~ In a world where relationships expire

     Kaycee?

           Mick. There's an adage about ex-lovers. How you're neither friends nor foes. You're both strangers with some memories in common. That's how Kaycee opts to see their relationship. That is how Kaycee views their connection: Ex-lovers who had a good run. And they did. So why did their sour ending inevitably come back to her like a bitch slap across the face?

         Oh, the damn gorgeous red-haired arm candy who's staring straight at her right now. That's right. It's difficult not to gaze. Her mother taught her it was impolite to ogle, but that starry-eyed and strikingly sweet-faced girl beneath her co-pair Shady Lady mask left the Lorelei stunned. 

         Her. He's with her now. Her attractiveness would seduce anyone. Someone with that kind of skin is anyone's dream come true. Like a polished pearl, this woman shines brightly in the warm summer afternoon light. Someone else did Red's eyebrows, although they're nicely arched and auburn in color.

       Her aura was warm, too, like huddling close to a fireplace in the winter. He enjoys the company of the redhead. When Mick is around her, he is at his best. By looking at them together, Kaycee is able to see this. But the truth that she saw in front of her stirs some hurt. They're the picture-perfect couple. Good on paper and in real life.

      "It's been a while, Kaycee." His voice drew the teen out of her stupor. While the girl next to him was well-dressed (even for a walk), the teen in front of her ex couldn't have been less so. In the pair's gaze, there may be some concern lurking beneath their civility. Kaycee is dressed casually, with minimum makeup, and her hair isn't in some elaborate style Mick is accustomed to.

              Not to mention she's munching on sweets (he's not stupid; a family-size bag of Sour Patch Kids stands out like a sore thumb among a heaping pile of groceries by her side.) Sugar is unusual with her unless she is going through a stressful ordeal, in which case she will consume her emotions like an emotionally-carb sucking vacuum. "How are you doing?"

               Shit. The Lorelei teen swallows, trying not to show her pain. Lying is an option; she chose it in high school and at the zenith of popularity, but it is a bad one. He'll figure it out. His transparency cuts through any obstructive barrier. In contrast, being honest about the plight of young people who have yet to figure out their shit inevitably results in another's pity.

       The last thing she wants is someone's pity (especially Mick's.) Plus in relation to lying with their shared history, doing so now is non-negotiable. Considering dishonesty played a major role in their breakup. Do you remember how you hurt him? Your white lies had hurt him, didn't they? Are you so callous to do it again?

       "I'm mostly preoccupied-working and helping my mother look after my sister."Seriously, you choose a half-truth? He can detect lies, but come on, you stupid bitch, he'll see the gaps in your statement, too.  

     He nods, 'alright', which only reinforces her dread. "You still going to school."  

   "Uhm...school's on hold until this virus mess clears up, you know." She said. "How 'bout you,  though. You like California?"

  "Love it. I'm actually visiting for the summer-well we are." His arm is around Red's shoulder as he says this. "Now that reminds me. Kaycee this is Hazel Burgess." He turns to her. "Hazel you know Kaycee."

 "That's right, I do." Even though she  can't see it,  Kaycee can hear a hint of a smile in her voice. There was no handshake, no hug, no nothing. Not with a pandemic buzzing around and wiping out individuals who are too incompetent to adhere to simple health recommendations. But, at the very least, she appears capable, and both of them maintain the six-foot distance. 
           
"I've seen footage of the school's cheerleading squad. Mick tells me that you choreographed the routines. I'd say you're quite gifted."

"Thanks." The Lorelei teen hid her surprise, not expecting to be praised for her tireless efforts to guarantee that their school's cheer team become the best in the state. Before joining the squad, she dabbled in dancing, gymnastics, karate, and a little theatre here and there.

 Kaycee also competed and won more competitions than her trophy cabinet could handle as a result of award overcrowding. Because of how incredibly skilled she is at dancing, she had a solid chance of success. Her mother's lack of support made her doubt her own merit and talent. Kaycee quickly lost interest in solo competitions and opted to try something different once she reached high school.

Cheerleading opened up a completely new world of possibilities. And the point of participation was never to gain popularity or any sense of validation. She only wanted to be at the pinnacle of control. Regulation is definitely beneficial; it offered her individuality. Kaycee had the privilege to be herself, period. On the team, it was like flying through a boundless sky and she felt fearless off the ground. 

The teenager had never experienced terror before. On the contrary, she felt the urge to soar higher and reach the clouds. When she fell, she developed a level of fear. After a shattered wrist, eight grueling weeks of recuperation, and a xanny addiction, one would think this would be a wake-up call...but no. 

In spite of a few setbacks, Kaycee was determined to achieve her goals. She stayed on the team, rose to the position of captain, and worked her ass off to get them to the national championship.  In the end, she was forced to abandon her preparations when the Coronavirus struck before they even made it to nationals.

Even while it's been claimed that hard work never betrays, you can bet that she felt betrayed by the labor she put in after the new year when everything went straight to hell, It didn't matter that working hard almost killed her or strained her relationships. More than anything else, she aspired to be somebody in the future.

To move the conversation from her dismal pathetic life, she thought to ask, "So you're here for the summer?" Cause hearing that from him sounded odd.

He said. "Yeah.. family-related biz, you'd understand ."  Hazel gives him a fleeting glance. The admiration in her eyes was palpable. Seeing them, Kaycee cannot help but feel jealous. Then, she started to wonder about his words. Family? Since when does he come back to Georgia because he misses his family, and that's the biggest reason. Back then he always talked about leaving the state after graduation and going to California State University to pursue a career in filmmaking.

It doesn't help that he despises his own parents. The Deans tend to flaunt their fortune in the showiest manner imaginable. Which further fuelled his desire to go, so what could possibly have caused him to return?  

The dazzling piece of jewelry on Hazel's finger attracts her eye, and she decides to take a closer look. No engagement ring could match the glitter it gave to the wearer's eyes, despite its dazzling appearance. Kaycee was familiar with the ring and remembered every detail of it. From the swirls carved into the 24k silver band, to a pair of pearls bordering the diamond in the center.

Because of their silence, the answer stood out like a sore thumb. They're engaged. During that brief moment of realization, she felt as if the world had shrunk around her. It's like an unwanted kiss on her skin, and nothing can stop it from happening.

If only she could remove it from her bones so that she may be free of this awfulness that strives to acquire her and bind her to loneliness. This is because she's never felt more alone than when she learns that their relationship ends with a 'happily ever after'.

 "It's gorgeous," Kaycee says finally.

"Oh, yeah?" Despite the uneasy tension between them as a trio, Hazel smiles broadly, as if she had been anticipating her answer all along. "Heirloom of the Dean family, it has been passed down for generations. His mother had given it to him to give to me. How romantic is that?" It's safe to say that his mother was happy with the match, too. If the red-haired girl comes from a prominent family, does it immediately qualify her for a place in the Dean family? The Lorelei muses.

Mick intervenes when he notices her uneasiness "We're getting married towards the end of this summer. My mom persuaded us to go all out and be wedded in front of friends and relatives..."

"That makes sense, yes." While everything around her falls, Kaycee is a natural fronter. "I'm happy for you guys." Do not invite me. Please do not invite me.  

"You are?" As far as she can tell from his tone, he's perplexed.

"I am." It's difficult to respond to that without succumbing to the urge to die right then and there. That said, she does it with grace. " Congrats, you crazy kids." As if that wasn't enough, it's only been a year since their breakup, and he's already engaged to someone else.

A lot of people have already received invitations from us. You have one as well, so don't forget to check your email later." A fun pointed look from Hazel. Here we go again with more bullshit. Say that you can't go. This is what she wants. You had to be kidding me. Who wants their fiancee's ex-girlfriend at their wedding? Fucking bitc-

"I'll make sure my calendar is free for that date," She said. The torrent of words shoots out of her mouth. God Dammit. It's those doe brown eyes of hers. They're casting a spell on my brain, twisting my words and shit.

"Awesome!" Grabbing his waist, the redhead pulls him closer. "Hopefully, you'll be able to make it. Kaycee, it was a pleasure to meet you."  I knew should've fucking stalked your instagram.

Hey, I'm glad we ran into each other. A piece of candy had ruined their evening, and now they're sauntering back to where they were headed earlier.

 Her attention follows their fleeing forms and lands on the understated yet minimalistic gorgeous jewelry in the possession of another female. She'd been mistaken to expect the worst when she hurled that damn Sour Patch Kid. Possibilities for how she may have avoided that encounter flash through her head. But something told Kaycee that nothing could have stopped her from learning something she'd eventually discover later.

Fate gave her the time to process she has lost Mick for good. It should be a teachable moment, seeing such an antique elegant ring suit someone Mike's mother has selected to give him to propose to, and the choice makes sense. To see them happy, even when he questioned her happiness for them and his astonishment made her doubtful for a minute.

The thing that sticks out to her the most is how badly she screwed up in acknowledging how the pair should have been them instead. Nothing, alas, can affect that. Besides, she doesn't have the power to go back in time. Even if that were the case, everything happens for a reason.

 Kaycee made sacrifices for those she cares about. If this is the consequence of those sacrifices, then, despite how heartbroken she was by his moving on, it follows that losing Mick was the right call in the end. 

......

The virtual invitation Kaycee saw waiting for her in her inbox was very stunning, even with her reluctance to admit it. Mick isn't a fan of pictures, so Hazel is the one who took a bunch of selfies to document their time together. And why, oh why, are there so fucking many of them? They border the saved date of their special day. The same day she just agreed to attend. Goodie.

Her remark, as if the whole thing wasn't a trap in the first place, was her blatant attempt at being the bigger person. People that are sane don't invite their fiancé's ex to their wedding. Also, Hazel isn't a person who does things without reason, and that includes doing them for the wrong reasons. 'The Deans' are a family of rich, unscrupulous people that keep adding shady people to their family tree. Despite the gushing generosity and dewy skin, there is a snake lurking beneath the surface. Like has a sense of its own. The fact that Mick's family chose the redhead for him is clear, but to Kaycee's surprise, the two seem to get along. 

How is still a mystery? Some supposedly wealthy fronting bitch...whose background the Lorelei teen has yet to investigate...wasn't worth it. In the present moment, her attention has already been sidetracked by a variety of other pressing concerns.

She was out of the plaza in less than a second. And instead of heading home, Kaycee drove to her mother's beauty store because staying felt pointless. The first thing she reminded herself as she came into the building was that her primary goal was to check on things. She was absolutely correct in her assessment. Dissatisfaction stems from a failure to sell the property. In her mind, she hasn't gotten to the root of why.

In terms of beauty and fashion, Queen Earth & Sky is one of the city's most popular stores in the area. Mother's goal was to produce the best items the industry had to offer. She wanted a comfortable life for herself and her children, so she made sure they had one. Kaycee sometimes felt as though she had a second home at the store, in many respects. As soon as they got out of school, they'd come here and hang around in the back until their mom closed up shop for the day at eight o'clock.

Things always seem to be taken for granted in Kaycee's mindset. Eartha's illness let her realize how difficult the life of a businesswoman is. Prior to that, she spat some pretty ugly things, which she regrets every day her mother is crippled by that horrible virus.

 From being reminded of her regrettable actions, she went around the store for a bit. This was a direct result of her mother's hubris, as well as the corporations who permitted her to represent them. Despite dislike for the beauty industry, the 19-year- old's mother was forced to spend all of their time at the store.

Eartha spent a lot of time, money, and attention on this place, and common sense informed her that it was necessary for her to be gone so often. They needed a good financial foundation. A mother takes care of her children and took care of them the older Lorelei woman did. Her resentment, which has been boiling for some time, is unaffected by any amount of rationalization.

Kaycee couldn't help but think about all the recitals, competitions, and pep rallies her mother had to miss since she had more important matters to attend to regarding the business. Things like keeping an eye on new product shipments, holding investor meetings, and putting on seasonal specials. These feelings are now behind her as she promised her mother that she'd take care of Ruth. Eartha's health is expected to improve, but she's also opted to sell her store to help with their finances. No one expected it to be this daunting, let alone so nearly impossible.

Making her way through aisles blanketed in white sheets while on the phone with her realtor consultant, Wendy;   the time Kaycee was planning to sell Queen Earth & Sky, she didn't have the financial know-how. Undaunted by the prospect of starting from scratch, she looked to someone who had the experience. (And she's not cheap.)

When it comes to selling properties, Wendy Kapernick is one of the finest in the business. Like  Eartha is an independent entrepreneur who is determined to succeed like with her mother, she was intimidated by the nearly six-foot striking-green-eyed woman when they first met, and she couldn't shake that feeling... Before becoming a real estate consultant, Wendy did MMA. 

Perhaps she could have been a champion had it not been for the traumatic knee injury she sustained during her little stint in the cage. Unfortunately, her hard work backfired when she decided to show it off. It's only natural that her pride would be swollen when the end seemed imminent. Because she had been so reliant on her prescription, Wendy had developed a full-blown Oxytocin addiction.

'My twenties flew by in a blur. Some days, I didn't feel like I was even living. I even appeared to be dead. Yet I would constantly return to Oxy as a respite from the painful reminder of everything I lost that day in the cage,' she said. 'I can count on all of my fingers and toes the number of times I came dangerously close to overdosing and should have.  But I can tell you that in each of those instances, I was saved from death by some divine intervention. I didn't understand it at the time since being on the verge of death and being able to recover the manner I did was amazing to me. It was a rush that was considerably more intense than the drugs.'

' Understanding did catch up with me after I attempted to drive home from a party and was pulled over by the cops. They charged me with intoxication, but the list of charges swelled when they search my car and discovered eight pounds of non-prescription pain pills in the trunk.

Now, I thought my life was over when I blew my chance to become an MMA fighter, but the truth is that addiction did that. Nothing else can wreak havoc on your life like an addiction. And believe me when I say you're lucky to have come to terms with yours while you're still young and not in a jail cell as I did.

 'Trust me, I'm a 39-year-old unmarried and childless woman whose life was cut short by drugs.' The majority of women my age are living the peaceful, happy lives I could have had if it hadn't been for addiction. But once I was out of prison, I reassessed my life choices and resolved on a course of action, and from then on I went to rehab, back to school, and worked my tail off to acquire my realtor's license. I can confidently declare that I am one of the top realtors in the state of Georgia.'

' To say that everything happens for a reason just so fate would set me on the path that I'm on now would arguably be the most productive thing to say especially in your recovery but I won't.'

' All I'll say is don't take whatever I say with a grain of salt.' Take the reins of your recovery journey thus far and steer it in the proper direction, all while thinking about the people who love you and, most importantly, yourself. Addiction preys on the desperate. Recognize that it is acceptable to seek help from others when necessary. Allowing yourself to be vulnerable and letting go of your pride will save your life.'

After meeting in a NA meeting, Wendy and Kaycee became close. Both the group and the teen were captivated by her share. She asked for help with the store because she knew she worked in real estate, but after hearing her story he decided to invite Wendy out for lunch. They hit it off immediately. As if by magic, their stories aligned together (two athletes destined for greatness only met downfall in the end which drugs were wrongly believed to be their salvation. 

 It is Kaycee's hope that she will be able to get through rehab and one day be like Wendy, a prosperous and happy individual. In the time since then, the older woman has been a huge help. When it came to financial analysis and building professional networks, Kaycee would have been lost without Wendy.

"Tell me hon, how're we lookin'," She speaks in a southern drawl that drips like honey into a warm cup of tea.

 "Everything so far looks good." She peeps behind the high-up register and counters sitting on the farther right of the store. "Think we'll strike a deal with someone by the end of the month?"

"We'll have a steady stream of buyers as long as we keep doing what we've been doing." While on Facetime, Kaycee realizes Wendy was making the call from her BMW while driving.

That is to say, she won't be on the phone for long because she clearly has more pressing problems to deal with. After all, Kaycee isn't the only one she works with.

"It's a good thing we're the only local sellers around. If that's not the case, I'm concerned." Kaycee muttered (not with the intention of saying it aloud), but she grinned and kept her eyes peeled for anything amiss that she hadn't noticed.

 Wendy sighed deeply and said, "About that... When her realtor consultant said, "I've got some news," the teen's head dropped back to her phone screen.

"Good or bad?" Kaycee asked trying to keep her voice even.

 The older lady cleared her throat. " How you take it is up to you." Her bright eyes cast a fleeting glance at the camera. She spares the girl a knowing look, as she is well aware of her proclivity to lose her cool over even the most minor of circumstances.

 Kaycee breathed, bracing herself for the worse, which is always the case with her. "Give it to me and straight." "Like Wendy isn't upfront with her. The woman isn't the sort to sugarcoat things, but telling her, to be frank, strengthens her resolve.

The 39-year-old is dubious that she'll be able to take what's to come, but her red lips parted to reveal the news since she knows hiding critical information from Kaycee is worse than any bad news.

"All right, so I heard from my team that a new site has shown on the radar. Our competition took on a client that was willing to sell their business—and it's also a nice building. I'm talking about three stories set in a bustling neighborhood that is sure to pique the interest of any potential buyer. Hon, with this place on the market, our chances of selling ours are dwindling.

"What bustling neighborhood are we talking about and which building?"

"Downtown. And you're not going to like this part, because it's Swazie's Treasure Emporium—the thrift store."

 Kaycee's grasp on her phone tightened when she heard those words. If she had greater strength than the average human, she could have crushed the device into tiny little pieces. Anything to convince herself that this wasn't true. However, the more time passes, the more real it becomes, and she can't deny what she heard wasn't true. This is a fucking nightmare. 

"Who is the client?" She knows the answer, but hearing it from her consultant's lips may put her mind at ease in this moment of acute anxiousness.

"Marisole Soldado." She uttered it with reluctance. "Kaycee, don't you work at Swazie's?"

She does. Which exacerbates the problem. Today just keeps getting shittier and shittier. She couldn't find a decent enough present for her little sister, then she runs into her ex-and surprise his girlfriend from Facebook turns out to be his fiancee, and now her boss/best friend with benefits turns out to be her real estate competition. Nope. Fuck that. Not today of all days.

"I gotta go," Kaycee says before hanging up so Wendy wouldn't try to use her silence to divert her attention away from the direction the conversation is going. 

 She dashes out of the store to her car. The teen has to get downtown before traffic becomes more crowded, which it usually does around this time. Ruth's birthday is today. She should be preparing her favorite supper and dessert at home. Not rushing through traffic to confront her employer/ booty call. Nothing should be more essential right now than her little sister.

 Meanwhile, Kaycee's objective on the road is downtown, not home to her shut-in timid younger sibling. She embarks on the route that will bring her toward the answers. It won't be much longer. They'll be eating creamy garlic chicken and broccoli rice and cream cheese, ginger cookies before the ten-to-eleven-year-old knows it.

The sisters will laugh together, forget about the bad, engage in serious conversation, and ultimately bond. Therefore in this way, Kaycee will keep her promise to her mother and be there for Ruth in a world gone nuts where they have only each other to count on. First and foremost, she needs to drive to Swazie's, and once there, the Loereli is going to personally kick the shit out of Marisole Soldado's ass.

~v~

Note: Chapter four my loves!!! Already plotting 5,6 and 7. Those three are going to be crazy. Did y'all catch the hawkeye trailer? Been called that Hailee Steinfeld was going to join the MCU. Can't wait to see the shit go down from the Black Widow credit scene to the show. It's going to be so fucking crazy. Anywaysss. Will post soon Promise. -bbdqqce 1