Life in the Hills 3
Chapter Fifty One - The Reunion
You're cordially invited to –
Those were the very words that were printed on the invitation to John and Torrie's 15th high school reunion. Their graduating class of 300 all received the same invitation and the day had finally arrived.
The couple was extremely excited for the event. It had been so long since they have seen some of their friends and this was the perfect opportunity to catch up with everyone. With everyone so preoccupied, they never got a chance to see each other. Not everyone lived in Los Angeles – everyone was scattered and to get everyone together was a bit hard. Luckily, this event had come along at the perfect time.
The Cena residence was quiet the mess. Boxes laid everywhere and things were a clutter. With John accepting the new job in Santa Barbara, the Cena family would be moving. In a matter of days, they found the perfect house that was situated walking distance from the beach and in a week's time, they would be leaving Beverly Hills for their new home.
Torrie being pregnant did not help the situation either. Some days, she would have a terrible mood swing or the hormones would really act up. Like for instance, when Torrie had packed on a day where she wasn't feeling much like herself and ended up packing John's good suit. Luckily, after going through four boxes they found what they were looking for.
As John was applying his black and white striped tie to his black shirt and suit, Torrie could not help and question something, "So you finally found the suit you were looking for? I don't understand how I could have misplaced it."
"You put this suit in a box labeled as Christmas decorations. I don't remember you being like this when you were pregnant with Nathan and Ella. I don't understand you some times."
She listened in as she was applying some makeup. Torrie was all dressed up in a purple one strapped dress that stopped at her knees. She finished the look with cream pumps and had her blonde hair styled into bouncing waves. "These hormones make me into a completely different person – it is like one second I am happy then the next I'm mad. Maybe I'm bipolar?"
"Let's stick with the whole hormones idea, shall we?" He suggested as he directed to change the subject. "Can you believe it? We're going to our 15th high school reunion – this is crazy."
"It was 15 years ago that we graduated high school. 15 years - how the time has passed by? How do you wonder everyone is going to be like? Do you think anyone has changed?"
"They had to have changed – I mean, it's been 15 years."
"Your right – in all honestly, I'm just looking forward to seeing our friends. It is so hard to get everyone together. I know we are all preoccupied with our lives and living in different states is does not make the situation better but I wish we could all just see each other more often."
In the midst of the conversation, Kelly popped into the room. With Torrie and John going out for the evening, Kelly was on babysitting duty. The blonde tried to smile but it was truly difficult to do so. Evan's funeral was just a mere few days ago and she was still healing. In all honesty, she knew that she was never going to heal. You never get over losing someone you love – you just learn to live with it.
"Well aren't you two looking quiet dapper?" Of course – she had a comment. "I feel like you guys are heading to the school dance or something like that."
Torrie was now applying earrings as she turned over to face her sister, "well the reunion is in the school gym so it is almost like we are going to a dance. I peaked over at some of the decorations and the gym looks amazing."
John decided to take the conversation a little more serious as he was still concerned over his sister-in-law, "how you holding up Kel?"
There was an awkward silence in the air before Kelly broke it, "I'm alright," she quickly answered. She wanted to address the issue over Evan and had to let her sister and brother-in-law know that she was fine. "I appreciate you guys asking how I am but I am going to be fine. I know you worry and all but I am going to be alright. Losing Evan was so hard and I'm still going through the pain of knowing he won't be here anymore however I've come to accept something."
"What have you accepted?" asked her sister.
"I've accepted that I will never get over losing him. I will never accept that he is gone but I will learn to deal with this pain. That is what I've learned over this all. Losing someone one is difficult and no matter how much they meant to you, it's going to be hard. I'll never get over Evan's death but I will learn to deal with it for the rest of my life – and I am okay with that. I hope you guys will agree."
Torrie expressed her compassion with an assuring facial expression. She stood from her seat and came toward Kelly and told her, "I could not be more proud of you right now. Your such a strong and courageous person."
"Thanks," she answered with a quirky smile.
John had a little input, "and always know we'll be there for you. I know we are moving now but you can always count on us if you need anything."
"Thanks – that means a lot to me," she was very appreciative over the words that Torrie and John had to share that she had a little announcement to follow it all. "Also, I have some big news. You guys know that Principal McMahon asked me to recite Evan's valedictorian speech and I told her that I would like to do it."
Torrie rejoiced, "I am so happy you decided too. I was really hoping you would do it."
"I just thought about it and it would be a great way to really honor him. He put so much effort into that speech and I want to make him proud."
"And I think it makes it even more special that you'll be the one who recites that speech," added John.
Kelly came to learn that she would not be disrespecting Evan in any way. His speech was one that he had put a lot of work into and for it not to be recited would be a sin itself. This was going to be for Evan – in his memory.
While driving along the Pacific Coast Highway, he eventually directed the car onto the appropriate exit that read 'Beverly Hills.' It had been a long time since both Adam Copeland and Amy 'Lita' Dumas-Copeland had been back in the very hills they once roamed.
If you had not notice yet, Lita was now a married lady and officially the Mrs. Copeland. It was five years ago when Adam and Lita right before the birth of their son, Austin. Lita was both a mother and wife and she and her family was living a peaceful and quiet life in San Diego.
As for success, both adults had found great success over the last five years. While Austin was still a baby, Lita had found a desire to write. Throughout her days in high school and college, she always found literature to be intriguing. On top of her love for writing, Lita had an interest in mystery and thriller programs and movies. After watching one movie, she had discovered the plot to her first book. After being in production for over 3 years, Lita had finally released her first novel entitled "Ocean Eyes." The novel was met by critical acclaim and hit the top of best sellers charts.
With the craziness of her first book coming to an end, Lita has slowly begun to plan out the next book in her series. With all the success, Lita continues to find time to be with her family.
Adam had followed a different path. His life certainly changed when he met Lita and had continued to change. With his life on track, Adam had finally decided to finish his degree in architecture. Despite the pressure of work, school and raising a family, Adam overcame it when he graduated from San Diego University two years ago. With his brand new degree, Adam has begun working for an architectural design firm in downtown San Diego and helps construct homes for potential customers.
With their lives so completely changed, the two of them both wondered if anyone else was feeling the same way as they did.
"Can you believe it? It's been 15 years," said a surprised Lita who turned to Adam, "I haven't stepped into West Bev in 15 years. I cannot get it through my mind that it has been 15 years. "
"We missed out on the 5 and 10 year reunion so this one should definitely be interesting," recalled the Canadian as he was making yet another turn. "But I think Torrie said there was a lot of response to this year's reunion."
With a nod, Lita continued, "I am just excited to see everyone again. We haven't been together since…. I don't even know how long ago it has been. We used to be inseparable."
Lita was certainly right. The tight nip group was an inseparable one but things had certainly changed over the years. Some of them left when new opportunities rose and some found happiness somewhere else. Before you knew it, some were living as far as across the country, which made it harder to stay in touch, but she knew once she saw all of her friends, it would feel like she had never left them. That is the type of friendship they had. They could be separated for so long but when they were reunited, it was as if time had never passed by them.
But despite it all the two were looking forward to the evening at hand.
Welcome to Los Angeles. The current time is 6:58pm with overcast skies and a mild 75 degrees. We'll be heading to our gate momentarily so please be patient with us and remain in your seat until the captain has turned off the fasten seatbelt light.
It was the usual routine that every pilot had to say upon his arrival. Jeff removed his ear buds after the long flight and enjoying the movie that was on display. He dropped them into his bag and did a big old stretch in his seat. He gazed out the window and could see the sun was in the middle of setting.
This was his first time back in California since he had left about 4 years ago. Jeff did not necessarily stay in one spot. Four years ago, he moved to London. A year after, he moved to Madrid and finally, a year after that he moved to Chicago and had remained there ever since. Reasons? Jeff's culinary talents had sent him to several restaurants and provided him with numerous offers. They just happen to be an ocean away. He finally settle in Chicago 2 year ago where he spends his night working at the high end Valentinos in the heart of Chicago as head chef.
Jeff was certainly not alone on this journey. He quietly clutched the person's hand beside him and smiled, "I cannot believe we are actually back in California. Back in LA –"
"Neither could I," said Mickie Hardy, as she smiled at her husband.
After all these years, Mickie and Jeff remained together. Mickie even went along on the ride with Jeff, traveling to Europe and ultimately into Chicago. There wedding was a bit impromptu. Jeff had managed to put together a small ceremony while the two were still living in Madrid. It was just the two of them and that is how they wanted it.
Mickie had been successful up to this point. Over the course of these 5 years, she obtained a masters degree in education. Since living in Chicago, Mickie had scored a job as a 2nd grade teacher in an elementary school that was in her neighborhood. She absolutely adored children. She had 20 of her own students this year and she loved every moment she was spending with them.
"Let me call my mom fast and let her know we landed. I hope Noah will be fine without us for the weekend. We've never left him for this long," Mickie pulled out her cell phone and dialed her mother.
Three's company – it was not only the two of them but they had themselves a little Hardy of their own. His name was Noah Hardy and he was merely 1 year old. Mickie had unexpectedly got pregnant and soon they welcomed baby Noah into the world. Her transition into becoming a mother was hard but it was so rewarding. Both parents could not feel anymore blessed than they are now.
Mickie had ended the call with a smile. "Noah is doing fine. My mom just put him down for the night."
"Good. I am really happy we decided to come to the reunion. I almost thought we were not going to make it," mentioned Jeff, as the couple was not sure if they were going to make it in the first place.
"We've been wanting to come back here for a while now and I think this could not have been a better timing. You are going to your high school reunion where you're going to see so many familiar faces."
"I can't wait to see everyone. I mean, we've seen Matt and Ashley a lot but I have not seen Dave, John, Trish, Lita or any of them in such a long time. I hope we are still friends," he grew worrisome thinking that the time they have been apart, their friendships had begun to suffer.
"Of course we are all still friends. Regardless of where we go, we will always be friends and nothing is going to change that," as his wife, she had to reassure him.
"You right," he nodded. "I am also excited for you. You are going to see where I spent my high school years."
Mickie turned to him, clutching his hand and smirked, "Tonight is going to be a great night – I can just feel it. Remember when we went to mine? We had a great time and you are to."
"Yes – Hannah goes to bed around 9 and Emma usually fall asleep around 8. I hope everything is fine."
Candice Michelle was in the midst of having a heated debate with her mother over when they were scheduled for sleep. Due to the reunion, Candice required a babysitter to watch the kids while she went away to L.A.
"Listen Mom, I have got to go. I still need to finish getting dressed. Text me if you need anything alright."
She ended the call and tossed the phone onto her bed. She sighed, "my mother could go on for hours and hours. She explains to me that the kids are in bed and wanted to know if this was the right time and if she should wake them up. Wake them up and they'll never get back to sleep."
"It is going to be fine. Just look forward to the evening – we're going to see all of our friends again," commented Dave. He approached her and proceeded to place a kiss onto her sweet lips. "And we're running late. If you could put on your dress faster, we could head out the door already."
Dave and Candice Batista were a happily married couple – yes, 3 years earlier the pair had tied the knot. After their relationship hit a huge rift, they decided to get tie the knot in an intimate ceremony with close family and friends. It was not too long till the pair had made a move. They eventually found their bags packed and we're heading to Vegas.
With a little help from her ex, John Bradshaw Layfield, Candice and Dave had acquired a large lump sump of money. Sometimes, you don't know what you want to do with so much money but for them it was not that difficult. It took a while till they got their hands on that cash but luckily the wait would soon be over.
Well, what exactly took the two to Sin City? Dave had sold his restaurant in Hollywood and invested the money in the Monte Carlo Casino & Hotel and became partners with the owner. This gave him the ability to open up a restaurant directly in the casino. Early last year, the restaurant called The Roman had officially opened up. It opened to huge reviews and became an instant hit. Dave continues to play the role as an owner and head chef maintaining his restaurant on a daily basis.
Candice kept herself busy over the years as well. Dave and her were lucky enough to have two daughters – Hannah who was two years old and Emma who was only a few months old. Despite being a full time mom, she got the opportunity to enjoy life. There were moments where she wished she could head back into modeling but that was not the case. Most recently, Candice wanted to embark on a new venture that would be able her to still be a mother and have a little fun.
Candice had always had an eye for jewelry and that is when she thought she could have some fun. A friend of hers – Melina Perez – was a household name of fashion and with some assistance; Candice had begun designing some pieces of jewelry that would be part of her first collection. Though the release would not happen for another year, she was extremely thrilled to be doing something exciting with her life. Candice was living the faultless life and she could not complain.
Dave had just finished putting on his grey suit jacket as he gazed in the mirror to see his completed look – a grey suit with a baby blue button down and he was ready to go. Candice had removed her robe and grabbed a dark maroon one shoulder ruched dress and slipped on the nude pumps to accompany her appearance. Her curly brown locks had draped down onto her chest and she was ready to go.
"Alright, I think that does it. How do I look?"
Dave took a quick gaze over his beautiful life. A smile curved over his lips. He darted straight for her, placing his hand on her hips and said, "you look amazing."
"Thanks," Candice said as she could feel her cheeks blushing. "Can you believe it has been 15 years? We were 18 when we left high school and now we're…"
"You don't have to say the age. I cringe whenever someone reminds me I am in my thirties."
"Don't remind me, I feel the same exact way," giggled the brunette as she grabbed her purse. "Are you ready to go? To go back in time?"
"The main reason I do not miss L.A – the damn 405."
There were the complaints coming straight from Randy Orton who was expressing his hatred for the traffic that was engulfing the major highway that cuts through the city. It simply reminded him that he did not really miss this place after all.
"When I start to miss this place, things like this happen and it makes me happy to have moved into Orange County," a short groan ended the statement before he turned to the stunning blonde that was sitting beside home. He could sense something was a little off and asked, "something wrong?"
Stacy Orton was certainly in a state of reflection as she stared out into the traffic. It was a moment like that when she could think about her life and how everything has changed over the years
Earlier in the year, Randy and Stacy had made the decision to make a move and decided to head south into Orange County. It was there where they found their new home in Huntington Beach. The couple along with their five year old twins had themselves comfortable in a beautiful home not too far from the sea. It gave them the opportunity to begin fresh especially with everything they had went through.
The whole Dawn Marie ordeal had shaken up their lives. It lead to Stacy leaving Randy, filing for divorce but ultimately returned to him when she discovered he was in a coma. Lucky for her, Randy had awakened and all was well. Following his stint in the hospital, they moved for that fresh start.
Randy had quickly found work as a financial consultant for a construction firm out in Laguna Beach. The job was perfect, offered a great pay and was not to far away from home so it gave him the opportunity to spend more time with Stacy. As for Stacy, she enjoyed being a stay at home mother. She liked being a housewife and would not change anything about it. She and Randy were living a traditional life.
"I was just thinking that this place has so many memories – I could not even count them on my fingers. There is just that many. Some are good and some are bad."
"Focus on the good ones. Don't waste your time on the bad ones. Plus, I'm sure we'll make more good ones tonight. We're finally going to see everyone again."
The reminder from Randy made her smile and gave her hope that the evening was going to be very special. After all, it was there high school reunion. Her curiosity was at a high as she wondered what was in store for the evening.
"Listen, I am going to need you to send those demos in Scott by tomorrow morning. I sent Kathleen the email regarding it so she won't be surprise to see it tomorrow morning. It is just that it is very important and she is one of our biggest artists that we cannot afford to lose."
The female sitting in the passenger seat gave off an eye roll to him and asked, "hang up now. Your driving the car and you already missed the exit we were supposed to get off at."
He reluctantly agreed, "Listen Josh – I've got to go. Heading to my high school reunion. If you need me, call," and just like that he ended the phone and tossed his phone into the backseat. "I'm trying to keep that promise I told you."
"Oh – the whole not letting business interfere with our weekend in Los Angeles? You've only been glued to the phone since we landed this afternoon and these may have been the first words you said to me," said Ashley Massaro – Hardy to her extremely busy boyfriend.
Matt's business was quiet the handful. It certainly was not easy handling his own record label that he had started from scratch. You have read correctly – Matt Hardy was the owner of Hardy Boys Records. It was a leading record label where some of the top artists were creating multi-platinum albums. The genre of music ranged, as did the success of his artists. He was slowly conquering the music empire and there was nothing stopping him.
Well, there was one person. His wife, who wishes to spend more time with him. She tried finding other things but even in New York City, she couldn't find sometime to keep her busy. Between raising her eight-year-old daughter Abby and getting a job as a writer for a lifestyle magazine, she felt her job wasn't fulfilling anything for her. It wasn't until about a month ago she received news that had changed her life.
Ashley was expecting a child! She was about 2 months along. Of course, she was beyond thrilled to be having a child. A child is such a blessing and she has been able to have that blessing with her daughter Abby. Now this was the opportunity to share it with Matt.
However, Matt did not have a single clue about the child. He has been so wrapped up with his work that Ashley never had the opportunity to tell him yet. It was going to be a little secret of hers before she got the courage to tell him.
"I'm sorry. Work has been driving me crazy for the last few weeks but I promise after we are done with this new artist we are signing, I'll have all the time in the world for you."
"You better keep that promise, Matt."
As they passed through the many houses, Trish had her eyes glued on the many houses that made up the neighborhood of Beverly Hills. There were so many of them and they were all beautiful. Some of them reminded her of her childhood home here, however her mother had sold that home years ago.
"See anything you like?" asked her husband as he continued down Sunset Boulevard. "Have you eyed the perfect house yet?"
Chris was certainly happy to be back in Beverly Hills. It had been a while since his last trip and there was a wholesome feeling running through his veins. So many fond memories sprinted through his mind as he drove there his former residence.
He truly enjoyed living in San Bernardino with his wife Trish and his two children Holly and Ben. Chris was working with the San Bernardino Police Department as one of their top detectives. He loved his career but his career was taking him places.
As for Trish, she loved life being a mother. However, that was not her only job. Earlier this year, Trish opened up her own yoga studio. It had received rave reviews by many. It allowed her be a mother but still have a career.
So why exactly are they so eager to be looking at houses? Chris had recently received a huge promotion to come and work for the Los Angeles Police Department while Trish wanted to move her studio to Los Angeles after such a large demand. The pair instantly knew where they would want to live when they came back and that was right here in Beverly Hills.
"None of these houses have for sale signs out. The news keeps telling us that the housing market is horrible and this is the perfect time to buy a house, yet I do not see a single house for sale. This is Beverly Hills – you've got to be kidding me that there is no house for sale."
"We'll find the right one and we still got some time before we make this move. If we don't find it in Beverly Hills, we can always try Bel-Air or look into Burbank, maybe?" he had suggested a possible different location but it seemed as if Trish was not going to have it.
Trish turned her head and told him, "If we are not living in Beverly Hills, we are not living anywhere else. We agreed that this would be the place to settle down. Holly and Ben could grow up on these beautiful streets."
"Don't worry – tomorrow we'll head to the real estate office and they can help us out. Tonight, let's focus on something else shall we."
"Ah! Our reunion! I can't believe this day is here," an excited Trish blared out her happiness. "I mean, we are finally going to see everybody and we'll be back in our old stomping grounds. It is going to be such a fantastic night."
"It's been 15 years, Trish."
As Chris said those very words, Trish could see West Beverly coming up on her right. The parking lot was beginning to fill up with cars and a night of reflection was set to begin.
This was certainly going to be an evening none of them will forget.
A/N: Certainly had trouble getting this chapter out and same goes for the next one. This is the problem I have been dealing with but I will fight through it. I appreciate all the reviews and support - you guys rock! The next chapter won't be for some time due to school. However, I'll try my hardest. I finished parts of the last four chapters - it is just a little difficult to finish them up but I promise I will finish! ;)
Next Chapter - The reunion is just getting started..
