The two Walkers and two Lamberts are making their way to their cars after school.
"Hey, do you mind if I pick the music on the ride home?" August asks. "I-I think I might start a music podcast."
"What the hell?" Stella exclaims.
"Wait, uh, what's wrong with that?" August asks.
"No, our car." Stella says, the others spotting the scratch on the car. The two Walkers put their backpacks in the car and Stella rushes in front of a truck, making the boy slam on his brakes.
"Stella!" Taylor shouts, rushing over to her. "What the fuck?" She hisses.
"Hey! You keyed my car because you didn't get your precious parking spot?" Stella asks, ignoring her friend. "What is your problem?" August and Randy stand on the passenger side.
"Oh, you're Stella, right? And you're Arlo or whatever. Yeah, the Walkers." The guy says. "Hear you guys always blame other people for the messes they make, so this tracks. Now just go home. Tell your ranger daddy to arrest me and just get out of my way, okay?"
All four of them head towards the driver's side of the truck.
"You stalk my family online or something?" Stella asks making the guy laugh. "Who are you?"
"Well, I-I'm Colton." He says, sticking his head out the window a little. "And I've heard enough about you to know that you're an entitled little princess, so, please, just get out--" He's cut off as August punches him in the face.
"Oh, shit!" Taylor exclaims.
"Back up." August tells his sister, pushing her and Taylor back.
"Hey, August." Taylor protests.
"Hey!" Stella exclaims.
"It's my problem." August says.
"No! August." Stella says.
"Back up. It's mine." August says.
"August. No!" Stella objects.
"Hey, you want to talk to my sister like that?" August asks Colton who got out of his truck. "Talk to me right now. Let's go." Colton shoves August.
The two start fighting, mostly just shoving each other.
"Go, Augie! Come on, man!" Randy encourages. "Go! Get him, Augie!"
Trey soon comes over and breaks the two boys up.
+++
Cheyenne gets to the high school, making her way to the office. She stops when she runs into the other two parents.
"Oh, no surprise seeing you here." Cheyenne quips to Cordell.
"Is-- is that a knock on my kids?" Cordell asks.
"What? No. It's stating our children being in trouble together is no surprise." Cheyenne says. She looks at the other parent, her jaw falling slack once she recognizes her. "Y-- is--" She glances at Cordell who nods. "Denise Davidson?"
"Hi, Cheyenne." Denise gives her a polite smile.
"Hi." Cheyenne weakly waves. "Wh-what are you--" She frowns.
"My family and I moved back to Austin. Back to the old house." Denise informs.
"Oh." Cheyenne mumbles, glancing at Cordell who awkwardly smiles. "Okay." She quietly says, making her way into the principal's office, the other two quick behind.
~ ~ ~
"They started it." Colton states.
"What? No, no, no. He's lying!" Stella exclaims. The four friends continue to object, all against Colton.
"Enough!" Cordell orders. "August, did you punch him?"
"No, I got this on my own. Is this guy really a Texas Ranger?" Colton asks.
"Colton Davidson, zip that mouth, or you're going to military school." Denise threatens. Colton quietly scoffs.
Cordell looks at August for an answer to his earlier question.
"Yeah, I... I-I-I punched him, but only because he was--"
"Stop." Cordell cuts his son off. "Apologize."
"He was just defending Stella." Randy defends.
"Ra--" Cheyenne cuts Cordell off by clearing her throat. He glances at her, giving her a small, apologetic look. "August, apologize."
"A-Are you serious?" August asks. Cordell gives him a look and the boy sighs.
"Fine." He mumbles, inhaling deeply and clearing his throat. "You know what? I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I beat you up. You know what I mean?" August chuckles, holding his hand out for a fist bump from Cordell. Taylor and Stella both laugh a little.
Randy quietly laughs. Cheyenne puts her hands on her kids' heads, the two quickly shutting up. The woman rolls her lips into her mouth, attempting to hide her own smile.
August sees the look on his dad's face and lowers his hand.
"What did you say to her? Clearly, he's sticking up for his sister, so what'd you say?" Denise asks her son.
"Well, I just said she's an entitled princess and their family blames other people for their problems." Colton says.
"Wow." Denise quietly says.
"What, am I wrong?" Colton asks.
"You two want ice cream?" Cheyenne asks her kids who both nod in response.
"He has been talking to his grandmother again. I'm so sorry." Denise says, looking at Cordell.
"So, your families know each other?" Trey asks.
"We-we-we... we-we did." Cordell says. "Uh, do. Did. Did."
"Yeah, uh, kind of." Denise says.
"Yeah, uh..." Cordell mutters.
"Uh, yeah, we did." Denise says.
"They were neighbors." Cheyenne intervenes. "I just... went to school with them."
"It was, uh... a long time ago." Cordell says.
"Right. Okay, but for now, is this gonna be a problem while your kids are in school together?" Trey asks.
"No, sir. It will not." Cordell says, giving his children a look.
"Well, there's still the matter of an appropriate punishment." The principal says.
"Uh, yeah. That's usually my arena. How about detention?" Denise suggests. "For all five of them."
"What did I do?" Stella questions.
"I didn't do anything." The two Lamberts protest.
"Sounds fair." Cordell says.
"Mom, we didn't do anything." Randy whines.
"I-- were you encouraging Augie?" Cheyenne asks.
"I--" Randy frowns. "That's a basic reaction to a high school fight. A bunch of other kids were yelling, too."
"They really didn't do anything." August states. "Like, at all. They were just witnesses, like any of the other kids."
"Fine. They can be off the hook." Denise says.
"Oh, thanks." Cheyenne sarcastically smiles at Denise.
"Detention for the other three, though." Cordell says. "But your son should pay for the damages." He tells Denise.
"Mom, I-I didn't do it." Colton says.
"Stop." Denise whispers to him. "Uh, no witnesses, but we'll split the repairs." She tells Cordell.
"Deal." Cordell says.
"Good. I'm glad that could be worked out. But let me end by saying this. Whatever history you all have. Work it out. Now." Principal Healey orders. "Before this gets any worse. All right?"
"Thank you, principal." Cordell says.
+++
"Come on." Geri takes the glass from Liam. "Hey, Cordi." She greets as he walks in.
"Hey." Cordell greets.
"Hey, uh, what's the policy about 86'ing a co-owner of the bar?" Geri questions, taking the bottle of alcohol out of Liam's hand.
"Hey. Come on, stinker." Cordell encourages his drunk brother. "Let's, uh, let's call it a night."
"Oh, don't treat me like a kid. Okay?" Liam pushes him away a bit. "You know, she did that to me earlier. Denise. It was just like elementary school. She's telling me to get lost while you're off catching fireflies or wishing on stars or whatever you're doing."
"All righty." Cordell sits down.
"Good times." Cheyenne quips.
"And now she stole my job." Liam says. "She stole it. Who am I? Am I Rudolph? I can't play any reindeer games?"
"Aw, sweetie." Cheyenne gives him a sad look.
"I-I-I get it." Cordell says. "Why don't we, uh, you know, just take a breath," He takes Liam's beer, the blonde protesting. "Give it a chance, try and keep the peace."
Cheyenne fails to stop the giggle that erupts, pure shock in her laugh.
"Keep the peace? With the Davidsons?" Geri questions. "Good luck." She scoffs.
"Seriously?" Cordell glances between the two women. "Are you two on his team now?"
"When was I ever on your team?" Cheyenne questions. "I haven't been on the peace team since I saw her stupid face this afternoon."
"I remember you telling me stories when I first moved here." Geri says. "About Denise Davidson, who wouldn't invite Hoyt to her birthday parties because he lived on Rundberg Lane." Liam and Cheyenne point to her.
"Mm-hmm." Liam nods. "Mm-hmm. Yeah."
"What is that? Or what about Marv? Marv Davidson, who stole your family's ranch hands." Geri adds.
"Marv." Liam nods, eating some peanuts.
"Also, didn't Gale Davidson blame you for the fire that night?" Geri questions.
"Three for three." Cheyenne quips. "Also Denise was a total bitch to me because I didn't live on a ranch like you guys and for being friends with you. This is when we were, like, pre-teens. What's there to be jealous of?"
"Okay, you're obviously a-an incredible listener." Cordell says.
"Thanks." Geri says.
"I'll remember that." Cordell says. "But my point is I-I don't want to, uh, just, you know, kick up the dust on some old family feud. I am finally ready to keep the past in the past."
"It's too late for that." Geri quietly says, nodding to the entrance. The other three turn to see Denise and her husband walking over.
"Oh, fuck me." Cheyenne whispers, turning back to the counter, taking a sip of her beer.
"Well, you guys weren't just talking about my wife's family by any chance, were you?" Denise's husband asks.
"Pretty arrogant to assume, no?" Cheyenne quietly asks Geri who smirks.
"We-- we, uh..." Cordell starts.
"Hey. We can go somewhere else." Denise tells her husband.
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no." Cordell objects. "It's fine."
"Is it?" Liam questions.
"Yes." Cordell states, giving his brother a look. "Uh, hey. Cordell Walker." He shakes the man's hand. "These are my friends Cheyenne and Geraldine and my brother Liam."
"I'm Dan Miller." He informs. "Oh, so, you're Liam Walker. I heard about the election. That's-- that's wild. I mean, you lost to a guy who was on trial for murder?" He laughs.
"You know, I really wouldn't." Cheyenne warns, standing up.
"Okay, let's just go find another bar, please." Denise tells her husband.
"No, please. Know what? It's all right." Cordell says making Cheyenne give him a shocked look. "Coming a little hot, but why don't you guys have a seat. Drinks on me. Drinks on the house."
"Oh, this-- this is your bar." Dan says.
"Yeah." Cordell nods.
"And you own the land that was once ours." Dan adds.
"I don't think anything was yours, really." Cheyenne butts in.
Liam laughs.
"Oh, and you." Dan continues, chuckling. "You think you won the D.A.'s office that no one wanted you in to begin with." Cheyenne's eyes almost pop out of their sockets at the man's stupid courage.
"Okay. That's not really your fight." Denise cuts in.
"And not really appropriate here." Cordell adds.
Liam stands up.
"Do you know who that is?" Liam asks, pointing to the boar head on the wall.
"Okay, Liam, let's just--" Geri tries to intervene. "Let's just sit down."
"That-- that is Denise." Liam states as Cordell holds him back. "Denise the deer."
"It-- it's a boar, dude." Cheyenne quietly says.
"Named after our Travis County D.A." Liam continues.
"Wow." Geri whispers.
"You think that's funny?" Dan questions.
"No, no, it's not..." Cordell tries.
"Is that a joke? Take it down." Dan orders.
"It's not-- it's not funny." Cordell says. "It was an inside joke."
"Do you think that's funny?" Dan questions. "Take it down."
"It was a long time ago."
"Okay. All, right, can you keep your voice down, please?" Geri orders.
"Her father died in a fire trying to save your ass." Dan states.
"All right, you need to chill out." Cheyenne tells the man.
"Okay. Okay, calm down. Please calm down." Denise tells her husband.
"So show some respect and take it down." Dan orders.
"Would you please calm down? You don't know what you're talking about." Denise says.
"Your father died because of them!" Dan yells.
"Just-- just let it go." Denise tells him.
The two continue to argue, Denise yelling out when Liam punches Dan.
"Oh, shit!" Cheyenne exclaims.
"Liam!" Cordell quickly grabs him, holding him back. "Liam! Hey, hey, hey." Geri grabs onto Liam, keeping him back.
Dan charges for the two brothers, Denise attempting to stop him.
"Hey, hey, whoa!" Cheyenne yells, trying to grab Dan's arm to stop him.
"Hey! No!" Denise shouts.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Trey races over, yanking Dan back just before he's able to punch Cordell. "Hey! Hey! That's enough!"
"Just-- just... come on!" Denise orders her husband.
"They started it." Liam says.
"Okay! Okay!" Cordell shouts. "Then let's end it."
"Let's go. Calm down." Denise tells her husband, dragging him out of the bar.
Cheyenne grabs her beer and takes a few drinks.
+++
Cheyenne walks out of The Side Step, watching Denise drive away.
"Hey." Cordell greets.
"Hey." Cheyenne smiles. "So... like uncle, like nephew, huh?" Cordell lets out a forced laugh.
"Yeah. Yeah, uh... sorry you had to get involved in two family fights." Cordell says.
"So, uh... you're really up for peace making?" Cheyenne questions.
"It-- it's all in the past." Cordell says. "We're all mature adults... for the most part. And-- and, uh... we should leave the past in the past."
"Yeah, I'm getting the feeling you're the only person on board with that." Cheyenne says.
"Actually, uh, Denise seems to be pretty on board too, so..." Cordell says.
"Good for you." Cheyenne nods. "Let me know how this all works out."
"Oh, no, I-I'm sure my mom will tell your mom. They seem to be venting buddies." Cordell lets out a small laugh.
"Yeah." Cheyenne chuckles. "I, uh, I should get home."
"Are you okay to drive?" Cordell asks.
"Yeah. Yeah, no, I just had the one beer that I didn't even get to finish." Cheyenne says. "Drank a water with it, I'm all good."
"Okay." Cordell nods.
"See you later. Hopefully not in the principal's office or a bar fight." Cheyenne says.
"Yeah." Cordell chuckles. "Yeah, hopefully not. Drive safe."
"Bye." Cheyenne gives him a small smile as she makes her way to her car.