Chapter 4: C-tation
"Hey babe," Luke said catching Brooke, "we need to talk about Dezzy."
"What did you find out?" Brooke said turning around. Luke held up the bottle of pills.
'She hasn't been taking them," Luke said, giving Brooke the bottle. "I just can't understand why."
"Me either, babe, but I can find out," she said taking the bottle. Brooke walked down the hall and into Dezzy's room.
"Hey baby, what's up," Brooke said, plopping down on Dezzy's bed.
"Nothing, haven't you heard of knocking?"
"Nope, not when my baby is hurting herself."
"And how am I doing that?"
Brooke threw the bottle at her. "Why aren't you taking them?"
"Mom, it's not like that."
"Oh, than what's it like, because to me its like you don't like it here and want to hurt yourself and the rest of us."
"Mom, you don't know what it's like."
"Well explain it to me, cause I sure as hell would like to know."
Frae drove to Peyton's house, thinking, what if she can't help me, what if mom was lying, she never did that. She nervously parked and got out. She picked up her portfolio of the case, she kept everything nice and neat, everything she had. She walked up and rang the doorbell.
Peyton answered, "Hey, Frae," she laughed at her rhyme. "What can I do for you?"
"Um, yea, mom, she said that you were a lawyer and could totally help me with my first case, I'm so confused," she rambled.
"Yea, sure, come in, tell me about this case of yours." Frae followed her inside.
Frae spread the case out, neatly, each thing in a different stack, consecutive order. "Okay, so I've known this guy since like high school, and the girl's really sweet. He was a sophomore, I didn't know him then, met him junior year. The girl's five, an angel really. That's not my problem, the problem is, I can't find anything wrong with this lady except she hasn't been in this girl's life for the past five years and she's kind of like five years older than him, so she was about 20 and he was 15, and that there is illegal."
"Gotcha, okay, um, how's her record, any drinking and driving, jail, arrested, tickets?"
"She's clean."
"You're wrong, tell me what's this woman's name?"
"Lauren Harthway, but I've checked her, she's clean."
"Lauren Harthway, hmm, try checking Laura Heart."
"What?"
"It sounds similar, so she would probably pick it as a fake name, come on let's search it, have you seen this woman before?"
Frae picked up a stack of papers paper clipped together, there was a picture on the top, "This is her record, pictures, information, everything."
"Great, so what's this little girl's name?"
"Ellie, she's so sweet, well technically her name's Michelle, but nobody calls her that, she's Ellie."
"She sounds sweet, a bit crazy from the way you say it, but definitely sweet."
"Yea, not to mention her daddy, he's even sweeter, and not to mention fine."
"You are so your mother's daughter, oh here," Peyton pointed to the computer screen, she found that woman, under the name she guessed, "People like her aren't very creative about new names, trust me, so basically you're set on Ellie's daddy keeping her."
"Oh, thank you Peyton."
"No problem, but what I would have given for help like this when I was working on that case, live and learn."
"No really, thanks, this means a lot to me, and Johnny, Ellie's dad."
"Johnny?" Peyton said, almost laughing. Frae and Johnny.
"Yea, Johnny, got issues, and I'll bring them by tomorrow, they're coming in town to visit his parents before the trial, I'll bring them by, and thanks Peyton."
"Anytime, anytime."
Ora took out her cell phone and started dialing the familiar number, her finger hovered over the send button, 'Should I do it?' She finally grew up the courage and pressed send.
"Hey sexy," his familiar voice said when he picked up.
"Hey babe," Ora said back, she felt good.
"So what's up?"
"Well I was thinking, could you meet me here, um, at my grandma's place, Karen's Café, I've taken you at least a dozen times, I want to talk, and I think I should in person."
"Um, yea, sure, I'll be there," he sounded sincere, concerned about her.
"Thanks, see you, kisses, love."
"Yea, see you, kisses, love, bye."
"Bye," Ora closed her phone and thought what she would wear to go meet him.
Dallie took her cell phone and pressed a number on speed dial.
"Hey Dalls, what's up?"
"Yea, Cinds, um about the offer…"
"You told Aunt Brooke…"
"Yea, mom really helped. I'm going, but we stick to the plan."
"You totally got it Dalls, we leave summer, tour the east coast, come back, and depending on how big we are will determine winter break."
"So when's next practice?"
"First day of winter break."
"Okay, totally can't wait, love ya," Dallie said hanging up. She collapsed back onto her bed, what did she just do.
Brooke was still there, looking at Dezzy, waiting for an answer.
"Mom, don't be like this."
"Don't be what, caring, concerned, worried, you know what forget it, hurt yourself, go ahead, but don't expect me to ever trust you again," Brooke said leaving, and running into Luke.
"Hey, you talk to her?"
"Oh yea, she's just, I don't know, I need to go get a garbage bag, and you're going to help me, we're going to take everything and put it in the garbage bag, clothes, shoes, CDs, electronics, sheets on her bed, anything that we bought for her, everything, then you'll come back and take the furniture, which might be fun to watch."
"Okay, I'll wait right here. I can't wait to see the look on her face."
"Me either, its going to be fun."
Ora walked into Karen's and sat down at her and Jason's usual table, in the back corner. In a few minutes he came in, looking totally hott.
"Jase, over here," Ora said waving. Jason looked in her direction and smiled, then walked over.
"I'm glad you called."
"Me too, I've been thinking a lot," Ora said, pulling out the black box.
Tassi lay on her bed, thinking about the upcoming summer. Running, and lots of it, and basketball, she loved both of those things, but was knocked out of her daydream when Charlie knocked, well banged on her door.
"Hey lover-boy, what's up?"
"Nothing really, I just got my letter."
"College, that's not for months."
"Not college, Olympics, they want me to run."
She hugged him, "AHHHHH! So we're going to be like together this summer, in a foreign country, oh-la-la." Of course she did scream in a house full of people, not the best idea, of course, nobody really cared, it was Tassi, I mean, who knows what it could be, if she was really hurt, she'd take care of herself.
"Yea, that's cool, you nervous, about like tripping in front of millions of people, or not running fast enough, I mean we're 18, we've got something to prove."
"Yea, I guess you're right, but I don't want to prove anything to the rest of the world, just my parents."
"What did they do this time."
"Nothing really, just they know nothing about the whole essence of being me, Tassi, and that just pisses me off."
"Ouch, burn, so yea, how'd you get the money, I mean I'm covered, rich rents, but you, you're parents are totally not loaded, no offense."
"None taken, and my long lost grandparents have decided to sponsor me as long as I agree to let them come, that's all, come, who says they gotta hang with me?"
"Aight, Tassi, way to go girl, Athens here we come."
"Right back at ya Charlie, Athens here we come!"
Ora took out the box from her pocket. "We should talk." Jason looked nervous. "I would be honored to be your wife." She leaned across the table and kissed him. He picked up the box, took the ring out and slid it on her finger. "There's one more thing I should tell you, but trust me it had no influence on my decision, this was totally me and what I want."
"Well what is it…"
Brooke walked into Dezzy's room with the garbage bag, followed close behind by Luke, who also had a shopping bag, and Emmie with her little shopping cart. Dallie was also behind and Ricky, Ora being out as is Frae, and Tassi busy. "Okay," Brooke said, looking at her line of children, "rules, take whatever, but if there is a fight over something, it goes to the highest bidder, chores, money, whatever, Dezzy you get to sit here and watch, unless of course you have enough money to buy back anything from your siblings, whatever is left will be put into these garbage bags and taken out, any questions? No, good." Emmie was the first to start shoving stuff into her little plastic shopping cart, things she's had her little eye on for a while, stuffed animals, the frilly pillows, and the purple monkey mirror. Dallie was loving it, clothes, Dezzy had the best wardrobe, and at college Dallie had to buy her own clothes, so it was good, not to mention Dezzy's laptop was so hers. Ricky went after her CD collection.
"What? No twin sympathy?" Dezzy asked, watching her brother do that.
"During this, you wish lil sis, you wish," Ricky said, finishing off the CDs.
This went on until most everything was claimed except the furniture and the clothes off her back. "Don't stop now, everything goes, including furniture, mattress, anything and everything goes." Brooke said as Luke left and came back with a screwdriver and started unscrewing the screws in the door's hinges. He then started taking apart the bed to be able to take it out.
"So Charlie, I totally can't wait for summer, me you, foreign country, no parents, especially no parents, or little sisters or older sisters or brothers, the life, my friend, the life."
"Aw, they can't be that bad, I've heard that your whole family is like godly, I mean, at Tree Hill High, everyone know like everything."
"They know the good stuff, they know I must be really cool and they should hang with me because of my parents social status, and I must be like a perfect mix of the two of them, cheery, thinking, smart, funny, happy, tall, athletic, outgoing, all in one person, a blend of them, which I don't want to be, I just want to be me."
"Ouch, I'm glad my rents aren't from around here, god I'd hate that, you should be good in science like your daddy, you should be good in English like your mother, well you can kiss my ass if you want me to be my mother, and you can kiss my ass if you want me to be my father, and you can kiss it twice if you want me to be both. My issue is how do I sneak out, I'm an only child they're bound to notice me missing, they'll call the cops, send out a search party."
"Well, pretend to be going to college, they'll think you're there, I'll pick you up in my car, we'll fly there, with my car, ain't no way in hell I'm leaving it here, and my rents, they know better, besides, they've got how many other kids, like a gazillion, they ain't need me, and are probably counting the days till I'm gone, all I do is take up space, did they tell you when you get your uniform, there, or they send it, cause I'm curious to see it, shoes, jacket, sweats, the spirit pack, oh and did I mention I'm going to be one of the hula girls outside on the beach events that guys watch instead of the event, and some other people."
"You know, you are a totally smart chick, where did I find you again, and I think we get the uniforms as soon as they receive payment, that way if it doesn't fit, we can send it back, for a different size. I'm not so sure I want my girl to be shaking her stuff in front of millions of people."
"Really, and why not."
Frae walked in and dropped the portfolio on her bed and laid back, when the doorbell rang. She expected to hear little feet running to get it, but heard none of that so she went to answer it herself.
She opened the door, "Johnny!" She hugged him, "wasn't expecting you till tomorrow, pleasant surprise."
"Well I thought I'd beat out the weekend traffic, and besides, I can't cook."
"Right, that's why you have me, cause I can, hey Ellie, baby girl." Frae picked up the little girl.
"Frae-e" she clapped her little hands.
"Come on in, living rooms that way, take a seat, everyone will come sooner or later, most of them are home, um, Ellie, want to meet my little sister, she's six, and her name's Emmie."
'Sure, Frae-e, we meet Emmie, bye-bye, Daddy," she waved over Frae's shoulder (Frae was carrying her) to Johnny.
Frae carried Ellie upstairs to Emmie's room and knocked on the door. "Emmie?" Emmie came running.
"Frae-Frae, Whatcha gots?"
"I gots a friend for you to play with." Frae put Ellie on the floor, Ellie was short, way shorter than Emmie, who was about average, if not a little off.
"Who's that Frae-Frae?"
"Emmie, this is Ellie, Ellie, this is my little sister Emmie. Emmie, Ellie is five, and Ellie, Emmie is six, have fun, no fighting, come get someone before then, okay, knock yourselves out." Frae said leaving, that should last until Emmie tries to be the boss, in that case, Ellie won't like it, being she likes to be the boss.
"You got it Frae-Frae, I'll take care of her, we'll be the best of friends, to little angels, you won't even know we're here." Emmie put her hands above her head in the shape of a circle, supposing to be her halo.
"I'm sure you will, that's why your halo's crooked, you little devil."
"I tolds you I'm an angel, not a devil silly."
"If that's what you want to believe."
"Yes it is, shoo, get out of my room Frae-Frae, I'll take good care of her, don't you trust her."
"Oh yes, I trust her, I don't trust you, you little monster, but if I hear screaming…"
"You'll tell mommy and I'll get punished, got it Frae-Frae." Emmie said, shoving her out of her room and closing the door. Frae stood there for a minute, then went back downstairs to find Johnny.
"Hey babe, she's fine, well at least until Emmie wants to play doctor," she saw the shocked look on his face, "kidding, Emmie wouldn't hurt a fly, she's just a bit wild, and imaginative. The most harm she could do is scare her with her imagination, that sometimes gets a little out of hand," she saw him relax, he was so protective of Ellie, it scared her. "Come on, she's fine, let her live a little, you can't live her life for her, and Emmie hasn't learned how to corrupt America's youth yet, she still has another six years or so. We all learned from the best, mom, her specialty," Frae sat down, halfway on his lap, sort of sprawled out on him, "don't worry, worrying causes wrinkles, and wrinkles make you look old."
"If you say so, its just she's so small and weak and fragile and…"
"And its my little sister, okay, she get kicks out of telling lame jokes, not the brightest kid, and she's clean, you can run a background check, of course the police might think you're a little off your rocker, running a background check on a six-year-old."
Dezzy lay on the floor in her bare, door less, furniture less room. It is a sad picture, and she looked weak in that sad picture of the bare room.
