Chapter Sixteen - Pleasantview
Content warning: This story contains mature themes and is not suitable for minors. For this chapter, some teen angst and alcohol consumption.
95 Woodland Drive, Pleasantview
“Mary-Sue, I’m sure she’s fine. Angela is a sensible girl,” Herb assured his daughter.
“That’s what I thought too before she started skipping exams and disappearing for hours on end,” Mary-Sue replied irritably.
She had been surprised to return home from work and find her ex-husband waiting for their daughter. Angela was supposed to be having dinner with her father but apparently had not returned home. Her uncharacteristic tardiness had convinced Mary-Sue that something terrible must have happened before her mother told her of the morning’s events.
At that very moment they heard the front door being opened and Angela stepped in. As soon as she saw her father she remembered that they had had dinner plans, “I’m so sorry Dad, it’s been a really crazy day and dinner completely slipped my mind.”
“I told you she’d be fine,” Herb said confidently.
“See dear, there was no need to get so upset,” Coral agreed.
“We were worried about you Angela,” Daniel told her firmly. “Your didn’t let anyone know where you were and your grandmother says you went to see that no good boyfriend of yours instead of going to your exam. I hope you have a good explanation for your behaviour.”
Mary-Sue interrupted forcefully, “I’ll handle this Daniel.”
Mary-Sue turned to her daughter, “I just don’t understand how you could do this Angela,” she said sadly. “Did you even consider how your choices today could affect your future? Do you realise how much stress you’ve put your grandparents, and your father and me through? I taught you better than this, I just-”
“No, just stop,” Angela interrupted. “Dustin’s mother died today. He and his brother have lost everything and yet somehow you’re making this about yourself,” she cried exasperatedly.
Mary-Sue fell silent at her daughter’s words while Daniel stood uncomfortably for a moment before muttering something about her missed exam and the possible repercussions.
Angela took a deep breath, “I made a choice and I will deal with the consequences. Something I certainly didn’t learn from either of you,” she added before walking right back out the door.
195 Main Street, Pleasantview
Angela’s elation at giving her opinion for once, instead of parroting her mothers, was short lived as she aimlessly walked the streets of Pleasantview. While technically she knew she hadn’t said anything that was untrue, she knew her words had most likely upset her parents, and that had never been her intention.
Yet coming here hadn’t been her intention either, but here she was. After all, if anyone could understand the frustrations of dealing with her mother and father, it was her sister.
The twins hadn’t spoken in months and as such Lilith wasn’t quite sure what to make of Angela on her doorstep. “Are you lost?” she asked.
Angela considered simply turning around and heading back to her grandparents before Darren Dreamer shifted his attention from the video game he was playing with his son and spoke. “I’ve told you before to play nice Lilith,” he said gently, “invite your sister in.”
Lilith rolled her eyes and threw her head back with an exaggerated sigh. “You’re invited in if you want,” she told Angela, her behaviour stemming more from bewilderment at her twin’s appearance than displeasure at her presence.
Angela didn’t reply to Lilith’s dramatic behaviour and instead simply walked through the door. She wondered if Lilith knew how badly she would have loved for a genuine invitation from her, but was, at this moment in time, willing to take anything her sister would offer.
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Lilith actually didn’t mind listening to her sister, for the first time in a very long time it actually felt they were related. After Angela had finished recounting what had happen during the day, Lilith waited for an outpouring of emotion, but not that unsurprisingly, it didn’t come.
“I can’t even imagine what Dustin’s going through. But how are you doing?” Lilith asked.
“Me? I’m fine,” Angela replied quickly, after all, hadn’t she criticised their mother for being concerned with her own emotions before those of Dustin and Beau. “I guess,” she admitted after a moment, “I’m just not sure how best to help him through this.”
“I guess you just have to be there for him,” Lilith said genuinely.
“I’m not exactly sure how I can do that from SSU. I guess I’m not sure about going anymore.”
A moment of silence passed before Lilith spoke, “you’re kidding me right? College is like your first opportunity ever to actually work out who you are without our mother’s interference.”
“It’s just, I don’t know if it’s what I want. Sometimes it feels like all my decisions were either made for me, or made by me based on what people said I should do. I know it’s clichéd to say how Brandi dying has made me aware of how precious time is, but, it has. I’m not sure if being away from Dustin is what I want right now.”
Lilith was pretty sure she hadn’t heard her sister be so honest with her since she confided with her that she was in love with Dustin despite their parent’s disapproval. “So make a choice,” she advised Angela, “you either do what logic tells you or what your emotions tell you. Either way, if you turn around in ten years and say that was a stupid decision, at least you can say it was your stupid decision.”
“So what did you choose?” Angela queried, “logic or emotions?”
“Logic,” Lilith replied honestly, “school’s never been my thing and Uncle John was able to put in a good word for me when I applied to the Police Academy.”
“We hardly know our aunt and uncle,” Angela pointed out.
“Yeah, well, lucky for me neither he nor the academy seemed to care,” she laughed.
Angela turned to her sister, “thank you for listening, especially as I haven’t been in touch, like, forever.”
“No, thank you,” Lilith told her with a grin. “Just knowing you actually drew our parent’s attention to the fact they never take responsibility for their own actions has made my day.”
170 Main Street, Pleasantview
Dustin couldn’t help but think that this day had been the longest of his life.
Even as he went through the events of the last twenty four hours in his mind, he couldn’t help but feel as if he were watching a movie. This just couldn’t be happening, not to him, not again. It just didn’t feel real.
But as he watched his brother sleep, he couldn’t ignore that he was now his brother’s guardian. Even though the whole world felt like it was turned upside down, this responsibility was all too real.
It was just after four in the morning when Nina returned home from being the DJ at some rich kid’s party. Seeing Brandi Broke’s sons in her living room quickly reminded her that she didn’t live alone anymore. While she wasn’t put out by sharing her home, in fact the situation was more than helpful with her tight budget, she couldn’t help but have concerns.
“Hey,” Nina said quietly, not wanting to wake the youngest Broke asleep on her fold out sofa.
“Hey.”
“Can’t sleep?”
Dustin shook his head.
“I always find a beer or two helps,” she offered. Dustin hated beer but at this point was willing to try anything to help him sleep.
Dustin sat down at the kitchen counter as Nina placed a beer in front of him. As she returned to the fridge for a beer of her own she heard Dustin comment dryly that he wasn’t use to being so freely supplied with alcohol.
“I’m not your mother,” Nina retorted in her usual off handed manner. It was only when she saw the saddened look on Dustin’s face that made her realise her mistake.
She sat down next to Dustin at the counter and apologised, “I’m sorry Dustin, the filter between my brain and my mouth is pretty much switched off at this time in the morning.”
“It’s okay,” Dustin told her.
While she knew it was a sensitive time, she figured it was best to address her concerns now. “You do know that right though. I mean, that,” Nina struggled to find the right words, “I’m not going to be able to parent you. I just don’t want you to think I can fill a role I can’t.”
“It’s not that I’m not happy to have you and your brother here,” she continued, “this is your home for as long as you want it to be.”
“It’s okay Nina,” Dustin reiterated, “I know that, and that was my choice.”
Nina felt relief as her major concern about the boys staying with her was assuaged, “it doesn’t mean you’re alone though. I mean, I’ll still be here for you both.”
“Of course, that’s what friends are for right?” Dustin said softly.
It occurred to Nina she wasn’t actually sure. Dina was her twin, so she didn’t actually count as a friend, and with Don, well, their relationship had been many things but never solely or specifically a friendship. But Dustin, aside from being something like ten years younger than her, was a nice guy already in a relationship. Perhaps they could actually be friends.
“Yeah, I guess so,” Nina replied.
Art on Main, Main Street, Pleasantview
“That’s the last of the painting,” Darren said happily.
“I really could have called in someone to paint the walls for us,” Dina commented.
“I’m a painter, it’s what I do.”
“No, you’re an artist. There’s a big difference,” she replied and Darren found that he couldn’t help but smile at her enthusiasm not only for art, but his art.
“Can you believe how soon the opening is?” Dina asked excitedly. “The final few pieces are arriving on Thursday, and then on Friday the phone’s being connected, and then we’re pretty much good to go.”
“I don’t believe how quickly you’ve brought it all together,” Darren told her earnestly.
“I couldn’t have done it without you.”
“I’m actually pretty sure you could have,” he replied with a chuckle.
Dina smiled, even she couldn’t deny that she had organised the gallery more efficiently than anyone had expected of her, let alone herself.
Darren held the door open for her as she headed to her car. On her way out she paused, “You know, I might have been able to do this by myself,” she said thoughtfully, “but I’m glad I’m doing with it you.”
165 Sim Lane, Pleasantview
Dina’s cheerful mood disappeared as she pulled into the driveway. Slamming the door to her SUV shut, she felt her blood run cold at the sight of the ambulance parked across the street.
She knew from experience that nothing good ever came from having an ambulance parked outside your home.
After finding the downstairs empty, Dina ran upstairs. Seeing a maudlin Alexander outside her and Mortimer’s bedroom did nothing to allay her fears.
Her first thought was of her son, but she knew she had left a perfectly healthy toddler only hours before.
Later she would realise while she could clearly heard the voices of the paramedics in the next room, it had been the quivering lip of her step-son which had confirmed the worst.
“Is everyone alright?” Dina choked out, “what’s happened?”
“It’s Dad,” Alexander replied quietly, “they just said his time was up.”