Chapter 49- Mystery Solved
"I'm sorry you had to miss school today," Molly said, sitting with Scout and Scarlett at Bobbie's. "But I'm really glad we get to see you this morning."
"I didn't want to go to school today," Scout said. "Mommy says I might get to go to a new school."
"She told me about that. Donna and Avery are being mean to you, huh?"
Scout nodded. "Can I feed Scarlett?"
"Sure." Molly passed her the bottle. "She's getting pretty good at holding it herself, but she might let you hold it for her."
Scout brought the bottle to Scarlett's mouth. "I wish Mommy and Dante would have a baby."
The door opened and Josslyn walked in with Donna and Avery. Scout dropped the bottle and Scarlett started to cry.
"There she is." Avery crossed her arms. "The lunch box burglar."
Scout frowned. "I want to go home, Aunt Molly."
Avery looked at Molly. "We were suspended for wanting Scout to tell the truth."
"Well, I heard you locked Scout in the janitor's closet," Molly said. "That was really mean."
Josslyn scoffed. "Wanting the truth to come out isn't mean, Molly. My sisters did it for Wiley."
"I didn't steal his lunch box," Scout cried. "I was playing with Violet."
"No, you weren't," Donna said. "We saw you."
"So, you think it's okay for a 7-year-old to be locked in a dark closet for over an hour over a lunchbox, Josslyn?" Molly asked. "And you heard Scout, she didn't even take it."
"Come on girls," Josslyn said. "We don't need to put up with this. Let's go order."
GHGHGH
"Would you like a drink?" Sonny asked, pouring himself and Carly some water.
"No, I don't want a drink," Sam said, standing in Carly's living room with her arms crossed. "I want you to tell me what you're going to do about Donna and Avery's behaviour."
Sonny rubbed his chin. "We don't know the full story."
Sam scoffed. "The full story? The full story is that they're taking matters into their own hands like their father does."
"You can't seriously be blaming Sonny for this," Carly said.
"Oh, believe me, I don't just blame Sonny, I blame you too," Sam said. "Your daughters locked my daughter in a janitor's closet for over an hour. I was up with her all night because she was having nightmares. Now I have to transfer her to another school so she's not terrified of just walking through the door. Can't you see that they're mimicking your behaviours? The very least you could do is tell them that's not okay and start modelling how they should act instead."
"Now you're telling us how to parent?" Carly shook her head. "I'm just shocked that you're going to such lengths to hurt us, after all we've done for you through the years."
"What?" Sam asked. "What have you done for me through the years?"
"I accepted you into the family after your affair with Sonny and having his child," Carly said.
"The family? You guys always talk like it's the only family that matters."
"And I encouraged Jason to be with you," Carly added.
"Yeah, because you finally decided I fit into your lifestyle. You just wanted Jason to be with someone who suited your needs."
"That is enough." Sonny pounded his fist on the end table. "First you attack my daughters and now you're attacking Carly. I won't allow it."
"I was not attacking Donna and Avery," Sam said. "It's my daughter who was hurt."
"You need to leave, Sam," Sonny said.
"And leave Donna and Avery alone," Carly said.
"They need to leave Scout alone. Don't worry, I'm leaving." She stormed out.
"Unbelievable," Carly said. "How could she attack our daughters like that?"
"I don't know. I thought Sam was different."
Carly took a sip of water. "What is this, Sonny? I need something stronger."
Sonny moved back to the drink tray and poured some scotch for each of them and re-joined Carly on the couch.
Carly chugged it down, then got up and grabbed the bottle, bringing it over to the couch. She gulped down some more.
"You know, she's been trying to turn Drew against me too," Carly said. "She's jealous of my relationship with him. I think she wants him back. I thought she was happy with Dante. But if she hurts your son…."
"I will not be pleased," Sonny said.
"Neither will Olivia. I can't believe I thought she'd be good for Jason. And it's her kids I feel sorry for. When she kicked him out… she didn't even consider Danny or Scout's feelings. She was just mad that he still cared about me."
"Jason was never going to stop caring for you," Sonny said. "If Sam couldn't understand that, then she had no business being with him."
She smiled and touched his cheek. "I don't know what I would've done without you and Jason in my life. Some days I don't know how I keep going without Jason here."
"Well, despite everything, even falling for Nina's lies, I will never stop loving you and I will always be there for you."
Carly leaned forward and kissed him. Sonny deepened the kiss and wrapped his arms around her. They laid on the couch and made love.
GHGHGH
Olivia and Leo got out of the car just as Willow and Wiley walked over to Maxie and James. James held out the lunch box. "Here you go, Wiley."
Wiley took it and hugged it to his chest, pouting. "You stole it from me."
Leo frowned and looked up at Olivia.
"No, I didn't," James said. "Honest. I was playing with you when it got stolen."
"You're not my best friend no more," Wiley said.
James started to cry.
"Wiley, that's not nice," Willow said. "I don't think James took it on purpose."
Maxie wrapped her arm around James. "James doesn't know how it ended up in his backpack."
"You stole it, so I don't want to play with you anymore," Wiley said.
Leo tugged on Olivia's sleeve. She bent over.
"James didn't steal it," Leo whispered.
"Who did?" Olivia asked. "You can help James and Wiley if you tell them."
Leo took a deep breath and walked over to them. "I saw who stole your lunch box, Wiley."
"Who?" Wiley asked.
Olivia rubbed Leo's back. "It's okay, you can tell them."
"It was Donna," Leo said. "She put it in her backpack. Then she told Avery that Scout took it and they both said that Scout stole it. But then I saw after school Donna put it in James' backpack."
"Okay… well, mystery solved," Maxie said. "I guess we can put this experience behind us."
Wiley turned back to James. "I'm sorry, James. I was wrong."
James smiled. "Let's go play."
Wiley dropped his lunchbox in the dirt and ran off to the swings with James.
Willow chuckled and picked up the lunchbox. "He really takes good care of his stuff that he doesn't like stolen, eh…. Thank you for telling us, Leo."
Leo went over to the bench and pulled out his bug guide.
