"Yes, I have tricks in my pocket, I have things up my sleeve. But I am the opposite of a stage magician. He gives you illusion that has the appearance of truth. I give you truth in the pleasant disguise of illusion."
~Tennessee Williams, The Glass Menagerie, 1944

Why is it that we don't always ask exactly what we want to know? And, rarely find uncensored honesty in the answers? Sometimes, we can know all the facts about someone or around a particular event, but those facts only manage to create an illusion that has the appearance of truth. Shroud the real intentions and motivations behind a thick veil of dates, names, and places. And, sometimes, we are comfortable living on the surface among the easily seen and superficially calm. Maybe, it's not comfort, but fear. We are afraid to ruffle what's left intentionally unruffled, search for what's carefully hidden. So, we use those tricks in our pockets to camouflage our desires, close our hearts, falsify reality. But the joke is on us…we are the ones who end up short of where and who we wish to be. Only the few of us are brave enough to pay attention to the rumblings from what lies below the surface. Dig up the tension alive in the fragile center, find out what we are really made of, uncover the worth of something before it escapes us. Ask exactly what we want to know and dare to offer uncensored honesty in return. And even then, it may last a fleeing moment, before that inevitable fear takes over yet again.

Brandon Walker is no stranger to living on the surface. But for him, it's not out of comfort or fear, but out of sheer necessity to survive. He's found ways to create his own reality when to see or hear the one life presents becomes too painful to bear. Over the last three years, those tricks have filled not just his sleeves and pockets, but every single corner of his mind. After all, practice makes perfect. So, when he returned from River Court to find Brooke and Lucas waiting for him in the kitchen, his mind did what it's programmed to do…dip into his repertoire of tricks to find a million ways to get out of the impending grounding. It's not like Brandon to follow rules, obey orders or live within the confines of a strict structure. But, standing before Brooke and Lucas that night, that's exactly what he decided to do. Cast aside all the tricks and accept reality as is for once. He did so, because his conscience told him that he messed up. Despite the leather jacket on his back and the chain of cigarettes between his lips, Brandon Walker was raised to know the difference between right and wrong. When he does wrong by someone, he doesn't rest until he finds a way to make it right. Whether his victim is his best friend or sworn enemy. Or in this case, the woman who did wrong by him the second he was born. So, he handed over his phone and retreated to his room.

For the past three days, he's been a good little soldier shuttling back and forth between home and wherever he happens to be working off his debt that day. In the mornings, he runs errands for Brooke for a couple of hours, and in the afternoons, he joins Lucas at the body shop. The heavy workload was his idea. When Brooke objected and asked him to not overdo it, he refused citing that he only had 20 days to work 95 hours. Despite being reminded that her son still intended to leave when his 30-day deal was up, Brooke couldn't help but feel a little proud that Brandon was determined to make things right even if he considered her presence in his life as temporary. Submitting to his due punishment, he eats breakfast, lunch, and dinner at home, and spends his nights reading and writing in his room. Well, most of his nights anyway. He wouldn't be Brandon if he didn't find a way to rebel in between the lines of instructions spelled out for him. Old habits die hard. Spending days and nights conforming smothers him. So, the first night, Brandon found a way to breathe. He climbed down the tall sycamore tree easily reachable from the guest bedroom window and found the lowest part of the wall around the property to climb in and out of. That night, he went to Rachel's house and snuck in the window to see Skylar. He probably wouldn't have dared venture out so far if he didn't have to let her know Vik was dealt with. The second and third nights, he walked down to the beach and watched the waves crash for a couple of hours before he returned home. A few harmless hours spent rebelling. That's all. It was enough to keep him going.

Almost two and a half days in, he still has 80 hours of his sentence left. When he arrives at the body shop that afternoon to work off another four of those hours, Lucas tells him he is loaning him out to Karen to cover Lily's shift. Something about a last minute urgent thing which, knowing Lily, Lucas is sure it isn't really an emergency to begin with. Dropping him off at the Café, Lucas leaves his son in the capable hands of his mother for the day.

Brandon: "So, where do you want me?"

Karen grabs a couple of sodas from the fridge, sits down on a table by the window and pulls up a chair for Brandon.

Karen: "How about right here for a few minutes?"

Brandon takes off his leather jacket and hangs it on the back of the chair before sitting down. He twists the cap off the coke bottle and takes a sip.

K: "I hear you've been pretty busy lately."

Br: "You could say that again."

K: "Lucas told me what you did and how Brooke grounded you."

He's surprised when instead of the lecture he expected, all he gets is what looks like a highly amused Karen leaning back in her chair and enjoying her soda.

Br: "Is that a smile? Are you actually finding pleasure in my misery?"

K: "Misery? Oh, I hardly think so. Besides, you steal, you get punished. That's only fair. The smile…that was more about me remembering something."

Br: "What?"

K: "Your mother. I was the one who grounded her for the first time in her life. She took it just as well as you are taking it right now."

Puzzled, Brandon leans forward and places his elbows on the table. He's had very few opportunities to learn what Brooke and Lucas were like before he came in the picture, so he finds himself extremely curious to hear the rest of the story. But, not wanting to come across too nosy, he begins with a relatively easy question.

Br: "Really? Why you?"

K: "You met Victoria and Richard briefly at your birthday party. They weren't what anyone would call hands-on parents. When they moved to California in her junior year, Brooke lived with me for a few months. It was all your father's idea actually. He didn't want her to move across the country so he got her parents to agree and moved in all her stuff. They weren't even dating back then. I thought it was a very sweet surprise."

Brandon can't help but smile thinking of his father as a lovesick teenager. Apparently the rough-around-the-edges Lucas Scott used to be a hopeless romantic not afraid to go the distance to woo the object of his affection. But right now, he's more interested in the fact that the always-put-together Brooke Davis who seems so fond of discipline had her moments of rebellion as well.

Br: "What did she do to get grounded?"

K: "What didn't she do? God, let's see. She was supposed to come here to the Café to help me, but she went to a party instead. If I remember correctly, she came home drunk and way past her curfew! Oh, not to mention she had already spent the money I advanced her for the work she never did."

Br: "Damn! And, she had the guts to ground me!"

K: "You can't think like that. At the time, she wasn't much older than you are now. Today's Brooke acts exactly like how a responsible parent would. But, she wasn't always the same prim and proper businesswoman. She had to mop the floors just like any other teenager who messed up. I'd be lying if I said I'm not proud. It's satisfying to know some things you teach do stick with even your most stubborn students. How long did she ground you for anyway?"

Br: "She said until the wedding, but I have a feeling I'll be imprisoned forever."

Karen drops her head back and lets out a loud chuckle.

Br: "What's so funny?"

K: "Your mother called it imprisonment, too. She was released when she learned her lesson. I'm sure you will be too."

Br: "I'm not holding my breath."

Karen and Brandon sit in silence sipping their sodas for a while. Both are a little too lost in thoughts to talk. He's wondering why he is too wrapped up in the lives of people he keeps telling himself he's determined to leave behind the second he gets the chance. But, he's not blind to the fact that his determination weakens the further he travels down beneath the surface, the more what's hidden gets revealed, the clearer the blurry picture of the past becomes. If he didn't know any better, he'd wonder if he's beginning to see something worth sticking around for. Sitting opposite from him, Karen is watching her grandson wondering if she should even get into what she's considering asking him. There's something to be said for letting things rest. Not pushing too hard if the probing is doomed to awaken some unwelcome tension or ruffle what's best left untouched. Maybe this is one of those times. But, it seems like a coward's way out to Karen. So, she decides to go for it.

K: "Are you excited about the trip tomorrow?"

Br: "Excited? More like dreadfully queasy. Honestly, the whole thing reads like a pathetic piece of fiction, but it really doesn't matter what I think. I'm just an innocent bystander. At best, a hugely reluctant participant."

K: "Look, I get why you're not so gung-ho about the wedding. You probably think the marriage is some meaningless legal maneuver. And, you know what? It may have started that way. But, I know in my heart that this is exactly what your parents want. Regardless of whether they are ready to admit it to anyone, or even to themselves. I understand that this wedding seems rushed to you. But, to those who remember what your parents were like together, it's late by several unbearably long and agonizingly slow years."

Br: "How can you be so sure?"

She can give him all the facts as far as she knows. She can list the names…names his parents called each other in anger and in love, names of their mutual friends and acquaintances Lucas called while desperately looking for Brooke everywhere, names of the streets he lived on while he moved from state to state. She can count the numbers…number of days, months and years they've been tangled up in each other, how old they were when life gave its most precious gift and then took it away, number of times his father used to wake up screaming drenched in sweat in the middle of the night. She can point to places…places that Lucas never went back to because they reminded him of Brooke or places Karen traveled to over the years because her son refused to come home. Yes, she can give him the facts from her perspective. But, what good would it do? It wouldn't be the truth. At least not the one he's after. That particular truth isn't hers to share. But, she can at least give an answer with as much uncensored honesty as she can muster up.

K: "Because I saw it first-hand how in love they were once and how terribly your father dealt with losing Brooke. And you. I know the love is still there. Whatever happened in those years apart, I believe that how they feel about each other remained intact. All you have to do is look in the mirror to see the ultimate proof of that. You think you're some innocent bystander? No, you're the most important part. The piece that's been missing from their lives all this time. I wish you believed that. I wish you'd give them a chance to surprise you."

When it's clear we're hearing that rare uncensored honesty in an answer, and a genuine desire in a wish that follows, it's impossible to not want to make it happen.

Br: "I'll try. For you."

K: "That's all I can ask. I promise you won't regret it. Now, I have to make a short trip to the stockroom. We're out of chives in the kitchen. But, I'll be right back to show you around. In the meantime, get in proper attire, will you?"

Leaving a confused Brandon behind at the table, Karen gets up and starts walking towards the stockroom. Brandon calls out after her.

Br: "What attire?"

She's almost out of sight down the hallway as she yells her reply without looking back.

K: "T-shirts and aprons are in my office over here. Holler if you need me."

Now behind the counter wearing a black Karen's Café T-shirt and a white matching apron, Brandon is trying to figure out how to open the cash register. As he keeps pressing button after button none of which seems to unlock the damn thing, he's distracted by the front door slamming shut. It's a frantic JJ who runs over in quick steps without paying attention to who's at the counter.

JJ: "I'm late. I know. I'm so sorry. I lost track of time helping dad at the studio. Put me to work, Kar...uhm, you're not Karen."

Br: "What gave it away? These irresistibly wide shoulders or this ruggedly handsome jawline?"

JJ tries to hide her smile as Brandon's hands go from highlighting his shoulders to tracing an imaginary line down his jawline.

JJ: "Conceited much? Oh I know, it was your trademark smug attitude. Hey."

Br: "Hey."

JJ: "Is Karen here?"

Br: "Stockroom. She said something about running out of chives. Wait, was it knives? Or maybe it was hives. Whatever. I didn't know you worked here."

Perplexed at why he's pointing to her chest, JJ remembers she's wearing a matching black Karen's Café T-shirt.

JJ: "I don't anymore, but Karen did give me my first job years ago. The T-shirt's left over from the last time Lily asked me to cover for her. Today's emergency was a 911 text and that usually means one of two things…cheering or Cris. Since school's still out, it has to be boyfriend drama. What are you doing here?"

Br: "Covering for Lily. Or so I thought."

JJ: "I guess she never got my text that I'd do it. How's it going anyway?"

Br: "Great. I love slaving away at my very own sweatshop."

Coming out of the stockroom carrying a couple small boxes of spices, Karen catches the end of their conversation.

K: "I'll pretend I didn't hear that."

Br: "What I meant, oh lovely master, was that I'm having a blast learning the ins and outs of café management from a true expert. I'm forever grateful for the apprenticeship, Karen. Thankful, really, more than I can say."

JJ: "Huh, I had no idea hives came in that box."

Confused, Karen looks at the teenagers first, and then, at the boxes she's carrying. Brandon and JJ snicker but cover quickly. When Karen finds out that JJ had also offered to take Lily's shift, she sees it as an opportunity to delegate Brandon's training and gets the reluctant youngster to agree to stay for as long as it takes to show him the ropes. As Karen goes back to the kitchen, JJ walks around the counter to put on an apron, grab a pen and an order pad. She can't help but laugh when she notices Brandon still fiddling with the cash register. She walks closer and leans over to hit the red button on the side and mocks him.

JJ: "Is Mike Tyson having trouble with machines? Sometimes, you have to be gentle, tough guy."

Br: "Ok. I deserved that. Jamie and I worked that out by the way."

Brandon watches as a shocked JJ gasps, turns around, and walks towards the nearest window. She leans forward with her face almost pressed against the glass and stares up in the sky. He follows her and looks up, but all he sees are a few clouds in a perfectly blue sky.

Br: "What? What are you looking at?"

JJ: "Oh, just wondering how the hell I missed pigs buzzing around in the air this morning."

She turns to him with raised eyebrows and a smirk that says gotcha. She smiles as she starts walking back to the counter, and he sighs and looks down briefly before he follows her again.

Br: "Which one is more surprising? That I apologized or that he accepted?"

JJ: "Do I have to pick one? Come on rookie, you've got much to learn."

For the next hour, JJ tries to teach a novice Brandon the basics of working at Karen's Café. They start with where everything is and continue with the intricacies of waiting tables including Karen's table numbering system, what to recommend on the menu, helpful tips on how to remember who ordered what and how to get the kitchen staff to favor his orders over the other servers. Most of it feels like a long list of do's and don'ts to Brandon and JJ reassures him that he'll get the hang of it with practice. When she learns early enough that there's no use in cracking the whip, she just leans back amused, and sometimes, even out-loud laughing. Especially when Brandon trips for no apparent reason spilling two plates of perfectly good mushroom risotto all over the floor. Since it's clear Brandon's inner waiter isn't ready to come out yet, JJ attempts to lure out the inner barista instead. She demonstrates step by step how to use the espresso maker and watches him follow her instructions to make his very first cappuccino. Nervous about being watched, Brandon tries to distract his audience.

Br: "So, where does one go for fun in this town?"

JJ: "Well, Karen has open mike nights right here every Friday. Do you sing, Brandon?"

Br: "Hell no. Not even in the shower. Do you?"

JJ: "I'm not the next Pavarotti, but one does pick up a few tunes growing up with parents in the music business."

She grabs a new bottle of skim milk from the fridge, pours a few ounces in a cup and hands it to him to steam.

JJ: "There's River Court. Sometimes we hang out there in the evenings especially if the boys are playing. That's enough steaming, don't you think? Oh, and Blue Post is great if you like playing pool."

Br: "Blue Post, huh? I'll have to try that."

Pouring the steamed milk on top of the espresso with plenty of foam and sprinkles of chocolate powder, a tense Brandon hands the cup over to JJ and waits for her reaction.

JJ: "Yummy. Nicely done, rookie. You've just graduated to full on barista."

Br: "That's it? I feel so cheated. No cap and gown? No diploma?"

JJ: "If it's a ceremony you want, it's a ceremony you'll get."

Brandon sees a hint of a mischievous smile before she turns away to grab the milk bottle again. When she returns, she clears her throat and stands tall and extremely serious.

JJ: "Brandon Lucas Walker, would you please lower yourself on one knee."

Br: "On this floor?"

She rolls her eyes and leans forward to whisper in his ear.

JJ: "Just go with it, will ya?"

It's almost impossible to not play along when a determined JJ asks you to do something. He's even tickled by his curiosity over what she's up to. So, he slowly and reluctantly kneels down on one knee. She speaks in an unusually formal manner as she taps him on both shoulders with the bottom of the milk bottle in her right hand.

JJ: "By the power vested in me by…well, Queen Karen the First, I dub thee Barista. And I bless you as you embark on this next stage of your life. May the string of delicious lattés and cappuccinos continue for as long as your arms and hands may bear it. Arise, Sir Brandon, Barista of Karen's Café!"

Brandon starts chuckling the second he hears Queen Karen, and the more he tries to stay solemn and stoic for the pseudo knighting, the more he giggles. When he finally rises, having found his calling, JJ joins him in laughter too. The moment is cut too short when she leaves him behind to attend to a group of customers waiting to be seated by the door. It's not even a minute later when she hears an ear-scratchingly high-pitched squeak which makes everyone in the Café turn around and stare at the source of the sound, the espresso maker. The machine pipes sound like they implode in series of loud bangs and thuds that end in a small metal being darted across to the corner of the room and a black cloud of something seeping out of all the steam wands. One second, JJ can hear Brandon yell "Fuck me!" and the next, he's barely visible in the smoke. So, she immediately drops the menus in her hands and runs over to help Brandon.

JJ: "Brandon! Are you ok?"

Br: "Yes, but I can't say the same for this rusty, defunct piece of shit!"

When the black cloud begins to dissipate and JJ can finally see him, she plops down on the floor in a fit of laughter. With furrowed eyebrows, a furious Brandon is aimlessly banging on the machine unaware that the smoke has settled on his skin turning his face, arms and hands pitch black.

Br: "I'm so glad I could entertain you. What the hell is so funny JJ?"

The commotion brings Karen out of the kitchen and she can't decide if she should join JJ in laughter or get mad at the mess her grandson has made.

K: "What happened here?"

Br: "I have no idea! The damn machine went loco!"

He's not exactly lying. Brandon has no idea what happened, because while in the midst of steaming a cup of milk, he got distracted by a customer flirting with JJ. The moment he saw the guy place a hand on her waist, a sudden burst of jealousy made it impossible to pay attention to even the scorching hot steam on his hand. The initial squeak came only a split second after he angrily yanked the cup breaking a handle or a button or something else he doesn't remember. The bangs and the thuds followed. No, he doesn't exactly know what happened. But, he's also not willing to reveal that his immature coveting is probably to blame. Still on the floor laughing, JJ can barely take a breath to chime in.

JJ: "Karen, I...I can vouch for him. He was fine...just fine with the machine a second ago."

She manages to stand up and hands to Karen the metal part she picks up from the corner.

JJ: "This came flying out of the machine before the whole black smoke thing happened."

K: "I'll take care of it. Brandon, go clean up."

He practically runs to the bathroom cursing at the wind. And, when he comes out with a moist paper towel rubbing his still partially black face, he finds an extremely amused JJ leaning against the wall waiting for him.

JJ: "Hey there, smokey. Feeling better?"

Br: "How mad is Karen?"

She exhales deeply and takes a step forward. An anxious Brandon wonders what she's doing as her hand reaches forward taking the paper towel from his trembling hands. She gently turns him around by the shoulders and guides him back into the bathroom. She asks him to lean against the sink, and starts wiping the smoke residue off his right temple.

JJ: "You missed a spot."

She moves in such a casual way that it's clear she's oblivious to the intoxicating effect she has on him. Their faces barely a dozen inches apart, her hand on his shoulder is the only thing keeping him steady. All he can do is stand there and remind himself to breathe and not stare. But, honestly, neither is easy to do. He opens his eyes and all he sees is the subtle sun-kissed glow on her skin. He takes a breath and all he inhales is the light scent of flowers in her short brown hair. While she speaks, she keeps her focus on rubbing his left cheek.

JJ: "She's not mad. But, we've been reassigned to the stockroom. She wants me to show you how to do an inventory check."

Br: "Great. I'm banished from the public areas. Probably better that way."

JJ: "Yep, who knows what you'll blow up next? We don't want you scaring away any more customers now, do we?"

Br: "You're enjoying this just a tad too much. But, just wait. They say karma's an equal opportunity bitch."

For the next few seconds, he silently watches her work on his face until he gathers up enough courage to ask what he's been wanting to since she walked in the front door.

Br: "We're ok, right? You and I?"

She slowly brings her arms down to her sides and looks at him quizzically.

JJ: "Why would you ask that?"

Br: "At the party the other day…what I said about your parents…"

JJ interrupts him mid-sentence and manages to confuse him even more with what she says next.

JJ: "No, don't. I need to apologize to you about that. Look, I still think you were mad to talk to my parents like that. And, don't ever do that again. But, I talked to mom after and let's just say I understand you better now. Maybe not everything about you, but I see that there just might be a method to your madness."

JJ's words come completely unexpected to a shocked Brandon who had been gearing up for another round of apologies. He curses this God forsaken town for causing him to say he's sorry more times in the last ten days than he has ever had to in his entire life. But, that has to wait. Because, JJ seems to have information he doesn't, yet desperately needs.

Br: "What did your mother tell you?"

She takes a deep breath and sits down by the sink next to him.

JJ: "What happened years ago. It's a long and complicated story, Brandon. And, I'm sure I don't have the whole thing. It wasn't exactly pleasant listening to it. There was some yelling, mostly from me. Crying, from her. It's therapeutic, you know? To find out our parents are human just like us. They make mistakes too. It doesn't matter anyway. I can't be the one to give you answers, Brandon. Not about this. If you have questions, you should ask your parents. And, I really wish you'd do it soon."

Yes, she can tell him more. Give him names, dates, and places…all the facts from her mother's perspective. But, what good would that do? It wouldn't be the truth. At least not the one he's after. If they are to dare venture down beneath the surface and survive the trip in one piece, together, then there can be no falsifying reality. No avoiding the tension. No fear. Yes, JJ can tell him more. But, one of the things she knows now is that what happened between their parents years ago is too heavy of a burden for the two of them to bear right now. It's too early to look below. Especially when they haven't yet found their footing on the supposedly safer surface. So, she chooses to fix that first.

JJ: "The point is I overreacted that night. I heard you yelling at mom and my protective instincts kicked into high gear. You tried to explain on the beach, but I didn't really listen to you. I didn't know anything then. I chewed your head off for making judgments without having the facts and I did the same thing to you. I am sorry about that."

When a silent and pensive Brandon remains staring out at nothing but the empty air, JJ gently nudges his shoulder with hers.

JJ: "So, is my apology accepted yet?"

Br: "Well, under one condition. I don't know if you heard yet, but Brooke and Lucas are getting married."

JJ: "Lily told me. Congratulations."

Br: "I wouldn't pop the champagne just yet. It's still a couple of days and, if I'm right, a series of mutual freak-outs away. There may even be a bookie somewhere taking bets on if it actually happens."

JJ: "Freak-outs and champagne…sounds like a blast. Just my kind of party."

Br: "I'm so glad you said that. Why don't you come with me?"

JJ: "Brandon Walker, are you asking me out?"

Br: "No! I mean it's a group thing."

He averts his eyes and responds quickly as if he's on autopilot. But, the lack of eye contact and the slight crack in his voice screams how nervous he is. Amused just the right amount, JJ decides to keep him in the hot seat just a little bit longer.

JJ: "Hmmm…a group date?"

Br: "What? Well…uhm…it doesn't…I mean it could, but…you probably…huh…I wasn't…oh, hell!"

She smiles as she watches him stammer through some incomprehensible speech without an end in sight until she decides to save him.

JJ: "Relax, I'm just messing with you. Lily told me how a bunch of people are going to Myrtle Beach for the wedding. I know that's what you meant. But, I don't know if me being there is a good idea. It's your parents' special day, and honestly, I couldn't be more toxic if I were the devil's daughter."

Br: "That's not true. Brooke's ok with you coming. It was her idea actually."

JJ: "Huh."

Br: "I mean she suggested it first, but I wanted to ask you, too. Look, I completely understand if you don't want to come. But, I have to do something and I'd really like you to be there. You know, for moral support?"

JJ: "What is it? Best man duties?"

Br: "No. Well, that too, but this is something else. I'll tell you about it when we get there. So what do you say?"

What Brandon doesn't want to reveal is that his plan is to drive the hundred miles from Myrtle Beach to Charleston. More specifically, to the bank with his mother's safety deposit box so he can finally open her final gift. And, possibly find Brooke's letter. That is what he needs the moral support for. But, to say all that now, to admit that he's about to ruffle what's been left unruffled for so long, to search what's been carefully hidden for years…he's not ready for anyone to know that yet. Sometimes, the journey to the fragile center is a solo mission, until we're ready for some company. The mystery intrigues JJ who's learning fast that it's not so easy to say no to Brandon.

JJ: "I'd love to."

Both with a wide and content smile on their faces, they look at each other for a few seconds until JJ remembers the paper towel in her hand. She stands up and returns to wiping off the last few black spots on Brandon's face. This time, it's Brandon who volunteers to sit in that inevitable hot seat fishing for information.

Br: "The wedding…what if it was a date? What would you have said? Your boyfriend would probably be pissed."

JJ: "No, uh-uh. No cheating. You'll have to really ask to find out."

She drops her hands to her sides and leans back to look carefully at his face. Luckily, she's too focused on her cleaning job to notice Brandon's frustration over her not biting the boyfriend bait. When she's sure she's got all the smoke out, she smiles.

JJ: "There. Not that I don't appreciate you getting dirty, but it's nice to see your handsome face again."

And, with that one simple compliment, his usual confidence quickly replaces the nerves, and he smiles back.

Br: "You think I'm handsome?"

She gently slaps his shoulder before she throws the paper towel in the trashcan.

JJ: "Don't let it go to your head, smokey."

Br: "That's Sir Smokey to you."

Since she starts walking towards the door, Brandon can't see the wide grin on her face while she answers him.

JJ: "Oh, really? Now can Sir Smokey get up off his lazy ass? Cause I don't have all day."

Br: "As you wish my lady."

Brandon and JJ spend the next few hours in the stockroom going over what type of inventory goes on which shelf in which aisle and reviewing the supply chain software on the computer. When their shift is over, he reminds her of the wedding trip the next day and she offers to drive so the younger gang can travel together. After all, roadtrips are supposed to be much more fun without the parental units in the car. They arrange a time for her to pick him up in the morning. When he finally gets home an hour later, he's still running through the events of the day in his mind with a faint smile on his face. That is until he finds Brooke and Lucas waiting for him in the kitchen.

Br: "What now? I came straight home. You still have my phone. I swear nothing was stolen today. At least not by me."

Lucas: "That's good to hear, but take a chill pill, Robin Hood. We're not your prison guards. Actually, we have some good news."

Reluctant to believe them, Brandon slowly walks into the kitchen and takes a seat on a stool at the counter.

Brooke: "You're no longer grounded. Let's call it time off for good behavior. Despite the unsanctioned nightly extracurriculars. You know, the tree hugging and the wall climbing?"

Br: "You know about that?"

B: "You're not as crafty as you think you are. And, we're definitely not as stupid as you think we are."

Rachel caught a glimpse of an unaware Brandon sneaking out of Skylar's bedroom window the first night. Her first phone call was to a disbelieving Brooke. When checking his room proved her friend right, figuring out how her son got in and out of the house wasn't that difficult. After all, the young Brooke Davis would have found the sycamore tree quicker than the young Brandon Walker did. The angry part of her wanted to wait for him in his room, but then she remembered that young version of herself and decided to wait to see if the disobedience would turn into a recurring phenomenon. The next night, Brooke and Lucas pretended to go to bed but secretly waited to see if Brandon would sneak out again. When he did, Lucas suggested they confront him right away, but something told Brooke to just follow him instead. When they saw that all he did was sit on the beach and think in silence for a couple of hours, they both decided to let it be. Someone intent on not learning his lesson would have found something a hell of a lot less productive to do with that prized stolen time than to seek comfort in the solitude of a dark ocean. They were willing to accept two hours of harmless rebelling.

Br: "But, I'm still off the hook?"

B: "Yes."

Br: "Really? What's the catch?"

L: "Just use the front door next time. And, not in the middle of the night."

When Brandon's expression tells her that he's still hesitant to believe them, Brooke hands him back the phone she confiscated the minute he returned from River Court three nights ago.

B: "Lucas already hooked your TV back up and your computer's also back in your room."

Br: "Ok. So, that's all? I can come and go as I please?"

L: "Within curfew, but yes."

Brandon puts his phone in his jacket pocket and getting up off the stool, starts heading towards the staircase. Halfway down, Lucas's question stops him, so he turns around.

L: "How did it go at the Café?"

Br: "Terribly. I don't think Karen's going to ask me to go back anytime soon."

B: "I sucked on my first day too. Give it time."

Br: "Yeah, well…how many plates did you break? Better yet, how many coffee machines exploded all over you?"

L: "That bad, huh? You'd better stick to the body shop, son."

Br: "At least I learned that I make a mean cappuccino. Well, if I can keep the machine alive for more than a minute. Oh, and JJ was there. She agreed to come on the trip tomorrow. She's picking me up in the morning."

What he really wants to say is her mother told her about your past and I really wish you'd tell me. But, this is neither the time nor the place for that conversation. So, without waiting for a reaction, he turns around and starts walking towards the staircase again. This time it's Brooke's voice that stops him.

B: "Hey, wait up. How about we go out for dinner? We all had long days at work. Besides, we should celebrate the end of your imprisonment. Not that we ever need a cause to celebrate."

It makes Brandon smile to hear Brooke refer to his grounding as imprisonment, just like Karen told him earlier. He is hungry and he wouldn't mind getting out of these four walls for a night. So, he goes along with the suggestion.

Br: "I can eat."

L: "Why don't you pick the place? Anywhere you want."

There is some place he'd like to try that comes highly recommended. He gets the feeling that he and Lucas in their T-shirts and jeans would fit in just fine, but Brooke isn't quite dressed for the occasion. Trying to find the least insulting way to express his concern, he turns to Brooke.

Br: "I know just the place. But, is there anything less…uhm, fashionable, in your wardrobe?"

While Lucas lets out an unintentional cackle, a perplexed Brooke looks down at her white satin pantsuit, and then, back up at her son.

B: "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

Br: "Nothing. It's just that you're a little overdressed for what I have in mind. Well, a lot overdressed actually. You own a pair of jeans, right?"

B: "A few actually."

Br: "And it's not some rule your hair has to stay up in that unnaturally tight ponytail all the time?"

When Brooke crosses her arms over her chest and looks at him half-annoyed and half-mockingly, Brandon begins to think that he may have possibly pushed things a step too far.

B: "Keep this up, smartass. I am seriously considering revoking your parole."

L: "All right, all right. Why don't you both go do whatever you have to…like change into jeans? And, we'll meet down here in fifteen minutes. Come on, don't just stand there."

Brandon's the first to leave. When he's at the bottom of the staircase, Brooke remembers he hasn't told them where he wants to take them yet.

Br: "Where are we going anyway?"

They watch as Brandon, without stopping, keeps going up the steps and disappears out of sight. But, they can hear his voice yelling down at them with the answer.

Br: "Some place called Blue Post. You know it?"

The name freezes both Brooke and Lucas. And for a minute, they remain staring at the empty staircase after their son. Yes, they know it. They remember the facts...the address, the name, what's inside. But, the truth is much harder to know and painful to remember. Some place called Blue Post is a part of what makes them who they are. Correction, what makes them who they used to be. Some may say the place where they began. The place they had their first date. The place they began showing each other for the first time a little bit of what lies under the surface. A misunderstood Brooke Davis hinted that she had more layers to her than anyone ever imagined. All she needed was someone who dared to get close enough to peel them back. And, a straight-shooting Lucas Scott revealed that he could be just as carefree and impulsive as the next guy. All he needed was someone, a partner in crime, to ask him with one irresistibly enticing look, a laugh, a kiss. A long time ago, at some place called Blue Post, they both found exactly whom they needed. So, no, maybe they don't know the place. Because, it's not a place to be known. It's a place to be felt. Breathed. Touched. Lived. And, if there exists an alternate reality stuck in a time loop somewhere in the billions of galaxies in our universe, then that misunderstood girl and that straight-shooting guy are still there living it. All of a sudden, the rumblings from beneath the surface get deafeningly loud to ignore. And, standing speechless and motionless, Brooke and Lucas begin to wonder whether they may just be lucky enough for those two usually-worlds-apart realities to finally collide tonight.

"There's a world of difference between truth and facts. Facts can obscure the truth."
~Maya Angelou, 20th century American post