Chapter 14: A Colorful Metaphor

It was turning out to be one of those days. Brooke snorted, that's what it sounded like when she clicked off her smartphone. Placing the smartphone down she looked at the two teenagers sitting at the table. After a minute, she turned to see her grandkids sitting there as well. She didn't want to swear in front of Nomi and Ellis. She could care less about doing it in front of Sawyer or Kendall, they both had dirty mouths.

"Aunt Brooke, do you want to use as Spock put it 'A Colorful Metaphor'?" Sawyer asked.

"Somewhat, Sassy," Brooke said and caught herself, "Sawyer," she corrected and nodded her head in defeat.

"What was that all about, Mom?" Kendall asked.

Brooke sighed, "It was Kayla. She wants to talk to Tucker at RBR," she said.

"RBR? Daddy's job?" Nomi asked.

"Yes, Nomi," Brooke said.

"Sweet!" Sawyer chimed in, "I bet they have great internet at RBR," she finished.

Brooke looked at Sawyer, "I don't think it was an open invite," she said.

"It's My Mom's Company," Sawyer said, with a bit of a pout.

"It's where Daddy works too," Nomi chimed in.

"You tell, Grammy Brooke," Sawyer said, giggling, and encouraging her niece.

"Sawyer, why do you have to egg her on," Kendall said and rolled her eyes. Nomi was both of their nieces.

"Because I'm the cool young aunt, and you're the lame one," Sawyer said.

"Whatever," Kendall said.

Brooke shook her head at the two teenagers. "Yeah, well Kayla wants to talk to Tucker. She probably wants to have him do that video for Chris Keller," she said.

"Chris Keller, he's still around?" Sawyer asked.

"It appears so," Brooke said.

"Why?" Sawyer asked.

Brooke said, "Reasons," she replied.

"Mom, didn't you sleep with him in high school?" Kendall asked.

"Keni, no talk like that in front of your niece and nephew. In my defense I was drunk," Brooke said, "How did you find that out, Missy?"

"What does sleep with mean?" Ellis asked.

"Don't worry about it, Ellis," Sawyer said.

"Why?" Ellis replied.

"It's not important," Sawyer said.

"Why?" Ellis asked.

"Do you want to watch my stream?" Sawyer asked.

Ellis nodded.

"No more questions or you can't watch," Sawyer said.

"Okay Sassy," Ellis said, which caused Sawyer to roll her eyes.

Kendall shook her head and looked at her Mom. Brooke looked at Kendall.

"So, how did you find out about that little slip of mine in high school, Missy?" Brooke asked.

Kendall shrugged and pointed to her tablet, "I have 'An Unkindness of Ravens' on Audible," she said.

Sawyer laughed, "Are you sure it isn't time for a colorful metaphor?" she asked.

"Are we going to have to restrict your movie nights?" Brooke asked Sawyer.

"No, Aunt Brooke," Sawyer said.

Brooke let out a heavy breath, and shook her head in frustration, "Kendall, please go wake your brother," she said.

Tucker Baker was Brooke's only son and her fourth child. He was located between Trinity, her youngest from her first marriage, and Kendall, her youngest child period. He was a product of a brief relationship with Julian Baker, a writer, director, and producer of movies. Julian now also rented one of the guest properties at Beaulieu Manor. Tucker was taken from Brooke at birth and largely raised by his Dad. Tucker came back into Brooke's life when he was sixteen years old. Now at twenty-seven he was a filmmaker and crashed in Beaulieu Manor whenever he was in Tree Hill.

"Do I have to, Mom?" Kendall asked.

"Yes, you do," Brooke said.

"I'm reading something interesting," Kendall said, pointing towards her tablet.

"I could change the Wi-Fi Password," Brooke said.

"Mom, that's mean," Kendall said.

"But it might also get your nose out of YouTube," Brooke said.

"I'll go wake him," Sawyer said.

Brooke turned to Sawyer, "Thank you Sassy, oops, I mean, Sawyer, but he's not your brother, he's Keni's," she said.

Kendall sighed, and slammed down her tablet, "Fine! I'll get the spazz of a brother up," she said and stood up.

"If break that tablet by slamming it like that, I'm not replacing it, again," Brooke said.

"Mom!" Kendall said.

"Don't Mom, me, Missy, do what is asked of you," Brooke said.

"Whatever!" Kendall said and walked out of the room.

"I'll go help her," Sawyer said and went after Kendall.

"Don't whatever me, Kendall!" Brooke called after her daughter.

"Grammy Brooke, what does whatever mean?" Nomi asked.

"Something you shouldn't say, Nomi," Brooke explained.

"Okay," Nomi said, perplexed.

In one of the Galleries, Sawyer caught up with Kendall. The two fifteen-year-olds were locked in step. Sawyer put an arm over, Kendall's shoulder. This was easy for Sawyer since she was taller than Kendall.

"You didn't have to come with me to wake my lame brother," Kendall said.

"I wanted too, and Tucker isn't lame," Sawyer said.

Kendall shook her head, "He's lame, you should know that you have Keith as a brother to compare," she said.

"Keith's cool, but so is Tucker," Sawyer said, as they came to a staircase. They started heading up to the floor, where Tucker was sleeping.

"Do you have a crush on my brother?" Kendall asked.

Sawyer looked over to Kendall, "No, I do not," she said.

"Yeah," Kendall said, "I'll believe that when pigs fly."

"Ever see the album cover for Pink Floyd's album Animals?" Sawyer asked.

"I mean for real," Kendall said.

"Oh," Sawyer said, "Gee, don't believe me, best friend?"

Kendall shook her head, "I know you all too well," she replied.

"So, you know we have that Pep Rally Tomorrow, we have to wear our uniforms to school," Sawyer said, trying to change the subject.

"Damn, not only do we have to go back, we have to wear those damn fetish-worthy uniforms," Kendall said.

"Why do you do it, if you don't like it?" Sawyer asked.

"It's a family thing, you know that," Kendall said, "And well you do it, and I like doing things with you."

"Awe! Thanks, Keni," Sawyer said, and leaned over and gave her a quick walking hug, "So, where does Tucker crash when he's here?"

"You're here, you should know that, by now," Kendall said.

"I don't wander around all the Galleries," Sawyer said.

"He's in the clock tower apartment," Kendall said.

"Cool," Sawyer said, "So, that's where Tucker has been hiding? Did you know at the real Hampton Court they were making apartments for Anne Boylan in the clock tower?"

"Isn't that the Queen you wanted to dress me up as? The one that got beheaded?" Kendall said.

"One of them," Sawyer said.

"Gee thanks," Kendall said, "Some BFF I have."

"You would fit so well as her," Sawyer said.

"Yeah, whatever," Kendall said.

"So, where has Tucker been?" Sawyer asked.

"He was hired to shoot footage of Nordwind's tour for something or another," Kendall said.

"I know Nordwind is home for a few weeks, what is he going to be doing?" Sawyer asked.

"For someone who doesn't have a crush on my brother, you do want to know a lot about him," Kendall said.

"Just curious," Sawyer said,

Kendall shook her head and opened a door. On the other side of the door was a large open concept apartment. In the middle of it, all was a king-sized bed with a figure laying on it. Kendall shook her head and walked into the room. Sawyer was right behind her.

Standing over the bed Kendall looked down. Her brother, Tucker, was sleeping face down with some stray locks of brownish-blonde hair sticking out from under the covers.

"So, we just pull the covers off?" Sawyer asked.

"Ewe, no," Kendall said, "He sleeps naked. I found out the hard way."

"Naked? Really?" Sawyer asked.

"As I said before, are you interested in my brother?" Kendall asked.

"No," Sawyer said and gave Kendall a look, "So, how do you wake him up?"

Kendall smiled, "Like this," she said, and grabbed a pillow and hit Tucker on the head.

Sawyer laughed, "Really?" she asked.

"Yeah, it annoys him," Kendall said, "And it's fun. You should try it."

Sawyer smiled and grabbed another pillow and whacked Tucker with it. Kendall was about to hit him again, but Tucker rolled over and sat up.

"Enough Keni," Tucker said, "Damn it, can't you wake people up, like a normal person?"

"Yeah I could, but this is more fun," Kendall said and bopped him again with the pillow.

"Enough Keni!" Tucker said, then Sawyer bopped him with her pillow. Tucker turned to Sawyer, "That goes for you too, Sassy," he said.

"Don't call me that," Sawyer said and hit him again with the pillow.

Tucker shook his head and reached over, grabbing Kendall, and pulled her to the bed. Tucker started tickling her.

"Tucker Stop!" Kendall yelled and started laughing because she couldn't help it.

"Say you're sorry," Tucker said and kept tickling her.

"No!" Kendall called out, "Sawyer, help me!"

Sawyer jumped on the bed and tried to tickle Tucker. Unfortunately for Sawyer and Kendall, Tucker wasn't ticklish. They wrestled around the bed for a few minutes until Sawyer fell off the bed.

"I'm sorry!" Kendall finally called out.

"Okay," Tucker said and stopped. Finally, he looked over to see Sayer on the floor, "Are you okay?"

Sawyer nodded from the floor, "Yes, I just landed on my pride," she said.

Tucker nodded, "I'm sorry," he said and turned towards Kendall, "Why did you wake me up?"

"Mom wanted me to wake you up," Kendall said, "Sawyer is just tagging along."

Tucker stretched his arms out, as Kendall sat on the bed with her back against the headboard. Sawyer got up off the floor and sat on the edge of the bed.

"What does Mom want?" Tucker asked.

"She said Kayla wants to see you today at RBR," Kendall said.

Tucker snorted and picked up his phone. He did remember to turn it off last night. "I just got in last night and she wants me to come in. Shit, I was planning to fly out to California and spend time with Alix," he said, "Before coming back and heading back on the road with her sister."

Sawyer turned her head away and smirked.

"When are you two going to get married? It's been how long?" Kendall asked.

"Only three years," Tucker said, "Not counting six months in high school, the end of our senior year."

"Seriously?" Kendall asked.

"We're never in the same city for too long, together," Tucker said.

"I don't know," Kendall said.

Tucker looked over towards Sawyer, "You're being rather quiet, Sawyer," he said, "Too quiet for you."

"I have nothing to say," Sawyer replied.

"That's not like you," Tucker said, "Are you coming down with something?"

"Don't worry about it," Sawyers said, stood up and left the apartment.

Tucker looked towards Kendall, "What was that all about?" he asked.

Kendall shook her head, "You're clueless, as ever Tucker," she said and got up, "Breakfast is in the normal room," she said before going after Sawyer.

Tucker shrugged and got out of bed. He pulled on his jeans that were sitting on a nearby chair.

"Well, it was a nice short break," he said, shook his head, grabbed a t-shirt and left the apartment.