Sweet magnolias

Hold my hand

As Maddie,Ty, and Tay worked around on the spa that weekend Tay thought about how much she hated Bill while she swept. But she was brought out of her thoughts by her twin brother calling her to follow him and Maddie. They went to the lobby where they set down a big bag of sheets and laundry and Ty and Tay laid down on the couch.
"Is it time for break yet?" Ty asked
"You've been working here less than an hour." Maddie said sitting at the check-in counter going through her notebook.
"This is some really exciting work." Tay said sarcastically.
"We'll, that is what happens at a job. And I told you, we just need some help until we can find some bodies." Maddie said
"And we the anthem of the down trodden working men and women, by which I mean 9 to 5." Trotter said walking in the room." Trotter said walking in the room.
"Mm-hmm. That reference is before their time. And besides, Bull was very anti-Dolly Parton." Maddie chuckled.
"What! When did you find this out? And why didn't you leave him right then and there? I mean, it's Dolly. She is country music. She is....joy." Trotter said as Ty and Tay just nodded there heads.
"Yeah. Hey,Ty, why don't you take these towels of many colors to the cleaners?" Maddie smiled at the giant bags they had just brought in.
"And Dolly would tell you to ask for a raise." Trotter said sadly.
"Turncoat." Maddie said.
"It's true, though. If I'm gonna be running all these errands, I..... might need a car." Ty said as he walked over to the bag of towels.
"To walk four blocks?" Tay asked just as Cal walked in.
"Cal! Dolly Parton, for or agains?" Trotter asked as Cal walked up to the desk.
"Fffffffor?" He said looking between Maddie and Trotter.
"You didn't sound sure. Why are you not sure? What makes you so uncertain about where you stand on the greatest sing of all time?" Trotter asked defensively.
"I'm sure."
"Are you just saying that?"
"My mom had a dog named Jolene." Cal said and they fist bumped.
"Ah, not to get you in trouble with the boss, but, uh, take it easy on that arm, Ty. Now that the college scouts have handed in their reports, it might not be a bad idea for you to sit out a few." Cal told Ty.
"Okay, we'll, not against Castlewood, right? It's the biggest game of the season." Ty asked as Tay pulled an apple out front under the desk, Maddie had a bowl of apple for her under there as well as a trash can.
"We'll talk." Cal smiled at him.
"Here, let me give you a hand with that out of respect for the golden arm." Trotter said grabbing another big bag.
"See ya." Ty said.
"Thanks." Cal said to trotter as he walked around the desk as Tay stood up.
"I'm going for a walk." She said and walked out.  She went and sat out on the porch then Cal walked out a couple minutes later.
"See ya, Tay." She said walking past her.
"See ya." She said as he got in his truck and walked out.
The next day
"And all I could think about was my baby brother. I swear. I didn't do it." Kyle said in his character for Mock trial.
"No more questions, your honor." Tay said to Cal who was posing as the judge.
"Nice job, both of you." Helen chuckled as Tay and Kyle went back to their seats.
"All right, next time we're gonna do opening and closing statements. Now, remember, remember when you're making an argument, you want to state a thesis and then cite evidence to support it. Now, after you're done, you wanna make an emotional appeal for ethos to drive home whatever it is that you're trying to get across. Okay?" Helen told everyone then the bell rang and was started packing their stuff up and leaving.
"And, gang, Ms. Decatur starts the trail tomorrow, so from no on, practice is at 7:30 sharp." Cal said and everyone groaned.
"Seven thirty? Who's bringing me coffee?" Gave asked.
Tay laughed before walking over Helen
"Aunt Helen. I don't want my role anymore. Give it to CeCe it's better for her." Tay told her before walking out.
At practice after school Tay started catching with her glove on, getting use to it again. Before going home and doing homework.
The next day
Tay sat in the kitchen at the bar, eating an apple, on her phone, while Maddie and Dana Sue talked about Annie's text message that Dana Sue saw.
"Did Ty or Tay tell you anything about a party after the fundraiser?" Dana Sue asked Maddie.
"Ty no. Tay yes. Why? What's you hear?" Maddie asked.
"I just want to say, that I got to the party late and Annie and Ty had already left when I got there. So if this has to do with them, I had nothing to do with it." Tay said then took a bite out of her apple.
"I don't- I don't know. I- when I asked Annie about it she just ran off to school. Oh, she didn't tell me because there was alcohol there." Dana Sue said and Tay nodded her head but neither Maddie or Dana Sue noticed. Tay didn't know exactly what happen just that Annie got really drunk that night.
"No,no,no,no, Annie is way to smart to be drinking at a party." Maddie shook her head.yeah. I thought so too. But the text-" Dana Sue was cut off.
"Said she was drinking?" Maddie asked confused.
"Ugh, how do I even know? I knew it was just a bunch of damn emojis. Why can't our kids use words instead of symbols? Like they're Neanderthals just painting on a cave wall?" Dana Sue asked as Maddie chuckled.
"I use letters instead of emojis." Tay said as Maddie called Ty in.
"The truth. How much alcohol was at that party after the fundraiser?" Maddie asked as Tay set her phone knowing this was about to get interesting.
"Um.... Look, Annie was okay. As soon as Jackson got all heavy breather on her I got her out of there and it was chill." Ty said as Tay smiled.
"Jackson did what?" Dana Sue asked
"Nothing. Nothing. He, uh.... He did nothing." Ty said quickly.
"Annie was drinking, and Jackson did something to her?" Dana Sue asked.
"He didn't cause Ty pulled her away before he could. That's what I heard." Tay mumbled and Maddie gave her a look that said after everyone left they were having a talk.
"He didn't. Gabe and I kept an eye on her all night." Ty said trying to calm down the situation.
"So she was drunk enough that you had to keep an eye on her?" Dana Sue asked as Kyle walked in.
"No I didn't mean that. Um..." Ty said.
"Come on, we're gonna be late." Kyle said grabbing all three of their lunches.
"Can't be late." Ty said rushing out.
"Hey, Kyle, put my lunch in my locker if I don't catch up with you guys." Tay told him and he nodded his head.
"Yeah.... I should go to the restaurant." Dana Sue said and left.
"Ms. Dana Sue, I lied. I was there when they were there. I just didn't want to say anything because I got really drunk, like so drunk gonna fall over. But Annie didn't drink a sip of alcohol." Tay told her calmly so Dana Sue would believe her.
"Okay, thanks sweetie." Dana Sue said then left.
"Wanna tell me what really happen, cause when you were walking by me and Cal you walked fine except tripping up the stairs a bit." Maddie told her.
"Okay so I got there and Ty and Annie were already gone but then the next day Jackson stole Ty's phone and sent the message that Annie sent to Ty about how good his kiss was to the Baseball group chat and it got spreaded. She kissed him while she was drunk. Then at school everyone was making fun of her for either kissing Ty or getting entirely too drunk. That's all I know. Now I got to go or I'll be late." Tay explained giving Maddie a hug then running to catch up with her brothers.
Her day went by pretty fast except when she was walking down the hallway and saw Marry Vaughn and the Mayor, her husband walk out one of the classrooms.
"Hi, Tay. Ready for tomorrow's game against castlewood. I hear your back in, how's the hand. And know Jackson sorry what he did." Mary Vaughn told her. Tay was the only person Mary Vaughn was every nice too. Know one knew why or could figure it out. Not even Tay herself.
"Uh, yeah, it's better. I'm excited to go back out there." Tay gave her the most polite smile she could muster up.
"That's wonderful. Well we best get going." Mary Vaughn and the her husband both smiled at her before walking off.
Then the principal and Cal walked out. Cal gave her a smile before he and the principal started talking then came Maddie and Bill. Tay saw Bill and immediately turned to Maddie.
"Bye,mom." Tay said rushing down the hall.
The rest of Tay's day was filled with studying. Around nine pm she went for a walk and found herself at the spa. As she walked up the steps Cal walked out. She didn't say anything to him just went right in. She saw Maddie standing at the desk with ice cream as tears pricked in her eyes. Knowing her mom needed a minute she went to the kitchen and grabbed a water and walked back out.
"Love you, mom." Tay called as she stepped onto the porch.
She skipped down the steps, zipped her jacket up, put her beanie on as it started getting colder as there was no more sun anymore.
"Want me to drive you back home?" Cal asked her.
"No, I'm okay, I need to clear my head, gonna walked around a bit." Tay told him as he nodded and started his truck and drove away.
Tay started her jog at 9:46 pm and and stopped running at 10:23pm. She took a sip of water and rubbed her red nose the running a bit.
As she took a deep breath in her lungs burned due to the cold air. Tay loved to go on runs when it was cold out cause when she would breath in it would burn her lungs and it let her know she was actually doing something, plus she loved the burn. She sat down on the steps of the church and just sat there catching her breath. She didn't realize how truly exhausted she was till then. She rested her head against the metal railing. Tay started to drift off to sleep slowly with realizing it.
The next day
Tay felt a tap on her shoulder that made her open her as the sun filled them. She looked behind her where the tap came from to see Pastor June.
"Hey, Tay, fall asleep here?" Pastor June asked
"Yeah, sorry." Tay said rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
"You okay?" Pastor June asked sitting down beside her.
"Yeah..... yeah...... no. No I'm not okay." Tay said as tears stung her eyes.
"What happen?" Pastor shine asked
"Everything. All Ty and me is fights when we talk to each other. Every time I see Bill I can't breath and it feels like my heart about to fall out of my chest and I start to sweat really bad. And tonight at the game I go back out onto the field. I'm scared I'm gonna hurt my hand again or I let everyone down. A-And I really like Jackson but I know if ever dated him Ty would hate more than he already does. And everyone's hates Mom and Cal being with each other, but they are head over heels for each other." Tay said as the tears threaten to fall but she wouldn't let them.
"Tay... Ty doesn't hate, I can assure you that. You guys are twins. And yes he might not like the idea of you dating Jackson but he will never hate you. Also no hates Cal and your mom. And the thing Bill, those are all signs of panic attacks. I'll talk to your mom and Ashley, Trotters husband, he's a great therapist and can help. He might help with the stuff on the field but for now don't worry about that stuff push it out of your mind. You're hands healed and fine if it wasn't the doctor wouldn't have cleared you. Now it's almost time for you to go to school might wanna go home." Pastor June told her with a small smile.
"Thanks, Pastor June." Tay said as she stood up.
"Bu-bye." Pastor June waved as Tay started her run home.
When she got home she went changed and got her stuff for school and grabbed an apple on the way out and ran to school.
She walked into the classroom and sat down as Gabe walked in.
"Hey, Gabriel." Helen called to him.
"You memorize that deposition?" She asked him as he gave her a tight lip smiled and nodded his head.
"Close." He said sitting down as CeCe walked up to her and Tay stopped listening after that.
"Alright, team. Let's get goin'. Now keep in mind that persuasion presentation is 50% of our job here." Helen told them.