The Fairhope Deal

Wind whistling, leaves changing, pumpkin spice candles being lit. A new season, a new story to come for the small town of Fairhope, Connecticut. It was an early morning as always for Tessa Brooks. The Brooks family was polished, polite, popular, and poised. Tessa was the youngest of the Brooks, she had brown hair, brown eyes, popular, smart, and sporty, she had everything. She had the Victorian house on Walter's St., the perfect family, perfect friends, and the most adventurous personality. Her house had this way about it that no one knew how to describe, it was welcoming and warm, it always smelled good, always clean, but there were secrets in those walls that were indescribable.

It all started on October 24, a chilly fall morning, the leaves were still changing, and Tessa was ready for the day. She got in her car and drove to the Fairhope Plaza Café to pick up her usual, two hot apple ciders, a pumpkin spice latte, and an iced vanilla coffee and headed to school. As always, Vicki was excited to receive her vanilla coffee, Tessa and Vicki Strutting down the Fairhope high school halls. RING, as Tessa got to class there was a note on her desk, the note read…. “We know what your family did. Watch your back.”

I read over the note three times to make sure I read it right. I was so stunned, so many questions flooded my mind. “Is this a joke?” “Who is this from?” “Why would anyone write this?” “What does this mean?” “What are they talking about?” My head was spinning, I still could not comprehend the note. But for some reason I felt like it was real, and now I’ve got to watch my back……

Right when I got home from school, I went upstairs. I went through every single yearbook I have from 8th grade to now, looking to match this handwriting. I knew two things, the person that wrote this goes to my school, is most likely a girl considering the new fancy cursive like writing, and they must have been following me to know where I sit or maybe even in my class. I couldn't find anything obvious. I did find handwriting that matched from freshman year that was Mila Foster’s. But what didn't make sense was that Mila had left for boarding school in Mississippi on a lacrosse scholarship, last year. It could be her brother Danny Foster's, who was Carlos’s best friend. He could have written it as a joke with Carlos, but it really looked like it belonged to a girl.

The next day I was up early. It was Friday morning lacrosse practice. Lina was on her way to pick me and Vicki up. Lina was a senior and the captain of the Varsity Fairhope High School Lacrosse team. She was only a year older than me and was the only person that I felt like I could tell about the note. We hopped in her bright blue jeep, it was a sympathy gift from her dad because he wasn't there on her 16th birthday. He was never there, he was too busy working. Everyone in town thought his work was sketchy, and he worked for my dad.

“Get in losers! It's morning grind time” Lina said. Vicki and I both responded “Ahhhhhh”. As we were on our way to school, we drove past the Fosters house. There was a moving truck and boxes lined up outside the gate. As we drove past, Katie, Mila’s sister, was walking holding a box and stared at the car. “OMG it looks like the Fosters are moving” said Lina “ya OMG this past week Katie has been acting weird in class.” said Vicki. “I wonder if Carlos knows that Danny is moving, if he doesn't already, he will be heartbroken” I said. The whole car ride, I couldn't stop thinking about that look Katie gave me…

Part 2

As I was walking in the courtyard, Katie Foster completely came out of nowhere. She looked at me with disgust, then turned around and walked the other way. What the heck, she's been acting so unusual these past couple of days, I really don't understand why. Then I thought back to that letter. Maybe it was her that wrote it, I need to find out.

Later that day I was walking home from Starbucks and I saw Mila Foster in her car. She looked so different, she looked orange through her car window, had acrylic nails which she never ever got, probably because of lacrosse, and she had blonde hair now.. Wow, I never thought she would change as much as she did. I had just seen her in July when she came home from school, and she looked like her old self. Why was she back? Then I looked in the back seat of her car and I saw boxes. Suddenly something I didn't even think about came to my mind; she was moving, but she was at boarding school most of the time. I wonder why her whole family is moving, and why she is moving out of the house she had lived in for 17 years. I felt like I should say hello, but then I remembered we were never really friends. Mainly because our dads weren't friends; they were business rivals. Then I thought, who cares, she is moving, and I want to find out why………

Part 3

As I walked to her car, I saw a barn owl looking back at me. As we locked eye’s Mila Foster turned and I saw that she had dark black mascara running down her face, and her eyes were puffy. As she lowered her phone off her ear, I could see she was talking to her mom. When she saw me, her face went completely blank. She was in shock, she quickly muttered something and then hung up. She rolled down her window and said, “what do you want, Brooks?”

“I was just coming to say hi and ask how school is” I said.

“Don't even act like you care, oh god you are just like your dad.” she said.

“Wait what”?

“OMG stop, just leave me alone, you and your family have done enough already” she said, as she rolled up her window, started the car and drove away.

What just happened. She said “you and your family have done enough already”.

“What does that even mean? Then I remembered the note, “We know what your family did. Watch your back.” OMG, it must have been Katie who wrote the note. But why did they both bring up my family, and why did Mila say I was just like my dad?

When I got home, my mom was sitting in the kitchen on her computer and talking on the phone. I waved to her and walked down the long spiral staircase to my dad's study. As I walked in his study, the smell of mahogany permeating hit me like a brick. He wasn't there. I walked over to his desk to grab paper to throw in his fire when I saw an envelope, with the Foster’s family crest. I was longing to open it. I know now that my dad has something to do with the Foster’s moving. He must be the reason that letter was written to me. I need to know what happened. I know one thing for sure, my dad is a very private man; he might not have even told my mom, and he for sure won’t tell me.

As I walked up the stairs, I saw Lina and Vicki waiting in my living room dressed up. Lina was wearing black stockings, her Burberry coat and a black beret, and Vicki was wearing her signature cashmere sweater with her Jimmy Choo heels.

“I totally forgot about my dad's banquet tonight!”

“You need to hurry and get ready, the driver will be here in 10 minutes” my mom said.

When we arrived, I walked over to my dad’s table. “Dad, I need to talk to you.” I said.

“Not right now, Tessa, I am busy.” He said…

Part 4

In the morning, usually my whole family is elated for the day to come. But this morning was different, a glum look was pasted on my dad's face, and when his phone rang, he grabbed his briefcase and ran out the door. As Carlos walked into the kitchen, I noticed his disheveled hair, and stained Notre Dame Football sweatshirt. Yet another glum face I am seeing this morning, I thought.

“What's wrong Carlos” I said?

“Danny and his family are moving and it’s all because of dad”.

“What do you mean?”

“According to Carlos, dad and his dad got into a very heated argument about business. Dad did something bad and now they are moving. At least we'll both be playing football at Notre Dame next year, and there are only a few more months before pre-season” he said.

“I knew it! I have to go. See you at school” as I ran out the door.

I drove to Starbucks because I knew that Mila would be there. Before she left for boarding school, she went to Starbucks every morning. She practically kept the place in business even when the Fairhope Plaza Café opened. As I opened the door, I saw her sitting at her usual spot right in front of the register.

“Mila, hi” I said.

“Hi Tessa, what do you want?” she said in a very hostile voice.

“I need to know what happened. Why are you moving? What happened between your dad and mine?” I said.

“You're going to have to ask your dad that” she said as she got up and left.

Part 5

I couldn't go to school. I got into my car, the engine roared, and I raced off. I ran into my house and down the stairs into my dad’s study. Walked over to his desk and tried to open the first drawer. It was locked. I reached into my hair and grabbed a bobby pin out, and as I was unraveling it to pick the lock, I heard my dad’s voice on the phone as the door slammed behind him. “I have to hurry, I can't get caught,” I thought. I turned back around and caught a quick glimpse and saw the same barn owl staring at me. I heard his feet pattering against the floor down the stairs. It's stuck! The drawer is stuck. I heard the lock click, but the drawer is wedged, I only have a few seconds. I put both hands on the handle and pulled as hard as I could. IT OPENED! I grabbed a tan folder and his computer and ran behind the door.

As he walked in over to his desk I slipped up the stairs and into my room, not making a peep. I locked the door and flopped onto my bed and opened the folder. A credit card, Id, and passport came out, and they had my dad’s picture but not his name, they were under the name of Sheldon Phelps. But it was my dad’s face. Then there was a one way ticket to the British Virgin Islands. “He must be running away. But why are the Fosters moving?” I thought.

I typed in the password to his computer, and it opened up a page to a bank transfer from Chris Foster to Dan Brooks, my dad. The transfer was for $20 million dollars. There is no way that Mr. Foster gave my dad all of that money, they were business rivals.

I looked up the bank and called them. I gave them his pin and all the information they needed, which I found on a document on his computer. The bank associate said it was a private transfer. She even went on to share that this amount of money was more than 85% of Mr. Foster’s total savings and that this amount of money for a candidate like Mr. Foster put him out of a house, and college tuition.

It was my dad. My dad took all of that money from Mr. Foster. My Dad is making them move. But why would Mr. Foster let him take all of that money from him? I went into his email and found one from yesterday that had not been opened yet from Mr. Foster. As I opened it, 4 Images appeared. A credit card, one way plane ticket to the British Virgin Islands, ID, and passport. The ID had Mr. Foster's face but a different name….