REMUS BENNET
In the end, they decided to wait until he was off the crutches completely to head to the Studio.
Elliot had reached out to a friend of his, and they were able to rent a place for one day, but it was not cheap.
They were initially asking for three thousand dollars, but with Elliot’s help, they were able to negotiate it down to two thousand.
It was still significant, but this left him enough money to buy a camera and PC for himself.
He had a laptop, but Elliot had suggested that if he was serious about this, then he needed to get a computer, and while it would have been easier to just get a Mac, Remus decided to build his own.
So, after a few trips to Walmart, he had the entire thing ready to go.
It was not too much, but it could handle some medium-to-light gaming.
The boot came off a week later, and so when it came time for him to get back to school, he could walk on his own two feet.
He had spent the latter part of his holidays catching up with his schoolwork, and he was able to breeze through it with ease.
Remus was a hard worker, and he had been no slouch in his past life either, and with their combined intelligence, he was able to breeze through the stuff with ease.
The whole thing gave him an idea, and so when his counselor asked him for a meeting just before homeroom, Remus told him about his plans of testing out early.
Mr.
Sherman was surprised, but when Remus assured him that he had already spoken to his mother about this, the man could not argue against it.
He gave him a new schedule, and in four months’ time he would sit for his SATs and be done with High School once and for all.
The classes themselves were boring, and Remus had few friends to keep him company.
By lunch, he was bored to death until the familiar voice of Lexie reached his ears.
“You are back,” and he saw her running towards him, as he gave her a wave.
“I wish I wasn’t,” he answered as she put down her bag and sat down with him.
“Why?” and he rolled his eyes.
“Does anyone even want to come to school?” he asked, and she pointed at herself.
“I do,” and he raised a brow.
“Well, you are weird then,” he answered easily.
“Honestly, I am just glad that I will be done with all this by April,” and now Lexie was surprised.
“What? Are you thinking of dropping out?” and he shook his head.
“I am going to take my SATs a bit early. I had a talk with Mr. Sherman already, and he says that he will have the teachers test me, so I can test out of the classes earlier if I want,” and Lexie seemed a bit taken aback.
“So, you are leaving school?” She was clearly pained by the idea, but he had other things to pursue.
“Yeah. I would much rather focus on music than all this shit,” Remus finished as he bit into his sandwich.
“It’s not like I will be missed,” Lexie added quietly.
“I will miss you,” and his head whipped towards her, as Elliot’s words from that night rang in his head.
Perhaps, he was right indeed.
Lexie was smart, good.
They knew each other well, and he liked to spend time with her.
But she was Rue’s friend, and he had only ever thought of her as a little sister.
“We will still be able to hang out,” he reminded her.
“Elliot’s already got us a studio, and I have also ordered the camera you told me about,” and Lexie’s eyes lit up at that.
“Yeah, I had not thought of that,” she added excitedly.
“Both of us decided that since we are only going to have the studio for a day, we might as well take the time to work up on a few other songs as well,” and now Leslie’s surprise was rather apparent.
“You are telling me you have written other songs apart from that one?” and he nodded, making her eyes light up.
“Can I hear them?” she asked excitedly, and he had penned down the lyrics to a few other songs over the last few days.
Both he and Elliot had also worked on a few of them to develop the beats and the melodies.
“You will just have to wait,” he added, and she groaned.
“Come on, you can’t do this to me,” and she slapped his arm, but Remus simply pulled away.
“I am not doing anything. They are all incomplete, and you will get to hear them at the studio,” but not before, and she pouted as she glared at him like an angered kitten.
“You will be the third person to hear them,” he clarified, and now she frowned.
“Third?” she questioned.
“Yeah, after Elliot and me. You are the only other person who has ever heard me sing,” and now Lexie took a second to question. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
“Not even your mother or sisters?” and he clicked his tongue.
“Rue’s not here, and I don’t think I can bear Gia’s critiques,” but Leslie was a more complicated matter.
He would show it to her, but not yet.
Not until he had something concrete.
“What about your mother?” and he shrugged.
“I will show her the final stuff,” and Lexie nodded.
“When is Rue coming back?” He did the math in his head.
“I think in two weeks, maybe three,” and he could not quite remember the date his mother had mentioned.
“Lexie! Lexie,” and the familiar voice of Cassie broke the tension, as the blonde girl walked up to them, her gaze focused solely on her sister.
“I will be going home with McKa…” and now she finally noticed him sitting beside Lexie, who had a rather awkward expression on her face.
Cassie glanced between them, the shock evident on her face as she finally gave him a stiff smile.
“Hi, I did not know you were back?” and he did not believe her.
He was certain that Maddie would have already delivered the news through their group.
Maddie Perez was perhaps the most well-informed person on the campus, apart from him, of course.
“The doctors gave me the all clear a few days ago. I can’t run, but I will be fine,” and perhaps before he would have harbored some ill will for the girl, now he simply did not care.
He and Cassie had been good, but it was obvious to anyone who knew them both that this was not going to last, and Remus wanted that.
He wanted something long-lasting.
“So, no soccer?” He clicked his tongue, and the orthopedic doctor had been clear.
“I am afraid not for some time,” and apart from music, Remus had been a fan of soccer.
He was part of the school’s team as a midfielder.
But given his injury, he was barred from such extreme activities for some time, though the guy had mentioned that he would have to give up on his dreams of an international career, not that he ever had them.
“Shame,” Cassie added rather genuinely.
“How have you been?” he asked, and she took a second to answer.
“Good,” she answered, as Lexie finally cut in.
“You were asking for me,” and Cassie nodded.
“I will be back.” Lexie ran off with her sister as the two of them stepped back and whispered to each other.
He was not able to make out much, and Lexie returned a few minutes later.
“What did she say?” he asked.
“Nothing. She just told me that I have to go back on my own because she has plans,” and he was sure that those plans involved a certain boy named McKay.
“I can drop you off,” and he was able to borrow the car from their mother for the day.
“That is if you still trust my driving skills,” and Lexie chuckled at the joke.
“They didn’t take away your permit,” and he shook his head.
“They could not, because technically I was not at fault. The crash was caused by the negligence of the parents of the child in the stroller, but the Police Department was not much interested in pursuing the case,” and since no one had lost their life, and the two families were able to reconcile, there was no case to pursue and no reason to revoke his permit.
“When do you get free?” he asked.
“Around two,” she answered.
“Same here. I will meet you out front,” and the bell rang, marking the end of the recess.
Both of them went back to class, and so when the bell rang for the end of the classes, he and Lexie left the school together.
“Do you mind if I make a stop?” She shook her head, and so he turned his car towards a rather familiar shop.
It was a rather small convenience store named ‘Milk.’
It was also one of the most famous stores for other products in East Highland.
A familiar face sat on the counter, a half-burnt joint in his hand.
“Pick something up for yourself,” he offered Lexie as she walked in, while he went to greet his other best friend.
“I didn’t know you were back, man,” and Fezco and he went way back, and the two of them once more had come to know one another because of Rue.
“I am,” and they clapped hands, as Fezco gave him a hug.
“Heard you got beat pretty bad in that accident,” and he shrugged.
“It’s over now. How have you been?” and he picked up a pack of Skittles and a few other things.
“Same old. Same old,” and then his expression shifted. New chapters come out on g.com first.
“Tell me about Rue? She fine?” he asked, and while one could easily blame Fezco for enabling Rue’s addiction, the truth was that he was not the only supplier of drugs in East Highland.
“It was touch-and-go, but she survived. Now she is in rehab,” and Fezco made a face at that.
“Those places such man. Though I hope they work out for her,” and he hoped so as well.
“She will be back in a couple of weeks,” and it was why he had come here.
“Knowing her, she will be here right here in no time,” and Fezco made a face at that, already anticipating his next words.
“You want me to freeze her off,” and he nodded.
“Yeah,” and he nodded.
“As you say, man, but you know Rue. She is persistent. She won’t like this,” and Remus knew that as well, but he had to do this for her.
For their family.
“Tell her you are doing it because of me,” and Fezco and he shook hands, as Lexie came to the front with some soda.
“I got you,” and as he pushed forward his card to pay.
“Nah, man. It’s on the House. Consider it a gift for making it back,” and the two of them walked towards the car and drove off.
He dropped Lexie off and rode back home.
Leslie was still in as he walked in.
“You are a bit late,” she asked, and he shrugged.
“I took a little detour to drop Lexie off,” and he gave her the keys.
“I have made chicken and rice. It’s in the fridge. Gia is going to her friends, she told me that she will be back by six, and if she is not, I want you to text me,” and he would never snitch on her.
“I will,” he said, and he was about to head up when she called him back.
“There is one more thing,” and he groaned a bit as he turned back.
“What?” he asked, and he was tired.
She raised her finger and motioned for him to come down, and as a dutiful son, he did.
“I know it has been some time, but the doctors at the Hospital suggested that you go to therapy,” and he rolled his eyes.
“I don’t need it,” but she was having none of it.
“You do!” she spoke with finality, and he had never been much fond of therapy.
His irritation must have been obvious when she stepped forward with a rather forlorn expression.
“I know how strong you are, but what happened on that night was something that no child should ever endure,” and he knew that she meant well.
“I am not a child,” he argued, and she chuckled.
“You are,” and he drew in a breath to calm himself.
“I am not lying. I am fine,” and she looked him in the eyes.
“Maybe, but I have already lost Rue to…,” and she did not finish those words.
“I don’t want to lose you. So, please. Just do it for me,” and what was he to say to that?
“Ok,” and she rubbed his shoulder.
“Thank you. There is a therapist in our network up in Pasadena,” and that was a long drive from their home.
“I will tell you the date later,” and he nodded.
“Sure,” and suddenly she hugged him.
“I love you,” she whispered, and he lightly hugged her back.
“I love you too,” and then she pushed him away, frowning as she wiped away a solitary tear.
“You have gotten taller,” and he was now taller than her.
“Maybe….”
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