Chapter 14: Summer Break is finally here

2 Years Later

It had been exactly two years since the L.A. incident, and since Bea and Brian had settled down in Miami.

Bea had surprisingly grown a lot since then, and had slightly matured for her age, though she was only ten. She was slowly turning into a beautiful young woman.

A Lot has changed over those two years, Bea and her Uncle Brian had grown closer, putting their differences aside as they both came to a common ground regarding Bea's mother.

Though was still adjusting to not having her mother around anymore, she was glad to have her Uncle Brian.

Brian had somewhat become a father figure to her, though she would never openly admit it out loud for him to hear as she believed that would boost his ego and that was the last thing she wanted.

Everything was going okay in Bea's life, and she couldn't be anymore happier.

Though what got her excited was summer vacation, as she schooled was finally over and she had been wanting to spend her summer being lazy and sleeping on the couch.

Bea turned her on her side, eyes opened slowly, looking at her clock.

Sighing, she got up before her alarm had woke her.

Quickly, she made her way out of her room, knocking on Brian's room, impatiently as she heard his alarm.

"Alarm," Bea complained from outside the room. But getting no response, she was irritated. "Alarm! Uncle Brian get your stupid alarm, please."

Hearing the nose within the room had stopped, Bea sighed in relief as she went to the bathroom.

༄༆꧁❁꧂༆༄

Bea stood in the kitchen, making breakfast as she was in her school uniform.

Brian walked in, making his way towards the coffee pot. "Morning."

Bea turned to look at him, sighing as she saw him making coffee, going to the refrigerator as she took up orange juice, pouring into a glass.

Brian was about to take a sip of his coffee, Bea had moved in front of him, giving him a look as she handed him the glass.

Brian raised his eyebrows at her, amused. "Really?"

Bea smirked as she took the coffee from his hands. "Yes, vitamin C is important."

Brian gestures to the mug in her hands. "What about you?"

Bea took a sip of the coffee. "I already have my vitamin C, you need it more than me though."

"You did your homework?" Brian asked. "What is it you do? Fractions?"

Bea chuckles. "I always do my homework."

"And no trouble at school, right?" Brian asked.

"No, Uncle Brian," Bea told him. "I behaved perfectly at school, no need to worry." Bea set down the mug, returning back to the stove. "Breakfast is ready."

Bea turned back around, as she walked towards the counter to where she had put down the bacon and pancakes, scraping out the egg into the both plates for her and Brian.

Brian took the plates as he walked towards the table, setting them down, Bea walked over taking the mug with her.

Bea sat down, pouring syrup on her pancakes. "How old are you again?"

"Twenty-four," Brian responded. "But when July comes I'll be Twenty-Five."

"Wow you're getting old," Bea told him.

"I am not old," Brian said. "I'm still in my early twenties."

"Uh-huh," Bea told him. "Believe what you want, you just can't accept the fact that you're aging rapidly."

"And you're not?" Brian asked. "You're twelve and gonna be thirteen in a few months."

Bea took a bite of her bacon. "Please, don't bring up my birthday."

Brian took a bite of his egg, stopped chewing as he took out a piece of eggshell.

Brian looked at Bea. "Shell."

Bea shrugged. "Calcium." She smiled as she showed some egg in her mouth. "Just forget the egg and eat the bacon and pancakes."

"Normally you don't rush breakfast," Brian said. "You got somewhere to be?"

"I've got school," Bea told him. "And I want to hurry up and go, just so I can leave the place quickly."

Brian chuckles. "Excited for summer vacation?"

"You bet your ass I am," Bea told him. "I've been waiting all year for this."

"What exactly are your plans for summer?" Brian asked. "You gonna hang out with your friend Val or Emily?"

"For the last time, they are not my friends," Bea told him. "They are just some people that I hangout with when I'm not at school."

"I thought we agreed that you would be more open about having friends," Brian told her. "What happened?"

"We didn't agree on anything," Bea told him. "I just said that I would try and be open."

"Right," Brian said. He looked at the clock, sighing. Standing up he went to put his plate away. "Time for school Bea."

Bea continued to eat. "I haven't finished yet."

"Save it for later," Brian told her. "Because after finding that eggshell on my plate, you're not gonna cook dinner."

"You're overreacting," Bea told him. She stood, grabbing her backpack. "I made one little mistake."

"You want me to drop you or will you bike there?" Brian asked.

Bea stood near the front door, putting on her sunglasses. "You already know the answer to that." Bea opened the door. "I'll see you later Uncle Brian."

༄༆꧁❁꧂༆༄

Bea was seated in her seat in the back of the classroom, leaning on her palm.

Blocking out what the teacher was saying, as she looked at the clock.

School was about to end and Bea couldn't wait to leave, having big plans today after school.

Feeling eyes on her, turning her gaze away from the clock, she saw Amaya who sent her a smile.

Bea waved, turning her attention back on the clock. To her it seemed like time was going slower and she hated it.

She drummed her fingers on her desk, moving a strand of hair out of her face.

Eyeing the clock. The time was close, it was real close.

As soon as the bell ranged, Bea stood up immediately from her seat, bag in hand, rushing out the door.

Pushing past the kids in the halls.

Amaya, who also grew more mature and has found some confidence in herself, walked after Bea, trying to keep up.

"Bea," Amaya called. "Damn she's fast." Bea walked out the school main entrance as Valerie followed her down the steps. "Beatrice O'Connor, stop right there!"

Upon hearing her full name and knowing who had called her, Bea reluctantly stopped walking, slowly turning around to glare at Valerie who smirked.

"What do you want, Amaya?" Bea asked. "I'm kinda in a hurry."

"Where are you off to?" Amaya asked.

"None of your business," Bea replied. "Now, can you please leave me alone? I have somewhere to be." Bea noticed a man in a suit walking towards, knowing who he aas, waving. "Hi Miles."

"Hello, Ms. O'Connor," Miles greeted.

"I just wanted to know if you would like to hangout with me this summer?" Amaya asked. "Since you refused me last time, I refused to have no as an answer."

"If I say yes will you let me go?" Bea asked. Amaya nodded. "Then, yes, I'll hangout with you." Amaya let go of Bea's hand. "Just let me know in advance what you wanna do."

Amaya smiled. "Okay, I'll see you around."

Bea nods, walking away, though she felt Val's burning gaze on her head.

Bea quickly made her bike, getting on, riding away.

Amaya looked at Miles. "Miles, can you do me a favor?"

Miles looked down at her. "What is it Ms. Verone."

"Follow Bea for me," Amaya told him. "I have a feeling she's hiding something. She's not being truthful and I want to know why."

"As you wish," Miles said.

༄༆꧁❁꧂༆༄

Bea wandered into an abandoned warehouse, setting her bike aside.

She smiled, turning on the lights.

The whole warehouse lit up, exposing the mini hideout she had set up.

Walking forward, she took a seat in front of her computer that she had set up.

Typing away, Bea was trying to get any information about her mother's whereabouts, tracking the money her mother had put in the card, also cameras that may have caught her.

Turning away from the computer, she stood, walking up to her glass whiteboard, with multiple pictures with red strings connected to each photograph.

Taking a marker, writing on the board.

There was a knock on the door, Bea froze, as the door opened to reveal Brian.

Bea relaxes, setting down the marker.

Brian made his way towards her, looking around the warehouse, impressed and slightly amazed.

"You did good with this place," Brian told her.

Bea smirked. "No matter how hard I try, it still looks like a dump."

"Well, this is only temporary," Brian told her. "Remember the deal."

Bea rolled her eyes. "How could I forget? You literally remind me every chance you get."

"Bea, we agreed that I would help you find Gabriella," Brian told her. "Only if you promised to get out more and spend time outside of this," Brian gestures around him. "I know finding Gabriella is important, but having a life is also important."

"And I will hold up my end," Bea told him. "Just as soon as I can locate where mom is, I think I'm really close to finding her."

Brian walked up to the board, impressed with Bea's work, looking at the strings that connect to each photograph and document.

Brian turned to Bea. "You did this?" Bea nods, crossing her arms over her chest. "Impressive, you found a lot."

"I did, but nothing adds up with these photos," Bea told him. "I'm still trying to match the date and time of when and where she goes, but so far, nothing clicks."

Brian pats her head. "If anyone can do this it's you."

Bea smiled slightly. "I appreciate the encouragement. Anyways, why are you here? Don't you have to meet Tej or something?"

"I wanted to tell you that I'll be gone for 2 days," Brian told her.

"Why?" Bea asked.

"Because I have the cops on me," Brian told her. Bea's eyes widened in worry. "But it's okay, they're not taking me in or anything. They just need my help with undercover work."

"Seriously?" Bea asked. She gave him a look of disappointment. "I thought we were done with this crap."

"Language," Brian said. Bea rolled her eyes, turning away from him. "Look, if I do this, then I get what happened in L.A. off my record. Then we won't have to be on the run anymore."

"I thought we stopped running," Bea said. "We settle down in a nice cozy house, why must you be sucked back in and go for the right side of the law?"

"Look, my decision is made up," Brian told her. "And this could be the best thing that's happened for us, with my record clean, we can finally have a normal life, no running, no hiding, and no secrets."

Bea frowned. "Normal life? Nothing about my life is normal, Uncle Brian. No matter what you do or say, I'll always be the one on the run, hiding, and keeping secrets from others to protect them from the danger that surrounds me."

"Bea, I promise no one is out to get you," Brian told her. "I know you miss your mom, and it's killing you not knowing where she is and why she left you."

"I already know why she left me," Bea told him. "To keep safe from the bad people that are after us."

"There is no one after you," Brian told her. "You're safe Bea, you've always been."

"You don't believe me?" Bea asked. "Do you think I'm crazy?"

"No, I just think you're a little delusional," Brian told her.

Bea sighed, turning around. "Just go do your own thing, I'll be back home later."

"Bea-" Brian was cut off.

"Go!" Bea told him. "I would like to be alone with my thoughts."

"I'll see you back at the house," Brian told her. "I'm leaving tonight, so don't stay out here too long."

Bea didn't say anything, Brian sighs walking away, knowing Bea needed her space.