Mai Legacy
1.30 - A Life Changing Decision
As soon as it got dark, Colette shoved the last of what she needed into her jacket pockets and slowly pushed open her bedroom door. It didn’t even creak. She’d slammed that door enough times in her life to severely damage it, so she took the lack of creaking tonight as a good omen.
Now came the most difficult part.
Colette slowly crept down the hall to her parents room. In order for her plan to succeed, she needed to take her dad’s wallet. He only took it off his person when he went to bed at night, placing it on his dresser. She was only taking the clothes she was wearing now, as she'd decided to travel light to avoid suspicions. She was sure that James could use his enormous fortune to treat her to more when she got there. So, now that she had everything she needed, and now that her dad was asleep, this was her only opportunity.
She carefully pushed open the door and shut it behind her. Colette stood in the dark to let her eyes adjust, and for a few minutes, she was alone with the sound of her dad’s obnoxious snoring. When her eyes finally did adjust, she was surprised to see that her mom wasn’t in bed yet. Well, that’d just be something she’d have to deal with later. Spying the wallet, Colette carefully picked it up and slipped it into her pocket.
Colette carefully shut the door behind her on her way out, then crept back down the hallway to the stairs. When she was about to reach the bottom, her foot landed on a creaky step. The sound seemed to echo throughout the entire house.
“Ty, sweetie? Is that you?” her mom called from the other room.
Adopting a very gruff voice, Colette chose her words carefully. “Yes, dear, just need some moonlight.”
“Ty?” came her moms voice again.
Shit. Her impression sucked, of course. Colette didn’t know why she’d thought that’d be a good idea. She quickly unlocked the front door, and hurried outside. She didn’t have any time to spare now.
Colette dashed across the front lawn, and threw herself over the front gate. Then, she was on her way.
Seth slowly approached the house, feeling very nervous. The sun had risen now, as Seth had spent the night at the hospital, and he bet that every single person in that house was worried about him right now. He’d never been the type to disappear without saying a word, even the very idea of getting plastic surgery was completely out of character for him. But what was done was done.
He gently pushed open the front door, and tried to shut it gently behind him. When he turned back around to face the room, a figure in the chair in the corner of the room turned on a light. It was Jocelyn, tears streaking her face.
“Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been Seth? How worried we’ve all been? Susan was going to call the police if you weren’t home by the time she woke up! Just… dude, what’s up?”
“I, uh…” Seth stammered.
“And jeez, Seth, take off your stupid sunglasses! You know that you look perfect to me no matter what the stupid media thinks,” Jocelyn said bitterly, rising out of her chair.
She stalked over to Seth and ripped off his sunglasses. When she saw what was underneath, the sunglasses fell from her hand and clattered against the floor.
“Seth… what have you done?”
“I’m attractive now, Jocelyn,” Seth said firmly. “The media can’t say anything now because the dice genetics rolled for me is over. You know what? I’m ready to become heir now, I am just as good looking as Leah!”
“I’m not saying it isn’t attractive Seth… just this is irreversible, you know? You don’t look like that guy who took me out to a fancy restaurant all those years ago and revealed that he actually liked me, and I just… I don’t know what to feel, okay?” Jocelyn said quietly, clearly holding back tears.
Seth stood there in silence, unsure of how to respond.
Jocelyn pounded her fists against Seth’s chest. “Damnit Seth! Why do you have to be so freaking reckless?! I don’t even want to think about what ideas this could give Ronnie… I… I just need some time alone.”
Jocelyn backed away from Seth, then hurried into the dark house, probably headed for the bedroom she and Seth shared.
The door slam echoed across the whole house, and a minute later, Leah emerged from her room, bleary looking.
“Who’s out here slamming doors first thing in the morning?” she muttered, stumbling into the kitchen and turning on the lights.
Spying Seth, Leah walked off, then took a step back. “Seth? That you?” she chuckled. “Oh boy, what have you done now…”
“I just-“
Leah cut him off by waving a dismissive hand. “Yeah, yeah, I know Seth. You just wanted to be pretty. Look, I’m sorry I asked you in to be my first guest and let you listen to the calls. But we’ve been over that apology time and time again…” she paused for a moment. “…I bet that door slam was Jocelyn, huh? She’s never going to let you hear the end of this, you know.”
“I know, I just… I want to look good when compared to you, I don’t want to be the ugly option for heir, I don’t…”
“Hey, hey, Seth…” Leah said slowly, putting her arm over his shoulder. “You’re not ugly, alright? You think you’d get a girl like Jocelyn if you looked like a troll? No.”
She backed away from Seth again and looked him in the eyes. “You go and tend to mom’s garden, alright? I’m going to try my best to warm mom and dad up for this sudden change, because at this point, I’m not sure dad’s heart can take it.”
Seth nodded, and started heading outside. Halfway there, he turned around. “Hey, Leah? Thanks. I know we’re supposed to be in bitter competition right now, so I really appreciate well… all of this.”
“Of course,” Leah smiled. “That’s what little sisters are for, right?”
Seth headed outside just as Maverick exited his and Leah’s bedroom.
“What’s all this commotion about?” he muttered. “And where’s the coffee?”
“It’s just like Jocelyn suspected. Seth did go out and deal with his appearance. Those calls really got to him… I know we expected him to do something, but nothing as drastic as what he actually did do. I’ll get the coffee ready while I wait for mom and dad, could you try to talk to Jocelyn? Pretty sure she barricaded herself in her room.”
Maverick tried his best to rub the sleep out of his eyes. “Sure, I’ll try my best. Just… don’t expect a lot because morning me really isn’t sympathetic.”
“Don’t lie to me, Maverick,” Leah laughed. “You’re still the same big teddybear, no matter the time of day.”
“Oh, shut up,” Maverick sighed before making his way to Jocelyn’s bedroom.
He knocked gently on the door. “Jocelyn? It’s me, Maverick… I, uh, thought you might like some company right now.”
“I honestly wouldn’t,” Jocelyn sobbed from behind the door.
Maverick bit his lip and thought for a moment. He wanted to obey Jocelyn’s wishes, but at the same time… he knew he wouldn’t want to be alone at a time like this. Reaching a decision, he turned the doorknob, and luckily, it was unlocked.
Jocelyn was seated on the bed, with her back to the door. Maverick gently shut the door behind him, and walked around the bed to sit next to Jocelyn.
“Hey, Jocelyn…” he said carefully.
Maverick and Jocelyn had definitely bonded ever since the kids had been born, but he wouldn’t say they were especially close yet. They both related to each other because they’d both married into a legacy family and had both been in the middle of an argument between the Mai siblings they’d married. They regularly took turns watching over both children, and would sometimes rant to each other when the drama that surrounded this family got to much for them. In addition to that, Jocelyn had gotten close with Susan, just as Maverick had gotten close with James. They complimented each other, and Maverick guessed that Leah had noticed their recent closeness and that’s why she’d sent him in to comfort Jocelyn.
“I really don’t want to talk about this right now, Maverick,” Jocelyn sighed.
“And that’s just fine with me,” Maverick said. “I don’t mind sitting here with you for as long as you need, because in my experience, in times of stress, what someone really needs is someone to be there with them. I can do that for you.”
Jocelyn nodded slowly, and the two entered silence, not the awkward kind, but the kind filled with the presence of another human being you can trust. Carefully, Jocelyn allowed herself to take a deep breath.
Outside, Seth had long since finished watering all of Susan’s plants and now sat outside on the garden bench, processing through what he’d done and both Jocelyn and Leah’s reactions. He wasn’t planning on going inside until Leah came out and told him he was safe.
So, he was ready to make his case to his parents when Leah came dashing outside. But he wasn’t prepared for the panicked words that actually exited her mouth.
“Seth, dad collapsed. Mom’s called the hospital, and they're on the way, Mavericks doing his best to tend to him, just, uh, this whole drama about your plastic surgery can wait because I think dad just had a heart attack.”
Back in Oasis Springs, Colette came up to the bus stop and sat down on the ice cold bench. As she processed what she’d finally done, a smile crossed her face. She’d done it. She’d actually done it. She was on her way away from this hot, dusty, hell hole, and she didn’t regret a thing. Windenburg here Colette comes.