Random Ideas

Aspen looked at her oddly when she gave him the pillow, but he followed what she said, and he put it in his mouth. He wasn't expecting it to hurt as much as it did. He screamed, but his cries were muffled in the pillow. "Why does it hurt so much," he said, breathing heavily.

Dimitri Finally came back in the view of the camera. "Oh, yeah. I'm okay. Don't worry about me," he said with a small smile. Brandon of course was curious, but Livia was hiding the computer form him. This guy did seem oddly familiar. Drake maybe? But why would Drake be talking to his daughter? He couldn't be that creepy. "Hey, let's go on to lunch and you can get on with your guitar lessons later."

Ann tried to offer him an encouraging smile as she sat down across from him. "Because when you put a bone back into place, it usually hurts. Have you never broken anything before?" she asked, raising her brows. She would have thought he had, considering he did ride a motorcycle. She then rifled through her supplies to finish up helping him out.

Lindi glanced at Dimitri worriedly. Even though he seemed okay, she was still surprised he had reacted like that. "Okay..if you say so, Dimitri," she murmured. She then glanced at her father as he spoke and bit down on her lower lip. "Er, yeah. Okay." She turned back to the screen and offered Dimitri an awkward smile. "Uh, I will talk to you later, okay?" she asked him, managing a small smile.

Aspen looked over at her. The pain had been excruciating, and it was still lingering. He just wanted it to go away. "I didn't think it would hurt that much," he said with a small sigh, and he slowly lied down. "So what are we going to do about my chest?" he asked her.

Dimitri gave Lindi a small smile, and he nodded. "Okay, have fun," he said. He couldn't believe that he had made a fool of himself! He probably looked so stupid! And it was only the first time video chatting. After that, she probably wouldn't speak to him anymore. He close his eyes and ran a and through his hair.

"Well, I warned you," Ann sighed before she tried to focus. "Your chest," she repeated, biting her bottom lip nervously. "I am not quite sure," she admitted, sighing as she reached out to carefully pull his shirt up to his shoulders. "Just take the Tylenol, and I will work from there."

Lindi cracked a small smile and waved before she said, "Okay, I will. Bye Dimitri." She then ended the call and glanced at her dad. "Did you really have to scare the living crap out of him," she said with a long sigh. She shouldn't have mentioned anything. She knew very well how her dad was.

Aspen sighed, but he listened to her, taking the medicine. He wanted to know what was wrong with him and avoid going to the hospital as much as he could. He couldn't afford it! How was he even going to pay to go to collage?

Dimitri wave her a small wave, but soon the call was ended. Brandon looked down at his daughter, and he shrugged. "I was curious. I didn't mean to do that. If it helps at all, I might have just saved you. He looks like an old friend of mine. Like, just like him, and he didn't have a twin. If I were you, I would do some background checks on this guy."

Ann sighed and she disappeared and came back once more with a blanket. "For now, that might be the best I can do," she said with a long sigh. She hoped Aspen wouldn't need any medical attention. It would be just their luck that neither of them could really afford it.

Lindi rose her brows at Brandon's comment. But then, she shook her head and sighed. "Dad, he is around my age," she said, raising her brows. "Maybe it is just a coincidence, you know," she continued, sitting on the edge of her bed. She didn't understand why he was worrying so much. Dimitri seemed like a great guy to her, and it could just be a coincidence he looked like someone her dad knew.

Aspen looked over at Ann, and he sighed softly. He didn't want to tell her, but he had a pretty good feeling that he was going to end up having to go to the hospital. He just hoped that Ann'a magic would work and he would be okay. He looked up at Ann, and he gave her a small smile. "Thanks," he said.

Brandon gave her an odd look. "Okay, I know that I have made up silly excuses to get you out of dating guys before, but I'm being serious about this one. Here, give me a moment," he said, and he raced off. He came back a few moments later with his high school yearbook, and he had it opened to the page with their class on it. "Right here! Tell me that doesn't look just like the guy you were just talking to," he said, pointing to Drake.

Ann was worried about it not being enough to help Aspen. She sat down on the edge of the couch and took his hand in hers. "Get some sleep," she said, sighing. She doubted she would be able to sleep much, if at all. She would be too worried about Aspen to get any sleep. She kissed his cheek and stood to her feet. She really hoped things worked out.

When her father ran off, Lindi sighed and waited for him to come back. She glanced down at the yearbook and furrowed her brows. "Ha! See! But his name is Drake. That guy's name is Dimitri Sherwoo...." She paused and furrowed her brows as she squinted at the photo. "Maybe they are related?" she asked in confusion. They did look an awful lot alike. She couldn't help but wonder if this guy was his father.

Aspen looked up at her, and he shook his head, coughing a bit. "I need to go home. My dad will kill me if I don't come home," he said, but it probably wasn't going to be a metaphor. His father probably was going to shoot him. He had been threatening to do it lately.

Brandon looked down at her, and he quickly shook his head. "No, there is no way that a father and son can look like that. They looks like twins. I don't know what happened to Drake, but something is off with him, and I can bet you that this guy isn't who he says he is. I don't trust him," he said, and he started to look through it. He turned to he page with Angel, and he smiled lightly. "Does he ever tell you about this woman?"

Ann shown her head at Aspen and reached out to Aspen to gently nudge him to lie down again. "No, you can't. You are in no condition to go home, and I don't think it would be such a good idea to get you up again. You don't want to make it worse than it already is," she refused, sighing. It would be wiser to just keep him there.

Lindi frowned and muttered, "Dad, he isn't Drake. I am sure by now he would look...old." She shook her head and sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Besides, people say I look a lot like mom," she continued, giving him a serious look. Sometimes, she thought her dad was crazy. No, he was crazy. When he turned to a picture with Angel, she shook her head and frowned. "No. He mentioned his mom died once, but I didn't ask about it. It is kind of a touchy subject to ask about."

Aspen looked down at her worriedly, and he bit his lip. "No, Ann, you don't get it. The old man will end me if I came home literally kill me. He has threatened me before," he said. He glanced at the ground, but he took her hand. "I just can't wait to get out of here," he said.

Brandon shook his head, and he sighed. He just wanted to think that his little girl would be with a good guy, and I'm his book, no guy was a good guy. "Alright," he said. He heard what his said, and his eyes widened. "You're kidding, right?" There was no way that sweet Angel could be dead. He quickly pulled out his phone. "I'm going to call him. You go on out to the car. I'll only be a moment," he said. Hopefully his number hadn't changed

"Then...don't go home, Aspen," Ann stated, resting a hand over his. "I don't think it is a good idea to live someone who is threatening you all the time," she continued, biting down on her lower lip. It sure didn't sound pleasant. She then leaned forward and managed a small smile.

Lindi furrowed her brows in confusion and slowly stood. "Uh, no. Unless he lied to me...," she said, trailing. She then shook her head and listened to his suggestion before she nodded and headed out of the room. She was definitely going to have to get a lock on her door. Drake was on his lunch breaking, heading out to his car to grab a bite to eat at a small diner or somewhere. He hadn't been sleeping well for the past few days. He blamed the mattress but he knew the real problem. Days were getting so much harder without Angel, even though it had been years.

Aspen looked up at her, and he managed a smile. Where would he live though? He knew that Dimitri would be completely against him living there. He was just so protective over Ann. He acted like a dad half the time. He just didn't understand it. He looked up at Ann, and he took her hand. "I love you."

Brandon really did hope and pray that Angel wasn't dead. She had always been sweet and kind to everyone she met. Drake was probably lost without her. He just seemed so out of it when he didn't have her around. He couldn't imagine what he had to go through. He was probably a really bad father to his kids then too. He quickly called Drake. Hopefully he wouldn't put him in a bad mood. He knew how Drake acted when something he didn't want to talk about was brought up. He became cold and distant, and it probably got worse when Angel died.

Ann smiled down at him and sat on the edge of the couch, trying to be as careful as possible. She held his hand tightly in hers and sighed softly. "I love you too," she whispered before she leaned over to plant a quick kiss on his cheek. "But you already knew that, Aspen," she continued with a weak smile.

Drake had just been starting up his car when his phone began to ring. He rose his brow thoughtfully before he grabbed his phone and answered it. "Hello? Who is this?" he asked, leaning back in his seat. Someone must have had the wrong number, but he had answered anyway. He could hear the tiredness in his own voice. He wished he could sleep, but every time he tried, it was just full of nightmares. It was actually what his kids didn't know.

Aspen chuckled at her words, and he smiled lightly. "Yeah, I sort of knew it, but I do love hearing it," he told her, and he put a arm around her. He loved to be around her and hear her say she loved him. It brought a smile to his face.

Brandon smiled lightly when he heard Drake answer. "Hey! Long time Sherwood, hasn't it. I was wondering how you've been. I mean, we sort of fell out of touch. How are you and Angel? Got any kids? Maybe we should meet up some time," he said. He could only hope that he hadn't made him upset. "I've got a daughter. I mean, she's an adult but still my baby girl," he said.

Ann carefully rested her head on his good shoulder and yawned softly. "Oh, do you?" she inquired at his comment, arching a brow curiously. A small smile perked on the edges of her lips. She rubbed her eyes and sighed softly. "I guess it is good to hear it from you too, Ledger."

Drake arched a brow as he heard Brandon of all people on the other line. He was confused by all the questions that he could barely keep up. "Brandon, did you have too much sugar or something," he muttered, rolling his eyes as he buckled up his seat belt. He tensed as he mentioned Angel, and he decided to just dodge the question. "I...uh...have two kids...well they aren't really kids anymore," he said with a long sigh. At his comment about his own daughter, he arched his brow and nodded slowly. "Yeah, I know the feeling."

Aspen smiled at words, and he kissed her head. "Do you think you could stay with me for just a little bit?" he asked. He didn't really want to be alone, especially if Dimitri could find him

Brandon noticed how he skipped the question about Angel, so he could only guess that what Lindi said was true. He smiled lightly, and he gave small nod. "She's just like Liv, you know. Way too stubborn for her own good," he said, and he smiled lightly. "So, what's the name of your kids? They still living with you?" he asked him.

Ann managed a hesitant smile and nodded slowly at his question. "Yeah, I will stay as long as you want me to," she murmured, offering him a small smile. She then rested her head on his shoulder again and sighed softly. "Are you feeling okay?" she asked just to be sure.

Drake pulled into the little diner in town and parked, listening to Brandon speak. "Yeah, sounds like my daughter. She is a handful," she said with a long sigh. He loved her nonetheless. At his question, he rose his brows but answered anyway. "Dimitri and Ann. Yeah, they do. I don't know, things are getting a bit...shaky right now though."

Aspen gave Ann a smile, and he managed to wrap an arm around her. "Yeah, I am okay. I've certainly been better, but I'm not dead," he said, and he looked down at her before kissing her head. He honestly had no idea if he was going to be okay in the end, but he didn't tell her that.

Brandon listened to him, and he sighed to himself. "That's a shame to hear. I'm glad that to know you are okay. I really do want to go back to the way things were before. Do you still live in that beat up old town?" he asked him. After collage, they had moved because of Lindi's job, and Brandon did whatever he could really find. He soon found a love in restoring cars.

Ann couldn't quite say if he was being truthful, but she just nodded and tried to relax. "I just want you to be okay," she said with a long sigh. She planted a quick kiss on his cheek and sighed to herself. She wished she had been able to do more, but she wasn't a nurse, and she doubted she would ever be allowed to become one.

Drake rested his arms against the side door and listened thoughtfully. "Yeah, I couldn't exactly make myself move away. I mean, my mom died here, and...," he trailed and shook his head. "It would just be hard to leave behind," he said with a long sigh. He then thoughtfully asked, "So, I heard you moved. Did you really go that far off?" he asked, arching a thoughtful brow.

Aspen ruffled her hair much like he would do with a child, and he kissed her head. "Babe, I am going to be okay. Stop worrying," he said. Dimitri was in the house. He was tired, and he had just gotten off of work. "Hey Anni-" he stopped in his tracks when he saw Aspen, and he looked over at her. "Why is he here?"

Brandon chuckled at his question, and he nodded, even though his friend couldn't see it. "Yeah. Liv's job sort of made us move. I just did whatever to pay the bills, but I do stuff with cars now. Not what my parents wanted, but that's what Dustin was for," he said with a chuckle. "He's in New York right now, making tons of money doing probably nothing."

Ann rolled her eyes and let out a soft giggle. "That's hard to do," she murmured, sighing. "People told me I acted just like my dad, and he was a big worry wart," she continued, shaking her head. Somethings just seemed to past down to her. She froze when she heard Dimitri and glanced over at him, momentarily speechless. She spoke after what felt like ages. "He, uh, was in an accident. He was hurt....I couldn't just leave him out there."

Drake listened and cracked a half smile. He really hadn't heard from his friends in years. "Wow...I heard that you two were leaving about the time you two were already gone," he said with a chuckle. "So New York, huh?" he asked with a raised brow. That was farther off than he had expected. "My sister is still down here too...Dominic, don't even get me started on that kid. I swear he is the catalyst for all the trouble my kids get into."

It was apparent that Dimitri wasn't very happy, but he was also trying to keep his anger down to a minimum. "Ann, that is what a hospital is for. They sort of help them and let them stay," he said. It wasn't like him to be sarcastic and crude, but his father's small side of him came out when he was angry.

Brandon chuckled as he listened to him. "He sure does sound like trouble. I can't believe Ann went for Maddox, but I guess that's better than some of the other options she had," he said, and he started to head out to his car. He got in and started to drive, looking over at Lindi. He gave her a signal to be quiet, and he turned his phone on speaker. "So tell me about your Dimitri kid."

"If it is any of your business, Dimitri, Aspen can't afford it, and I don't think we have the financial support, either. I am actually being a good person for once, and you are lashing at me about it!" Ann muttered, scowling at him. She wasn't sure if she should feel angry or hurt or both. Aspen wasn't even doing anything wrong.

Drake chuckled and shook his head, sighing to himself. "Believe me, I tried to talk her out of it, but I guess like brother like sister in this case," he said with a chuckle. His sister did remind him of Ann, just a little bit. Unfortunately, his daughter was just a bit more reckless. Lindi glanced over at her father and was about to ask what was going on, but then he asked about Dimitri. She just gave him the "are you serious" look. Drake rose his brows in surprise but went along with it. "I don't know. He is a lot like Angel was...kind, caring, a good kid...well all except to me. I don't know," he repeated. "I wasn't the best dad...after Angel died. I've been trying to make up for it, but all Dimitri ever does is push me away. I will say just one thing wrong, and it will explode up in my face. I guess that is me coming out of him," he muttered. "He's been acting...different lately. He actually acts....well, not so miserable. He goes home and goes straight to his room."

Dimitri was shocked into silence when Ann exploded on him. He understood how his mother felt. He glanced at the ground, returning to his normal, shy self. "Sorry," he muttered, but the left the rom without another word. No matter what his mother told him when he was little, he knew the truth. His father left because of him that night.

Brandon listened to him, and eh couldn't help but smirk. Dimitri's behavior seemed very similar to someone else he knew. Her name happened to sound just like her mother's as well. He knew that she hated work, but she seemed to be...happier lately. "Sounds just like Lindi to be honest. Maybe it's just the age," he said. Dimitri had been trying to think of ways that he could seem cooler to Lindi, but he was coming up with nothing. Even the internet wasn't helping. He then knew where to go. His father was popular in high school. Maybe he could find something in his yearbook. He ran to his father's room, and he started to loo for it. After looking in the closet, he found a small box. He opened it, but instead of a yearbook, he found letters. Maybe a hundred of them. He bit his lip before picking one up.