Disclaimer: Don't own Twilight, don't own SLC Punks
Chapter two: School and Family
After finishing the paperwork and leaving the office of the high school I caught a look
that the secretary gave me, the look that questioned if I was going to snort coke on the
lunch table. I hate small town folk.
I stopped using the same day Steve-o did, the day Bob died. No system, no patch, to
twelve steps, we both just quit, and never had trouble doing it. Of course we still smoked,
but we did have an image to maintain.
I drove my green El Camino over to check out Steve's new office, it was called Stanley
& Richardson, and I knew the Stanley's, so this would be a promising reunion.
I parked the green beast beside Steve-o's Beemer and walked in, the secretary was
around my age and looked really familiar…I gulped; this was Jessica Stanley, tormenter
of me from middle school. She looked up and visually paled, "Um…can I help you?" I
took a deep breath and said, "Yeah, I'm here to see Mr. Bernstein", she bit her lip,
"Name?"
Gulp.
"Suli Cray", she nodded once and stopped, looking up slowly, "Suli Cray?" I wiped my
palms on my jeans, "Yeah, can I see Steve, please?"
She stared at me for a minute or two before pressing a button and saying, "Mr. Bernstein,
there is a Ms. Cray here to see you?" Steve-o's voice came over as all lawyer-y and I had
to suppress a smile, "I'll be out in a minute, thank you Jessica".
She turned back to me, surprise still in her eyes, "Where…um…it's been a long time…"
I gave a half smile, "Yeah…how's everybody? Any changes?" she finally smiled, "Oh,
you have no idea…will you be going to Forks High?" I nodded, "Starting on Monday"
She nodded, and bit her lip, "Where, um…where did you go?" I sighed inaudibly,
"Utah", she nodded slowly and stopped suddenly, "You don't…your not still angry
about…middle school, are you?" I thought for a minute, that was middle school, trivial, I
was already smoking pot then. I smiled, a real smile, "That was a long time ago Jessica,
care if we start over?" she gave a genuine smile and nodded, "I'd like that", we sat in an
awkward silence for about two minutes before Steve-o came out and grinned at me,
"Hey, Punk- uh…Suli, we ready?", I nodded, "How about Chinese tonight? I'm
starving", he seemed to consider this, "Huh, they have Chinese here?" I rolled my eyes,
"Faux, but still, its food"; he nodded in agreement as we set off, Jessica's curious eyes
following us. I could tell my first day of my senior year would be plagued with questions.
After generous portions of Chinese and some CSI: Vegas, Steve-o looked over at me, "I
found out about your dad and brother", I froze and nodded stiffly for him to continue.
"Your brother is living with your father, your dad still works for the police, your brother
is a science teacher on the Rez", my eyebrows went up, my trigger happy brother was a
teacher? I'm just glad I wouldn't have to worry about walking into physical science and
coming face to face with brother dear. I love Kristopher; this does not mean I have to like
him, although it had been three years.
"I asked around and everybody is really impressed with your dad, they did tell me about
his fuck-up daughter though, no ones heard anything about her for three years", he gave
me a half smile and I rolled my eyes.
We sat in comfortable silence for a minute, hearing Gil Grissom make a horrible pun and
spinning into the Who's popular theme song, he finally looked up, "We should go see
them today, they shouldn't have to hear through the grape vine that your back in town", I
turned my big black eyes to him, "They'll hate me", he frowned and shook his head
roughly. "No one can hate Punkass, no one", he gave me a Bob hug, one armed, my head
under his chin and I automatically teared up and caved. Sniffling I said, "You did that on
purpose, Steve-o", he nodded and pulled me up, "Now come on, go put on Bob's shirt
and your diesels", I nodded and went to change.
We sat outside in Steve-o's Beemer, him sighing every two minutes and me twitching
like a Chihuahua that needed to pee. Finally he unbuckled his belt and said, "Come on,
we have to do this", I felt my stomach twist and nodded slowly as I climbed out of the
silver car.
I made my way to the door and knocked very lightly, Steve-o gave me a look and
knocked harder, I glared but whipped my head toward the door when I heard a familiar
voice, "I'm coming!" I started to back up, Steve-o pushed me back and I felt faint when
the door opened.
The door opened to show a little get together of men, I identified Billy Black, Charlie
Swan, my father Eric Cray, and my brother Kris Cray, there were two men near my
brother that were Indian and about the size of the Hulk. My father was the one to answer
the door, he looked at me with a funny look for a moment before his jaw fell slack and
his beer can slipped from his fingers to echo on the wooden floor. I tried again to back
peddle but Steve-o's hand was still firmly in place, my dad gasped and ripped me forward
into a bone crushing hug, "Suli?! What…? Where…?" the men all turned to face us as I
hugged my father back awkwardly. He set me down, tears in his eyes; he glanced at
Steve-o, and then back to me, "Come in! Come in" I was shaking as I stepped foot in the
door, Kris's mouth was hanging open as he tripped forward, "Suli?" I gave an awkward
smile and jumped when Steve-o shut the door with a small smile at me.
My eyes found the floor, my hands twisting together nervously, I heard someone clear
their throat and saw Billy and Charlie looking at me strangely. I nodded to them, "Hey
Billy, Charlie…" they blinked at me and Steve-o stepped forward, "How about we all sit
down and sort some things out…", Eric and Kris were still staring at me as they nodded, I
ended up practically in Steve-o's lap on the couch, he snorted and pushed me off and put
an arm around me. Billy looked at the two men and said, "I think we should get back to
the Rez, we'll all talk soon", I felt relief wash over me as three less people left.
I looked back as Charlie stood with his arms crossed, giving Steve-o a look over, "I'll
stay, just to settle everything"; the unspoken words were hanging thickly. They had a
feeling I was kidnapped or something, by Steve-o, yeah, right.
I finally sucked it up and looked at Charlie, "I know what you're thinking, after three
years I come back with a guy my brother's age…he's not like that to me, and he didn't
take me. I ran away and ended up in Utah where Steve here and his friend Bob took me
off the streets", Charlie still didn't look convinced, but he sat down.
Eric shook his head, "Why did you leave, Sul?" I gulped, my father and brother never
knew about the drugs…they were about to I guess. "I…was really messed up after mom
died; I started smoking pot about two weeks after she passed. After that was cocaine,
acid, heroin…" I shrugged, "When dad started to get depressed and began to ignore
me…I was so drugged up that I thought he…I thought you forgot me". He looked really
hurt, "Suli, I would never…" I cut him off, "It was the drugs messing with me. I ran off
and hitched my way to Utah, I lived on the streets for about a week before Steve and Bob
found me. They were my SLC Punks, my brothers", I gulped and felt Steve-o squeeze my
hand as I said, "Last month Bob was given pills that he was told were aspirin, it was
actually high strength pain killers. He had all ready been drinking so when he went home
to crash- Steve and I found him the next day", I glared at the ring on my hand, Bob's
favorite ring I had gotten him for his twenty eighth birthday, a plain silver band that said,
'heroin bob' on it. I looked up with a slight frown on my face, "Steve is a lawyer, so he
suggested that we move back to Forks…we'll be staying here", Eric was looked
undecided, Kristopher was glaring at Steve-o, and Charlie was glaring at the coffee table.
I sighed and said, "I just…I just wanted to let you know I'm in town- so you don't have
to hear it from someone else…" Steve-o patted my back and sat forward, holding out a
hand to Eric, "My name is Steve Bernstein from Salt Lake City, Utah. I'm the new
lawyer and Stanley & Richardson in town", Eric shook his hand, as did Charlie. Kris just
glared down at, then up to him. I jumped up when he swung on him, catching Steve in the
lower jaw, I gave Kris a good shove, "What's your deal?!" he growled, growled, at me,
"That bastard had you for three years, three years! We didn't know where you were, if
you were dead, kidnapped. My deal is that he knew you had run away from home!" I
sneered at him and said, "Right, because you were around so often, did you think it was
my idea to come home? I never wanted to come back here, the only reason I even
considered it was because Steve-o wanted to! You have him to thank that you even see
me now!" I shook my head and looked at Steve who wasn't even bleeding, I nodded
towards the door, then turned back to my 'family', "I love you guys, I always will…that
doesn't mean I have to like you. I came here as an offer of good faith and you attack my
best friend", I shook my head again and walked out.
Wow…I made myself angry just to write that! Lol
Review!
Bulletxx