When I got back to the suite, I was expecting to find Jack's goons waiting for me with billy clubs, but when I cracked the door back open all I found were some freshly cut flowers on the end tables thanks to room service.

I opened all the doors and closets but there were no goons waiting. Were they on their way? Had I been seen? Was I officially an accomplice to Jack's crimes now?

I actually found a pack of smokes in the suite kitchen drawers and lit one up pacing around the room. I actually hate smoking. Despite all my boozing and occasional drugging cigarette smoke makes me want to hurl, but I needed them now.

If I ever needed proof that Jack McKay was a criminal I had found it at The SunTrust Bank Vault. All that money had come from nowhere good and Jack was supposed to show up but he hadn't. Was it all a set up? Who the hell knew anymore.

I fell asleep clutching a bottle of Jack Daniels with Johnny Carson yucking it up in the background. As I awoke to another Beverly Hills school day morning I tried to remember that I was just a kid, and not the son of a crook. I needed to put the images of the vault and the countless faces of Jack's goons, and Jack himself out of my mind. I couldn't do this anymore because I was cracking up. Whatever happened I vowed to go on as if nothing had happened. I wanted to go back to just being a kid from Beverly Hills, and try to tell myself that my parents just travel for work and are currently out of town. I'd tell myself that because otherwise how could I possibly go on?

#

Lockers slammed and some cheesy music blasted through the hallways at good ol' West Bev. I was grateful for the noise and chaos around me for the moment.

Tonight I'd go to another AA meeting as I had been since the night after the vault. Jack was gone, and I'd heard nothing for weeks. Not a goon, or a phone call to be heard of. It was just as well. If something had happened my mother would have found out and phoned me by now. Jack still pays her alimony I think.

I've been finding myself wanting to go to school lately. It was a break from the suite and the way the walls seemed to be closing in on me when I was alone.

"Yo D what's the rumpus?"

Brandon approached my locker, his usual chipper self. Brandon had no idea about what had been going on with my father and the scene at the vault. I wanted to keep it that way. How do you tell your friends that your dad is an abusive crook? It was kind of a conversation stopper. Brandon already knew more than most about me. He was the first kid at West Beverly who I'd confessed to about living alone at The Bel Age. Sometimes my secrets put a wall up between us. I thought of Brandon as my best friend. Despite the short time he'd been in town I considered him to be my closest bro and confidant. I hated to keep things from him.

"Yo B, what brings you to this side of my locker? Feels like I haven't seen you in ages."

We started to walk down the hall together.

"That's probably my fault. There's been a lot going on at home. For a moment there I thought my folks were headed for splitsville, but they worked it out."

"Good to hear." I was glad to hear it. I knew what it was like to be a divorced kid, and I didn't want that for my friend.

"Plus my sister was caught up in some drama."

My ears perked up at the words "my sister." Despite what good friends Brandon and I were becoming he never really talked much about Brenda with me. I didn't know if that was on purpose. I mean if I knew a guy like me, maybe I wouldn't tell him about my sister either. Still, I'd been wanting him to bring her up to me more.

"What kind of drama? I was concerned.

"She was working at this teen rap line and one of the callers was going through some major stuff. It got to her. She managed to help them out though but it was pretty intense."

I nodded my head. I could totally picture Brenda working at a teen help line. She was a sweetheart, and probably the only girl around here doing anything extracurricular that didn't involve shopping or boozing. Maybe I should give her a call there at this rap line and try to make her blush over the phone…My imagination was off and running again.

"So is she still working there?"

Brandon gave me a look now like he could read my mind.

"Why you got something on your mind you want to share?"

I answered this back with a smirk because I honestly didn't know how to answer him.

"Bren' told me you guys are friends now…" Brandon stopped walking in the hall now and kind of faced me.

I hadn't thought of what Brandon might think of me taking Brenda on my bike. Since our day at the hair salon, I'd seen her around school walking with Kelly and Donna Martin or driving home with Brandon. Her incandescent hair would catch my eyes like lightning. When our eyes met she'd smile shyly and she even waved once. I wanted to just do it. Ask her out. But I was hesitating. I didn't want her to know about my horrible family life, and about my crook dad. I had to keep it guarded. It would scare her if she found out who I really am. I couldn't control all the wild fantasies I was having about her though. When she walked down the hallway all I wanted to do was talk to her about everything and about nothing. I just wanted to drink her in. Still, if she knew who I really was, maybe she wouldn't smile like that at me. That's why I was still trying to keep some distance, but it was the last thing I wanted to do.

"Uh, yeah, she mentioned she was having this hair crisis. We bumped into each other and I offered to help her out…" Was Brandon trying to get me to admit that I was crushing hard on his sister? I had no clue, but he's nosy as fuck.

"Well we all thank you, that hair was scaring the living bejesus out of me."

"Honestly, I kind of liked it…" There he could make what he wanted out of that.

Brandon nodded his head knowingly now. I couldn't make out if his expression was one of amusement or disapproval.

"So D, has anything else been going on? I mean you've seemed kind of distracted lately, and I haven't seen much of you."

If Brandon had been a different kind of friend he probably wouldn't have noticed anything was up with me, but he was who he was, and that's why he was my best friend.

"You know, sometimes things get a little gnarly at the hotel…" I looked down and let my words linger. I wondered if he'd pry more.

"I know man. That's why I wanted to invite you over this weekend to work on my car. Mondale almost broke down on The Sunset Strip last week. I figured who better to give her some California tune up surgery than you my dude."

Brandon knows I'm always annoyed and amused when he refers to LA stuff by their tourist names. He's still a Minnesota farm boy which is probably for the best.

I shook my head. He could have asked for more details about what had really been going on but Brandon could sense that I just needed to get out of that hotel.

I didn't hesitate to say yes. "Sounds like a plan."

He slapped me on my back and we did our finger snap and then he was off. It was then that I also saw Brenda walking down the hall again with Kelly and Donna. She caught eyes with me too at that moment, almost like she could hear my thoughts. Our eyes only parted when her friends pulled her to a locker.

#

I left school actually feeling upbeat. It would be cool to hang at The Walsh House this weekend and I was glad to have a friend like Brandon, who had such a cute sister.

"Mr. McKay." As I walked into the Bel Age I heard the front desk calling my name.

"Hey, what's up." I asked the front desk guy Tony.

"Mr. McKay, I have some news for you. Your father has checked you out of the suite. He says he'll no longer be staying at the moment. At his request we've moved your things into the new address your father gave us for you. Your things were moved today."

"What… you moved my stuff?"

"Yes, Mr. McKay, your father sent some of his business associates here today to help get the things out of the suite. We shipped them off for you with care to this address." Tony hands me a sheet of paper now, and an envelope. Inside the envelope I can hear some keys jangling around.

I look at the note and it has the address for a place on Doheny Drive in Beverly Hills.

"What the hell is going on, did my dad say why we're moving?"

"We do apologize Mr. McKay. Your father wasn't here today but he did call us and give us permission to move your things at his request. He says he'll see you soon at your new address. We definitely will miss you here at The Bel Age. We thank you very much for your long term stay with us."

"So that's it, he's just throwing me out again?!" I don't mean to yell at Tony who looks super uncomfortable. Tony's been my friend around here or as much a friend as a receptionist at a fancy hotel can be to you, but I can't believe this. Jack is an unpredictable dark cloud in my life, and now here he is again just deciding that I'm as expendable as his clients. He was making me move without any warning. I ripped open the envelope, and inside was a note.

"Dylan,

Everything is ready for you at the condo. Just use the keys. I'm still out of town on business.

Jack

That was it. That was all my father had to say to me. I knew this must have everything to do with what happened at the vault. I had done something wrong that screwed things up for him but he hadn't even bothered to show up that night. Somebody or something was onto him now, and it was time to go.

What did it matter anyway? I didn't have a home no matter where I went. The Bel Age or a condo, they were just places for me to flop to keep me out of Jack's hair until I was 18.

Without even asking if I could go up to the suite one more time to make sure they got everything out, I just turned around and headed out of The Bel Age.

#

When I found the condo on Doheny, I wasn't impressed although any other kid probably would be. There was a stiff doorman out front, and he directed me on where to park my Porsche.

"Mr. McKay, we've been expecting you. All your things are inside and have been moved in. We hope everything will be to your liking."

"Right home sweet home…" I answer dryly.

The guy holds the door open for me, and I head upstairs to the condo. I walk through the carpeted flooring and fancy wall papered walls to our door. I turned the key, and inside they weren't kidding when they said we've been moved in. There's a huge TV, and an incredible sound system waiting, and tons of books and plush sofas. Jack's collection of artwork was hung on the walls. He even had his fancy liquor set in crystal bottles on display. I tried to look away from it quickly. Everything is opulent and very Jack. There's also a staircase that leads upstairs. I look for my bedroom, and find the room with my stuff in it. Sure enough it's all there. All my clothes, and guitar. Even my surfboard is here waiting for me and my journals. Everything was here, but dad.

#

"Yo, B I think there's an oil leak or something under the car, I can tell by the way it smells like burnt oil under this hood."

It was the weekend and I got to Brandon's this afternoon. We had been fiddling around with Mondale for a couple hours now. We were shooting the shit and having fun. We laughed so much it was hard to get work done, but we were muddling through it and getting filthy trying to find out why Mondale drove like a piece of shit. It wasn't too hard to figure out it was because Mondale was a piece of shit. Still Brandon, and I were convinced that with the proper tune up even old Mondale could be a force to be reckoned with on the streets of Beverly Hills.

I was going to have to go under the car on a dolly, to try to figure out what was going on with the oil leak. I love working on cars. There's something about fixing up a car that requires all your attention and concentration. There wasn't time to think about dad, or vaults and mobsters when you've got radiator fluid to deal with.

I dipped under the car on the dolly, with my tools, and disappeared for a little bit. I just concentrated on the mechanics. Then I heard a voice and my hands froze underneath as I was turning a wrench.

This section contains excerpts from the 90210 episode "Isn't it Romantic" written by Karen Rosin

"Where is winter already?" I need a season I can sulk and be depressed in."

It was Brenda. I hadn't seen her around all day, but I had been hoping to.

"Don't tell me you're babysitting tonight, and every store was out of Dirty Dancing." Brandon answered his sister.

"Did you know I had to go to three different places to find it."

"You must have it memorized by now."

"Well, whatever gets you through the night right? I mean isn't that what you always say?"

That did it for me. With a swift push I rolled out from under the hood to make my presence known.

Before I could say anything my eyes traveled up as they took in her luscious legs and round ass in these sexy little rolled jean shorts. She wore a t-shirt and a little floral headband on that shiny dark hair of hers with her bangs framing her pretty face and wide eyes. God she was beautiful. Her face was glowing with the heat of the day, but not as much as the heat she was giving me.

"That's what I always say…" I couldn't even hide my grin as a shocked Brenda looked on.

#

Dear Readers,

I apologize for the long delay in chapters here. I am totally going to finish this story though. It feels good to dive back into Dylan's head. Hope you're still with me. More on the way! We've reached some big moments here and we're up to the start of "Isn't it Romantic." More on the way!