#author:breannatheprep

Fame and Fortune: Chapter 6

Thomas downs his second small bottle of schnapps almost as fast as he downed his first, laying down on the couch and putting the empty bottle down on the coffee table. He’s the only one left in the apartment.

“I thought you promised to slow on the drinking, Thomas...” Bree’s voice is quiet and timid as she stands in the hallway with the rest of the group.

Freezing in his tracks, Thomas stops mid-drink before putting the bottle of schnapps down and looking at Bree, something indecipherable yet noticeably negative in his eyes.

Bree bites her lip, tears in her eyes. She squeezes Amy’s hand tightly. “You promised you’d slow on the drinking and take care of yourself. It’s going to kill you one day, Thomas…”

Simon sighs. “Well, this changes my plan…” he whispers to himself. He nods to Amy, who leads Bree inside. “The rest of you stay out here.”

Ethan nods, handing Simon something before he closes the door.

Thomas sighs as tears well up in his eyes, putting his head in his hands after he tosses the schnapps bottles in the trash.

Simon doesn’t know what to do with himself in the current situation, speechless.

Bree sniffles before she looked at Simon. “Why am I here?” She runs her fingers through her hair.

Simon swallows hard before sitting down on the recliner. “I… I brought you here because he doesn’t have closure. With any of you out there. I couldn’t watch him self-destruct like he was doing last night…” He sighs softly. “I may not have known him for that long, but I knew that I had to do something to make this right… I’m not mad at any of you and neither is he, but… I can’t stand seeing him like this. I had to make this right.”

Bree sighs and walks up looking at Thomas face to face.

Thomas looks up slowly, vulnerability emanating from his blue-gray eyes. “I’m so sorry…” he whispers, swallowing hard as he lets tears fall from his eyes. “I-I just… I couldn’t take all of you being gone from my life… After last semester, I thought none of you would come back to me…”

Bree sighs. “No one is angry with you, Thomas.  I-I know you hurt me really badly… but we forgive you.. A-At least I do.”

“So do I,” Caesar adds as he steps inside. “And Danny is sorry about what he did to you. He’d say that himself… but he’s sort of in tears in Ethan’s arms right now.”

Thomas stands up, looking at Bree. “What I did to you… that itself was killing me on the inside… and I’m sorry, Bree.”

Bree takes a deep breath and her voice cracks. “T-Then why did you?”

Simon bites his lip, leaving and going into the spare bedroom, crouching down in front of the door.

Thomas hangs his head, letting more tears slip out. “Because I was being an asshole that didn’t have his priorities straight… I cared about my career - or better, what I had left of it - over the people I loved… That’s the reason why I haven’t met Amy formally before yesterday. That’s the reason I haven’t seen my cousin Dave and his kids until yesterday when they flew in from New York… and that’s the reason why I stupidly let each and every one of you get pushed away from me by my own hands…” He sits down back on the couch, sobbing.

Bree sits down next to him and rubs his back. “Hey, it’s okay.”

“N-No, it’s not…” Thomas manages to say between sobs, feeling Caesar’s arms wrap around him and Amy rubbing his back. “I treated all of you like shit… and I can’t hurt anyone else anymore… I’m better off alone for the rest of my life...”

"No, you aren't Thomas. I forgive you." Bree leans her head on his shoulder gently.

Thomas takes a deep breath, wiping the tears from his eyes but barely able to do anything else. “Where is Danny?”

Ethan pokes his head inside the room. “He’s out here.”

“And what on Earth are all of you doing out here?” Dave asks, carrying Theodore and Eleanor inside the apartment as Miss Miller follows with the other chipmunks.

“I-I can explain,” Simon answers as he exits the bedroom. “...They’re all here because of me.” He sighs. “Uncle Thomas was too heartbroken to function last night and this morning… so I got a few of his… past significant others to come here for closure. After this was done, they were going to leave.”

Dave sighs. “Well, they can’t leave now. Not with the rain that’s coming down out there right now...”

Bree blinks. "R-Rain?" She bit her lip gently.  

Dave nods in response. "We'll all have to stay here for the next day or two."

Simon lets out a soft breath. "I'm sorry, Dave. I-I didn't know this would happen..."

Bree looks to Amy. "What about Harri? He'll be all alone tonight and tomorrow..."

"If I tell him the address, he'll be able to get here sooner than the dorm," Amy responds.

Thomas sits in the midst of the group, unsure what to do with himself.

Simon looks up at Dave with scared and sad eyes.

Bree sighs and looked around the room. "I know this isn't... ideal for us." She looks at Thomas specifically. "I know you think we hate you, but we don't; and this can be the start of getting over that."

Thomas gives a short nod as Dave cleans off the coffee table. "I have a few spare cots in the closet from my army days if anyone needs those."

Ethan nods, pulling Danny inside so they're not in the way of people in the hallway.

Simon sits in a corner of the room, keeping to himself.

Bree walks over and sits in front of him. "You alright?"

Taking a deep breath, Simon shakes his head. "I-I had no idea I'd bring you guys here and make you get stuck here overnight. I just... I wanted Uncle Thomas to-"

"Feel better?" Thomas finishes. "I do." He slowly walks over and sits next to Bree. "I feel more at peace than I did before, which is a start."

Bree nods and looks at Simon. "You did a good thing today."

Simon takes another breath to calm himself down, getting up after a minute and hugging Thomas tightly.

Thomas smiles softly, picking Simon up. "Thank you."

"O-of course," Simon replies. "A-Anything for family."

Bree smiles before sighing and standing up looking at Thomas. "We need to talk."

Thomas nods, placing Simon down and escorting her out into the kitchen. "What is it?" he asks softly.

"I stood by you when you told me it was only a one night stand. The time you promised it would get better but broke it off because you were afraid of what people would think the time you left for Caesar, I-I stuck by you. I just want to know why." She looks up at him teary eyed.

Swallowing hard, Thomas tries to fight back his tears. "Because I thought I wasn't good enough for you... I'm not good enough for anyone, so I figured that if I didn't break up with you before you found out I was a total piece of shit, you'd eventually break up with me once you realized that..."

Bree, without almost no hesitation, pulls Thomas by the collar down to her height and kisses him passionately.

Thomas wraps his arms around Bree, kissing her back and relaxing somewhat into her touch.

Bree pulls away after a long moment. "It's been almost a year and a half. And yet I'm still here." She kisses his head gently before heading out of the room, going over to Amy and curling up in her arms.

"Wait..." Thomas says quietly to Bree. "I have something I need to say to you in private."

Bree nods and kisses Amy's cheek before going back over to him.

Thomas takes a deep breath, wrapping a blanket that he grabbed around Bree. "I hope this doesn't make things awkward, but yesterday... I found out that Amy is my niece. Dave is her father." He wraps his arms around Bree's waist. "I know this might be hard to take... but you have my blessing if you want to stay with her. And Harrison, from what I hear. I won't be upset if you decide to stay with them long-term. I have the closure with you that I needed." He chuckles. "And either way, I get to see more of you anyway, so... This is a good thing."

Bree reaches up and strokes his cheek. "I love Amy and Harri both, but we talked; she always knew I wasn't completely over you…I won't leave her but I will be here for you."

“I know that… I’d never ask you to leave her or Harrison.” Thomas kisses her forehead gently. “I’m just… I’m happy to have you back in my life regardless, even if it’s more of a family case.”

Bree smiles slightly and reaches up on her toes, kissing him softly before pulling away and pulling the blanket around her tighter.

Thomas smiles softly in return, keeping his arms wrapped around Bree. “Are you okay?”

Bree nods. "A little cold; the rain is starting."

“Let’s get back out there, okay? We’ll be warmer out there with everyone else.”

Bree nods again, heading back in the living room and sitting next to Amy.

Amy smiles and wraps her arms around Bree.

The doorbell rings, and Dave goes over to open the door.

Harrison stands at the doorway, a bouquet in one hand and a closed umbrella in the other. “Are Amy and Bree here?”

“We’re back here, Harri!” Amy shouts from the couch.

Dave smiles at the blond man. “Come on in.”

Bree smiles once Harrison walked back and kisses his cheek. "Hi, Harri."

Harrison sits on the back of the couch, wrapping his arms around Amy and Bree. “Hey, yourselves,” he replies, adjusting the blanket wrapped around Bree. “Place is a little crowded, eh?”

Bree nods and laughs a little. "Maybe just a little."

Thomas smiles. “But if we’re all going to be here for a little while, I promise to make this place home… It’s the least that I can do.”

Bree gives a small smile. "Thank you."

Dave closes the blinds and shuts the curtains. “It’s getting close to sunset. All of you should make yourselves as comfortable as you can. We’ll be here a while…”

Thomas nods in agreement, turning to the Chipmunks and Chipettes. “You kids need anything?”

All six chipmunks shake their heads.

Waiting Outside The Lines

Song: Waiting Outside the Lines- Greyson Chance.

You’ll never enjoy your life,

Living inside the box

You’re so afraid of taking chances,

How you gonna reach the top?

 Bree was honestly just a striving actress and model trying to make it. She had left her younger sister at their joint high school they started; Briar Academy, packed up her bags and moved from her little town in New York to California, Hollywood specifically. As soon as she got the letter stating her admissions and benefactor at Hollywood U she finally thought this, this moment was going to be her big break. One day, and hopefully one day soon, Her name would be in lights, and everyone; everyone would know who Bree Wesley was.

 Rules and regulations,

Force you to play it safe

Get rid of all the hesitation,

It’s time for you to seize the day

 Bree was a very hard working and sweet girl. She grew up in a private school, uniforms and all, and continuously told what to do. She just despised it. She hated being ‘normal’ or like everyone else, she had a need to be different, she just had to. So, when she turned 17, her grandfather passed away and left her and her siblings a sizable inheritance and she put that money into something productive; Briar Academy. It was amazing, seeing her school flourish and watching her sister come in and help make it better. It made her ecstatic to see everyone happy, everyone different and so happy to be. They had so much fun meeting new people, new types of people and seeing everyone happy to be unique; it made her happy.

 Thus, all happy things had to come to an end of course, her high school career was short lived, she was so close to a senior as it was. And so, she put her all her hard work, almost her baby; right into her 16 year old sisters hands. She knew it would be well taken care of, but to see something she worked so hard on, to be put on someone else, she couldn’t deny it, it did make her a little sad. 

 Instead of just sitting around

And looking down on tomorrow

You gotta let your feet off the ground,

The time is now

 Luckily, on her voyage to Hollywood and onto stardom, her little trip down memory lane was short lived. Her best friend Kane made sure of that. He was very eccentric and could always make her happy when she was sad. She remembered the day she came out to him as pansexual. She was terrified; they were only 16 for goodness sakes! He stayed supportive, and stood with her as she told her parents. She smiled softly, leaning her head on her hand as she remembered the day Kane joined her school.

 “Bree! It’s alright I’m fine  at my school, the kids aren’t that messed up and besides, I’ve started a new band here.” He gave Bree a slightly goofy smile. “Our band name is ‘The Rebellious Rebels.’ neat right?”

 Bree giggled softly and nodded patting his arm “Of course it is Kane, it’s totally you, but ask your band, they can join the school to. I’d love for my best friend to be right by my side.”

 “You’re really serious about this huh?”

 “Dead Serious Kane.”

“… fine I’ll join, but I want one of those parties your sister is always telling Adam about.”

 Bree grinned at Kane and nodded “You’ve got a deal buddy. You’ve got a deal.”

 She shook her head and grinned fondly at the memory.

 I’m waiting, waiting, just waiting,

I’m waiting, waiting outside the lines

 This would be new for her. She was on her own for the first time in what seemed like years, She was 22 and she was terrified.

 Stuck in the same position,

You deserve so much more

There’s a whole world around us,

Just waiting to be explored

 She was going to make it.

I’m trying to be patient (I’m trying to be patient)

She was going to show everyone who doubted her.

The first step is the hardest (the hardest)

She was going to prove them wrong.

I know you can make it,

She was born to be someone,

Go ahead and take it

And she damn sure was going to make it happen.

 This was the time for her to be happy, and confident, this was her time. No one would be able to take it from her.

 I’m waiting, waiting, just waiting

I’m waiting, waiting outside the lines

 So, as she strolled into campus after her first few weeks, no more was the girl afraid to speak her mind, the inexperienced and shy red-head who started her own school. No, in her place stood Bree Wesley upcoming actress and model, watch out everyone.  She’s going to run this town one day. Maybe not tomorrow, but one day, and she was finally okay with that.

 You’ll never enjoy your life

Living inside the box

You’re so afraid of taking chances,