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Chapter 3: Spring Break

The bell rang to signal the end of class and most of the Ducks, all but Lizzy, Fulton, and Portman, left for their last classes of the day and the week. The remaining three had another period of study hall. Then Lizzy's eyes fell on the flyer left on the table. She left her stuff and rushed out of the room. Her eyes almost instantly landed on the black Stetson traveling down the hall. "TEX!" she called. "TEX! Yo! Cowboy!" Dwayne stopped and turned around. Lizzy rushed up to him. "I know you're in a hurry but Sadie Hawkins, will you go with me? I couldn't ask you in front of the other guys, but please?"

"You just broke up with Portman," Dwayne said.

"I know and I know Sadie's is like a month away but if no one else asks that you want to seriously go with, why not go with me. We've always been friends right? Even after we broke up?" They had dated while they were both in Texas but had broken up when he had gone to play for the Junior Goodwill Games. When she had moved to Ohio they had stayed in touch. There were no hard feelings between them.

"Well yeah but don't you think it would be awkward?"

"Maybe. Just think about it, okay? I don't need an answer now."

"Okay. I'll talk to you later." Dwayne gave her his heartbreaking smile then raced off to class. Lizzy sighed and went back to study hall.

That night the baseball team played North High school and won the game 4 to 1. Their coach yelled at them for a bit, basically upset that the other team had scored, then he left the locker room. That's when the team turned to Lizzy. Typically after every game she had some form of pep talk for them. This time she was more concerned with the text message on her phone.

"Lizzy?" Bash prompted. He was their third baseman and their team captain.

"Uh ... good job today. A win's a win."

"A win's a win?" Bash asked. "That's all you're going to say?"

"Sorry. Just found out my brothers won't be home this weekend. Also my grandmother and my aunt will be there. They haven't seen each other since I was a baby."

"Okay then, guess it's up to me. You guys did a great job. Outfield, you were really on top of it and Lizzy, great pitching. Remember, get at least a little practice in this week. Now, hit the showers," Bash said.

Lizzy packed her stuff into her bag and took off. On her way back to the dorms, she ran into Portman. "Oh, sorry," Lizzy said, backing up a few steps.

"No, my bad. I know you don't trust me right now and I don't blame you, I was a jerk, but I need to show you something," he said.

"I have to get on the road."

"How exactly are you going to do that?" Portman asked curiously.

"I—" Lizzy stopped. After she had been suspended for the prank war, Lizzy had left her Mustang at the school and when she had returned she had found her car destroyed. More correctly, Scooter had found the car destroyed when he had come back from his date with Julie. Lizzy hadn't even known something was wrong until he had come in and told her that she had to come out and see it. There had been eggs cracked on the hood, slashed tires, shaving cream on the dashboard, graffiti down the side, a broken rear window, then to top it all off they had wrapped saran wrap around the entire car. It also needed new spark plugs, air filter and a complete oil change. When they had checked the security footage they had found it was Andy Jefferson. A boy from the varsity hockey team who felt threatened by Lizzy's instant popularity. Her father had called and told her the insurance company wanted to total her car instead of fixing it. It had taken some convincing but Lizzy had gotten her father and her oldest brother Matt to pay for the repairs and the senior auto shop class to do the repairs.

"Just come with me." Lizzy nodded and followed Portman. He stopped outside the auto shop classroom. Then a pair of hands slid over her eyes.

"Port? Dean, what's going on?" Lizzy asked nervously.

"It's a surprise," Portman answered.

"Trust me," Fulton whispered in her ear. The more she thought about it, the more she recognized the large, calloused hands over her eyes as Fulton's.

"Always," Lizzy answered. They led her inside with Fulton's hands still over her eyes. When they stopped, Lizzy listened hard but heard nothing. "Can I see yet?"

"One minute," Portman said. "Okay," he said a few seconds later.

"Surprise," he and Fulton said as Fulton removed his hands from her eyes. Lizzy blinked a few times then her eyes adjusted. Right behind Portman was Lizzy's baby blue Mustang. "Fully restored, just like it was before," Fulton promised. Lizzy spun and hugged him then walked over to her car. She looked all around her car then took a peak at the interior. It too was in pristine condition.

"And you used genuine Mustang parts?"

"1989 Ford Mustang parts," Portman said.

"Dean, that car is a '69," Lizzy snapped, turning to look at him.

There was a broad smirk on his face. Lizzy glared at him. "I'm only teasing. If you think Thompson can't tell a '69 from an '89, you're crazy."

"That's why it took so long. It's hard to find original mustang parts," Fulton said. Lizzy's glared softened and she slowly smiled.

Portman changed the subject as his eyes landed on the clock on the wall. "Lizzy, you know you're not going to make it home tonight, right?" Portman said. "In fact you'll barely make Chicago."

Lizzy too looked at the clock. It was closing in on five p.m. and it was more than a six hour drive just get to Chicago; then another 4 and a half hours to Ohio. He was right. By the time they reached Lizzy's place in Ohio, it would be nearly six a.m. She knew her dad wouldn't be happy so she called him. When she told him the situation, he told her to just start out the following day since three last minute plane tickets would probably be impossible to find or more expensive than she could pay. When she told him that it was still an 11 hour road trip and that would take up most of their day Saturday, he asked what was wrong with that. She answered that she just wanted to be home especially since most of the Ducks had already left. "So you want to start out tonight?" Rob Jacobs asked.

"We'll find some place to stay in Chicago and then start out in the morning," Lizzy answered.

"When you get there have them fax me the bill and I'll get it paid."

"Thanks Dad," Lizzy said. Then she turned back to Portman. "Dean ... Port, we're going to be stopping in Chicago anyway tonight, why don't you come with us?"

"Liz," Fulton warned.

Lizzy turned to look at him. There was something in his eyes. It was almost like he suspected her of being up to something. She was really just trying to be nice. "Can't I be nice?"

"It's fine, I can get a ticket home," Portman said. He didn't want to make things awkward between Lizzy and Fulton and it was perfectly fine with him to fly home the following day.

"We're going that way anyway. It's really not that big of a deal." Lizzy gave Fulton a look daring him to protest again and he only shrugged. Lizzy looked at Portman again and he nodded. "Okay so, 10 minutes in the parking lot?" The boys nodded and opened the garage door so Lizzy could get her car out. Before long she, the Bash Brothers, and Charlie were on the road. Fulton and Charlie did their best to keep the conversation flowing and it mostly worked. By the time they reached Chicago, Lizzy was napping in the back seat, her head on Charlie's lap with Portman driving and Fulton half asleep in the passenger seat.

"Dude," Charlie said when Portman pulled in his driveway. Most of the team stereotyped Portman as a poor kid from a bad neighborhood. That couldn't be further from the truth. His parents actually owned one of the biggest car dealerships in the city and his house was huge, set back off the road surrounded by thick evergreen trees and a big fence.

"Do me a favor and don't say anything," Portman said as he put the car in park.

"Sure," Charlie said. He was nearly 99% sure Portman would never hurt him intentionally, but that didn't mean that the enforcer wouldn't give him the cold shoulder. Lizzy and Portman got out and walked to the trunk. There he pulled his bag from the trunk and looked at her. Lizzy dug through her stuff and pulled out his leather jacket and Morgan Park jersey.

"Keep the jersey. I—"

"Dean?" A voice asked from the porch as Portman took his jacket.

"Be there in a minute, Dad." Portman turned back to Lizzy. "Look, I—I'm sorry," Portman said.

"Don't. Right now, I just don't want to hear it," Lizzy answered.

"Dean?" A light came on and illuminated the porch and Frank Portman, Dean's father. He stepped down off the porch and walked down the walk towards them. "Lizzy. Kids, what's going on?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," Lizzy apologized.

"I was still up. You were just dropping him off I take it?" Frank asked. Lizzy nodded. "Where are you staying tonight?"

"We figured we'd just get a hotel room nearby," Lizzy said.

"Nora would have my head if I let you stay in a hotel tonight. Come on inside," Frank said.

Portman walked over to the passenger window and knocked on it. It went down and Portman bent a little bit to look inside the car. "Change of plans, you're staying here tonight." The car shut off and Fulton and Charlie emerged. They grabbed their bags from the trunk and followed him inside. Lizzy grabbed her bag and sighed slamming the trunk then followed the group. Once the door was shut behind them, Frank looked at them.

"You have friends," Frank said softly.

"This is my best friend Fulton and my cousin Charlie Conway," Lizzy explained.

"Sir," Charlie said, offering Frank his hand. Ever the businessman, Frank shook it and then shook Fulton's hand.

"Dad, you've met Fulton before. He was here last summer. Remember, Fult?" Portman said.

"Of course," Frank said, nodding.

"And this is Cap'n Duck. He's been captain of the Ducks since Pee Wees," Portman added.

"Right." Then Frank looked back at Lizzy, "Lizzy, the guest room on the other side of Lissy's room. Fulton, you can stay in the room next to Dean's room, and Charlie, top of the stairs, third door on the left. Dean, Lizzy." Frank looked at them sternly.

"Nothing will happen," Portman said.

"I promise," Lizzy added. She could have told him why, but it was already late enough and she didn't really want to get into it.

"And be quiet up there. Lissy's asleep," Frank finished as the kids began to ascend the stairs on the left of the foyer just past the entrance to the living room.

"Lissy?" Charlie asked once they were beyond Frank's sightline.

"Port's sister. Tomorrow should have been her wedding," Lizzy said. "Her room is at the top of the stairs on the left. Port's is across the hall from that and there's a bathroom between your guest room and Tony's room." Charlie nodded and they all went to bed. Alyssa Portman, better known as Lissy, had been engaged but when Lizzy had been attacked last time she was in Chicago by Lissy's fiancé, the older woman had dumped him and the local District Attorney had pressed charges. He would be serving six years in the local jail. Lizzy felt bad for Port's blonde sister but the woman seemed strong.

The following morning Lizzy found Charlie, Fulton, and Portman having breakfast in the dining room. Lizzy entered and took a seat next to Fulton. "Is everything alright between the two of you?" Nora, Portman's mom, asked, looking at Lizzy.

"Mom, I already told you," Portman said.

"Of course, sorry. So where are you heading?" Nora corrected.

"Home, in Ohio. It's only about four and a half hours from here," Lizzy said.

"Will you be seeing your brothers over break?" Nora changed the subject.

"Don't know," Lizzy answered. Nora gave her a disbelieving look. Nora Portman, like Phillip Banks expected manners, even from kids that weren't her own. "Sorry, I don't know, I don't think so. I got a text saying they may not be home."

"Are they too busy?" Portman asked.

"Chris and Ben have a game today, I think, Seth probably will be there, and Matt had a game last night and another one on the fourth."

"They are busy," Nora said.

"Chris and Ben play baseball for the University of Tennessee," Charlie said.

"Matt said Seth plays hockey too," Nora said. Matt's girlfriend Star was Lissy's best friend so he had met the Portmans a few times.

"Yes, ma'am, for the University of Ohio. He's pretty good," Charlie said.

"But he wants to be a lawyer more than a pro hockey player," Fulton said.

"How's Lissy?" Lizzy asked.

"Part of her is upset, but she's holding on. It's going to be hard—" Nora started.

"But part of me is glad he's gone. Especially after what he did to you," Lissy said softly from the doorway. Lizzy turned to look at her. The last time Lizzy had been in Chicago, for Dean's oldest brother's wedding, Lissy's fiancé, Mitch had drugged Lizzy and Portman found her locked in the downstairs bathroom, without a shirt on. Mitch had been hovering over her. Portman threw Mitch out of the room and Lizzy had gone to the hospital. In fact it was the very bathroom not that far from where they sat. Just around the corner, off the kitchen.

"Lissy, that wasn't your fault. I don't blame you. You're out of the relationship and you'll move on to one that's even better."

"Thanks." Lissy still looked like she didn't feel any better so Lizzy got up and walked over, giving the blonde a warm hug. Lissy sighed but hugged Lizzy back. After a moment Lizzy pulled back and smiled. Lissy smiled back then when into the kitchen to get breakfast. As Lizzy retook her seat at the table, Portman shot her a grateful look. Lizzy smiled then went back to breakfast.

After breakfast, Nora cornered Lizzy in the guest room as she packed her bag. "Honey, I don't know exactly what happened between you and Dean, he just told us he had screwed up, but I know that whatever happened he's really sorry for. That doesn't fix everything, I know, but you should give him a chance to explain."

"I know I should but right now I'm too angry," Lizzy said.

"Because of what happened?"

"Yes, ma'am. Also because he never tried to explain what happened. He let me get angry at him and then he tried to apologize twice but he never tried to explain."

"I see. Well maybe you can calm down this week and when you get back to school you'll be in the mood to talk and approach it with a different outlook."

"I'll consider it, thank you, Mrs. Nora," Lizzy said. She had originally referred to Portman's parents as Mr. and Mrs. Portman but they had insisted on being called Nora and Frank. Being the daughter of a lawyer and a socialite, Lizzy had learned manners early and couldn't bring herself to be that informal no matter what they had told her. She knew they appreciated it. Portman did too even if he didn't say so. Shortly after her talk with Nora, Lizzy, Fulton, and Charlie left and headed for Ohio.

"Lizzy," Charlie said as they were filling up her gas tank in Indiana, "What happened between you and Port?"

"I don't want to talk about it, Charlie," Lizzy answered.

"Maybe it'll help."

Lizzy rolled her eyes and put the nozzle back on the gas pump. She turned back towards the car and the station and gave Fulton a thumbs up. He walked to the counter and paid for their gas and snacks then came out to the car. They got back on the road and drove in silence for a while. Finally Lizzy turned down the stereo. "It was just before lunch on Monday. I was walking down the hall and saw Dean talking to Crystal. I didn't think anything of it until he leaned down and kissed her. He didn't even deny it."

Charlie and Fulton listened quietly. Each one had their own thoughts but Charlie could see Lizzy's face in the rear view and knew not to bash Portman. Fulton too could tell that Lizzy needed support and not to hear that she might have been wrong but first he had to check and make sure she had covered all her bases. "Did you give him a chance to?" Fulton asked.

"Maybe not. At first he didn't seem to know what I was talking about, then he just kinda accepted it," she explained. "He might have said something yesterday, but I didn't want to hear it."

"We don't blame you. You're still kinda angry," Charlie said. "Then again you're also a bit afraid that it wasn't what it looked like and that you're wrong."

"Thanks Charlie," Lizzy said softly. About an hour later they reached the house and Lizzy noticed a green van in the drive she hadn't seen before. "Wonder who that is."

"Probably a rental car," Charlie said.

"Could be," Lizzy agreed. They parked and headed inside through the front door. She had only taken a few steps inside when she heard a commotion coming from the living room and kitchen. She didn't recognize the voices but knew the words were heated. She took a deep breathe then walked further, past the stairs, into the living room. She turned to her right and stopped as her eyes landed on her aunt and her grandmother standing on opposite sides of the kitchen island arguing.

"I'm not saying you shouldn't see your grandson, I'm saying you shouldn't spoil him. Look at what you've done to my niece," Casey spat.

"She may be your niece, Casey, but she is my only granddaughter," Casey's mother and Lizzy's grandmother said. Lizzy's father, her brother Seth, Bombay, and Fulton's parents, Nat and Jim Reed, were all standing nearby, most looking nervous.

"A granddaughter you've turned into a spoiled brat. I won't have you doing that to my son," Casey snapped.

"Aunt Casey, stop," Seth demanded.

"Seth—" Casey started.

"Insult Grandma's grandparenting techniques all you want, but don't insult my sister while she's standing right there."

Casey turned around and saw Lizzy in the living room near the stairs. "I—"

"Don't. You said it and you meant it." Lizzy said then bolted up the stairs to her room. Her bedroom was just like she remembered it to be. A massive, queen size sleigh bed against the wall of the adjoining bathroom, an entertainment center opposite, a dresser against the wall next to the door and two windows on the far wall. The furniture was all a dark cherry color and comforting. She flopped down on her bed and did her best not to cry. It wouldn't really help either. While it'd release the pent up frustration of being called a spoiled brat, it wouldn't make her feel any better. She wasn't sure how to get over it, or accept that the words had come from her only aunt, but somehow she had to. She also knew that it'd only be a matter of time before someone came after her and she was betting that it was going to be Nat Reed, her godmother. She didn't mind talking to the brunette woman, she was kind, sweet and the perfect example of a mother, but Lizzy didn't want to bash her aunt for the way she felt. Her aunt was a good person and couldn't help seeing things. Maybe Lizzy was a bit selfish but being the youngest of five with a father who worked to much defending white collar criminals and a socialite who cared more about her social standing than the five kids she had adopted made it hard to be seen.

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