Episode 4: Helvegan
January 9th – 15th
(BLOG entry in Italics)
Everyone wonders when it all ends. Some wonder when it all began. Never do we wonder if it's the beginning of the end, until it's upon us. Or as Winston Churchill put it, the end of the beginning. One thing that seems for certain is we all have two points on our journey, the beginning and the end. The question is do we walk the stairway to heaven or the highway to hell? Any thoughts please comment below.
RavenHussar
T3 Collective
Chapter 139: Monday Morning
Monday, January 9th, Morning
There was a weak light coming through the curtains on her windows. It was the sun. The sun meant it was morning, and that meant she would have to get up. Getting up meant she would have to go to school. School meant classes, and that meant homework, but at least there was basketball.
Mondays are the worst; Brett Pierce-Burke reflected as she stirred in the semi-strange bed. Every Monday for as long as she could remember, barring the times she went to sleep away camp, always meant waking up in a different home, then the morning before, this was her life and part of the reasons she looked forward to college.
Throwing off the covers, she sat up on the side of the bed. Her feet hit the floor, and the texture of the carpet told her she was at Jamlyn. It's her week at her Mom's house. Standing up, she walked over to the window and threw open the curtains.
She looked out upon the manicured gardens and rolling lawns of her Mom's house. It was different, night and day, to Tree Hill Hall; her Dad's place, nestled in the woods, many old second-growth trees, with some old growth mixed in. Looking out her bedroom window or most rooms, you could see the woods, and where you couldn't see the woods, where you couldn't see the woods, the windows look out upon Murphy Inlet.
No noise, Brett considered, that meant her siblings, her younger half-sister, and twin half-brothers that lived here, we're probably still asleep. A moment of peace for Brett, who was always the oldest kid in the room. She loved her brothers and sisters, but she was in some cases over twice their age, I guess that's what happened when you were a child of a teenage mom.
She wore a sports bra and workout shorts to bed last night. Comfortable, practicable, but her mom didn't want her to seen dress this way around her younger siblings. Brett wondered about that, Maeghan had the same parts, and Landon and Logan had no clue about a woman's body. Momma Chase, on the other hand, wasn't as picky, if she was up in the morning with the kids, she often wore as much except with an unbuttoned flannel over it. Usually, the flannel was from Daddy Huck's closet.
Brett shook her head and walked over to her private bathroom. That was a big positive for Jamlyn versus Tree Hill Hall, is she had a private bathroom. At Tree Hill Hall, she shared a Jack & Jill bathroom, and it was with PJ.
Stripping out of her clothes, she started the shower and waited for the temperature she wanted. Once the water was warm enough for her tastes, she stepped under the water. This shower started her morning routine.
Getting out of the shower, she wrapped herself in a towel. Picking up her discarded clothing, she returned to her bedroom. There's a game tonight, so no need to go crazy, Brett thought, as she looked at her reflection in her vanities' mirror.
She did the bare minimum to get ready when it came to hair and makeup. Just enough to look like she took the time to make sure she took the time to do it, but not enough to show she stressed about it, a Momma Chase trick. The game tonight would ruin it anyway. She dressed comfortably, but warm since her smartphone told her the weather was still cold. It's Monday, and a game day, usually the teachers went easy on them.
Grabbing her backpack and gym bag, she adjusted a button LK had given her, and LK insisted she should wear the button on her school backpack. It was a small black button with what looked like three things from a yin-yang, in white, instead of two. LK called it a Triskelion. There was another button LK gave her next to it. This one was also in black, and read, I heart being in control.
Brett left her bedroom and headed downstairs. Her mind was half on what was for breakfast. Jamlyn was very well appointed but had very crisp clean lines, mainly blacks and whites, with a touch of brushed metal here and there. Very modern and has very clean lines. There were a lot of windows and fancy things. She could look out upon the water. Tree Hill Hall well, another significant difference was chaotic; it was traditional in style and nature, as well as had a lived-in quality. Breakfast was the most considerable difference; Tree Hill Hall was a quick breakfast dodging The Hoard, Jamlyn had a dietary regulated sit-down breakfast, in a dining room. These weeks, the Jamlyn weeks, Brett would spend more of her money on coffee than anything else; she loved her coffee.
It was strange, she could smell the cook's morning meal, another difference, Jamlyn had a staff Tree Hill Hall didn't, but she heard no other life. Not the sounds of the Housekeeper moving around, or even the landscapers outside, they were always here. This silence was Jamlyn on a weekday morning, and there was usually more life.
The final surprise came when Brett walked into the dining room. Sitting at the table, as usual, was her Mom. Ashlyn Pierce-Scott was drinking her morning juice and going over school papers, the usual stuff. The surprise was Momma Chase was sitting right next to her. Chastity "Chase" Burke sat there, calmly, drinking her coffee out of a paper to-go cup in one hand and her smartphone in the other.
Brett stood there, mouth agape. Ashlyn was the first to look up. There's no smile, just a curt nod to acknowledge that Brett was in the room.
"Look at who finally decided to join us," Ashlyn said.
Chase looked up from her smartphone, and nodded, "Please, join us, Brett, we have much to discuss," she said.
"Momma Chase, Mom, you two are talking?" Brett asked.
"You seemed shocked?" Ashlyn asked.
"Yeah," Brett said, "You two always seem to be in some form of a disagreement."
"Oh, we do, but you can disagree and still talk, at least about important things you agree on civilly. After all, we went to high school together and traveled in the same social circles," Ashlyn said.
"Not to mention, I would have never been with your Dad without your Mom's blessing," Chase said.
Brett nodded.
"Please sit down, have breakfast, we have much to talk about," Ashlyn said.
"Talk about what?" Brett asked, confused.
"Sit, eat, you need your strength for tonight, be patient," Ashlyn said.
Brett nodded and took a seat. Out of the blue, someone brought her, her breakfast, and was gone. Brett started to get ready to eat, but she kept looking up to Chase and Ashlyn.
"What do we have to talk about?" Brett asked.
"Sit, eat, enjoy, we have time," Ashlyn said.
"I have to get to school, if we drag this out, I'll be late," Brett said.
"You won't be late," Ashlyn said.
"When did you start playing with your food?" Chase asked, looking at Ashlyn.
"Patience," Ashlyn said.
"I just want to cut to the chase," Chase said.
Brett giggled a little at Chase's last statement. This sound brought the attention of both women to her. That wasn't good as two sets of not so pleasant eyes stared back at her coldly.
"I would say now go ahead since she thinks this is funny," Ashlyn said, coldly. Brett got chills; she hated that feeling; they only happened when her Mom was pissed off. Brett had to give her credit until then she was hiding very well.
"Yeah, I see that," Chase said, her voice didn't hide any of anger. Brett knew that's why her Mom was doing most of the talking. Chase wore her passion closer to the surface. That was when she turned to Brett. "Saturday Night, while you were out, I got a call from Paget Melanthios."
"Now, who's playing with their food?" Ashlyn asked.
"I'm getting there," Chase said, her voice straining as she was holding back her anger.
"Who?" Brett asked.
Chase smiled, "I'd thought you'd never ask," she said, "Paget Melanthios, the owner and operator of Absolution."
Brett's shoulders slumped, and panic started to creep into her blue eyes. "What? How?" she asked.
"She worked for me in the past, and even though we're rivals," Chase put air quotes on the word rivals, "We're still friends and help each other where we can."
"Umm," Brett said.
"I see you don't deny anything," Ashlyn said.
"Deny what?" Brett asked.
"Oh, you shouldn't deny," Ashlyn said, and the pretense of a façade started to falter as the she-bear began to come out. It seemed she was bearing her fangs at her cub.
"Deny what?" Brett asked, trying to play dumb.
"You and Garvan went to Absolution on your date," Chase said.
"How could I? I'm not twenty-one," Brett said.
"That's not what your fake ID said," Chase said.
"I don't have a fake ID," Brett said.
"That's because I have your fake ID, they took it," Chase said.
"What? How?" Brett asked.
"Paget gave it to me," Chase said.
Brett was about to say something, but Ashlyn cut her off, "I'd think twice before you say anything you might regret," she snarled.
Brett nodded.
Chase sighed, "So, basically, Brett, you're grounded," she said, when you're at Tree Hill Hall, you will have no phone, TV, the computer is only for school, and no car."
Ashlyn leaned forward, her fangs really starting to show, "Before you think of anything to say, that goes for you when you're at Jamlyn as well," she said, her voice having a growling quality to it.
Brett nodded, "When does it start?" she asked, trying to be calm.
"Right now," Ashlyn and Chase said.
"How do I get to school or in-between houses?" Brett asked.
"We'll take care of that," Chase said.
"This isn't fair, how could you do this to me?" Brett asked Chase.
"Don't pick on Momma Chase," Ashlyn snarled.
"Why?" Brett asked, holding back many emotions.
"I also wanted to take away basketball," Ashlyn said, "Momma Chase talked me out of it."
Brett noted, her shoulders slumped in defeat, "How long?" she asked.
"We've not decided yet," Chase said, coldly.
"So, if I were you, I'd sit there shut-up and enjoy breakfast, as you have plenty of time," Ashlyn said.
Brett nodded, lowered her head, and started to eat her breakfast.
