Episode 19: 27 Club
March 13th
Is it a deal with the devil? Is it mental illness? Is it just a random happenstance? Why do good artiest die young? Do you believe in the 27 Club? Comment below.
RavenHussar
T3 Collective
Chapter 676: Tree Hill High School
Monday, March 13th, Afternoon
The class was ending. Dr. Cassidy Shayla O'Brien watched her honor freshman history class from her desk. Not many of her students were in the class. Some of them were a hangover from the weekend.
Even though the girls' basketball team won the state championship, this is Tree Hill; it's still a big deal. Coach Lucas Scott won his fourth title, that's big, and Shay couldn't figure out or fathom the atmosphere in his classroom, 1309, opposite the wing of Shay's classroom. Shay's classroom, 1406, is closer to the field house.
Shay sighed and remembered her senior year when both basketball teams won the state championship. Two of the current players had family on those previous teams. If today was the hangover, it was probably much worse than Shay's day. These freshmen shouldn't be as distracted, but they are.
Shay scanned her class with a trained, practiced, and steady eye. They were supposed to be reading their texts and making notes. They had a research paper coming up, and unlike her past teachers, her AP civic teacher, Mrs. Babatunde, would assign; these weren't group activities with a presentation. Freshmen are interesting to teach because they're equally scared and overconfident.
Shay's eyes fell on one of her students. One of Shay's better students is a straight-A student. But recently, she had been slipping. That is bound to happen, but these were avoidable mistakes made by a distracted mind. This isn't good; maybe Shay needed to nip this in the bud.
The passing bell sounded as the students got up and started packing their stuff. This is standard stuff and only got worse as the students got older. Shay watched, and every student but this one was engaged in leaving the class.
Callista Ashe, that's her name, and something told Shay she came from the old south. Callista is a tall girl, five foot ten inches, and Shay wondered why she didn't play basketball or volleyball; she has the height for it. Shay nodded; this girl screamed white bread, traditional southern and hyper-conservative, right down to her oh-so-polished style of dress and her neatly styled long dirty blonde hair.
Shay nodded, "Ms. Ashe," she said, but got no response or even a movement, "Ms. Ashe," Shay said louder. This got Callista to react; she moved with a start and looked at Shay.
"Hi," Callista said.
"Hello, Ms. Ashe," Shay said.
"Umm, I must've not heard the bell," Callista said.
"Ms. Ashe, is there something happening?" Shay asked.
"Just have a lot going on, Dr. O'Brien," Callista said.
Shay nodded, "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.
Callista shrugged, "I guess," she said.
"Please, close the door," Shay said.
"Yes, Dr. O'Brien," Callista said.
They both got up. Callista went to the door and closed it. Shay walked to the front of her desk and took a seat on the desk. Callista turned around and looked confused.
"Please. Have a seat," Shay said.
Callista nodded and walked over to the desk in front of Shay. She took a seat and looked at Shay.
"Is there anything you like to be called?" Shay asked.
"Callie, um, it's what my brothers called me," Callista said.
"You seemed to check out during the lecture and reading," Shay said.
"I'm sorry, Dr. O'Brien, I've been having issues in my personal life," Callie said.
Shay nodded, "I'm sorry to hear that. Is everything okay?" she asked.
"No," Callie said.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Shay asked.
Callie's lower lip trembled. Slowly, she nodded, "Dr. O'Brien, my life is a dumpster fire," Callie said.
Shay nodded, "That's understandable," she said.
"No, you don't understand," Callie said.
"Tell me, make me understand," Shay said gently.
"My family is stubborn, they always have been, but I'm learning the hard way pride goes before the fall," Callie said.
"What happened, Callie?" Shay asked.
Callie sighed, "My dad was talking to me about my future; you know what college I was going to attend, what I was going to study," she said.
"That's normal, boringly so," Shay said.
"Did your parents basically tell you that you're attending William Pace because all the women in my family do, and they were setting me up with a boy that would be attending Duke while I'm there," Callie said.
"Oh, okay?" Shay asked.
"You're not getting it," Callie said.
"Explain, please," Shay said.
"My parents want me to marry him, and the only reason I'm going to get my M, R, S," Callie said.
"Wow, Okay! So, what happened next?" Shay asked.
"I told my parents the truth about my sexuality," Callie said.
"That's a big step; how did your parents accept this information?" Shay asked.
"They didn't," Callie said, "I've been kicked out and disowned."
Shay nodded, "Where are you staying?' she asked.
Callie sighed, "My parents put me up at the Saltwater Motel; the room is paid with a prepaid card with about three k on it; when it runs out, I am on the streets," she said.
Shay nodded; she knew the Saltwater Motel. It's a divey beach motel on the edge of town. When she was in high school, it was known as the No Tell Motel. The crime rate there is also high, as well as other "trades." This was certainly not a place for a fourteen-year-old girl to be left, with a termination date, even with monthly rates she doesn't have long there. Shay had a duty to act. Chances are the Ashe family is connected, the good old boys network, which sucks.
The gears started to turn in Shay's head. There is someone who could and would help. Two people, really; one had the resources, the other the will to act. It would be a few days, but Shay knew she could help.
Shay sighed, "You shouldn't be at the motel," she said.
"I have nowhere else to go," Callie said.
"I would take you in, but my apartment is too small," Shay said.
"Thank you, but I can figure this out for myself," Callie said.
"I can help you, but give me a few days," Shay said.
"Are you sure, Dr. O'Brien?" Callie asked.
"I've never been as sure before," Shay said.
Callie peeked up for the first time in their conversation. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," Callie said.
"Don't thank me yet; I've not done anything yet," Shay said.
"But you've already done more for me than my family," Callie said.
"Well, I'd get moving on," Shay said, reaching for her purse, "I'm going to give you my card; it has my number, please feel free to call," Shay said.
Callie took the card and found sixty bucks also. "Dr. O'Brien?" she asked.
"Go to the Fire & Ice Cafe, ask for Eilish, tell her Shay sent you, and she'll take care of you," Shay said.
"I don't know what to say, Dr. O'Brien, but thank you," Callie said.
"Go, get some food in you, and I'll see what I can do," Shay said.
"Yes, Dr. O'Brien," Callie said, packed her stuff, and left. This left Shay sitting there thinking, 'What did I get myself into?'