Chapter Five: Our Hearts Beating Cause We've Been So Nervous
"Samantha, do you realize what you've been accused of? Drugs." Dorothea shook her head in disbelief, this situation reminding her of her drug-abusing, screwed up daughter.
"I know what the charge is. They told me that in English." Samantha sat down on the hotel couch, looking at Dorothea tiredly. She was out on bail, but the fact was that the charge was still there. On her record.
"Well … what do you have to say for yourself?"
"I didn't do it. I had nothing to do with the drugs."
"Then how did they find an entire bag stashed with your things? Samantha, I know what peer pressure can be like. I know you're dating that guy-"
"Trent? I haven't talked to him in weeks. And if you want to know who to blame, point the finger at yourself." She stood up now on the defense. "My bags and everything were fine until I went off with Adonis, who you hired, and who I took the wrap for, unknowingly."
"That sweet boy? Sam, get real."
"If you don't believe me, then I'm just wasting my breath speaking to you." She sighed. "Maybe this trip wasn't such a good idea."
"Maybe you're right. Look Samantha, I'll try and get you out of this but after it's over … I'm afraid I can't babysit you. You've got to go back-"
"To Charles U since it's closed during the break? Or maybe I can spend a couple of weeks with mom for Christmas." She answered sarcastically. "Thanks for understanding. You've been a real credit to the Dickson family." Samantha answered, knowing that once the charges were clear, she was done with Dorothea, seriously done, this time.
A week later.
"I can't believe that this is our last night in San Marino." Dawn practically screamed in agony. "The whole week here and I only made a couple of shopping trips."
"Is that all you're bummed about? One more week and-"
"I know. Back to life, back to reality." She looked out at the beach in front of them, thinking about how her nightmare of being'Snaps Ortega' for the rest of her life would soon be a reality.
"So, why'd you want to take a walk on the beach at night?"
"Besides the fact that I've been aching to do it, I want to get to know more about you and long, non-distracting walks seem to get it done."
"What do you want to know?"Devon wondered back as Dawn's phone started to ring. "Go ahead and answer it."
"No. I'm on vacation. Anything in the States can wait." She ignored the call for the millionth time this trip. Someone was not going to be happy about that one… but Billy would have to get over it. Whatever he would say would be bad news because it would be all about Bel Air.
"So your question?"
"Right … Why are you playing basketball here? Why are you so ready to throw away Charles U?"
"Wow. Heavy questions."Devonpaused to think for a moment. "I'm all about family. My mom's on disability and my dad doesn't even have his high school diploma. Somehow, they wound up with me and it's my responsibility to help them out, them and my brothers."
"How many do you have?" Dawn inquired, looking atDevonwith new eyes.
"Three brothers. I'm the oldest and I'm trying to get my brother in college like me. He's got two more years, but I still worry about him sometimes. So I've got to be the example. I've got to exceed everyone's expectations because I've got more riding on this than just myself."Devonsighed. "But you wouldn't get that, would you Miss Diva Hollywood?"
"Actually, I would." Dawn hesitated. She had always shied away from talking about her personal life and being anything more than a plastic, materialistic Hollywood starlet. When you tell people about yourself, you give them permission to hurt you. You'll be giving them all the tools they need to backstab you. "I don't know if I can trust you with my secrets." She said mysteriously, with a slight sense of humor but she was truly serious.
"Do I look like the kind of guy to go blasting it all over?"
"Those are always the dangerous ones …"
"What if I tell you something personal about me?"
"Like the fact you lost your virginity to Sam?"
Devon laughed. "You need to get your facts straight."
"You act like you did. You act like your world's gone to hell since she hasn't been costarring in it."
"You are good, smart even but … I shared and it's your turn."
"Fine … the day I found out that I was going to be on Bel Air High, I was 13 years old. It was around the time that my dad started complaining that he couldn't see.
"He was always such a jokester, that my mom only half-believed him. Everyone was so excited about my TV role, so we ignored it and it went away or at least we thought it did.
"But when he was driving me back from the studio one day my dad became hysterical. He said couldn't see. No one really believed him until our car swerved in front of a truck. We got in an accident that day and from then everything changed.
"We depended on my dad for everything. My mom was this woman from theDominican Republicwho could barely speak English. She had no way to support him, no way to pay for the medical bills after a while.
"During the second season of Bel Air High we had to move out of our normal upper middle class home into an apartment on the other side of town. It seemed like everything went wrong that year and no matter how much money I was making, it wasn't enough to help my dad. And the longer we waited, the more exacerbated the problem became.
"By the time I was making six figures, he had been declared blind. A blind surgeon. So, I know what you mean about everyone's future riding on your shoulders. Sure, I have the money now, but I'm supporting me and my parents. I'm the youngest, so I don't have the burden that you do of having to care for my older brothers and sisters, but they expect it.
"They see me on TV and think that I have an indispensible amount of money. So when they hint to me that they're past due on a bill or that they want a new car … I have to do it. I can't tell them no. They're familia. Todo para la familia.
"And I may not want to go on being 'Snaps Ortega' forever but she's paying the bills. The commercials, endorsements, dolls … it's much bigger than me and my life."
"Wow…"Devonresponded after a while. "You're a real person."
"Shut up." Dawn bumped him, lightly and playfully. "It felt really good to get that out." She gushed with a smile.
"So, how are they now?"
"My mom is out and about, in denial about everything still and my dad is hanging in there." Dawn answered, still holding back.
"And you said your mom is Dominican? So your dad is too, right?"
"No. He's West Indian."
"Get out. My parents are too."Devonanswered, surprised.
"Growing up did you always have Doubles and Roti?"
"Hell yeah. Doubles was the shit." He exclaimed, enthusiastically.
"Dad always had us eating that while mom was forcing La bandera down our throats. It's this Dominican dish … just meat, red beans, and rice." Dawn laughed to herself. "It was like a cultures war in my house."
"So, have you been back there?"
"You meanTrinidad?" Dawn groaned. "No, and I know I have no excuse for having not gone, but I haven't been there since I was a kid.
"We should make a trip there. I still have family there and they're always begging us to come and visit."Devonoffered.
"I haven't bored you to death inItaly?" She was in awe. Seriously. "Wow, you can really put up with my bull shit. That's really cool." Dawn licked her lips happily.
"Yeah, there's more to you than I thought." He professed, curling his fingers around Dawn's as she looked down and away, still grinning like a lovesick fool. "I'm sorry about how I treated you before."Devonadded, bringing Dawn's hand to his mouth and kissing it. "You deserve much more."
"Now you're just trying to romance me."
"Maybe … just a little bit."
Kathryn talked to Noah and he was right. This restraining order against Beau was for the best. He kept calling and calling but … let him suffer.
Kathryn was still not feeling 100% and things were a little weird with Beth still, but her dad was convinced that a family dinner was going to happen regardless.
"Hey Beth." She greeted her sister who simply raised her eyebrows at Kathryn and looked back at her plate.
"Girls, what's going on?" Their dad asked.
"I don't have a problem. Beth?" She turned the question back on her sister.
"Nothing at all." The rest of dinner went much like this, with short sentences filled with half-truths. When it seemed like things couldn't get any more forced, someone interrupted the entire family dinner.
"I'll get it." Kathryn rushed to the front door, feeling a huge rush of energy come over her. She opened the door swiftly, the figure in front of her pulling her in and kissing her softly. "What part of 'I'm going to file a restraining order on you,' don't you understand?"
"Who is it?" Beth came running up behind her as Kathryn placed a plastic smile on her face.
"Beau Beachum." He extended his hand to shake Beth's, while managing to place is left arm around Kathryn's shoulder. He had her trapped.
"But I thought you guys were broken up."
"In the past. I actually wanted to come here tonight and beg for Kat's forgiveness."
"Well, we're in the middle of a family dinner." Kathryn explained.
"And I'd love to meet the folks." He smiled brightly. If only Kathryn didn't see that selfish, evil side of him. Then maybe she'd be falling for it just like Beth.
"So tell me how much I suck for going after my best friend's ex."
"Just as bad as me going after my ex's boyfriend's ex girl." Devon chimed in as they both laughed at how complicated it sounded. It was. Tonight, everything that he said sounded extra witty. Everything made her want to laugh.
"So you have no moral compass whatsoever?"
"If I'm into someone, I don't let anything stop me from getting to know that person." He answered smoothly.
"Says the playa …" Dawn joked. "So, what's your type?"
"Physically?"
"Everything. What do you look for?"
"You first?"
"Me? I'm really into Asian guys. But the athletic ones. Tall, toned, perfect skin… All the guys I crushed on when I was growing up were Japanese but then again my entire school, neighborhood and everything was like predominately Asian.
"But beyond that … asshole, jerk, douche bag is my type. Any guy who treats me like shit, I have to have him. It's like chasing after something that you don't know if you'll ever get so … it's sort of fun."
"Until you get crushed by assholes like Trent."
"Exactly." She nodded. "And you?"
"I'll admit that I have a little bit of a complex."
"Meaning…"
"Meaning, I usually go for light skin, light eyes, long straight hair-"
"Translation, you have white girl fantasies." Dawn rolled her eyes. "So how'd you fall for a kinky-haired Dominican half-breed?" She wondered, pausing for a moment and looking at him openly.
"You didn't let me finish." He stared back at her, their hands flirting in between being connected and disconnected to one another.
"I like pain-in-the-ass girls. Girls who don't make things easy, who give you a hard time, who make you work for it."
"So … you like the drama?"
He shrugged. "I think you're unpredictable to me. You speak your mind even when you're wrong and if I do something wrong, you'll tell me and give me hell."
"I can't believe you're into that." Dawn shook her head and smiled. Devon took this as his opportunity to grasp her hand and kiss it warmly. "Bull shit. You're so full of shit." Dawn pushed him away jokingly.
"I'm serious." He pulled her back in and pressed his forehead against hers, making the moment super-intimate and causing her heartbeat to accelerate like crazy.
(A/N: Thanks to a review *gasp* I decided to fill in the rest of this chapter and upload. More reviews=juicer chapters if you strike when the creativity is flowing to my fingers! –NL)
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