Episode 18: This is How We Do It
March 12th
What is a day, just a mere twenty-four hours? What if I say that your whole life can change in just those twenty-four hours? You probably think, Raven, you're insane. Well, maybe that is what is about to happen to all of us or any of us. That's all it takes, one day, twenty-four hours to change your life. What do you think? Comment below./
RavenHussar
T3 Collective
Chapter 651: 00:01
Sunday, March 12th, Early Morning
(Bailey-Miller Residence)
The clock, an old-fashioned digital alarm clock, clicked over to read 12:01, the first minute of a new day. The excitement of the day before had waned as the three young women lay down on the bed, smiling and laughing. They had just closed out an important chapter of their lives, and the clock reminded them of that.
"That was our last game together," Avril Popova, the tallest of the three, said.
"Yeah, it's kind of sad," Baylee Miller, the shortest and the one whose house they were in, said.
"Why?" Avril asked.
"It's the last time we'll play together," Baylee said.
Brett sat up and hugged Baylee. "I know, Bay, I'm going to miss it too," Brett said.
Avril shrugged, "How's the face?" she asked.
"Good," Brett said.
"So, Auntie Tall is in town," Avril said.
"Yeah, it seems since the semi-finals," Brett said.
"Why did she remain hidden?" Baylee asked.
"She wanted it to be all about us and not her," Brett said and shrugged, "I'm not so sure of that."
"It's still nice that she came," Baylee said.
"Yeah," Brett said.
There was a knock on the door. The girls got silent and looked at the door. Baylee looked at the other young women and got a nod.
"Come in, Dad," Baylee said. The door opened, and David Miller walked in. He looked at the girls and smiled.
"How are we doing, girls?" David Miller asked.
"Good, Dad, we're just talking," Baylee said.
"I'm good, Mister Miller," Avril said.
"Same here, Mister Miller," Brett said.
Mister Miller nodded, "Y'all played a great game today, girls," he said.
"Thank you, Mister Miller," Avril said.
"Thank you, Mister Miller," Brett said.
"Thanks, Dad," Baylee said.
"How are you feeling, Brett?" Mister Miller asked.
Brett shrugged, "Okay, I guess," she said.
"Alright, if you need pain meds, let me know," Mister Miller said.
"Okay, Mister Miller," Brett said.
"Well, good night, girls," Mister Miller said.
"Good night, Dad," Baylee said.
"Good night, Mister Miller," Brett said.
"Good night, Mister Miller," Avril said.
Mister Miller closed the door behind him. After a minute or two, Avril looked at her two friends.
"Look at us, just sitting here," Avril said.
"Yeah, so what's your point?" Baylee asked.
"We just won the state championship, and what are we doing? We're hanging out here," Avril said.
"Hey, this is fun," Baylee said.
"Yeah, it is, but we should do more," Avril said.
Brett nodded, "What do you suggest, Av?" she asked.
"I don't know; maybe we should throw a party, you know, celebrate," Avril said.
"That's a good idea," Brett said.
"But where would we have this party?" Baylee asked.
"That's the problem," Avril said, "I don't know."
Brett nodded, "I might have an idea," she said.
"What is it, B?" Baylee asked.
"My grandma has a beach house; maybe, we could use it," Brett said.
"That's a great idea," Avril said.
"How are we going to get it?" Baylee asked.
"Leave that to me," Brett said.
"What are you thinking about, B?" Avril asked.
"Who wants to go for a ride?" Brett asked.
(Tree Hill High School)
The office was the only room that had a light on. The light was just a desk lamp, and sitting on the desk was the basketball championship trophy next to an open bottle of bourbon. The man sat at the desk, staring at the trophy.
A knock on the door jamb broke his concentration. He looked up to see a woman standing at the door.
"That's not our first," she said.
"I know," Lucas Scott said as he studied his long-time assistant coach Kiera Sinclair.
Kiera walked into the office and took her usual seat across from him. "We've been here four times now; why are we here thinking about this?" she asked and played with the nylon nets that hung from the trophy.
"Because it feels like the first time," Lucas said.
"Well, you should go home and see your daughter," Kiera said, picking up the bottle and putting it down, "And maybe not drink alone."
"I'm not sure if I'm ready for that," Lucas said.
"So, you sit here for hours?" Kiera asked.
"No, I was getting the paperwork ready, setting up the exit interview stuff, and getting ready to get stuff back," Lucas said.
"Stuff you could've done Monday, so why are you here, hiding," Kiera asked.
Lucas sighed, "I don't want this night to end," he said.
Kiera canted her head, "Why? We've been here before," she said.
"I lied; this time doesn't feel like the first; it feels like our last," Lucas said, sighing, "Our last ride."
"We still have two years before you retire; we could do it again," Kiera said.
"We're losing the big three, and we just have role players coming back," Lucas said.
"So, you think this is the last time?" Kiera asked.
Lucas nodded, "Yeah, we should start setting up for the handoff to Ashlyn," she said.
"What we should do is go home," Kiera said.
"Really?" Lucas asked.
"Yes, really," Kiera said, stood up, took the bottle of bourbon, and put it in the file cabinet; finally, she walked over to Lucas and got him to stand up, "Come on, big guy, time to go, you don't have to go, but you can't stay here."
"Okay, okay," Lucas said, with a laugh, as they left the office.
(Beaulieu Manor)
After the day's events, she found herself too keyed up to sleep. After the clock flipped past midnight, she got out of bed and left her bedroom. She wandered down the gallery a few doors and slipped into the bedroom. The occupant of the room was in bed. She walked over to the opposite side of the bed and jumped onto the bed.
The occupant of the bed was thrown upwards and landed on the mattress. This woke her up, and she looked at the young woman who jumped into her bed.
"Christ, Sawyer, you could've been gentler, " Kendall "Keni" Stafford said; she was a brunette-haired girl of fifteen.
The other girl, Sawyer Scott, also a fifteen-year-old, shrugged, "Sorry, couldn't help myself," she said.
"So, why are you here?" Keni asked.
Sawyer slipped under the covers and got comfortable. "After today's events, I'm too keyed up to sleep," Sawyer said and cuddled with her Husky plushie dog.
"I know; you were supposed to be out there," Keni said.
"It's not that," Sawyer said.
"What is it?" Keni asked.
"It just feels like things are changing," Sawyer said.
"Like what?" Keni asked.
"Well, Brett will be gone soon, and we won't be cheering for her anymore," Sawyer said.
"Yeah, so?" Keni asked and yawned.
"She's the first of us that's leaving, and with Gar ditching us, it just feels, I don't know, and my dad is going to retire in two years, everything is changing; I just feel like I'm being washed away," Sawyer said.
"You're not drifting away," Keni said.
"That's how I feel, Keni," Sawyer said.
Keni yawned, "Let's talk about it in the morning. You can stay here, but I'm tired," Keni said.
"Alright," Sawyer said.
Keni moved around to get comfortable and soon was sleeping. Sawyer lay there holding her plushie and looked up at the ceiling. Sawyer sighed as sleep wouldn't come, but she brought her smartphone, pulled it out, and started browsing.
(Beaulieu Manor)
Two women sat in one of the many parlors of Beaulieu Manor. They were both brunettes and looked closely related. They sat on two couches opposite each other, with a coffee table between them. They sipped from their mugs and looked at each other.
"So, have you heard from Keith recently?" Brooke Davis, the older of the two brunettes, asked her second daughter.
"I got a letter the other day and a few quick emails," Isabella "Izzy" Scott, Representative, NC-D, said.
"Is he still coming home on time?" Brooke asked.
"So far," Izzy said.
"I bet you're excited for this nonsense to be over," Brooke said.
"I just want him home and to have my family together again," Izzy said.
Brooke nodded and sipped her drink. "So, what did you think of the game?" she asked.
"It's good; I'm glad they won; Uncle Lucas is probably beside himself. It's great to see Brett win," Izzy said.
Brooke smiled, "Never expected to see you into basketball," she said.
"Kind of have to be," Izzy said and sipped her drink.
"Don't I know that considering your husband," Brooke said.
"Your godson," Izzy said.
Brooke chuckled, "That too," she said.
"It's not Keith, Mom; it's Nomi," Izzy said.
"Nomi?" Brooke asked.
"You didn't know?" Izzy asked.
"Know what?" Brooke asked.
"The brothers Scott are trying to assembly a god-tier team, and it seems three of your granddaughters are the cornerstone," Izzy said.
'What do the girls think of this, and which granddaughters?" Brooke asked.
"PJ, Key, Nomi, and the girls love the idea," Izzy said.
"Oh, I see; I guess your Uncle Lucas wants to give Ashlyn a leg up when she takes over," Brooke said.
Izzy nodded, "Yeah, and it sounds like Uncle Lucas," she said.
"So, Nomi playing basketball?" Brooke asked.
"Yeah, I didn't see it coming either," Izzy said.
"It should be interesting," Brooke said and smiled.
(Beaulieu Manor)
She looked in the mirror and fixed a stray lock of hair. After a moment, she fixed her robe and walked out of the jack&jill bathroom. This was her room from when she was in high school, a new coat of paint, possibly the floors were redone, but everything had stayed the same from then. Looking at the bed, her current beau was already in bed and looking over something on the room's tablet.
"Well, what do you think?" Fallon Stafford asked as she started to undo her robe's sash.
"This place is impressive; too bad I didn't get to see any of it," Grant Coyle said.
Fallon smiled and dropped her robe, "I can fix that tomorrow," she said.
"Umm, what?" Grant asked.
"So, you like?" Fallon asked as she walked over to the bed and sat down.
"Yes, yes, I do," Grant muttered.
"Well, would you like to see the grounds tomorrow?" Fallon asked.
"Umm, what? Yeah," Grant said.
Fallon smiled, "Good, I'll show you around tomorrow," she said.
"Great!" Grant said.
"After church and breakfast," Fallon said.
"Ah! That's right, it's Sunday," Grant said.
"Yeah, it's the lords day," Fallon said.
"I find it hard to believe you regularly attend services," Grant said.
"I do," Fallon said, "So, what did you think about today?"
"It was interesting, very much like a movie or religion," Grant said.
Fallon nodded, "Yeah, it could be that, a religion," she said.
"So, you were a cheerleader," Grant said.
"Yeah, I was," Fallon said, "I would've been down on the baseline cheering, like Keni and Sawyer."
"Do you have a picture?" Grant asked.
"Of what? Me in my cheerleading uniform?" Fallon asked.
"Yes," Grant said.
"Is this some fetish of yours?" Fallon asked, teasing.
"No, I'm just curious," Grant said.
"Hold on," Fallon said and got up. She went to her desk and looked through one of the drawers. After a few minutes, she returned to the bed and sat beside Grant. She handed a picture to Grant. He took it and looked it over.
"That was taken my senior year," Fallon said.
"Who is that with you?" Grant asked.
"My sister-in-law, Candi, we're old friends," Fallon said.
"She played basketball?" Grant asked.
"Yes, and she was outstanding," Fallon said.
"You look happy in this picture," Grant said.
Fallon nodded, "Yeah, it was probably one of the first times I was probably happy," she said.
Grant nodded and handed the picture back to Fallon. Fallon took one last look at the picture and put it on the nightstand. She turned to look at Grant.
"I think I understand you a little bit better," Grant said.
"You know what that means?" Fallon asked.
"What does that mean?" Grant asked.
"I'm going to have to change everything," Fallon said with a laugh.
"Damnit!" Grant said.
Fallon laughed, leaned over, and kissed Grant. She broke it off and sat up. "Don't worry, Grant," she said.
"I won't," Grant said.
"We're going to have breakfast with my family tomorrow," Fallon said.
"Yeah, we didn't today," Grant said.
"Just expect a lot of people," Fallon said.
"Okay," Grant said.
"It will probably be loud, too," Fallon said.
"I'll be fine," Grant said.
"Okay," Fallon said.
(Jamlyn)
It was the end of a long day. After a crazy afternoon in Raleigh, she returned to Tree Hill on the team bus. After arriving, she shepherded her daughter into her car and brought her to Doctor Perry's office for a tetanus shot. After dropping her daughter off at her car, she went to Rerun's Bar and Grill to watch the Miami-Toronto game and have dinner. Miami won 104-89, but James didn't have a standout game. So, as she unlocked her front door, she just wanted a bath and her bed.
"There you are," Ashlyn Buckingham "Buck" Pierce IV said to her as she walked through the door.
Ashlyn Pierce-Scott shook her head, "You scared me, and why are you still up?" she asked.
"I was waiting for you so we could celebrate," Buck said.
"Why?" Ashlyn asked.
"My granddaughter won the state championship, and my daughter was coaching her," Buck said.
Ashlyn tried not to roll her eyes. "It's after midnight; I'm tired," Ashlyn said.
"Where is Brett? I want to celebrate," Buck said.
"Have you been drinking?" Ashlyn asked.
Buck held two fingers apart, "A little; where is my granddaughter?" Buck asked.
"She's over her friend Baylee Miller's," Ashlyn said.
"Your Momma would never approve of her being friends with Baylee Miller," Buck said.
"Momma isn't her, and Brett is my daughter, not Momma's," Ashlyn said.
"I want to celebrate," Buck said.
Ashlyn nodded, "If I have a drink, and I mean one, do you promise to go to bed?" she asked.
Buck nodded, "Yes," he said.
"Good, let's go into the kitchen," Ashlyn said, removed her coat, and left her stuff in the foyer. She followed Buck into the kitchen and sat at the breakfast bar. Buck poured two drinks, and Ashlyn noted he chose the cheap stuff. There was a bar full of better stuff in the next room.
"I've been so lost in thinking about how Brett won that I forgot you won as well," Buck said and sipped his drink.
Ashlyn looked at Buck. When she was younger, Ashlyn couldn't remember Buck ever drinking. It could've been a sense of propriety, or more likely, her momma not wanting any of the daemons of alcohol in her house. It was a no-fun house as far as Ashlyn was concerned. "Well, it was my third," Ashlyn said.
"That's right, you've been on three of Lucas's four titles," Buck said.
"Yea, I have," Ashlyn said.
"Why haven't we celebrated before?" Buck asked.
"You know why," Ashlyn said and played with her glass.
"That wasn't me," Buck said.
"But you could toast the child you hurt by going along," Ashlyn said.
"How long are you going to hold that over me?" Buck asked.
"I don't know. When is the second coming?" Ashlyn asked.
"If you hate me so much, why did you invite me to live here?" Buck asked.
"Joplin and AB," Ashlyn said calmly, "Savannah and I had a relationship before she died. I know all her kids, and they needed more family, especially after losing their parents, brother, and grandma, and can't see their other brother."
"He wasn't family; that's why we didn't take him in, too," Buck said.
"Is that the excuse you tell yourself? Not the fact he's half-black? His momma was a teammate of mine if you remember," Ashlyn said.
"I didn't make that choice," Buck said.
"No more excuses; you've made your choices, and now you must deal with the consequences. You have three grandsons and two granddaughters you've not shitted on. Think about it," Ashlyn said.
"What about my daughter?" Buck asked.
"That ship has sailed," Ashlyn said.
"No redemption?" Buck asked.
Ashlyn picked up her drink, shot down its content in one gulp, and slammed down the empty glass. She looked at Buck. "Thanks for the drink; I'm going to bed," she said and left the kitchen.
(Hargrove Manor)
Even though she had a house across town, they chose to stay at the manor. Of course, she had a room here, she remembered using it, but for some reason, she had three bedrooms across town, and if she pushed it, she could have a fourth, at least. This room was nice, just not hers; she always liked a cleaner, starker, minimalist feel. Bedrooms were for sleeping and some expression, but she hated flashy. She missed her room at the small house.
Angela Scott lay on her back and stared at the ceiling. Deep in her mind, she hoped her status, no notoriety, in Tree Hill would diminish. She was no longer the only captain of an undefeated state championship team. This high school thing may be over, but who knows?
Her smartphone chimes for a video call; Angela reaches over and answers it.
"Hi Jess, shouldn't you be sleeping?" Angela asked.
"Mom, I'm in bed, and I figured I'd call and say good night," Jess said.
"Why?" Angela asked.
"To check in and talk about the game," Jess said.
"It was fun," Angela said with a yawn.
"I heard," Jess said.
"Did you at least congratulate Uncle Lucas, Aunt Ashlyn, and Brett?" Angela asked.
"No, not yet," Jess said.
"Okay, please, don't forget," Angela said.
"I won't, Mom," Jess said, "So, when are you coming home?"
"In a few days, there is a family screening of that cousin Brian documentary," Angela said.
"Okay? Cousin Brian? The musician?" Jess asked.
"Yes, you've seen the shirts, Mental Lapse," Angela said.
"Oh yeah, he's our cousin?" Jess asked.
"Yes, he's Uncle Nate's son," Angela said.
"Oh, I didn't know they were the same person," Jess said.
"Yeah, they are," Angela said.
"Tricia likes their music," Jess said, "I don't, really."
"It's okay," Angela said.
"So, did Brett really slam the ball?" Jess asked.
Angela nodded, "Yes, she did," she said,
"That's so cool," Jess said.
"It looked good," Angela said.
"So, how do you feel, Mom?" Jess asked.
"What do you mean?" Angela asked.
"I know you get anxious whenever we visit Tree Hill. How does it feel? You're not unique anymore," Jess said.
"It feels good," Angela said.
"But how do you feel?" Jess asked.
"You're taking a page out of Doctor Nance's book, aren't you?" Angela asked.
"Mom, don't change the subject," Jess said.
"Who is who here?" Angela asked.
"You always wanted us to be open and frank with each other, " Jess said, "So, how do you feel?"
"Maybe, I need to rethink my parenting style," Angela said.
"Too late," Jess said.
"Well, no getting out of this," Angela said.
"Exactly," Jess said.
"In all honesty," Angela said.
"Please, Mom, lie to me," Jess said.
"Funny," Angela said.
"I take after my mom," Jess said.
"Right," Angela said.
"So, how do you feel?" Jess asked.
"I feel at peace," Angela said with a sigh.
Jess nodded, then yawned. "I need to get to bed; I have school," she said.
"Yes, you do," Angela said, forgetting it was early Sunday morning.
"You'll be home this week?" Jess asked.
"Yes," Angela said.
"I'll see you when you get home," Jess said.
"Yes, you will," Angela said.
"Good night, Mom," Jess said.
"Good night, Jess," Angela said.
"Love you," Jess said.
"Love you," Angela said, and the line disconnected.
(Sea Cliff Manor)
The front door opened, and he quietly slipped into the house. Gently closing the door behind him, he locked it and started to walk into the house in the dark. He took a few steps into the house, and the lights were flipped on.
"Where have you been?" Dr. Meggy Reuter, MD asked.
"I was at a basketball game," Gareth Reuter said to his mom.
"Which ended hours ago," Meggy said.
"I was walking around," Gareth said.
"Walking around? Let me smell your breath," Meggy said.
"What? Why, Mom?" Gareth asked.
"I want to make sure you weren't drinking," Meggy said.
"I was out," Gareth said.
"With who?" Meggy asked.
"Many people; I wasn't in one place," Gareth said.
"I could call your friend's parents," Meggy said.
"Go ahead," Gareth said.
Meggy nodded, "Go to your room," she said.
"Okay," Gareth said, took off his jacket, hung it up, and then went to the stairs.
Meggy watched her only child walk up the stairs. She shook her head, shut off the light, and followed Gareth upstairs.
(Rerun's Bar and Grill)
He walked down the bar to the young man sitting there. The young man was poking at the remains of his food and watching the TV over the bar. The man behind the bar looked at the young man and nodded.
"Are you all set, Garvan?" Ramon "Rerun" Vasquez asked.
"I'm good," Garvan Muir said.
"Alright, let me know when you want to settle up," Rerun said.
"Alright," Garvan said.
Rerun started to walk away.
"Rerun," Garvan said. Rerun stopped, turned around, and walked back to Garvan.
"Yes?" Rerun asked.
"What was all that noise about in the back room?" Garvan asked.
"You know," Rerun said.
"No, I don't," Garvan said.
"Seriously? With your girl playing, you didn't go?" Rerun asked.
Garvan shook his head, "I have no clue what you're talking about," he said.
"The girls won the state championship today," Rerun said, then looked at his watch, Well, yesterday."
"Oh, well, I should congratulate them," Garvan said.
Rerun nodded, "Yeah, you should," he said.
"Yeah, how much do I owe you?" Garvan asked.
Rerun reached over and handed Garvan his check. Garvan settled up and left the bar. Rerun cleared the bar; he looked at the door and shook his head.
(Absolution)
The cheap plastic cushion pressed against her back as she studied the crowd. The booth she sat at was under the balcony, and she appreciated how it buffeted the sounds. The club she sat in and was enjoying was, at one time, a church.
Elizabeth "Ellie" Scott leaned forward and took hold of her drink. She looked over to the person across the table from her.
"You wanted to talk," the person across from Ellie said.
"Yes, I do," Ellie said.
"What do you want to talk about?" the person asked.
"This and that," Ellie said.
"I don't want to waste my time," the person said.
"I don't want to waste your time either," Ellie said.
"So, why are you being so evasive?" the person asked.
"I don't want to be overheard," Ellie said.
"With the noise here, I doubt it," the person said.
"We need to talk offsite," Ellie said.
"Why?" the person asked.
"It's less loud," Ellie said.
A waitress came over to the table. Ellie looked at the waitress and held up her drink; the waitress nodded and walked away.
"So, you want to meet later?" the person asked.
"Yes," Ellie said.
"When?" the person said.
"Two O'clock; I'll text you the location," Ellie said.
"Okay," the person said, "I have to go back to work."
"Okay," Ellie said.
The person got up and left. Ellie nodded and turned back to her drink.