✨ Months later ✨
Haiden was finally home. She was happy and slightly frightened.
Her experience wasn't terrible but she still wasn't sure if she was ready to dive into the world just yet.
"Okay, impromptu family meetings never really go well for us, so just rip the band air off, dad." Liv said.
"Okay. I'm moving out." Billy blurted.
Haiden sat still, unaffected by the news as she adjusted her blanket.
"Wait, you're leaving us again?" Jordan questioned, alarmingly looking to the others.
Billy shook his head, sitting down.
"This is nothing like last time. I leased a nice condo that's just a couple of miles away so I'm gonna be around a lot. I'm gonna be around a lot.." He looked to Laura, hoping she wouldn't fight him.
"Is this because of the investigation at school? Are you leaving to protect us from something that's coming?" Liv inquired.
"No, no. The truth is, your mother and I, we have been separated for a while now, and moving forward is what's best for the family. Right, Laura?"
"Right, yeah."
"Okay." The children agreed, shrugging.
"Thank you." Billy softly spoke.
"Oh, and I call dibs on the bigger room."
"Nope, in your dreams." Liv said.
The parents laughed, watching their twins argue.
"Get out of here."
"I love you, Dad." Jordan hugged his father.
"I love you too, man."
"Love you, dad." Liv tightly embraced him before chasing Jordan up the stairs.
"Hai, let me talk to you." Billy called before she could get too far.
"What's up?"
"How you feeling? And therapy.. how- how is that going?"
Haiden glanced to her occupied mother then back to Billy, sighing.
"It's fine, I guess. I can't talk about it."
"Yeah, no, I know.. I just wanted to check in with you. I heard you're going to that party tonight."
"Dad, stop. I know you're worried about me but I'm maintaining. Your micro parenting isn't helping."
"Okay!" He threw his hands up in a surrendering gesture.
"I will say no more. Come here. I love you so much."
Haiden groaned as he tightly embraced her.
"Dad."
"Let me have my moment...
I don't get many."
Haiden gave him a squeeze before the pair separated. She gave him a comforting look then went to her room.
"What's up, baby!" Zuna yelled into the phone.
"Hey, Z. Hi, Chris."
"What's up, Haiden?" He smiled, going back to his notebook.
"So... How's your first week going?" Zuna inquired.
She hadn't really heard from Haiden while she was away. Checking in with Cameron was useless since he'd barely been in contact himself.
"It's going."
"Motto of my life! You don't even understand."
"Hey, you guys going to that party tonight?" Haiden asked, hoping she wouldn't be alone.
"Sorry, babe, we aren't. Today is our day to do edibles and go to the aquarium."
"Chris literally can't consume cannabis, Z."
"Okay.. more like I do edibles and he stops me from talking to the animals like they're a human."
Chris chuckled, remembering their recent encounter at the aquarium. An older couple had unsettlingly watched Zuna ask the animals if they liked being trapped.
Chris thought it was fair until she began to ask if they'd rather be free to eat the other wildlife. He glanced to her then the couple, smiling.
"Wildlife, Z?"
"Yeah. I mean, they're in captivity."
"Here you go.." Chris muttered.
"Yeah, here I go. Any sane person knows they should be in the open water, free.."
"So, you'd rather let the dolphin be eaten by the orca than swim around, having fun?" Haiden questioned.
"Yes."
"What?" Chris said, turning
to the face her.
"Let me explain."
"Please." Haiden added,
laughing at Chris's face.
"The orca eats the dolphin, so what? What about the dolphin's appetite? You think they come on land to get some apples and go back into the ocean? All I'm saying is, everyone has to survive. You gotta eat what you gotta eat but it's better to not be in a tank where people stare at you all day. And thank you for coming to my TED talk." Zuna proudly finished, crossing her arms.
Chris blankly stared at her then shook his head, going back to his notebook.
Evening had come, it was now time for the Jamboree pre-party. Haiden clutched her pajama pants, keeping her head in her phone.
The party wasn't too interesting. Spencer and Darnell did their own thing, Liv chatted with Layla which Haiden was not considering.
She quickly caught her balance when Spencer pushed her. He laughed, making sure she was okay.
"I hate you."
"I hate you too." He replied then greeted an approaching Darnell.
"Where's your height, Haiden?"
She glared at Darnell, scoffing while Spencer chuckled.
"Well, if it ain't the quarterback without a team." A team member of the Westlake Wildcats teased.
"Yo, what did you say to me? Stop trying to steal our players, dawg." Darnell commanded, pushing him back.
"Hey, hey, hey. Easy, D, alright?" Spencer intervened.
"Yeah, D. Easy. We didn't steal anything. Your boy Cam came begging us to get him out of Crenshaw. He calls it pulling a Spencer." The boy truthfully spoke, walking away.
"Are you gone take that? I guess you don't stand up to nobody no more." Darnell angrily said.
Haiden stepped away, deciding to call Cameron. She wondered why he wasn't present and what the Wildcat player was talking about.
He didn't answer which resulted in her leaving. She wasn't enjoying herself so might as well.
"What's up, mama?" Cameron smiled, kissing her forehead and sitting beside her.
She crossed her legs, clicking through the channels before turning to him.
"What's this about you 'begging' Westlake to get you out of Crenshaw?"
He dropped his head, huffing.
"Snitching ass white boys. Babe, I promise I was gone tell you."
"Yeah? When were you gonna tell me that you were 'pulling a Spencer'?"
"Damn, can't tell them anything." He said then chuckled to himself.
"Don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against the boys but I gotta look out for me. Westlake has amazing scholarships. You should see 'em."
Haiden stared at him then smiled. He was genuinely happy to have those many options to make it.
"Just don't become a dick like them. What does your mom think?"
"She's down. She just wants to see me make it and I would like to move her somewhere better. That's if she'll let me."
"She definitely loves Crenshaw."
Cameron smiled, thinking about how happy the city made his mother.
"That's all I'm trying to do. And I don't see the problem. When Spencer does it, he gets glorified.. when I do it, I'm a sellout."
"You're not a sellout. Sometimes you have to break out of the place you're in to actually get somewhere.."
"Ew. What did they do to you?"
Haiden cackled.
"I... learned, retaught my mind.. and now, I have to get started on my breakout."