Chapter 663: 12:00
Sunday, March 12th, Noon
(Jamlyn)
The trio of young women walked through; the foyer was eerie quiet. Brett looked around and figured the boys were down in the gym. Where would the girls be? Probably wherever Maeghan wanted to be. Brett shook her head and finished leading her friends into the house. Suddenly in a flash of blonde, Ashlyn and Ashton appeared.
"Mom, Aunt AP, what's going on?" Brett asked.
"Nothing," Ashton said.
"We're just heading to the high school," Ashlyn said.
"Everything okay?" Brett asked.
"Fine, everything is fine; I'll see you Monday," Ashlyn said, and they left. Brett shrugged and looked at her friends.
"What was that about?" Baylee asked.
"I have no idea," Brett said, "Let's go; we have a lot to do."
Baylee and Avril nodded and followed Brett up to her room. Brett grabbed her bag and started collecting her stuff. Avril stood by the door and watched Baylee look at the various posters and pictures on the wall.
"Brett?" a young girl's voice asked.
"You can come in, Maeghan," Brett said.
Maeghan Scott walked into the room, closely followed by Joplin Matthews. Maeghan looked around the room.
"Hi, Maeghan," Avril said.
"Hi, Maeghan," Baylee said.
"Hi, Avril, Baylee," Maeghan said, "Changing houses?"
Brett paused and turned around. Little sister looked up at older sister; Maeghan hadn't yet started to mature, so Maeghan was still a head shorter than Brett.
"Yes," Brett said.
"Were you going to say goodbye?" Maeghan asked.
"Of course, don't I always?" Brett asked.
Maeghan nodded, "Yeah, sorry, Joplin, this is Brett's friends Baylee and Avril," Maeghan said, "Avril, Baylee, this is my cousin Joplin."
"Hi," Baylee said.
"Hey," Avril said. Joplin stayed quiet and gave a small wave.
Brett finished packing and looked at Maeghan. "I'll see you in a week," Brett said, stooping down to hug Maeghan.
"See you in a week," Maeghan said softly.
Brett and Maeghan separated and looked at each other. Brett grabbed her bags and was followed by Avril and Baylee as they left the room.
(Tree Hill High School)
Getting into the high school wasn't difficult, which led them to the basketball office. Before Ashlyn joined the coaching staff, Lucas had all the films digitized. So, once in the office, all Ashlyn had to log onto the computer and call up the game files.
"How long should this take?" Ashton asked.
"A few minutes; why in a rush?" Ashlyn asked.
"It's my week with Cam, and Ken is dropping him off," Ashton said.
"Don't worry, we'll get you home in time for your son," Ashlyn said.
"Oh, so confidant, Ash," Ashton said.
"That's what you love about me," Ashlyn said.
"That and the knees I keep putting back together," Ashton said.
"Low blow, AP, low blow," Ashlyn said.
"So, I'm not trying to hurt you," Ashton said.
"Anyway, here we are, where Jade falls," Ashlyn said.
"Let's see," Ashton said, putting on a pair of glasses.
They watched the video and pointed out several things as they did in high school. Ashton pointed out that something was wrong with Jade's ball handling. Ashlyn nodded and shrugged but kept watching. The incident flashed across the screen, and Ashton asked Ashlyn to rewind it and play it again in slow motion. After three more watches, Ashton took off her glasses.
"So?" Ashlyn asked.
"She entered the game with a hand injury, aggravated it by the fall and stomping," Ashton said.
"How do you know?" Ashlyn asked.
"The only way to get the injury she has is by punching something," Ashton said.
"Are you sure?" Ashlyn asked.
"Yes," Ashton said.
"What can we do about it?" Ashlyn asked.
"Sadly, nothing since we can't prove anything," Ashton said.
"That sucks," Ashlyn said.
"Don't I know it," Ashton said, to which Ashlyn nodded.
(Raven Hill)
The SUV pulled into the driveway of Raven Hill. Nathan looked in the rear mirror to see two grandchildren sleeping, except Lacy, who hardly napped and always seemed to be taking everything in.
Parking the SUV, Nathan got out and walked to the back of the SUV. He opened the rear hatch and pulled out the grandkids' bags. Nathan looked over to see Haley walking over.
"How was your trip?" Haley asked.
Nathan shrugged, "It rained on the way out, but it was good on the way back," he said.
"Izzy's coming over with Nomi," Haley said.
"How about Chase?" Nathan asked.
"She'll have PJ and Key over, but she's not staying," Haley said.
"Wonder why?" Nathan asked.
"Huck was ordered into work, and she has to take care of BB and Col," Haley said.
Nathan nodded, "Okay," he said.
"Where are the grandkids?" Haley asked.
"The boys are asleep, and Lacy's in between them," Nathan said.
"I'll get them," Haley said.
"Are you sure?" Nathan asked.
"Yeah, unload the car and get ready for your lesson," Haley said.
Nathan nodded, "Yes, ma'am," he said and finished with the grandchildren's luggage.
(Europe)
The day was ending, and their time on QRF would be handed off. As the sun started to get low in the sky, Staff Sergeant Keith J. "Tarheel" Scott sat near the commander's copula of his tank, D13, aka Damageplan. Keith rubbed the bridge of his nose, then stretched and yawned; as per his new normal, Keith was having trouble sleeping.
"You okay, Sergeant?" Letty, the gunner, asked from her position near him.
"I'm good, Letty," Keith said.
"What's on your mind?" Letty asked.
"We're heading home soon, and I miss my wife and kids," Keith said.
"Is that all?" Letty asked.
Keith yawned and shrugged, "Yes and no," he said.
"Yes, and no?" Letty asked.
"Thinking about a man, a tanker, also named Keith, who was also a poet," Keith said.
"You don't strike me as the poetry type," Letty said.
"My dad had me read it before a trip, and I read some more after," Keith said.
"Why?" Letty asked.
"It moved me," Keith said.
"How about this other tanker, the poet, Keith?" Letty asked.
"He was fighting in the British Army and died in 1944," Keith said.
"So, any poems you're thinking about?" Letty asked.
"Yes," Keith said.
"Let's hear it," Letty said.
"Are you sure?" Keith asked.
"Yeah, lay it on me," Letty said.
"Okay," Keith said, took a deep breath, and started,
"Under the parabola of a ball,
a child turning into a man,
I looked into the air too long.
The ball fell in my hand; it sang
in the closed fist: Open Open
Behold a gift designed to kill.
Now in my dial of glass appears.
the soldier who is going to die.
He smiles, and moves about in ways.
his mother knows, habits of his.
The wires touch his face: I cry.
NOW. Death, like a familiar, hears.
and look, has made a man of dust
of a man of flesh. This sorcery
I do. Being damned, I am amused.
to see the center of love diffused
and the wave of love travel into vacancy.
How easy it is to make a ghost.
The weightless mosquito touches
her tiny shadow on the stone,
and with how, like, how infinite
a lightness, man, and shadow meet.
They fuse. A shadow is a man.
when the mosquito death approaches."
"Wow," Letty said.
"Intense," Keith said.
"Yes, it is," Letty said, and Keith nodded.
(Ironclad Records)
They piled into Fallon's G-Wagen and headed out of Beaulieu's East Range parking area. Fallon sat behind the wheel, with Grant in the passenger seat. Sawyer sat behind Fallon and looked out the window as they drove towards downtown. Keni sat behind Grant and looked out the windshield.
"So, why are we heading to Ironclad?" Fallon asked.
"It was Sawyer's idea," Keni said.
"Way to throw me under the bus," Sawyer said.
Keni stuck out her tongue at Sawyer. "You still love me," Keni said.
"Oh yeah? Why, Sawyer?" Fallon asked.
"I want new music," Sawyer said.
"You're so your mom's daughter," Fallon said.
"What is Ironclad?" Grant asked.
"Ironclad Records is a record store," Sawyer said.
"Why don't you download your music?" Grant asked.
"Why don't you photocopy some paintings?" Sawyer asked.
"I see your point," Grant said as Fallon finally reached the Mercantile District and parked the G-Wagen in a municipal lot. The four people got out of the G-Wagen and headed toward Ironclad Records. Keni sighed as she looked at an old storefront with an ancient, faded sign over the door in some archaic script. The sign read Ironclad Records.
Keni walked into the shop and approached a section in the corner. She started looking through photos and some magazines. Keni sighed as she looked at the pictures of suicide girls. Keni sighed; she thought these women were beautiful; she wasn't attracted to them sexually but thought they were an ideal to strive for.
Keni sighed and turned to look over the store. Fallon and Grant were talking, and Fallon was showing Grant posters. Keni knew that Fallon had been involved with several of those acts as they were sighed by RBR.
Over in another section, Keni noticed Sawyer was talking with Kier Hammels. Keni gritted her teeth and shook her head. No, Sawyer, not Kier, don't worry about dating, flashed through Keni's mind. Something wasn't feeling right about what was happening between Kier and Sawyer. Keni wanted to protect Sawyer because she was the closest person she wasn't related to.
Taking a deep breath, discretion won out, Keni was both a Davis and a Stafford, and they didn't air things in public. Keni bit her tongue and went back to her browsing.
(Seaview Manor)
He pulled into the drive of Seaview Manor and behind Meggy's car. Lucas shut off the engine of his veteran SUV and got out of the vehicle. He straightened out his jacket and closed the SUV's door. Slowly, Lucas walked up to the front door and looked around. Taking a deep breath, Lucas knocked on the door.
After a few moments, the door opened, and Meggy stood there. The two adults looked at each other before Meggy nodded and locked eyes with Lucas.
"Lucas, what a surprise; what do I owe this visit?" Meggy asked.
Lucas looked off to the neighboring property. The little he could see of it was the roof of the home he bought, refurbished, and raised his children in. Currently, the house was closed up, but now it was usually inhabited by his son Keith and his family, but Keith was in Europe.
"Lucas?' Meggy asked.
Lucas shook out of his thoughts and turned to Meggy. "Yes, sorry, how are you doing?" he asked.
"Fine, and what brings you here?" Meggy asked.
"Have you noticed anything different with Gareth?" Lucas asked.
"Nothing more than usual, but he's a teenage boy, and you know how they can be," Meggy said.
"I noticed something different with Sawyer," Lucas said.
"Oh god! I hope she's all right," Meggy said.
"Me too," Lucas said.
"What's wrong?" Meggy asked.
"I don't know, but I noticed Sawyer and Gareth have been spending time together," Lucas said.
"Oh my god, are you sure?" Meggy asked, "That could explain why he's been so grumpy."
Lucas nodded, "Yeah," he said.
"How is Sawyer handling it?" Meggy asked.
"She's been distant," Lucas said.
"Oh my, that's not Sawyer at all," Meggy said, "Come in, I'll get you coffee, and we can talk about this."
"No, no, I've got to get going," Lucas said.
"Okay, well, I'll speak to Gareth about this," Meggy said.
"Do what you think is right," Lucas said, "Goodbye, Meggy."
"Goodbye, Lucas," Meggy said as Lucas walked away.
(Raven Hill)
It's rare now that Izzy drove herself; she usually had a driver. Like today, Izzy would go; it was personal and something she enjoyed doing. Izzy looked at Brooke's Maybach's passenger seat and saw Nomi sitting there looking out the window.
Nomi played with the ends of her brunette hair. Izzy was always amazed at how much Nomi looked like her dad, Keith, just with Izzy's brunette hair. Where Izzy had hazel eyes, Nomi shared her green eyes with Keith. Izzy listened to Nomi humming a song. It took a moment for Izzy to place the tune. Nomi was humming Story of My Life by Social Distortion; she is very much her dad's daughter.
Izzy pulled into the drive of Raven Hill. Parking the Maybach and shutting off the engine, Izzy and Nomi got out of the SUV. The two Scott women walked over to the side door of the house. The warm air danced across what exposed skin Izzy had as they walked inside. Nomi was right behind, removing her watch cap.
Weaving through the house, Izzy found Haley standing by the window. Haley was Izzy's godmother, and they had a long history before Izzy joined the Scott family. If anyone wasn't born a Scott and was a Scott, it was Haley. Haley married a Scott after being as close as a sister to another Scott.
"So, another generation starts on the road to basketball," Haley said, sipping her coffee.
"It's what Nomi wants," Izzy said.
"Yeah, she's her dad's daughter," Haley said.
"What about the grandkids?" Izzy asked.
Haley sniffed, "It's what Nathan knows, but he doesn't push the kids; he does it to do something with them," she said.
Izzy nodded, "Yeah, and Nathan and Lucas can make the perfect team," she said.
"If they all agree to keep playing," Izzy said.
"Yeah," Haley said, took a sip of her coffee, and turned back toward the window.