Scene One: Callahan Condos-Cassie & Marina's Home
Cassie Lakhani could hear the sound of keys unlocking the door and immediately she turned on the TV. She had just spent a couple hours sorting through her recent memories of the night that Clifton Briggs raped her but she didn’t want anybody to know.
“Hey.” Marina spoke entering the living room. “You didn’t hear me trying to get in? I think my key is broken, it keeps getting stuck in the lock.”
“I’m sorry, I was watching my soaps, it’s been a very hectic week.” Cassie lied, she smiled weakly at Marina through tear-stained eyes. “My key hasn’t given me any problems, maybe we need to get you a new one.”
“Yeah.” Marina replied, her eyes lingering on her friends current condition. “Is everything alright? You look kind of down.”
Cassie pointed to the TV. “Brook and Adam are back together.”
“I don’t understand why you watch this stuff? It always makes you cry and then you spend all day moping around.” Marina placed her things on the counter and then returned with an idea. “Chocolate chip cookies?”
Cassie laughed. “No!”
“Come on Cass, I know those are your favorite and plus it will help you. I heard you called in sick today, are you alright? Is this about me declining to go jogging with you this morning?”
Cassie jumped off the couch. “You are very chatty and concerned about me now. What’s gotten into you? Better question, why haven’t you started the chocolate chip cookies?”
The two friends raced to the kitchen and Cassie found a chance to push Marina out of the way as she peered into the cupboard and pulled out the cookie mix. “You really do need to start jogging again!”
“Says the girl sitting on her butt sobbing over fictional characters.” Marina jumped onto the counter and beamed at her best friend. “Tomorrow, we jog together!” She announced, hoping this way she wouldn’t run into Ian alone.
[.....]
Scene Two: Sisyphean Restaurant
Frank Nelson poked at his salad, his mind lost in thought. He was having his biweekly breakfast with his sister Charlene Sutton and although their conversation never waned from normal topic, he felt himself quite bored.
“I really don’t know why you spend so much time at the office.” Charlene spoke, her cup of tea obviously spiked. “If I didn’t know any better I would be thinking you were trying to hide from your wife.”
Frank smirked, “You are always concerned for all the wrong reasons.” He looked at his sister. “Besides, you know how hard it is to hide from a woman like Debbie? I’d have better luck fighting a bear.”
“I’m not accusing you of hiding from that woman.”
“I know.” Frank admitted, he placed his food back on his plate and took a deep breath. “Honest confession?”
“Honesty and Frank in the same room? I’d be a fool not to scoop that up.” Charlene quipped. “I really don’t want to be the one person in the middle of your fight with Debbie. That woman is exhausting!”
“I’m cheating.”
Now it was Charlene’s turn to take a deep breath, she picked up the menu and read it over. “Do you think we should get desert with this? I mean, I don’t think I’m going to be eating for the rest of the day, so why not, right?”
Frank pulled the menu away from Charlene. “Did you not just hear me?”
“I’m pretending that I didn’t.” Charlene explained. “I already knew you were cheating on Debbie with your secretary, what is her name? Lacey? Debbie is a very keen person, whenever she suggests something, I listen.”
“She knows?”
Charlene shook her head. “She only suspects. But if I were you, I would break it off already. Once she does some digging I’m pretty sure she will figure everything out and blackmail you into staying with her.”
“Do you think she would?”
“It’s Debbie we are talking about. She wont divorce you if that is what you were hoping.” Charlene sipped her tea, excited to have her brother squirming in his chair. “She is obsessed with social standing and in Stone Creek divorced women are frowned upon. Just look at Helen. Now she is stuck with David wether she likes it or not.”
“Never thought you were the gossiping type.” Frank remarked, there really wasn’t any arguing with Charlene, Frank knew she was right about Debbie. She was a social prodigy and would never jeopardize her standing.
“I’m not.” Charlene spoke, “I’m just stating the facts. Look, I’m not angry that you are cheating. It’s what Nelson’s do, we destroy our own lives by doing stupid things.”
Frank cocked his head. “You love him, don’t you?”
Charlene grew red. “You have no idea what you are talking about!”
“But I do!” Frank tried to contain his excitement but it was quite hard. “You are in love with a man that isn’t your husband. Man, Patrick will freak out when he hears that you’ve not only stopped having one-night stands but have fallen in love with a man you’ve been screwing for the last year!”
“I don’t think we should have desert anymore.”
[.....]
Scene Three: Thurlow Cottage-James & Caitlyn's Home
Caitlyn walked into the hall as she made her way to the living room. “I’m pretty sure that Helen is angry with me because the kids like me better.”
She wasn’t a woman to flaunt her battles, but she couldn’t help it today. Caitlyn sat beside her husband as he went through his paperwork. “I don’t understand why she has to be so angry all the time though.”
“It’s just the way god made her.” James spoke.
“Should we encourage the kids to talk to her?” Caitlyn asked.
James looked up at his wife. “It’s none of our business if my children want to talk to their mother or not. Helen should have made the initiative to talk to them but she still hasn’t.”
“You’re right.” Caitlyn replied, “Its just that as much as I hate Helen, sometimes I feel sorry for her. I don’t agree with her actions, but it must be hard to not talk to your children everyday.”
She knew that if she had children that she would never stop talking to them even if they disowned her. Caitlyn knew that she would some how making everything work. With a deep sigh she tossed her attention to the man outside approaching the front door with a package. “I better get that.”
“Caitlyn.”
She turned.
“I think you worry too much about Helen sometimes.”
“Someone in this family has too.” Caitlyn replied before racing to the door and answering it. Signing for the package, she examined it for any traces of information but there was nothing and she knew it was the package she had been expecting for a week now.
“What did he want?” James hollered.
Taking a deep breath, Caitlyn looked towards the living room. “Nothing, just some magazines.”
“Anything from work?” James asked, he appeared at her side. “Magazines? In a box that small?”
Caitlyn smirked. “Its one of those fashion trends. Nothing really,” She tried to keep James from answering questions that she knew she couldn’t answer. “Hey, I have to ask you something. It’s been bothering me for awhile now.”
“Go on.” James folded his arms.
“Kirsten has been insisting on these lunches between both sides of Megan’s family and she wanted you to go. Well she wants us to go have lunch with them.” Caitlyn knew the only reason she had the courage to ask her husband was because of the box in her hands. But she also knew it was question that needed to be asked.
“You mean with Patrick Sutton?” James scoffed. “What kind of question is that? Me and Patrick Sutton in the same room? You’ve got to be kidding me Caitlyn, you know the answer to that question.”
Caitlyn caught her husband before he turned away. “Kirsten is insistent about this James.”
“Oh, I know my daughter Caitlyn, Kirsten is insistent about everything.” He couldn’t even formulate how Kirsten was going to incorporate both sides of the family into one room. “Tell Kirsten that we will have lunch with her, Megan and Charlie but not Patrick Sutton!”
“James,” Caitlyn pleaded. “This feud between your families, it has got to end.”
“Not while Patrick Sutton is still alive.” James replied.
---
Our love. Our fights. Our friendships.
On Concrete Shelves.
Forever, they shall be remembered.
---
Scene Four: Callahan's Condos-Cassie & Marina's Home
“So what’s going on with you and Ryan? You haven’t really told me much Rina.” Cassie spoke from her end of the counter. They had just put the cookies into the oven and now were waiting for them to cook.
Marina shrugged. “I don’t know exactly. When I went to see him the other day, Natalie was there. That girl always seems to be around when she shouldn’t, you know?”
Cassie shook her head. “Natalie tends to do that. Do you remember at the opening of Club Delta when you spilt wine on her brand new dress?”
The duo burst out laughing at the scene. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen that face on her! I felt bad afterwards but it got her away from Ryan for the rest of the night.”
“Yeah because she went home!” Cassie sighed. “I think you just have to relax around her. I mean I know its frustrating that she is always around but you have to realize that she is Ryan’s friend. If someone where to try and keep us apart, wouldn’t you be angry?”
“You’re right.” Marina responded, now feeling more guilty about the wine than before. The doorbell wrung, causing the two to look at each other confused. Marina jumped off the counter and went to answer it.
Cassie on the other hand flashed back to when Clifton Briggs was on the other side of the door. A grim look crossed her face as she tailed behind Marina. When it was revealed to be Ryan and Bentley, Cassie felt a little relieved but she felt sick as well and pushed past the people for the bathroom.
“What’s wrong with her?” Bentley asked as he pulled in two cases of beer.
Marina waved it off. “She’s been sick all day.” Kissing Ryan made Marina feel better as she let go a sigh of relief. “I’ll go check on her. You boys stay here, oh, and check on the cookies, will you?”
“Cookies?” Bentley yelped.
“Down boy.” Ryan spoke. “We got the cookies, go see how Cassie is doing.”
Ryan looked at Bentley who shrugged, with a deep sigh the two tried to make themselves comfortable in the kitchen. Neither knew exactly what it meant when cookies were ready.
“Hey.” Marina said, leaning on the doorway. “What’s going on with you?”
Cassie looked up, her face drained of emotions. She pulled her hair back, which Marina walked over and took in her hands. “I’m worried about you Cassie, you don’t normally get this sick.”
“Its nothing.” Cassie replied. “Its just the flu or something, it’ll pass soon. Did I really just hear you tell the boys to check on the cookies?”
Marina chuckled. “I just wanted to check-up on you.”
“I’m fine Marina.” Cassie responded. “Go make sure those boys don’t burn our cookies. I was really looking forward to eating them.”
“Alright.”
Cassie watched her best friend leave. Then she flushed the toilet and went to the sink. She needed to get a hold of herself and this scared Cassie that she didn’t have control of herself. She placed a hand on her stomach.
The question going through her mind scared her more than life itself. “I’m not pregnant.” She told herself, although it did nothing to calm her nerves.
[.....]
Scene Five: Sysphean Restaurant
“Frank!” Charlene called out, she walked as quick as her heels would let her. The adrenaline that was coursing through her veins scared her and since she left things on a bad note with her brother she needed him to promise that he wouldn’t tell Patrick the truth.
“Frank! Wait!”
Her brother turned around before he could get into his car, noticing that she got his attention, she made her way over too him. “I know you don’t like lying to Patrick, but we need to get something straight.”
“No.” Frank spoke, his voice demanding.
Charlene pouted. “You need to hear me out.”
Frank couldn’t believe it. “Charlene, do not try to talk me into lying to your husband for you. Do you not understand that Patrick will find out that you don’t love him anymore?”
“But that’s the thing!” Charlene sighed. “I do love him.”
“Then break things off with this mystery man.” Frank advised. “If you don’t break things off with him then I am sure that your marriage will be over. Do you not understand what that means?”
“I understand.”
Frank could see the pain in his sister’s eyes and he wanted to comfort her, but he knew she needed someone to reason with her instead. “Look, when you married Patrick, I was happy for you. A Nelson marrying into a rich family, these days that is unheard of. Patrick is a good man, he has his moments, but he is only protecting his family.”
“I would never hurt Patrick.”
“Please Charlene, this is me begging you right here. Break up with this guy and stick to you routine of one-night stands. That’s what you and Patrick agreed to, right? If you lose Patrick then you will be losing all the money, your status and your children.”
“Leave Gillian and Charlie out of this!”
Frank kissed his sister’s cheek. “Break things off.”
Through tear streaked eyes, Charlene nodded.
[.....]
Scene Six: Diem Joplin's Private Investigations
Caitlyn looked at the building in front of her. She couldn’t believe that she was coming here because of a package. Because of twelve packages actually. Caitlyn took a deep breath, it took her awhile to sneak out of the house so that James didn’t question her. But it seemed like walking into the building was harder.
“Caitlyn?” Diem Joplin questioned.
Caitlyn gave the other woman a hug. “Its nice to see you again Diem.”
“How have you been?” Diem asked.
“Can we just get to the reason why I’m here?” Caitlyn snapped, she then stopped herself and apologized. “I’ve just been on edge lately, especially with the packages still coming.”
Diem turned towards Caitlyn. “Why haven’t you told me?”
“I need you to locate where this packages are coming from.” Caitlyn replied. “I just can’t do this anymore. I figured that he would stop sending them, but every month another one comes. I think James is getting suspicious.”
“You haven’t told him yet?”
Caitlyn shook her head. “How do you tell your current husband that your ex-husband wont stop sending you pictures of your deceased child?” Then it hit her, Caitlyn started to cry. “Diem, I need Damien to stop sending me these pictures. I need to move on with my life.”
[.....]
Next Time on On Concrete Shelves...
+ Helen seeks answers.
+ Natalie tries to wedge herself between Ryan and Marina.
