Growing up Cody

Chapter 14 - Afternoon Delights

Julia walks into the house and heads directly to Baz's room, knocking on his door, before opening it and walking inside. Baz is still asleep in his bed, Julia climbs over him into the empty space on his bed. She runs her hands through his hair. He opens a sleepy eye and smiles. She leans over and brushes a kiss on his lips. He props up on his elbow.

"Please don't let this be a dream." He says leaning back into her.

"You aren't dreaming, but I'm not kissing you again." Julia says giggling.

"What? Seriously?" Baz exclaims, hurt showing on his face.

Julia smiles, "not until you brush your teeth, and Smurf is making lunch." He pulls her close, pressing himself against her, he's hard.
"Well good morning to you too. Baz we can't, not now. Smurf could walk in at any minute."She jumps over him and leaves his room.

She goes into the kitchen where Smurf is out the counter assembling enough food to feed an army as usual.
"Hey, baby, is he awake?" Smurf asks, as Baz walks into the kitchen.
"Yes he his, thanks for letting me sleep in Smurf. Did you find out anything?" Baz asks taking a seat at the island.

"Apparently there was some kind of over crowding at Lodi, so they let him go, but you boys got lucky. My police friend caught that assault case from last night. He is writing it up as 2 homeless drunks fighting and hopefully Ray won't be bothering us anytime soon. He thinks he will be visiting Los Angeles in the near future.Here grab this." Passing Baz a platter, "it's a beautiful day let's eat outside. Julia can you make us some drinks."

Julia grabs 3 sodas from the fridge. She takes them outside, returning to grab a bottle of vodka and a glass of cranberry juice.
They are met on the patio by Pope, who sits down and joins them for lunch. After he finishes his sandwich, he looks at Smurf.

"Why is Julia home? Shouldn't she be at school?" Pope says seriously.

"We had a thing, nothing to worry about. Can you be a dear and pick up Deran and Craig at school?" He looks annoyed but carries his lunch dishes into the kitchen and disappearing into the house.

"We do have some work to do. Baz the timeline on that job has changed, we are going to do it Thursday. So we need to be ready. Can you handle that?" Smurf says pouring herself another drink.

"I think we will have a party here this weekend." Smurf lights a cigarette before getting up and taking her drink over to a lounge chair to relax.

Baz and Julia clean up after lunch in silence. Julia finally breaks the silence.

"Are you ok? I wanted to come check on you this morning, but Pope drive us to school. And when I walked by your room Smurf was in there. Oh Ms. Corwell said to make sure you had your homework done." She reached for his hand. He takes her hand, shaking his head.

"I don't know why I even bother with school anymore. We all know I'm not gonna pass, and I'm not gonna do it again next year. It's pointless. " Baz says, then smiles, "So I gotta get a car tonight, you coming. It will be fun."

Julia laughs, "like last time, you steal the one car in the lot that is out of gas, we get what a mile down the road before it shuts off. Then we had to walk back to find another. Sounds like a great night, you can count me in, but I'm picking the car." She playfully smacks at him.

"Well I'm going to go take a nap, wake me in a bit." Julia says before exiting towards her bedroom.

Julia enters her room, closing the door behind her. She goes into her bathroom, pulls 2 pills out of her pocket and swallows them with a sip of water from her facet. She turns on her stereo and sinks back into her bed.

Baz leaves the kitchen and goes back outside pulling up a chair next to Smurf's.

"So is he ok?" Asking about his father, not really sure why, the man had always been terrible to him, between his drinking and using Baz like a punching bag. One time he came home and found that 6 year old Baz had left his sneakers in the hallway, and what did he get for that? Most kids would be told to put there stuff away, but Ray has beaten Baz bloody, broke his arm that day in 2 places. Yet here years later he still somehow cared if he lived or died, what the fuck is that about.

Smurf looks up, "Not sure baby, I didn't ask. But you boys are lucky that my friend caught the case or you boys might be in jail. You have to be smarter, losing your cool is what gets you caught. And you don't want to get caught, right baby." She puts her hand on his knee. "You are smarter than this Baz. I expect this from your brothers, but you have to be smart. With everything you do."

The last sentence causes Baz to worry. Thinking to himself 'she doesn't know about me and Julia, she can't.'

"I got it Smurf. I was thinking this new job, I think we need all of us there, Julia's a hell of a driver. It will go smoother if she's in."
He rarely stands up to Smurf, and isn't sure how she will react.

She shifts in her chair, "if that's what you think is best Baz, then that's what we will do." She gets up and goes inside, leaving Baz alone on the pool deck.

Some time passes and he sees his brother Pope leaving to pick up the others from school. Pope glares at Baz as he crosses to the driveway. Baz knows he has to sit down with his brother soon, he has to get him back on his side. He is about to walk inside when Catherine runs in through the gate, she's crying.

"Oh my god, Baz someone was following me." Her voice full of fear.

He jumps up "where?"

She replies stammering through her tears "I noticed them right after I left school, I was going to go to my house to see if my parents were home. "

"We're they in a car?" Baz asks taking her arm and pushing her into a chair.

"Yeah, it was silver. As soon as I noticed it I cut through an alley, and headed this way. Do you think it has something to do with my parents?" She wipes her eyes with her hand "it was so scary Baz"

He looks at her, "we have to tell Smurf," he takes her hand again, pulling her towards the house. "She will know what to do." They walk inside.

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It's so much fun since I know where they will finally end up!
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