Dreams Of Fame
1.21 - Bankrupt
Summer was online, trying to order more alcohol when she discovered something wrong. This time, however, her alcohol wasn’t just for coping. She and José had been texting for the last week, and she’d invited him over for a drink in the evening. But as Summer tried to purchase the expensive wine through the house’s shared bank account, an error message popped up on the screen. Irritated, Summer looked into their bank account, and found that… they had no money. Not even a dollar to spare. She swiftly stood up, sending the chair soaring backwards.
“What’s going on with all our money missing?” Summer bellowed, storming into the kitchen where everyone was gathered.
Everyone looked up, shocked. Summer hadn’t talked to any of them in the last week.
“Should… should I leave?” Jo asked awkwardly. She’d come over to see Giovanna, and it was clear she was now heavily regretting that decision.
“I, uh… spent a few bucks adding some more decorations to the house…” Liberty said quietly.
“Sure, Liberty. I mean, personally, I’m still feeling like I’m living in the same purple hell we’ve all lived in for the last ten years of our lives-“
“Zoe approved each and everyone one,” Travis interrupted. “That’s why everything’s so purple.”
“That’s right!” Zoe cheered.
“Also? We were millionaires, Liberty, in case you don’t remember the time we all went out to the club to celebrate that very fact. I'm sure you'd remember, as, I mean, that's where you then went on to steal Travis from me!” Summer snapped.
“Woah, woah, woah!” Liberty said, outraged. “I never stole Travis from you, he was never yours to begin with! A man isn’t a possession Summer, believe it or not.”
Jo, impossibly, looked even more uncomfortable now.
Liberty went on. “Travis and I were far from telling you this, but part of our expenses? We set some aside to expand the basement, because unlike you, Summer, we’re not stuck in the past and are already planning ahead to our children!”
Summer gave them a look. “You guys have literally been engaged for one week. Calm down.”
“Don’t get it confused, Summer, Travis and I don’t believe in the religious no sex before marriage you do,” Liberty sighed. “And even with your faith, you’re sure proving to be really bad to following with your consistent drinking and general behavior, I mean, you have no idea how many glasses each of us clean up a day.”
Summer laughed. “This isn’t even about my faith, Liberty, you two just need to calm down in general. And someone needs to tell me what happened to the fucking money because there’s no way the minimal changes to the house cost a million dollars.”
Travis sighed, and got up from the table. “Come on, let’s look into recent transactions and whatever.”
Everyone but Giovanna and Jo followed Travis over to the computer.
“So if I look here…” Travis muttered to himself, clicking through various options and tabs until he got into what he needed to. He took a minute reading through all the transactions from the last 2 weeks, scanning for anything suspicious. The majority of the money was in Summer’s name as she continuously bought more alcohol, but nothing she did came close to the massive amount of missing money.
He scrolled down a little further, to about a week and half before that day. That was where he saw it. 2 million withdrawn to a Ms. Zoe P.
Everyone turned to Zoe.
“T-That wasn’t me, guys,” Zoe stammered.
Summer rolled her eyes as she saw the haze that had been in Zoe’s eyes since Melody’s hypnotherapy fade again. “And bitch Zoe returns,” Summer said under her breath.
“That was Zoe Patel!” Zoe yelled. “How dare she, I bet that little skank payed for her whole trip to Willow Creek by taking money from our bank account! It all makes sense now… That’s why she was so eager to come and visit, she continued to impersonate me, it’s too late to go and get her now, and-“
Zoe’s eyes lit up.
“Travis,” she said menacingly.
Travis gulped.
“I think it’s time you tried hacking into the government again. I doubt they’d expect it again, you were so scared the first time that I doubt anyone would ever expect little sweet Travis Scott.”
“You can’t ask him to do that,” Liberty said firmly, stepping between Zoe and Travis.
“Unless you want all of us to end up living on the streets and start dealing with Summer’s alcoholism out there, I strongly recommend you stop trying to defend your fiancé,” Zoe spat.
Liberty didn’t budge.
“Okay, okay, I’ll do it,” Travis said loudly. “Just… back off me and Liberty, okay?”
Zoe smirked. “Good.”
Travis sighed and started typing rapidly at the computer. The group gradually dispersed; Zoe to her bedroom, Summer to the bar, and Liberty to the kitchen. Once in the kitchen, Jo turned to Liberty.
“You guys all do realize what a terrible idea this is, don’t you?” she asked quietly, not wanting Zoe to overhear.
“Of course we do, Jo…” Liberty sighed. “But once Zoe gets like this, the only way to get her back to her calm, reasonable self is to do what she wishes.”
“Maybe you guys should try helping Zoe,” Jo suggested. “It’s clear she isn’t okay- she needs psychiatric help.”
“We’ve tried, Jo, we really have. Summer even went and visited the woman who did this to her initially and she insisted that there was nothing to be done.”
“Zoe’s great,” Giovanna grinned from where she was sitting.
“That’s great, Granny,” Liberty smiled.
Jo frowned. “I’ll never be able to forgive that woman for doing that to my poor Giovanna. I don’t care what weird psychiatric process you put her through to try and ‘fix her’, at the end of the day, it’s what she did that ruined Giovanna. All we can do now is hope that given enough time Giovanna returns to who she used to be.”
“She’s getting on in years, Jo, I’m not sure if she has that much time left,” Liberty said honestly.
“I’m not going to give up hope,” Jo said, shaking her head.
Travis was done hacking by noon. As per Zoe’s request, he funneled 1 million dollars of government money into their private account. Zoe was clearly immensely pleased with Travis, and more or less returned to her post-hypnotherapy self. The rest of the day passed uneventfully until the doorbell rang at half past 5.
“That’s for me!” Summer yelled, running up from the basement, dressed to the nines.
She opened the door, and everyone else in the house looked on in confusion as an unfamiliar man stepped through the front door.
“Wow, Summer,” José laughed nervously. “I didn’t know we needed to… you know…. dress up all fancy for this…”
“Don’t worry about it,” Summer laughed, holding onto his left arm.
“Um… who’s this, Summer?” Travis asked, walking up behind her.
“His name is José. I met up at the club all those years ago when Liberty first started to take you from me. And José, this is Travis, the one I’ve told you so much about.”
“Told so much about?” Travis asked.
“I don’t think she meant anything negative by it,” José smiled nervously. “It’s, uh, great to meet you, man.”
José held out his hand, and Travis shook it.
“Actually, I meant-“ Summer said loudly, but she was interrupted by a loud banging on the front door.
Travis, Summer, and José all exchanged looks.
“This is the police! Open up!” someone yelled.
Travis gasped. He’d let Zoe bully him into this. Again. This was his fault, and he was going to have to face the consequences.
Giovanna rushed into the room, Jo trailing behind her. Pushing past Summer, Giovanna threw open the front door and jumped the man standing outside yelling, knocking him to the ground.
Cassandra Goth gasped. “That’s another felony, you know!”
Giovanna stood up, and smiled. Cassandra’s bodyguard was clearly out. It wasn’t likely he’d be up on his feet for another few hours.
Summer gave Cassandra a look. “Aren’t you like… President now? What are you doing here?”
Cassandra stepped into the house, giving Summer a confused look. “How disconnected from reality are you? No, I’m just a secretary who’s here against the will of my boss, with an interest in running- this is beside the point. I'm only here because I'm personally interested in this case. And..." Cassandra cleared her throat. “Travis Scott, you are under arre-“
Cassandra suddenly collapsed to the ground, revealing Zoe behind her, clutching a heavy book.
“That should do it,” Zoe grinned.