Fox walked into the Book Café. He ordered himself a café latte and some muffins. He began eating, and logged into the internet, getting into the files of the Harmony Herald. He spent the next hour finding out about the Russells. He now knew the basics about the family, but needed more.

He went to a table, and wrote down some notes for himself. Listening to the music, he read a magazine, when a woman sat down at his table. She pushed a piece of cake in front of Fox.

“ Excuse me? What is that for?”

” My name is Kay Bennett. Beth has told me that you were the one who helped saved Simone.”

” Oh?”

” Simone Russell? The girl you saved from drowning?”

” I know who you mean. What is she to you?”

” She’s my best friend in the world. She’s closer to me, than..”

” Members of your own family?”

Kay nodded.

“ If you and Simone were so close, then why didn’t she turn to you instead of..”

” Trying to commit suicide?”

Fox was stunned at her bluntness.

“ You rescued her, so you know why she was there. To answer your question, Simone has been peeved with me. And, so, instead of being able to talk with me when her life fell apart, she felt she had no one.”

” I….I’ve met her mother. She oozed love for Simone, in my opinion.”

” Dr. Russell isn’t that bad.  She’s a lot better than her father. As people, Coach and Dr. Russell aren’t bad. They’re not even horrible parents. It’s just that Simone’s sister, Whitney is ‘The Golden Child’, and Simone is ‘ The Other One’. “

Fox nodded in agreement.

“ So, when Simone lost the first guy she ever loved to Whitney too, it was the last straw.”

“ Her sister stole her boyfriend?”

” Not exactly. But, Chad broke her heart and soul. He led Simone on for almost a year and a half, while he cozied up to her sister. Simone’s heart is so big. And, she’s so trusting. She was a mark for him. Because it’s Whitney, everyone wants to make excuses, but the bottom line is…Simone loved him, and he knew it. He never told her that he didn’t care for her. And, I tried to warn her, but her heart was so big and generous. And, everytime Simone asked the RIGHT questions, they lied to her face.”

” Why?”

” Because, Whitney knew that Coach would never agree to her having a boyfriend – it would  interfere with her tennis career. NOTHING can interfere with tennis, in Coach Russell’s opinion. I…I let Simone down too, but Whitney and Chad were the one who totally destroyed her.”

“ What do you think will happen now…that the truth is out?”

” I know what I WANT to happen. Whitney lives to perpetrate the myth of her being ‘The Perfect Daughter’. I hope that THAT’S finally been blown to bits. Heifer wouldn’t even take responsibility when confronted about it in the hospital. Loser.”

Fox smiled. “ You really are a good friend.”

“ I….I just love her. Very few people are like Simone. She’s a good soul. Well, I gotta go. Nice talking to you.”

” Nice talking to you, too.”

Kay left the Book Café, and Fox ate his cake. He’d gotten all the information he needed.”
 

“ Whitney, you wanted to talk to me?”, Chad asked, sitting down next to her in the park.

“ Yes, Chad.”

“ How is Simone?”

” No change. Unfortunately.”

Chad moved closer to Whitney, and tried to hug her, but Whitney pulled away.

“ Whitney?”

” Chad, I’ve been thinking about things.”

” Things?”

” Us.”

” What about us?”

” That maybe us isn’t a good idea.”

” Whitney! How can you say that? Don’t you love me?”

” I do love you, Chad, but I don’t know if love is enough.”

” Love has to be enough. We’ve been through so much.”

” And a lot of that included hurting my sister.”

“ We couldn’t help that we fell in love.”

“ No, but we COULD help in telling her the truth.”

” Whitney..”

” Chad. I don’t think we should see one another anymore.”

” Why? Because your PARENTS said so?”, Chad replied, sneering.

Whitney looked at Chad in shock. She shook her head.

Chad barked back. “ WHAT?!”

“ Up until this moment, I never realized how much you actually RESENT my family. You don’t give a rat’s ass that my family is broken up about it, or how much they mean to me. Just like you never respected my tennis life.”

” Why should I? That wasn’t your dream. You want to sing!”

” No, Chad. YOU want me to sing. It is important to YOU. I don’t mind singing, but it’s not the be all, end all for me that it is for you. I definitely think we need to take a break.”

” What? Are you going to live your life for your parents for forever, Whitney?”

” No, Chad. But, my family means a great deal to me. I think I need to take this time and evaluate exactly how important it actually is. “

” And, you can’t do that with me.”

” No. I can’t. I’m not Theresa.”

” Too bad you aren’t. She wouldn’t let anyone stand in between her and Ethan. “

” Yes, and that’s why there is a road of damage and destruction in the relationship between Theresa and Ethan. I don’t want that for myself.”

” So, you’re going to punk out and give up on our relationship?”

” No. I’m trying to give it context in the scope of my life. “

” The scope? I’m not going to sit around while you let your parents bully you into giving up our relationship.”

” What are you saying?”

” I got a job in Los Angeles. I’m going to take it. And, if you want to be with me, you’ll leave with me.”

“ Leave Harmony?”

” Yes, Whitney. There’s a great, big world out there. It’s damn time you grew up and be your own woman. So, what is it, Whitney? Are we going to be together, or not?”

Whitney sighed deeply.

” I guess not, Chad. “

” What?”

“ Whatever doubts I had about our relationship evaporated when you tried this power play about Los Angeles. You didn’t even respect my family enough to give me the space to deal with the Simone situation. I’m not your trophy, Chad. I have a right to say that my family is important to me. You can’t deal with that, because you don’t know what it is to have a family. I’m sorry for you in that regards. I wish you the best, Chad. Goodbye.”

Whitney turned and walked away.