NURSING HOME

The next day, after Dina Laurent was discharged from the Providence General Hospital, Alyssa and I took her to the nursing home.

"She'll be safe here, Alyssa." I reassured her. "You can visit her anytime."

"Okay." Alyssa said.

Alyssa and I looks at Dina Laurent as she sits in her mechanical wheelchair, knitting her usual quilt-knitting.

And then, Alyssa and I leave the nursing home.

🔵🔵

BECKETT HOUSE

Alyssa and I arrived at my house and I gently close the door. We slowly walks into the living room where my parents are, along with the Beckett Crew, are sitting around on the three seat sofa.

"We have minutes to spare, so, what to do?" Grayson asked.

"Mom? Dad? You had a story to tell about your time at the boarding school academy." I mentioned sitting in between Leigh Ann and to Grayson on the three seat sofa.

My Mom and Dad exchange small smiles at each other and My Mom gets up and walks away.

"I can't believe you remembered?" My Dad asked me.

"Yeah, you were saving it for another time, so, we have some time before Alyssa's testimony against her Mafia Uncle Remy." I said.

"Okay." My Dad said.

My Mom walks down the stairs and into the living room with a picture frame. She gently hands it to me.

I gently takes it in my hand and looks at the rectangle picture frame of the parents wearing their boarding school academy uniforms.

My parents, Mr. Peter and Fern Beckett.

Sebastian's parents, Mr. Callen Skyes and Shannon Skyes.

Grayson's parents, Holland and Delaney Baxter.

Leigh Ann's parents, Samuel and Mrs. Susan Michaels.

Sasha's parents, Curtis and Tiffany Jones.

And Alyssa's parents, Clarence Laurent and Diane Laurent.

"Wow, you guys were young." I said.

My Dad chuckled to himself. "Yeah, we were."

My Mom and Dad sits in armchairs.

"But we didn't start off as best friends though." My Mom said.

"This is gonna be good." Sebastian said.

My Mom and Dad exchange looks at each other and looks at us again.

"Okay, this is the short version. It was 1990 at the Providence Boarding School Academy." My Mom said.

Flashback - Providence Boarding School Academy - 1990

In the half-crowded hallway, a young adult Fern Simmons, is at her locker, putting up her backpack in her locker. She gently closes the door and Holland is there.

"Hi, Fern." Holland greeted her with a small smile.

"Hey, Holland." Fern greeted him back.

"Are you gonna tutor me again in the library?" Holland asked.

"So, you can use our tutoring time to try and flirt with me, hell no." Fern told him annoyed.

"Oh, come on. You and I are good, Fern." Holland said to her.

"Holland? You can tutor yourself." Fern said to him.

"Yeah, but I would rather have you tutor me." Holland said.

"You can go study in the library by yourself, Holland." Peter Beckett said, slowly walks up to him.

"Why don't you piss off, Petey?" Holland said to him.

Peter looks at Fern and then, at Holland again and punches him in his face.

Holland tackles Peter onto the hallway floor, exchanges punches to each other while the other boarding school students watches.

A minute after . . .

In detention, both Peter and Holland sits in desks, next to each other with three inches from each other. They both have bruised cheekbone and bottom lip from their melee fight.

Peter looks at Holland. "I'm sorry I punched you, Holland."

Holland looks at Peter. "It's alright, Petey. Maybe, you, me and Fern can be study buddies or something."

Peter chuckles. "Sure."

Peter and Holland exchange small smiles at each other.

Peter Beckett (VO) And from since on, Holland and I have been best friends.

In the empty hallway . . .

Fern, Delaney and Tiffany exchange small smiles at each other and slowly wanders around in the hallway together.

Fern Beckett (VO) And myself, Delaney and Tiffany were three peas in a pod. Like, you girls, Catty, Leigh Ann and Sasha.

🔵🔵

In the lecture classroom, Curtis Jones joined Peter and Holland in a prank by pranking Professor Miss. Bellamy.

"We got her good." Curtis said.

Peter, Holland and Curtis fist bump each other with small smiles.

🔵🔵

At the CLUBHOUSE . . .

Fern, Delaney and Tiffany sits together at a table with their smoothies.

Diane Laurent slowly walks up to the three of them. "Oh, look, it's the three peas."

Fern looks up at Diane. "Do you have anything else to do, Diane other than being a mean ass bitch?"

Diane becomes annoyed. "What the hell did you just say to me, Fern?"

And then, Fern gets up to her feet, not breaking eye contact with Diane. "I said do you have anything else to do other than being a mean ass bitch?"

Diane slaps Fern. And Fern slaps Diane. And they both gets into a catfight atop the table.

"Bitch." Diane said in between melee punches.

"Wench." Fern said in between melee punches.

Tiffany and Delaney gently pulls away Fern while both Peter and Holland pulls away Diane.

Diane and Fern exchange tense looks at each other and Diane slowly walks away.

Fern slowly walks over to the smoothie bar and gently leans backwards against it.

Peter slowly walks up next to her. "Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine, Peter." Fern reassured him.

Peter chuckles to himself, which Fern looks at him, confused.

"What are you chuckling at Peter?" Fern asked him.

Peter stopped chuckling and looks at Fern. "You're tough and you're a badass."

Peter and Fern exchange small smiles at each other.

End of Flashback -- Present Day

In the living room, the Beckett Crew, along with Alyssa and my parents.

"After graduation, we all went to college, but we kept in contact with a group chat." My Dad said.

"You guys are cool parents." Grayson said.

"Maybe, we are. But we're also good at protecting our children from the things that lurk around in the shadows in the small town." My Mom said.

"We have to go to the courthouse." Alyssa said. "I want to get this over with."

🔵🔵

PROVIDENCE COURTHOUSE

That late afternoon, the Beckett Crew and I are sitting in the pew supporting Alyssa.

Alyssa is testifying against her Mafia Uncle Remy Levesque. And my Mom has enough evidence to lock up Remy Levesque at the jailhouse.

"With what you told me about your Uncle Remy Levesque's drug dealers and the hidden drug lab within the Wainecroft For Troubled Youth, Miss. Laurent, is the evidence true? Is Remy Levesque a bad man?" My Mom asked.

"Yes, ma'am, he is. He even sent a Mafia henchman to attack my friend at her house last night." Alyssa told her.

"Very well then." My Mom said and looks at Judge Noemi Berry.

"With the evidence provided by Special Agent Fern Beckett and with this young woman's testimony, I hereby say that Remy Levesque will be bankrupt and will be stripped of his wealth with no bail or release. This case is officially over." Judge Noemi Berry said.

Me and the Beckett Crew exchange small smiles at Alyssa.

🔵🔵

ROCHELLE'S DINER

Later that day, I'm sitting in a booth table with my usual root beer float, pondering to myself, looking at the TV which has the news channel.

MAFIA RINGLEADER REMY LEVESQUE LOCKED AWAY AT THE PROVIDENCE JAILHOUSE, is the headlines.

I take sips of my root beer float and ponders to myself.

Catty (VO) With Remy Levesque locked away at the Providence Jailhouse, that leaves his wife and accomplice, Marguerite Levesque, to take over. She might be just like him.

The diner opens and closes. Marguerite Levesque walks up to the diner counter and places her order for takeout.

Marguerite looks at me and I look at her. And I can already tell that she's up to something. After all, she's the wife of the Mafia ringleader.

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