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SEPTEMBER should be a good month. It's the time of year when the weather's perfect (no thanks to global warming), and the excitement of back to school begins.
It's a month of new beginnings. That is unless you are a part of the Roberts-Hoss family. Then it's just a sick reminder of your dead mom or wife, and the damning legacy she left to you.
Grief is a weird thing, the kids realized. One second, you're crying at your mom's funeral wishing she'd just come back, the next you're practically a machine, trying to keep every last detail of your life in perfect order.
Or maybe you become the opposite, finding comfort in the chaos, in the most dangerous things life has to offer.
Or maybe you just become numb to any and all feelings, even the good ones. Especially the good ones.
Some days felt like walking through life with a missing limb, others felt like maybe things might just be okay again.
And none of the good days ever fell in September.
"Morning," Jamie yawns, walking in the kitchen groggily.
Her feet drag on the ground, making that noise that drove her sister insane. So much so, that she didn't even have to say a word before Jamie rolls her eyes, apologizing.
"Long night?" Alex turns to her, the loose bun on her head moving as she does, dropping a few curls into her face.
"English paper," she nods, filling up a comically big mug of coffee. "Jane Eyre."
"Coffee doesn't replace sleep," Alex teases, flipping another pancake onto a plate of bacon. "Here."
Hazel eyes flicker down to the breakfast Alex was holding out, a small smile crossing Jamie's face. "Banana pancakes with a side of bacon."
"Mom's favorite," Alex quirks an eyebrow, quickly returning to the batter.
She carefully ladles it into a pan, making sure not to spill it on the counters as she does.
"Yup, which reminds me, Eli is picking up the flowers for the dining table, so I told him to grab that poster board you needed for class."
"I can pick up my own poster board," she snorts, taking a bite, and humming at the taste.
"Well, last time you said you were picking up school supplies, we got a call from the hospital," she remarks, passive-aggressively flipping the pancake.
"It was one time."
"Two times, actually," she scoffs.
"You do this all the time, I mean, like, do you think you're some holier than thou-" she prepares to argue, interrupted by Eli opening the front door.
Eli was interesting, to say the least. Smarter than he should be with a ten-foot wall around his heart and a weight on his shoulders, he tended to come off as an asshole. Whether or not he was, is still up for debate.
"God, can you two spend more than an hour together without arguing?" Eli rolls his eyes, locking the three locks behind him and placing his keys and a bouquet on the table. "Here's your poster board."
Yellow tulips, the same flowers Jen used to keep all around the house when they were growing up.
"Thanks," Jamie takes it, hazel eyes pleading with her brown ones to just let it go. "Alex, I apologized a billion times, what do you want from me?"
"Don't answer that," Eli points to Alex, accepting the plate of breakfast in her hands.
"He's right. Today's about Mom," the girl turns back to the stove, leaving a tense silence in the air.
"Actually, tomorrow is," Jamie begins to say but keeps it to herself.
"So what's our plan for today?" Eli checks the time on his phone.
"Oh, I made an itinerary," Alex grins, walking over to her bookbag and grabbing her iPad.
"Of course, you did," Eli and Jamie share an amused look.
"Okay, Eli drops us off at school, you pick us up at 12:30 and we head to Woodsboro straight after. Jamie and I have a free period after so we won't miss anything," she smiles, showing them the perfectly written itinerary.
"How long is the drive?"
"8 hours, but we can all switch off," she points to that section of the itinerary.
"Anyone ever tell you you're a psychopath?" Jamie chuckles.
"Be nice to your sister," Ross yawns as he walks into the room, making Alex swiftly change the tab to a decoy itinerary she made for the senior trip he thought they were going on.
He was older now, of course. The full beard now took away the boyish look he'd always been cursed with. Paired with the permanently sad eyes he'd been sporting since 2011, well, let's just say you can tell what he's been through.
"Oh, but she makes it so hard," Jamie sighs, as he makes his rounds around the table, hugging everyone. "Morning, Dad."
"Morning," he pours a mug of coffee, adjusting his blazer.
"Thought you were off today," Eli frowns.
"I was supposed to be, but there was an emergency at the University, so I have to step in."
"What kind of emergency?" Alex hands him a plate, finally sitting down to eat herself.
"Nope," he chuckles.
"What? I won't try to "insert myself into the investigation" again. I can't, actually, we leave for the trip today,"
"Oh, that's right," he sighs. "I'm sorry, I know you guys like to have a movie night on the anniversary."
"It's fine, Dad. We will survive. Plus, we can always celebrate Mom's birthday in a few weeks," Jamie assures.
"Yeah," Alex smiles, guilt creeping up her throat as she squeaks out a response.
Eli just nods, avoiding eye contact.
"Okay. Well, I have to go. From what my partner is telling me, it's bad. Love you all, please be safe, and let me know when you get there."
"We will! Love you too," Alex gives a thumbs up, as they all knew if anyone was to keep him updated, it'd be her.
"You got your pepper spray?" he raises his eyebrows, putting his gun in the holster.
"Yes, always," Jamie rolls her eyes.
"Remember to always-"
"Watch your surroundings and never let your guard down," they recite the speech they'd been hearing nonstop since they were 10, amused grins on their faces.
"You make fun, but I think my concern is valid."
"We know, Dad. We'll be fine. It's just the beach," Eli shrugs, lying through his teeth. "Our biggest threat is a shark."
"Alright, fine. I'll see you guys on Sunday night."
"See you," they wave as he walks out the door, sunglasses covering his eyes.
"Alright, I'll be down in a sec," Alex puts the dishes in the sink, running upstairs to change.
____
Around an hour later, the siblings pile into Eli's Jeep, speeding towards the high school as Alex attempts to change the radio.
"None of that sad shit," he glances over at the brunette. "I'm serious."
"You think everything is sad."
"Just put on some Paramore or something," he waves her off.
"Good with me," Alex shrugs, turning to Jamie. "Do you concur?"
"Yes, Alexandra, I concur," she chuckles, glancing back at her phone. "Oh, Tara's asking what time we'll get there."
"Why?" Eli gives a look of disdain, making both girls roll their eyes.
"Because we're staying at her house for three days?" Alex raises an eyebrow.
"We're doing what?"
"She's the only one whose parents are out of town! And we discussed this ages ago. Do you even check the chat?"
"No."
"It'll be fine," Jamie assures through laughs. "Just... try to ignore whatever beef you've got with Tara."
"She gives me a headache," he rolls his eyes. "And she's got this glare, man."
"Whatever. Can you just promise to be kind this weekend?"
"He's not even kind to the people he does like," Jamie scoffs.
"Fine, I'll be civil," he rolls his eyes again, showing that he was clearly lying.
"We'll believe it when we see it."
______
Spending a day at a school full of people staring her and Alex down with those fake pity eyes made Jamie even more anxious to get the hell out of Irvine.
It was bad enough a month ago when everyone was staring at her for her weekend-long hospital visit, but now it was paired with the "your mom died" looks of pity.
So you can imagine how fast she and Alex ran out of the building when the bell rang, climbing into the grey Jeep.
"Jesus," Eli chuckles at their speed, reversing out of the lot. "Rough day?"
"You know it was, don't be a dick," Jamie glares.
"Can't help it, it's my default," he shrugs. "Now, if you don't mind, we have an eight-hour drive, commencing now."
"Oh, speaking of you being a dick," Jamie leans forward in her seat, making both siblings glare at her.
"Seatbelt."
"Jesus Christ, he's practically going 5 miles per hour, we're more likely to see a tornado than get in an accident," she rolls her eyes. "Anyway, my teammate Shelby literally bombards me at practice today, calling you all types of names."
"You slept with Shelby Green?" Alex grimaces.
"No, I did not. God, I have morals," he frantically responds. "However, I cannot say the same about her older sister Ashley."
"You're disgusting."
"It's one girl! I don't need either of the morality police today, okay? I was a perfect gentleman."
"Until you ghosted her?"
"Woah, woah," he rapidly blinks. "I told her I wasn't ready for a relationship right now, which she said was fine. Until it wasn't."
"You are every woman's nightmare," Jamie shakes her head.
"Do I need to give the crash course on why relationships are almost every person's downfall? Look at Dad. Loving Mom got him in a cycle of depression so deep, I don't even think a psychiatrist could fix him."
"That's not fair," Alex sighs. "What happened to Mom is one in a million."
"Really? Cause it happened four times."
"Eli!" Jamie swats his arm.
"No hitting the person conducting the vehicle," Alex scolds. "Even if he is being a dick."
"Okay, I apologize. I shouldn't spread my doom and gloom philosophy on love because no one wants to hear it. Happy?"
"You are the male version of Manic Pixie," Alex narrows her eyes, and Jamie snorts at the comment. "So goddamn dramatic."
"Oh my God, yes he is," Jamie laughs. "You're so Margo Roth Spiegelman."
"And yet I'm the one who constantly gets called a dick," he scoffs, not being able to stop himself from chuckling.
After, they let the music fill the car until Eli taps Alex's shoulder.
"So, uh, as much as I don't want to get involved, Chad is asking why you disappeared on him."
"Ooh, juicy," Jamie sits up again. "What did he do?"
"No juice, just been busy. College apps are coming up."
"Yeah right, you've had your essay written since we were 9," Jamie narrows her eyes. "Did he hit on you? I know you're weird about that kind of thing. Which if you're asking my advice-"
"I'm not," she deadpans.
"So he did hit on you? Eli, pay up," Jamie taps the back of his seat.
"What? No, that'd never happen. You guys bet on my love life?"
"No..."
"What love life?"
"Unbelievable," she rolls her eyes. "Anyway, it's just college and the anniversary, really. And you know Chad. If you tell him you're not okay, he's gonna put all his energy into making you feel better."
"True," Jamie nods, still clearly unconvinced. "Well, I'm glad we get to see everyone again. Feels like it's been ages."
"Yeah," she agrees. "I'm gonna take a nap. Wake me when it's my turn."
As soon as she falls asleep, Jamie whispers to Eli, "We're not letting her drive, right?"
"Oh, absolutely not. I wanna survive this trip."
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a/n: welcome to the next chapter of the roberts legacy... can't wait for you all to get to know jamie, alex, and eli!