Chapter 669: 18:00
Sunday, March 12th, Evening
(Deb Lee's Beach House)
Three cars were now parked in front of the beach house. Brett got out and went into the back seat of her car, pulled out her clothes, and headed toward the front door. Avril and Baylee were waiting by the door as Brett pulled out the keys and unlocked the door.
Brett let Avril and Baylee in, then followed. Over the years, all three young women have been to this beach house before. They each chose a room and put their stuff in their respective rooms. They returned to their cars and started to bring in the things they had purchased from Avril's car.
In the kitchen, Brett started setting up to make Jell-O shots. Baylee was getting the snacks and stuff organized. Brett looked over to Avril, who was fiddling with the stereo. Eventually, Avril found a song to fill the house with. Brett smiled as Avril started to dance to the music. That's when Brett's smartphone dinged, and she looked down.
"Ellie's outside with the stuff," Brett said.
The three young women went out and found Ellie waiting outside. Brett smiled as she walked down to Ellie.
"Thanks for doing this, Ellie," Brett said and hugged Ellie.
"You're welcome," Ellie said.
"You got the vodka?" Brett asked.
"Of course," Ellie said, "Why?"
"Jell-o shots," Brett said.
"Nice," Ellie said.
"Let's get the stuff inside before people notice too much," Brett said.
"Good idea," Ellie said.
The four women unloaded Ellie's car, brought the stuff inside, and got set up.
(Skate Park)
Standing over the world, she surveyed; this was once her domain. That had passed long ago, but now it was nice to visit it. Standing on the half-pipe ramp, she watched over the two young skaters she had brought. She wore skate gear, knee and elbow pads, and a helmet. Not that she wanted to wear them, but they were the park's rules.
Chastity "Chase" Burke looked down at her two oldest biological daughters. Paige "PJ" Burke was trying hard; PJ always went hard, whereas Keelan "Key" Burke, the younger of the two, seemed to go with the flow. As similar as the two girls were, they were vastly different in the same number of ways.
"PJ, don't try so hard, feel it, don't force it," Chase shouted out instructions to the elder of her two daughters she had with her.
Chase thought about when she taught Brett Pierce-Burke, her oldest, how to vert skate. Brett had ability but lacked desire; basketball was her passion. Brett would skate with Chase and her sisters, but she wasn't possessed to skate. That was where PJ and Key differed; it was in their blood. PJ was a shredder.
Nodding, Chase saw a dark-haired high schooler standing off to the side, watching, with a skateboard under his arm. Shaking her head, she put down her Jim Greco skateboard and looked at her Irish Twins.
"PJ, Key, keep at it; I have something I need to take care of," Chase said.
She started to head off the ramp. As she walked, Chase unstrapped her chin strap and removed her helmet. Her long brunette hair, currently worn up, fell loose as she removed her helmet. Chase stopped in front of the boy and looked him over.
"Are you stalking my family and me?" Chase asked; a chill came from her normally raspy voice, and a foundation of steel backed it.
"No," Noah Adams said to the eldest of his three estranged half-sisters.
"Then why are you here?" Chase asked.
"To skate," Noah said, "Anyway, this is a public place, and we both skate because of Dad."
"Listen up here," Chase said, "Don't ever mention my sperm donor around me again. You are not my family, so leave me alone. Do not, I repeat, do not approach Keni ever again. Finally, stay away from my children."
"If I don't comply?" Noah asked.
"You don't want to know," Chase said.
"Are you threatening me?" Noah asked.
"Some advice, Noah, what is the most dangerous animal in the world?" Chase asked.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Noah asked.
"It's a mom with a predator between her and her children," Chase said.
"What does that mean, Chastity?" Noah asked.
"Never call me Chastity," Chase said, "And don't mess with my children."
"What?" Noah asked.
One of the staff came over to Chase and Noah. He was a large man and looked at the teenage Noah and then at the adult Chase. The staff member noticed a passing resemblance between the two of them.
"Is everything okay, Mrs. Burke?" the staff member asked.
Chase shook her head, "No," she said.
"What is happening here?" the staff member asked.
"He's harassing me," Chase said.
"No, I'm not," Noah said, "She approached me."
"Is that so, Mrs. Burke," the staff member said, "How would you like this matter handled?"
"I can't skate with my girls with him here," Chase said.
"I understand, Mrs. Burke," the staff member said. He turned to Noah, "C'mon, we're leaving."
"What?" You're kicking me out?" Noah asked.
"That's what it looks like," the staff member said.
"You can't do this; I'm Chase Adams's son," Noah said.
"Yeah, right, you know how many times I've heard that tonight," the staff member said and grabbed Noah's arm, physically removing Noah.
Chase shook her head and turned to look at her girls skating. She smiled and strapped on her helmet. She returned to the ramp, reclaimed her board, and checked the ramp out. She set up at the edge. Chase dropped in on the half-pipe and started to skate.
It brought back memories of when she was PJ and Key's age. It was much clearer back then; her life was about the board and the ramp. Her heroes were the Z-Boys and the Bones Brigade before discovering Jim Greco and his videos. Back then, life was much simpler; before, she didn't like looking at her face in the mirror.
The various sounds of the board on the ramp gave her a slight ecstasy. The union of her, the board, and the ramp were almost religious to her. This rush was the natural high, a high she walked away from and something she chased in her teenage years. Chase knew this was the dragon she pursued, it took years before she could mount a skateboard again, but she knew it was the only way she could catch her dragon naturally, on the board and ramp.
Chase ended her skating with a perfect landing on the platform. She kicked up the board and caught the nose. Chase took a moment to watch what PJ and Key were doing. Chase smiled at her two daughters. Chase left the ramp with her board and headed towards the snack bar. Once Chase was at the snack bar, she looked at the attendant.
"What can I get you, Mrs. Burke?" the attendant asked.
"Three bottles of water, please," Chase said.
"Coming right up," the attendant said, ducking under the counter. Money was exchanged for the water bottles, and Chase walked over to where her bag sat. Once there, she dropped the water bottle on the back, put down her board, and removed her helmet. Chase sat down. Someone walked over and sat on the other side of the bench, with Chase's bag between them.
Chase tucked her helmet into her bag. Next, she started to pull off one of her elbow pads.
"It is much safer to be feared than loved," the person said.
Chase shrugged.
"You were a bit harsh on him," Dr. Cassidy Shayla "Shay" O'Brien said.
"Sometimes you have to teach the hard truth, the hard way," Chase said.
"I've never pegged you to be a spare the rod and spoil the child type of parent," Shay said.
"Well, you're going to have to help with that," Chase said as she removed her other elbow pad, wrapped the two together, and stuffed it into her bag.
"I can't order a student around off-campus," Shay said.
"I know you're a smart woman, Shay, so don't play dumb, innocent, or me," Chase said.
"What do you mean, Chase? How long have we known each other?" Shay asked.
"Long enough," Chase said.
"You've never been this cryptic with me," Shay said.
"You've never played dumb with me before," Chase said.
"What do you want from me, Chase?" Shay asked.
Chase removed one of her knee pads. "I want from you, my friend, is for you to tell your cousin that I want nothing to do with him," she said.
"Flannery?" Shay asked.
"No, Noah," Chase said.
"You know?" Shay asked.
"Of course I know," Chase said, "I've long since made it my business to know about my friends."
"How long?" Shay asked.
"Since high school," Chase said.
"You never said anything," Shay said.
"Never had to," Chase said, "Our relationship is our relationship, and Noah wasn't involved."
"Now, you want me involved?" Shay asked.
"Only because Noah needs to hear it from someone else," Chase said, removing her last knee pad, putting them together, and into her bag.
"I don't know what I can do," Shay said.
Chase nodded, "It's just a conversation," she said and watched as her daughters came over carrying their skateboards. Chase held out water bottles to them.
"Just a conversation?" Shay asked.
"Just a conversation," Chase said.
"If it doesn't happen?" Shay asked.
"I doubt that," Chase said.
The two girls took up the water bottle. Chase noticed PJ had her dad's look, whereas Key looked like her Aunt Izzy. Chase smiled at them. "You did great out there," Chase said, gushing over her daughters, and then turned to Shay, "You understand."
Shay nodded as Chase helped her daughters out of their pads.
(Jamlyn)
She walked into the living room and took a seat on the sofa. Ashlyn picked up the remote and turned on the Miami versus Indiana game. Ashlyn leaned back and took in the sights of the pre-game broadcast. The Heat were at the Pacers.
As the commentators were discussing the game, Ashlyn tuned them out. Her mind drifted to what her oldest daughter was planning across town. Ashlyn squeezed the bridge of her nose and squeezed her eyes shut.
Two sets of footsteps came down the hall and into the living room. Ashlyn looked over to see Maeghan and Joplin enter the room. The two girls looked at Ashlyn. After a minute, they walked over to the couch and sat next to Ashlyn, one on each side.
"What are you watching, Auntie Ash?" Joplin asked.
"The Miami, Indiana game," Ashlyn said.
"A basketball game," Maeghan huffed.
"Yeah, your dad is playing," Ashlyn said.
"Uncle James is playing today?" Joplin asked.
"Yes," Ashlyn said.
"Where is Daddy?" Maeghan asked.
"Indiana," Ashlyn said.
"When will Daddy be home?" Maeghan asked.
"When the season is over," Ashlyn said.
"When is that, Momma?" Maeghan asked.
"His last regular season game is April twelfth," Ashlyn said.
"He'll be home after that game?" Maeghan asked.
"Maybe, if they don't make the playoffs," Ashlyn said.
Maeghan nodded sadly, then leaned against Ashlyn burying her face into Ashlyn's shoulder.
(Colebury Mill Outlet Mall)
They walked down the sidewalks of the outlet mall plaza. Izzy looked to make sure her ten-year-old daughter, Nomi, wouldn't wander off, as she was oft to do. Her son Ellis was right by her side as she walked down the center courtyard of the Colebury Mill Outlet Mall. She liked walking the kids here and getting deals because they were growing fast, Nomi more than Ellis. Izzy's son was a peanut in comparison to his fast-growing sister. Izzy often wondered if her daughter inherited her size from her dad while her son would be small and slight like herself. Izzy gave herself a small smile, but most people would comment, often under their breath, that they were more frightened of Izzy than Keith. Izzy always saw Keith as a big teddy bear.
A clothing store stopped when they saw Izzy. She wondered where this was headed, as she wasn't looking forward to trying to dress Nomi. She preferred t-shirts and sweatshirts, more common in the boy's section.
"Izzy? Izzy Adams?" the man asked.
"Yeah," Izzy said, "Well, Izzy Scott now." She looked up at the man. He was described as having shaggy black hair neatly coiffured to reveal a fresh, gloomy face. Round brown eyes, set lightly within their sockets, Freckles spread charmingly around his nose and cheekbones, a thirty-two-year-old man.
"Duh! Also, my congresswoman," he said as Izzy tried to connect the bearded face with a name.
"Yeah," Izzy said.
"Jace, Jace Bradbury, you helped me through English my senior year," he said.
Izzy's eyes sparked now and smiled, "Ah! Yes, Jace, how are you doing?" she asked.
"I'm doing well, working for the Utilities," he said.
"Well, you know what I'm doing," Izzy said, "These are my two, Nomi and Ellis."
Jace nodded, a knowing nod, with a touch of sadness in his eyes. He sighed, "They are getting big," he said, "I would introduce you to my family, but that's whom I am looking for."
"Sorry, am I keeping you?" Izzy asked.
"No, not really," Jace said, "What are you up to?"
"I have to get this one new clothes; she's growing like a weed," Izzy said and gently tapped Nomi's shoulder.
"I know how that is," Jace said, "Well, I won't keep you."
"Nice seeing you again, Jace," Izzy said.
"Same here," Jace said and left.
Once out of earshot, Nomi looked at Izzy. "Mom, who was that?" she asked.
"Someone I tutored in high school," Izzy said.
"Oh, like Dad?" Nomi asked.
"Yes, now let's get going," Izzy said, guiding her two toward the store.
(Beaulieu Manor)
Tucker parked his car next to Alix's car. After shutting down, they got out. Tucker leaned on the roof of his car and watched Alix as she opened her car door. Alix turned around and looked at Tucker.
"What?" Alix asked with a giggle.
"I just like watching you," Tucker said.
"Awe! You're sweet," Alix said.
Tucker moved around his car and came over to Alix. He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a deep kiss. Tucker felt Alix melt into him, and their kiss deepened. As they came up for air, Alix pushed Tucker away.
"Tuck, I have to go," Alix said.
"Do you?" Tucker asked.
"I do; I'm having dinner with Opa," Alix said.
"We have to talk about living together," Tucker said.
"So, when do you want to go apartment hunting?" Alix asked.
"Why not live here?" Tucker asked.
"I told you; I don't want to live under your mom's roof," Alix said.
"I'll think about it," Tucker said.
"Okay, but I do have to go," Alix said.
"Call me later," Tucker said.
Alix leaned over and kissed Tucker. "I will," she said and got into her car. Tucker turned and headed toward Beaulieu. Tucker noted Brooke was standing in the window watching.