Family Secrets

Chicago, Illinois

 

March 3, 2022

 

Family Secrets

 

It seemed like forever…

 

The scene slowly opens up to a house in a neighborhood that was right on the outskirts of the Chicago metro area.  It was, of course, low key and probably a good thing for the owner of the home.  Brian Hollywood stood frozen on the doorstep after finally tracking down someone who used to be in his life constantly.  Even he couldn’t deny, though, that these days…everyone was slowly disappearing from his life one by one.  Hollywood was close to being alone.  Whether his friends were gone, or being abandoned because of his life choices, there was one man who Hollywood always thought would have his back.  Hollywood stands there, still, before finally shaking his head as he stands right up to the front door with will on his face.

 

KNOCK KNOCK!

 

Hollywood stands on the outside anticipating what he will see on the other side of that door.  He felt nervous…but only for a short period of time.  There was much more emotion reserved within him than nervousness.  He is then filled with a sense of abandonment as slight anger fills his heart and takes shape in his facial expression.  It was only brief, however, before he heard the door finally unlatched from the other side.  Now all Hollywood felt was anticipation as the door slowly opened up from the other side.  Hollywood’s facial expression changed and he was left speechless for a few moments.  He literally couldn’t say anything as he was just staring at the other person on the other side of that door.  Finally, after a few moments pass, Brian speaks.

 

Brian Hollywood: “Hello, Dad.”

 

There was a moment of silence as Hollywood didn’t say another word.  His father looked on him in shock and amazement.  He was both happy and worried at the same time to see his son standing before him.  It had been literally five years since he had seen his son.  He didn’t know how to respond.  This was bittersweet for the both of them.  Finally, he’s able to acknowledge his son.

 

James Thomas: “Son!  I thought I’d…..

 

Jimmy hesitated before continuing speaking as if he were in pain.

 

James Thomas: “I thought I wouldn’t see you again!  My boy!  What are you doing here?!  How did you find me?!”

 

Hollywood literally looked his father in the eyes with a cold stare into his eyes.  He may have been in pain, but that was what his father’s first words to him in five years were?!

 

Brian Hollywood: “Really?  That’s all you can say after all this time?!  Maybe I made a mistake in showing up here today.  What if I just remained poised about that and turned the fuck around and left?  Would you still have the same reaction?!”

 

James Thomas: “You can’t be serious!  You know better and I raised you to know better!”

 

The stern resolve in Jimmy’s voice was evidenced enough to Hollywood’s tolerance and the father who raised him to who he was today.  Maybe not all of Hollywood’s values were picked up from his father, but the type of man he became surely was.  Brian surely did pick up his fathers respect and resolve.  He also learned toughness and never taking no as an answer.  He learned to go out and do better and to always chase his dreams.  Dreams made Hollywood into the man he was today.  He may have become broken along the way, but JT knew it would always lead Hollywood home someday.

 

Brian Hollywood: “I just thought I would have gotten a better reception, a homecoming, from my own father.  I have enough people out there who hate me or want to break me down and destroy me.  I just thought I would find some solace and peace in knowing my father wasn’t one of them.”

 

Jimmy slowly nods his head re-examining his sons words as the two just look at each other without saying anything for a few moments.  Finally, before long, JT slowly moves towards his son and embraces him.  Hollywood slowly closes his eyes as he felt the rush of love and compassion before he cherishes the hug and hugs his father back.  It was a moment of vulnerability, one that was often not seen with Hollywood, as he holds onto his father.  Finally, the two pull away from each other as JT puts his arm around Hollywood and leads him inside his home.  The door is slowly closed behind him as Hollywood closely studies his fathers house.

 

James Thomas: “You know…I’m really surprised to see you.  Definitely surprised…but am happy to see you, son!  I’ve got to say, though, you seem to have become the popular person to be seeked out!  You know, your friends Gerald and Buck were just here about a couple days ago looking for you and asking questions about you.”

 

Hollywood smiles and shakes his head definitely not surprised in the least bit.  He was growing ever so cocky that he’s been able to stay one step ahead of his lifelong friends.

 

Brian Hollywood: “Heh.  Is that a fact?  I can’t say that I’m surprised.  What did they want?”

 

James Thomas: “Oh come on now, son, you know I’m smarter than that!  I haven’t forgotten that you’re always a wanted man by many!  However, it seems that lately, you can’t keep yourself out of the spotlight when it comes to getting into trouble.  Gerald and Buck didn’t seem like they were trying to find you out of looking to catch up and have a few drinks with.  Whatever you did recently, seems to made your friends people that are looking to bring you in.  They weren’t very specific…but they mentioned that it was crucial that they bring you in and that you had a lot to answer for.  Care to explain any of that?”

 

Hollywood knew his father wasn’t an idiot.  Everything he had been involved with much of his adult life had a target on his back and his family.  However, when it came to his friends being against him, it caused his father to really wonder what it was.  Hollywood scratches his head wondering just how much his father knew what was going on in the current and present time.

 

Brian Hollywood: “Let’s just say the three of us seem to be at odds on current events.  We definitely don’t agree on certain aspects of what’s going on with some of my daily events or the people I’m hanging around.”

 

James Thomas: “What are we all twelve again all of a sudden?”

 

Hollywood lets out a small laugh as he really didn’t know if his father knew much of anything.  So Hollywood did the only thing he knew how to….talk his way into finding that information out.

 

Brian Hollywood: “Really, I have no idea, dad!  I may or may not be teaming up with a man who’s responsible for a lot of our family and friends bloodshed…let alone a lot of havoc on this family.”

 

Now JT was really listening as he looks his son dead in the eyes almost as if he knew exactly who his son was talking about.

 

James Thomas: “No….tell me you’re not teaming up with who I think you’re teaming up with?”

 

There was no response.  Instead Hollywood just let out a slight smirk in reply as if he already knew who his father was talking about.

 

James Thomas: “You have been known to be a lot of things son…but please tell me a traitor isn’t one of them?!”

 

Hollywood was taken aback by his fathers interesting choice of words.  Immediately he becomes irritated as if he were insulted.  His own father calling him a traitor right in his fathers own home. Hollywood raises his hand and points straight at his father as if he were all of a sudden angered which resulted in JT’s quick response as if he got the response he was looking for without Hollywood so much as opening his mouth.

 

James Thomas: “God damn it son!  You ARE!  I told Gerald and Buck both that you weren’t working against them and that they had both been mistaken!  How could you do this to your own family?  To your own friends?!”

 

Brian Hollywood: “NO!  For once shut your fucking mouth and listen to me!  You had to go run off and hide and fall off the grid the last time we had encountered each other and you thought it was for our own good!  I don’t want to hear you call me a fucking traitor!  If anyone betrayed anyone here, it was you!”

 

Jimmy raises his eyebrows in shock at his sons words.  He was surprised by Hollywood’s defiant behavior but couldn’t help but to feel like he was being bombarded by painful and emotional responses to his disappearance all those years ago.  He thought he was doing his son a favor, but all it did was backfire on him quickly.

 

James Thomas: “You and I both know I didn’t want to just drop off the face of the planet and go into hiding, even from you!  But we both know what would have happened if I had stayed!”

 

Brian Hollywood: “You know, when you left…you did it out of nowhere!  You were all I had left that I called family!  And since it’s already out there, you know that by now, I’m working with The Chair!  At least he cares about investigating the nature surrounding my sister Serenity’s death, your fucking daughter!  At least he’s willing to get to the bottom of her cold murder and you obviously aren’t looking into her death which says a lot doesn’t it?!”

 

Just like that, JT takes a different stance as the anger all of a sudden leaves him and he now looks on to his son with extreme curiosity.

 

James Thomas: “Wait, what?!”

 

He had trouble finding the words to continue.  He was genuinely surprised that his son was working with perhaps the most dangerous man to cause so much harm and chaos to his family than The Chair.  However, he became suspiciously quiet when Hollywood brought up the fact that he was working with The Chair in getting to the bottom of Serenity’s murder.  It was almost as if JT had known something Hollywood didn’t, which Hollywood was starting to catch onto as he caught on quick and started pressing his father.

 

Brian Hollywood: “You know…if I had told anyone else the nature of my business and who I was working with, they would have looked at me with utter shock and asked why.  However…for some reason, I can’t seem to understand why you didn’t have the same reaction..what are you not telling me here?”

 

James Thomas: “If anyone isn’t telling anyone the whole story here, it’s you, son.  I dropped off the grid and went into hiding from The Chair and to stay away from you in the hopes of not only staying alive…but to not cause you anymore additional pain and distraction to be another pawn used by The Chair in tearing you apart!”

 

Hollywood doesn’t reply instantly as he begins looking around in the living room of his father’s home.  It had appeared as if he was living his life out without any problems and had stayed very much under the radar.  He was in hiding in the hopes the Chair didn’t find him and purposely stayed away from his own son in the hopes of not being found and used as a tool.  However, here we were…Hollywood had found his father which meant that The Chair could have with the resources that he had.  Which begged the question…how did Hollywood find the resources to find his father if he was working with The Chair?  Hollywood’s attention was taken to a bookshelf in the living room as he found some old picture frames of him and his sister.  He picks it up and looks at it as he misses his sister dearly.

 

Brian Hollywood: “I hope you know I didn’t even need to use The Chair’s resources in finding you.  Sure, I could have asked him..but if Gerald and Buck were truly here, you’ve got to be thinking that you weren’t hiding well enough if I found you with no problems with the less of resources that I have.”

 

James Thomas: “For some reason I don’t believe you fully when you say that….you can guarantee I didn’t tell Gerald and Buck a single thing if it means anything to you..”

 

All of a sudden, JT was getting a bit nervous as Hollywood was looking at all the collection of picture frames Jimmy had in the living room until Hollywood all of a sudden comes upon a certain picture frame.  Hollywood picks it up and looks at it very carefully and for a long while it seemed.  It wasn’t until just a moment later when Hollywood’s eyes lit up as if he was speechless and couldn’t find the words at what his eyes were gazing upon.

 

Brian Hollywood: “Then why don’t you explain at what THIS is?!”

 

Hollywood turns the picture frame of what he was looking at towards his father as he just stares there in shock and no words as the camera pans in to see the picture frame closer.  Hollywood was left speechless and in a state of doubt at the picture was of a young boy that looked similar to Hollywood when he was younger but who was a mystery to Hollywood all the same as his father looks on with shock and no words as the scene slowly fades to black…

================================

 

Well isn’t this just peachy.

 

You know, I guess it was only a matter of time before I had to step back into a ring with the likes of Jeffrey James Roberts.  However, now I’ve got to face off against another in the form of Arthur Pleasant.  There isn’t anything pleasant about the situation.

 

So my partner and I get a tag match against the forces of you two.  How quint.  How scary.  Really, I’m trembling in my god damn boots.

 

But that’s the problem though, isn’t it?  I’m really not scared to be facing against the two of you.  You two act like you’re God’s fury against the earth.  I’m literally not seeing what you guys are seeing.

 

JJR, you really can’t stop talking in riddles can you?  All you talk about time and time again is pain and torment but you really haven’t done much the first couple times to keep me from talking against you in that regard.  You’re a lot like me if I think about it.  You have a way with words and I don’t blame you in that regard.  I have literally been the same way but it doesn’t always work out in my favor.

 

So the two of you are literally on the warpath because one week didn’t go your way.  Spare me…I’ve literally been there…several fucking times.  Yet here I fucking am…showing up each and every week.  No, the world didn’t end for me when I was down.  The two of you act like the world ends when either one or both of you fucking loses a match.  It happens to the best of us.  Hell, I used to think like the two of you do.  But then I realized that we all can’t get what we want all of the time.  That’s when we really adjust and keep zoned in on what we can do to not only better ourselves, but stay focused on the prize and learn to climb that mountain to success.

 

If you want my opinion, I really don’t want to spend anytime in that ring with you guys this week.  I’ve got more important things to worry about and focus on than pandering to a couple of cry baby sissies who don’t know how to react when they lose a match.

 

Pleasant, you act like you’re going to end our god damn careers when you talk about getting into the ring with us.  Yet JJR has been threatening that bullshit against me in the last couple of times we’ve faced off against each other and yet here I am showing up like my career wasn’t shortened in the least bit.

 

It’s typical.  I get it.  But you’ve got to realize that you can’t get your way all of the time.  I’ve seen what the two of you can do in that ring…but it’s going to take a lot more than that to strike me down.  If there’s one thing I’ve learned about my tag team partner as well is that she can take some hits as well.  Eli and I may not have always been on the same page, but there’s progress there.  And despite the fact that the two of you look like monsters, and I can’t believe I’m saying this…but I’d ride into battle against the two of you with Eli any day of the week.

 

So I hope the two of you are ready for Sunday because I can tell you without a shred of doubt that Eli and I will step into that ring and battle the two of you without any fear whatsoever! So I say bring your best shot because it will be nothing short of a battle when we wage war in the middle of that ring!