1+1
A couple of days had passed since the Miracle's party and it was all that anyone who attended could talk about.
Miracle walked the Llanview High hallway with Millicent and people kept approaching, usually no one pays her much mind.
"Miracle, your party was great, the whole thing! You know, except that part where your sisters were about to fight and your dad passed out but that was just so every one knew it wasn't too good to be true." A girl said, and then walked away.
"I wish I could say the party was so great that no one remembered that part. Its fine, I suspected something would happen. At least it was a great party."
Ryder was passing by them.
"Hey Ryder!" Millicent exclaimed.
Ryder stopped and looked back.
"Hey Millicent. Hey Miracle." He said then kept walking.
"Since when do you go out of your way to speak to Ryder?" Miracle asked.
"That wasn't out of my way. I saw him. I spoke."
"Just a few days ago you couldn't stand him."
"I know but maybe I misjudged him. Maybe first impressions just aren't his strong point."
"Mm hm." Miracle said suspiciously. "Well I could have told you that. I think I did tell you that… You know how protective Liam is of you? That's how protective Ryder is of me… and Leon… and my grandfathers… and my father… oh and Darren… Ok a lot of people are really protective of me… but especially Leon, and I am VERY protective of Leon as well… Wait, what was my point again?"
"Ryder isn't so bad."
"Oh yeah! Ryder isn't the worst guy in the world; he may be the worst boyfriend in the world though from my observation."
After school Ryder picked up his sister Faith and went to the Buena's Dias. They saw Jaime there with Jay and went over to speak.
"Hi!" Ryder said to Jaime and Jay.
"Ooh, who's your new 'friend?'" Faith asked.
"Jay this is my sister and brother, Ryder and Faith."
"Nice to meet you two." Jay said. "You two want to join us?"
"We'd love to!" Faith said as she and Ryder sat down.
"What do you do?" Ryder asked.
"I'm a doctor."
"Ooh. Good look Jaime." Ryder said then noticed Millicent and Leon come in together.
"Are you still after that girl?" Jaime asked.
"No. She wants me." Ryder said and Jaime looked at him unconvinced. "She does! I backed off."
"Sure. What did you do?" Jaime asked.
"Ok. It's true, I had a plan and my plan was to act uninterested and it worked, plus a couple bonuses that I didn't even plan, nor was I trying to impress her."
"Like?"
"One time, I helped Vida. Milli was totally impressed and I didn't even know she was around until the moment after."
"Her heart is not a game, Ryder." Jaime said in a stern voice and Faith echoed after her.
"I know that. Who's playing? I'm not."
"Ryder!"
"I'm being honest."
"You have to treat women tenderly." Jay said to Ryder.
"I know that. Can't a player change teams?"
"Yeah they can." Jay said.
"I suppose but have you?" Jaime said.
"I'm trying to throw away my jersey." Ryder said and Jaime looked at him unsure if she should believe him or not.
Not far away from them was Millicent and Leon. They kissed and even though a part of her really liked Leon, another part of her was beginning to have a very magnetic attraction to Ryder that she couldn't understand so she couldn't help but look over at Ryder after the kiss. Liam who had just entered the diner caught a glimpse of what Miracle had noticed earlier and what Millicent was beginning to realize now. Liam walked over to the table where Millicent and Leon were.
"Hey! Leon, you mind if I borrow Milli for a second?" Liam asked politely and Millicent walked outside with him.
"What's up?" Millicent asked.
"I see it."
"You see what?"
"That look… Don't ask me what look. The look you gave Ryder. I thought I told you to stay away from him."
"You're not my boss and what are you worried about? I'm dating Leon."
"So? Just stay away from Ryder. He's a heartbreaker and he will break yours."
"I'm with Leon!"
"You've dated him for a little while, big deal. They're both my cousins and you need to take my advice and stay with the one that's good for you. Ryder is just working his magic on you like he does with all the rest of them."
"He's not a magician and I can make my own decisions. I love you but you need to let me do me. Now I'm going to get back to my date, Leon." Millicent said then walked back into the diner.
-v-
Miracle was at home listening and dancing to some of Darren's artists' music. Darren's a very successful music producer and has recently been producing Starr as well.
Destiny entered the room.
"Sounds great, huh?" Destiny asked making her presence known.
"Yeah!" Miracle replied turning down the volume on the stereo. "Lucky me, I get to hear the new music before it hits the air waves. Darren is the best, seriously."
"Yeah, he is." Destiny agreed. "I need to talk to you about something."
"Ok, what is it? It sounds serious." She said as they both sat down.
"…I saw your dad today."
"Yeah?" Miracle asked wanting her mother to get to the point.
"You know he passed out at your party because he was drunk…Well he has a problem… He's an alcoholic. He needs help but he doesn't think so, so he's not doing anything about it. You know how stubborn he is."
"Someone has to do something."
"No one can make him go to rehab. He has to want it." Destiny said as she began to have a flashback to earlier that day.
Destiny knocked on the door to Matthew's loft and didn't get an answer.
"Matthew! I know you're in there! I'm not leaving here until I talk to you."
A woman opened the door, stepping in her shoe and putting her coat on. She looked Destiny up and down and kept it moving. Destiny rolled her eyes.
"What else is new?" Destiny said, walking in.
"What is it, Destiny?" Matthew asked.
Destiny looked around and noticed empty liquor bottles around and Matthew looked as if he had a hangover at 5:30 pm.
"You were so drunk that you passed out at our daughter's birthday party but from where I'm standing it looks like you're getting drunk all the time."
"I'm sorry about what happened at Miracle's party."
"Really? Did you tell her that? No. I know you didn't."
"I will."
"The party was days ago. Look, you need to grow up. You don't have time for this nonsense. You have four kids and a business! Drinking and sleeping with different women night after night is not going to help you."
"Are you jealous?" Matthew asked with a smirk on his face.
"No, what I am is disappointed. You need help, Matthew!"
"I'm fine!"
"You are an alcoholic! Get that into your thick hung-over brain of yours. You are no good to anyone like this. Is this the example you want to set for your children? They need you, all of you, sober you. You need be showing Asa how to be a man and getting those fast ass daughters of yours in check but look where you are, in bed, hung-over after a rendezvous with a woman you don't even know."
"You know what, MOM; I don't need you lecturing me."
"Mom… lecture. That sounds like a good idea, maybe I should call her."
"No!"
"You're fine but your mommy can't know about all of this?"
"I am fine. I'm not going to any rehab because I don't need it."
"Ok but I'm still calling someone." Destiny said as she left the loft.
"Come on, you can persuade him to do anything." Miracle said.
"Contrary to what you believe, I really can't but I spoke to Rachel, maybe she can help him."
-v-
Gabe walked into Ultra Violet with the girl on his arm that he had been seeing pretty often, her name is Valerie. He noticed a man at the bar buying a drink for Hope and he shook his head.
There was a moment where Valerie walked away from him and Hope was free from any man so he walked over to her.
"You." Hope said as if she was annoyed.
"You ever get tired of using men to get drinks?"
"No, not really."
"You know if you keep this up, karma is going to be a bitch."
"I don't believe in such things."
"Hm, maybe you should." Gabe said and then walked away.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the club were Jaime and Jay. They were really hitting it off and spending a lot of time together. They had so much in common and Jaime loved how caring Jay was.
They got up for a dance and Jaime came to find out that Jay had a couple of moves on the dance floor as well. She was very impressed. They went to the bar and got drinks and then Jaime noticed Bree walk in.
"Oh. That's my sister."
"Really? Isn't she a super model?"
"Yep! Her name's Bree Brennan." Jaime said, proudly.
A few minutes later Jaime saw Bree do some very questionable moves on the dance floor with a man she knew Bree didn't know and then make out with him. Jaime's mouth dropped.
"That's your sister?" Jay asked in a tone of disbelief.
"I thought so but this is so unlike her, really. She's usually pretty Dudley Do Right, almost like a saint even."
"Are you sure? No offense but that's no saint."
"Yes!"
"Sorry to break it to you but it seems to me, your sweet little sister has another side you haven't met yet."
"Another side" Jaime said before a thought occurred to her. "Oh no! Another side!"
-v-
Leon was at home in the living room watching a horror movie when he heard a knock at the door. He screamed.
"Oh." He said realizing that it was just the door. He put the movie on pause and answered the door. Miracle was standing there with tears in her eyes.
"Miry, what's wrong?" Leon said inviting her in.
"My dad… he's been drinking his life away. He's an alcoholic. My mom just told me. She said it was bad but not as bad as it actually is. She tried to protect me the best she could while still filling me in but I went to see him. She doesn't know that. I'm so worried about him and I wasn't until I actually saw him." She said crying and leaning on his shoulder. He held her tightly.
"Don't worry. It'll work out."
She looked up at him.
"You sound so sure."
"The thought of hurting you would make anyone do better."
They looked into each other's eyes and they both leaned in for a kiss but they heard front door opened before their lips met.
-v-
Antonio, Jaime, Ryder and Faith were gathered together at home. Jessica walked in with a magazine that Bree had a fashion spread in. They got close together and flipped Bree's first page. Their mouths dropped.
"That's my sister!" Ryder said covering his eyes.
"That's not Bree!" Antonio said as he closed the magazine immediately.