Chapter Thirty-nine:
AJ has been in her room for a couple of hours. They are all concern with Randy knocking her door for dinner. She just answered with a 'not done yet'.
"Mr. and Mrs. Lee." Randy utters finishing his dinner. He called his parents that he will be staying at the Lee's residence. His parents approve to have him continue to give AJ support afterwards.
"Yes." Mrs. Lee answers.
"Do you think AJ will be okay at Impertinent High School?" He wonders concern as well for his best friend.
"I am not sure. We were both excited when we heard the news, not I think this opportunity causes her too much pressure and grief." They notice how this affect their daughter emotionally.
"If I had an opportunity to attend a high prestige football college, what would you advise me to do?" Randy asks.
"We would encourage you to do the pros and cons of attending or not. We would have a discussion on what is best for you. Moreover, we are not your parents. Maybe this opportunity is to open new doors for you this could be a step to you becoming a Quarterback start." Mr. Lee advocate.
"What about my opinion? Do I have a say in if I attend or not?"
"Of course you do, as parents we sometimes think we are doing the best for our child, although it is the opposite way around. We think this is best for her, but in reality it is best for us financially, in the long term."
"So people including parents make mistakes?" Randy smiles.
"Yes, we try but we are not perfect. Life is about taking chances, if we don't take a chance we wonder if this would pursue my aspirations or be a regret." She continues.
"You can't regret trying and failing." Randy challenges.
"Correct, trying and failing is better than not trying to all. Regretting the decisions, you don't make can put guilt in the driver seat." Mr. Lee wisely quotes.
"What you are implying is that I should take the opportunity if it is presented to me?"
"Our answer is to try and if you can't or don't like it then you know for sure." They encourage to follow his dreams. "There are other colleges or high schools that may be better for you. This setback doesn't mean you won't become someone, but maybe another path with guide you there.
Randy smiles. "I think you have your answer to AJ's opportunity."
"What do you mean?"
"Do the same process with AJ; analyze what you did with me just in AJ's situation. You will find out the answer that will benefit you all." He explains.
The Lees ponder and figure out what he did. "How did you get so smart?" They jokingly scowl that he teaches them.
"I have good influences." He compliments everyone close to him.
"Thank you." AJ includes at the entrance.
"Hey, how did the reading go?" Randy inquires.
"He explained everything in the letter just like he said." AJ answers a bit discouraged.
"Everything?"
"Yes, the Emily situation, Kourtney, her siblingship with Stacey, the neighbor Dean, and our relationship." She sits beside Randy.
"How do you feel? Do you feel like you got closure with your questions answered?"
"My questions are answered, but it is just why couldn't he just told all of this in person?"
"Hunny, did you let him?"
"I guess not. Maybe this High School opportunity will give me time to ponder this."
"You want to go next semester." Her father inquires quite surprise by this.
"I want to experience if my life would be better or worst being by myself?" She is curious with this notion.
"You won't be completely by yourself, Sarah will be there." Randy mentions.
"Correct, I feel like I owe it to myself to stand on my own, to figure out if I can survive on my own without my two wonderful brothers near me. If something happens and I can't defend on them, how do I cope? With this I can explore myself, stand on my own." She ponders out loud.
"What about Jack?"
"We have a lot to talk about when he gets back. I want to be with him forever, however I need to find myself the strength to stand by myself." She proudly admits.
"So you will break it off with him?" Her mother inquires with hopefully that is not the case.
"I don't know I haven't figures that out yet. I know I love him and I wouldn't want to lose him, but this could be my opportunity to improve myself."
"You seem to have made up your mind, at least for the most part." Mrs. Lee acknowledge with a smile. "I guess we didn't have to go the process after all." Mr. Lee hints at Randy.
"You did well AJ did." Randy reveals. "AJ, you do what your heart and mind feels is right. Yes, your heart and mind will agree with one scenario pick that one. Remember what I said to Jack about Stacey, whatever your decision I am okay with. You only ponder about you and not us. Will this help yourself if attend the High School? If not stay here. No one can talk you or persuade your decision. This is your decision and only yours." He directs.
"What about you two? Who is going to keep you two out of trouble?" She titters knowing they can take care of themselves.
"We have your best friend and your boyfriend to keep us in check." He assures her.
"Can you say bestie for me?" she requests with a smile.
"Nope." He rejects almost immediately.
"It will make me happy." She pushes her request.
"Fine, your bestie will take care of us." He emphasizes 'bestie'.
"Thank you, I will see you tomorrow." She hugs him.
"What is tomorrow?"
"My decision, I want everyone I care about to be there." She announces.
"Certainly, I will inform my parents and John." Randy offers.
"Thank you." She hugs Randy. "You are always having my best interest at heart." She appreciates.
"Always, although I am not the only one." He turns the attention to her parents.
"Absolutely, I love mom and dad." AJ hugs her parents.
"We love you, sweetie." They hug back.
"Mr. and Mrs. Lee, I will head home now. Thank you for the dinner and I will see you all tomorrow." He excuses himself to head back home.
"Drive safe." AJ waves bye along with her parents.
Next day:
The Bliss' arrive back from their vacation. They haven't been informed yet of the news.
"See that vacation wasn't that bad." Mr. Bliss acknowledge their enjoyment on their vacation.
"Yes dad you were right." Stacey answers looking through all her photos. "I am going to call Randy to inform him we have return." She heads up to her room excitedly.
"Sweetie… and she is gone." Mr. Bliss sighs.
"You still think Randy is bad for her." Jack inquires as they witness her eagerness to call Randy.
"No, I just…"
"Son, when you become a parent of a daughter you find it hard to notice that they grow up too fast." Mrs. Bliss helps her husband. "Your dad can't fathom that your sister cares about someone else besides him." His mother explains.
"That is not true, dad. Stacey will always be your baby girl, this trip proved it." Stacey stuck to her father's side the whole vacation.
"It does I am just going to miss it."
"It is not the end, sweetheart." Mrs. Bliss comforts her husband.
"Daddy!" Stacey screams.
They all rush up to have Stacey stand on her bed.
"Daddy, there is a snake in my luggage." She utters terrified. "I was calling Randy while opening my suitcase and it slithered away. Daddy, catch it." She demands.
"I will princess you just stay on the bed." He requests.
They all start looking until Stacey looks down at her pillow. "Ah!" She jumps into her father's arms. The momentum almost knocks them both over. "Daddy get it, take it outside." She snuggles into him terrified with a deadly fear of snakes.
"I can't with you on me." He mentions hanging out his daughter tightly.
"Tell Jack to." She orders in tears.
"I've got it dad." Jack takes the garden snake outside.
"It is okay, princess it is gone." He rubs her back.
"Dad, how did it get in my bag?"
"Remember when I told you to wait until later to grab your sweater." She nods.
"You opened it on the grass where the snake could slither in. Princess, you have to listen to me sometimes because sometimes I am right." He advises calmly.
Stacey stands back on the ground. "I am sorry daddy. From now on, I will tell you everything." She hugs him again.
"Speaking of being wrong, you are right I should have gotten all the details before assuming. You are free to date Randy." He gives permission.
"Really daddy." He nods. "Thank you." She hugs him again. "Oops, Randy is still on the line." She quickly checks her phone to see the call is still in the process. "Randy." She speaks, but no answer.
"Sis, someone is here to see you." Jack enters.
Randy rushes in. "Stacey, are you alright?" He asks in a panic. "Are you hurt? What happened, you screamed and never answer again?" He checks her body for injuries.
"Randy. Randy." She giggles at his panic.
"What?" He stops.
"I saw a garden snake in my luggage. I screamed and let go of my phone. My family came up here to take it back outside." She informs him.
"You mean-" She nods. Randy turns around to see her parents give a scowl at him. "Hello Mr. and Mrs. Bliss." He speaks innocently with a hint of fear.
"Randy." The both acknowledge.
"I am sorry for barging in here I thought Stacey was in trouble."
"I don't condone people entering my daughter's room without my permission. However, in this situation, since you are her boyfriend I could make an exception." He reveals his decision to Randy.
"Thank you, wait you mean-"
"Yes Randy, you can continue to date my daughter." He smiles.
"Really." He looks at Stacey who nods happily. "This is great." He lifts her up to give a bear hug. "I am so grateful." He can't believe they actually gave him permission to date her after the half-naked situation.
"Randy, you are still on thin ice with us. If anything happens to her I hold you responsible. There will be no third chance." He promises.
"Yes Mr. Bliss, I will." He assures them.
"Sweetie, we will be downstairs no funny business." Her mother warns.
"Yes mother." She smiles innocently.
"Umm… AJ invited all of you to her house tonight." He announces before he forgets.
"Oh, what is it regarding?" Mrs. Bliss questions.
"Her decision on if she will take the opportunity."
"He decided already." Jack wonders with widen eyes.
"Not fully, she wants to speak to you." Randy speaks in a cautious tone.
"What is wrong, Randy?" He notices the concern in his tone.
"Just wait until she talks to you." He smiles.
"Okay." He closes the door.
"Is she breaking up with my brother?" Stacey asks.
"To be truthful, I don't know." Randy speaks sincerely. "Anyways, how was your vacation?" He changes to a lighter subject.
"It was great I took a lot of pictures to show you." She grabs her phone back to show her.
"Great let me see." He sits beside her. For the first time, he is worried about his best friend's decision on both academically and privately.
"Son, are you okay?" Mrs. Bliss asks concern.
"I am just curious and worried about AJ's conversation with me."
"I am sure she just wants your opinion." She assures him.
"Mom, I told her everything in the letter." He discloses.
"I won't put too much effort into that she knows most of that anyways." She waves it off.
"There is something there that could cause problems." Jack mentions.
"What is it son?"
"Remember how two years ago Emily avoided me at the barbecue?"
"Yes."
"She saw something that we planned." He continues still hesitant about exposing this secret to his mother.
"What did she witness?"
"She witness me on top of Kourtney full clothes underneath the sheets.
"Excuse me." She wants clarification on if she heard him correctly.
"My plan to have her lose interest in me before is to have her witness me with another girl. She caught me in my room on top of Kourtney. We just started to move when we heard her; she was appalled.
"It was just a plan?" She hopes to get the full details.
"Yes." He nods in regret.
"There is more." She notices the guilt in his eyes.
"Moreover, she indeed caught us however wasn't convinced because she we weren't naked. To truly witness if we were a couple, she demanded us to make out while we strip naked; we did."
"Jack you didn't." She is shocked that he would commit to this action.
"We did to prove to Emily so she could avoid me." He whispers admitting his mistake.
"Wasn't there another way?" To her there is always more than one way to deal with problems.
"No, you don't understand mom Emily can be very forceful when she wants something. She is persistent this is the only way."
"When she left, did you continue?" He gives her son hope to stop his actions.
"No, Kourtney-"
"Don't say another word." Mrs. Bliss stops him. "Son, you could have explained to us. This is not the best way to handle this." She speaks in a disappointment tone.
"I thought with my feelings and not with my mind. I am still ashamed that I couldn't turn to you two for assistance. I thought I was done with my player ways, guess not. Kourtney is right once a player, always a player." He sulks with the guilt overwhelming him.
"No!" His mother denies. "My boy is not a player anymore. Yes, you made mistakes, but you care for AJ I know that. I know you love her or else you wouldn't be worried about her reaction to this."
"I don't want to break up with her, although I don't want to contain secrets from her."
"That is a good idea, just listen to her and take in everything that she feels. If she wants time, allow her to have that. If she wants to break up-"
"I don't-"
"Jack, these are your consequences for your actions; it might cause you AJ. Although, it might indeed make your relationship stronger. There is a quote fitting for this. 'If you love someone let it go, if it comes back it is yours forever.' She quotes.
"Thanks mom." He sits on the couch awaiting AJ's presence.
"You just made some awful choices, despite the face it was for good reasons. You two need to converse to us more, we are here to help." She encourages kissing his forehead. "Good luck."
"Will you be here after the conversation no matter the outcome." He hopes to have her mother's comfort afterwards.
"Absolutely." She kisses his head again.
"Hi." AJ greets fidgeting.
"Hi, come in." Jack lets her in. "Do you want anything to drink?"
"Can we go to your room?" She requests.
"Son, we are going out we will be back." Mrs. Bliss informs.
He looks at them worried. His mother just smiles with assurance. "Okay."
"AJ, I know-" He gets cut off by AJ's lips. "I-"
"Just enjoy it." AJ interrupts to continues to embrace him.