I'm really gonna have to decline. You see it's not how I'm wired, as much as I enjoy spending the time together and getting to know you. Spending the night together would give off the wrong impression, I couldn't do that to you or risk any trust your uncles here might have for me. Especially after what you went through with the last guy. I guess that I'm gonna just suffer Ellie's wrath when I get home."
Hailey exchanged looks with Artman and he gave a nod before placing his hand on Chuck's shoulder leading him towards the group, "Sorry to tell you this Chuck, but your sister's not gonna be seeing you tonight or in the morning for that matter."
Chuck was terrified, he wasn't going to see Ellie again? What did he do wrong? Once he was surrounded again, he looked over to Hailey to see the sad look upon her face. This wasn't looking good.
