Chapter 54

Familiar Faces and Strange Places

Dressed in a maroon sweatshirt and navy blue sweatpants and carrying a box full of his civilian clothing Carson Cameron walked out of prison to Sean parked out front. Emma was at home cleaning up and preparing the stuff needed for Carson's arrival and cooking a decent hot meal for her new soon-to-be roommate.

Sean looked on uncomfortably as he advanced forward and Carson pulled him into a hug, "Little bro, good to see you." He pulled away and smirked, "I'm so hungry I used the last of my funds on those phone calls to you. I just wanted to say thanks again for doing this."

"It's a good thing Emma's making us dinner, she's making your favorite."

"How sweet of her."

"Yeah and she's not a carnivore like us but she made a special exception so be nice."

"I've turned a new leaf, bro. I'm different and I'm going to help out as much as I can while I'm living with you guys. I've already looked at classifieds for help wanted articles I'll be outta your hair in no time."

"Let's get home hop in." Sean's car was nice it was a cherry red dodge charger as Carson walked to the passenger side he admired Sean's car and remarked, "Nice ride, you seem to be doing great you got yourself a girlfriend, a car, a place to live. I'm happy for you."

"Things are going well yeah for once in my life I can honestly say things have definitely fallen into place."

"I can only hope the same happens for me. I'm super grateful but would the girl mind if I stopped at Tim Horton's for a pack of boges?"

Sean rolled his eyes and relented but tried to keep positive at Emma and Jay's request. Perhaps things have changed between Carson and him. Possibly maybe they could be cordial. "Fine but make it quick as you know Bacon Cheeseburgers taste best while hot."

"Ugh I can't wait, Sean."

Carson didn't have much money. He always burned through cash like he burns through cigarettes. When he was first taken into custody he had a measly forty to his name. He had a public defender which cost nothing and he earned himself five years in prison. Sean didn't want to know what actually landed him there probably more than likely drugs or talk about the negative stuff and Carson seemed super grateful to get a second chance in life, so why dredge up old negative memories? Sean kept the conversations light and upbeat even though he was still seething inside. He couldn't help but remember a completely different Carson.

"Marlboro red 100's?"

"Can I see some ID?" He asked him as Sean looked at his older brother wearily before Carson spoke up.

"I just got out of jail, suspended license before I went in so . . uh -"

"Eh you look of age." The guy behind the counter relented and sighed shaking his head. Five sixty-nine."

He gave him the money and swiped the cigarettes with his free hand and then muttered to Sean with a laugh, "I haven't been carded in my entire life. I'm thirty fucking five."

"Sir, your change?"

"Almost forgot." He quipped while turning around taking the money and dropping the loose change in the tip jar, "can I uh get some matches too?"

The man behind the counter gave him about two packs of matches, "Here sir have a nice day."

Carson clapped the package of cigarettes with his hands packing the cigarettes before opening them up. He smelled, "Nothing smells as good as a pack of fresh cigarettes." Sean shrugged his shoulders as he entered the vehicle. Sean hated the smell anymore. His parents smoked all his life, Manny smokes, Jay smokes and Emma will take a puff every now and again but hates smoking indoors and even Camille smokes against Emma's wishes but Carson was always a chimney. He started smoking at age 14, he used to steal his mother's virginia slims and whatever dad smoked Sean thinks they were called Lucky Strikes without the filters, it's a wonder his dad still has lungs despite his liver being shot to hell. "May I?"

"Don't smoke in my cars all I ask. I'll wait for you to finish up." Sean pushed the windows closed and thought for a moment. Finally he relented and rolled down the window and asked Carson, "Can I bum one? I'm nervous as hell."

Amused Carson takes the pack out of his pocket and tosses him the matches and hands him a cigarette, "Uh oh trouble in paradise?"

"Not quite I just. . . I need this to go well. No surprises and we got to lay down the ground rules with you moving in and all. It can't be like before and I know you've apologized."

A small smile played on Carson's face, he felt somewhat guilty. "I promise. I'll be a good guy. I can't afford to screw up again. You know how it was, and how it'll never be."

Sean lit up the cigarette and inhaled and quickly took it out of his mouth and coughed into his arm, "Damn these are strong as anything. How do you smoke these things?"

"It's all they had in commissary so I got used to the taste and they're practily fucking six a box."

Sean too after a few drags and a whole lot of coughing felt some relief and a little bit lightheaded from all the smoke. He hadn't been around it much lately. He too got used to the taste and finally tossed it out the window breaking his own cardinal rule. Carson tossed out his butt and entered the passenger side as they finally arrived at Emma's place.

"Honey I'm home." Sean gave his best impression of Ricky Ricardo of I Love Lucy. Emma waltzed to the door and greeted Sean with a kiss, "Dinner ready?"

"It's on the kitchen table ready to be served."

"Great so uh Em, this is Carson."

He looked like an older version of Sean. He was pretty handsome and rough around the edges. He totally needed a shave and a haircut and they could pass as twins but he was much taller than Sean with piercing blue eyes and the definition of someone you wanted to steer clear of. Sean had warned her about him and told her some childhood stories and he was mostly absent due to Sean wanting to forget his entire existence. Emma put her hand out and Carson took it and shook it firmly, "It's pleasant to finally meet you Emma. Name to a face. Thanks for the hospitality."

"I hope you're hungry Sean let me in on a fact about you are a burger enthusiast and I found this awesome recipe on Pinterest and I made some truffile fries with real triffles."

"That sounds divine! AM I right Sean?"

It was awkward but Emma tried to be hospitable as they all sat down at the table. "So how long have you two been shacking up?" He took a french fry after french fry and just was scarfing them down, with his mouth full Emma made somewhat of an uncomfortable grimacy face as he pondered out loud, "Is that the right terminology?" Emma sort of saw through that Sean wasn't enthused about his brother joining them for dinners or moving in but she also knows that he's all Carson has at this time. Emma chalked up Carson being so eager to eat because he hadn't and didn't want to come off as judgy.

"Sean moved in a few months ago but we've been dating what? A year but we have a shit ton of history."

"Yeah."

"I hope you like apple pie and I brought some of my famous vanilla roast from work so we can have that for dessert if you still have room."

"Awesome, I think I'm going to like it here very much."

"Excuse me," Sean stood up for a moment, "I'm going to have a drink, you guys need anything while I'm up? Drink? Condiments?"

Emma smiled at Sean and turned her head in his direction, "I'll have a coke. I earned it I did the eliptical today and all that cleaning."

"What do you guys have?" Carson asked.

Sean opened the fridge and begrudgingly called out, "Beer, coke, juice, waters…."

"I'll take a beer."

Sean grabbed one for himself, he was going to need it tonight as he walked back to the kitchen, "Coke for the lady, beer for me and beer for Carson."

Carson thanked him and continued eating dinner. He had two burgers in total and Emma got full and gave him her extra fries. Carson offered to help clean the dishes after dinner before dessert. "It's the least I can do for you guys letting me crash here."

Emma was happy to toss him the dishrag as she walked past him and to Sean who was on his third beer by that point the mood was pretty tense on Sean's part she whispered in question, "You okay? You usually are a two beer max."

"Eh stressed." Sean managed to tell her, "I mean Carson so far has been on his best behavior sure but I just hope he is true to his word and continues to be. I don't trust him."

"We simply must when he's done the dishes have the talk with him about ground rules."

"I just hope he doesn't think we're giving him the third degree and acts out just because of the fact."

"If he says he's changed I don't think that would be the case, babe. You just gotta believe."

Ellie woke up before Tracker with intentions to make a dash for the door. She was ultra quiet as she slowly picked up her clothing from the night before from the floor. It was daylight so she could see and get a good look at the place and realized this wasn't his place in fact it was Jay Hogart's place. It had pictures of Manny, pictures of Jay and Manny, even Alex on the walls. A letter on the fridge piqued her interest from 2009 it had familiar handwriting and she quickly realized it was from her ex boyfriend Sean to Jay about basic training and the military life he had become accustomed to at that point. She kept it to herself as she finished putting on her boots and tugging on them to make sure they were tight as she quietly hopped on one leg quickly and quietly. As she was about to open the front door with the deadbolt she somehow managed to wake up Tracker.

"I had a nice time last night." He smiled at her and she remembered why things went so well the night before but she couldn't sense why she felt she had to run for the hills so much. She dropped her purse as she blushed and then he too connected the dots as he admitted, "I'm sure you see I live with a roommate or roommates."

"Yeah, I guess curiosity killed the cat." Ellie nodded feeling a little uncomfortable.

"It's mostly just me. Jay uh isn't always around, he mostly comes to LA a few weeks and he lets me stay here for as long as I need to as a favor I'm a mechanic at the shoppe he owns."

"Oh." She simply said, "I didn't need the whole story I just -"

"Sorry. Could I interest you in a coffee?"

"I take it -"

"Black, no sugar. I remember."

"Like my soul." She joked as she followed him the kitchen.

"That's pretty metal of you I must say."

"What can I say, I can't really take credit for that - it's a joke an old roomie said once and now it comes out from time to time."

Ellie's hair was down and he was able to get to see her without makeup and he honestly and in the light and he saw her as someone he still wanted to spend time with but he rapidly realized where he had seen her before.

As they stood by his kitchen and Tracker prepared the coffee for the two of them in the french press and boiled the water he remembered something. He remembered walkng in on a girl once on his couch circa 2004 that Sean was kissing. The girl was naturally embarrassed and dashed off and away before he was able to be introduced formally. He whipped his head around and he remembered her wide eyes covered in copious amounts of black eyeliner and her hair being in neat yet disheveled braids back then with the same colored hair, a natural reddish tone. As he gave her the coffee a few minutes later, it was silent and he blurted out, "I don't know if this is weird but do you know my brother?"

"I did tell you I went to the community school not far from here in the mid-2000s but probably."

"Sean Cameron. Ring any bells? He's younger than me."

Her eyes widened as she in her shock and surprise dropped her cup of coffee. "I gotta go, oh no I gotta clean up. Oh my god. Oh my god." As she cupped her hands around her face and gasped, "Sorry! I had a great time but I really have to go."

"It's fine. I just . .I'll clean and you go." Tracker managed to say.

"I don't know why I . . . . " She dashed to the living room side stepping the spilled coffee and then she went to the living area grabbed her purse she called out, "Nevermind" she stammered out, "Bye!" and dashed out. Tracker knelt down and grabbed the rag from the counter and cleaned. He thought his date went well and then he put his foot in his mouth. "Damnit all." It was too late, he was already falling for Ellie.

Later that day they both had time to process what happened in the past twenty-four hours. He recived a phone call from Ellie. He was reluctant to answer but did anyway, "Hi."

She repeated him, "Hi."

"Look, if it's weird it's -"

"It was I'll admit at first though." She paused before saying, "I'm sorry for rushing out on you this morning with little to no explanantion."

"Care to explain?"

"It's not that weird to me anymore if that helps it's just. He's the boyfriend I moved in with when I was sixteen. I'm so over that but it was . . .weird. I've only seen you once back then. We used to capitalize when you weren't around or at work or out with your girlfriend and you walked in and I can't believe I didn't recognize you because I was too busy walking out and hiding my embarrassment. I'm a private person. I haven't had anything serious since Jesse and for the first time I was considering something with someone . . . they turn out to be an ex's brother. It'd make me one of those girls if you catch my drift and I'm totally not that kind of girl but I do like you and as long as it's not weird for you I'd like to see you again. Sean's apart of my past but we're definitely not friends, there's no lingering feelings you have absolutely nothing to worry about on that part but if things progress the only mildly awkward thing would be if we hypothetically got serious would be seeing him at family parties if anything."

"I'd like that and we'll cross that bridge when we get to it, if we get to it."

"Okay." She just said with a few moments of a pause before asking. "So what's the plan for date numero two?"

"Movie and a bite?"

"Delightful. How about Friday because I have a huge deadline tonight, no joke."

"Alright Friday it is. See you then, Ellie."

"Bye Scott." She smiled before she hung up as she pet her cat beside her on her couch.