With Friends Like These 19: A Fame-Worthy Plan

That same day, Starlight Shores.

Mireille is singing in the kitchen as she finally manages to fry a pancake that isn’t either completely burned or half-raw.

– Success! Oh, success! ♪♫♪

Brook tries to relax with a little book, feeling better after yesterday’s uncertainty.

Her phone rings with an unexpected call.

Brook: Yeah? Terrence? Oh, hi, what’s up? Early brunch? Sure, where? I’ll meet you there. 

– Hey, Terrence invited me out for an early brunch. Is it cool with you if I don’t eat here?

Mireille, feigning offense: Oh, but my perfect pancakes! JK, you go and have fun.

– And remember, just because he’s cute, doesn’t mean he gets away with anything dumb. If he acts like a douche, knee him in the groin!

Lawrence: What? Knee who in the where?

Mireille: Brook has a brunch date.

Brook: It’s just a brunch. And Mireille’s giving me some relationship advice.

Mireille: Yep. If he don’t treat you right, teach him a lesson.

Lawrence: Actually, please don’t. You’re supposed to be staying low. So, maybe, less kicking. But if anyone does anything they’re not supposed to, do please let me know. I can “handle” things 😉

Brook: Ok, ok, got it. Wow, those two would make some insane parents…

---

The lot is The Family Diner by @justanothersimsblog​. I just changed a few tables and added the oven. Thank you for the lovely lot!

– Hey!

Brook waves at the young man when she approaches the diner he gave her the address to. While she’s glad to see him, she must admit, he looks somewhat worse for the wear. Most likely, he didn’t sleep much since yesterday.

– You ok?

Terrence: Yeah, you? Sorry, I’m feeling off today. Piece of advice: don’t drink 12 cups of coffee in one day. Your body will most certainly not thank you.

Brook: Dude, how are you even still alive?

Terrence: Honestly, probably – stubbornness. Well, let’s get something to eat. They have the best comfort food here. And it’s really small and cozy, so there’s that also.

Inside, her companion makes completely no conversation while the waiter is near them and bringing out their food. After a few bites, he seems to be feeling better, but Brook realizes he’s still acting strange. Or more exactly, he’s looking at her funny.

Brook: Alright, what is it? Are you having some second thoughts about this brunch, about us hanging out together? You can share them with me – I’d prefer it.

– It’s not that. Well, not exactly.

He hesitates, and after double checking to make sure the cafe workers aren’t listening in, asks:

– Brook, are you on the run from your home? Did someone kidnap you? Was it Mireille and Lawrence? They don’t look like kidnappers, but I doubt anyone does, really. Do you need help? If so, you can come stay with me until we can get you home.

Brook: What?!

Terrence: Shhh, don’t attract the workers’ attention!

Brook: What are you talking about? Why do you think I’m on the run?

Terrence: Because of this ad!

He whips out his phone and shows her the offending advertisement.

Brook pales when she sees it. 

So much for staying low. 

She starts hyperventilating. The workers, the people she encountered when she walked here… how many of them recognized her face?

How many of them have already called the number?

Brook: I have to go!

She jumps up and runs from the cafe without finishing her food.

Terrence: Brook, wait!

Dumping out a wad of bills, he follows her.

He finally catches up to her at a nearby park.

Terrence: Brook, wait! Come on, can you just explain what’s going on?

She finally tires out and sits down at a nearby shady bench.

Brook: What’s there to explain? My shitty guardian and the jerk she’s working with her are trying to off me and they’re stepping up their game.

Terrence: Ok, ok, slow down. My brain’s still sluggish. But please, fill me in on everything.

Over the next half hour, she gives him the rundown of everything that’s been happening this past month. When she’s done, he’s lost for words.

Brook: I know, it’s kind of hard to believe, and maybe if I were in your shoes, I wouldn’t believe me either.

Terrence: No, I believe you. It just sucks that this is happening to you.

Terrence: So, what are you planning to do now? Obviously, with this ad going around, someone’s going to recognize you eventually.

Brook: Tell me something I don’t know. I thought we had more time to come up with something.

Terrence: On that topic, I think Lawrence and Mireille are right on the money about making you famous. It would be way harder for someone to harm you if you’re in the spotlight.

Brook: But what am I supposed to do? I’m not a singer – trust me, I can’t carry a tune for a million. I don’t have any unusual skills that can make someone an instant celebrity. I don’t play the violin and dance like Lindsey. I mean, until now, I never even considered doing something to be in the spotlight. If anything, I prefer a nice quiet life, preferably somewhere with lots of natural landmarks and fishing spots.

Terrence: I’ve noticed.

Brook: And now everyone’s browsers are plastered with my face and a “Have You Seen This Girl?” sign. Great, isn’t it?

Terrence: Yeah… hmm.

A smile appears on his face.

Brook: What?

He gives her a hug, which feels really funny because he’s giggling nonstop.

Terrence: Brook, but don’t you see? This is perfect! This ad is just what you need!

Terrence: Think about all the amazing projects that have really shocking ad campaigns! Remember when those MP3 players had the shadow people dancing billboards and everyone was so confused? And then the players took the world by a storm? Or that singer whose billboards shocked everyone? Think about it, how many time have you seen advertisements that had you completely confused?

Brook: A few times, I’d say.

Terrence: But the confusion increased the hype, didn’t it?

Brook: Well, yeah.

Terrence: This is amazing! Those two idiots just gave you the best advertisement you need to get your career in fame jump-started.

Brook: But we still don’t have a project.

Terrence: When has that ever been a problem? We’ll have one soon. And trust me, I’m a college student. We’re good at pumping out projects at the last moment.

– Come on! I have just the idea. Follow me!

Terrence suddenly jumps up, excited grin on his face.

Brook: Wait, where are we going?!

Terrence: My place! But first, the grocery store.

Brook: Is that a good idea? What if someone else recognizes me?

Terrence: Honey, it’s an excellent idea!

Brook doesn’t know what’s gotten into him, but this is the same zeal she has noticed in him when he was excitedly writing his story and when he suddenly kissed her after the magic show. This guy is just never too far from his light bulb moments.

Still, he’s already halfway out of the park, so she follows.

---

Brook is already feeling unsure of this when, as expected, there are many people just outside the market, and probably will be more inside.

Brook: Terrence, this is a terrible idea, everyone’s going to recognize me!

Terrence: That’s the point, Brook, that’s the point!

Brook: ???

Terrence: Brook, normal people know the phrase “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”. Well, here in Starlight Shores, when life gives us lemons, we don’t just make lemonade, we start our lemon empire. Your friends were right when they said fame could help you. If that mobster thinks he’s got you cornered by putting out a Wanted ad for you, he’s going to learn a new lesson. He’s just given us an amazing advertisement for our upcoming project!

Brook: But what if someone calls the number in the ad?

Terrence: Well, now, that’s up to you. Right now, I want you to walk into that store, not like someone on the run, but like someone who absolutely owns the place! Brook, you are an up and coming new starlet and you are going to act the part!

Brook: But I can’t act!

Terrence: How do you know? Have you ever tried?

Brook: No, but…

Terrence: Trust me. You can do this. I know you can. If you could run away from your guardian all the way here, with people you barely know, and completely blend in, you can walk in there like a star.

Brook: Ok, I guess I can try.

Terrence: And you know what? It’s even better if you can get them excited and curious about our new project while we’re at it.

Half an hour later.

Brook: Eeek! I can’t believe it worked!

Terrence laughs.

– Told you! This is Starlight Shores, publicity stunts like these are not unusual here. But now, thanks to your amazing performance in there, they both know it’s all part of something upcoming and exciting, and I know that you can act, despite your fears. Seriously, that was amazing.

Brook: I still can’t believe I didn’t just bolt out of there! But when that produce guy asked me if I was the girl in the ad and the clerk turned to look at me, I knew I had to do something.

Terrence: I love how you told them “That’s right! And you better get used to my face, because you’ll be seeing much more of it, soon!” That wink at the end totally made the act.

He leans over and smooches her on the cheek!

– Come on, race you to my place!

Brook: But I don’t know where you live!

In response, he grabs her hand and they sprint out.

Maybe, she thinks, just maybe, this can all work out.

– So, this is where you live. It’s cozy.

Brook kind of expected Terrence to live in an apartment building, but the small house does have it’s charm. There isn’t much furniture, mostly just the student essentials. The kitchen is functional, though she wonders if it’s often used.

Terrence: It’s not much, I know. But it’s inexpensive and everything works. And getting to the college is easy, as I can take transportation or drive, if I have a vehicle. Anyways, I need to start writing. I’m not sure how long it’ll take me to get something ready, but I want to have something solid before we talk to your friends. Let’s just get some coffee first.

Brook: Hmm, perhaps consider decaf or tea?

Terrence: Ah… yeah, good idea.

A few minutes later, sipping on their decaf tea.

Brook: So, what’s the plan?

Terrence: This is a little different from writing a play, but not by much. And the plot won’t be too different from reality this time 😉

Brook: How so?

Terrence: This is a perfect setup for a show about a runaway teen, really. And you’re already living it, so you’ll be great in the role.

Brook: Huh… no joke, with an ad like that.

Terrence: Yep, yep.

He’s already lost somewhere in the “Terrence is Writing Land”, so she knows further conversation with him will be useless. Might as well watch some TV.

---

Meanwhile, Mireille and Lawrence are cooling off in the pool and discussing the options.

Mireille: A YouTube channel is pretty easy to make big, from what I’ve heard, but I don’t know if YouTube fame is what we’re looking for now.

Lawrence: I get you, we need something more explosive.

Mireille: Well, we could always blow up something on camera, but I can atttest that won’t put us on the good side of the law.

Lawrence: Yeah, probably best to avoid getting into a public fight as well, right?

He chuckles.

– It’s a wonder my band picked up the way it did, with all of my antics. I must’ve truly been lucky.

Mireille: You do have a lot of talent, though. I know I called you a fake once, but  you rock harder than most.

Lawrence: Aw, thanks. But making it in the music industry does take more luck than talent, we know that.

Mireille: Got you, so music is out of question. Let’s keep thinking. But first –

She jumps in the water, almost dragging him down with her.

Mireille: I was overheating. Race me to the other side!

Mireille knows she’ll have to move out of here sometime soon, after all of this is settled. But for the time being, Mireille is truly enjoying spending time with Lawrence. Sex and chemistry aside, he reminds her of her cousins and all the fun trouble-making times they’ve had as teens. Truly, a person after her own heart.

Maybe, she’ll keep in touch instead of pulling her usual disappearing act.

Surprisingly, Law reaches the other end of the pool first and starts climbing out, reaching for his phone. She joins him.

Mireille: Waterproof phone?!

Lawrence: AKA, one of technology’s bets inventions. And it’s my lawyer.

Lawrence: Hey, man. What’s up? Is the paperwork coming along?

As Lawrence discusses the paperwork for a minor’s independence and the next steps they need to take with his lawyer, Mireille ponders how she can help out further.

Throughout her drifting across the world and this county, she has developed certain street smarts. She knows how to spot a gang territory without any members present. She knows which stores have little or no security. She knows how to be charming and trick someone into giving her anything she wants.

None of those things seem that useful at the moment though.

Ah, if only she could perform proper magic, like her mother and aunt. Then, everything would be different. For sure, she could just magic that stupid mobster and his flunkie away!

Her fingers start tingling, the same as they do when she casts her little luck spells. Maybe she can do something more serious, she thinks?

Or maybe, it’s just the feeling of the rain falling on her. So far, nothing above the most minor spells has ever come to her.

Disappointing.

– Why the long face?

Lawrence wraps his arms around her.

Mireille: Oh, just lost in thought. What’s new?

Lawrence: He says the paperwork is almost ready. And asking if we want to file it with the court already. So that Brook can start the emancipation process asap.

Mireille: Wouldn’t that pinpoint the mobster exactly to where we are?

Lawrence: That’s what I thought. I told him to hold it for now. I want us to have Brook in the spotlight before she gets her guardian’s attention. Hungry? We can order pizza.

Mireille: Oh, yes! Hail to carbs!

---

Three full movies later…

Brook remembers Yvette having a conversation with her and Laurel regarding what a bad idea it is to go to a boy’s house alone, without telling anyone where you are. Of course, Yvette meant that a guy might try to take advantage of them.

Well, on the bright side, she now knows she does not need to be concerned about that with Terrence. Come to think of it, he might have forgotten about her being here. She knows he hasn’t fallen asleep in the kitchen, since she can still hear the steady clicking of his laptop’s keyboard.

She checked in on him twice, but both times, he was pretty engrossed in his writing and gave a barely there response to her question.

She’s not mad, not really. After all, he is working on their plan, which is important, of course. She just wishes she could really understand his thought process right now. After all, she did promise to help him get inspired. Well, she thinks, maybe she did. Just not how they expected.

– All done! We’re on the roll!

Terrence jumps out of the kitchen, stuffing sticky notes into his pockets and grinning ear to ear.

Brook: Great! So, what’s next?

Terrence: Next, we go talk to your friends. You say Lawrence is famous, so he should be able to explain how to get it all done. But what I have here is a perfectly good TV show pilot, and then some. I can write bunches more, too.

Brook: So, we’re really doing this?

Terrence: You bet. We should strike this iron while it’s hot. With the whole internet buzzing with those ads, the crowds are perfectly primed to receive the product, aka this show we’re working on!

Brook: Alright, let’s see what they have to say.

---

At the house, Lawrence is just finishing up his conversation with Reid, who informs him of the stupid ads. That is a bad development, Lawrence knows, even though he tries to play it off lightly.

Mireille, on the other hand, gets thinking. Just because this is unexpected, doesn’t mean the development is bad. After all, if they are thinking of making Brook famous, it could be great.

She firmly believes that in the world of show business, there is no such thing as bad publicity.

Lawrence: Oh, there she is now. You stay safe, bro, and please sleep. I know you tend to overwork on stakeouts.

He ends the call just as Brook and Terrence are approaching. Even from here, he can tell they are excited about something.

He wonders where they’ve been. If the ads are all over the internet already, some people must’ve seen Brook already.

Lawrence: There you are! You need to know this-

Brook: If it’s about the ads, we know. We’ve already seen them and we’re working on it.

Terrence: We have a plan.

Terrence: Think about it! These ads are perfect. Brook told me all about your idea to make her famous. We should capitalize on the publicity generated by the missing persons ad to promote our new show.

Lawrence: Show?

Terrence: A hit new show about a teen runaway in the big city. Brook already showed off her acting chops a few hours ago. She’ll have to anyways, now that this ad is all over the web. But this is a great opportunity, especially since you’ve got someone to write for the show. points to himself.

Lawrence: A TV show? Huh…

Mireille: Keep talking.

Brook: And Terrence already wrote a pilot and more.

Mireille: Oh, he did! I like this guy.

Lawrence: It’s a good idea, but I’m afraid I don’t know much about TV producing.

Mireille: There’s a first time for everything. Let’s go outside and discuss everything in more detail. I’m already seeing how it can all work out.

---

Terrence: So, picture this. Teen runaway, big city. Meeting new people, experiencing new things. And add in the crime subplot – instant banger. If we can get it an after-school time slot for airtime, you’re basically guaranteed that the entire high school and college population will tune in.

Lawrence: How do you know all that stuff? I thought you were studying Theater.

Terrence chuckles.

– I am. But you know how colleges are, with all these “unnecessary” classes you have to take. And whoever said they had to be unnecessary? I think in a year or so, I’ll be a media expert, considering how many media classes I’ve taken now.

Brook: Dude, you should minor in it.

Lawrence: Agreed. And it is useful information, I agree. And I’m thinking we’ll barely need anything in terms of sets and special locations as we can just film in the city.

Mireille: And if you need any real world knowledge and insight on how to portray a teen runaway alone in the big city, I can always provide stories from my years on the road.

Brook: So, how much time is all this going to take?

Lawrence: I think it depends on how long it’ll take to get a cast together and to film once we do.

Mireille: And in the meantime, we need to make sure Seb the Jerk isn’t on to us.

Lawrence: Oh, I think I have an idea on how to manage that. Say, what were you talking about when you mentioned the crime subplot?

Terrence: Well, if you’re thinking of embroiling that mobster guy in a scandal, what better way to do so than showcase some of his worst activities on the screen?

Mireille: Are you thinking what I think you’re thinking?

Terrence: If you’ve got enough information to keep it factual, we include that in the show. Eventually, he either has to leave us alone completely, or he’ll have to come after us. We make sure the Big Bad of the show is easily recognizable as the guy who’s after Brook.

Brook: But isn’t that the opposite of what we were trying to do? Is a confrontation our best option?

Lawrence: I’m afraid it’s the only option he left us. But I like what Terrence is offering. If we make such an obvious callout to Seb, other people scared of him might turn against him as well. You don’t take down The Man by staying quite.

Mireille: Law, does Reid have access to some of the police records on the guy?

Lawrence: I’m certain of it.

Mireille and Terrence: Perfect!

The evening draws to a close and while everything isn’t finalized, the four have the next few weeks’ worth of work cut out for them.

Brook: Are you leaving already?

Terrence: Yeah, I’m beat. All this talking by the pool finally got all the leftover caffeine out of me. I’m excited to work on this, though!

Brook: Strangely, so am I. It’s good to get busy.

Terrence: True, true.

Brook: You know what I’ve been imagining all evening? Sarah’s face when she sees me on TV. Boy, will she be in for a shock!

Terrence: One can hope it knocks her out for good! Well, see you soon.

Brook: See you. And hey, next time, take it easy with the coffee. I’d be sad to hear that you got sick.

Terrence: I will certainly remember that!

Mireille: Tonight was fruitful, don’t you think? This calls for a little celebration.

She pours them both a shot.

– Cheers?

Lawrence: Cheers.To a successful project. Let’s hope it accomplishes our goal.

Mireille: I think we can. We just need a little time.

Lawrence: I already texted Reid and asked him if he could keep Seb and Sandra properly distracted in Riverview for the next few weeks. This guy’s smart – he’s done wilder jobs before.

With Friends Like These 18: Riverview Development

Meanwhile in Riverview.

Laurel wakes up earlier than she planned to because someone has the gall to call her at 6 in the morning. Hoping that it’s news from Brook, she jumps up and grabs the phone, only to be met with Bob Newbie’s annoying voice.

Bob: Hey, Lau, whatcha doin’?

Since when is she “Lau” for him? And why is he calling her right now?

Laurel: Hey, Bob. And a good morning to you, too. Why the early call?

Bob: Well, I was just wondering, is there any news from Brook?

Laurel: No… no there isn’t.

Bob: Well, that sucks. Anyways, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out later tonight. Maybe we can watch a movie or something?

Is he for real, she thinks? He’s calling her at this time to ask her out for a date? Even though she’s pretty sure he’s been seeing someone already? It was one thing when Brook mentioned he liked her, but come on, this is getting to be too much!

Laurel: Bob, are you for real? My best friend’s missing and you want to ask me out right now?

Bob: I just thought…

Laurel: Clearly, you didn’t think enough. Seriously? Just, I don’t know, go back to sleep.

She hangs up with a vengeance. The idea of going to art school away from here seems more and more appealing.

She wishes she could call her best friend and complain, but even if Brook currently has access to a phone, it won’t be safe.

Ah… fuck Sandra.

– Hey, Dad. Waffles?

Walter: That’s right! Whoa, what happened to you? Got up on the wrong side of the bed?

Laurel: No, just a case of dumb classmates.

Walter: Ah, that. Happens.

Laurel: So, has there been any news from you know where?

Walter: No, baby. I’m sure you’ll hear it first if there was, though.

Laurel: Well, that’s what I thought. Is Mom home?

Walter: Upstairs.

– Hey, Mom, do you think I should stay home today? I think I’ve caught that bug you and Dad had last week.

Yvette gives her daughter a scrutinizing look.

– Really? You’re sick?

– Ok, ok. Sick of school. Seriously, people are so inconsiderate. They’re making Brook’s disappearance this huge thing – it’s the school’s biggest gossip. And everyone keeps asking me stuff. It’s getting hard to keep my facts straight.

Yvette: Ah… true. You can stay home if you want, kid. Although, your father and I would feel more comfortable if you were at school – Sandra is still in town and I just don’t like the idea of you being home by yourself when he and I aren’t here.

Laurel: Oh… well, when you put it that way, I better go.

---

Reid stayed up most of the night, half wondering whether he should keep listening to Seb and Sandra snore, and half trying to think up a solution on how to catch them red-handed beyond doubt.

Every plan so far comes up short on something. Possibly, because he’s exhausted.

Eventually he conks out on the couch, leaving the volume on the laptop up, just in case.

He wonders how much he missed when he awakes to the obvious sounds of his targets having breakfast.

Jumping up, he takes up his spot at the laptop again and resumes listening in on the duo.

Sandra: You know, you didn’t have to make the waffles. We could order in. Or I could make them.

Seb: We can’t really order in. We’re not even supposed to be here. And you know, I like my waffles done right.

Sandra: Of course, of course. They’re really good, thanks.

Sandra: So, what are we going to do today? You said you were going to handle the situation now.

Seb: And I am. I made some calls while you were sleeping. My people are scouring the internet for any trace of your missing ward. If anything is to be found, it will be found.

Sandra: And if it isn’t?

Seb: In that case, we’ll have to up the ante.

His phone rings.

Seb: Looks like this is for me. Yes? What have you found?

Even though Sandra can’t hear the person on the other end of the line, she knows they are scared to be giving Seb bad news. The man has an air of someone you don’t want to disappoint.

Seb: So, nothing. I see.

He pauses for a moment, before clarifying:

– There isn’t any activity on her social media, and you found no trace of her in any school. Well, it’s still information. You did alright.

Seb: I will contact you again if I need you to run another query for me.

He ends the call and Sandra asks him what they are supposed to do now.

Seb: Well, your ward is staying off the grid very successfully. Online, at least.

He smiles.

– You know, I never did get a wifi established at this place and we’re probably going to need it today.

Sandra: A library?

Seb: Hmm, too public. Are there any coffee shops in town

Sandra: I think I saw one one during my drive.

Coffee? Coffee sounds like a great plan.

Reid’s been listening at half-energy for the last few minutes – his eyes have been steadily drooping and the mention of coffee is enough to shake him up just enough to get thinking again.

Wifi, they need wifi. To get on the internet, of course. But everyone can do that over phone these days. Hmm, some things are more comfortably and effectively done on a desktop, though, he thinks.

He should follow them. After all, there’s only one coffee shop in this town, as far as he knows. Hopefully, there’s a way for him to stay down low in there.

But first, he’ll need to call Law and ask him if he went over the information sent yesterday. He has a feeling he hasn’t.

After grabbing a drink at the till and leaving an inconspicuous little bug inside of the coffee shop, Reid decides to stay outside, on the patio.

This proves to be a good decision, as the moment he exits the coffee shop, another couple comes in.

Once Seb and Sandra get their caffeine of choice, they take up a table in the corner and Seb starts up his computer.

Sandra: So, what are we doing, exactly?

Seb: Creating a little lost and found ad.

Sandra: But wouldn’t that attract the wrong kind of attention?

Seb: On the contrary.

Coming in after school for her own coffee fix, Laurel doesn’t notice anything out of the ordinary at the coffee shop until she is at the till, when, while ordering, she hears a very familiar voice behind her.

Sandra????

Seb quietly explains:

– I’m making a missing persons ad. It’s inexpensive, effective, and most of all, doesn’t involve any unnecessary involvement from people with annoying questions.

Sandra: But wouldn’t people have questions if, you know…

Seb: It’s sad isn’t it? So many people go missing each year, never to be found again.

He gives her a pointed look. She understands.

Sandra, quietly: It’s not unusual for people in such ads to end up dead, is it?

Seb smiles. Finally, she gets it.

Laurel wouldn’t have heard the conversation if she had not fine-tuned her attention to the couple in the back. What she hears is making her blood run cold.

– Are you alright, miss?

The friendly barista is handing her the drink and looking at her with concern.

Laurel: Yeah, just fine!

Her attention is drawn to the person outside, waving at her – Reid.

Laurel: What is even going on here?

Laurel grabs her drink and joins the detective outside.

– What is going on here?

Reid sighs apologetically.

– I was trying to spy on Sandra and her beau, but the little mic I left inside is malfunctioning – I can’t hear a thing. Did you hear anything?

– Yeah… they’re making an online missing persons ad.

– Shit. That’s bad.

Laurel nods.

– They were saying how many people in such ads are found dead.

– I know, that is a statistic, unfortunately. I’m sorry.

Laurel: They’re smart. Or at least, he is, it seems.

Reid: I’m afraid so. I’m going to have to update Law on this. Did they see you in there?

Laurel: No, I don’t think so. They were too engrossed in their conversation.

Reid: Trust me, you don’t want to deal with them right now. I’ll go now, you should leave too, soon.

Disregarding the detectives words, Laurel decides to walk back through the coffee shop, in case she overhears anything else of value. This time around, Sandra sees her.

Sandra: Laurel! There you are!

Laurel: Oh, great…

Sandra: Any news, dear?

Laurel: Since when is she so polite? Gotta put on the caring guardian act, right? No, none Sandra. I think you’d know anything first.

– Hello, young lady. And who would you be?

Seb joins the conversation and his entire presence gives Laurel the worst feeling.

Sandra: Oh, this is Laurel, Brook’s friend.

Laurel regrets not listening to her detective friend when a familiar voice shouts at her.

– Ay! There you are! You just wait until I deal with you!

Dallas makes a beeline towards her, yelling and gesticulating like he’s extremely angry.

– I know what you did to my project, you asshole! Aren’t you ashamed even a little bit?

Laurel: What are you talking about, Dallas? Are you high?

Dallas: High on outrage! You destroyed my painting. And the final version is supposed to be turned in tomorrow! You want me to fail?!

What is he on, thinks Laurel. Dallas has never had anything to do with art for as long as she knew him. Sure, he’s always been an ass to her, first teasing her for her nose in elementary school, then pulling ridiculous pranks on her in junior high… Brook always helped her get even with him, but this now?

Dallas: Come with me right this instant. There’s still time and you’re going to help me fix it. Unless you want me to make sure the teacher knows what you did.

This makes absolutely no sense, but something about the subtle glances her idiot classmate shoots at Sandra and Seb makes her play along.

Laurel: Ok, ok, I’ll come. But I’m not staying up overnight for this.

With this, Dallas grabs her arm and drags her out of the coffee shop and towards their school, which is, luckily, not far.

– What in the world was that?!

Laurel yells at him as soon as they are sufficiently far from the shop.

Dallas huffs.

– Really? You should be thanking me. I don’t know much about the woman, but the guy is bad news.

Laurel: What do you mean?

Dallas sighs.

– Look, my Dad works in law, remember? Well, he’s had a few cases in Bridgeport. He knows who to avoid from there. And unless I’m deeply mistaken, this guy is a mob boss – you don’t want to be talking to him, especially not if he’s here on business of any sort.

Laurel: And he’s here in Riverview? Why?

Dallas: Don’t know, don’t want to know. I know we don’t usually get along and I doubt we’ll ever be best buds, but I’d rather none of my classmates ended up involved with anything like that. One’s missing already. Say, have there been any news from your friend?

Laurel shakes her head.

– No.

Dallas: I hope those two don’t have anything to do with that. I’ve heard that mobs can sometimes target teenage girls…

Wow, he’s closer than he knows, thinks Laurel. She decides to tell him a bit of what’s going on.

– They do, but this is why she’s not here. Can you keep a secret?

Dallas carefully nods.

Laurel: Brook didn’t just run away. She ran away in order to avoid the woman in the shop. Those two really do mean her ill.

They end up taking cover in a nearby gym, just in case Sandra and Seb drive by.

Laurel: What’s the guy’s name, do you know?

Dallas: Seb Delaney. I’m sure you’ll get some info if you look him up.

She proceeds to do just that.

Laurel: Oh, my… there isn’t enough info, but considering what you’ve told me… businessman, patron of the arts, etc. Yeah, no. This guy gave me the chills.

Dallas: Me too, to be frank. I hope Brook isn’t all alone where she is.

Laurel shakes her head.

– No, not alone. Some people are looking out for her. Oh, my…

Her attention is drawn to the online ad, where her best friend’s picture is followed by the words “Have You Seen This Girl?”, followed by contact information, which Laurel is sure belongs to either Sandra or Seb.

Laurel: This is bad, the ad is already live. So much for her hiding from them.

Dallas: I wouldn’t worry too much, I mean there are plenty of similar ads all over the internet. Do most people even call?

Laurel: I don’t know. Let’s hope they don’t! And hey, thanks for helping out, back at the shop.

Dallas: Don’t mention it. You stay safe, now.

That night, Laurel tries to focus on her homework, but her thoughts are drifting to the advertisement.

What if someone does call? What will Sandra and the mobster do then?

Will Lawrence and Mireille really be able to do much?

Being here, unable to act, is making her antsy and irritated.

Screw it, she’s not going to school tomorrow. She’s going to do something, alright!

After all, if there’s an ad looking for her friend, maybe someone should find her and call it in? Just, not necessarily where Brook really is!

---

---

After they come back from the shop, Seb chuckles.

– That boy sure reamed into her. Wonder what she did to that stupid project of his. Whatever it is, he probably deserved it. Keeping it cool is an invaluable ability if you want to make it in the world.

Sandra: You’re right, as always. Your ideas always come together perfectly. I wish mine did.

Seb: Ah, you’ll get it one day. Now, how about some sugar?

Sandra: Oh, Seb!

---

That evening, Reid updates Lawrence on the situation.

– Those two made a missing persons ad. Be prepared for people to recognize Brook.

Lawrence, on the phone: I don’t know. It’s Starlight Shores, a metropolis. Half the time, even when people see real celebrities, they just think it’s someone similar-looking.

Reid: That is a good point. But even so, keep your eyes peeled for anything sketchy. And please stay safe.

Lawrence: Absolutely. I’ll tell Brook as soon as she comes home. Oh, there she is now, actually. You stay safe, bro, and please sleep. I know you tend to overwork on stakeouts.

Reid: Will do, man, will do.

With Friends Like These 17: Discomfort and Big Plans

The morning after Mireille’s park performance, Brook wakes up “on the wrong side of the bed.” And far too early. It’s only 5 in the morning, but she’s already feeling restless and neurotic.

She wonders which particular side of her situation is responsible.

Is it because she’s on the run for her life from someone who should’ve been taking care of her?

Because she wakes up and goes to sleep in the house belonging to her favorite singer? In itself, something that would’ve made anyone ecstatic, but now only makes her feel awkward and displaced.

Is it because she isn’t sure how to feel about the kiss with Terrence?

Or is it because she’s just plain homesick?

Brook: And on top of it all, I’m supposed to be attending high school and acting like everything’s peachy.

After a light breakfast, she finds herself engrossed in the book that Laurel packed for her. She’s been recommending her this series since she knew Brook liked to read, but the later never seemed to have enough time to sit down and enjoy the novel. As she reads on, she feels herself that much closer to her friend.

A slight wind blows a few strands of hair back from her face. The ocean, even in the morning, is glimmering with the lights of the rising sun and for a moment, Brook starts to think that everything might just be ok in the end.

After all, Lawrence did promise that his friend will investigate Sandra and find a way for her to get independence from the woman. And he’s had enough run-ins with the law, so he would know.

It’s almost time for school, so she heads inside, where Josephine is struggling to scratch at a hard to reach spot for cats. Brook is only too happy to help out with that matter.

As the spoiled kitty purrs, Brook chuckles. Even spoiled haughty cats had a way to light up someone’s day.

Brook:

Yes, she has decided. She’ll find Terrence after school and talk with him. After all, part of how she was feeling today was his fault. She needed to find out if he really had some sort of feelings for her or if he was just being his usual eccentric self. That much, she could do today. The rest – outside of her powers.

---

The other two wake up after Brook is gone. Mireille is out of sorts too, since she doesn’t think she performed too well the night before. Also, she’s concerned over the current situation.

Mireille: So, has there been any news from your detective friend? I mean, you’d tell us, right?

Lawrence chuckles.

– Of course I will. But no, Reid’s only been there for two days. I doubt he had much luck getting the scoop yet, unless he got super lucky.

Mireille: Do you think he’ll find something out? I mean, if Sandra is up to something illicit, she might be careful.

Lawrence: So careful that she was caught discussing a murder plan right in plain sight and hearing of anyone nearby?

Mireille: Hmm, fair enough. But how much can that give us? Even if we know she’s breaking the law?

Lawrence: If you’re talking about laws concerning how evidence is gathered and whether it’s admissible in court, you’re right, those differ state-by-state. But, at the very least, we’ll know what we’re dealing with.

Mireille: Better than nothing, I suppose.

Lawrence: What are your plans for the day?

Mireille: Not much. I don’t have another performance until the day after tomorrow.

Lawrence: Then what are we doing here? Let me show you some Starlight Shores.

– Aren’t you worried about being spotted just hanging out in the city by the paparazzi? Especially with a woman?

Mireille’s question makes him chuckle.

– Not at all. The last time someone tried to take a picture of me when I didn’t want them to, they ended up with a broken camera and my lawyer received a nice bonus. But it’s been a few years ago – they mostly leave me alone these days. Besides, this is Starlight Shores. Believe it or not, there are plenty of famous people here with much more difficult personalities than mine.

Mireille: Oh, you’re not difficult. A difficult person wouldn’t be helping Brook out.

Lawrence: How do you know I’m not just doing it to make myself look good in the papers? After it’s all done and resolved, there’s bound to be media interest and a rough punk needs to do some good deeds for the community after all.

Mireille: The same “rough punk” who broke a pap’s camera? I don’t think so.

She sobers up.

– Also, we don’t know if it’s all going to be resolved soon.

Lawrence shudders.

– I hope it will be. I’d hate for something bad to happen to that girl after all this effort. She’s a good kid.

Mireille: I know what you mean. This whole situation’s been making me sick from the start. It’s bad enough the bitch was a neglectful guardian, but murder?

Lawrence: Yeah, some people take all the Worst Ever awards there are.

Mireille: I can’t understand how she became a guardian in the first place. Brook’s parents couldn’t have been so blind – why did they appoint her of all the people?

Lawrence: Who knows? Maybe she was nicer when they knew her. People can change in the worst ways.

Mireille: Or they just hide their true colors really well until everything bubbles up to surface.

Lawrence: Spoken from experience?

Mireille: You could say that…

He’s about to ask her more when his phone rings with a familiar number. It’s Reid. Perhaps he got lucky, after all!

Lawrence: Hey, man. Any news? What’s happening in Riverview?

Upon hearing “Riverview”, Mireille cheers up. Perhaps this is the answer they’ve been waiting for. As she watches Law, her mood drops to match his.

Reid, on the phone: So, I’ve sent you an audio file last night. Did you get a chance to listen to it yet?

Law: Not yet, I didn’t realize I got one.

Reid: Yeah, it was pretty late at night. To make a long story short…

The detective fills his friend in on all the latest developments.

Reid: So, here’s the situation. This is a serious guy we’re talking about. You all be careful while I continue to tail him.

Lawrence: You said they were aware Brook was no longer enrolled in the Riverview school. Good thing the local one has good cyber security.

Reid: They do, Law. But you know, hackers are a thing…

Lawrence: Gotcha, we should be more careful.

Reid: And one more thing – do I have permission to bring Bridgeport PD in on this? After they get a drop of this story, they’ll be of great help.

Lawrence: You know what? Go for it. Your judgement is better in these matters. And please, be careful.

Reid: Oh, I will, don’t worry.

After hanging up, he turns to Mireille.

– Well, there’s good news and bad news, what would you like to hear first?

Mireille: The good news, I guess?

Lawrence: Reid got a whole lot of info on Sandra and her man. And they are up to their necks in all of their illegal activities. It’s way more than just money laundering.

Mireille: I hear a “but” coming…

Lawrence: … but it’s mob stuff. Apparently, Sandra’s man is none other than Seb Delaney, Bridgeport’s finest criminal.

Mireille: Shiiit…

Lawrence: And he is definitely more capable than Sandra, with her tendency to blab. And he’s got good lawyers too. Bridgeport PD hates the guy because he’s so smarmy.

Mireille: Double shit.

Lawrence: But there’s more good news – because of the above facts, Bridgeport PD will be ecstatic to learn what good old Seb is up to. Especially once they learn he’s helping Sandra in her scheme against a minor. And through them, Starlight Shores PD as well.

As they sit in the shade and mull over everything, Mireille wonders.

– If he’s so terrible, why didn’t BPD get him for so long? There are some things even a good lawyer can’t make go away.

Lawrence: Well… I’ve been thinking about it, too. Maybe the guy’s just lucky. Maybe the cops are scared of him. Maybe the BPD isn’t completely clean.

Mireille gives him an understanding look.

Lawrence: I mean, if you’re up to your neck in illicit activities, it’s useful to have someone in your pay on the local police force. Someone who can get rid of evidence and help things go smoothly.

Mireille: An informant?

Lawrence: I see where you’re going.

Mireille: Is it safe for Reid to bring the BPD in, then?

Lawrence pauses.

– I don’t know. Fuck, I’m a musician, I’m out of my depth here, too.

Mireille: I know… I feel like I need a drink.

Lawrence: Same. Come on, there’s a place.

After a short walk, they find themselves inside a local establishment where, after seeing their moody faces, the bartender serves up their mules extra quickly.

After the alcohol hits the spot, Mireille wonders:

– You know what I don’t get? Why is that Seb guy with Sandra?

Lawrence: Why wouldn’t he be?

Mireille: Well, you know what I mean. She had one job in this situation – to get Brook in that car and arrange the accident. She messed it up by running her mouth where she shouldn’t have. AKA, she’s not careful and a person like that is a liability, especially when you’re running a mob.

Lawrence: How do you know all that.

She chuckles.

– My cousins and I used to watch a lot of crime shows and films growing up. If it had murders and crime bosses, we’ve probably watched it. But even if I didn’t, it’s common sense. I can’t really see the appeal of that woman to someone like Seb Delaney.

Lawrence: Do you know what she looks like?

Mireille: Well, no. Or what he looks like, for that matter. But if he was able to avoid the BPD for such a long time and succeed in the crime world, he can’t be stupid. And that woman seems too over the place for someone like him.

Lawrence: Relationships are weird sometimes. Everyone’s looking for something.

He smiles, a hunch appearing in his head.

Lawrence: Maybe that’s why he’s with her? Because he enjoys being near someone who makes him feel smarter and more important?

– Now that’s an interesting idea!

Mireille exclaims.

– Hey, that gets us somewhere – we’re doing, what do they call it, we’re creating the guy’s psychological portrait!

Lawrence: That’s true. Although, we should probably look up his real portrait, too.

A few clicks on the phone bring up the man’s image.

Mireille: Somehow, I pictured him older.

Lawrence: Looks pretty cutthroat to me.

Mireille: Ay, everyone’s big and scary until someone bigger and scarier comes along.

She smiles with satisfaction as the idea comes to her.

Lawrence: I hope you don’t think I’m scarier than him. Sure, I’ve been in plenty of fights and scandals, but getting into it with other musicians and the paparazzi is one thing. The mob is something a sane person wouldn’t touch with a 10 foot pole.

Mireille: No. You know what’s scarier than the mob?

Lawrence: What?

Mireille: Publicity. Lots and lots of unwanted publicity.

Lawrence: Yeah, publicity would certainly be bad for a mob boss. But he seems fairly good at staying out of the spotlight. When I looked up his photo, there wasn’t anything in the search results that could’ve implied he’s anything less than an upstanding citizen.

Mireille: Exactly. I bet he has people working for him who keep his image clean…. means he’s probably scared of being embroiled in a public scandal.

Lawrence: So, you’re saying that to be taken down, he needs to be embroiled in a big enough scandal. You know, it’s a good idea. When everyone is up in a frenzy with knowledge of his misdeeds, it would be harder for the guy to get rid of evidence and walk away clean. But how would that help Brook? Say, we create a big scandal involving Seb Delaney and his lady of hearts, and then, enraged, they still come after Brook. Not because of money, but because they want revenge.

Mireille: Well… maybe Seb isn’t the only one who should have a big encounter with publicity.

---

As soon as Brook got out of school, she made a beeline for the coffee shop. She wanted to talk with Terrence and have that concern gone from her mind.

However, when she arrived there, he was nowhere to be found.

– Hi girls, is Terrence going to be here anytime soon?

Kayla: Not today. Poor guy got roped into helping the uni organize an upcoming exhibition.

Holly: Can you imagine that? I bet he’s on his fifth cup of coffee already.

Kayla: Seventh!

Well, that’s a bummer, thinks Brook. But maybe she can ask the girls for help with some of what’s bothering her?

– Is everything alright, hon? You look stressed out to the max.

Holly’s question prompts her to think the girl can read minds.

Brook: I’m mostly ok. Things are just sort of hectic and nerve-wracking at the moment.

Holly: You been sleeping ok? Not that you look bad,  it can just mess with someone if they don’t.

Kayla: She’s right. Here, let me make something for you. On the house.

After looking inside of the shelves and mixing teas, she hands her a steaming cup.

– All herbal, 100% proven to calm nerves. Peppermint, Lemongrass, and Ginseng. We test it every finals week on ourselves.

Holly: And if anything’s bothering you, you can tell us.

Since the shop is mostly empty, Holly has her laptop out, which Brook notices is just like Terrence’s, albeit with far fewer scratches. Even the guy’s laptop is hectic… She joins the older girl as she games, shouting at the on-screen characters, even though they can’t hear her.

– Fun game?

Holly giggles.

– I guess! My boyfriend downloaded it for me since I wanted to try it out.

Brook: Downloaded? Like, off the internet? Isn’t that illegal?

Kayla chuckles in the back.

– Oh, honey. That’s nothing compared to what actually happens in the academia.

Holly: Besides, Jake’s good at that stuff, he doesn’t download anything sketchy. It’s useful to have a tech-smart boyfriend.

Brook: Weird question, but how does one know dating is a good idea for them?

Holly: I guess, when you meet someone right. And when is someone right? Hmm, well, is the person in question hot? How do they treat you? Do you like them?

Kayla: Do you have feelings for that person? Do you see the two of you working out? I mean, we’ve got an entire genre of books dedicated to relationships. *points to the romance genre. I feel like it’s different for each person. Sorry, I feel like I’m of no help here. But really, when you meet that person, you know.

Holly: She’s right on the money, there.

Returning to the house, Brook is met with Mireille’s somber face.

Mireille: She’s here, Law!

Lawrence: Good, let’s talk.

Brook: Talk about what?

Mireille: We’ve got info from Riverview.

---

Brook: So, my parents didn’t willingly give that woman guardianship over me. Well, that’s good to know.

Mireille: Nope. All illegal on her part.

The girl breaths a sigh of relief. That was something that bothered her for a long time. But the rest…

Brook: I can’t believe she’s involved with the mob, though. I knew she wasn’t an upstanding citizen, but this just sounds way more serious.

Lawrence: It is.

He perches on the metallic table in front of her and continues:

– Reid told me a bit of what those people were involved in. I don’t want to scare you too much, but there’s good reason to be very careful.

Brook: But they don’t know I’m here, do they?

Lawrence:…

Mireille: No, but they know you’re not enrolled in you old high school. They are looking for you.

Brook: What!? Already?

The other two nod.

Brook: Great…

She stares at the ceiling, hoping the couch will swallow her whole. She was terrified when she overheard her guardian plotting to kill her. When Mireille and Lawrence brought here here, all the way to Starlight Shores, she began to relax, somewhat. Now, she starts thinking of all the things that can go wrong.

Lawrence and Mireille aren’t law enforcement. They don’t have any experience with protecting people. It isn’t even their job to protect her – she’s already imposing on them by being here. And now, she’s probably endangering them, as well!

Brook: I hate this.

Mireille: I know and that’s good. As long as you’re angry, you’re not giving up. I know we’re not, right Law?

Lawrence: That’s right. Mireille and I have been making plans.

Mireille: Scandalous and explosive plans.

Lawrence: We’ve just been talking about how your guardian’s boyfriend is very particular about keeping his public image clean – can’t be in the public eye while committing crimes, can he?

Mireille: So, we’re thinking that, if he’s embroiled in something serious, there won’t be a way for him to get away from the police.

Brook: Ok? And how can we make that happen? If the guy is so meticulous.

Lawrence: Well, Reid is still spying on them back in Riverview. He’s recording conversations, finding out what they are up to. And we’ve been talking about it – your Sandra has a tendency to blab, doesn’t she?

Brook nods.

– Yeah, she kind of does.

Mireille: Then, it’s a matter of time until she reveals something she shouldn’t!

Lawrence: As for your safety, we’ve been discussing that as well. Mireille mentioned that it might be a good idea for you to acquire some fame of your own.

Brook: Me!?

Mireille: Think about it. If these people are looking for you, they’re bound to find you eventually. And it’s much harder to do away with someone famous.

Brook: I need some air…

---

Outside, the cool ocean air starts to lift up the headache that’s been building up in her head for the duration of this day.

Her – famous. First of all, how? She didn’t have any skills that could turn someone into a star. Second of all, the idea of being in the spotlight feels overwhelming to her. Look at Law, she thought. He was famous and few people treated him like a normal person, even though he was a really swell guy. And third, being in the spotlight was the opposite of keeping safe! Sandra and Seb will instantly know where she was!

Throwing off her dress, she went into the water, which bit at her skin with icy teeth. Good, this was refreshing! This was just what she needed to calm down.

– Ey! Brook! Hold on!

Mireille shook her head. This was going to be harder than she thought. Strange, most teen girls dreamed of being famous. Of course, she had to luck out with one who feared fame. Or was there something else?

Stripping off her own clothes, she follows Brook into the water.

Catching up to the teen, she makes sure to swim ahead of her.

– Be careful. Swimming in the ocean isn’t like swimming in the river. Sometimes, there’s strong undertow and it can sweep you away, especially in the evenings. It can be dangerous to swim too far.

Brook sighs.

– I didn’t realize.

Silence.

Mireille: So, wanna tell me what’s bugging you? Aside from the obvious.

Brook: Isn’t the obvious stuff enough? I’m 16. I’m supposed to be thinking of college, sneaking out of the house with friends to go party and get underage drunk, making out with classmates… Instead, I’m running from the mob. This is like something from a bad pulp crime novel.

Mireille: Do you want to be doing those things you’ve described?

Brook: … I don’t know. I just want to go home.

Mireille: In Riverview, with the Grisbys?

Brook nods. At least, she has always thought of them as family, even if they weren’t related. And Laurel was practically like a sister to her.

Mireille: And what were you planing to do once you were done with high school?

Brook can’t say anything. She didn’t really plan that far ahead. She knew she wanted to continue fishing and living quietly with or near people she loved.

Mireille: It sucks that this is happening to you, but if you want the future you’ve built for yourself in your mind, you’re going to have to shake of Sandra for good. And for that, you need weapons. And these days, fame is a very good weapon.

Brook laughs.

– What can I even do to be famous? It’s not like I have anything marketable going on.

Mireille: Don’t say no until you try. You might surprise yourself. Remember how you searched all over the town to find a missing cat? And how you practically blackmailed me to bring her back? Find that girl and bring her back. We need her right now.

To wake her up further, Mireille splashes at her.

Brook: Hey! What was that for?

Mireille: A wake up call!

Brook responds in kind.

– Now, we’re even!

Mireille laughs. The girl looks happier, which is what she was going for. The rest, they’ll figure out.

– Have you had enough swimming yet?

Brook: Yeah, I guess. It’s kind of cold.

Mireille: Good, let’s go.

As they make their way to the shore, Mireille asks:

– So, what happened between you and that Terrence guy last night?

Brook: Didn’t you and Law go home after the diner?

Mireille: Yeah, but I noticed how the kid was acting. He was like the human equivalent of the heart eyes emoji with you.

Brook: He kissed me.

Mireille: Oooh! Nice going, he’s cute.

Brook: I guess. He’s in college though… and he’s really eccentric.

Mireille: So, you don’t know if he meant it or if he was being his usual self?

Brook: How did you know?

Mireille: Woman’s intuition.

Mireille: Have you talked to him yet?

Brook: No. I was going to, but he wasn’t at the coffee shop.

Mireille: Well, text him! You’ll feel calmer when you get things off your chest.

She was right, Brook knew it.

Getting out the cheap burner phone she got for emergencies, she typed out a text to Terrence.

“Hey, it’s Brook.”

Before she could text more, the phone pinged with a reply from him.

“Brook! I wanted to text you all day and realized I didn’t have your number! How are you? Are you angry at me?”

“Did I make things awkward? I do that sometimes.”

“Do you not want to talk to me anymore?”

“So sorry… 😔😔😔😔😔”

Brook is instantly barraged with an inflow of texts from the guy. She laughs. Looks like he’s been feeling off all day too!

Brook: “It’s cool! The girls said you had a crazy day at uni, today.”

Terrence: “Understatement, major understatement. I’m still all ☕x ∞”

She laughs. Yeah, that sounds like him. But there’s one thing she still has to know.

Brook: “Aw, I’m sorry. But I need to ask. About yesterday. Did you mean it?”

Terrence: “The kiss? Yes. I did.”

Brook smiles. That’s all she wanted to know.

“I’ll see you soon, then. Have a good night.”

Still hyped up from his multiple cups of coffee and the good message from Brook, Terrence is unable to sleep.

Yes, he’ll write more! Or surf the internet! Or play a hundred games!

Typing away and almost mindlessly scrolling through pages, he barely notices most information. That is, until something catches his attention with a banger.

Terrence: Huh? What in the world…?

With Friends Like These 16: Getting on in Starlight Shores

Saturday

Josephine: Just wait till I get catnip all over her stuff and all over the house! 

One hour later

Josephine: The mouse! It’s trying to run away! And the floor is all wobbly. Help!

Mireille: If things go well, I’m looking at a steady source of income and I’ll be able to get my own place.

Lawrence: What’s wrong with just staying here?

Mireille: Nothing. I just don’t want to overstay my welcome.

Lawrence: That won’t happen. I told you, you’re my guest here.

Mireille: I know, I’m just not used to that.

Lawrence frowns.

– It’s almost like you think I’m not happy to have you here. I know it’s a little weird with how we met and all, but like they say, “Don’t fix it if it ain’t broke”.

Mireille nods.

– I know. I’m just really used to doing things on my own. It’s a personal thing.

She takes his hands and looks him in the eyes.

-And just because I’m going to be living elsewhere, it doesn’t mean we can’t keep on seeing each other.

Lawrence: I suppose. Just know, you’re always welcome here.

Mireille: Thank you. It means a lot to me.

As soon as he dresses and leaves the room, the cat practically falls on him.

Josephine: The ceiling! It’s missing!!! And the floor is water!

He notices the catnip mouse out in the open. Looks like he’ll have to hide it harder next time.

Lawrence: Josi, you are high as a kite…

The one thing that Mireille certainly likes about Lawrence’s place is his kitchen. Everything is very modern and very easy to use. She hasn’t burnt her food here even once!

Or maybe, she’s just getting better at cooking?

Nah, if she didn’t become a decent cook in the years since she left home, Mireille doubts that’s going to change all of a sudden.

Maybe there is just someone she actually wants to cook for?

Actually, on second thought, she is definitely getting better at cooking. Yes, that’s what it is.

Lawrence really doesn’t complain about having home-cooked food in the house. Apart from making an occasional homemade cat treat, he isn’t much of a cook. And most of the girls he’s been involved with previously were too focused on their figures to make anything hearty.

Lawrence: This is so good. I’m so glad you aren’t hating on carb-filled foods!

Mireille: Life’s too short to be counting calories.

Lawrence: Agreed and agreed. By the way, what time is your show?

Mireille: At 8 in the evening.

Lawrence: Perfect. We should celebrate afterwards.

Mireille: What if it doesn’t go well?

Lawrence: Why wouldn’t it? Also, can I finish this?

---

Brook’s been feeling antsy all week. Her new school is stressful, despite the beautiful surroundings, she is still not used to Starlight Shores, the novelty of living in her favorite singer’s house is turning into confusion about how long she’ll have to stay there, and most important, she misses fishing!

However, Lawrence noticed her blue mood and let her use his fishing gear. She knows she’ll never be able to repay him for everything he has already done for her, but she isn’t about to pass up a chance to fish! Besides, who knows when she’ll have the time off from her crazy school work again?

Fishing in the ocean is different from fishing in the river. For starters, the catch is different. She already spotted a few exotic-looking fish, along with a couple of small sharks in her catch (!!!).

She wonders how much she can make for these. If she’s on her own, she doesn’t want to depend on her new friends for all monetary support and her money stash is bound to run out sooner rather than later.

Engrossed in her fishing, she doesn’t notice her new acquaintance until he is quite close.

Terrence: Brook? Hey! Never thought you could fish.

Brook: Oh, hi there! Of course, I fish. I’m very good at it too. What brings you here?

Terrence: I figured spending time at the beach would be healthier than staring blankly at the computer screen.

Brook: That’s an honest observation.

Terrence: Yeah, the beach is nice, I guess. Lots of sand, water…

He picks up a few small pebbles that seem to be a staple of most beaches and starts throwing them in the water.

Brook is beside herself with anger. Is he really that stupid?

– What the hell!!! Why did you do that?!

Terrence: Me? What did I do?

Brook: Are you kidding me? Do you know why fishermen are always quiet? Well, do you?

Terrence: …..

Brook: Because they don’t want to scare off the fish, Mr. Obvious!

Terrence: Oh…

Brook: Which is exactly what you just did by throwing rocks at the water.

Terrence: I’m sorry. I didn’t realize.

Terrence looks legitimately sorry.

– I’m afraid I don’t know much about fishing. I wouldn’t have done that otherwise. Once again, I’m sorry.

Brook looks away. The fish are gone now, so that’s that. What’s done is done. She still caught quite many before he showed up, so he didn’t completely ruin her outing.

Terrence: Can I make it up to you somehow?

Brook: You know what, it’s fine. Just think before doing something next time.

He nods.

– So, do you have any plans for tonight? Other than fishing, that is, since I kind of messed it up?

Brook shrugs.

– My friend is giving a show tonight, so I’m going.

An idea hits her: Terrence is having trouble finding inspiration for his writing, isn’t he? Well, a magic show can be quite good for experiencing new things.

– You should come, actually. It’s at the park.

Terrence: Seriously? How much are the tickets?

Brook: It’s free – the park is hosting it to bring more people in to their fair.

Terrence: I can go, I guess.

Brook: It’s a magic show, it’ll be fun.

Terrence: Magic show? Eh, I’m not really a believer.

Brook: So? It’s still fun. And when was the last time you’ve seen one?

Terrence: Hmm, I actually haven’t. Ever. Ok, you have a point. I’ll be there.

---

The Magic Show

– Well, this sucked.

Mireille announces with a frown after the show is over. Lawrence doesn’t understand what upset her so much – the show went well, the park manager said Mireille would be likely to get called back to perform at this park again soon.

– Are you kidding me? The show was great! I admit I’m no pro where it comes to magic shows, but everything looked top-notch to me. Why do you think it was bad?

Mireille shakes her head.

– I don’t know, Lawrence. I just don’t feel like I’ve performed all that well today. But I’m glad you liked it.

Lawrence: You know what will cheer you up? Some fresh-baked pumpkin pie from Flying V’s.

Mireille chuckles.

– Sugar-filled desert in the evening? You sure have the key to a girl’s heart. Let me just change and we can go. Hey, who’s Brook’s friend?

To Brook’s satisfaction, every time she looked at Terrence during the show, he had the biggest grin on his face. Even if he tries to downplay it now, he really enjoyed the performance.

– So? How was it?

– Brook, thank you so freaking much for bringing me here tonight! I should’ve gone to a magic show ages ago! I’ve been missing out for years!

Terrence begins to gush, which is certainly not what Brook expected.

– So you liked it?

Terrence: Liked it? I loved it! The flame shooting out of her hands, the Box of Mystery and how that guy was not even touched by any of the swords, the coins falling out of thin air… this is all great. You have no idea, but my brain is in total overdrive now, I’m getting so many new ideas. I think I’m going to beat this writers’ block now for sure!

Brook: That’s great! Told you, you just needed to get out a little more and experience new things.

Terrence: And I’m starting to think you were right.

Terrence is so engrossed in describing everything he loved about the show that he doesn’t even notice Lawrence and Mireille approaching. Brook has to give him a cue to turn around so that she can introduce him to the older couple.

Terrence: OMG, this was awesome! Please tell me there will be more shows soon, please!

Mireille is slightly taken aback at such fervor – this is the first time someone is so excited over a show she’s given. She is very flattered though.

– I’ll try. It all depends on whether I can get another performance slot arranged.

Terrence: That would be really good.

Brook: This is Terrence Hastings. He’s a local university student and a playwright. Terrence, this are Lawrence Frye and Mireille Lavoie, my good friends and all around good people.

Terrence: It’s very nice to meet you both.

Lawrence: Same, same.

He’s pretty sure the boy doesn’t recognize him, which usually happens when people from his age group see him. This time around, it’s Mireille who finds herself the center of a fan’s attention.

After several more minutes of Terrence’s nonstop excitable chatter, the rest feel like taking the conversation elsewhere.

Lawrence: Are you hungry Terrence? We were planning to eat at the local diner. You should come with us.

Terrence: I’d love to!

Brook: If I’d known a magic show would make him so pleasant, I would’ve dragged him to one the moment I’ve met him.

An hour later, no longer hungry, the four leave the diner. Mireille is tired out – shows like the one she just gave usually leave her pretty exhausted and she is more than happy to go home and take a well-deserved nap.

Lawrence follows her to the car, which is parked just behind the diner, leaving Brook still talking to Terrence, who is, despite the late hour, still very hyperactive and in a great mood.

Terrence: I think I’ve figured out a way out my plot problem. A magic artifact or a curse would work for the story to come together. And bam! The two characters find themselves meeting each other and not understanding how, and then they realize that whatever caused them to meet is the best thing ever, since by that time they’re in love, and there is still so much of their interaction to be written, but now I know how to write it! Thank you so much.

Brook: It’s cool, I’m glad we were able to get your creative juices flowing again.

Terrence: You did. I’m sorry for having been such an ass at the coffee shop. Not being able to write properly makes me a grump and you ended up on the receiving end of that. I will try to make up for it.

Brook: It’s cool. No hurt feelings. As long as you don’t start throwing rocks while I’m fishing again, that is.

Terrence: Understood.

And before either of them are aware of it, he lands a small peck on her lips.

Brook doesn’t know how to respond. This is not a direction she has imagined their acquaintanceship taking. Before she can say anything, he catches himself.

Terrence: Sorry! This… I… forget it.

Brook: Ok… I should go now, Lawrence and Mireille are waiting.

She walks away to the car, leaving him to go home wondering if she’ll talk to him the next time she sees him.

Luckily, neither Lawrence nor Mireille asked why she was blushing during the drive home. That would’ve been mortifying.

As she wishes them good night and makes a beeline for her room, she is still confused about the whole situation.

Only a few days ago, she thought she had a crush on Lawrence. But she quickly realized it was a fan admiration and not a romantic feeling at all, which is all good, since he’s with Mireille now, and way too old for her.

And now this guy just goes and kisses her? And sure, he’s a bit older, but three years are not really a big deal, but does she want to go there? He is Terrence, after all, with all of his personality extremes and annoying behavior.

And also, can she afford to consider a relationship right now? She is still, technically, on the run from someone who’s trying to kill her. A romance will complicate things too much.

But Terrence isn’t really a bad guy and he is cute …

Ugh, she wishes Laurel was here. Her friend could’ve given her good advice on all of this, but alas, she is still in Riverview, and now, not only is Brook exhausted from the day, but she is also feeling homesick.

But she will have to talk to Terrence sooner or later. Avoiding him will be plainly immature.

With Friends Like These 15: Investigating is a Mixed Bag of Goods

Reid woke up with a lot on his mind. If his suspicions were correct, he was dealing with quite a bit more than one regular criminal. If Seb Delaney was really involved, this was serious.

It also didn’t help that he had to fly out here on such short notice. Normally, he would study the place he was going to better before even starting out. As it was, Lawrence’s call came right as he wrapped up his last case – a computer scammer who targeted the hipster crowd of the local coffee shops in order to steal their credit card info. He was surprisingly easy to figure out, and Reid only had to tail him for a few days to gather all the necessary evidence needed to send him to jail for fraud. It was too easy – when Lawrence’s issue came up, he left for this city without thinking through all the logistics.

Thankfully, making himself stand out less among the Riverview crowd only took a few minutes with the hair clippers, since his clothing was pretty neutral already. The next issue on the list was transportation – Riverview was quite large. After a call to the local dealership, he managed to secure a used car that had a good mileage on it, yet still looked old enough to pass for normal in this neighborhood.

As he rode by Sandra’s house, following her that day, he realized he was going to need a way to gather evidence from within the building. This shouldn’t be too difficult, in general. He just needed to make sure she didn’t come back home while he was inside, setting up listening devices. 

After a stop by the local bank, Sandra headed to the restaurant in town center, ordering an expensive-looking dish, which she proceeded to eat outside. Reid was a little surprised – he figured someone like her wouldn’t enjoy a meal outdoors. But that did keep her in plain view, and he could just walk by to get a better look of what she was doing.  After all, this place was busy today, one person more, one person less…

After Sandra settled in with a book, he realized she was going to be here for a while, which gave him the perfect opportunity to take a look inside of her house. Now, he just needed a way to make sure she was here for another hour or so. A text from Laurel caught his attention:

“Hey, what’s up? Anything new?”

Reid: “Not yet. Everything’s super normal.”

“Are you working right now? OMG! I hope your day is productive. Wish I could help.”

That was an idea. After all, Laurel already knew he was working on this. If she could keep an eye on Sandra and alert him if she left, he had fewer things to worry about.

Reid: “Where are you?”

“On my way to the art gallery, why?”

This was perfect. The art gallery was right next to the restaurant.

It doesn’t take long for Laurel to get to the art gallery. Since the moment she had decided to pursue art education seriously, she has only abandoned her paintbrush for eating and sleeping. Luckily, her homework didn’t take too much time, so she was free to be creative for as long as she could before she had to knock out for a few hours. Now, she is at the gallery because they have a free painting program for local youths and Laurel wants to get as much advantage with her upcoming college application as she can.

If she can help the detective with something along the way, it’s a nice bonus.

“Hey!” He spots her first. “Can you help me with something?”

Laurel: Does it involve helping Brook and getting closer to catching Sandra?

Reid: It should. Here’s the deal – the gallery is right next to the restaurant and Sandra is sitting out there reading. I have to pay a visit to her house and I need the place to be Sandra-free for at least an hour. Can you inconspicuously keep an eye on her from here?

Laurel: Sure thing. Good luck. But is there anything particular I should be looking out for in her behavior?

Reid: I suppose you can keep an eye on who she interacts with. Although, I doubt she knows many people here.

Laurel: Ha! She knows some. She just isn’t all that friendly with any of them. So, if she suddenly started acting so, now that would be suspicious.

Laurel sets up her easel outside on the gallery’s balcony, which is conveniently covered by the shade of the nearby trees, yet has a good overlook on the little square downstairs. She can clearly see Sandra from where she stands.

One would think having to keep an eye on the woman would distract her from her painting, yet she has never felt more inspired. Something about getting one up on that woman just sounds really pleasing to Laurel.

Time passes, she paints, Sandra continues to be boring. It’s almost like she is just another regular resident of Riverview, out to enjoy a nice day at the restaurant.

Yet, something tells Laurel that Sandra isn’t just passing time here. She stays at the restaurant even after all the other patrons on the patio have left and after it has gotten chillier. She must be waiting for someone.

Laurel wonders what’s taking Reid so long. He said he’ll only be gone for an hour, yet it’s been two now. She really hopes he didn’t run into any problems in the process of whatever he was doing.

---

Reid did run into a bit of a problem with entering Sandra’s house: he had all the necessary equipment in his car, just waiting for the opportune moment to be used. Yet, as soon as he rushed here, he became aware of the fact that a group of local teens was chilling out in the street and they would absolutely notice a man in gloves using lock picks to enter a house.

He didn’t think they would call the police, they looked like the kind of teens who had a few run-ins with the cops themselves. Yet, since secrecy was key, Reid decided not to risk going in until they were gone, which wasted nearly an hour for him.

Before putting on gloves and going to work on the door, he gave a good look to the entire facade of the house – no security cameras anywhere. He hoped it was the same on the inside.

The door budged quite easily. Reid rather expected a mobster’s house to be a little more fortified, but then again, he shouldn’t complain if his job was made easier for him.

Another look around the insides of house failed to reveal any indoor surveillance. Good. This meant, he could do what he had to.

From Reid’s experience, people who think they are being bugged usually check for wires, spy devices, and other related equipment in objects located in plainer sight. Without trouble, he can recall dozens of films where people look inside light bulbs, mirrors, fishbowls even…

The reality of spy devices today is – most of them are wireless. Blame the internet age, but unless one needs to keep up long-term surveillance over someone, it is just easier to set up something that runs on a battery and can be hidden more easily.

This is exactly what Reid is doing right now.

Of course, if Sandra or whoever is with her suspects they are being listened in on, they can track down the bug with an appropriate device (really, even FM radios work for that, since it’s all radiowaves), but Reid doesn’t intend to keep this up long enough for this to happen.

And of course, it’s better to hide the bugs in places no one would expect to look for one. Like behind their kitchen counter.  After all, when was the last time someone decided to clean behind there?

Or way behind their toilet tank?

Or right in the middle of the bottom of their bed? Seriously, if anyone checks down there regularly, thinks Reid, then they have way too much free time on their hands. And the bedroom is always a good place to bug – people say a lot of important information when they think they are in the privacy of their bedroom.

Laurel’s attention is torn away from her painting by the arrival of an unfamiliar-looking man. Even at the distance she is at, she can tell he isn’t one of the locals because: a) his sense of dress is expensive, like that of someone from a big city, b) he just does not give off a good vibe.

What catches her attention even more is how Sandra reacts to his presence – she looks at him like a schoolgirl looks at the new attractive teacher. With adoration and reverence. Who the hell is this guy if he’s got the too-cool-for-you Sandra so flustered? Because, in Laurel’s opinion, anyone who gets that reaction from Sandra has to be bad news. Quickly, she runs inside and hides behind the balcony door that’s closer to the couple, so that she can overhear their conversation.

Sandra breaths a sigh of relief when she sees Seb. She was starting to worry she would have to deal with everything herself. Yes, she was planning to deal with Brook alone, but she could never foresee the girl taking off! Now, what is she supposed to do?

– I’m so glad you’re here. I thought you’d never get here!

Seb frowns.

– Of course, I’m here. I just had some business to attend to in Appaloosa Plains before I could depart, but now I’m ready to deal with this situation. For starters, I already made some calls to look into our missing person could’ve gone.

Sandra: But you told me not to contact the police!

Seb chuckles.

– Who said anything about the police? Even if we did want to use their services, they are usually pretty useless. I’ve called the people who actually know things. But this is a discussion for a more private place than this.

Sandra: Of course, let’s go back to the house.

Seb: Let’s eat first. Airplane food is barely enough to feed a small child, I tell you.

Sandra: Yes, of course. They cook surprisingly well here.

Seb: They better.

As they stand up to leave, Laurel watches them like a hawk. She has overheard enough to make her worry for her friend again, even if Lawrence did hire a detective to spy on Kingsley.

Observing them go into the restaurant, she texts Reid: “Some bigshot showed up, they talked, you have about half an hour before they head there.”

Reid happily sends a text back:

“No problem! I’m all done. Sorry I took so long, coast wasn’t clear.”

He has already finished up setting up everything needed and has already checked how well all the devices work – they are great and pick up even the smallest noises. If anything important is said within this house, he will hear it.

Now, with this part of the job completed, he can go home, take a break for food, and start listening.

Also, he is considering splitting whatever money he makes of this assignment with Laurel. After all, she did help him out quite a bit.

After her stint as the detective’s assistant, Laurel is trying to relax at home. She tried painting more when she came back, but her art began to look frayed, hectic, and stressed. Which is pretty much how she feels right now.

It was all fun and games when she and Brook used to laugh about Sandra and her sketchy business deals. Honestly, they’ve always thought Sandra was kind of a mess as a person, someone who couldn’t do a halfway decent job as a legal guardian for a minor due to a crappy personality. They never thought she was someone who would willingly hurt a person for gain, only due to basic negligence, perhaps.

When Brook called her babbling about Sandra’s plan to off her, Laurel was bewildered. It was hard to combine the comical image of Sandra that existed in their minds for years with the image of someone who would go for murder, even if someone else was willing to do the dirty work. Of course, Laurel never doubted that Brook told her the truth – her friend was terrified enough that any doubt that could’ve appeared flew out the window. And Sandra’s failure to contact the police has further made her guilty.

But now, after seeing the man Sandra was with, suddenly Laurel was very scared for her friend.  He looked powerful. And the scar she spotted under his eye – she didn’t think he got that from an everyday accident. No, this man has been through situations that others have died it, that she had a very strong feeling about.

If he was going to look for her friend, Brook will need more than just one young detective on her side.

She finally forces herself to stop thinking about the situation. There isn’t much she can do for any of these people at the moment. Unfortunately, a paintbrush has never been a very good weapon against crime.

Reid, meanwhile, had plenty of time to come back to his trailer and set up the laptop with the surveillance sound. Laurel’s prediction of half an hour was wrong – Sandra and her partner weren’t coming home just yet. They must’ve stayed at the restaurant longer, which was fine with Reid, who had some time to have his own dinner, to wash his dishes, to check sports and criminal news on the web and to start making a report of the day’s observations.

It was at that time that he heard people enter Sandra’s house. Turning up the sound on his laptop, he prompted the system to save a backup copy of the recording of this conversation before listening.

Reid didn’t even need to hear Sandra call the man “Seb” to know that this was indeed Seb Delaney. He instantly recognized the voice – back in Bridgeport, the police department had a recording of a conversation between him and one of his business partners, which, unfortunately, turned out to be completely legal.

So, Sandra was staying in the guy’s house!

Before he had time to process why, he turned his attention back to the conversation. The sound caught by the surveillance bugs indicated that they were in the kitchen, and he doubted they’ll be eating again after spending an hour at the restaurant.

Seb: So, like I said, I’ve made some calls.

Sandra: What did you find out?

Seb: Did you officially take Brook out of the local high school?

Sandra: No, I didn’t realize I was supposed to.

Seb: You weren’t. But according to my information, she is no longer enrolled in Riverview High. And my contact was reliable.

Sandra: So, that means…

Seb: Either she herself unenrolled, or someone did that for her. And you know what’s bugging me? My contact couldn’t find out if she is enrolled elsewhere right now.

Sandra: But you never have problems finding these things out. Your connections are still good, right?

Seb: Of course, they’re still good. Which is why this bugs me.  And with this internet age, teenagers are usually extremely easy to find. Did you check any of her social media profiles? They usually post pictures, statuses, and whatever else nonstop.

Sandra: I don’t have her in my friends list, though and I know she keeps her profiles accessible for friends only.

Seb: That was a rhetorical question – I already had my people check them. And you know what? Nothing. She is doing a great job of staying off the grid.

Sandra: She must’ve really not wanted to go back to Bridgeport with me.  Wait, but she didn’t take anything with her! I know the Grisbys said her phone and belongings were still at their house when she disappeared.

Seb: So, she set off on a run with nothing on her person?

Sandra bites her tongue and nods.

Seb: Sandra, do you think there is any chance she found out what you were intending to do?

Sandra: How!?

Seb looks her dead in the eye, making her remember the night in detail. Is it possible that Brook overheard her phone conversation?

Her sudden pallor tells Seb everything.

– Sandra, how many times have I told you yo pay attention to your surroundings!

He walks away from the table in irritation, anger barely contained in every move. She hates seeing him like this, knowing she has messed up again, just like that time her money fraud almost landed them both in jail.

She was sure he’ll leave her that time. But to her immense relief, he didn’t. Somehow, he managed to smooth everything over and both of them got away from the situation.

This was why she always felt weak in the knees around him. He was someone who could get anything he wanted, anyone he wanted, whenever he wanted. And somehow, he was still with her, when it didn’t benefit him in the least.

– I’m sorry. I didn’t intend for this to happen. I’ll fix everything.

She approaches him quietly. Slowly, his nerves seem to relax.

– No, don’t. Look, what’s done is done. This is probably for the best. I told you from the start, this whole charade was unnecessary, with fake accidents and all that other bullshit. I tell you, complicating things only creates more problems.

He turns around to her and smiles.

– Don’t fret your pretty yellow head about this, I have people who can find her even if she is truly off the grid. This will be even better for us – after all, making people “disappear” is my talent, isn’t it?

She knows she is forgiven when he caresses her cheek.

Sandra: You really aren’t mad at me?

Seb: No. I just snapped at you because, well, things have been stressful before I came here. It turns out my investments in Appaloosa Plains have been nothing but a drain on my accounts and I had to liquidate them.

Sandra smiles.

– Let’s just go to bed. Tomorrow is a new day and you’re exhausted from your flight.

Seb: Let’s.

Reid hears the two get into bed. As expected, their conversation continues, but in a calmer fashion.

– So, the will is really written with iron stipulations then?

Seb inquires once they lay down in bed.

Sandra sighs.

– Do you know how much money I’ve paid that lawyer to find a loophole? He still hasn’t found anything remotely capable of overruling the will in favor of me becoming the recipient. I’m sure Merril knew I would try to contest it.

Seb: Or someone else would’ve.

Sandra: Who? It was either me or his precious Alyssa, and she received everything. Even though, by the time he passed away, they were on bad terms and she was already married to Anthony Whitings who had plenty of money of his own. She was already set. Where is the fairness?

Seb: There is no fairness. That’s just how the world works, Sandra. But hey, at least we arranged for you to get the girl’s custody when her grandfather’s provision made sure she was to receive everything. And I trust you made sure she didn’t know about any of this, right?

Sandra: She was still young enough that she didn’t understand any of that legal jargon and since her parents weren’t on speaking terms with her grandfather, she never met him. Why would she suspect anything?

Seb: Good, good. Well, we can check out several of my local contacts for potential information on the girl. But that is for tomorrow. It’s pretty late and I haven’t seen you for weeks.

Sandra blushes. She has missed him too.

The bed shifts and Reid can hear pretty clearly what’s going to happen next.

As the sound of the couple’s lovemaking becomes very obvious, Reid reflects once again about how little he likes this part of his job. He’s been working as a private eye for years now, and yes, this is certainly not the first time he’s been forced to listen in on people in the bedroom. So, he’s not as uncomfortable about this as he used to be, but he really wishes these cases were rarer.

Unfortunately, people have a tendency to blab a lot after the sex is done and he can’t log off just yet.

But this time around, the two are clearly worn out from the day’s activities and soon Reid hears snoring coming through. Yep, definitely asleep and quiet now.

Which is all good. After double checking that he has backups of the recording on his laptop and on the external drive, he sends the sound file to Lawrence, along with a message summarizing everything.

It’s been a long day and he is tired, but he did learn quite a bit. For starters, it seems like the arrangement that made Sandra the girl’s guardian was fraudulent and he knows Lawrence’s lawyer will be more than happy to start working on setting up Brook’s legal freedom.

Tomorrow, he plans to tail these two with the purpose of keeping track how much they find out about Brook’s whereabouts.

With Friends Like These 14: The PI

School without her friend there was … lonesome. Laurel tried to remind herself that it was for the best that Brook was gone from Riverview now, but she still missed her friend. And even though she knew Brook wasn’t alone, she still worried about her safety. Especially now that she was technically on the run.

– So, what did you get for question 10? I’m not sure if I got it right.

Bob’s voice brought her out of her reverie.  They’ve finally found some time to bring his idea of getting coffee together to life and were currently in the process of slaving through their biology assignment.

Laurel: Oh, that should be mitosis.

Bob purses his lips in confusion.

– But shouldn’t there be a difference between plant and animal cells?

Laurel: You shouldn’t have fallen asleep in class last week, huh?

Bob nods sheepishly.

Laurel: The pre-prophase stage of the cycle. Animal cells don’t have that stage, but plants do, remember?

Bob: You’re a life-saver, Laurel. So, talking about life and stuff, how’s everything? You guys still haven’t heard back from Brook?

Laurel shakes her head. It’s true, technically. She and her friend haven’t had any contact through the media or phone since she left. And of course, Bob is very nice, but Laurel doesn’t want to make anyone aware she and her family know more than they are letting on.

Bob: I’m really sorry. Crime rates are terrible these days.

Laurel: It’s alright. I know my friend – she isn’t someone who lets trouble bring her down. I have a good feeling about her – like she’s fine.

Bob: I really hope so.

His gaze lands on someone behind her and he frowns.

Bob: Speaking about crime, don’t look back, but this dude’s been staring at you for almost half an hour now. Do you think we should call the cops?

Laurel looks behind her. Indeed, there is a young man, perhaps in his late twenties, who is clearly pretending very hard to seem inconspicuous. His appearance is not familiar to her, but he doesn’t seem very intimidating or sketchy.

But if he is a creep, they are in a public place, where both her friend and the baristas can be witnesses in case something goes wrong – Laurel decides to confront the guy while she has the chance.

Bob: What the hell! Laurel, are you crazy?!

Laurel: Chill, I’ve got this.

She quickly approaches the young man, making sure not to show any discomfort.

– Excuse me, can I help you somehow? Because you’ve been staring at me for a while now and I assume there is a good reason for that.

The man breathes an audible sigh of relief.

– Sorry if I came off as a creep. But you are Laurel, right?

She is taken aback by the fact that he knows her name, but once again, he doesn’t give off bad vibes.

– I am. But how do you know me?

He whispers:

– It’s about your friend Brook. I’m a friend of Lawrence’s and he hired me to help out with her case.

– Oh?

Laurel isn’t sure whether to believe him, but then again, Sandra shouldn’t know anything about Brook being acquainted with Law Macabre…

– Can you prove it?

Without much ado, he takes out his phone and shows Laurel photos of him and Lawrence hanging out together at a party, surrounded by cans of beer. The picture does not look photoshopped, so she has no reason to doubt the guy really is friends with Lawrence.

– I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Reid Douglas, PI. Lawrence asked me to check out Sandra Kingsley and see if I can dig up anything that would enable your friend to get legally emancipated from her.

Laurel: Did he? That’s nice of him.

Reid: Yeah, Law’s like that, he goes all out for people when stuff happens. But back to the topic at hand, I was wondering if you could help me get the inside scoop on Sandra, since she’s staying with you. What does she do, who does she get calls from, where does she go? That kind of thing.

Laurel sighs.

– Well, she isn’t with us any more. With Brook gone, there wasn’t really any reason for her to stay in our house. And all of us kind of made it clear to her, more or less. It seemed like a good idea to have her gone, in case Brook got in contact, you know.

Reid frowns.

– So, you don’t know where she is?

Laurel: She’s said she was going to be staying at the local bed and breakfast. After all, she did make this huge deal about wanting to sleep somewhere with more peace and quiet.

Reid: Alright, then. I’ll check the place out as ASAP. But if you have any more contact with her, will you contact me? Here’s my number. You see, from what your friend told Lawrence, it’s pretty clear your Sandra is involved in something illegal, aside from planning an assassination. And if we have enough evidence, we can make sure she gets charged.

Laurel: I think Brook mentioned something about money-laundering in the past.

Reid nods enthusiastically:

– If we have solid evidence, she won’t get away scot free.

Laurel: I hope so. Do me a favor and get her good.

Reid: I’ll do my best. I think you should go now – your friend is shooting daggers at me.

Laurel: Yeah, people are kind of spooked after Brook “disappeared.” It’s cool, I’ll tell him you’re not a kidnapper or something.

Reid: Wait, he’s not supposed to know-

Laurel: Hey, don’t worry, he won’t.

– Do you have any idea how irresponsible that was?

Bob is fuming once she comes back to their table. Laurel finds that irritating, to be honest.

– Please, if he was an actual creep, he would’ve scurried out of here instead of talking to me like a normal person. Besides, he didn’t mean any harm.

Bob: Who is he anyways? He looked at you like he knew you.

Laurel can’t believe how easily the lie comes to her:

– He’s one of the younger profs from that out of state uni I was looking at – he saw some of my artwork from when I submitted it to their program for an evaluation. And he just told me I have a pretty decent chance of getting into their art program. So, it’s nothing bad and you were just about ready to call the cops on him without any good reason for it.

Bob: He’s still sketchy.

Laurel: Well, that’s your opinion. Really, he’s just doing his job.

In reality, Laurel hasn’t submitted any artwork to this particular program just yet, since she didn’t think she was advanced enough.

Bob: Why did you apply to that place anyways? I’ve heard it’s really cut-throat over there. The local university is just as good.

Laurel: You’re kidding me, right? Our local uni is way behind on literally every parameter.

Bob shrugs.

– It’s close to home, though. I’m going to be applying there next year. You should too.

Something about the way he says that rubs Laurel the wrong way. She remembers how her friend always hinted that Bob likes her as more than a friend, but Laurel never felt the same way about him. When Bob recently started dating another one of their classmates, she was relieved. But his current behavior is making her wonder…

She is going to apply to that out of state uni, after all. Today’s outing has helped to make up her mind on that.

Reid is charging up with an extra-strong cappuccino. He was hoping Sandra still lived with the Grisbys – that way, he could’ve utilized Laurel’s help of getting some listening devices set up in the woman’s area.

As it is, he’s going to have to find a way to get into her room at the bed and breakfast. But maybe it’s for the best – he has more of an excuse to be found near her space at a hotel with other guests.

While he drinks his coffee, he wonders why Sandra decided to make an assassination attempt now and not much earlier. After all, it doesn’t make much sense to wait until her charge is almost of age to do it.

Also, he wonders why the name Sandra Kingsley rings some bell in his head. He’s almost certain he has never met her, but something sounds familiar.

Several hours later, Reid finds himself in the sketchier part of this nice riverside town. His trip to the hotel has revealed that, while Kingsley did check in for one night, she checked out the next morning.

Of course, he had no doubt she is still here – she wouldn’t go back to Bridgeport just yet, not if she had plans. And as luck has it, one of the few cab drivers in this town, the guy who gives him a ride here is the same driver who drove Sandra from the bed and breakfast, after her own car gave out. And he still remembers where he took the really prissy lady who complained about his driving the entire way.

Arriving here, Reid begins to wonder why a prissy rich business owner from Bridgeport would stay in this part of town. The roads don’t look very well-tended, the houses are trailers, he has already spotted trash and gang graffiti on some buildings… Perhaps, she is trying to keep things on the down low?

Although, he must admit, the house she is in is one of the nicer on the street. It’s almost like, someone has purchased it in case they would need to lay low somewhere for a while but would still prefer some comfort while they’re at it.

This is getting interesting. Reid is glad Law sent him here.

Sandra is feeling restless. If it wasn’t bad enough that Brook practically disappeared from right under her nose, the man she hired to arrange the whole thing has already called her to officially end their deal. Not only did he refuse to help her with any further assassination attempts (implying that, perhaps, she is trying to set him up), but he also informed her that he’ll be keeping the advance she paid him, since he wasted his time traveling to the location.

At least, Sandra is convinced he’ll keep his mouth shut, no one is going to dare ratting on her when she –

Her attempt to calm down with a book is interrupted when the phone rings again, this time with the special ringtone that is only reserved for one number. She practically jumps to her feet, relief and anticipation running through her head.

Sandra: Thank goodness! I thought you’d never call!

– Always jumpy, aren’t you? I always do what I say I’ll do. Now, are you settled in?

Sandra: Yes, thank you for letting me stay at your house.

– But of course. We couldn’t have you staying in some little bed and breakfast in Riverview now, could we? Those places have no privacy at all. Now, forgive me if the house isn’t quite up to standards-

Sandra: Oh, don’t worry. Everything’s working, I already had a meal that I’ve made on the well-functioning stove, and the bed is clean and comfortable.

– Oh, I know, I’ve picked it out. And most importantly, you’re now located in the kind of neighborhood where anything goes. A fist fight breaks out? Someone robbed a house? A particular house seems sketchier than usual? The cops don’t really stick their nose there, if you get my drift.

Sandra: So, what do I do now? Do I just wait? And most important, do I alert the police about Brook’s disappearance? I know those people will think it sketchy if I don’t.

– Don’t go to the police just yet. Once they’re involved, it would be much harder for you to accomplish your goal. Ah, if only you didn’t waste so much time with your lawyer.

Sandra: I know. It’s all moot now, though.

Sandra: So, I don’t report the girl missing just yet. And in the meantime?

– In the meantime, you relax and wait for me.

Sandra: You’re coming here?

– Of course! I have some weight with the local “authorities” and they can help us find out if the girl is still in Riverview to begin with.

Sandra: And if she isn’t?

– And if she isn’t, we follow her to wherever she is now.

Sandra: You do realize we can’t just fake an accident for her now, right?

– Shh! What did I tell you about discussing these things over the phone? And who said anything about faking anything? You are the one who insisted on that cheap trick – I told you my people could handle it.

Sandra: I believe you. I just thought it was my responsibility.

– Sandra, Sandra. It doesn’t matter now, just wait for me and don’t do anything rash. I should be there tomorrow, if circumstances allow. Good night.

The line goes dead and Sandra feels very exhausted all of a sudden. She should never have gotten involved with that wretched Whiting family in the first place. If only she had half the common sense back then that she has now.

As she goes to sleep, she doesn’t realize that her habit of not checking the surroundings before having important phone conversations has bitten her in the ass again.

Hiding in the bushes by her current abode, Reid has heard her entire half of the conversation. This is like winning the lottery, he thinks.

Reid: Well, well, well… looks like I need to stay close by and see who this very important owner of the house is. Something tells me, he’s more important than she is when it comes to planning whatever they do. And she is flustered enough to make me think he’s got a lot of bite to back up his bark. I’m going to have to tread carefully here.

As Reid puts some distance between himself and Sandra’s house, he knows he needs to find a good way to keep an eye on her. It would’ve been so much easier if she’d only stayed at the hotel…

And then, only a block down from Sandra’s house, he sees a small run-down trailer home with the sign: For Rent.

It doesn’t take long for the trailer’s owner to arrive after he dials the number on the sign. A few minutes of conversation with the owner and the trailer is his. Apparently, the owner has been looking for someone decent (i.e., with money to pay upfront) to move in, after the former tenant skipped town along with four months worth of rent.

Of course, Reid understands, he assures the trailer owner. This is why he pays both this month’s rent and the “security deposit” immediately.

The owner’s happy face upon seeing the money makes him realize that, for all concerns, he might as well start running a brothel from this trailer, as long as he pays the rent on time each month.

Which is all good – Reid is going to need his privacy while he is keeping an eye on the target.

Inside, there isn’t much space, but there is a functioning kitchen, a separate bedroom, and a bathroom with hot water. Reid has had to do with much less at some points in his life, so he isn’t complaining.

Besides, this whole town is located by the river and the air is fresh and unpolluted, which puts Reid in a good mood.

He cooks himself a quick meal to eat before settling down with his laptop to try to figure out what exactly he is working with and why Sandra’s name sounds so familiar. He is going to tail her most of tomorrow and hopefully get a glimpse of her mysterious helper, but he would rather not go into it blind.

After what seems to be hours of staring at the screen and trying various searches with Kingsley’s name, Reid still has nothing. He’s gone through all of his old files and there were plenty of them. Still, nothing.

This makes no sense to him. There has to be at least something.

Running a regular internet search on the woman only brings up her name as the respected owner of her laundromat set. She has a couple of social media pages, but nothing on them can be considered strange – they look very average.

He recalls Laurel’s mention of Sandra being in hot water for money laundering. This is certainly something to latch onto. Usually, accusations like these don’t just evaporate without serious lawyers and help from big people.

Also, Reid has only observed Sandra for a few minutes, but she doesn’t strike him as someone who is smart enough to get out of legal trouble all by herself.

Biting his tongue, he decides he’s going to do something he hasn’t done for a while now: hack into the FBI’s database. He has discovered a way to do that some time ago, mostly by accident, since he’s never really been a computer genius. So far, he didn’t get caught, but he’s only done it twice.

Really, he doesn’t think Sandra’s name will appear in there, but one can never be certain.

To his immense surprise, his very first search with her name brings something up. Just one little tidbit: the money-laundering case involved a notorious Bridgeport mobster Seb Delaney, the fear of every other crook in the area, and of many Bridgeport policemen as well.

So, this is how he knows her name: he must have overheard some policeman acquaintance mention it when he was in Bridgeport. He remembers that insane time – Bridgeport PD really thought they could finally land Seb Delaney in the slammer. But as usual, his lawyers got him cleared of any charges within two weeks.

Cleared of any charges, even though evidence could probably have been found. Just like with Kingsley’s case…

Reid releases a breath he didn’t even realize he was holding in – he has a pretty good guess about who was on the other end of Sandra’s phone call.

With Friends Like These 13: An Eccentric Acquaintance

Lawrence: Cool outfit. You look like Zatanna.

Mireille: Good. Maybe there are some comic lovers who would take that as an encouragement to hire me on spot?

Lawrence: More job searching?

Mireille: Yup. Just because yesterday was fruitless doesn’t mean today will be.

Lawrence: Good luck.

Mireille: Thanks, I think I’ll need it.

To her surprise, Mireille’s day goes better than she expected: when she reaches the local park, the manager, who totally looks like Tweety’s Granny, is busy advertising for a local performance night.

When Mireille approaches her, the lady happily signs her up for a spot.

Also, it probably helped that Mireille’s magic act did not fail at this time and really impressed the woman.

Whatever the case, she is going to perform and she is going to get paid, which is what’s important.

---

Brook’s second day in SS is going slightly more tolerably than the first. Mr. Samuels has assigned an entirely new worksheet packet, but thankfully, the topic is the same, so she is crunches her way through it somewhat decently.

After she is done, she decided is due a little reward. A large-sized coffee drink would be a good choice after all that trigonometry.

– Hi, Kayla, can I get that large Vanilla Latte?

Kayla: One large Vanilla Latte is coming right up.

As she prepares the drink, both she and Holly turn to grin at the newcomer.

– Hi Terry! What’s up?

– It’s Terrence. How many times do I have to say that? My name’s Terrence,  not Terry.

Wow, what a prick, thinks Brook. Who even acts like this? Oh, that’s right. The person whose preferred name sounds like it belongs to a stuffy old professor.

Holly: Come on, man. We’re just kidding. What will it be?

Terrence: You know me. My regular, the Ctulhu. Gotta get that coffee kick.

Kayla: Still working on that play?

Terrence: That’s right. One day, it’ll blow you all away.

Holly: We’ll be waiting for it.

Just as Brook expected, Terrence opens up his laptop at the table next to hers and begins typing away like a maniac.

Looks like his coffee drink lived up to its name after all.

As Brook soon learns, attempting to read or to do anything that requires focus with Terrence nearby is out of question.

Whatever he is writing on that laptop of his, is making him completely oblivious to how irritating he is to everyone nearby. Muttering, teeth-clicking, random grunts and hisses… Brook hasn’t been around many writers in her life, but even so, she is sure his creative process is much more intense than most.

She wonders for a moment whether she should ask him to stop making so much noise, but in the long run, it is simply easier to move away to another, more secluded, part of the store.

Brook: I wonder how Kayla and Holly deal with him. They seem to be acquainted, though. It must be a friend thing.

And much to her consternation, Brook only has half an hour of relative silence to read her assigned book before Terrence the Obnoxious makes way into her part of the store and begins searching through the bookshelf.

Too late does she realize that she chose the area right next to the Cinema and Theater books.

Eventually, he picks out a large tome with the words “Greatest Plays of the Century” on it and plops down in the armchair near her.

Brook had no idea there was a way to read something and be annoying at the same time, but Terrence proves her wrong. He is leaving through that book with the fervor of someone who is trying to find the lost fortune of every single pirate in history, hidden somewhere between the pages.

Finally, she can’t deal with this any longer.

Brook: Excuse me, but have you ever learned to read quietly? Do you have any idea how irritating it is to try to focus on something while the person next to you keeps mumbling and making all sorts of weird noises? Or perhaps, you’re doing it on purpose? Please enlighten me.

He looks up with a frown.

– Yeah, well, the last time I’ve checked, this was a public space. So, you can’t tell me how to behave.

Brook: Not officially, but as one person to another: you are completely obnoxious. I have to finish at least a half of this book by next week and I assumed a bookstore will be quiet enough to do just that. I see now I was wrong.

To her surprise, Terrence sighs.

– Was it really that bad? I know I tend to get carried away when I’m working.

Brook: I’m sorry, but you sounded like you had caffeine directly injected into your system.

Holly shouts from the other side of the room:

– He might as well have! Seriously, Terrence, you need to check your caffeine intake before your health goes bad. And this is coming from a barista.

Terrence: But how else do I stay focused? Or inspired?

Brook: I thought you couldn’t force inspiration to just happen.

Terrence: You can’t. That’s the problem. It just needs to come naturally.

Brook: Perhaps you need to break the routine?

– I don’t really get many options to break from the routine. It’s college, work, home, and then, if I’m lucky, some free time to focus on my writing and anything else that needs focus.

Terrence explains this to her, challenging her to explain how he can possibly find time for anything else. Brook sighs and tries to explain. An artist’s lack of inspiration is something she has witnessed plenty of times with Laurel, who would be grumpy for days when she couldn’t figure out how to paint what she needed.

– Have you thought of trying something new? Something you’ve never done before?

-Like what?

Brook: I don’t know! But really, anything that clears your head and makes you see things in a new light. It worked for my painter friend, at least. What is your play about anyways?

Terrence: It’s about two people from different time periods who fall madly in love with one another.

Brook: How do they know each other? I mean, I can sort of see how someone can fall in love with someone from the past if they study about them, but what about the person in the past?

Terrence sighs.

– Well, they’re supposed to meet at one point…

Brook: Don’t tell me – you haven’t figured out how to make that happen?

Terrence: Let’s just say, that’s a work in progress.

Terrence: Since you have so adamantly intruded on my free time, I think you should help me out with this.

Brook: Wait, me?! How?

Terrence: You said your friend had similar problems with her art. So, clearly you know how to break out of this rut.

Brook doesn’t know what to say. Normally, she’d be happy to help out, but not only does she have a lot on her plate with the recent move and her advanced new school, she also isn’t sure she wants to be spending any extra time with Terrence, who really comes across like a jerk.

Terrence: Look, I saw that book you were reading – you go to the local high school, right? Do you have many difficult subjects? I know I did when I was there.

Brook: Well, yeah.

Terrence: So, how about I help you out with the subjects you have problems with and you help me out with this?

Brook: What are you good at? Kayla already offered to help me with Trigonometry.

Terrence: I’m pretty decent with Chemistry and I can give you solid advice on how to get on most teacher’s good sides. And literature…

Brook: No need for literature help here. But that is quite an offer. You know what? Deal. I’ll try to help you get out of your writer’s block.

Terrence: Great! See you on Monday?

With their agreement set, Brook is once again free to read in peace, while Terrence heads to the register to say bye to his friends.

Kayla: Well, I’ll be! You’re actually listening to someone’s advice? What happened? Were you replaced by a doppelganger or something?

Holly: Maybe he’s finally sick of being stuck? I say, don’t question it before the “I don’t need any help” Terrence comes back. Anything for the road?

Terrence: The oatmeal cookies. And that mint melange tea to go, please. I think I’m going to need it soon if I want to be functional at all tomorrow.

Holly: Coming right up. By the way, we were supposed to have a practice calculus exam on Saturday, but it got rescheduled. Thought I’d let you know since you seemed half-asleep in class the other day.

Terrence: Yeah, work happened. Thanks for the heads-up.

With Friends Like These 12: The Daily Grind

When it rains on your first day at a new school, things are bound to be less than wonderful.

At least that’s what Brook thought as she got on the school bus that morning. At least, there was an extra umbrella in the house.

---

Just like she said she would, Mireille tries to find gigs around the city. So far, it isn’t going too well. The open mic night at the local cafe is all filled up. She thought a local saloon might have open spots for performers, but as the bartender explains, all of their performances are booked months in advance.

Bartender: Really sorry, lady. But even if you were Lady Gaga, we’d still be all filled up right now.

---

Lawrence is just enjoying some quality time with his little princess. He would call Reid and find out how things are going back in Riverview, but he doubts the detective even got off the plane yet.

Patience is a virtue. He’ll wait until it’s reasonable to expect news.

And for now he should give all the cuddles to Josi, who has been acting out more than usual lately.

Josephine: I’ll always be number one for him. And that yellow-streaked nobody can just hit the road!

---

At the end of the school day, Brook knows that her initial feeling about school not going well was correct. There is no way she is passing most of these classes!!!

Literature, which was her first class of the day, was very nice and tolerable, they were discussing a famous post-war novel and the teacher was quite impressed that the new girl could give such a well developed response to the subject discussed, on her very first day here. This lulled her into a false sense of security But then again, books and writing are one of her strengths.

Chemistry… that’s where things were a bit more complicated. She had a pretty decent hand on balancing equations, even if she was going to need more practice with some other concepts.

But trigonometry… Brook was sure their teacher missed the memo about this being pre-calculus. Because, more than half of the concepts were so much further ahead than what she and Laurel studied – and even then, she had problems with the subject. Without some serious help, she is going to fail this big time.

Brook: I just wish I could go fishing and relax right now… but I have no equipment and I still have to finish at least 20 of these equations for tomorrow. That’s it. I was saved from death by car only to be brutally murdered by trigonometry.

She decides to walk home in order to get some air. Not far from the school, she comes across what appears to be a bookstore.

Brook: Caffeinated Reads? Sounds like my kind of place.

Inside, she finds a coffee shop and two baristas who appear to be friends chatting to one another in the absence of customers.

– Hi! How can I help you?

And energetic blonde asks, noticing her.

– The peppermint tea, please. and a brownie, please.

– One brownie and one peppermint tea coming up!

The blonde quickly starts preparing her order. Brook tries not to cringe upon noticing the mathematical signs on the girl’s t-shirt. The other barista catches her grimace.

– Let me guess: you go to the local high school and you have trig with Mr. Samuels, right?

Brook: How did you know?

The brunette laughs.

– We studied with him too. And yes, he always had the same stick up his ass. Don’t worry – everyone hates his class, it’s absolutely normal. Well, except Kayla, but math just comes easy for her. I’m Holly, by the way.

– Brook. So, you went to this school? Any advice for someone studying there now?

Holly: Just do the best you can. I’m not saying you’ll pass with flying colors, but you won’t fail the class.

Kayla: And don’t let the stress get to you. I see too many high-schoolers breaking down over this crap. It’s not worth it. And if Samuels tries to give you a hard time, you can always vent with us. We practically collect stories about this jerk’s antics.

Brook: Thanks! You two just made my day better.

Brook quickly eats her brownie and sits down to enjoy the relaxing tea. Peppermint always works wonders on tired nerves. At least, that’s what Yvette Grisby always said. Gosh, she misses the Grisbys. She really wants to call them, but she still doesn’t have a new phone and even if she did, it could be a bad idea, since Sandra is probably still there.

She tries not to think about this, instead focusing on the baristas’ conversation. From the sound of things, they are still in college and are roommates.

Holly: So, Jaky is going to stay with us tonight, cool?

Kayla: Again? But didn’t he stay just two nights ago?

Holly: Please! Pretty please! I’ll do the dishes for both of us for a week.

Kayla: Alright, alright. You know, this is the first time you’ve been so into some guy. How is he different from the others?

Holly grins:

– What can I say? He really knows what to do when the lights are off.

Kayla: Holly! What happened to not kissing and telling?

Holly: Hey, you’ve asked. And if you want to try it for yourself, from what I hear, Jake has a really cute friend.

Kayla: Eh, I’m not really into this whole dating thing, you know me.

Holly: Well, you’re missing out. Let me know if you change your mind.

– What about you? Anyone special you’re seeing? Or are you more like Kayla in that aspect?

Holly approached Brook with curiosity.

– Holly! You can’t just ask people personal stuff like that!

Brook: It’s ok. I’m single. But that’s probably for the best for now. Things are weird as it is at the moment. I’ve just moved and stuff.

Holly: I see. Well, you’ll find someone with no problem. Starlight Shores has someone for everyone, I just know it.

Kayla shakes her head and checks the registers.

– You make it seem like having a boyfriend is the most important thing in the world.

She makes way towards Brook:

– Don’t mind our shenanigans. And hey, if you ever need help with math, feel free to ask me for help. I had an A in that class and my current major involves a lot of advanced math classes, so all of my memory is sharp on the subject.

– Thank you. I might just take you up on that offer.

Brook calms down from her previous panic of the day. Maybe things won’t be so bad after all.

That night, Brook comes back to Lawrence’s house quite late. She hopes she won’t be in trouble with either of the adults since she has lost all track of time at the coffee shop while working her way through the assignments, often with friendly help from Kayla.

To her relief, both Lawrence and Mireille are already asleep at this point. This is both cool and terrifying. Back in Riverview, she knows the Grisbys would’ve been worried if she came home late, even though Riverview is one of the safest places one could live. But here, it is almost like she is an adult and solely responsible for her own life choices.

But it is, she admits. After all, if Lawrence’s plan for her to sue for her independence works, soon she’ll be a legal adult, with all the ramifications that go with it.

It is certainly something to ponder. With that on her mind, she heads to bed for the night. Tomorrow is a new day of this crazy school and city.

Mireille also had a busy day. She has gone all over town searching for any performing gig available, but so far – no luck.

And tomorrow, she is going to continue looking. She really needs her own income.

Josephine: Ah, still here, I see. Perhaps I should help her leave?

With Friends Like These 11: A Nice Day in the Shores

After she dresses up, Lawrence is already up. He smiles when he sees her.

– Good morning. I hope the city is treating you well.

Brook: Yeah, everything is great.

Lawrence: Well, breakfast is waiting. Also, we have things to discuss.

After they eat, he explains:

– So, I’ve called the local high school and you are enrolled.

Brook: Wait! How?! We just got here.

Lawrence: I know, but school is important for you right now.

Brook doesn’t understand. This is the famous punk rocker who sings about railing against the system and he wants her to go to school? This makes no sense.

Lawrence sighs and begins to explain.

– Look, I’m hardly fond of school myself, anyone knows that. But if you are to live as an adult, you need to prove to the court that you are a responsible adult.

Mireille: Court?

Lawrence: Yes, court. She needs to become an emancipated minor. This way, she wouldn’t need a guardian.

Brook: That would never fly. Sandra has connections, I won’t be out of her guardianship until I’m 18.

Lawrence: I have connections too. And a better lawyer than Sandra, I’m sure. And once she is in jail, the question of your new guardianship will come up. By that time, you want to be able to prove to the judge that you don’t need one anymore.

Mireille: Lawrence is hiring a PI to investigate Sandra and get the dirt on her and put her behind bars.

Brook: You would do that? But this has to be super expensive.

Lawrence: Not as expensive as you think. And way less expensive than a funeral…

Brook: Ok. I’ll do my best to prove to the court that I can do it on my own. Thank you.

Lawrence: No problem. Your classes will start tomorrow. And don’t worry, no one will tell Sandra you’re at this school. They take students’ security seriously.

It doesn’t take long for the two adults to start making out, much to Brook’s discomfort. She knows it isn’t reasonable to be jealous, especially after how much both Lawrence and Mireille are doing for her, but still, she feels awkward seeing them like this.

Brook: On that note, being in school and away from here might not be such a bad idea…

She makes her way back to the bedroom where she slept, wanting to check out the bookshelf for anything interesting. After all, if she is spending the day free of school and she can’t go fishing without her equipment, sh might as well read something.

But, to her disappointment, Lawrence’s books mostly consist of music-related literature and a bunch of philosophical readings that Brook has never found appealing before.

Maybe she’ll just watch TV? It’s weird though – what is she supposed to do, just make herself at home here? Him being her favorite singer aside, Law Macabre isn’t some close friend who she could’ve stayed with under different circumstances. But she is here now.

Actually, she should really ask Mireille. Who knows what the witch’s plans are? Does she even have plans, Brook thinks. She seems like someone who mostly just goes with whatever comes up.

– You know, this is kind of weird.

Mireille admits after they break apart.

Lawrence: How so? Is something wrong?

Mireille: Not really. But remember how we basically decided to hook up if we ever see each other again? And we probably wouldn’t have even seen each other again? And now I’m here in your city, in your house?

Lawrence: Stuff happened though. I got held back and after I found out about Brook’s situation, I wasn’t going to just walk away.

Mireille: Me either. I wanted to make sure she’s ok. And somehow that resulted in me coming here with you. I guess, what I want to say is, I’m not trying to throw myself at you in some desperate attempt to date a famous person.

Lawrence: I didn’t think a girl who tagged my billboard with insults would do that.

Mireille: Oh, that… Really, really sorry about that.

Lawrence: Your apology is accepted and no offence is taken. Besides, I like having you here.

Mireille: And I like being around you. But I’m not planning to live off you. I’m getting my own place once everything settles.

Lawrence: Understood. But for the time being, my home is your home. And if you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.

Josephine: What!!! That manstealer is going to stay here longer?!!!

– So, what are your plans for the next while?

Brook approaches Mireille once she is alone. The witch shrugs.

– We’re in Starlight Shores. I’m going to start looking for magician gigs tomorrow. For now, I say we chill.

Brook: Chill?

Mireille: Honey, look at that view. We’re right by the beach! I say, it’s time for a girls’ day out!

---

The rest of their day is spent at the beach.

Mireille has noticed that Brook seems uncomfortable whenever she and Law kiss, so it didn’t take her much effort to deduce that the teen was crushing on the rockstar. It made sense, she supposed.

Finally, she came right out and asked her about it.

Mireille: Hey, just to be cool, how badly are you crushing on Law?

Brook: …

Mireille: I know this is weird and all..

Brook: I was crushing on him. Now, I’m not so sure. I mean, it’s one thing to crush on a favorite singer, but it’s another thing once you actually know the person. These last couple of days, he’s been more like a really cool older sibling.

Mireille: I think I see what you mean.

Brook: If you’re asking if it bothers me when you two make out, not much more than the average couple PDA. Besides, I know he’s too old for me.

Mireille: Alright. I just wanted to be sure I wasn’t making things worse for you

At the end of the day, the witch suggested they visit the local salon and do some shopping. It proved to be a fun experience for both.

After their trip to the salon, both are satisfied.

Brook: Actually, this was probably a useful thing. I don’t look too different but different enough that if someone is looking for me, they won’t necessarily spot me.

Mireille: I was thinking so too.

Brook: So, where to now?

Mireille: It’s getting dark. Might as well go home. All that swimming and walking has me exhausted. You?

Brook: Same. I should probably sleep earlier tonight, if I have to go to a new school tomorrow.

Mireille: But let’s grab a bite to eat first. Because I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not eat waffles 24/7 – and that’s the only thing I know how to make

Lawrence has taken advantage of Mireille’s and Brook’s absence by calling his PI friend.

– Hey, Reid! How’s life, man? I’m good. Listen, are you free to work right now? Great! I have a job for you. Might be a tough one, I’m not sure yet. Yeah, so there is this woman, I believe she is currently in Riverview, name is Sandra Kingsley. You need to get all the dirt there is on her. Enough to put her in the slammer, at least for the next two years. Why? She’s trying to kill her ward, who happens to be a friend of mine. I know, sounds crazy, doesn’t it? So, what do you say? You’re on it? Thanks, man! I trust in your abilities.

After they return home, Mireille finally spots the fully-stocked bar in Lawrence’s living room.

– Oh boy! I haven’t made drinks in years.

She starts mixing, much to Brook’s amusement. Despite being the older of the two, sometimes Mireille reminds her of an excitable 5-year old. If said 5-year old had mature tastes, that is.

Brook: You know how to mix drinks?

Mireille laughs.

– Depends on what you consider “mixing drinks”. I can mix something that tastes more or less decent, but isn’t really any particular official drink. It will get you absolutely hammered though. At least it got my cousins hammered.

Brook: You have cousins? How many?

Mireille: Two cousins an older sister. Plus a younger half-brother. They’re still in France though.

Brook: Do you miss them?

Mireille: Sometimes. At least, I miss my cousins… They aren’t too eager on travel though, so I doubt I’d be seeing them any time soon, since I’m not planning to go home for the next while. Or ever, really.

Brook: Family disagreement?

Mireille: Something like it. My immediate family and I never really saw eye-to-eye on most things. At one point, things got so heated up that I stormed out of home at that was that.

Brook: I’m sorry for asking.

Mireille: Don’t be. You haven’t done anything to cause my family troubles. Their problems are theirs. Well, want to try it?

Brook: Ah… I have school tomorrow. Plus, I’m still 16.

Mireille: Yeah well, drinking age rules are dumb, if you ask me. But I get your point – the last thing you want is to show up to your first day hungover!

After Brook leaves for bed, Mireille tries what she made. It’s strong, just as she likes it and doesn’t taste half bad. She’ll have to remember what she used to make this.

As the drink’s strength hits her, she feels the irritation brought on by memories of her family life dissipate. Good. She doesn’t want to think about them right now. That’s why she left in the first place.

– Drinking alone already? Did Starlight Shores bring you down in only one day?

Lawrence jokes, joining her.

She laughs, downing more of the liquid.

– Not in the least. This is my toast to being in this city.

– Let’s toast to it together then!

– To new places and new beginnings.

Lawrence: So, I’ve called my friend about Brook’s situation. He’s going to be leaving for Riverview first thing tomorrow.

Mireille: That’s good to hear. Hopefully he can get the job done quickly, so that Brook doesn’t have to look over her shoulder all the time.

Lawrence: I’m sure he will. He knows how to expose things that others have tried to hide.

Mireille: That’s life, isn’t it? Secrets have a tendency to become discovered.

Lawrence: They do. So, what are your plans for tomorrow?

Mireille: I’m going to check this city out for gigs. I perform as a magician in most places. What about you?

Lawrence: I’m just going to work on some new songs. This whole situation is bugging me and the only way to fix that is to let out all the angst through the music. At least, that’s what I always do.

Mireille: Much more productive than punching and burning things.

Lawrence: Oh, I did that too, for a bit. That’s how I ended up with such good knowledge of the legal system…

Mireille: Wow, do you get me, or do you get me?

Lawrence smiles.

– Want to play a game of pool?

Mireille: Only if the loser has to do a dare

– So, what’s the dare going to be?

Mireille: Oh, I haven’t decided yet. You should pick.

Lawrence: Are you sure? Because I am very, very good at pool.

Mireille: Hmm, yeah, I don’t mind. You pick.

Lawrence smirks.

– Alright. How about, the looser has to go skinny dipping in the pool?

Mireille: Sounds perfect!

Lawrence: You won’t back out?

Mireille: Nope.

 

In less than ten minutes, Mireille scores almost every shot, with Lawrence looking at the board astounded.

– I lost! How!?

Mireille: What can I say? You might be very good at pool, but I’m excellent at it. So, about that dare…

Lawrence: Hey, you won fair and square. And I’m not going to back out of a dare.

Little did he know that the dare was for them to go skinny dipping. But he wasn’t complaining – he still “won” at the end.

With Friends Like These 10: Hello California

Two days later…

Sandra approaches Laurel in the morning before school. She has already called the girls’ school demanding whether her charge showed up the day before and was given a negative answer. Perhaps Laurel would know something?

– Laurel, there you are. Have you heard anything from Brook?

Laurel has to fight the impulse to roll her eyes at Sandra’s fake concern. Years of neglect have done nothing good for her motherly guardian image.

– No, I haven’t. She left without telling me anything.

Sandra: I just worry, you know. She is so young and who knows where she is right now? I don’t want her to end up in some dangerous situation, all because she overreacted because of the move.

Laurel: I understand. But we should both trust that Brook has a good head on her shoulders and won’t get into any trouble.

Sandra grimaces.

– I hope so. But please, if you hear anything from her, do let me know.

Laurel: Of course. And you’ll let me know too, right? If she contacts you first?

Sandra: Yes, yes. Well, I won’t hold you back from school anymore.

– That bitch!

Laurel breathes out once she leaves the house. Her curse seems to scare a passing animal, who dashes away, causing Laurel to laugh.

Adjusting the straps of the backpack on her shoulders, Laurel, for the first time ever, appreciates the fact that school requires them to carry so many big textbooks which won’t fit into a smaller bag. Because, inside of her backpack, she has several sets of clothes, Brook’s documents, and, most important, all of the money Brook made from fishing, plus a little extra that Walter and Yvette have added once Laurel told them about the situation.

Brook has called her again on Tuesday morning before school, letting her know that she’ll be leaving the city on Wednesday and filling her in on everything. Laurel is happy to know her friend will be safer away from here, even if she’ll miss her.

Of course, she has deleted all the phone logs immediately. One never knows when Sandra might decide to snoop through their electronics.

Laurel finds the singer’s rented house without a problem. To her relief, her friend is there, safe and sound, next to her favorite singer and the familiar magician.

– Laurel!

Brook immediately rushes over to hug her.

– Brook! You’re ok. You knew I wouldn’t let you leave without seeing you off properly.

Brook: Sandra?

Laurel: She has no idea. Mom and Dad were super careful around her. And she hasn’t called the police yet, so you’re still good.

Brook: Good, that should make it easier. The bus is almost here.

Laurel: Here, the bag is for you. Your documents, clothes and money are here. And Mom and Dad told me to give you their best wishes. They would’ve come to see you off too, but you know, it would’ve been suspicious.

Brook: I understand. Tell them thank you from me, will you? I’m going to miss all of you.

Laurel: I know. We’ll miss you too. So, stay safe. I want to visit you in the city some day, and you need to be alive and well for that.

Lawrence: Oh, she will be. Trust me on that.

Mireille: And me as well. We got this.

The girls hug each other farewell one last time, before the departing people board the newly arrived bus to take them to Starlight Shores.

---

The trip to Starlight Shores takes over 30 hours, even with the bus driver doing his best to chose the roads less likely to be traffic-heavy and the passengers opting for fewer rest stops.

By the time they enter Starlight Shores city limits, all three and the cat are tired out and absolutely done with the trip. However, once the lights of the city are visible, there is reason to smile – their destination is near.

Lawrence lets out a breath of relief: he is finally home, where he wanted to be all along.

Mireille is visibly impressed. She has traveled some previously, but she has never been to Starlight Shores and what she sees so far appeals to her.

Brook is excited to see the lights and the palm trees. While her opinion of big cities is marred by her previous stays in Bridgeport, even from the bus windows, she can see that this place is different.

The famous sign in the hills becomes visible, seemingly telling the weary passengers: Welcome to Starlight Shores.

After thanking the driver, who most likely leaves to get his own well-deserved rest, the three of them head into Lawrence’s house, which turns out to be a spacious modern build, arranged in dark colors.

Lawrence: Make yourselves welcome. Are you hungry, thirsty, anything else?

The Mireille and Brook shake their head. They had plenty of snacks on the bus already. And for now, the couch seems to be working closely with gravity – any activity seems like too much work.

– Well, let me show you to your rooms, then. Everything else can we can talk over in the morning.

Lawrence takes Brook to one of the spare bedrooms, which is still mostly furnished.

– My house isn’t usually prepared for guests, but I always have space for people to crash. I’ll go now, good night.

– Thanks. You too.

In seconds, she pulls on a set of pjs and falls into a blissful sleep.

As he heads to his own room, he feels a pair of arms hug him from behind.

– Thanks for helping out. You really rock.

Mireille drowsily whispers.

He turns around to hug her himself.

– Thanks for letting me help. I saw you checking the road outside the bus windows until we were halfway to here. Were you worried we’d be followed?

Mireille shrugs.

– Sort of. But everything’s fine, I think. So, what do we do tomorrow? You mentioned your investigator friend back in Riverview.

Lawrence: And I’m going to call him as soon as the hour is reasonable. For now, we can relax though.

Mireille: Ok, sounds good.

She turns to head over to her bedroom, pausing.

– Hey, can I stay with you tonight?

Lawrence: You don’t need to ask, babe. You know where my room is.

She doesn’t need any more invitation to follow him to his bedroom.

---

Josephine just loves being home! That’s where all her toys and food are!

---

Waking up early the next morning, Brook wonders why the air smells different than usual, before she remembers where she is.

She is in Law Macabre’s home! And in Starlight Shores!

Jumping out of bed, she takes in her surroundings. The view outside her window shows the same palms she saw the previous night, along with many more local specifics.

– It’s beautiful out there.

She looks at her own reflection in the mirror – she looks tired. It makes sense though. After the trip and what preceded it, one would be.

She wonders if the others are up yet. It’s kind of weird to be here all by herself. In Riverview, usually she’d hang with Laurel, but now…

Not wasting any more time pondering things, she decides to explore the house a little.

As soon as she sees the view from the living room, she rushes outside.

Brook: We’re right next to the ocean!!!

That explains the salty air and the humidity!

She could stand here for ages. Seeing the ocean is worth the long trip.