OK - I wittled out another chapter today so I will post. Again - no guarantees I'll post next tomorrow - depends if I can keep a couple ahead or not. Will post Wednesday at the latest!
Anyhow, thanks for reviews as always. Would love to hear your feedback. Brandon is going to be a pain in the arse in these chapters by the way but the poor lad is very confused and upset and Kasey is very protective. Here we go...
"Holy crap! This is like a billionaire bear!" Kasey exaggerated - there was more money in it than she had ever seen however.
"Oh my God..." Brandon's stomach sank as he pulled a fistful of notes out.
"Wait, wait - don't touch the money. It's evidence." she took it off him and shoved it back in.
"Evidence?" he turned to her with a scowl. "Kasey we can't call the police!" His mind was completely overwhelmed - it was the obvious thing to do but his mind instantly rejected it out of fear and confusion.
Kasey looked at him in horror. "Brandon you can't be serious! She's been harbouring money in our house. You know who does that? Drug dealers!"
"You don't know where it's from - maybe its her savings."
Kasey gawped and stuttered unable to hide her confusion. "Brandon! It's not exactly Porter's tips for beings good teacher! 18 year olds don't have this much money stowed away in friggin' carnival bears!" Kasey was practically strangling him. He shook his head before collapsing on the bed and burying his face in his hands.
"I know, I know I just don't want to believe it!"
Kasey sighed, still frustrated but also with sympathy. "Brandon we need to call the police. Whoever this money belongs to they're collecting it today. We need to get them arrested before they put us in danger."
The true reality hit Brandon. There was so much he didn't know. He still didn't know for sure if Michelle was pregnant - he didn't know if the baby was his. He didn't know whether she had ever felt anything for him or if this had all just been one big scheme. He felt sick.
Kasey picked up her phone as Brandon saw her out the corner of his eye.
"What are you doing?" he spun round and took the phone off her. She glared at him in shock.
"Calling Mom - Brandon. We have to call her!"
"No I...wait. Just. Please. Let me talk to Michelle first."
Kasey laughed in disbelief. "You can't be serious?" her voice raised slightly in fear that he really was being that naive. "Brandon we're not covering for this. No way!"
"I don't want to cover - I just. I have to talk to her. If we call the police she'll be taken in, she'll never speak to me again!" Kasey's voice raised even more.
"Why would you want to? Brandon! She's been using you! This relationship is over!"
He frowned but pulled back his fiery response. Getting into a fight now would likely wake the others.
"I don't want to get back with her Kasey - but there are questions I need answered. Please. We'll call the police but let me find her first...please."
Kasey squinted at him with her arms crossed, her mouth frozen open. "What are you going to say? We found your drug money - the police are on their way - but would you mind just telling me what you were thinking?" she scoffed. Brandon looked nervously around the room. His hands were twitching. What would he say? What could he say?
"I don't know." he whispered angrily throwing his hand up against his forehead. "But I need to know...I can't get her arrested...she..." he broke off as Kasey interrupted him.
"She what, Brandon?"
"She's pregnant Kasey!" he spat with a quiver in his voice.
Kasey's entire face dropped. Her eyes enflamed and she blinked away a small waiver.
"You can't be serious..." she stuttered.
Brandon took a deep breath.
"At least I think she is. I don't know for sure - I don't even know if it's mine now! But...I need to know Kasey if she gets arrested - if she gets rid - if...I need to know! That could be my child!"
"She can't be more than a few weeks, surely?"
Brandon looked at her angrily.
"I don't care how far along she is - I need to know! What if she is and she keeps it and in ten years I get a kid at my door?" He looked at her horrified. Kasey gulped down a knot in her throat.
"What makes you think she won't lie to you anyway?" She responded, her agitation returning.
"I don't - but I need to try!"
Kasey closed her eyes and shook her head. Brandon put his hands over his face again.
"Please Kasey." He whispered. "You can call them in a couple of hours - just let me try and find out."
She shuffled nervously and checked her watch. She had to get to the exam. A few hours wouldn't hurt - she would get her Mom on the way back. That gave Brandon plenty of time and if Stef was there they couldn't get hold of the money.
"Two hours Brandon. Call her - but if you can't get hold of her I'm not covering for more than two hours."
He nodded. "Thank you. Look, I need to get dressed."
Kasey nodded and stood up. She headed towards the door to get her things ready for the exam.
"Brandon - be careful. Don't do anything stupid." She said pleading as he gulped down with another small nod.
She left the room and took a deep breath. She had a horrible feeling about this.
Evan opened the door with slight confusion. Very few people knew where he was at the motel. He was even more surprised to see Stef there. As soon as he had opened the door she barged in and swung round.
"Why don't you come in." He joked closing the door. "Missing me that much?" His sleepiness was overriding his inherent fear of Stef.
"Don't get smart with me Evan - you're in too much trouble and I need some answers." She stared at him sternly as he gulped. What had she found out?
"I am?" He asked raising an eyebrow.
"Yes. First of all..." She slapped him firmly upside the head as he sprung away.
"What the...?"
"That is for trying to cover for Jesus!"
"But...oh." Evan quickly remembered the chat they had had in the basement. He remembered thinking how angry she would be if she found out the truth as to who he was covering for.
"Sorry..." he added before she slapped the back of his head again. He once again flinched away this time taking a step back.
"and that is for not telling me that you got into a confrontation with a drug dealer!"
"OK - OK! I'm sorry...how many more times are you going to hit me?" He whimpered.
"That depends! I'm not sure how much you've been hiding - but by God Evan if you don't tell me the absolute truth now I'm gonna give you a headache that's going to last into next year!"
He sighed as she folded her arms and stared him down.
"What the hell were you thinking taking the blame like that?" Stef's eyes were now filled more with concern. She was angry with him but she felt awful for what had happened.
"Look - I...Jesus was really beaten up. He was in such a bad way and I'd been there Mrs F. I know what that's like and I know what a fine line it is. I figured he needed someone to guide him and I didn't want to risk worrying you when I could handle it."
"But Evan - he's our son! If he's that low we need to know about it! It's not your call to make."
"I realise that - but it worked. I mean, I just figured if he saw the way that drugs can affect people he'd be less likely to think about it again than if you hammer dropped."
"And why would you automatically assume we would?" She knitted her brow, almost offended.
"I...look I don't know. I just - my relationship with my Dad died the day he caught me. I know that you guys are a lot better parents than him but I just wanted to save all of you that heartache." he pulled a chair out for her to sit down before he took a seat on the edge of his bed.
She put a hand on his knee.
"Evan - sometimes it's important to have disappointments. it's what makes us try to improve. You can't take that kind of responsibility on yourself. You can't fix everything, no matter how hard you may want to. You need to get help from others sometimes."
Evan let out a laugh before burying his face in his palms.
"What?" Stef slapped him lightly on the knee.
"You're going to think I'm an idiot - but that's exactly the advice I gave Jesus to get him to give me the pot." Stef shook her head. She put a hand on his chin and lifted his face as he moved his hands away.
"You are a good man - and you are a good role model. But you have to stop doing stupid things to be so! You can't be an adult and a child Evan. If our kids are doing something that is wrong you need to work with us - not try and sort it out before we catch them. I'd like to think you'd know we could handle it."
"I'm sorry Mrs F." His head drooped down. He hadn't really thought of it like that. It had always been him against the world but he suddenly felt extremely guilty for not giving Stef more credit. "I didn't mean for you to think I don't trust your parenting..."
"I know that honey, just remember - we're not your Dad. You, and all our kids, can talk to us. It doesn't mean we won't kick your ass but it'll always be for the best. I promise."
He flickered a little smile - he assumed she'd just done it out of habit but it sent a warm tingle down his body to have her still include him in the family. He tried to hide it before she saw just in case she noticed her error in words.
"OK now number two. What happened with this drug dealer?"
Evan tried to avoid eye contact.
"Evan, don't even think about lying..." she warned, recognising the signs.
He wasn't sure if he was ready to tell her yet. She'd go in guns blazing no doubt - not to mention the verbal - and maybe physical - battering he'd get for keeping it from her...but wasn't that how he was in this situation in the first place? He took a deep breath.
"I noticed this kid bugging Jesus; he told me he was the kid who gave him the weed; I tried to tell him to back off - his brother threw me up against the wall and threatened me. It's not that complicated." He shrugged.
"And who was this guy? Does he have anything to do with Michelle?" Evan bit his bottom lip. He still didn't know all that much. "She told me he was her cousin...but I also think he may be the guy that Brandon saw her getting off with." Stef screwed up her face.
"She's cheating on Brandon with her drug-dealing cousin?"
Evan shrugged. "I have a feeling he isn't her cousin."
"Is there anything else I should know..." she asked sternly. Evan shrugged. "I don't think he's a very good guy..."
Right then Stef's phone rang. It was Lena.
"Hi Lena - everything OK?" Stef bent her eyebrows down before her eyes enlarged.
"I left before her - what do you mean she's not there?" Evan looked at her anxiously piecing together the conversation.
"Has it started? I'm gonna kill her! OK, OK - I'll try and find her. No I'll drag her there myself. OK. I'll be in touch."
She hung up the phone.
"Kasey not turn up to the exam?" Evan asked concerned. "She didn't know about all this did she?" Fear was beginning to grip him.
"No she didn't - I can't believe this. I know she didn't want to take them but bailing at the last minute? What? Has this all just been an act to keep me off her back?"
Evan shook his head. "She wouldn't do that - she cares about it too much..." Evan replied as Stef scoffed.
"Ha! You don't need to lie to make me feel better Evan. I know she doesn't care about these scores."
To Stef's surprise he let out a laugh.
"You are joking right?" She looked at him with confusion as his face dropped to surprise.
"You seriously think she doesn't care? She's terrified about how she's going to do. She wouldn't just bail on them unless she had a good reason."
"But she's done nothing but bat them away for the last couple of months...saying she did well enough the first time."
Evan shook his head with a smile.
"Come on Mrs F - you know her better than that! Kasey is at her most blasé when she most cares about something. It's her way of not having to face it. She may never admit it but she's terrified of doing badly in this exam and letting you down again. She'd just never admit it - probably not even to herself."
Stef's expression morphed into one of concern. How did she not know that? It was vaguely similar to what Callie had said before but she didn't realise how obvious it was. Evan was right though. It was exactly the same thing she had done after the break-up. "She didn't let me down...but anyway, in that case why would she not be there?" She commented while trying to call Kasey's cell. No response. "She's not picking up. I'm going to call Callie - check if she's still at the house."
Evan looked around nervously as she did. If Stef knew about the weed then Kasey may too...if she had begun to investigate herself...
"What's up? Did you find something out?" Callie answered immediately.
"Uhm - nothing new. Callie has Kasey left yet?" Stef asked, unable to hide the concern.
"I assume so - she was up ages ago."
"Can you check please? She hasn't turned up to the exam."
"Seriously? That's weird - she wouldn't miss that unless it was something important..."
"Yes - so I've been hearing. Can you check for her please." Stef added getting slightly frustrated while Callie scouted the house.
"No sign of her here...are you sure she's not just late? Maybe she just was nervous and took longer walking than usual." Stef ignored the comment.
"Callie you didn't tell her did you?" Stef interrogated as Callie sprung to the defensive.
"No! I said I wouldn't and I didn't. I still think we should though."
"Hush with that now - can you check if Brandon has seen her?"
Callie knocked lightly on Brandon's door but there was no response. She knocked a little louder and poked her head round the door. Before clearing her throat.
"Uhm...Brandon's not here either."
Stef's face turned to horror. "You're absolutely sure you didn't say anything?"
"Stef...I wouldn't lie about that."
"OK -OK. Look can you check if Jesus has and maybe see if any of the others have seen her. I'm going to try and track her down.
She hung up angrily and looked at Evan's increasingly guilty face. She fiddled away with her phone.
"Brandon's missing too."
The next few chapters will go back and forth between Stef/Evan and Kasey/Brandon. I hope this isn't too confusing - it won't be exactly chronological as sometimes it'll hop back in time slightly as it swaps pairing but it should all be clear as the sections unfold. Anyhow - any thoughts on anything? Doesn't even have to be about this - I just like talking :D
Chapter 49 Preview: Stef and Evan try to track Kasey and Brandon. Kasey and Brandon make a choice.
"I'm coming too..."
"Come on Kasey - what are you going to make smalltalk with Porter while I ask his daughter if she's pregnant with my baby?"
"If I have to - she's potentially dangerous. I'm not going to risk leaving you along - mostly so I don't have to face Mom alone if something happens to you! You're not leaving my sight. You know my terms, B." She stared at him sternly and unbuckled her belt, leaving the car. He briefly stretched out his eyes in surrender before following suit.
