Chapter 303: Pictures on the Wall

Monday, January 30th, Evening

Ashlyn watched as Izzy returned to the table, took off her coat, and hung it on the back of her chair. Izzy looked across the table at Ashlyn. Ashlyn studied Izzy and turned to see Ivy standing by the wall looking at the picture.

Ashlyn turned to look at Izzy. "Everything good?" Ashlyn asked.

"On the road to it," Izzy said.

Ashlyn nodded, stood up, and walked over to Ivy; Trin returned to the table and looked at Izzy and just shrugged. Ashlyn finally came alongside Ivy and looked at the pictures.

Ivy finally points to a picture. Ashlyn looked at it and saw Angela, Ashlyn, and Ashton sitting alongside Rerun; the three women were wearing broadcast headsets. "What's that about?" Ivy asked.

Ashlyn laughed, "That was during a blowout boys' game. That's me, Angela, and Ashton; we were the three seniors on the girls' team and best friends. As a joke, we raided Rerun at his broadcast table, put on the extra headsets, and did commentary," she said.

Ivy laughed, "What happened when you went back to school?" she asked.

"Called to the assistant principal's office, we called her Hang 'em high Farrell. Well, Rerun vouched for us, saying he invited us to do guest commentary," Ashlyn said.

"Good guy?" Ivy asked.

"Yes, he's been a good person to me, and the A's," Ashlyn said.

"The A's?" Ivy asked.

Ashlyn pointed at the picture, "Angela, Ashton, and Ashlyn the A's," she said.

Ivy nodded and looked at another picture. She pointed at that picture. "Is that Kay?" Ivy asked.

Ashlyn looked at the picture and smiled. "Yes, that is, and that's the famous Bear Creek Photo, and yes, that's Kay, and she always had her hair short," Ashlyn said.

"You said the famous Bear Creek photo?" Ivy asked.

"It took place during the playoffs. I was already with my knee injury. It was at Bear Creek, and the game was in the fourth quarter. Angela had finished playing for the game, so we sat next to each other. As the game wound down, Kay sat in front of us," Ashlyn said.

"Isn't that the coach for EA Laney?" Ivy asked.

Ashlyn nodded, "Yes, Cara Stilles, back then she was Cara Gyles, and the redhead is Kelly Burke, Chase's sister-in-law and my oldest's aunt," she said.

Ivy nodded, "The one Chase got the loud toy for," she said.

Ashlyn nodded, "Yes," she said.

"She doesn't look much like Huck," Ivy said.

"Hucks looks like his dad's side of the family; Kelly looks like their mom's," Ashlyn said.

"Okay," Ivy said and looked at another picture. It showed a dark-haired girl with a bob hair cut being held up by a tall girl. "What's that one?" Ivy asked.

"I wasn't there for that one. That was during a game The Season After," Ashlyn said.

"Do you know the story behind it?" Ivy asked.

Ashlyn nodded, "I believe that was Mackenzie Ward's best game in her career. That Candi Scott Mackenzie is holding up. Candi started that game at point guard and was responsible for most of Mackenzie's points," Ashlyn said.

"Were they close?" Ivy asked.

"Friendly, I think, I'm not sure; I was at Duke when that happened," Ashlyn said and pointed to the Bear Creek photo, "Cara and Candi were close; they graduated together. Their senior year, they won the team's second championship."

Ivy nodded, "Why is Candi so indifferent to her basketball achievements?" she asked.

"My guess would be she feels her being a doctor is more important; I'd ask her," Ashlyn said.

"Okay," Ivy said and looked at the fourth picture, "That's Kay again."

Ashlyn looked at the picture. "Yeah, I heard of that group. That was the backcourt players for the second championship. Kay, Willa Taylor, Candi, Monica Burton, Anna Barclay, I don't know the other two girls," Ashlyn said.

"What's so special about them?" Ivy asked.

"They were like gazelles and ran the opponents into the ground," Ashlyn said.

Ivy nodded, "Cool!" she said.

"Are you worried about Kay and the Scotts?" Ashlyn asked.

"Wondering what I got myself into," Ivy said.

"The Scotts are good people, but they are people and flawed. I can say from experience there are only two I would consider bad people, Dan and Brian Scott," Ashlyn said.

"Dan?" Ivy asked.

"Kay's grandpa, a major piece of work, but don't worry about him," Ashlyn said.

"Why?" Ivy asked.

"In the old days, they would have said he rode the lightning, but what the state did was put him down like the mad dog he was," Ashlyn said.

"What?" Ivy asked.

"They executed him for murder; Angela even came home to witness it," Ashlyn said.

"Why?" Ivy asked.

"To see the man that murdered her dad punished," Ashlyn said.

"That's harsh," Ivy said.

"That can be Angela, hard as nails with a soft gushy inside," Ashlyn said.

"Why tell me this?" Ivy asked.

"Well, Trin, bless her heart, means well, but she didn't take well to how things with my brother-in-law went," Ashlyn said.

"Why's that?" Ivy asked.

"Brian was unique," Ashlyn said.

"How come?" Ivy asked.

"Well, Brian was a rock star, and some seem to think he wanted to be the next Jim Morrison," Ashlyn said.

"Oh boy, I thought I heard of Brian Scott," Ivy said.

"A lot of people say that," Ashlyn said.

Ivy nodded.

"Hey, Ashlyn!" Trin yelled.

"What?" Ashlyn replied.

"Rerun changed the channel to the Miami game," Trin said.

"Okay," Ashlyn said and looked at Ivy, "Do you want to watch the game?"

Ivy shrugged, "I guess so," she said.

Ashlyn and Ivy returned to the table. Ashlyn looked at the TV.

"Who's playing tonight?" Trin asked.

"It's Brooklyn in Miami," Ashlyn said.

Ivy nodded and watched the screen. Trin looked at the screen and turned to Ashlyn.

"I took Wyatt to the Barclay's Center to see James play last week," Trin said.

Ashlyn nodded, "James had a great game that night," she said, smiled, and nodded. Ashlyn sighed and watched the TV.