Westbrook Academy for Metahumans: Forums

Sometime Friday morning, over an hour before orientation

Lauren ended the call and pulled up Wyatt’s number on her cell phone. Half an hour. That’s all the time they had to get ready before her parents arrived.

Wyatt’s voice answered on the other end, “Hey, Lauren!”

“Hey, Wyatt! Mom and Dad will be here in about thrity minutes. Can you be ready in about twenty?”

“I'm already up, showered, and dressed.” No wonder he didn’t sound groggy at all. “I just gotta put on some shoes.”

“That was fast...” She gathered her uniform as she spoke. “How long have you been up?”

“About two hours.”

“Two hours?” Was he nervous? His voice was just a little off. It sounded nervous. She paused for a moment and added in a teasing tone, “Now you're making me feel bad about not getting up early to hit the rink or go for a run this morning.”

“I would've slept in but I was on a couch and had to get back up before people started stirrin'. I got enough sleep though.”

“What were you... Did you sleep in the commons again?”

“Yeah. Gettin' used to it though.”

Lauren moved into the bathroom. “You've got to stop doing that,” she admonished gently. “I'm going to get a quick shower. See you in fifteen?”

“Sure thing!” She closed the bathroom door and hung up.

She checked the time on her phone as she descended the stairs to the second floor. She’d managed to shower, get dressed, and add a little makeup in just less than fifteen minutes. Her hair was still damp, but it was good enough.

As she approached Wyatt’s room, she heard quiet strumming wafting into the hall from his guitar. She could barely make out his voice singing along. The song was familiar, but she couldn’t place it right away. She still felt flush from her rush to get ready and from being so excited about today’s visit. She stopped outside his door, resting her fingers on the frame and leaning her head against the wall.

After a few moments, the music stopped. There was movement inside the room, and just as Lauren was about to knock on the frame, Wyatt’s head popped into view.

"Oh! Hey! I heard you playing! I just stopped to listen. And good morning!" Was she babbling? She felt giddy. She gave him a quick kiss.

He kissed her back and smiled in a way that lit up his whole face. “Hi! You look great!”

She smiled back. “Thanks! You too!” She reached up to straighten his tie. That’s what you’re supposed to do, right? It looked fine though, so she just placed her hand over it on his chest. “Do you want to wait downstairs?”

Wyatt had a little bit of a smug look from the tie thing as he pondered her question. “Yeah. Sounds good.”

As they made their way down the stairs, Wyatt began to look nervous. “You think they’ll like me?”

“I know they will! You’ll see!” She was so certain of it, she would have been willing to bet Roach, even.

Figuring her parents would have to park, check in, and get a visitor’s pass or something, and someone would probably be there to show them to the dorms, they waited in the commons.

Thanks to Wyatt’s player for all his work with me on this.

Taylor's thumbs furiously pounded the buttons of her PSP. She looked up with anticipation each time a car drove into the lot, but she tried not to look too anxious as she leaned against a decrepit looking tree who's shade was a welcome addition on such a bright day. She half expected her parents not to be able to come. The ranch would be busy as hell this time of year. But Cale was home from college for the summer to help out, and with Trent, Bryce, Shane and Jack there, her dad said they'd have everything covered, and for him? That was huge. Her dad hated leaving the ranch for anything. The thought that he was going to fly out and tell her he was dying or something crossed her mind more than once.

She'd just finished off a pile of Zombies in Dead Island that was sure to make Syd Walker jealous when the rental car turned the corner, and the passenger side window rolled down.

"Taylor!" Her mom's voice rang out. It was the same voice that could call 7 kids from the barn to dinner, but Taylor beamed just the same. Her mom was out and embracing her in a hug before her father even had the chance to put the car in park. "There's my baby girl!"

"I missed you too, Mom." She giggled, getting hugged even tighter.

"That all you been doing?" Earl Brenton teased as he closed the drivers door and walked around the back of the vehicle. "Playing those video games? Ain't there no work to be done?" Taylor's mom released her so she could hug her father as well, and he hugged so hard her back cracked in at least four places as her feet left the ground.

"This ain't Wyoming." She shot back. "No one here knows what real work is anyways." Except for the whole patrolling thing, but why bring that up and rain on their visit. Her father laughed as he released her, then pushed his ten gallon hat back up on his head.

They toured the campus, her dad seeing it for the first time, and ended the tour with Westy's, which in retrospect was likely a bad idea. Taylor had to point out several times that she had nothing to do with the amount of extinguishers and fire proofing, but truth be told, that made it one of her favorite places on campus. She told them she was considering a part time job there so she wouldn't become too much of a slacker, when in reality, playing video games, helping Sydney in the lab and patrolling was more the plan. School work was easy, it always came easy for her, and the stuff that didn't, she was best friends with a genius. They talked about her friends, and mostly Syd's name came up. Socially, she hadn't made that many friends, but that wasn't all that different from Cheyenne. She tried being outgoing when she first arrived. She dyed her hair blond, bought a whole bunch of 'in' clothes, but that wasn't her. She liked her blue jeans and superhero/video game themed tee shirts, her flannel button ups. Inside she was the same shy kid that never minded going home after school to help out. The firebug that wanted to do bigger and better with her powers. The side-kick wannabe. The girl who'd stay up too late hiding under her blanket trying to clear another level on the PSP without waking her sister up.

She missed her brothers, and was thrilled to hear that Shane planned to go to RISU in the fall. She'd have family near by, which was great, because as she stared at her parents sitting across the table from her, as they ate steak sandwiches and complained about the quality of beef used in the East in general, she realized she missed them lots too. She missed her horses and the ranch, but there was also things here that she'd miss more, namely, patrolling. There wasn't a whole lot of crime in Wyoming, no where near as rampant as there was in Paragon.

She was determined to have a good visit with her parents, they'd be there all weekend and there was so much she wanted to show them. Places she liked to go, Syd and his lab, she just knew it was going to be great. She snickered, slipping the PSP into her messenger bag. Unless of course the raptors showed up.

He was twelve minutes late and counting when Margaret Black checked her watch for the tenth time.

"He'll be here when he can, Margie," Howard said from the bench behind her. She'd tried sitting a couple times, but inevitably found herself pacing in the grass, eyes peering through the crowd for sign of her son, Tupperware of snickerdoodles held tight in both hands.

"He didn't say why we needed the cookies?" she asked for the seventh time since Milo had called at the beginning of the week. He'd spoken with his father, of course, who had never written down a message in his life. Surely it couldn't be a bad thing; they were cookies after all. It was just an unexpected thing, and Milo didn't do unexpected things. "But that's why we sent him here," she continued her thought out loud. Thirteen minutes late.

He appeared just before her watch hit the fifteenth minute, his light hair and pointed face skimming over the surface of the steady stream of people. The height, mostly in the legs, came from her side of the family. There wasn't a lot of her in him, not that anyone would notice anyway, but she'd given him his legs. The rest of him came into view as he emerged from the crowd, quietly sidestepping and dodging around bodies in motion. His tie was crooked, uniform wrinkled and hanging loose on his frame. He'd lost more weight this month.

"Hi Mom. Hi Dad."

Howard stood and smiled, "Hello, Son. We're glad to see you."

"Eventually," his wife picked up where he left off. "We're going to have a chat Sunday. Late doesn't start at fifteen minutes, no matter what we've said before. On time is on time. And you haven't been eating. Have a cookie."

"I'm not," he began, but she cut him off with a short tsk between her teeth. He took one of the proffered snickerdoodles and, under her unblinking gaze, took a small bite.

"Now, tell me what these are for," she went on, snapping the lid closed. "It was all I could do to keep your brother from eating more than half the batch."

"Roach. He wants things from parents."

"Roach again?"

"Well, all right, Milo," Mr. Black stepped in. "That's a very friendly thing to do. Why don't you show us where you go to classes?"

"Here." Milo pointed to the building beside them.

"Right, right. Will you show us where this crime fighting class we signed away our rights for meets?" Howard always stressed the importance of specifics. Milo was a smart boy, but he struggled sometimes with picking up the intent behind the words, particularly when there were a lot of things competing for his attention like today.

"Ok." And he stepped back into the flowing crowd. This time he moved slower and made fewer concessions to others passing by. Protecting his parents, Margie thought with a smile.

Faige was leaning against one of the trees near the parking lot looking as 'cool' as possible as the cars approached. She was expecting her mother and perhaps her aunt. After all, she'd just started here and her mother was still staying in the city. She wasn't expecting her father. As their car pulled up, Faige pushed herself to a stand and headed over with a bit of a wave. It was just her mom, nobody else had bothered to show. Ah well.

"Hey mom..." she said as the pant-suit dressed Josie Harrison stepped out in all her blond, pearl wearing, former cheerleader radiance.

"Faige sweetie!" her mother half squealed, embracing her daughter before pushing her back to "fix" the girls black and green hair with a tut. "I wish you wouldn't dye it these awful colours, you know it damages..."

"Mom... mom--" the teenager interjected. "Thanks for coming."

"Well you know your father had to fly back home, but I wanted to make an appearance anyway. I know we just took the tour but I didn't get to meet any of the teachers, just the head master who was very nice I must say.."

"Okay... " she muttered, gesturing onward to the other parents milling about in front of the building. "Come on, I'm just kinda getting to know the place. I'll show you my favorite spots..."

"Yes yes in a moment darling. I must speak with the English teacher." Her mother lowered her voice to a near whisper "Are you still falling behind?"

"Mo-om!" Faige shot her mother the kind of look only a teenager can muster "No! I'm almost caught up."

The pair walked up into the school building and, in spite of Faige's insistence that they check out Westy's first, headed straight to the classrooms instead. Her mother made every effort she could to endear herself to both the teachers and the other parents, perhaps appearing a bit overdone in the process. Faige often stayed a few steps behind, eyes on her feet in embarrassment as her mother tittered and clucked and commented on things like how much her 'little girl' had loved band in her old school, how she didn't think she had the legs for cheerleading and how she wishes her daughter would wear a skirt like a proper 'young lady'.

Eventually she was able to pry her mother away to check out her dorm room and have a bottle of water at the diner, the pair sat in a booth and chatted quietly about her father's job and her little brother going to boy scout camp. In all, Faige thought the visit 'could have been worse' and gave her mom a genuine hug as she stepped into her car that evening to leave, assured that her daughter was happy at her new school.

Sometime Friday morning, still before orientation

Lauren broke the drawn out silence that had developed as they waited. “What was that song you were playing? I’ve heard it before.”

“Head Full of Doubt. Avett Brothers.”

“Oh! They sang that at the Grammy’s this year, right?”

As Wyatt nodded, Lauren spotted her parents entering. Her father turned to thank someone, probably whoever escorted them there. He was a little taller than average with sandy brown hair. He appeared to be in good physical shape and wore a green polo-style shirt with khaki’s and dress shoes. He drew Lauren into an embrace as she stepped forward with her arms wide. “Hi, honey! It’s good to see you!”

Her mother’s blonde hair was cut shorter than Lauren’s, and she shared the same blue eyes. She appeared more formal in a dress and modest jewelry more in line with a cocktail party than a school visit. She took her turn to hug Lauren adding, “It’s just not the same without you at home.”

Lauren smiled at them and took a couple of steps back. She turned towards Wyatt and put her hand on his arm. “Mom? Dad? This is Wyatt!”

Wyatt drew a quick, sharp breath, likely only noticeable to Lauren and extended his hand towards her father. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Lombardi.”

Wyatt looked her father in the eye as they approached one another, but tilted his head slightly down in deference as her father took his hand in a firm handshake. “So this is the boyfriend we’ve heard almost nothing about?” His lips curled upward in the same smirk that came so often and easily to Lauren. “You can call me Darryl. This is my wife, Jackie.”

Jackie moved forward to take Wyatt’s hand in both of hers. He offered her a charming smile before she cast a reproving glance at her husband. “Don’t let him fool you. Lauren’s told us all about you.”

“I hope she didn't tell you too much.” The look on Wyatt’s face that followed was a clear indication he wasn’t sure if he phrased that in a good way.

Jackie only laughed and said, “If she did, your secrets are safe with us. So, Lauren tells us you're on the cheerleading squad with her?”

A visible look of relief crossed Wyatt’s face as she changed the subject. “Yes. It's a lot of fun. I think we're gonna be a pretty good squad.”

Jackie released Wyatt’s hand and returned to her husband’s side. “She also said you play the guitar and you’re a decent singer.” As Darryl put an arm around his wife, Lauren moved back to Wyatt’s side and put her arm around him.

Wyatt’s face heated up with his signature blush, “I ain't -- I'm not that good with either. Lauren's just too nice to say something bad about anybody.”

Lauren grinned and looked to her mother, “See? Isn't he cute when he does that?” Her father politely pretended to look around as if inspecting the commons while her mother smiled and laughed quietly. Lauren quickly changed the subject. "Come on up! I'll show you my room!"

She hooked her arm in Wyatt’s as he grinned shyly. She wanted to be there for him until she was sure he wasn’t going to be nervous any longer.

They started chatting as they went up the stairs. Lauren’s parents began with obvious questions about where he was from and how it compared to Paragon. Once they reached her dorm room, her father veered into more unusual topics. He asked about the city’s history. Lauren redirected the conversation and tried to get Wyatt talking about the “landscaping” he had helped Mr. Deathrage with. When he started bringing up the Might for Right Act, Lauren mentioned the statue of Georgia Reynolds in Atlas Park. After remarking what it was like to gaze up at the giant statue, it was easy to bring up how different the night sky was in a big city and how difficult it could be to see the stars. She wondered aloud if the night sky was as clear in Point South as it was outside of Manchester. He tried to ask Wyatt what he thought about the use of force in solving problems. After she chastised him for bringing up such a serious topic after just meeting, he gave up. She wondered if she was missing something, but for the next half hour, it was easier to stick to topics that would be comfortable for everyone.

Again, thanks to Wyatt’s player.

Right now, Donovan hated his hair. Normally, the thick mass on his head was at least somewhat tamable for about 5 minutes until he walked out the door but today it was being extra fussy. Or maybe it was just him. After all, he was supposed to meet Amy's parents today and he wanted to make a good impression. Leaving the hair alone for a minute to focus on buttoning up the shirt, he grumbled as he got the holes lined up wrong then again. How was this so difficult?!

"Duuuude, relax man." Adam called out from where he lay on his bed, nose buried in his book, "Just smile, shake their hands and don't mention anything you might have done to their daughter. Easy as pie."

Finally getting the buttons right, Donovan went back to his hair, "Not funny Adam." The more Donovan thought about it, the more nervous it made him. Deep down, he knew that Brook was probably right and Amy's parents wouldn't like him no matter what he did. Well, maybe her mom. But her dad? It was well documented that fathers and boyfriends never really mixed well. "Shouldn't you be getting ready?"

Adam sighed and closed his book before setting it aside, "I am ready. Not going out there til it's all said and done, roomie. Gonna stay in here where it's nice and quiet and play FacePlace games til my eyes bleed. Or as I like to call it, just another Friday night." Due to Adam Hunts mutation, his body constantly produced energy, meaning he never had to eat or sleep...which left him with a lot of time on his hands.

"Still not talking to them, huh?" Donovan asked, trying one last time to quell the raging hair storm on his head before finally settling with a decent-ish look. Adam's parents had dropped Adam off two years ago and had made only cursory attempts to keep in contact with their son. To say Adam took it a little personally was an understatement.

Adam flashed him a disarming smile, "Hey man, just means I don't gotta parade myself around like the rest of you fools. I get a day off from classes. Got Amon Amarth to rock to and high scores to dominate. My day is set, my friend." There was a moment of silence before Adam spoke up again, "Still bummed about your parents not making it?"

Donovan shrugged without a thought, "I'm used to it. And I just saw them a few weeks ago so it's not like I'm totally missing out." However, it was a half-truth. It did bother him that his parents weren't able to make it to Parents Day but he hadn't really expected them to show up anyways. Donovan knew that they would always be there when he needed them and he didn't today. Besides, it would just add to the awkwardness he was about to embark on.

As if on cue, there was a knock on his door. Looking at the clock by his bed, Donovan saw that he was running a little late. "Oh man..." He muttered as he did one last check in the mirror, "Alright, wish me luck."

"May the Force be with you, young padawan." Adam called out as he waved. "Knock 'em dead."

Orientation was scheduled to begin in about twenty minutes. Darryl and Jackie made their parting remarks and left the young couple in the commons to await Wyatt’s parents. Many of the other students’ parents had already arrived and Wyatt was starting to get nervous. He looked around anxiously. “Somethin' happened. He did somethin'... made 'em miss the plane or somethin'...”

Lauren put her hand on Wyatt's arm and spoke reassuringly, “Relax, Wyatt. They'll be here. It could be their flight just got delayed. We could check on the Internet, I think?”

Wyatt started to respond when his attention was caught by another arrival. Lauren followed his gaze to a pretty woman who had the air of a girl-next-door-turned-young-thirty-something. Aside from the fact that she began to make her way toward them as soon as she saw Wyatt, it was pretty easy to see that she was his mother from the same thick, dark hair and hazel eyes. Lauren was a little surprised that she looked so young. She was wearing a blouse of simple white with a blue bow at the collar and a matching blue skirt. She smiled as she approached.

As they stood up, Lauren leaned to Wyatt to whisper, “She’s beautiful!”

To Lauren’s continued surprise, Wyatt’s mother addressed her first. “My, my. You sure are a pretty one. I hope you're Lauren.”

Lauren smiled and tried to mask her embarrassment as she extended her hand. “The one and only. It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Wyborn.”

She took Lauren’s hand. “Call me Jennifer. I'm so happy to meet you.” She turned slightly toward Wyatt addressing him , “Wyatt hasn't told me much about you, even though he mentions you all the time. Men, you know. They can talk and talk and never tell you a thing.”

Lauren giggled as Jennifer hugged Wyatt and kissed his cheek, "You look so handsome! I miss you so much!" When they separated, each had a tear on their cheek, but it was impossible to tell whether one of the two or both had shed them.

Wyatt looked past Jennifer. "Dad...?"

Jennifer looked to Lauren, “Would you excuse us just a second, hon? I need to talk to my boy for just a little while.”

“Of course, Mrs...” Lauren stopped and corrected herself with a smile, “Jennifer.” She picked a chair across the room to sit in to give them some privacy. Wyatt and his mother stood together for a few minutes before Wyatt smiled and hugged his mother. Lauren smiled a little to herself at the sight.

Lauren stood up as they came to her arm-in-arm. Wyatt had a wide grin on his face, clearly happy about something. “We're back,” he announced.

Lauren grinned at him, thrilled to see him so cheerful. “I can see that!”

“Thanks, hon. Told you I wouldn't keep him long.” As they started off toward orientation, Jennifer took a few moments to look around the place, sizing it up. “It's a pretty school. Do you like it here, Lauren?”

“Oh, definitely! It almost feels like home, now. Not that I don't miss home sometimes, of course.”

“And where is home?”

“Manchester. Up in New Hampshire. It's not that far away, actually.”

“Wyatt said you're a little Yankee gal,” Jennifer said, with a good-natured teasing.

Lauren giggled in response. "I'm afraid so." She rounded on Wyatt with a grin, "Is that what you call me, now?"

Wyatt blushed and tried to explain, "I didn't actually say --"

Lauren giggled again, “I’m only teasing.”

His mother laughed and said, “I don't think he'll ever outgrow that blushin'. He's done that ever since he was a baby, every time I changed his diaper.”

“Mom!” Wyatt protested.

Lauren laughed again. “Oh! That reminds me. Thanks again for posting those pictures. He was an absolutely adorable baby... And every time he blushes, I think it's cute.”

Jennifer offered a warm, appreciative smile. “I have more. Maybe the two of you can come down over one of your breaks -- Labor Day? Thanksgivin'? I can show you all his school pictures too.” She paused briefly before adding, “If it's all right with your parents, of course.”

“Oh, I'm sure they won't mind at all. I'd love to do that!” Lauren looked toward Wyatt both to offer him a smile and to see his reaction.

Wyatt returned the smile, starting to look about as giddy as Lauren had felt earlier.

“It’s good to see you in such a great mood!” She kept her voice low, but this close, it was impossible to keep his mother from overhearing.

“I’m just happy to have my two favorite girls with me.”

Continued thanks to Wyatt’s player.

"Hi Roach."

Milo had walked them to each of his classes, where Margaret and Howard had asked the same series of three questions about each class and he has answered in short, nearly identical phrases. They'd bumped into a few teachers, who were all very cordial but short on details about their son's class time experiences. Margie added regular attendance and school work to the list of things to discuss Sunday.

She got her first glimpse of the boy called Roach as they walked out one of the less crowded side doors to the classrooms. He looked to be just leaving the stadium when he caught sight of her son and turned and headed toward them with only a moment's hesitation. He had an air of something like shabbiness to him, even in his uniform, that indefinable quality that set apart children who were well cared for from children who just weren't. Even before Milo greeted him, she knew who he was. She ought to, as much as she heard about him from week to week.

He glanced at her and down at himself as if he knew exactly what was running through her mind -- which of course he did, she reminded herself -- before his face seemed to turn on and he dropped a hand on Milo's shoulder. "Hey there, Milo. Giving the 'rents the old run around, I see. Showing 'em the sights. You're a good son, you know."

"Ok."

"Howard Black," her husband jumped in with his hand outstretched and what she jokingly called his salesman smile, "and this is my wife Margaret. It feels like we're meeting a celebrity. We've heard so much about you."

"If it's good, I swear it's all lies," Roach said as he accepted the handshake. Howard laughed and Margie smiled a little, watching her son almost correct him before realizing it was a joke. He didn't laugh, hadn't in years, but she was fairly certain he understood why other people did.

"They have cookies," Milo announced when the laughter stopped.

"Oh?" and then "Oh!" as realization struck. "Because I asked whose parents were bringing stuff."

Milo nodded and then Margie saw a different smile slip across the face of the boy called Roach. "Well, thanks Milo. That's uh... Thanks."

In that moment, she made a decision. She would wonder about it more than once in the days, weeks, and months that followed, but in the moment she simply acted on it.

"We're just on our way to the dormitory, Roach. You come show us where you're staying. And here, be a dear and carry these." She kept talking as she pushed the small tub of cookies into the boy's arms and started her little herd of men moving toward their next stop, "Lord knows I don't need all those airborne calories hovering around me. Matter of fact, you hold on to those and just bring the Tupperware with you to Sunday lunch. Don't bother dressing up; it's very casual."

She and Milo would have to discuss promptness, eating, and school another time. Howard caught her hand and gave it a squeeze in the sudden quiet that fell as they set out across the lawn. She couldn't get a read on Roach's reaction, but he fell into step with the rest of them. Milo seemed, if anything, happy. His face was a blank, naturally, but it was a relaxed, at ease blank.

"Perfect weather today for this," she chimed as they walked.



[[Big thanks to The Mindful Fool]]

Jeremy bounced the soccer ball off his right knee, then his left. Then his right, then his forehead. Then left, right, right, left. It was fun.

He was waiting for Dad outside. He was supposed to get there soon, he’d sent a text message saying he was on his way over. It’d been a while since he’d seen Dad last in person. He wasn’t even sure how long ago, it had to be at least weeks though.

“Hey Jer! Your dad’s not here yet?”

Jeremy caught the ball and turned, smiling at Jamie as she walked over to him. She was really pretty today. Should he say that? No, she’d asked a question, he should answer the question, otherwise he’d sound weird.

“Nope! He’s on his way though! He texted me.” He tossed the ball up in the air a few inches then caught it as it fell. Then repeated that a few times as he continued. “What about your mom, did she decide to come? Is she on her way?”

Jamie giggled. “No, I told you. My mom can’t make it.”

“Oh. Right.” Jeremy thought he remembered that. “Do you want to stay and meet my Dad? I’ve told him about you! I think he wants to meet you!”

“Sure! I’d love to.”

“Awesome!” He paused for a moment, trying to think of what to say. “Oh! I guess that means you have the day off then!”

Jessie looked like she was about to say something, but before she really had a chance, another voice cut in.

“There’s my boy!” A man who was obviously Jeremy’s father walked over to them. “How’re you doing, sport?”

“Dad! You made it!” Jeremy gave his father a one-armed hug, holding the soccer ball in his other arm.

“Of course I did.” His father returned the hug, one-armed as well, then looked at Jessie. “And this must be the young lady you keep telling me about.”

Jeremy blushed slightly, which prompted Jessie to giggle a little. “Yeah! Dad this is Jamie! She’s my girlfriend.” Jeremy beamed.

“Hi, Mr. Paterson, I’m Jessie’s Sullivan,” she said. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Pleasure’s all mine.” Jeremy’s dad gave her a firm handshake. “Especially if half the things Jeremy tells me are true.”

“Dad!” Jeremy blushed some more and Jessie giggled again.

“Okay, okay, I’ll stop teasing.” He turned his attention back to Jessie again. “Jeremy told me he thought your parents might not be coming. Would you like to join us for dinner tonight?”

“That would be great, Mr. Paterson.”

“Great. Well then, sport. Shall we see what your teachers have to say about you?”

“Sure! I’m doing good in my classes!”

“I’m glad to hear it. Lead the way, you know where we’re going. It was nice meeting you, Jessie.”

Jessie giggled as Jeremy started to lead his father away. “It was nice to meet you, too, Mr. Paterson.”

“Bye Jessie! See you later!”

((Thanks to Jessie's player!))

Wyatt's eyes opened as the scream cut abruptly short. Had that been real, or part of the nightmare. His body was fully awake, but it took a moment before his mind caught up with it.

Where was he? He wasn't in his bed and he wasn't on one of the sofas in the commons. He sat up to get his bearings and then he remembered: he was lying on a pile of blankets on the floor of the hotel room that his mother had gotten for the weekend. Dimly lit by the soft glow of the nightlight that barely whispered its presence from the room's small bath, Wyatt could see the single bed where his mother still lie sleeping.

Parents Day Weekend had been like riding a rollercoaster through a whirlwind. Meeting Lauren's parents had been stressful, but they didn't seem like bad people. (Well, of course they weren't bad people! Could an amazing girl like Lauren be raised by anyone other than the nicest of parents?) And there was the uncomfortable run-in with Mia's father. But before that, between Lauren's parents and Mia's dad, his own mother had arrived, late, and without his father...

At first Wyatt hadn't known what to think, but right away his mom had taken him aside to explain things to him. After Wyatt's arrest, after she had moved out of their home and left his father, she had filed for seperation. While abandonment wasn't grounds for divorce in North Carolina, it could very well figure into the disbursement of property, and her lawyer had advised her that, since she was the abandoner, she stood to be on the losing end of the divorce settlement. The only reason that she had moved back in with her husband was so that she could increase the odds of a favorable outcome for herself in the divorce. Then, when Wyatt's dad had become a member of the flakiest church in Point South, she used that as a wedge and soon, he had left her.

All of this ran through Wyatt's mind as he sat and looked at her sleeping. He really missed her and wished that somehow, she could move somewhere closer; somewhere that he could see her more often; somewhere that he and Lauren could drop in and have a home-cooked meal with her. The what if's playing like sneak previews in his mind made him smile and gave him hope and made him forget about the nightmare that had awakened him.

His mother's eyelashes fluttered. She opened her eyes and smiled. "Is everything all right, hon?"

Wyatt returned the smile and was about to tell her that, yes, everything was all right, except that on the bed, on the other side of where the blankets hid his mother's contours, movement startled him into silence. Someone was there. Someone was in bed with his mom while he had been sleeping on the floor beside her? How? Who? What was happening?

The someone raised his head and rested his chin on the shoulder of Wyatt's mother.

"Yeah, Cas" Roach Copeland said, "Is everything all right?"

Wyatt's eyes opened as his scream cut abruptly short. Had that been real, or part of the nightmare. His body was fully awake, but it took a moment before his mind caught up with it...