Hi gang! Little pause there in posting as this episode wasn't quite refined. I'm still working some kinks out and I'm afraid there are a couple of filler chapters coming up (because of the nature of this episode there is a lot of stuff I can't just leave out so have to re-live). I promise you though the last couple of chapters are probably my most-requested as we get that scene between Callie and the Moms, not to mention the culmination of Kasey's storyline. Anyhow, here is a bit of angsty processing. I hope people like it, I felt a scene like this has been brewing for a bit and to be honest I think the Mariana stuff was really missing.
Would love to know your opinions, predictions and hopes for any future chapters!
Thanks to Mea23 and TheTBone as always! Check out their stories if you get a chance. Some cracking ones out at the moment!
Kasey reached the house just as her own phone bleeped.
"Gonna have to bail tonight. Sorry."
She sighed, reading it. She wasn't sure when she had begun to care about seeing her new friend again but part of her was desperate for someone new to make things a little more exciting. With a deep breath, she made her way into the kitchen just as Lena was leaving. She could tell when an argument had just taken place.
"Trouble in paradise?" she asked as Stef looked her down firmly before she whipped out a chopping board and looked down, ignoring the comment. She got the knife out and some veg and began chopping furiously.
"OK, so I'll take that as a yes. Anything you wanna talk about?" she offered, softening a little. Her plans may have been cancelled but she certainly didn't seem to be having the worst day in the house. Stef continued to ignore her and chopped away.
Kasey began to sense she may be the target of the anger.
"Have I done something to upset you?" she asked curiously, beginning to get agitated. Her mind flashed back to the night before. This better not be about her Dad, if that was the case she was in about as much of a mood to be tested as Stef was.
"I dunno." Stef paused her chopping to look at her. "You bought your brother the morning after pill and now Lena's facing action." her voice was calm but frosty.
Kasey furrowed her eyebrow and gawped in confusion.
"Action like, what? Losing her job action?"
"She seems to think so." Stef explained coolly, before beginning her monotonous chopping once again. Kasey took a moment longer to process the body language.
"Hang on, you're mad at me for this?"
Stef paused again and looked up.
"Well you bought it, Kase. Without our permission."
Kasey moved around to be across from Stef.
"No. No, no. You do not get to do that." she protested folding her arms as Stef looked up again, shocked at the defiance.
"I bought it fine, yes. I'm sorry. It wasn't my responsibility, I shouldn't have interfered and don't buy medication blah blah blah, but don't you get pissed at me because you went behind Lena's back and did the exact same thing!" The last thing Stef had expected was a fight back and it provoked her to push further than she had intended.
"Well maybe if we'd have know about it before you'd bought it then -" She shot back bitterly.
"Then what?" Kasey snapped back, irritated. "Jesus and Lexi wouldn't have had sex? The Riveras wouldn't be Catholic? Mariana wouldn't have got drunk and told them? Be mad at me for skipping school or trying to sneak around or whatever but don't turn around and be mad at me because it's the only way you can channel being mad at yourself." She defended herself matter-of-factly trying not to lose control of her volume but her tone clearly forceful.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Stef placed the knife down firmly, squaring up to an increasingly angry Kasey.
"You know what it means. You did exactly the same thing I did but you have to face repercussions for it. I did you a favour! If you're mad about anything it's that you caught us and had to deal with it." Kasey's heart beat fast. "If we hadn't have got busted this wouldn't have passed into your hands and you would be off the hook." She wasn't sure if she was about to regret what had just unfolded. She hadn't intended to be so aggressive but the pent up rage from the night before had apparently found its outlet.
Stef shook, about to blast back, but no words came out. She would rinse Kasey for talking like that...the only problem was she knew Kasey wouldn't dare unless she firmly believed it was true, and what's more - Stef already knew it was. She danced her tongue around her bottom lip before she finally conceded.
"You're right. I'm sorry."
"Oh whatever! Just - wait? What?" Kasey responded having already fired up her defenses in case of retribution. The apology had caught her off guard more than anything else that had been exhanged.
Stef shook her head and flicked the knife around before tapping it on the table.
"You're absolutely right." She shrugged, breaking. "I'm getting mad at you because you did what I did but you can do it whereas I can't. Or at least apparently I can't. I just don't understand how this got so messy!" She picked the knife up and propped it upright into a piece of unchopped veg.
Kasey paused, taking the apology as an olive branch and chance to come down rather than to gloat. They were rare, mainly due to Kasey usually being in the wrong, but in fairness to her Mom she would own up to her mistakes in the same way Kasey had inherited.
She could tell how much this was upsetting her and it made her angry that she was blaming herself. Kasey took the knife and began to take over with the preparation as Stef leaned down on the counter to re-group her frustration.
"This isn't your fault, Mom." Kasey looked at her edgily, absorbing herself in her task to avoid too much eye contact. She hated seeiing her Mom disturbed by something, even when she was mad with her. "You did the right thing - whatever they say." she mumbled softly.
Stef exhaled deeply and pulled Kasey's head in for a kiss. "I'm sorry I yelled at you. I just don't understand how this got so messed up."
Kasey nodded and fully accepted the apology. It did however make her think about one of her Mom's actions that she did see fault in. She left it a few moments before making it clear.
"What I don't get is why you're letting Mariana off so easily."
"Oh, not again Kasey." Stef groaned. They had already had this discussion two or three times and it was almost making Stef more sympathetic towards her youngest daughter.
"Mariana is going through a rough patch." She explained for what felt like an endless catchphrase. Stef had compromised once again with Lena in their approach to discipline, but she knew that once the decision had been made they had to remain united.
"And that's an excuse for what she did?" Kasey debated, trying to keep her calmer tone.
"She is being punished for what she did."
"Oh please. She was barely grounded and didn't even lose her computer. Loses her phone for what 5 days? Which is pretty stupid anyway seeing as it's the only way you can know where she is if she does something else. If I'd have come home that drunk you'd have kicked my ass - even without the stab in the back to Jesus." Kasey complained.
"And we kicked hers." Stef responded clearly, her eyes insisting that this shouldn't go much further.
"Hardly! She still thinks she's the victim." Kasey was choosing to ignore the body language.
"And punishing her isn't going to make her feel any less like one." Stef bit back as good as Kasey would give. "This has been difficult for her, and besides, you and Jesus are giving her a hard enough time."
"I thought you were big on what was and wasn't my responsibility?"
Kasey challenged before both of them stared at the other in another stand-off. Round two so soon after round one was a tougher one to win as neither were in the wrong. There few places these debates would lead, both knowing each other's stubbornness.
Kasey finally began to bend gauging that Stef's temperament would probably win out today and this could be a long stale mate.
"Whatever, but you know full well if that had been anyone other than Mariana you'd have come down a lot harder." Her voice trailed off as Stef decided to have the final word.
"Kasey. This discussion is closed." She warned her firmly as Kasey threw up her knife-free hand.
"How did it go with your father yesterday? He didn't seem to want to talk about it." Stef asked, busying herself with something else now Kasey had taken her place in the preparation.
"Do you just want to fight today?" Kasey replied, the sensitivity of the subject reversing her surrender.
Stef raised an eyebrow instead of a verbal response.
"What? What do you want me to say? He's been punishing me with the silent treatment for the last two weeks and yesterday I find out he's still friends with the guy I got in trouble for introducing him to? How do you think it went."
"And you're accusing Mariana of playing the victim?" Stef scoffed, the comment cut right through Kasey's volatile mood as she ceased the chopping and plunged the knife into the board.
"You know what, this discussion is closed." Kasey echoed facetiously, walking out before Stef said another word. Knowing Kasey's move before she even did herself, Stef counted in her head. 3...2...1. Kasey paused and turned back around, breathing deeply and twitching her fist.
"I'm sorry. That was uncalled for. I just don't wanna talk about it any more. Please."
Stef nodded giving Kasey leave. She too knew that regardless of her feisty disposition, they did share the apology gene and she knew it wasn't ever something she had to prod. It was one of the inherited traits she was most proud of having been able to give.
Kasey strode into the hallway just as Mariana was getting back.
"Moms home?" She asked, folding her arms. At first Kasey didn't notice the question but as the door closed behind her, her presence grabbed her attention.
"Kitchen." Kasey grumbled, Mariana getting frustrated with the constant cold shoulder.
"Are you gonna stop being mad at me any time soon?" She huffed, causing Kasey to pause in her stride. She did hate feeling angry, whether it be at Mike or Mariana or even momentarily her Mom. Still, Mariana had let Jesus down in a way that even surpassed Kasey's often cynical belief and she wasn't planning on bending as easily as her Moms. She looked at her little sister's pleading eyes, about to once again lay into her. For the first time though she saw something she hadn't seen in a while, or at least hadn't bothered to see. She wasn't sure what had changed but it stopped her from being as capable of scolding her.
"I don't get it, Mari. You had an amazing best friend and an amazing brother. They had a thing and you were pissed because of whatever reason. Fine, be pissed they didn't tell you...but if you think what they did was as bad as ruining their happiness then you're deluded. I'll stop being mad at you when you remember how lucky you are and start acting like it."
Kasey carried on her journey leaving Mariana chewing on her words in the hallway. She had met Ana that day as planned and the meeting hadn't exactly gone as she had hoped. How many times did she have to suffer to learn that Ana would never change? It made her realise more and more that no matter how mad she could convince herself she was with Jesus or with Lexi or even with Kasey for calling her out there was only one person she was really mad at. Only one person who was responsible for her losing everything. Herself.
She threw her bag down and made her way into the kitchen where Stef had continued with her preparations.
She looked up as she noticed her. She was careful not to make the same mistake as she had made with Kasey. Whatever was happening with Lena's situation, she had to take responsibility for and deflecting that anger onto the kids wasn't fair.
"Hey sweets, you need something?" She asked. She may not have been trying to show anger but her tone hardly portrayed the kindness her words would indicate. Mariana didn't mind, she wasn't there for sympathy.
"I was just wondering if I could get my phone back." Mariana asked softly. Stef stopped her cooking and licked her bottom lip.
"It is Friday night I suppose. Go and ask Mama, it's up in our room."
Mariana nodded slowly and turned to leave. She paused on her way out, realising that if she was serious about this she may as well start a little at a time.
"Mom, I'm sorry. For...everything." She looked back, sheepishly, as Stef stopped again and looked back up.
"OK." She paused, caught off guard but with a flicker of hope that the message had got through. "Good. I hope you can use that to make better decisions." She replied gently before Mariana nodded and left.
After collecting her phone from Lena, Mariana lay down on her bed with it and switched it on. She thought back to other groundings when she would switch it back on to a flurry of text messages, saved up from her time cut off, but this time it was silent except for one or two sent from Ana before she had told her the situation. Right now they just made her angry and she deleted them, barely looking. She realised then how much she really was missing Lexi. She tossed the phone down and threw her arms back onto her pillow. She wished there was a way of making it up to her. She had no phone either and no computer. Maybe she could plead her case to the Riveras? She had their number.
She grabbed her phone back up and typed Lexi's house phone number out from memory. She hadn't used it in what seemed like forever since they were old ebough for cells, but it was a combination that would be forever engrained in her brain.
"Sonya Rivera."
Mariana was stunned at just how much anger could be emitted in two words. The girls had always had a childish fear of Sonya, much like they had of Stef or Lena from the times they had been in trouble, but it never had the underlying bite that it had now, even transmitted through the phone.
"Hello?" she prompted, snapping Mariana out of her fear.
"Mrs Rivera." she stuttered. "It's Mariana."
There was a pause oh the other end of the line.
"Mariana, Lexi will not be speaking to you or anyone. Please, just let her be."
"Wait, look - I just want to apologise. To her and to you...for putting you through this."
There was an even longer pause. Mariana could hear the choking up on the other end of the line.
"Just let us be Mariana. Lexi will be leaving tomorrow and it's best for everyone. Goodbye."
"Wait - I..." the phone hung up and Mariana was left gawping. Going away? She really was going away. Tomorrow! Jesus was right...what had she done?
Mariana lay awake that night, playing it over again. All of the things that had happened, all of the fights and tears and finally that conversation. She was getting her best friend shipped off and breaking her brother's heart in the process. She wanted to run through and hug him but she couldn't face him yet. She knew if she would she would either burst into tears or hide behind aggression. They were her only two options. She was startled by a sudden ring from her phone. She saw Callie stir, clearly not sleeping either. She checked the caller ID and was amazed to see it was The Riveras. Thinking fast she scooped up the phone and dashed out the room, ducking into the bathroom.
"Hello?" she whispered. She may have been awake but her voice was still croaky and tired.
"Mariana?" the quiet voice asked on the other end.
"Lexi!" she gasped, trying to keep her volume down. "Are you OK?"
"I'm fine...well. I could be. I heard you try to call before. Luckily the number was still in the phone."
Mariana heaved a sigh. She hadn't realised how much she had missed hearing her voice without either if them sniping or angry.
"I wanted to talk to you...just to well...apologise."
There was a pause on the other end of the line. Mariana waited anxiously for any sign on response.
"That means a lot." Lexi finally squeaked out, filling her friend with a wash of relief.
"So...why did you call? I mean...I didn't think you'd ever want to talk to me again." there was another short pause before Lexi's voice dropped quiet
"I need your help. I need a place to stay."
Mariana knew right then that whatever had transpired she now had a second chance to make things right - and she would do everything she could to do so.
Next Chapter Preview: Kasey is forced to ask Mike for help but not before she helps Jude prepare for his study-date. Brandon makes Callie realise she's not as powerless as she feels.
"Well, you may not be able to change her mind - but you say that Liam has got inside it, right?"
"Uh-huh?" She looked at him nervously.
"Well - haven't you been inside her head too?"
Callie creased her forehead in confusion. Where was he going with this?