Chapter Three
“Mom! We’re home!”
“Beverly! James?”
“We’re here.” James’ voice rang out through the hallway and into the kitchen.
Beverly took off her mud covered white cheer-sneakers and James took off his mud covered black chucks.
“Mrs. McClain?” James walked into the kitchen, his hand on the small of Beverly’s back, but at the last moment, he took it off.
“James!” Brooke wiped her flour-covered hands off on her apron. Brooke swooped James into a hug. Even though Brooke hadn’t known about James and Beverly’s relationship, she had known that Beverly was “friends” with James and friends with James’ best friend, Jackson aka Jack, and Beverly’s friends, Alyce, Aubree and Vivienne. They had all been a group, or a clique if that’s what you want to call it, in middle school. “Oh James. Wow you grew up. So James, I hear you’re doing an art school? And in need of a place to stay?”
James opened his mouth but didn’t talk for about five seconds.
“Yes. Correct. Its Blazedale Art Academy.”
“Blazedale? Wow. I hear that’s really hard to get into! It’s not a boarding school? I thought it was a boarding school?”
“Its supposed to be, but the dorms caught on fire last year, something with a microwave, but anyways, they don’t have anywhere for the students to stay. They have to first clear all the rubble and burnt brick from the old dorms,
Then they have to come up with a new architectural plan for the new dorms, get the plan passed as safe and stuff for schools and all that sh-stuff, and then its going to take at least a year to build it. So if I like it this year and I get a re-invitation, I will be okayed to come there for the rest of high school and then college as well. I have worked my as-butt off to get into this school.” James sighed, “and then, of course, I figured I would be staying in the dorms, I mean, my parents live in NY anyways so its not like I’m going to fly from New York to New Jersey everyday just to go from home to school. But I couldn’t just pass up on that offer.”
“Oh, I see.” Brooke said. No one spoke, and then the oven timer went off.
“Bread!” Brooke took the bread out of the oven.
Then Nicholas McClain walked into the kitchen.
“Hey Bev!” Nicholas hugged his daughter.
“Daddy? You remember James? From Hartland?”
“A boy from middle school?” Nicholas kissed Brooke and then squinted at James.
“James Oliver?” Nicholas couldn’t believe it.
“I heard you-“ Nicholas paused, “got into Blazedale!”
Beverly could tell that that wasn’t originally what he was going to say to James, but she didn’t ask.
“Yeah. You got my text right?” Beverly asked slyly.
“He needs a place to stay? He can stay here.”
“Really daddy?” Beverly smiled and hugged her dad, Nicholas laughed.
“But.” Nicholas let go of Beverly, “no funny business you two.” Nicholas said. Beverly couldn’t tell if he had a bit of a joking tone or if he was being completely serious.
“Daddy!” Beverly exclaimed.
“No sex.” Brooke said smirking as she pulled the bread out of the oven.
“Mother!” Beverly looked flustered.
“I’m serious Beverly. We know you’re a big girl. But please?” Nicholas put a hand on Beverly’s shoulder.
“Daddy! Please!” Beverly cringed.
“Okay, okay.” Nicholas laughed.
“James can have the guest bedroom. Since you guys both have bedrooms upstairs and Nicholas and I have our bedroom on the first floor, maybe we should hire a security guard to make sure nothing sexual happens up there.” Brooke broke down laughing after she said it. Brooke had the maturity level of a teenage girl.
“Mother!” Beverly giggled. God! She thought, why were her parents so embarrassing?
“Mom, dad, I’m gonna go get changed, I’ll show James to the guest room and we can get his bags out of his car and stuff.” Beverly said. She wanted to get out of that room, and have time to talk to James alone. Since they had driven in different cars on the way home, Beverly still hadn’t had the time to really talk to James. And they had a lot to discuss.
