Just before dawn a light drizzle had begun to fall on the sleeping city. By
the time Jason arose from bed, it could have been described as a light
rain. Half an hour after that, he emerged from the shower to find the rain
continuing to fall outside his balcony doors.
Only half-dressed, Jason stood before the doors and watched the rain. From the weather reports on the radio, Jason gathered that even if things cleared up over the weekend, the area was looking at a major front moving through during the week that would bring a chance of showers for almost each day.
Abandoning his view of the dismal outdoors, Jason walked over to his closet and pulled out a random shirt. Slipping the plain black tee-shirt over his head and onto his body, Jason wondered what his fellow Salem High students would be doing over the weekend. With a wry grin, he muttered, "Well, we all know what Chloe will be doing all weekend . . . I bet she and Brady still haven't gone to sleep."
Continuing to ramble to himself as he searched for his wristwatch, Jason said, "Shawn and Belle will probably spend the whole weekend curled up on the couch watching cheesy chick flicks." His tone becoming obviously bitter, he muttered, "Mimi and goody-two-shoes Jeremy will probably be right there beside them. I 'd be willing to bet that Salem High's next super couples will be spending the day together."
The ringing of his phone ended Jason's rant. Quickly crossing the room, he grabbed his cordless phone. "Hello."
"What's up, man?"
Jason smiled despite the roll of eyes he gave. "Not much, Zach. Just trying to find my damn watch. How about you?"
"I'm just trying to find some clothes to put on."
There was a moment of silence as Jason registered what his best pal said. "Dude, you're calling me without your pants on? That's not cool!"
Zach laughed aloud and responded, "Calm down, Jason. I'm kidding." Flopping his fully-clothed body down on the living room sofa, he continued, "I was just calling to check in."
"Check in?" Something about the phrase didn't quite fit. "Yeah, right. Why are you really calling?"
It was Zach's turn to roll his eyes. He should have guessed that Jason would know better than to believe he was just calling to chit-chat like a couple of school girls. "Actually, I wanted to find out if everything was cool with you. You were acting pretty weird last night at the wedding." After a pause, Zach added, "Besides, with Chloe gone, it's lonely as hell around here. Nancy just ignores me and my brother's already at the hospital."
"I'm fine," answered Jason impassively. "We should definitely find something more exciting to do than just talk on the phone."
"No joke. What do you have in mind?"
His voice dripping with that familiar taunting, Jason replied, "Well, if you're not too afraid of getting that precious hair of yours wet, we could check out what's playing at the Salem Place Cinema. Maybe pick up some girls while we're there."
Again, Zach's gentle blue eyes rolled to the back of his head. "You want to go pick up girls? Since when?"
"Since now."
Merely shaking his head, Zach answered, "Fine, if you say so."
"Fine," huffed Jason as he finally located his watch. Struggling to put the accessory on, he suggested, "How about we meet at the Java Cafe in fifteen minutes?"
"See you there," answered Zach.
Hanging up his own phone, Jason snatched his car keys from his night stand and rushed out of his bedroom. He quickly made his way down stairs and retrieved his favorite rain coat from the closet near the front door.
Just as his hand was about to reach the doorknob, Jason heard his mother ask, "Where do you think you're going in such a hurry?"
Turning and offering Catherine an obviously insincere smile, Jason said, "I've gotta go meet up with Zach at Salem Place."
"After the way you spoke to me last night? No, I think we need to have a talk, Jason."
"Can't this wait?"
"No, it can't. Besides, it's nine o'clock on a very rainy Saturday morning. I'm surprised you're even out of bed."
"I woke up early and couldn't go back so sleep," Jason grumbled as he continued to stand by the front door.
Catherine released a frustrated sigh as she watched her son. Jason insisted on being independent, but it was painfully obvious that he needed someone to lean on, someone to confide in, and someone that he would consider a trustworthy parent figure. Try as she may, Catherine could not entirely fill that role. And, Jason had made in clear that there was no way he would ever turn to his father.
Deciding to keep the conversation short and sweet, Catherine said, "Jason, as trite as this sounds, I love you. I really do. And, I hate to see you upset. So, if you ever need to talk to me, I want you to know that I'm ready to listen."
"You mean if my crisis fits in between your meetings and presentations." Shaking his head, Jason muttered, "I'm outta here."
~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~
Belle, cheerful despite the rainy weather, smiled brightly as Mimi's mom opened the door. "Hi, Mrs. Lockhart."
"Hello, Belle," Maureen greeted, stepping aside so the teen could enter. "Mimi's in the kitchen."
After quickly thanking Mrs. Lockhart, Belle casually made her way into the kitchen. As she stepped into the room, she found herself in a state of mild surprise. Her expression clearly that of amused disgust, Belle asked, "Meems, what are you eating?"
Mimi looked at her best friend with guilty eyes. Dropping the chip in her hand back into the bag, she softly admitted, "Barbecue chips with sour cream and onion dip."
"Yeah, that's what I thought. Um, Meems, why are you eating it?"
Temptation being too great, Mimi pulled a chip from the bag and scooped up some dip. Just before popping the cuisine into her mouth, she answered, "Actually, Belle, it's surprisingly good. You should try it."
"No thanks . . . I already ate breakfast." Watching Mimi continue to half- heartedly devour the snack, Belle asked, "Are you okay, Meems?"
"I'm fine." In an attempt to divert attention away from herself, Mimi asked, "So, are we still going to go shopping today?"
"I'm willing if you are. Besides, the rain's already beginning to lighten up. By the time we've been to two or three stores, I bet it'll already have stopped completely."
Mimi offered Belle a smile and replied, "Okay then. I'll just ask my mom if we can borrow the car, and then we can spend the whole day shopping."
As Mimi began to quickly return the chips to the cabinet and the dip to the refrigerator, Belle curiously asked, "How come I've never seen you eating barbecue chips with that dip before?"
Sheepishly, Mimi answered, "Well, I just saw Jason eating it once at the beginning of the school year, and I thought I'd give it a try. Who knew it would totally become my favorite snack?"
With the greatest of effort, Belle managed to not push the issue. However, there was just something about the way Mimi said Jason's name that make Belle increasingly curious. Though she told herself that Mimi and Jeremy would make the cutest couple, Belle couldn't help but notice the way Mimi would sometimes look at Jason. Shrugging away all the doubts, Belle happily said, "Let's get out of here."
~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~
Gently slapping Philip on the back of the head, Nicole demanded, "Well?"
Philip forced his eye lids opened and lifted his head off his hands. Turning on the couch so that he could see Nicole, he asked, "Well what?"
Clearly displeased with Philip's lack of enthusiasm, Nicole stated, "Your father and I are getting married Christmas Eve - that's less than two months away."
"And?"
"And," huffed Nicole as she sat down beside Philip. "This is why I'm glad I don't have children."
Breaking the tension with a weak smile, Philip asked, "Okay, I give. What do you want from me?"
Picking up several bridal magazines from the cocktail table, Nicole answered, "Well, you've been moping around this mansion for quite a while. Anyway, Victor thinks that it would be good for you to have a more active role in the wedding plans."
"You have to be joking."
"Afraid not. So, if you would quit pouting long enough to tell me which flowers and cakes you like, we can just tell your dad that we worked together and blah, blah, blah."
Before Philip could stop himself, he stated, "If you weren't sleeping with my dad, you might be pretty cool."
"Gee, thanks," sarcastically responded the youthful blonde.
"I'm sorry to interrupt," stated Henderson as he entered the living area. "But, Philip, you have a visitor."
Knowing that Philip would most certainly prefer to be hanging out with anyone but her, Nicole said, "I'm going to head upstairs and make some calls. We'll finish this some other time."
Passing by Shawn Brady as he entered the room, Nicole instructed, "You boys don't have too much fun. And, Philip, if you go out, make sure you're home in time for dinner. You know how much your father hates tardiness."
Completely ignoring Nicole's comments as she left the room, Philip said, "Hey, Shawn. What are you doing here? Wait, let me guess, you came to tell me all about the wedding of the century."
Shawn grimaced as he sat down in the armchair nearest the sofa. He had been afraid that Philip would be in a bit of a sour mood. "Actually, Belle and I had an early breakfast with her parents. Then, after dropping her off at Mimi's, I thought I would come hang out with you."
After several seconds had passed in silence, Philip begrudgingly asked, "So, how was the wedding?"
"It was alright, I guess. Other than Zach's cell phone ringing, nothing exciting really happened during the ceremony. And, the reception was pretty ordinary, too."
Wanting to look at anything but Shawn's concerned stare, Philip casually picked up one of the bridal magazines Nicole had left behind. Flipping through the glossy pages, he said, "That's good."
"I am a little worried about Jason, though."
Directing his gaze toward a page showcasing the recent trends in wedding veils, Philip replied, "Why? What did he do now?"
"That's just it. He didn't do anything. After you left the church last night, Jason hardly said two words to anyone. Then, when we all went to the Penthouse Grille for the reception, he spent nearly the entire evening outside on the balcony."
Seeing that his friend was using the magazine as a unconvincing diversion, Shawn promptly reached over and yanked the latest issue of Modern Bride away from Philip. Tossing the magazine down on the expensive cocktail table, Shawn asked, "Are you even listening to me?"
"Yes," Philip practically shouted. "But, I don't know what you expect me to do. I'm the last person that should be helping someone fix their romantic life."
"Damn it, Philip!" Shawn exploded. "Whether you remember it or not, you're Salem High's Romeo. You represent Prince Charming to the entire school. The Philip Kiriakis I knew wouldn't let some romance gone wrong get him down. He wouldn't let a girl cause him to abandon his friends, either."
Shawn's words hit Philip with surprising force. His eyes somewhat clearing of the gloom that had so recently dominated him, Philip declared, "You're right. I'm Philip Kiriakis - the Philip Kiriakis." Smiling playfully, Philip said, "And, I think I know just how to help our pal Jason."
~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~
Ignoring the random sprinkles that fell from the sky, Jason and Zach casually walked around Salem Place. It had been more than two hours since the boys had met up at Java Cafe. After grabbing some drinks, they had set out to the cinema. There they discovered that a roof leak had caused damage to two of the viewing screens and the other four screens were showing either animated children's movies or the dreaded romantic comedy.
Removing the hood that protected his well-styled dark locks, Zach stretched out his arm and turned his palm toward the sky. When moisture assaulted neither his hair nor his hand, he declared, "I think it's finally stopped."
Jason, following Zach's lead, tossed the hood of his jacket away from his head. "I can't believe this. We've been hanging out here all morning and have yet to find some girls."
Zach shook his head and wondered what exactly Jason thought those gorgeous, two-legged blonde creatures were that they had met earlier. Opting to do the rare thing and keep his mouth shut, Zach silently strode along side Jason and scanned the scenery.
The boys had just passed by the fountain when they found themselves practically trampled by four darkly-dressed teens running full speed through the shopping area. As one of them, a blonde teenage girl, attempted to keep up with the others, she slammed into the boys.
Not even bothering to apologize for the incident, the girl hurriedly regained her balance and continued to chase behind her apparent friends. As the girl disappeared around the corner of a nearby store, Zach noticed an exquisite bracelet on the ground.
Picking up the sparkling piece of jewelry, he commented, "Hmm, looks like Blondie dropped her bracelet."
"Good luck catching up with her to return it," remarked Jason with little interest.
Zach smiled to himself and responded, "Good point." Slipping the bracelet into the pocket of his black slacks, the resourceful young man decided that the hurried teenager had inadvertently paid for the new speakers he wanted for his car.
Without warning, Zach reached out his left arm to stop Jason from proceeding. "Whoa." Following Zach's determined gaze, Jason discovered himself looking at the backside of some girl who was apparently looking for something inside one of her shopping bags. Due to the location of a vendor's stand, Jason was unable to see the girl's face.
In a matter of seconds, Jason found that he was standing alone as Zach moved in for the kill. Quickly catching up with his friend, Jason followed him over to where the petite girl was still bent over looking in her shopping bag. Catching a glimpse of the girl's blonde hair, Jason distractedly commented, "It looks like that Dutton High cheerleader that was hitting on you at the last game."
"Carly?" Zach questioned aloud. "No wait, it was Callie . . . or, was it Candy . . ."
"Does it matter? Everyone just calls her Easy."
"Once again, you make a good point," chuckled Zach. As he reached the unaware girl, Zach brazenly reached out and used the palm of his hand to swat the young lady on the rear.
Immediately, the girl straightened up and spun on her heels. Shock etched upon her face, she furiously squealed, "Zach!"
The smile having completely dropped from his face, Zach felt his mouth open. However, he was unable to force even the simplest of words out. Doing his very best to regain his composure, Zach gave a charming though nervous smile. "Um, hi, Belle."
Irately hitting Zach with her purse, Belle screamed, "What is wrong with you? I can't believe you smacked me there!"
"He really didn't mean it, Belle," Jason said in Zach's defense. "He just saw your butt and from that assumed you were some girl that goes to another school."
"Yeah! It's not my fault your butt looks easy!" Zach squawked.
Again, Belle used her purse to attack her classmate. Her eyes were still filled with anger as she replied, "And that's supposed to make me feel better?"
"I guess not," Zach peevishly said in return.
Preventing Belle from further assaulting Zach, Mimi appeared and said, "Belle, I grabbed us a couple of . . ." Her eyes alternating between the curious site of a clearly displeased Belle and a rather amused Jason, Mimi concluded, "Mochas. I grabbed two mochas."
Belle gladly accepted the drink from her friend and said, "Thanks, Meems."
"No problem." When no one else dared say anything, Mimi asked, "Okay, what did I miss?"
Jason, forgetting that he wanted to pretend to be bored with Mimi, supplied the answer, "Zach got fresh with Belle."
His rather distinctive sense of humor showing, Zach snorted, "Of course, that's not what Miss Black is mad about. She's mad because she liked it."
And, yet again, the purse made violent contact with Zach.
As Belle swung her arm back once more to deliver a teasing hit to Zach, she found her arm constrained by someone grabbing hold of her wrist. The look of sheer unease that she saw in the eyes of her three friends assured Belle that she would not like what met her when she turned around.
Hesitance dominating her every move, Belle carefully turned her head to see who had taken hold of her wrist. While she looked with horror at the policeman that was restraining her, Belle caught a glimpse of two other officers stepping up to Jason, Zach, and Mimi.
The tallest of the three policemen said to the four teens, "I'd advise you to not even bother trying to run."
It was at that point that Belle uncomfortably watched the two boys get frisked. And, her eyes widened with shock when she saw the officer searching Zach pull a noticeably expensive bracelet from the pocket of his pants.
Time seemed to freeze as that officer nodded to the officer behind Belle. Before any of the four knew what was happening, the cops were pulling out their handcuffs and declaring the teens were under arrest and had the right to remain silent.
~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~
Her nose wrinkled with disgust, Belle commented, "Eww, it stinks in here."
"It's a holding cell," replied Zach from the cell next-door. "They aren't exactly supposed to be of exceptional quality."
From the cell she shared with Belle, Mimi despairingly muttered, "I can't believe I'm in jail. My mom is going to totally flip."
"Mine, too," Jason stated.
Looking for any support she could get, Mimi softly asked, "They can't keep us here long, can they?"
"Don't worry, Meems," Zach smiled with noticeable charm as he approached the neighboring cell. "We'll be out of here in no time." With a sexy wink, he added, "I promise."
"Can't you quit acting like a playboy for five minutes?" groaned Jason. "This really isn't the time to try and play Love Connection with Meems."
Zach turned his back to the cell housing the girls as he whispered to Jason, "What's the matter . . . jealous?"
Unwilling to admit just how much he wanted to be the one comforting Mimi, Jason leaned himself against the cell door and bellowed, "Somebody get me out of here . . . I'm about to be smothered by the world's biggest ego."
Just as Jason was about to walk back to the splintery piece of wood that supposedly passed as a place to sit, one of the department's officers approached the cells with several files.
"Which of you is Belle Black?"
Lifting her hand like a timid schoolgirl, Belle said, "That would be me."
"Your mother is here," curtly stated the man. Looking at Mimi with unemotional eyes, he said, "I take it that you're Mimi?"
"Yes, sir."
"Both of your parents are here as well."
"Great," groaned Mimi. Though she was quite tempted to ask the officer if her folks looked terribly angry, she thought better of it. Officer Duncan didn't exactly look like the warm, fuzzy-feely sort of guy.
His attention now directed toward the boys' cell, the officer asked, "And, which of you kids is Jason Masters?"
"That would be me."
"I see you've visited us before." After glancing at a computer printout, the officer said, "It seems like you and another boy were causing a disturbance with a little fist fight."
Jason unhappily recalled the disagreement he and Philip had once shared about Chloe Lane. It was a disagreement that left them both in police custody.
Smiling almost ominously, the policeman commented, "Your mother's here, too. But, if I were you, I'd probably rather stay in that cell . . . where it's safe."
Jason tossed his head back and moaned with dread. He could only imagine how angry his mother probably was.
The officer then focused all his attention on Zach. "And, you must be Zachary Wesley - formerly of Chicago." Looking through his paperwork, the officer pulled out a printout roughly three times longer than the one for Jason. "Looks like you're quite a punk, Wesley. Says here that cops in Chicago picked you up once for petty larceny, once for disturbing the peace, and another time on suspicion of drug possession. What do you have to say for yourself?"
Zach went against what his brain was telling him and stole a glance at Belle. It was agonizingly clear that for the first time since meeting him, she had to face the lifestyle he had left behind. Returning his gaze to the officer, Zach said, "I say that I did probation work for the first two and was totally innocent of the drug charge - which is why the cops immediately released me."
Approaching Officer Duncan and the locked up teens, Detective Bo Brady did his best to not smile. Having just come from upstairs where the situation had been resolved, he was beginning to see just a twinge of humor in the situation.
"I'll take it from here, Duncan," Bo ordered with his attempt at a gruff voice. As soon as the officer had left the holding area, Bo turned his eyes toward Belle and said, "Belle, if this is the way you're going to start spending your weekends, I'm not sure if it's a good idea for my son to be dating you."
"Mr. Brady, I swear this is just a huge misunderstanding," pleaded Belle.
Laughing aloud Bo replied, "I know that - I was just joking."
"Oh."
"It looks like four teenagers matching your descriptions had decided to take several items from one of the jewelry stores in Salem Place. While they were fleeing the scene of the crime, the girl matching your description, Belle, ran into Zach and Jason. That's when she dropped one of the stolen bracelets - which Zach not-so-wisely decided to pocket."
"The two young men and two young ladies that were suspected in the jewelry thefts had all been wearing black clothing. So, with Jason in a black tee- shirt, Zach in black slacks and a gray shirt, and you two ladies in dark outfits, you seemed to be likely suspects to the first officers on the scene. And, the fact that Zach possessed one of the stolen items didn't exactly help matters."
"Good going, Zach," grumbled Jason.
"Anyway, I'm going to go ahead and release the four of you. If I'm not mistaken, you all have someone upstairs to pick you up."
Twenty minutes later, Belle was leaving the police station with Marlena, Mimi was heading home with her parents, and Catherine was giving Jason a ride back to Salem Place to pick up his car.
Looking around the spacious police room, Zach failed to see anyone there to pick him up. Craig and Nancy were no where to be found. Stopping Bo as he walked toward his desk, Zach asked, "I thought you said that was someone here to pick me up."
"Yeah, just through those doors in Abe Carver's office."
Zach braced himself for a lecture as he approached the office door. Stepping inside, he found himself receiving the shock of a lifetime. Smiling wickedly, he exclaimed, "I'll be damned."
Only half-dressed, Jason stood before the doors and watched the rain. From the weather reports on the radio, Jason gathered that even if things cleared up over the weekend, the area was looking at a major front moving through during the week that would bring a chance of showers for almost each day.
Abandoning his view of the dismal outdoors, Jason walked over to his closet and pulled out a random shirt. Slipping the plain black tee-shirt over his head and onto his body, Jason wondered what his fellow Salem High students would be doing over the weekend. With a wry grin, he muttered, "Well, we all know what Chloe will be doing all weekend . . . I bet she and Brady still haven't gone to sleep."
Continuing to ramble to himself as he searched for his wristwatch, Jason said, "Shawn and Belle will probably spend the whole weekend curled up on the couch watching cheesy chick flicks." His tone becoming obviously bitter, he muttered, "Mimi and goody-two-shoes Jeremy will probably be right there beside them. I 'd be willing to bet that Salem High's next super couples will be spending the day together."
The ringing of his phone ended Jason's rant. Quickly crossing the room, he grabbed his cordless phone. "Hello."
"What's up, man?"
Jason smiled despite the roll of eyes he gave. "Not much, Zach. Just trying to find my damn watch. How about you?"
"I'm just trying to find some clothes to put on."
There was a moment of silence as Jason registered what his best pal said. "Dude, you're calling me without your pants on? That's not cool!"
Zach laughed aloud and responded, "Calm down, Jason. I'm kidding." Flopping his fully-clothed body down on the living room sofa, he continued, "I was just calling to check in."
"Check in?" Something about the phrase didn't quite fit. "Yeah, right. Why are you really calling?"
It was Zach's turn to roll his eyes. He should have guessed that Jason would know better than to believe he was just calling to chit-chat like a couple of school girls. "Actually, I wanted to find out if everything was cool with you. You were acting pretty weird last night at the wedding." After a pause, Zach added, "Besides, with Chloe gone, it's lonely as hell around here. Nancy just ignores me and my brother's already at the hospital."
"I'm fine," answered Jason impassively. "We should definitely find something more exciting to do than just talk on the phone."
"No joke. What do you have in mind?"
His voice dripping with that familiar taunting, Jason replied, "Well, if you're not too afraid of getting that precious hair of yours wet, we could check out what's playing at the Salem Place Cinema. Maybe pick up some girls while we're there."
Again, Zach's gentle blue eyes rolled to the back of his head. "You want to go pick up girls? Since when?"
"Since now."
Merely shaking his head, Zach answered, "Fine, if you say so."
"Fine," huffed Jason as he finally located his watch. Struggling to put the accessory on, he suggested, "How about we meet at the Java Cafe in fifteen minutes?"
"See you there," answered Zach.
Hanging up his own phone, Jason snatched his car keys from his night stand and rushed out of his bedroom. He quickly made his way down stairs and retrieved his favorite rain coat from the closet near the front door.
Just as his hand was about to reach the doorknob, Jason heard his mother ask, "Where do you think you're going in such a hurry?"
Turning and offering Catherine an obviously insincere smile, Jason said, "I've gotta go meet up with Zach at Salem Place."
"After the way you spoke to me last night? No, I think we need to have a talk, Jason."
"Can't this wait?"
"No, it can't. Besides, it's nine o'clock on a very rainy Saturday morning. I'm surprised you're even out of bed."
"I woke up early and couldn't go back so sleep," Jason grumbled as he continued to stand by the front door.
Catherine released a frustrated sigh as she watched her son. Jason insisted on being independent, but it was painfully obvious that he needed someone to lean on, someone to confide in, and someone that he would consider a trustworthy parent figure. Try as she may, Catherine could not entirely fill that role. And, Jason had made in clear that there was no way he would ever turn to his father.
Deciding to keep the conversation short and sweet, Catherine said, "Jason, as trite as this sounds, I love you. I really do. And, I hate to see you upset. So, if you ever need to talk to me, I want you to know that I'm ready to listen."
"You mean if my crisis fits in between your meetings and presentations." Shaking his head, Jason muttered, "I'm outta here."
~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~
Belle, cheerful despite the rainy weather, smiled brightly as Mimi's mom opened the door. "Hi, Mrs. Lockhart."
"Hello, Belle," Maureen greeted, stepping aside so the teen could enter. "Mimi's in the kitchen."
After quickly thanking Mrs. Lockhart, Belle casually made her way into the kitchen. As she stepped into the room, she found herself in a state of mild surprise. Her expression clearly that of amused disgust, Belle asked, "Meems, what are you eating?"
Mimi looked at her best friend with guilty eyes. Dropping the chip in her hand back into the bag, she softly admitted, "Barbecue chips with sour cream and onion dip."
"Yeah, that's what I thought. Um, Meems, why are you eating it?"
Temptation being too great, Mimi pulled a chip from the bag and scooped up some dip. Just before popping the cuisine into her mouth, she answered, "Actually, Belle, it's surprisingly good. You should try it."
"No thanks . . . I already ate breakfast." Watching Mimi continue to half- heartedly devour the snack, Belle asked, "Are you okay, Meems?"
"I'm fine." In an attempt to divert attention away from herself, Mimi asked, "So, are we still going to go shopping today?"
"I'm willing if you are. Besides, the rain's already beginning to lighten up. By the time we've been to two or three stores, I bet it'll already have stopped completely."
Mimi offered Belle a smile and replied, "Okay then. I'll just ask my mom if we can borrow the car, and then we can spend the whole day shopping."
As Mimi began to quickly return the chips to the cabinet and the dip to the refrigerator, Belle curiously asked, "How come I've never seen you eating barbecue chips with that dip before?"
Sheepishly, Mimi answered, "Well, I just saw Jason eating it once at the beginning of the school year, and I thought I'd give it a try. Who knew it would totally become my favorite snack?"
With the greatest of effort, Belle managed to not push the issue. However, there was just something about the way Mimi said Jason's name that make Belle increasingly curious. Though she told herself that Mimi and Jeremy would make the cutest couple, Belle couldn't help but notice the way Mimi would sometimes look at Jason. Shrugging away all the doubts, Belle happily said, "Let's get out of here."
~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~
Gently slapping Philip on the back of the head, Nicole demanded, "Well?"
Philip forced his eye lids opened and lifted his head off his hands. Turning on the couch so that he could see Nicole, he asked, "Well what?"
Clearly displeased with Philip's lack of enthusiasm, Nicole stated, "Your father and I are getting married Christmas Eve - that's less than two months away."
"And?"
"And," huffed Nicole as she sat down beside Philip. "This is why I'm glad I don't have children."
Breaking the tension with a weak smile, Philip asked, "Okay, I give. What do you want from me?"
Picking up several bridal magazines from the cocktail table, Nicole answered, "Well, you've been moping around this mansion for quite a while. Anyway, Victor thinks that it would be good for you to have a more active role in the wedding plans."
"You have to be joking."
"Afraid not. So, if you would quit pouting long enough to tell me which flowers and cakes you like, we can just tell your dad that we worked together and blah, blah, blah."
Before Philip could stop himself, he stated, "If you weren't sleeping with my dad, you might be pretty cool."
"Gee, thanks," sarcastically responded the youthful blonde.
"I'm sorry to interrupt," stated Henderson as he entered the living area. "But, Philip, you have a visitor."
Knowing that Philip would most certainly prefer to be hanging out with anyone but her, Nicole said, "I'm going to head upstairs and make some calls. We'll finish this some other time."
Passing by Shawn Brady as he entered the room, Nicole instructed, "You boys don't have too much fun. And, Philip, if you go out, make sure you're home in time for dinner. You know how much your father hates tardiness."
Completely ignoring Nicole's comments as she left the room, Philip said, "Hey, Shawn. What are you doing here? Wait, let me guess, you came to tell me all about the wedding of the century."
Shawn grimaced as he sat down in the armchair nearest the sofa. He had been afraid that Philip would be in a bit of a sour mood. "Actually, Belle and I had an early breakfast with her parents. Then, after dropping her off at Mimi's, I thought I would come hang out with you."
After several seconds had passed in silence, Philip begrudgingly asked, "So, how was the wedding?"
"It was alright, I guess. Other than Zach's cell phone ringing, nothing exciting really happened during the ceremony. And, the reception was pretty ordinary, too."
Wanting to look at anything but Shawn's concerned stare, Philip casually picked up one of the bridal magazines Nicole had left behind. Flipping through the glossy pages, he said, "That's good."
"I am a little worried about Jason, though."
Directing his gaze toward a page showcasing the recent trends in wedding veils, Philip replied, "Why? What did he do now?"
"That's just it. He didn't do anything. After you left the church last night, Jason hardly said two words to anyone. Then, when we all went to the Penthouse Grille for the reception, he spent nearly the entire evening outside on the balcony."
Seeing that his friend was using the magazine as a unconvincing diversion, Shawn promptly reached over and yanked the latest issue of Modern Bride away from Philip. Tossing the magazine down on the expensive cocktail table, Shawn asked, "Are you even listening to me?"
"Yes," Philip practically shouted. "But, I don't know what you expect me to do. I'm the last person that should be helping someone fix their romantic life."
"Damn it, Philip!" Shawn exploded. "Whether you remember it or not, you're Salem High's Romeo. You represent Prince Charming to the entire school. The Philip Kiriakis I knew wouldn't let some romance gone wrong get him down. He wouldn't let a girl cause him to abandon his friends, either."
Shawn's words hit Philip with surprising force. His eyes somewhat clearing of the gloom that had so recently dominated him, Philip declared, "You're right. I'm Philip Kiriakis - the Philip Kiriakis." Smiling playfully, Philip said, "And, I think I know just how to help our pal Jason."
~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~
Ignoring the random sprinkles that fell from the sky, Jason and Zach casually walked around Salem Place. It had been more than two hours since the boys had met up at Java Cafe. After grabbing some drinks, they had set out to the cinema. There they discovered that a roof leak had caused damage to two of the viewing screens and the other four screens were showing either animated children's movies or the dreaded romantic comedy.
Removing the hood that protected his well-styled dark locks, Zach stretched out his arm and turned his palm toward the sky. When moisture assaulted neither his hair nor his hand, he declared, "I think it's finally stopped."
Jason, following Zach's lead, tossed the hood of his jacket away from his head. "I can't believe this. We've been hanging out here all morning and have yet to find some girls."
Zach shook his head and wondered what exactly Jason thought those gorgeous, two-legged blonde creatures were that they had met earlier. Opting to do the rare thing and keep his mouth shut, Zach silently strode along side Jason and scanned the scenery.
The boys had just passed by the fountain when they found themselves practically trampled by four darkly-dressed teens running full speed through the shopping area. As one of them, a blonde teenage girl, attempted to keep up with the others, she slammed into the boys.
Not even bothering to apologize for the incident, the girl hurriedly regained her balance and continued to chase behind her apparent friends. As the girl disappeared around the corner of a nearby store, Zach noticed an exquisite bracelet on the ground.
Picking up the sparkling piece of jewelry, he commented, "Hmm, looks like Blondie dropped her bracelet."
"Good luck catching up with her to return it," remarked Jason with little interest.
Zach smiled to himself and responded, "Good point." Slipping the bracelet into the pocket of his black slacks, the resourceful young man decided that the hurried teenager had inadvertently paid for the new speakers he wanted for his car.
Without warning, Zach reached out his left arm to stop Jason from proceeding. "Whoa." Following Zach's determined gaze, Jason discovered himself looking at the backside of some girl who was apparently looking for something inside one of her shopping bags. Due to the location of a vendor's stand, Jason was unable to see the girl's face.
In a matter of seconds, Jason found that he was standing alone as Zach moved in for the kill. Quickly catching up with his friend, Jason followed him over to where the petite girl was still bent over looking in her shopping bag. Catching a glimpse of the girl's blonde hair, Jason distractedly commented, "It looks like that Dutton High cheerleader that was hitting on you at the last game."
"Carly?" Zach questioned aloud. "No wait, it was Callie . . . or, was it Candy . . ."
"Does it matter? Everyone just calls her Easy."
"Once again, you make a good point," chuckled Zach. As he reached the unaware girl, Zach brazenly reached out and used the palm of his hand to swat the young lady on the rear.
Immediately, the girl straightened up and spun on her heels. Shock etched upon her face, she furiously squealed, "Zach!"
The smile having completely dropped from his face, Zach felt his mouth open. However, he was unable to force even the simplest of words out. Doing his very best to regain his composure, Zach gave a charming though nervous smile. "Um, hi, Belle."
Irately hitting Zach with her purse, Belle screamed, "What is wrong with you? I can't believe you smacked me there!"
"He really didn't mean it, Belle," Jason said in Zach's defense. "He just saw your butt and from that assumed you were some girl that goes to another school."
"Yeah! It's not my fault your butt looks easy!" Zach squawked.
Again, Belle used her purse to attack her classmate. Her eyes were still filled with anger as she replied, "And that's supposed to make me feel better?"
"I guess not," Zach peevishly said in return.
Preventing Belle from further assaulting Zach, Mimi appeared and said, "Belle, I grabbed us a couple of . . ." Her eyes alternating between the curious site of a clearly displeased Belle and a rather amused Jason, Mimi concluded, "Mochas. I grabbed two mochas."
Belle gladly accepted the drink from her friend and said, "Thanks, Meems."
"No problem." When no one else dared say anything, Mimi asked, "Okay, what did I miss?"
Jason, forgetting that he wanted to pretend to be bored with Mimi, supplied the answer, "Zach got fresh with Belle."
His rather distinctive sense of humor showing, Zach snorted, "Of course, that's not what Miss Black is mad about. She's mad because she liked it."
And, yet again, the purse made violent contact with Zach.
As Belle swung her arm back once more to deliver a teasing hit to Zach, she found her arm constrained by someone grabbing hold of her wrist. The look of sheer unease that she saw in the eyes of her three friends assured Belle that she would not like what met her when she turned around.
Hesitance dominating her every move, Belle carefully turned her head to see who had taken hold of her wrist. While she looked with horror at the policeman that was restraining her, Belle caught a glimpse of two other officers stepping up to Jason, Zach, and Mimi.
The tallest of the three policemen said to the four teens, "I'd advise you to not even bother trying to run."
It was at that point that Belle uncomfortably watched the two boys get frisked. And, her eyes widened with shock when she saw the officer searching Zach pull a noticeably expensive bracelet from the pocket of his pants.
Time seemed to freeze as that officer nodded to the officer behind Belle. Before any of the four knew what was happening, the cops were pulling out their handcuffs and declaring the teens were under arrest and had the right to remain silent.
~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~
Her nose wrinkled with disgust, Belle commented, "Eww, it stinks in here."
"It's a holding cell," replied Zach from the cell next-door. "They aren't exactly supposed to be of exceptional quality."
From the cell she shared with Belle, Mimi despairingly muttered, "I can't believe I'm in jail. My mom is going to totally flip."
"Mine, too," Jason stated.
Looking for any support she could get, Mimi softly asked, "They can't keep us here long, can they?"
"Don't worry, Meems," Zach smiled with noticeable charm as he approached the neighboring cell. "We'll be out of here in no time." With a sexy wink, he added, "I promise."
"Can't you quit acting like a playboy for five minutes?" groaned Jason. "This really isn't the time to try and play Love Connection with Meems."
Zach turned his back to the cell housing the girls as he whispered to Jason, "What's the matter . . . jealous?"
Unwilling to admit just how much he wanted to be the one comforting Mimi, Jason leaned himself against the cell door and bellowed, "Somebody get me out of here . . . I'm about to be smothered by the world's biggest ego."
Just as Jason was about to walk back to the splintery piece of wood that supposedly passed as a place to sit, one of the department's officers approached the cells with several files.
"Which of you is Belle Black?"
Lifting her hand like a timid schoolgirl, Belle said, "That would be me."
"Your mother is here," curtly stated the man. Looking at Mimi with unemotional eyes, he said, "I take it that you're Mimi?"
"Yes, sir."
"Both of your parents are here as well."
"Great," groaned Mimi. Though she was quite tempted to ask the officer if her folks looked terribly angry, she thought better of it. Officer Duncan didn't exactly look like the warm, fuzzy-feely sort of guy.
His attention now directed toward the boys' cell, the officer asked, "And, which of you kids is Jason Masters?"
"That would be me."
"I see you've visited us before." After glancing at a computer printout, the officer said, "It seems like you and another boy were causing a disturbance with a little fist fight."
Jason unhappily recalled the disagreement he and Philip had once shared about Chloe Lane. It was a disagreement that left them both in police custody.
Smiling almost ominously, the policeman commented, "Your mother's here, too. But, if I were you, I'd probably rather stay in that cell . . . where it's safe."
Jason tossed his head back and moaned with dread. He could only imagine how angry his mother probably was.
The officer then focused all his attention on Zach. "And, you must be Zachary Wesley - formerly of Chicago." Looking through his paperwork, the officer pulled out a printout roughly three times longer than the one for Jason. "Looks like you're quite a punk, Wesley. Says here that cops in Chicago picked you up once for petty larceny, once for disturbing the peace, and another time on suspicion of drug possession. What do you have to say for yourself?"
Zach went against what his brain was telling him and stole a glance at Belle. It was agonizingly clear that for the first time since meeting him, she had to face the lifestyle he had left behind. Returning his gaze to the officer, Zach said, "I say that I did probation work for the first two and was totally innocent of the drug charge - which is why the cops immediately released me."
Approaching Officer Duncan and the locked up teens, Detective Bo Brady did his best to not smile. Having just come from upstairs where the situation had been resolved, he was beginning to see just a twinge of humor in the situation.
"I'll take it from here, Duncan," Bo ordered with his attempt at a gruff voice. As soon as the officer had left the holding area, Bo turned his eyes toward Belle and said, "Belle, if this is the way you're going to start spending your weekends, I'm not sure if it's a good idea for my son to be dating you."
"Mr. Brady, I swear this is just a huge misunderstanding," pleaded Belle.
Laughing aloud Bo replied, "I know that - I was just joking."
"Oh."
"It looks like four teenagers matching your descriptions had decided to take several items from one of the jewelry stores in Salem Place. While they were fleeing the scene of the crime, the girl matching your description, Belle, ran into Zach and Jason. That's when she dropped one of the stolen bracelets - which Zach not-so-wisely decided to pocket."
"The two young men and two young ladies that were suspected in the jewelry thefts had all been wearing black clothing. So, with Jason in a black tee- shirt, Zach in black slacks and a gray shirt, and you two ladies in dark outfits, you seemed to be likely suspects to the first officers on the scene. And, the fact that Zach possessed one of the stolen items didn't exactly help matters."
"Good going, Zach," grumbled Jason.
"Anyway, I'm going to go ahead and release the four of you. If I'm not mistaken, you all have someone upstairs to pick you up."
Twenty minutes later, Belle was leaving the police station with Marlena, Mimi was heading home with her parents, and Catherine was giving Jason a ride back to Salem Place to pick up his car.
Looking around the spacious police room, Zach failed to see anyone there to pick him up. Craig and Nancy were no where to be found. Stopping Bo as he walked toward his desk, Zach asked, "I thought you said that was someone here to pick me up."
"Yeah, just through those doors in Abe Carver's office."
Zach braced himself for a lecture as he approached the office door. Stepping inside, he found himself receiving the shock of a lifetime. Smiling wickedly, he exclaimed, "I'll be damned."