Author's Note: Thanks for reviewing. Keep them coming. I really like this chapter and the next one is even better.
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Chapter 52: Coming Clean
Julie sat on her bed in California with Casey, on opposite ends.
"If you go to USC," Casey said, "We can go to the beach every weekend."
"If I go to Columbia, I'll appreciate the beach more," Julie pointed out. He rolled his eyes. "I told you, it's not just my decision. It's also Jimmy's."
"I'm sorry, but the kid grew up in Minnesota," He said, "Don't you northern area kids dream about warm weather all the time?"
"Some people like snow Casey," She shook her head. He shivered. "Jaime seems better."
"She's a lot better," He nodded. "What happened while you were in Maine? How's your friend who got knocked up?"
"Taylor's doing as well as can be expected," She shrugged.
"And how were things with the blond?" He asked.
"I didn't see him," She shook her head. He looked at her. "What? I will, I guess. I just, don't think it was the best plan. Taylor said he's happy. I tend to disturb that happiness."
"Well cause he lurves you," Casey shrugged.
"Whatever," She kicked him, "At least I didn't have sex with my best friend because 'huh, I wonder what sex with a girl is like?'"
"I wanted to ask you, but I knew you'd kill me," He laughed, "And Carolee was so excited. Besides, how could I know that I'm gay if I've never tried the alternative?"
"Because you've never tried the alternative," Julie said, "You never had any interest in the alternative. Poor Carolee."
"Poor Carolee?" He raised his eyebrows, "Julie, the girl is my best friend, I love her, but she's a huge slut, that's why I asked her."
"Oh, if I go to Columbia, I won't be rooming with a big slut," Julie shrugged.
"You don't know that," He said. "And better the slut that you know than the slut that you don't."
"That's not always true," Julie pointed out, "I know Ellie Cole, and I'd rather anyone were around Jimmy when I wasn't there than her, slut or not."
"Your boyfriend's ex doesn't count," Casey said.
"Hey you two," Josh walked in, "Julie, I was promised crab cakes." She rolled her eyes. "I get decent food like three weeks a year and always with you kid, please don't deny me!"
"One of the two of you has to learn to cook," Julie stood up. Casey kept sitting. "Casey doesn't get to stay for dinner."
"Excuse me?" Casey said.
"You eat too fast and it ruins the food," Julie shrugged and walked out to head downstairs.
"Jules?" She heard Jaime moan from her room, she walked in and saw her laying in bed. "Hey, when did you get in?"
"A few hours ago," Julie said and crawled into bed and curled up with her. "We didn't want to wake you."
"Mm," Jaime kissed her. "I missed you so much baby."
"I missed you too Mom," She said, "How are you feeling?"
"I feel fine," Jaime said, "I'm just tired all the time." Julie nodded. "Have you made a decision about next year yet?"
"No," She mumbled. "I'm trying."
"Well," Jaime said, "You know what I want." Julie laughed. "I'd love having you close for the next four years baby."
"I know," She said.
"And if your father tries to make you feel guilty remind him that he had you for eight years all to himself." Jaime teased. Julie laughed. "What about this summer?"
"Well, Jimmy and I had this plan no matter what," Julie explained, "If we go to USC, we're going to drive the Mustang out here with all of his stuff and then drive the Jeep back to Maine, get mine and drive back out again. Do the whole road trip Jack Kerouac trip, but without all the drugs and existential angst."
"If you go to Columbia?" Jaime asked.
"Drive the Mustang to Maine," She shrugged. "Fly out here, drive the Jeep back east."
"Makes sense," Jaime whispered. "You're going together no matter what?"
"Mm hm," Julie said. "We agreed on that a while ago."
"What is Tammy's school going to cost next year?" Tom asked. Ana looked at him. "I'm trying to figure out next year."
"Her father's taking care of it," Ana said. He nodded. "Is everything OK?"
"Everything's fine," He laughed, "I just need to move some stock to make it work, no big deal." Ana nodded. "Yale and Columbia is a lot of money, no matter how you slice it."
"You have to start coming around to the fact that it might be USC," Ana said. Tom grunted.
"Jimmy's smarter than to pick a school based on a girl, Ana," He said.
"Gamma, Gampa!" Rick lead a still tentative Eva in. She'd just learned that she could stand up, but she still needed help.
"She wanted to say goodnight," Rick laughed.
"Come here baby," Ana said scooping up the little girl. Rick smiled watching them tickle and kiss her. "We love you so much Eva."
"Dada," Eva reached up and Rick picked her up. Rick carried her into their bedroom where Cassie was already lying in bed. "Mama, mm," Eva snuggled into her mother.
"Oh, baby," Cassie whispered taking the little girl in her arms and kissing all over her face. "Mama loves you so much." Rick smiled. "Why don't you let Daddy put you in the crib?"
"Or," Rick said, sliding into bed, "Why doesn't Eva stay in bed with us tonight?" Of course by the time he said it Eva was already asleep with her thumb in her mouth. "OK then," He whispered and kissed Cassie.
"Hey," She said, "Are you taking that LSAT prep class over the summer?" They kissed again. "That's not an answer Rick."
"I'm not so sure about law school anymore," He whispered. She looked at him and moved his hair out of his eyes. "I think, getting us out of this house, and into someplace where we can maybe have more than one room to ourselves would be a good idea."
"What?" She said, "Like the poolhouse?" He laughed. "Shh, you'll wake her up." He kissed her. "You should at least take the LSATs and do the best you can." He nodded. "So, I ask again, are you taking that LSAT prep course over the summer?"
"Yes," He said, "I am."
"Good," She said and kissed him. "Good night, I love you."
"I love you too," He said.
Kelly and Tammy sat on a bench in Central Park watching Dave shoot Janet in a pair of shorts and a tank top. She looked incredible and Tammy, as an artist, really appreciate that she got the clothes. She understood what she was trying to say. She also appreciated the way Dave worked. He was an entirely different person with his camera than he was any other time.
"You've been quiet," Tammy finally said. Kelly looked at her. "You haven't tried to talk to me about profit margins."
"There's just some stuff happening," Kelly said, "with Scooter. You're really smart to go to college on your own, you know that?" Tammy looked at her. "You and Fulton get to be your own people outside of the relationship."
"Where is Scooter?" Tammy asked.
"Scooter is in San Francisco," Kelly sighed. "For the book. He missed my birthday, I'm still pissed about it."
"Ouch," Tammy said, "Too bad he's away you can't even threaten not to have sex with him, so there's no punishment." Kelly shrugged, "Except," Tammy stopped. "Where's Liam?"
"He's spending the day with his brother," Kelly said. Tammy nodded. "Why do you ask?"
"Because I saw him leaving the hotel this morning," Tammy sighed, Kelly nodded. "I figured he was leaving us a message, but then the concierge didn't give me anything, so I thought maybe it was just for you, because I really didn't want to think," Tammy looked down, "Are you sleeping with him?"
"It's complicated," Kelly sighed, "I mean, we did, on my birthday and we were drunk, and Tammy, he's so in love with me."
"Did you break up with Scooter?" Tammy asked. Kelly looked at her. "You didn't did you?"
"I'm going to," Kelly said, "I am, but I think after everything Scooter and I have been through I owe him the face to face."
"Hey fake sisters," Brad walked up to them. "Why are you keeping your distance?"
"Because artists need space to work," Kelly rolled her eyes, "That's what this one says anyway."
"You guys remember Gabrielle right?" Brad said. Gabrielle waved.
"Hi," The two said in unison.
"I'm just going to go say hi to the artist," Brad said kissing Gabrielle who sat down next to Tammy.
"I hear you're flying back with us to go to the prom," Tammy said.
"Yeah," Gabrielle said, "I'm really excited."
"Do you have a dress?" Kelly asked.
"Kelly," Tammy said.
"What?" Kelly said.
"I'm not doing anything for the Eden Hall junior prom," Tammy said, "I don't have time, I'm really sorry."
"It's OK," Gabrielle shrugged, "We're actually going to Bloomingdales now." The other two nodded.
"Ready to go?" Brad asked. Gabrielle nodded and they walked away. "See you two later." Brad called over his shoulder. Tammy and Kelly looked at each other.
"It was really good to talk to someone about it, Tammy," Kelly whispered. Tammy nodded. "I love Scooter, very much, but we've just gone in different directions. Liam and I seem to be facing the same way."
"What's it like?" Tammy asked. "When you're with him?"
"It's easy," Kelly smiled, "Comfortable, I feel calm, like myself." Tammy hugged her.
"I just want you to be happy Kelly," She whispered. "Just be careful. Don't go down a path you can't come back from."
"You ready to go?" Fulton said as Portman walked down.
"Uh, yeah," Portman said. "But I um, have to do something first."
"For Lisa?" Fulton said. Portman nodded. "Alright, see you later." He sat on the couch and turned on the TV.
"Dean?" Someone called from the kitchen, "I came to say goodbye," Tanya walked in. "Oh, hi Fulton."
"Hi," He said, "He went to do something for Lisa. I didn't ask questions."
"Probably went to bug Kevin about moving back in the house," Tanya shrugged and plopped on the couch. "I hear you're hitting University of Chicago with us."
"Yeah," He nodded.
"Your girlfriend too?" She asked.
"No," He shook his head, "Tammy's going to school in New York. Parsons, for fashion design. She's really talented."
"Sure," Tanya said. "What are you going to school for?"
"God," He laughed, "I have no idea, I'm going to play hockey I guess. You?"
"Political Science," Tanya said. Fulton looked at her. "Dean jokes that I'm going to be the first female president, also probably the first person of Hispanic descent."
"Is that what you want?" He asked, "To be president?"
"Not exactly," Tanya said, "I want to make a difference, and the most tangible way I can think to do that is politics."
"Sure," He nodded and smiled. "I see why he likes you, you know."
"Really?" She said, "I guess that's high praise, you're his best friend. Why do you think he likes me?"
"You challenge him," Fulton said, "You make him want to be a better man. Elena doesn't do that."
"You don't think very highly of her do you?" She said.
"She's a cool chick," Fulton picked at his shoes, "She can be funny, and I know she cares about him," he shook his head. "She likes living for the moment, which is good, sometimes, but it's like he's afraid to talk about next year, because he doesn't want to leave her. Her family is like really fucked up, and like everyone in her life leaves her behind. He doesn't want to put her through that again."
"What about you?" She asked. "Do you and Tammy talk about next year?"
"More than I would like to," He laughed. "She's totally obsessed, I mean her step sister and her boyfriend had a lot of trouble when they were doing the long distance thing, not to mention her parents were high school sweethearts, and," He sighed, "Her dad cheated on her mom, when we were like 13, and she found out about it, like way earlier than she should of, she saw them together. Now, I don't know, she's just really afraid that she's going to end up like her mom, and Ana's an amazing woman that wouldn't exactly be bad."
"She's said all this to you?" Tanya asked. "I mean, that's impressive if she has."
"No," He shook his head, "She hasn't said any of this. This is just stuff that I know. I've known her my whole life, we've always been together." Tanya smiled. "What you don't know stuff like that about him?"
"No I know that stuff," She laughed, "That doesn't mean that," she looked down. "I'd tell someone I barely knew, that's all."
"It's easier to tell you," He said. She looked at him. "You don't know Tammy, so it's easier."
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