Stupid Boy: Senior Year - Winter 19

Chapter 19 -- I Smell Smoke

Tuesday January 3

My eyes blinked open, and I looked over at Brook. She'd managed to kick off the sheets during the night. That would explain why I felt cold. She was gloriously naked, so I took a moment to take in her exquisite body. It reminded me of our fun last night before falling asleep.

She stretched and smiled coyly at me.

"Tell me how much you love me," she said.

I laughed.

"Demanding today, are we? I thought you were bossy enough last night," I replied.

She rolled over and threw her arms around me.

"Tell me, tell me you love me," she said.

"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways," I said, quoting Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

Sometimes, my education came in handy.

"Would you climb the highest mountain for me?"

She was in a goofy mood. I nodded my head.

"Of course."

"Swim the deepest ocean?"

I raised my eyebrows.

"Only for you."

"Buy me a little sports car?"

"Why don't I just buy you a sports car, and you drive it up the mountain?" I suggested.

She giggled. The way it made her breasts move caught the attention of the sexual beast deep within. And here I was sure she'd slain him last night with her antics.

"Come on, Big Daddy," she almost purred. "Tell me."

"Whatev," I said in my best valley-girl imitation. "I love you."

"Brat," she said, then tickled me and gave me a pout. "That the best you can do?"

My eyes got big.

"You asked for it, Missy. There will be no toes wiggling by the end of the day."

I rolled on top of her, and my hands slid beneath her buttocks as I entered her, slowly, gently, until all of me was consumed in her hotness. Brook made a contented moan. I could already tell it was going to be a good day.

---

Brook told me she needed more sleep and kicked me out of bed. Before breakfast, Tracy, Wolf, and Tim joined us for a morning surf. I helped Tami this morning while Pam and Manaia worked with the newcomers. It didn't take long before everyone was up and surfing.

Tim pointed to a woman lying on the beach when we came in.

"Do you think she's okay?"

We all looked closer. The woman was in a version of the little black dress, and there was a bottle of wine next to her. It looked like she'd had one too many and decided to sleep it off. Tami was ready to go check to make sure she was okay when Wolf stopped her.

"I bet David can pick her up."

The girls gave Wolf a look that said he was probably right. I was glad they had my back.

"I think it would be funnier if he scared her off," Tim said.

"Oh, I like that. He has to leave his shirt off, though," Wolf enthused.

"What's the bet?" I asked.

"If you pick her up, I have to let Cassidy put makeup on me. If you fail, Wolf lets her," Tim said.

I shrugged. I was just glad I didn't have to share the same fate as the loser. Wolf gave me a hopeful look because he knew how bad Cassidy had been at applying makeup when they dated. What he didn't realize was that my mom had taught her how to do it right. I bet Cassidy would enjoy making one of them up.

"Hang on. I want to record your epic fail. It's not every day that a girl turns down David," Tracy said and ran back to the car to get her phone.

Once Tracy returned, I made my way to where the girl was sleeping. When I got close, I realized she was probably in her mid-20s. Her dress had ridden up, and I could see a glimpse of her frilly panties. Her high heels were lying next to her. The girl was cute, in a total mess kind of way. She had sand in her hair, and, I was sure, in other places she didn't want it.

I got down on one knee next to her head to check whether she really was okay. She seemed to be sleeping. That was when inspiration struck. Sleeping Beauty was awakened with a kiss, so why not kiss her? I leaned down and did just that. To my surprise, it worked.

My Sleeping Beauty blinked a couple of times, then raised her arm to block the sun from her eyes and moaned. It was clear she was hungover. She squinted at me.

"Do I know you?" she asked.

I just stared at her with my best creepy stalker look. I must have nailed it because she sat up and looked nervous. Since I was on a roll, I decided to raise the creep factor.

"You're purdy," I said with a backwoods flair like you'd expect if you were about to be abducted by a pack of hillbillies.

The poor girl just stared back at me. She looked like a deer standing frozen in the middle of the road, caught in the headlights of a Mack truck bearing down on it. I could see she was contemplating whether she should run or try to kick my butt. I just stared back as the moment became decidedly awkward.

"Get the hell away from me," she blurted.

I held up my hands and stood up. I slowly backed up, and then she saw my friends with big smiles and Tracy with her phone out, recording our encounter. The girl closed her eyes and shook her head.

"Damn, I've been punked," she said.

"You okay to get home?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm good and learned my lesson about drinking too much. If you do, you become a cautionary meme on social media. I must look a mess."

Her hair reminded me of some infamous celebrity mug shots. Specifically, Nick Nolte's, Mel Gibson's, and Lindsay Lohan's, in a mash-up way. I made sure she got in her car and drove home. We then went to my go-to diner and ate breakfast. I decided that morning sex, surfing, hanging out with friends, making crazy bets, and eating greasy food was how every day should start.

---

Wolf was a much better sport than I would've been. He let Cassidy put bright red lipstick and green eyeshadow on him. The funny part was that he didn't look like that big of a freak when you considered we were in LA. Tim took a quick picture and shared it, and I was impressed that Wolf's mom was on the phone with him so quickly. It was a little creepy that our mothers all followed us on social media.

"No, Mom, I'm not secretly gay," Wolf whined.

Tim and I had huge smiles when we heard that. I now fully appreciated why my mom loved to have dirt on us. This was something that could be used for years to come and still be funny. When he got off the phone, he gave us both a hard look.

"You've had your fun. Can I go wash my face now?" Wolf asked.

"I don't know. Tracy posted the video of me to the world," I said.

"It has started to trend. Are you sure Lily really works for you? I might have a problem with her re-tweeting it so everyone could watch you sexually harass that poor girl," Tim said.

"I didn't sexually harass her," I complained and then got us back on track. "What do you think goes with Wolf's makeup? Jeans and a t-shirt probably don't cut it. We might have to stop and get him a cute sundress. Something that shows a lot of cleavage."

I must have been out of practice because Wolf caught me and tossed me into the pool. Tim either felt sorry for him or didn't want to suffer the same fate because he let Wolf remove his makeup.

---

Lexi had planned for us to go to Olvera Street for the day. She knew we couldn't do things that were too costly every day. The yacht had been something that was a special treat, even if it didn't cost me anything. For the most part, we were all high school kids on a budget. I'd had Manaia pick up a short bus so we all could go together. Brook and I hurried so we could claim the back seat.

Lexi stood up and acted like a tour guide when we were on our way.

"Olvera Street is considered 'Old Los Angeles.' They have a street market where many of the owners are descendants of the original owners from the 1940s. The market was created back then to preserve the customs and flavors of historic California.

"We used to go when I was a kid, and I loved the Aztec dancers. They also have traditional Mexican dancers and a strolling mariachi band. And the food is to die for," Lexi concluded.

When we got off the bus, Cassidy spotted a sign for a 50-minute historical walking tour of El Pueblo de Los Angeles, also called the Los Angeles Plaza Historic District. The guided walk gave us a feel for the area and let us figure out where we wanted to spend time later. We were shown a plaque that said on September 4, 1781, eleven families settled there to found today's LA.

The walk reminded me of my time in Cuba. All the old buildings, people strolling around the plaza, and the ancient church made you feel like you'd stepped back in time. It was a nice walk-around; the gal giving the tour was witty and knew her stuff. We all had a good time.

I noticed that Wolf and Sarah were holding hands, and I hoped they'd worked out whatever had been the problem between them.

Two of the highlights were a tour of the Avila Adobe, built in 1818 and the oldest surviving residence in LA, and a tour of Old Plaza Firehouse, constructed in 1884. The adobe home had three-foot-thick walls and was built by a wealthy cattle rancher. We also discovered that a portion of the area was the location of the original Chinatown.

After the tour, the girls wanted to hit Olvera Street and shop. Tim, Wolf, and I decided the smell of tacos and taquitos was too tempting to pass up. Street food always made me a little nervous, but the line at the food cart was long, so I figured it probably wouldn't kill us.

My usual sidekick, Manaia, had gone with the girls. I wasn't surprised when Cassidy ordered as much food as the three of us. I was even less surprised when I had to pay for hers. Someone forgot to bring any money. Why should she when I was around?

We found a pleasant table under a tree, where we ate and spent some quality guy time.

"Who should we invite to the party?" Wolf asked.

I'd almost forgotten they wanted to have one.

"When did you want to do it?" I asked.

"Friday night. We're all leaving Saturday," Tim reminded me.

"Did you like the people I invited for the boat trip?" I asked.

"What was up with that chick that grabbed my package?" Tim asked.

I hadn't known she'd done that.

"She's a friend of Isabel's. I met her one other time, and she did that check on all the guys at the party. Did she do it to the Japanese group?" I asked.

"Uh, yeah! I thought they were going to faint," Wolf said. "I vote you invite her."

"Frick. I will have to do some serious damage control when I go back to the set on Sunday. I think they were a little shocked that Brook and I spent time together," I shared.

"Is Halle into Ben?" Cassidy asked.

"Invite them both and Isabel. That's a train wreck waiting to happen," Wolf predicted.

Again, frick! If the guys realized that Halle and Ben had a thing for each other, it would only be a matter of time before Isabel figured it out. What was that Polish proverb? Not my circus, not my monkeys. I'd warned Halle twice, but she would do whatever she wanted. I'd been a friend and tried to warn her off. If she ended up sleeping with Ben, she was a big girl and could face the consequences.

"What about my castmates in the J-drama?" I asked to change the subject.

"The younger ones were fun," Cassidy said.

"Yeah, I liked them, and they really appreciate you showing them around," Tim shared.

It sounded like my friends had made an effort to meet people at the party.

"I have to warn you if we have a party, some neighbors will probably show up. Be careful of Teresa's mom, Paulina. She's a lonely trophy wife who is trouble with a capital 'T,'" I said.

"Is she the one who seduced Ian?" Cassidy asked, and then her eyes got big when both Wolf and Tim looked at her. "Shit, forget I said that."

Once again, frick!

"Ian, as in Brook's dad?" Tim asked.

"Seriously, if I hear that you two talked about this, I will break some bones," Cassidy warned.

We all looked at her with a touch of fear. I'd never seen her so grim. I had to agree that Brook would be mortified to discover that anyone else was aware of the problems between her parents and what had caused them.

"Are Ava and Ian okay?" Tim asked.

I took a deep breath and shook my head 'no.'

"That sucks," Wolf said. "You can count on us to keep it quiet. I know I wouldn't want something like this talked about if my parents were having problems."

"Yeah. I'm just sorry that Brook's having to go through this. She's lucky to have you and Cassidy there for her," Tim said.

We got quiet for a minute, then my phone rang. It was my dad. We caught up about what had been happening for the last couple of days, and he reminded me that I hadn't called my mom. I promised I would do that later.

"Are Tim and Wolf there with you?" Dad asked.

"Yeah, and Cassidy," I told him.

"Put me on speaker," he ordered.

"Hey, Mr. Dawson," Tim said.

"I called to update David about the money you all received from Southwest Central State."

"Did the FBI and NCAA get notified?" I asked.

"I'm actually with Special Agent Bryn out of the Chicago FBI office. He has a couple of questions for you," Dad said.

"Do we need Ms. Addison for this?" I asked.

She'd been very insistent that we do just that if we ever talked to the FBI.

"I have her on hold. Let me three-way her in," Dad said.

When she came on the line, she told us to answer all the questions Special Agent Bryn had for us truthfully. She reminded us that telling an FBI agent an untruth was a felony. That caught Tim and Wolf's attention. He'd already interviewed everyone at home, including Tim and Wolf's parents, so he didn't have a lot to ask us other than if anyone from the university had contacted us. To date, no one had.

I did learn that Wolf and Tim had each received five thousand in cash with a note similar to mine, which just said, 'Go Blue.' My friends weren't happy when they found out that Special Agent Bryn planned to confiscate the envelope, note, and money, for now, as evidence. Dad had already handed over the money given to the charities and provided the FBI access to the GoFundMe accounts. The FBI planned to backtrack the transactions for clues about who sent them.

Special Agent Bryn said he would be in touch if he had any other questions. When he left the room, Dad asked us to hold on as he said goodbye to Ms. Addison. A moment later, Mr. Morris, my sports attorney, was on the line with my dad.

"I wanted to update you on my conversation with the NCAA."

"You do represent us now, right?" Tim asked.

"Yes. We think it best if I represent all three of you in this," Mr. Morris agreed.

"Okay, just checking," Tim said.

"Like you, they suspect that the money came from Southwest Central State, but there is no concrete proof. I understand that the school hasn't contacted any of you. Is that correct?"

All of us agreed.

"I'll call the NCAA and assure them of that. From what they said and my experience working there, they can't really act on it. My guess is that they'll turn the information over to their investigative team to verify everything. If what we have shared is the truth, then we have nothing to worry about," Mr. Morris assured us.

"This is where you need to tell us if there's anything you left out," Dad said, playing ... well, a dad.

"Do you think Stewart Chadwick will be the investigator?" I asked.

"I think you can count on it. He was the one working on this originally," Mr. Morris said.

And finally, frick! Hindsight being 20/20, I shouldn't have pissed him off. But I hadn't been in the mood to maintain the charade that I had any interest in playing football at Southwest Central State. I also didn't like how Stewart had tried to bully me into continuing with his sting operation.

"Do you think that will be a problem?" Dad asked.

"No. His bosses know that everyone has done everything by the book. It was all I could do not to share Mr. Chadwick's threats. I agree that we can't do anything until he acts on them," Mr. Morris said.

I could see by the looks of the other three at the table that I would need to explain all that. I was a little surprised that Brook hadn't told Cassidy, given Brook had shared the problems her mom and dad were having.

"He will act on his threats," I predicted.

"He might," Mr. Morris agreed. "But he doesn't wield as much power as he thinks he does."

Dad wrapped up the call with Mr. Morris and then asked to talk to me alone. I took a stroll for some privacy. I noticed Cassidy at my side, so I just put Dad back on speaker. If it was something I wanted to keep from Brook, I could turn it off. I trusted Cassidy.

"Mr. Voorhees is pushing for a settlement. Zander's lawyers went to the judge and asked to see all the videos Zak had. Zak's lawyers agreed to show the judge and let him decide. He suppressed the rest since it had no bearing on the case. That essentially stopped Zander's lawyers from turning this into a potential problem for Zak. The judge did strongly suggest that Zak get releases from everyone on the videos to cover his butt. If Zak could produce those, he wouldn't have to worry about any other repercussions," Dad said.

In a way, it was good and bad that Zak had set up cameras in his downstairs bedroom and recorded people getting frisky at his parties. On the bad side, recording people without their knowledge was wrong and illegal. That was why we had signs in our house and other private places I occupied, like hotel rooms. It was to notify everyone that, for security purposes, we had video set up.

Doing it in public was a different matter. That was how the paparazzi could park their butts on a hill and record celebrities through their windows or around the pool. When that happened, the rules could get sketchy, and that was why I had my security and attorneys around to figure it all out.

"Do you think Zak'll have a problem getting the releases from the people he videoed that night?" I asked.

Dad laughed.

"I asked Ms. Dixon that as well. She told me that Zak would agree to refuse access to Zander's people. And that he would destroy the videos as soon as he was legally allowed to if his unknowing porn stars signed the releases. I told her that sounded like blackmail. She said that lawyers can get away with it if it's part of a litigation negotiation and if they watch how they word things. It sounds like the rules don't apply to them. Imagine that," Dad said.

I had to agree, but what did I know?

---

When we got back, Wolf wanted to talk to me alone.

"What is the deal with Cindy all about?" he asked.

I took a deep breath and let it out in a long hiss. After a moment's consideration, I decided just to tell him.

"I know I would want to know, and I would hope you would tell me if something like this came up," I said to ease the blow.

"I'm not going to like this, am I?"

"No, definitely not," I said. Wolf waited for me to continue. "The reason Sarah isn't happy with you is that you're not satisfying her in bed."

"If you're fucking with me ..."

"I would never joke about something like this," I said, smiling and shrugged. "Well, maybe ..."

"Seriously?"

"Sorry, man."

"Does everyone know?" he asked, worried.

"I haven't told Tim ... yet," I said, stepping back. "Too soon?"

"Yeah, too soon to joke about."

"Hey. Buck up. I'll share a little secret with you. I had no idea what I was doing, either. Cindy actually taught me a lot. Apparently, I come off well when the girls talk about me," I teased.

"This is so embarrassing."

"Why don't I tell Tami to make Tim join you for your lesson? That way, you won't be singled out."

"Wait, Tim is good in the sack?" Wolf asked.

"Before junior year, I put Kim Sun in charge of training him," I admitted.

I was moderately sure Tim wouldn't mind that I shared that with Wolf. He would probably have told him if asked.

"What's she going to teach me?" Wolf asked.

"Relax. I promise it'll be all good. Just be sure not to go too far. Cindy will ruin your reputation if you're not careful. She has shocked me a time or two," I admitted.

"We'll have to have a few drinks and discuss this," Wolf said with a smile.

I was glad he was taking this better now.

"Why don't you and Tim take her class, and then we can talk afterward? Then you might have something to share."

"Bite me. You really are a dick sometimes," Wolf said and then got serious. "I'm glad you told me. I wonder why Sarah didn't."

"That, my friend, is something you need to work on. Talking to your significant other is usually the best option. I've learned the hard way that if you don't, it never works out like you want. I suggest you sit down with Sarah and figure out what you both want out of this."

"What's my other choice?" Wolf asked, making a face.

"Up your game in the sack. I've found if you rock their world, they don't care what a douche you really are," I said. I danced out of his reach. "Still too soon?"

"Dick."

I noticed he was fighting a smile. That talk went about a hundred times better than I thought it would. I needed to tell him as a friend, but no guy wanted to hear what I shared. At least Brook had arranged for him to learn how to improve his performance. My philosophy was that a mentor or coach was always a good idea. I had every confidence that Cindy would set him straight.

---

Cassidy all but flipped out. When we walked past one of the tour groups, the four of us were on our way to Olvera Street to find the girls. There were ten teenage girls in the group, and they recognized me. The next thing I knew, I was swarmed by them. They were squealing and making a general nuisance of themselves.

Wolf and Tim scrambled out of the way, leaving Cassidy to try to fend them off.

"Settle down," I barked in my best dad voice.

They all froze. I would have to remember that.

"One at a time," I said.

Cassidy physically made them line up. She cracked me up when she took things literally. I wasn't complaining because it seemed to work.

Twenty minutes later, the line seemed to have grown. I would meet each group, and then Cassidy would take their phone and snap a picture. I felt like kicking Tim's and Wolf's butts when I looked up and saw they were next in line. But I just did my thing with them and kept a smile on my face.

Manaia showed up with the female part of my crew and saw what was going on. He looked worried until he recognized that Cassidy had the situation well in hand.

A lady and her college-age daughter were up next. The daughter was gorgeous, in a fair, broad-faced, Hollywood-actress-next-door kind of way. I checked her makeup. Yes, the model in me came out at weird times. What caught my attention was that she wasn't wearing any.

The mother acted like she was a stage mom because she fussed over the girl's appearance. For some reason, I felt on guard. I had a feeling they wanted something more than just a picture or autograph.

I looked closer and felt the girl was trying too hard to downplay her natural good looks. When you combined her lack of makeup, her blond locks pulled back into a long ponytail, and her attire of jeans and a casual blouse, it suddenly became clear to me. She would match the description of the girls I hung out with to a T.

So, why was this duo setting off warning alarms in my head? It was because of my acting background. There was a big difference, if you know what to look for, between acting casual and actually being relaxed. As much as I hated Laurent Vance, my director in Cuba, I had to admit that I did learn some things from him. He finally pounded into me the ability to act well enough that I didn't look like I was acting.

On closer inspection, this girl appeared to be even better looking than I initially thought. Her skin was pale but flawless. I suspected that her blouse was covering breasts that were enhanced yet not overdone. The surgery had actually made her body drop-dead caliber. Then there were her captivating bright blue eyes. This girl was someone who would capture attention on screen, precisely what every casting director was looking for.

She noticed me checking her out. I was charmed when she gave me a warm smile. Dimples appeared beside her mouth, making her even cuter. If I wasn't dating Brook, I might flirt with her.

"Hi, do you have something for me to sign? Or would you like a picture taken?" I asked.

"My daughter is trying to break into the business and not having much success. I was wondering if you could offer any advice?" the mom asked.

Suspicion confirmed. Unfortunately, there were lots of girls like this one. I know it wasn't fair to make a snap judgment, so I decided to pass her on to my management team and let them figure it out.

"Lexi!" I called, and when she came over, I passed them off.

The girl hopped up and down, confirming the augmented breast theory. Either they were fake, or she had on the best bra ever created to hold them in place. She wrapped me in a hug and then licked my neck. My mind went blank, not expecting to have a tongue run under my jaw.

"Did she just lick you?" Brook asked, suddenly at my side.

"Oh, God. I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me," she wailed.

"You still want me to get her information, Boss?" Lexi asked.

"Yeah," I said, and then pulled Brook into my arms. "Sorry, Babe. Some girls just can't resist me."

I may be a 'stupid boy' after all. I knew better than to call her 'Babe,' and I was not allowed to let girls lick my neck. My bad.

When the line was finally done, I was ready to leave. I caught a bunch of crap from my friends, but I could see they finally understood how much being a celebrity could truly suck. Cassidy told me that nearly a hundred people had wanted their picture or an autograph. I guess I wasn't in too much trouble because Brook offered to buy me lunch. I figured I could probably eat some more tacos.

---

Lexi's tour idea for late this afternoon and early evening was a trip to Griffith Park. The plan was to end up at Griffith Observatory once the sun went down. Lexi assured us that the views of the city at night were spectacular.

Our first stop was the Ferndell Trail, located right as you came into the park. Lexi told us that it was a short walking trail but unique in that it stayed lush and green all year round, even when other areas of the park dried out and turned brown. It received recycled water from the Griffith Observatory. It was well-named because there were a variety of ferns. Walking the trail made you almost forget you were so close to LA. It felt like you were in a tropical forest.

When I got off the bus, I grabbed Tracy's hand, and we separated from the group. I wanted to catch up with her.

"You excited about going off to college?" I asked.

"Yeah, I guess," she said, not sounding very excited. "When I get home, I move into the dorms. Mom assures me that I'll make friends."

"But you're going to miss us," I offered.

"I see how others have gone off to college and are never seen again. I'm afraid you'll all forget about me," she worried.

"I don't know about that. You already know several people who go to State. Plus, Pam and I will be around. I would just look at it as a chance to practice before you head off to USC in the fall."

"If nothing else, I love the weather here," Tracy said, starting to warm up to the idea.

"When's Pam taking you to see the campus? I know you guys checked out some places in LA yesterday," I said.

Pam had agreed to come on the trip so that she could show Tracy around. Pam planned to go to Pepperdine so the two of them wouldn't be too far apart. It would be too great a distance for them to find a place together and commute, though.

In the back of my mind, I had considered offering Pam a chance to live in my new house. I'd talked to Lacy, though, and she wanted Pam to live in the dorms the first year. I had to agree that it would do her good and would help her to get acclimated and make friends. That didn't mean she wouldn't be welcome to have a room at my house to be able to get away if she wanted to.

When I talked to Kent over the weekend, he'd shared that Doug, Craig Wild's brother and my tenant, might have a job offer in San Francisco. If that were the case, I would want someone to live in the house, even if it was only part-time. I doubted Pam would trash it with wild parties. I would have to think about it over the next few months and see whether Doug actually moved out.

"She's taking me tomorrow. I've set up some meetings and signed up for a tour. It's one of the places you're considering, isn't it?" Tracy asked.

I could tell she really hoped we ended up there.

"It's one of our final three, I think. I want to sit down with Tim and Wolf and have an honest discussion about what everyone wants. The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced my mom is right. Each of us should do what's best for ourselves and not what we think the others want. I plan to be friends with them regardless of where they go to play ball," I said.

"If you went on your own, would you be open to Alabama and Ohio State? I know they weren't willing to offer Tim," she said.

"Alabama isn't really an option even though Bo Harrington would be my position coach. I just don't see myself fitting into their system. With Ohio State, I worry about how long their head coach will be there. He had to quit as coach at Florida for health reasons. Some recruiters have mentioned that he might only coach another year or two," I explained.

"You don't think they'd draw a top-notch coach?"

"They would have their pick, without question. Probably only one or two jobs would be better than Ohio State's. The thing is, look at Notre Dame. They were top dogs for years. Then, they made some bad hires. I'm sure they'll get back to the top, but it has been a long time. I'm not sure I want to go through a possible mess if they get the wrong guy."

"What are you going to do about your kids?"

"That's the big question. My uncle is coming next week, and I'm hoping he helps me figure it out. My parents signed up to help me with Coby, but not all the rest. It's not fair to ask them to shoulder the load with all of them. I need to figure out how to stay involved and not just take off for the next few years," I explained.

"Pam is freaking out a little about it, too. I explained to her that with Peggy, her mom, your parents, Ashley, and Scarlet, that Coby would have plenty of attention. You need to realize you have the support system in place."

"I know. I just don't want to miss out on them growing up."

"Tell me the truth. How much do you remember from when you were their age? It'll be more important for you to be around once they get older," she reminded me.

I hadn't really thought of it that way. Then again, I never thought I would be worrying about something like kids at my age. It just went to show that no one's life was perfect. While I wouldn't give up any of my kids, even a fool would agree that having them now was nuts.

I became quiet as I contemplated life. Tracy knew me well enough that she grabbed my hand and walked me through the park. I snapped out of my fog and looked at my friend.

"How are you doing?" I asked, specifically about her depression.

She looked at me to see if I was really asking about it or not. I think she was surprised. I instantly felt like the worst friend in the world. Tracy could see it in my eyes, and she let go of my hand and wrapped her arm around my waist so our hips were touching. I put my arm around her shoulder.

"I still have days I don't want to get out of bed, and I find I sometimes can't focus and can't get my schoolwork done. I show up late to things, and I worry that I'm disappointing my parents. Then I look at you and Pam and see everything you face. I know that someday I'll have to stand on my own, and it scares me. But then there are other days when I feel better," Tracy explained.

"Are you still seeing Dr. Hebert?"

"Yes, and she is helping. I've pretty much gotten off all the medication she had me on. She's given me the tools I need to cope, but sometimes it's hard."

I stopped, pulled her into a hug, and kissed her forehead.

"You know I love you, right? I'll always be there for you," I assured her.

"Honestly, I'm not sure I could be that selfish. We just discussed everything you have on your plate, plus you have a girlfriend," Tracy admitted.

"I'd wish you wouldn't feel that way. I'll always make time for you and would move mountains to make sure you're happy."

"You are a 'stupid boy' sometimes," she said and hugged me back.

I began to sing to her.

O-o-h child things are gonna get easier

O-o-h child things'll get brighter

O-o-h child things are gonna get easier

O-o-h child things'll get brighter

"You really do suck at singing," she teased me.

I just ignored her.

Someday we'll get it together and we'll get it all done

Someday when the world is much brighter

Someday we'll walk in the rays of a beautiful sun

Someday when the world is much lighter

I started us back to where everyone else was as I sang to her. Tracy held me tight, and I saw a tear in the corner of her eye.

"Don't cry," I said.

"These are happy tears. Keep singing to me," she urged.

That I could do.

---

By the time we reached our next stop, the Autry Museum, we were in stereotypical tourist mode. In the 1930s, a radio show began featuring a singing cowboy named Gene Autry. He was probably the first All-American boy who was a straight-shooting hero--honest, brave, and true. Part of his legacy was the museum, which featured collections of Western art and memorabilia.

One piece of trivia that I would never have guessed was that he was the original singer for the Christmas classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

This time, when I got off the bus, I grabbed Tami's hand and dislodged her from her boyfriend, Tim.

"I'm stealing her," I explained as we went in the opposite direction from the rest of the group.

We checked out some of the displays as we walked in silence. I fell in love with what the label called 'Bison Chairs.' They were a pair of chairs that were hand-carved in the shape of buffalo heads with real horns. They were carved in mahogany and rosewood and manufactured in, of all places, Scotland in 1842.

I could see them next to a fireplace in a cabin, giving the room a wow factor. Then I thought of my little rug rats climbing all over them and figured it best that they remain at the museum for safekeeping.

"I need you to do me a favor," I began, and then I told Tami all about Cindy's visit and Wolf's worry about being singled out.

"Do you want Sarah and me to be their guinea pigs?" she asked.

"You guys wouldn't be embarrassed?"

"Sarah's a model, and I plan to be a doctor. Plus, I would rather Tim practice on me than Cindy," she explained.

"Afraid she might turn his head?" I teased.

"No, but she might break him. I've just about gotten him trained," she said.

That sounded like a common theme.

"Funny, Brook said the same thing about me."

"You're a lost cause. Brook is delusional if she thinks she'll ever get you under control."

"Hey," I said, acting offended. "I'm a good boy."

"Yeah, you have been," she agreed.

I gave her a suspicious look. She must want something if she was tossing out compliments. Tami had always had the ability to read my mind, so I wasn't surprised when she rolled her eyes at me.

"You've been too busy to cause too much trouble," Tami clarified.

"I can't seem to help myself," I said to defend myself.

"I guess I miss the 'fun' David who arranged group activities at Tracy's lake house and on away games," she teased.

"For now, maybe. At some point, I'll be free of the ball-'n-chain."

She gave me a sharp look.

"Does that mean you're thinking about breaking up with Brook?"

"Not right now," I said, forgetting that you had to use more than three words with girls.

"Keep talking," she prodded.

"We've talked about ending it at the end of high school. It makes sense because I'll be off making movies, and I don't see myself going to Princeton for college. We agreed that even though we care for each other, a long-distance relationship wouldn't work," I explained more fully.

"Good," she said and nodded.

"What about you and Tim?" I asked to get the focus off of me.

"We haven't really talked about it. Right now, he's the perfect boyfriend for me. I see him about once or twice a month, leaving plenty of time to study. I guess when school ends, we'll have to figure out what's next. I'm in no hurry to try to figure it out," she said.

"What?" I said in mock horror. "What have you done with my best friend? You can't be Tami Glade."

"Shut up. I can do casual," she whined.

"No, you can't," I shot back. "You have to know everything and analyze it to death."

She gave me a sheepish grin.

"I knew it!" I crowed. "When are you going to break it to him?"

"Shut up! I never said anything. Plus, like I said, he's the perfect boyfriend for me."

"For now," I said and gave her my one-eyebrow-raised look. "Don't make me pull out the Secret Game."

"Okay, fine!" she huffed. "I need to talk to him."

"Maybe he is better off not knowing. I need him focused for baseball season. I can't have him distracted by you ripping his heart out," I reasoned.

"So, it's all about you?" she asked.

"Puh-lease! We both know it's always been about you. When was the last time you did anything I said?" I asked.

That earned me a slug to the chest. What was it about girls thinking it was okay to hit me? Did they not get the memo that I would hit back? Okay, that might only be if they tried to kick me in the nuts. Tami saw the look on my face and bolted. Neither the museum security people nor her boyfriend were happy with me when I chased her. Somehow, I got the blame and was asked to leave.

---

Everyone found it amusing that I had been sent to the bus to wait. They took forever to finish their tour, and Cassidy was forced to sit with me.

"What's up, Buttercup?" I asked as I pulled her down onto my lap and hugged her.

She made no move to get up.

"What were you and Tami fighting about?"

"She plans to break up with Tim at some point."

"That's all?" she asked as if it was public knowledge.

It sounded like the girls had been talking. Maybe I could get the scoop on Wolf and Sarah. While the story about the sex not being great made some sense, I had a feeling there was more to it. I also suspected that Brook just wanted an excuse for Cindy to show up and cause havoc.

As long I wasn't involved, I was okay with it. My friends had been politicking for some sexy fun, and I was sure Cindy could instigate that. It would be funny to see either Wolf or Tim trussed up like a prized turkey if things got seriously kinky.

"What's really going on with Wolf and Sarah?" I asked.

"She's thinking about dropping out of school and modeling full-time."

That made a lot more sense. I knew that Wolf liked her a lot, and now it seemed she could be putting the brakes on because she might not be around. It was similar to what Brook had done to me, but the difference was that we'd talked it out. I guess it was just one of those things you had to experience to learn. Even though having the conversation would be hard, it was better to talk about it in the end. The way it was going, Wolf was going to be heartbroken.

I chuckled and shook my head.

"What's so funny?" Cassidy asked.

"It's not really funny, just ironic that I have to sit back and watch my friends' relationships implode."

"I don't get it," Cassidy said, confused.

"I don't know when I switched from being the clueless guy to the one who can actually see relationship problems about to happen," I explained.

"You have gone through a lot of girls. I would be concerned if you weren't learning from all your epic fails."

"'Epic fails'?" I asked.

"Do you really need me to go through your list of disasters? Heck, when I first got here, you'd just had Tracy break your heart. What did you learn from that?" she asked to remind me.

"To not date 'crazy' people," I said, doing air quotes.

"That one is probably obvious," Cassidy admitted. "But you get my point. I bet you've dated more girls than most college-age guys ever do. It only makes sense that you can spot when trouble's around the corner. The only question you have to ask yourself is whether to tell them."

"It's been my experience that they really don't want to know or will ignore my advice. At least, that was what I did when Tami and my mom warned me of troubled waters in my future."

"See? You are learning," she assured me.

"So, you don't want me to look into my crystal ball about you and Don?" I asked.

"Nope. He's the perfect guy until you decide that you're ready to date me."

The scary part of what Cassidy just said was that she was dead serious. I put my hand on the back of her head and turned it so I could kiss her. Something about her goofiness was attractive. I knew that if I dated her, it would never be dull. I also knew she liked me for myself, just like I was. As weird as that sounded, I found that was starting to be important to me.

Something else I liked about Cassidy was that she merely embraced my fame and the money that came with it. She also let me treat her like a lady. I guess what I was getting at was she never rejected my generosity or forced me to explain it.

I might joke about buying her tacos, but that was how I was taught when growing up: the guy paid. Cassidy also made sure I never went too far, so I didn't worry that she was just in it for the money. She would push back for big things, like flight lessons, until she could see why I was doing it.

The bottom line is that I trusted Cassidy with my life. When I stopped and thought about it, there weren't very many people in my life I could say that about. Yes, I had people who loved me and had my best interests in mind, but not many who would take a bullet for me.

---

The observatory was everything Lexi had told us it would be. Being in the hills overlooking LA at night was breathtaking.

Brook and I went inside to see the swaying Foucault pendulum, which moves in a constant direction as the earth turns. We skipped the Center of the Universe and Light of the Valkyries planetarium shows. Instead, we checked out the Tesla coil. The light show of the arcing sparks dancing off the coil to the walls and the sound of electricity crackling was much more impressive in person than on TV.

The best part was getting to see the Zeiss 12-inch refracting telescope, which allowed us to look at a star cluster. Then we climbed the stairs to the roof, where we got our first look at the view of the city. Behind us, on the hill, was the iconic Hollywood sign. Looking down at the city, you could see mile upon mile of breathtaking views of the City of Angels in all its glittering nighttime glory. I really hadn't realized how big LA was until I saw the city lights disappear over the horizon.

On our way home, we stopped at one of those steak houses with a huge buffet. It was probably the worst steak I'd ever had, but I filled up on the salad bar. We all agreed that we'd had a good day and made a point to thank Lexi for planning it and showing us the town she grew up in.

When we finally got home, I stepped off the bus and sniffed the air.

"I smell smoke," I said with a little concern.

We all spread out and checked the house to make sure everything was okay.

"David, out here," Sarah called from the back by the pool.

Everyone came out back, and she pointed up the hill. Over the ridge, you could see a red glow.

"Wildfire," Pam announced with a concerned look.

"Do we need to worry?" Brook asked.

"If the wind shifts and picks up, we might," Lexi warned. "All you need is a combination of dry weather, drought, and strong winds, and you suddenly have the recipe for the perfect disaster. A small fire can transform a spark into a weeks- or months-long blaze that consumes tens of thousands of acres."

"It hasn't rained much since I've been here. I thought I read that LA is going through a drought," I shared.

"They should warn us if we need to get out. If they do, take it seriously," Lexi said.

"Yeah, this is one of the three things you worry about in LA," Pam shared.

"What are the other two?" Tracy asked.

"Mudslides and earthquakes. I'm pretty sure God hates it here," Pam said.

"It's just karma. If you have perfect weather, then there has to be a trade-off," I reasoned.

We went in and turned on the TV to get some news. The commentators said it was suspected that a campfire was responsible. Four out of every five wildfires were man-made.

---