Beverly Hills: Season 3

Season 3, Episode 6: One Way or Another

~~~(New York, New York by Frank Sinatra)~~~
   Kai stands on the sidewalk on Fifth Avenue, looking around him with big eyes. The buildings are so high they're almost touching the sky, the yellow taxis zoom by like they're racing, pedestrians whistle for cabs and chatter on their cellphones as they make their ways down the sidewalks. Large billboards flash advertisements and a homeless person holds a sign for food on the street corner. Music plays from a theater across the street and people are holding their coffee cups in their gloved hands. Red and orange leaves look even brighter in the morning sun, setting the fall mood that Kai has never really seen. This is everything Kai had hoped for it to be. This is where he always dreamed of being. This is where he wants to attend college, get a degree in journalism, become a writer. This is where he belongs.
   "You have to try a New York hot dog." Aaron appears next to Kai with a long hot dog wrapped in foil. "It's tradition."
   Kai quickly unwraps the hot dog before taking a large bite out of it. Talk about a food-gasm. "Oh my God. This is the best hot dog I've ever had."
   "I thought you'd say that." Aaron smirks as the two of them start down the sidewalk side by side.
   Kai can't stop looking around at his new home. Leaving Beverly Hills with Aaron felt better than Kai thought it would. Waiting in the airport for a flight wasn't even boring. He had enough time to argue with his sister over the phone about leaving with Aaron. She clearly wasn't on board with him leaving but who cares? This is his decision. What's in California for him other than drama and family and friends? So maybe there's a lot for him still there but he's focusing on the future- which is here in New York with Aaron. "Okay, so what's first?"
   "Well, our loft isn't going anywhere." Aaron says as they cross the street to the other sidewalk. The two of them had put a lease on a loft in Brooklyn. It's not the best area to be living but it'll do for now. "We should probably get jobs and enroll you in a school-"
   "Can't I just put school off for a while?" Kai whines. He really didn't come to another state just to be back in a classroom. He's ready to be grown up, get a job, learn how to cook. He's on his own now. "I want to enjoy this with you, not be locked up in a school for eight hours every day."
   Aaron pretends to think about it. "I think we can arrange something."
   Kai holds Aaron's hand, shoving the rest of his hot dog into his mouth.
~~~(END SONG)~~~

   Tabby rocks Dalton in her arms as she moves throughout the kitchen, her ear pierced from Dalton's screaming cries. "I know, you're hungry." Tabby moves as fast as she can throughout the kitchen to get watermelon from the fridge. She holds her son close to her side, getting out the container of watermelon and putting it on the table, letting Dalton sit in one of the chairs. She gets a small glimpse at her open physics textbook on the table, barely able to process any of the information. Now that Dalton is two, his attitude has been a little more out of the ordinary but that's what terrible twos are all about. Tabby sits down at the table with her son after rinsing off her hands, trying to read as much before leaving for school where she's going to have to take this dumb thing.
   "Tabby, what are you still doing home?" Grams comes into the kitchen, wearing her nightgown. "You're going to be late for school."
   "What time is it?" Tabby looks at the clock hanging above the stove and then scrambles out of her chair. She snatches her back pack from the floor. "Great, now I'm going to fail."
   "You studied all yesterday evening." Grams reminds her. "I think you're ready."
   "No, I'm not." Tabby zips up her bag after shoving her book inside. "Dalton wouldn't stop whining for attention so now I barely know any of the material."
   "Why didn't you give him to me or Pops?" Grams runs her wrinkly hand through Dalton's brown hair. "That's why we're here."
   Tabby hesitates to answer. In her eyes, her grandparents do enough for her eight hours a day by watching Dalton. So when she's home, she doesn't think she needs to have them do anything else. She can handle it- or so she thought. "It's fine. You guys watch him all the time throughout the day. I can take him in the evenings."
   "You're not going to do that." Grams wags her fingers. "Dalton is not a burden to anyone in this house. Your grandpa and I like helping you. Don't think it's a job for us."
   "Okay." Tabby nods, kissing her son's head before slinging her bag onto her shoulder and then heading down the hallway towards the front door. Tabby gets to school and finds Harrow texting what seems to be an aggressive message on the bench in front of the school. "Entering a contest for fastest texter?"
   "I'm checking in on Kai." Harrow sighs, getting up from the bench. "He still thinks that running off with Mr. Gilmore is fine."
   Harrow told Tabby about Kai the minute after Kai had called Harrow when he was at the airport. Harrow and Tabby actually drove to the airport to stop them but they were too late. Tabby used to wish she had a sibling but after seeing all the different situations Harrow, Kai, Israel, and Rhyannon get into, maybe it's best that another Miles child never walked the halls of Seaview. "Is he responding, at least?"
   "Yes. He's sending me selfies and everything." Harrow growls, dropping her phone in her Coach purse. "Who just picks up and runs away to another state with their boyfriend? Who's also your teacher?"
   "I have no idea." Tabby shrugs helplessly.
   "Speaking of teachers, did you do Tharp's assignment?" Harrow glances at her friend.
   "What assignment?" Tabby slows down. Mr. Tharp didn't give them another street law assignment, did he?
   "The book work." Harrow's face falls when she looks at her. "You didn't do it? Great. I was depending on you to get the answers."
   "I have to go get started on it." Tabby runs off into the building. Once again, something else that she's not on top of because of Dalton.