Chapter 8

Scott opened the door for who was ringing the doorbell and it was his guys.

"What the heck are you guys doing here," he said and closed the door as fast as he could.

"Calm down man," Ronnie said.

"Looks like you got company," Martin said looking around the house.

"Is it Valerie or Samantha?" Martin asked.

"How do you know their names?" Scott asked surprised because he had never said their names before to any one of them.

"Oh Scott, we are thieves and we go around looking for information," Martin said.

"Martin, drop that!" Ronnie said to Martin 

"Drop what?" Martin asked.

"The conversation dumbass, that's not why we are here," Ronnie said.

"Yeah, why are you here?" Scott asked.

"We got a new gig, after the mess Martin made, I think it is foolish to go after that money so I made secured a deal so instead of robbing the ice cream truck bringing the 5 billion dollars, we'll rob Central City of their artifacts," Ronnie said.

"And what are we to do with them? I mean artifacts are those weird-looking human-made objects we collect in games right?" Scott asked.

"Are you dumb or what?" Martin scoffed.

"Artifacts are human-made or coined objects made by agents, they can be ornaments like a 200-year-old jade ring and a 6 million worth diamond" Martin explained.

"Oh right," Scott said.

"So, while the CCPD are focused on the money, they won't know what hit them," Ronnie said.

"That's smart," Scott said and gave Ronnie a fist bump.

"I know brother," Ronnie said.

"Let's get going Martin, Scott has a visitor," Ronnie said and Scott escorted them outside where they met Valerie coming out of a cab dressed gorgeously as ever.

"So it's the rich one" Martin mumbled. 

"Are these your friends?" Valerie asked as she sighted Scott with two unknown men.

"Yes, I'm Martin," martin said extended his hands for a handshake.

"And they were just leaving," Scott said removing Martin's hand and pushing him away from Valerie's front.

"Go inside, I prepared something for you, I wanna see them off to the bus stop," Scott said and Valerie entered the house.

"That wasn't funny, man," Ronnie said.

"There's no harm in greeting," Martin said.

"Just leave," Scott said and they left.

When Scott was sure they had gone far enough.

 called Samantha and asked not to come because he was very busy that night.

***

Valerie entered the house and saw cigarettes on the floor and a pack of condoms on the table. Scott didn't smoke and she couldn't quite place why he'll have a pack of condoms on his table and not drawer.

She simply waited for him to come back and he entered soon.

"You didn't tell me you were coming," Scott said going to give her a hug. 

"When did you start smoking?" She said ignoring his question.

"I don't, it is my friends," he lied.

"And the condoms?" Valerie asked.

"You know how guys can be. I told them my baby was coming over," he lied again.

"But it was meant to be a surprise and besides you didn't know I was coming over," Valerie said doubtfully.

"How could I forget that we had a date tonight?" He said and Valerie smiled and pecked him on his cheeks.

"That's my baby," Scott said.

"Scott .." Valerie called out softly.

"My dad wants to meet you" she lied.

"Really?, but I don't have a job," Scott said.

"If we assure him that we are getting married, I can ask him to secure a job for you in his company," Valerie said.

"No babe, I don't want to be a hassle, "Scott said.

" We need to make our relationship official for it to work out," Valerie said.

"Okay, okay," Scott said hoping that he'll avoid it later on.

"How about we meet him on the 20th of this month," Valerie said.

"That's next week Tuesday," Scott said.

"Isn't that too early?" Scott asked.

"The earlier the better," Valerie said and they kissed.

"Why don't we go to the cinema. My house isn't the right place for your gorgeous dress," Scott said and they left to go to the cinema.

They bought tickets to watch: *To all the boys I've loved before season 3*

And they bought popcorn too.

***

🎶We should've had it all... Rolling in the deep...🎶 played in the background of Tyler's bar.

"Clean the cups very well," Tyler said to her waitress at the bar stand.

"Mop the floors," she said to another.

She was restless, she feared that James would walk in any moment. Although she had something she could use against him but she was still scared either.

She went to her office with a bottle of champagne. She wanted to call Valerie, but she didn't want to disturb her while she was on a date with her boyfriend.

She poured herself a glass of champagne and sipped it.

"How refreshing!" She said. 

She received a text message and she dashed out of the office immediately.

She asked Sheldon to drive her straight home and when she arrived home. He was there.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Calm down Tyler, I just took your brother home from school," James said.

"Leave," Tyler said.

"Leave this instance," she said with rage.

"Okay okay, I'm leaving," James said and he left.

"Are you okay?" Tyler asked her little brother.

"You didn't have to overreact, I'm a high schooler not in preschool", her little brother said.

"Don't ever let him drive you home " Tyler said.

"And besides why are you out late?" Tyler asked.

"I was playing video games", he said and walked to his house.

Tyler was appalled. She simply went back to her office to stay. That was the only place she could calm down for now.

***

The machine was beeping and she was going into shock.

"Doctor" the nurse called out and the doctor came rushing to Mrs. Smith's room.

"Call her guardian," he told one guard.

"Let's take her to the operating room but first we run an MRI," the doctor said and they placed her on another bed so they could roll her to the other room.

 They placed an oxygen mask over her nose because her heart rate was dropping and she couldn't breathe on her own.

They took her to where they will run the scan.

They took the scan of her brain and sedated her and she was calm and she dozed off quietly before they returned her to her room. They thought they would need to operate on her but after the MRI, they realized that they were nothing they could do. The tumor was getting bigger and was in the sensitive part. If they operate on her, She'll die during the surgery.

Justin and his father arrived in a jiffy and the doctor asked to see them.

"Sir, we are sorry but there's nothing we can do now." The doctor began.

"With where the tumor is now, I can't assure you that she'll live for 4 months," the doctor said.

"Is there anything we can do?" Mr. Smith asked.

"Even if you take her to the best brain surgeon, it's impossible to remove the tumor," the Doctor said.

Justin was devastated. He stormed out of the doctor's office in anger. Mr smith followed after him until they were in the hallway to his mother's VIP room. It was only the two of them that were there.

"This is all your fault" Justin yelled with rage.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Mr. Smith asked bewildered.

"If you didn't hit her so much, we won't be in this mess and I wouldn't have left and Jaden will Still be alive," Justin said with years trickling down his face.

"If this is about that dead boy then don't," Mr. Smith said.

"Don't? Dead boy? He had a name!" Justin screamed.

"His name is Jaden and you killed him just like you are doing to mom" Justin yelled and walked out. He was filled with anger and hatred. 

Mrs. Smith was already awake and listening to their argument. She wanted to tell them that she'll be fine, she wanted to be there for her son but she couldn't. She wanted to ask him to forgive his father because his father didn't cause Jaden's death but she couldn't. There was nothing she could do but weep in her bed where she laid.

Justin had stormed out to nowhere in particular. Fortunately, the hospital had a garden so he just sat there and prayed. He prayed his mother wouldn't die even if it was going to be a fruitless prayer he still prayed. Only a miracle could make his mother well again and he knew that but he still prayed. He prayed because he was helpless and there was nothing he could do. He couldn't curse God and all he could do what ask why and assert the blame to his father and himself. 

He felt he was at fault for Jaden's as much as he thought his father was. His father did what he felt was best for his son and Jaden took all the blame because he was dead and no one could speak up for him. Not even his best friend and guilt made him unable to send his friend off or attend his memorial and till this day, he couldn't visit his grave.