Chapter 805: Rerun's Bar & Grill
Friday, March 31st, Evening
She stood outside the bar and took it all in. The side said Rerun's Bar & Grill; to her, it was like ramparts of the stoutest fortification. With a sigh, she looked at the front door as the breech, and she was the forlorn hope that had to breech it. Lost soldiers, a suicidal charge that would set off all the booby traps and take the initial volley. They would force open the breech with their bodies so the fortification could be taken by storm or sturm, assault. The rewards would be great if you were in that forlorn hope and survived, and the fortification was carried. That's how she felt; she was that forlorn hope and had to cross that breech.
Candi sighed and looked at her smartwatch. This was her idea, after all. It's time to put her big girl panties on and assault the breech. In a flash, the words from Henry V came to her, "Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more; Or close the wall up with our English dead." Or, in this case, our Tree Hill dead. Shaking her head,
Candi walked through her anxiety and crossed the pavement. Closing her eyes, she lowered her head. Huck once told her, "When you are in trouble, square your shoulders, lower your head, and keep your feet moving forward." That's what she did metaphorically and physically, crossing the threshold once more into the breech.
Inside, Candi walked towards the bar and saw Rerun standing behind it. He had grown up; it had been years since she had seen him. The boy was gone, and a hardened man stood behind the bar, even with an apron on. Candi looked around and saw the place reflected a Tex-Mex style, and the multiple TVs played different sports. This place spoke of who Rerun Vasquez is.
"I never expected you to darken my doors," Rerun said.
Candi nodded, "It wasn't easy," she said.
"I know," Rerun said, "There are a lot of things that aren't easy."
"Yeah, I am here, and Keith says you have the best tacos," Candi said.
Rerun nodded, "That I do," he said.
"Look, Rerun," Candi said.
"It was a different time, and we were different people," Rerun said, "So, what brings you here?"
"I'm meeting someone for dinner," Candi said.
"I see," Rerun said as Christy walked into the bar, "Hello, Christy."
"Hey Rerun," Christy smiled, "looking forward to enjoying another taco platter."
Rerun smiled, "Of course, and will the traditional cerveza be served as well?"
Candi shook her head and giggled.
"Absolutely, I might go with Modelo Oro tonight, though, just to change it up a bit," Christy says.
"Si, I would hurry up before the back fills up. It's game night, and Miami is hosting the Knicks. The tables fill up fast," Rerun informed Christy.
"Noted," Christy smiles at Candi, "I'm ready when you are my friend."
"Lead away," Candi said.
"You were waiting for Christy?" Rerun asked.
Candi nodded, "Yeah, and long story, with no time," she said and walked off.
Christy slid into the familiar booth in the right corner, whistling a bit.
Candi slid in across from Christy. She sighed and took in her old high school friend, a person from another time and another life. So much had still changed, but Christy was still blonde.
"So," Christy smiled, "I can see why this place is so appealing."
"I guess this is my first time here," Candi said.
Christy giggles, "The town, I mean, but yeah, Rerun's too."
"Why come here? I come here because my dad and some of my siblings live here, but why here?" Candi asked, looking nervously towards the bar.
"It's hard to put into words. Simply put, Fallon suggested I visit to take my mind off things, and the more I think about it, I can see why everyone is here. It's home. It's quaint and all the other good things. The best thing for me is that it's miles away from my ungodly mother," Christy replied honestly.
"Hmm, here, so, what did I miss out on," Candi said, "The last time we talked was just before I was sent to live here."
"My mother finally revealed the truth about how she felt: she didn't appreciate me coming out, and she's been cold and calculatedly cruel ever since." Despite the challenges, Christy's resilience shines through.
"Never could understand was she in denial?" Candi asked.
"About me or her own repressed feelings?" Christy asked. Her acceptance of the past brings a sense of peace to the conversation.
"Yeah, so moving on," Candi said.
Christy nods, something resembling a half smile on her face.
"What's been happening with Christy Carmichael? It's been sixteen years," Candi said.
"Oh, played the role of dutiful daughter: Went to college at mom's alma mater, then went to the law school, got a job at the firm after graduation. Oh! And The Dalton boy and I had a daughter together, Charlotte. She goes by Lizzie, though; her middle name's Elizabeth." Christy's journey from a dutiful daughter to a successful professional and loving mother is truly inspiring.
"You and the Dalton Boy, how drunk were you?" Candi asked.
"We dated, believe it or not, Johnny's a great person," Christy smiles, "And Liz is the luckiest kid in the world having him as her dad. They're so sweet, and then together? He's a great parent."
"Umm, hmm," Candi said, sighing, "So, you did go to Fordham. What happened to Columbia?"
"She didn't let me choose; it was Fordham, or I had to find a job on my own," Christy shrugs.
"Right, you wussed out," Candi said.
Christy winced at Candi's abrupt directness: "Teenage me isn't as brave, I will admit. But thirtysomething me is honestly over it all."
Candi nodded, "Un huh."
"I've made the decision to leave the city," she blurts out.
"Whoa! Where did that come from?" Candi asked.
"I finally said, enough thinking, put the plan in motion," Christy said.
"And besides," Christy said, "I can see myself living here."
"I moved down here because my mom couldn't take care of me, and my dad lives here," Candi said, shrugging. At least I got to get to a good college."
Christy nods, "I just—there's a lot of wounds that I've had to come to terms with—they won't heal when only one party wants to fix things. I know that I don't have to worry about Liz because I know her dad and his family have her back, no questions asked. The Daltons are incredible people."
"Umm huh! So, that's the reason," Candi said.
Christy just shrugs, "Yeah, it's not giving up when the relationship was never really reciprocated in a healthy manner at all. Taking the blinders off helped me see that."
"Right?" Candi asked and picked up the menu.
Christy browsed the menu for an appetizer because she already knew that she was getting the tacos.
"So, that's really what's going on?" Candi asked.
"I wish I could say it wasn't, but it is," Christy says matter-of-factly.
Candi nodded, "So, where are you going to live?" she asked.
"There are a few places I'm planning to look at," Christy says.
"I understand, but what are you doing for work here?" Candi asked.
"I tapped into my network. Now that I've made a decision, setting up time for meetings and interviews is next on the list."
"Like where?" Candi asked.
"A law firm. I don't have to start as an attorney; I can work up to that," she says.
"What type of law?" Candi asked.
"Whatever they need, but I specialize in corporate," Christy says.
"Hmm, okay, have you ever considered corporate law for a company?" Candi asked.
"I wouldn't be opposed to it," Christy said.
"I think I know a business that might be looking for a corporate council," Candi said.
"I'd be happy and honored to sit down with them to talk," Christy smiles.
"Okay, I'll talk to my contacts," Candi said.
"Thank you," Christy smiles, "It means a lot."
"Yeah, well, I know people," Candi said.
"And I am thankful for the connections," Christy says.
"No problem," Candi said and started to play with her napkin.
The waitress appears, and Christy places a simple order: guacamole, chips, and the chicken taco platter. She also requests salsa verde along with the red sauce that comes complimentary, and she smiles as the waitress agrees to bring her another can of Modelo Oro.
Candi nodded and ordered a plate of Empanadas de la abuela and a refill of her drink. Once the waitress disappeared, she looked at Christy. "So, I'm a doctor in Los Angeles now," Candi said.
"Where did the inspiration to go into healthcare come from?" Christy smiled, finishing her first beer.
"I always wanted to be a doctor since before we met at Covenant," Candi said.
"I can't believe I never asked you about your life goals," Christy laughs. Well, that's great. What's your specialty? Pediatrics?"
"That's my first one; I am working on my cardiology one as we speak," Candi said.
"You're made of some tough stuff," Christy shook her head, impressed.
"Always, have been, but some people rarely paid attention to things like that," Candi said.
"Why is that?" Christy mused, furrowing her brow in thought.
"You were in your little thing, trying to be the queen of the school, your cattiness with the Dalton girls, and well, you know," Candi said.
"I had to bail you out on the court many times, as well," Candi finished with a smile.
"Uh, cattiness? No, it's because we were the IT girls, and I spent time being the enforcer for Chase and them. I don't regret that. If you were in the circle, It didn't matter what level you were on. You were a friend? We all defended you. If anyone pissed Terri and Krista off, it was Chase; she was always pushing people's buttons back then."
"Chase was a very broken person back then; she's not anymore," Candi said.
"I'm sure she's evolved," Christy smiles warmly.
"Changed would be a better description," Candi said, "That city girl, you know, drives either a mini-van or an SUV and lives in the woods."
"Haven't we all changed?" Christy nodded, "I finally decided to cut my mother off. Did anyone see that coming?"
"It's a start," Candi said, leaning forward, her blue eyes taking on a darker hue.
Christy raised a brow, confused.
"I still see in how you carry yourself and even some of the inflections you use the same person I knew sixteen years ago," Candi said.
"Depending on the context, that's either a super good thing or a horrifically awful thing," Christy says.
"Exactly," Candi said, "It better be that you are here with good intentions as well."
And there it was, the thinly veiled warning, "You know my mother accused me of wanting to break up her marriage to him too?" Christy's hand flew to the back of her neck, where she wiped the sweat off.
"Oh, it's not a veiled warning, as if I would do anything; I'm going to be in LA. Since when do I give warnings? I'm giving you the reality check here. Her mom is the queen of this city; for Christ's sake, she lives in a palace. She is married into one of the most important families in the area. A lot of political clout is tied to her, and one of the biggest business owners is her sister's family. Tread lightly, Christy; even though this is the new south, there are still people who remember Southern Justice," Candi said.
Christy went silent. What else was there to say about that?
"Other than that, I think you'll like working where I have corrections, and you would be perfect as celebrities won't blind you," Candi said.
Christy smiles, turning to see food heading toward them.
"So, Christy, how is that pervert of a brother of yours?" Candi asked.
Christy laughs loudly, "Less loud about it, but still a pervert."
"Yeah, I still have the scar from when I blackened his eye when he tried peeping at me," Candi said.
"Just so you know? I beat the stuffing out of him, too, for that," Christy rolled her eyes at the memory.
"Well, anyway, he deserved it," Candi said, chuckling. "So, I heard you did business with my aunt."
"Remind me who we're talking about?" Christy asks.
"Angela Scott used to be the two guards for Liberty," Candi said.
"The only aunt I have."
"Ah, right," Christy laughs. Yeah, she's something, isn't she?"
"First ballot hall of famer, and all she does is win," Candi said and laughed.
"No matter what it seems like! Man, I'll say this: It was an absolute privilege getting to see her play for the Liberty!"
"She's still held in high regard here; nobody messes with her," Candi said.
"I saw her on the court; I wouldn't pick a fight with her either," Christy laughs.
"Her coterie from high school is still largely here, and you think Angela is tough," Candi said, "I played with a few of them."
Christy smiles, lost in thought, "Truthfully, they sound like us."
"You know, our little group," Christy finishes the thought.
"How many of our group broke a girl's nose, walked up casually, smiled, and broke her nose? Our one would simply pick up a person by the back of their shirt and lift them a foot off the group?" Candi asked.
"Freshman year, Our Lady of Mercy Academy, their starting small forward, tried to pick a fight with Jenny and got thrown across the gym by Kris," Christy snorted.
"I saw that; not what I mean, but you'll understand the people down here soon enough," Candi said. Don't mess with them; they don't care about New York."
She just nods in understanding.
"So, is your daughter coming to live down here?" Candi asked.
"There's a collective decision that needs to be made to figure that part out, mainly because of the things she's involved in activity-wise," Christy says.
"Okay, the schools are good if not better than Covenant," Candi said, "Plus smaller student body."
"Well, the Convent was also sixth through twelfth grade, so there's that part too," Christy smiles.
"I remember the year we broke up; I was just in upper school," Candi said.
"Yeah, it was a hell of a year, but it changed the course of our lives," Christy nods.
"Yeah, mine was the most dramatic," Candi said.
"I don't doubt that. Do you feel comfortable opening up about what happened? It's okay if not," Christy says.
Candi shrugged, "Well, moving across the country was traumatic enough, but things I don't remember happening affected the rest of my high school career. But I'm doing much better now," she said.
"I'm on my way to healing, too," Christy nods in understanding. I just have to remember it's okay to set boundaries. I can't let her gaslight and guilt-trip me anymore."
"Different issues," Candi said and sipped her drink.
"But they've impacted our lives all the same," Christy says, sipping what was left of her second beer.
"You can say that," Candi said.
"I think I just did," Christy chuckles.
"Trauma we all go through it, but I know I survived, and you have a good chance as well," Candi said.
"I appreciate that," Christy smiles, "Here's to Scars on our hearts...um, sorry, Candi."
Candi shook her head, "No worries."
"I should be more sensitive," Christy put out there.
"Well, Nietzche says what doesn't destroy us makes us stronger," Candi sipped her drink.
Christy just nods her head, whistling softly, "Wow. I have to sit with that for a second. I'm so used to conflict that sometimes I forget to acknowledge the fact that I made it through all that hell."
"Well, it looks like our TexMex is here, so that's a different type of hell tomorrow," Candi said, laughing.
Christy chuckled, "I can only imagine!"
The two old friends smiled as their dinner was brought to them.