Beverly Hills: Season 1

Season 1, Episode 11: You Are Perfect

  Tabby rests her head on her arms at the round lunch table on Tuesday at school. She's sucking in her stomach in hopes that it stops demanding food. It's been growling nonstop for the past few days but Tabby has been fighting through it as best as she can. There's no way she's going to risk eating anything, scared that even something small will put on the few extra pounds that she managed to loose.
   "Hungry?" Harrow sits down across from her at the table and Tabby lifts her head. "I can hear your stomach from a mile away."
   Tabby looks at Harrow's food on her tray. A chicken salad with a breadstick and a bottled fruit drink. She holds her stomach to keep it from growling. "I think it's just a little upset."
   "Or you're hungry." Harrow holds out her breadstick. "You want? They put way too much cheese in these."
   Tabby licks her lips. She just wants to inhale Harrow's whole tray- even if some of the food is green. She's starving. "Why are you sitting with me?"
   "What?" Harrow puts her breadstick back onto her tray.
   "Why is a girl like you sitting with a girl like me?" Tabby rolls her head toward her shoulder, feeling like she's about to pass out. She doesn't know why Harrow talks to her as much as she does but Tabby isn't trying to complain.
   "We're on the same dance team." Harrow shrugs and then searches Tabby's face. "Are you okay? You look a little pale."
   "Yeah, I'm fine." Tabby lies, scooting out her chair. "I think I should go to the nurse's office."
   "Maybe you need some energy." Harrow tries, shoving her plate toward Tabby again. "Eat. We don't need you being too lazy for the performance tomorrow."
   Tabby winces. As much as she enjoys being on the dance team, she can't help but dread this Christmas performance that they're having tonight. It's their first one of the year and Tabby isn't sure she'll even be able to stand during it. "I'll be fine."
   "Are you sure you don't want some food?" Harrow offers again. "It could make you feel better."
   "I'm just going to go to the nurse's office." Tabby decides after a minute of eyeing Harrow's tray full of food. She gets up and sees spots when she starts to walk. She squeezes her eyes shut before continuing down the hallway and towards the office.

   Cambridge comes home from school that same day and yawns as he drops his bag by the door and heads into the kitchen. The mansion smells like cleaning supplies and the floors are squeaky clean. Cambridge hears a familiar laugh coming from the kitchen and his brow furrows, walking inside to see his entire family lounging around chatting. His siblings Terrence and Eloise are standing side by side against the island, both with chipper smiles on their faces. Cambridge hasn't seen his siblings for a month or so. Terrence has been away at Princeton while Eloise has been majoring in biology at Duke. Cambridge keeps in touch with Eloise more than he does Terrence, which is perfectly fine. It's not like he isn't close with Terrence, they're just on different schedules.
   "What are you guys doing here?" Cambridge asks in surprise.
   "Did you forget about Christmas?" Eloise hugs her younger brother, her blonde hair newly cut to her shoulders.
   "Right." Cambridge remembers. "Christmas. Well I'm happy to see you guys."
   "How's the college life?" Mr. Brightwell pulls out a chair for Terrence to sit.
   "It's alright." Terrence sits down while Eloise joins him at the table. "Stressful." He looks over at Cambridge. "Never go."
   "Such a good role model." Mrs. Brightwell laughs as she pads around the kitchen to prepare a meal.
   "The work load is huge." Eloise groans. "I'm lucky to not have not have any work over Christmas break."
   "Well we're glad to have you here." Mr. Brightwell claps his hands on Eloise's and Terrence's shoulders.
   "I agree." Cambridge speaks up, glad to have his siblings home.

   Israel gets home from his kick boxing class that same day. "Dad?" He calls as his voice echoes through the house. He gets no response but it's not much of a surprise. His dad has been taking the lose from the campaign incredibly hard- to the point where he takes small bottles of vodka to bed. Israel can't blame him too much for feeling bad about losing but he doesn't agree with the amount of alcohol he's been consuming.
   "Dad?" Israel finds his dad sprawled out on the kitchen floor, a tall bottle of gin in his hand. He's wearing a shirt and his black tie is loosened around his neck.
   "Hi son." Mr. Sepulveda slurs his words as he speaks. "I think I have another bottle in the pantry."
   "I think you've had enough, dad." Israel picks up the empty bottle of gin and drops it into the trashcan as his mom pads inside.
   "Izzy, how was school?" Mrs. Sepulveda stiffens, trying her best to ignore her husband on the floor.
   "I'll be the judge of what's enough and what isn't." Mr. Sepulveda tries to sit up but he lays back down. "This floor is comfy."
   "Mom, a minute?" Israel leads his mom into dining room. Seeing his dad like this scares the crap out of him and he doesn't want to stand around watching him drown himself in booze. He doesn't want Rhyannon witnessing this either. "This has to stop."
   "What does?" Mrs. Sepulveda holds her pointy chin high in the air.
   "You know what." Israel whispers so his dad can't hear. "Mom, that's your husband on the floor in there. Don't pretend that you're okay with this."
   "Stop it." Mrs. Sepulveda clenches her jaw. "Your father is going through a lot right now and if... drinking a little bit helps him, then we need to respect that."
   "How can I respect a drunk?" Israel shoots back. "And he's not drinking a little. He could fill a swimming pool with how much alcohol he's consuming."
   "Honey, you don't understand." Mrs. Sepulveda shakes her head and strokes his cheek with her manicured thumb. "Maybe some day you will."
   Israel shakes his head as his mom waltzes out of the dining room. He wants to believe that this will blow over and that he won't need to do anything about it but from the looks of his dad, he isn't going to be getting better any time soon.