Malibu: Arriving In Paradise

[x-scion.livejournal.com]

Our temporarily relocated mansion dwelling teens arrive at the Keller household, only to find something amiss.


The large gates swung wide open as Julian hurried back to the car after entering the security code. The taxis- which had been a slight surprise at the terminal when he'd been expecting limousines- pulled up the driveway into the turn around which ringed a fountain, which wasn't turned on. When the vehicles stopped he sprinted up the ornate stone slabs that made up the steps and inside the house, overjoyed to be home. The large foyer smelled familiar, home-like, and the young scion literally spun around, gazing up at the domed ceiling as his shoes tapped on the marble floor. Looking around he noticed a peculiar lack of staff around, which made him decide to search out his parents, sending him further into the house.

Doreen sniffed. Back home in California, in Malibu, it became apparent just how much smog the city had and it dulled her sense of smell. The taxis hadn't bothered her or Monkey Joe in the slightest. In the last two years, she had gotten very, very used to Not Having Nice Things. She thought it was a bit odd though since it was Julian's family, and everyone knew just how well off the Kellers really were.

Inside, the air was a bit cleaner and she and Monkey Joe could breathe a bit. And though there was the lingering scent of people there wasn't anything to suggest that anyone was actually here.

"Wow, this place is really big. Our beach house wasn't this big," she wondered if Daddy still had the beach house. She supposed she couldn't really visit it to see, "And... uh... is there anyone here?"

Inez pulled herself out of the taxi, hefting her duffle bag over one shoulder. She looked over the top of her sunglasses at the villa and tried to hide any sign of being impressed. Which, unfortunately, lasted all of five seconds before she ran for the stairs. "Dibs on an ocean view, yo!" she hollered over her shoulder.

Fred looked over the view and the home and chuckled a little. For a while, he'd felt a little pang of guilt over giving Julian such a hard time about his endowed lifestyle; those pangs were currently dying a quick and painless death. He'd noticed the majority of his fellows had run off without grabbing their luggage and, with an easy grin, he hefted the numerous bags into the foyer of the house. He caught Jules as he swung back through on the search for his parents, "Fine digs, man."

"Dude, thanks," he said in passing, before heading off to check the west wing.

"Holy cow," Angel said, shaking her head as she strained on tip toe to see the entire thing. "I've seen places like this before but either in passing or, you know, because my dad knew someone. I've never stayed in a place like this." Though she was watching Julian, when she could catch a glimpse of him, with some concern. "Awfully quiet - but, hey, it's gotta be better than the last outing we had, right, Yvette?"

"I was having fun?" Yvette replied, grinning. And she had, although she wouldn't try that particular experience again, especially on her own. "But yes, it is good to have the actual vacation during the summer." She peered around, a little unsure. "But where are Julian's parents? Should they not be here?"

By the time they reached the massive house, Johnny was travel-worn and anxious to move; the lengthy plane ride and the drive that followed likely spelled out more traveling than he had ever done in his life. Fortunately, the shock of the massive home and piling out of the car to follow his classmates up the elongated walkway had been quick to give his mind fresh focus.



The place was overwhelming and ostentatious in every sense. He felt like a tourist at Versailles or the Taj Mahal or something. Look, don't touch. Even if the fountain wasn't on. He tightened his grip on his small bag and shared a glance with the roommate lingering at his side, about to speak when Julian's rushed movements through the foyer, again, and down another hall broke his train of thought. He shook his head. "They did say they’d meet us, right?"

"Right." Victor frowned, watching Julian disappear again. The other boy didn't seem to be all that flaky, but it was possible that they'd arrived on the wrong day, that someone had gotten their wires crossed. After all, Julian certainly wasn't acting like he'd pulled some great trick and gotten them a parent-free beach house. No, something was wrong, wrong enough that he was distracted from the desire to gawk at a house that seemed to have no place for kids.

Nick had still been trying to pick his jaw up off of the ground since he stepped out of the cab. He definitely wasn't in Kansas, or anywhere in the Midwest for that matter. He instantly began scanning around, trying to find quiet places he could hide if the company of so many others started to get to him over the week. "I knew Julian had a lot of stuff, but wow..." The boy said to no one in particular as he began to drag his feet, walking in his normal awkward gate.

Meggan was the last to exit the cab, throwing her bag over her shoulder. Once inside, she slowly turned around, just taking in everything. She thought it was beautiful. "Wow." Once she had gotten her ability to formulate words back, she added with a quirked eyebrow, "Please tell me there's a library in here, too." A pool was probably a given. Yes, she would love to go swimming, too, but whether or not books were in the vicinity was apparently the first priority. She wanted to run through the place, but she didn't want to accidentally trip and shatter some priceless object that cost more than she could fathom.

"Library?" Catseye's head whipped around to Meggan after she'd shifted out of catform from her ride in the cab. "Catseye wants to find the library!" She was completely immune to the effects the mansion seemed to be having on the others- it wasn't as nice as her mansion, after all.

Fred had stepped back out into the sun in the intervening time, finishing the task of taking all the luggage into the massive foyer. He popped a cigarette into his mouth to light when he managed to find his way back outside, and nudged Johnny a little as the rest of the group began to scatter, "Hey Shorty; Don't run around too much, alright? No tellin how much this stuff costs..."



It couldn't be true.

It had to be some sort of cruel, merciless joke.

Unfortunately there was no mistaking the words on the paper, even if the scrolling ink was not in the handwriting of any of his family members. The lack of recognition only meant that they'd dictated the note to one of the house staff before heading off. He wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of crying about this.

When Julian hadn't come back to the group, Angel had set off in search. It hadn't taken long, she'd gone in the direction she'd last seen him and kept to the rooms that had open doors. Though, there'd been a lot of those from Julian checking quite a few of them.

"Julian?" she called, sticking her head through an open door. "There are you!"

Someone was at the door. He had to tell the others, but what did that mean for the vacation, he closed his eyes, not hearing the words of the concerned party, the note crumpling slightly in his clenched hands. "They're not here," he said plainly.

Now she was really worried. Angel hurried over to his side and tried to take a look at the note. "What do you mean, they're not here?" she asked, sounding puzzled. "Did we miss them? Did they go out for lunch?" From the look on his face, it wasn't just that they had gone out for lunch but Angel couldn't wrap her brain around any concept of a family just not ... being there.

"I get it. He told me it was my mom's idea." Julian shook his head and looked up at Angel, his eyes watering slightly, but not overflowing. "She told him to appease him about the spending, but didn't expect me to be able to do it. So, when I did..." he nodded toward the letter.

Gingerly, she tugged the piece of paper out of his hand and smoothed it out so she could read it. Her eyes grew. "But - but they're you're parents," she said, sounding so bewildered that it would have been funny at another time. "I don't get it."

He shook his head, "They're gone, Angel. They saw that I wasn't spending any money and just...left." Julian sniffled and sighed, standing up. "They're going to want us to go home...those fucking...bastards."

Careful to not set the note on fire, she reached out and grabbed his hand. "Hey, I'm sorry," she said quietly. "You're parents are bastards, really. And they were awful to have done this to you. But it'll be okay, yeah? You've got us and I know it's not the same but we're here."

A single crocodile tear fell down his cheek as Julian nodded his understanding, "Yeah, I know- they suck, so much right now. But...the mansion, they're going to want us to come home since there's no supervision here."

"Probably," Angel agreed a little mournfully. "But we'll figure that out, okay? We have to go tell the others - they're getting worried about you."

Julian sighed, "Yeah, alright, can you give me a moment though? I don't want them to see me like this."

"Sure. We'll just be out front, okay? I'll go round up the others and just come and find us when you're ready."

"Alright," he said with a nod, getting up on the bed. As Angel started toward the door he grabbed her arm, "Fire-um-Angel, one more thing...incinerate that note, please."

She blinked at him and thought about it before nodding. "Okay, give it here." Angel took the piece of paper from him and it wasn't long before she was waving the smoke from the air. "All gone beyond a small pile of ash."

He smiled in response, albeit weakly. "Thanks, I'll be down in a few."