Chapter 125: Party!
Friday, January 6th, Evening
Outside the field house in the commons, Brooke Davis stood watching the crowd drift out. She looked across the way to see her second daughter, dressed uninteresting, spending a few moments with her children on the gym floor. Brooke's heart flooded with joy the moment Nomi and Ellie saw Izzy. Eventually, that will disappear, and Izzy was only really gone four days a week, but the kids still missed her.
Not far away was Brooke's oldest and her four kids. Chase took to being a mom surprisingly well, Brooke noted. Her wild child now was a fierce matriarch of her own family, and her kids were well behaved.
Out of the gym door came Sawyer and Keni. Both have changed out of their cheerleading uniforms, and Brooke noted how much the two girls had grown up, and how different they were.
Sawyer was dressed probably a little too old for her age, wearing a bodycon dress, in blue color. She wore ballet flats instead of heels, and Brooke noted that the girl didn't need to be any taller, as Sawyer was a tall girl. Also, Sawyer's blonde hair was perfectly in place and looked very flattering for her.
Keni, on the other hand, Brooke noted, was another story altogether. Brooke's baby wore baggy grey, black, and white camouflage-patterned cargo pants, tucked into black Doc Martens, and an oversized hooded sweatshirt that was a faded light blue color with a black alien head on it. Also, Keni's brunette hair was piled up in a mess on top of her head, trying to be a bun.
"What are you two up to?" Brooke asked, suspecting something from the two fifteen-year-olds.
"Nothing Mom," Keni said.
"Kendall Marie," Brooke said, "I know you're up to something."
"Aunt Brooke," Sawyer said.
Brooke turned to Sawyer, "Yes Sawyer?" she asked.
"We were wondering if we could go to the party tonight," Sawyer said.
Brooke huffed, "Sawyer, where's your Dad?" she asked.
"I don't know," Sawyer said, "He seemed to have disappeared, again."
Brooke shook her head, "So, typical of your Dad. I don't know, how are you going to get to and from the party?" she asked.
"How about you drop us off and pick us up, Aunt Brooke," Sawyer asked.
"I don't know where the party is, for one, another I don't think your Dad will let you go, and three I need to see your Dad, and finally, Missy, you're both only fifteen," Brooke said.
"I'm almost sixteen," Sawyer said.
"Not the point," Brooke replied.
"Well, we'll see my Dad when he gets home, and I don't think he minds," Sawyer said.
"Sawyer Brooke, that's not the point," Brooke said.
Before Sawyer could respond Izzy came over with Nomi and Ellie in tow. Nomi soon raced ahead and like a linebacker wrapped Sawyer up in a hug. Sawyer was tall for a young woman, but Nomi wasn't much shorter, maybe just a head.
"Sawyer, guess who's home," Nomi said.
"Who?" Sawyer asked trying to steady herself.
Keni laughed, "Be careful she might end up playing football," she said.
"Don't encourage her, Keni," Sawyer said.
"My Momma's home," Nomi said.
"Oh really?" Sawyer asked.
"Yes really," Nomi said, and they broke apart.
Sawyer looked up and saw Izzy standing in front of her. Izzy was almost half a foot shorter than Sawyer. The sisters-in-law were a study in contrasts as well, as Sawyer was tall and light blonde, where Izzy was average height and brunette.
Sawyer walked over to Izzy and they hugged. They broke apart and Sawyer looked at her brother's wife, taking her in. They both smiled. Izzy was wearing "mom" jeans, a mock turtle neck, and an open blue and black checkered flannel shirt.
"You look great, Sawyer," Izzy said.
"Thanks, you look, well, comfortable," Sawyer said.
"That's the plan," Izzy said and laughed, "Also so people won't know who I am."
Keni walked over and the older and younger sisters hugged. They were close in height and had nearly the same dark hair, Keni's being browner in shade. They broke apart and looked at each other.
"When did you get in?" Keni asked.
"This morning," Izzy said, "and speaking of comfortable."
"Got to be me," Keni said.
"Yeah," Izzy said, "How does Mom take it?"
"Passive aggressively," Keni said.
Izzy chuckled, "That sounds like her," she said, "Where's Uncle Lucas?"
"He disappeared after his game," Keni said.
Izzy nodded, then sighed, "He's doing that still," she said.
A tall red-head walked over and stood a least a head and a half taller than Izzy. Izzy looked up and the red-head looked down.
"Aunt Izzy," Brett said.
"Brett," Izzy said.
"When did you get in?" Brett asked.
"This morning," Izzy said.
"So, how long are you staying?" Brett asked.
"I'll being heading back Monday," Izzy said.
"Brett, are you going to the party?" Sawyer asked.
"Why do you want to know, Sawyer?" Brett asked.
"Well, I wanted to go," Sawyer said.
Brett looked to Brooke, "Do you want them to go?" she asked.
"Them?" Izzy asked.
"Yeah, Sawyer and Keni," Brett said, looking at Izzy.
"I'm not sure Lucas would like it," Brooke said.
"Mom, you use to let Trin go at fourteen," Keni said.
"See where it got her?" Brooke asked.
"A four-bedroom apartment on the upper east side of Manhattan," Izzy said.
"How are they going to get there and back?" Brooke asked, then turned to Izzy, "Don't encourage them."
Brett sighed, "I guess I could do it," she said.
"As long as you get them home, sober, and in one piece," Brooke said.
Brett nodded, and looked at Keni and Sawyer, "Well let's go," Brett said.
"Thanks, Aunt Brooke," Sawyer said and hugged Brooke.
"You're welcome, Sawyer," Brooke said, as Sawyer untangled herself from Brooke and practically skipped across the commons.
Keni looked at Brooke, "See you later, Mom," she said and followed Sawyer.
Brett shrugged, "I've got to catch up with them or god helps whoever runs across them," she said.
Izzy looked at Brooke, "Uncle Lucas is still not doing well?" she asked.
Brooke shook her head, "Sometimes he seems to be getting worse," she said.
Izzy nodded, "You do want me to help?" she asked.
Brooke looked at Izzy, "Take your kids home and be their mom. I'll handle Uncle Lucas, I've always had," she said and left. Izzy shrugged and collected his kids and headed out.
From the back of the car, Sawyer looked over at the beach house as Brett pulled up to it. Sawyer looked over to Keni who sat next to her.
"Are you excited?" Sawyer asked.
"Yeah, sure, ecstatic," Keni said.
The car stopped and Brett put the car into park. She locked the car doors before the two fifteen-year-olds could get out of the car. Brett turned around and in turn, made eye contact with Keni and Sawyer.
"Now, you will see things and possibly do things here, well that shouldn't be done. My suggestion is don't drink, and don't have sex. Also, don't say what is going on to anyone," Brett said.
"Why?" Keni asked.
"Just do it," Brett said.
"Why are they here?" Baylee asked, from the passenger seat.
Brett rolled her eyes, "They just are," she said.
"Okay," Baylee said.
Brett unlocked the doors and everyone piled out of the car. The older girls, Brett and Baylee headed towards the house. Sawyer and Keni stopped and looked over the house. Sawyer nodded and then turned to look at Keni.
"I don't know about this," Keni said.
Sawyer shrugged, "It looks fun," she said.
"I guess," Keni said.
Sawyer smoothed down her dress and headed towards the house. Keni shrugged and followed Sawyer, then took a detour.
Inside the house, Brett walked into the living room and looked around the place. Slowly, she walked over to the kitchenette's breakfast bar and looked at Avril, who was standing there. The taller girl smiled and slid over a red solo cup.
Brett pushed it back. Avril raised an eyebrow. "What's up with that?" Avril asked.
"I have Keni and Sawyer with me," Brett said.
"How did that happen?" Avril asked.
"Sawyer wanted to go, and well, I'm being a good cousin, I guess," Brett said.
"Where Sawyer goes, Keni follows," Avril said, "So, no drinking tonight?"
"Yeah," Brett said.
Avril nodded and looked over Brett's shoulder. She studied the crowd. Avril watched as Sawyer walked across the room.
"Hard to believe we use to play pick-up games with her," Avril said.
"Yeah, things changed that," Brett said.
"She would have been a hell of a back up for Baylee," Avril said.
"Who would have been a hell of backup for, Moi?" Baylee asked, as she came over to the breakfast bar and grabbed Brett's abandon red solo club.
"Sawyer Scott," Avril said.
"Oh Auntie Sawyer," Baylee said, elbowing Brett.
"Cousin," Brett said.
"How's that? I thought LK was your cousin," Baylee said.
"No, LK is my Aunt," Brett said.
"Your family is always confusing to me," Baylee said.
"Don't you have a filmmaker in the family?" Avril asked.
Brett nodded, "My stepmom's brother," she said.
"Maybe you should pitch him your life story," Avril said.
"Yeah, and upgraded, twisted, red-headed version of the Brady Bunch," Baylee said.
"There are only two-redheads in my family, me and my dad," Brett said.
"Work with me here," Baylee said, "Three fierce high school girls, that play basketball and who one of them, the hot redhead has a super-rich basketball daddy."
Avril laughed, "God! Let me guess they'll cast three twenty-something models slash actresses to play the high schoolers," she said.
"Oh god, in your world I'll be played by a twig with bottle red hair," Brett said.
"Not everyone can be as buff like you," Baylee said.
"It will be even worse for me," Avril said, who was taller than Brett.
"Work with me here, Av," Baylee said.
"Twenty-something, it would fit in on The CW," Brett said.
"Oh god, yeah," Avril said.
"And it's gone," Baylee said and shook her head, "So, tell us about your little trip with Garvan."
"Oh yeah, you've been mum about the big date," Avril said.
"It wasn't a big date," Brett said.
"I heard Garvan had something big planned, but you canceled it, but still went out," Baylee said.
Brett shrugged, "We went to Absolution," she said.
"That's the club in the old church?" Baylee asked.
"Wow! I've never heard of them having an all-ages night," Avril said.
"They don't," Brett said.
"So, how did you get in or fit in?" Avril asked.
"I have my ways," Brett said.
"How was it?" Baylee asked, "I heard things about that place."
Brett shrugged her shoulders, "I wasn't there long, we were kicked out, they're good at sniffing out underage people," she said.
"That sucks," Avril said, "They probably spotted you because of how you were dressed."
"No, it was my hair," Brett said.
"Let me get this straight, you went goth?" Avril asked.
"I've got to see this," Baylee said.
Brett reached into her pocket and pulled out her smartphone. Swiping through it, she found a selfie she took the other night. She pushed her phone over to Baylee. Baylee picked up the phone and looked it over.
"My good, Big Bad Brett went goth," Baylee said.
"Let me see that," Avril said.
"C'mon Y'all don't wreck my phone," Brett said.
Avril took Brett's smartphone and looked it over. "Impressive, I didn't think you had it in you," she said.
"Where did you hide those clothes?" Baylee asked.
"What do you mean?" Brett asked.
"Well I know your mom wouldn't let you have those types of clothes, and Chase wouldn't let you wear that stuff either," Avril said.
"Don't worry about it," Brett said, "I have my ways."
Avril laughed and flicked her fingers over Brett's phone. Eventually, she handed the phone back.
Sawyer looked around the place and found the cheerleaders. She smiled when she saw Alexis look up at her. Alexis smiled back.
"Sawyer, come join us," Alexis said.
"Thanks," Sawyer said and joined the group.
"You need something to drink," Joce said.
"I'll get something eventually," Sawyer said.
"You look nice," Shannon said.
"This old thing," Sawyer said, with a laugh.
"Not everybody has access to a fashion designer," Joce said.
"Joce, I think this one is actually prêt-à-porter," Sawyer said.
"What the hell does that mean?" Joce asked.
"Ready to wear," Shannon said, and shook her head, "Sawyer."
"Yes?" Sawyer asked.
"You did good stepping up with your ankle and all," Shannon said.
"Thanks," Sawyer said, "Any word about what's going on with Alesha?"
Shannon shook her head, "Nothing, I think it's still too early to know," she said.
Sawyer nodded, "I saw the announcement of his death this morning," she said.
"I saw that," Shannon said.
"It was pretty sad how he died," Joce said.
Sawyer nodded, "I feel for Alesha," she said.
"I think we all do," Alexis said.
"Yeah, I think I need that drink now," Sawyer said.
"I'll go with you," Alexis said.
The two girls left the group. The others stood there in silence, eventually, they started talking again.
Keni found herself outside, in the cold and wind coming off the ocean. She found one of the lounge chairs and took a seat. Leaning back, she watched the waves crash on the beach.
"What brings you out here?" a male voice asked.
"Someone farted," Keni said.
He laughed. Keni turned to see him sitting in another table. They looked at each other.
"Hey you're Noah the Creeper," Keni said.
"That's what people refer to me as," he said, "I prefer just being called Noah."
"Okay, so you're Noah," Keni said.
"Yes, I am," Noah said.
"Do you have a last name?" Keni asked.
"You're Keni?" Noah asked.
"Yes," Keni said confused.
"He laughed, "Is that true?" he asked.
"Yes, my name is Keni," Keni said.
"No, that someone farted inside that's why you came out here," Noah said.
"No, the music sucks," Keni said, "Also, I want to see if the local underwater UFOs are flying."
"Right, they said you have a different sense of humor," Noah said.
"Who says that and how do you know they're talking about me?" Keni asked.
"I just do," Noah said.
Keni shook her head, got up and went inside. Drunk teenagers are weird she thought.
