FULL NOVELXO Chapter 50
Chapter 50
Athena snatched the phone from the old man’s hands as he was looking all spaced out, “President Lee, it’s Kevin’s mom here. Did my boy pass his exams?”
On the other end, President Lee’s voice oozed with flattery, “Ms. Dempsey, Kevin scored top marks across the board! The teachers even threw in a couple of easy–peasy math olympiad problems, and guess what? Kevin nailed those bonus questions too!
I’m just finding out now that Kevin’s a talent! The reason he’s been zoning out in class and not doing his homework is because it’s all child’s play for him!”
Athena’s eyes widened. Was Lee really talking about her Kevin? He scored a perfect report card?!
David came downstairs and saw Simon and Athena together, asking, “Dad, what are you still doing here? Weren’t you supposed to be at the international kindergarten to pull the plug on Kevin’s schooling?”
As David spoke, he turned to Athena, waving a red flag. “Don’t get in his way. Your son’s a real piece of work, always getting into scraps. Don’t let him drag the Dempsey family name through. the mud anymore!”
“My son aced all his subjects, perfect scores!” Athena’s voice was brimming with pride as she watched the old man and David’s jaws drop.
“What? No way!!” David was gobsmacked.
Athena handed the phone back to Simon, “Grandpa Simon, no need to lose sleep over Kevin’s school performance anymore!”
A sly smirk crossed her face, “What you should really be worried about is Anna, sobbing her heart out in her room, don’t you think?”
Strutting out in her black Doc Martens, Athena whipped out her phone and ordered her errand boy Newman to hit the market for some extra groceries. They were going to feast tonight to celebrate her kiddo’s success.
Meanwhile, over at Mystic Ridge Villa, Kevin was engrossed in a game on Payne’s iPad when a video call popped up. Accidentally accepting it, he was greeted by a kiddo’s face filling the
screen.
“Hi! Payne.”
Kevin didn’t recognize the kid, but that voice was unmistakable.
“Lou?”
Lou and Kevin had a passing resemblance, but with less meat on his bones and a slick look in his eye, he was like a mini old soul, nowhere near as pure and adorable as Kevin.
Chapter 50
“Payne, check out the skateboard mommy got me! Since Newman’s gonna teach me how to ski, mommy had a four–wheeler custom–made for me to practice at home. Look, I drew the design” on the bottom!”
Biting his lip, eyes gleaming, Louis showed off the kiddie skateboard’s artwork to the person on the other end of the call.
Kevin, his gaming mood soured, rolled his eyes in exasperation, “What’s that scribble? A trio of
aliens?”
Pointing at the bottom of the skateboard, Louis explained carefully, “I drew my mommy, me, and Newman. The three of us, hand in hand!”
He quickly added, “Payne, I didn’t mean to leave you out. After all, you’re not exactly sporty, and there’s no way you’d pick up skateboarding.”
Laughter erupted behind Louis. Kevin noticed other kids in the background, all around their age. “You’re such a klutz, Payne; can’t even skateboard?”
“I heard from Louis that you get winded just climbing stairs. Doesn’t that mean you’ll kick the bucket early?”
These were Louis‘ buddies.
Payne had no pals in Everglade City, cooped up with the Bradshaw family, barely seeing outsiders. Servants were allowed near him only after disinfecting themselves thoroughly.
Kevin, furrowing his brow, stared at the iPad, “Lou, did you call me just to show off your skateboard?”
Louis, hugging his precious board, smirked, “Yeah, ‘cause Payne, you’ve never even seen a skateboard before!”
“Ugh, lame! It’s just a skateboard, big deal!” Kevin was unimpressed.
The cartoon drawing of the three figures on Louis‘ skateboard irked him.
“Lou, just you wait!”
With Newman and Kent absent, Kevin told a servant to fetch a skateboard from the Sunny Haven storage in the west district.
He placed the iPad on the table, and Louis‘ eyes widened seeing the skateboard on screen, his lips pouting in displeasure.
Kevin hopped onto the board, flipping it 360 degrees beneath him before landing perfectly.
“Wow!!” The kids behind Louis gasped.
Rubbing his eyes in disbelief, Louis leaned closer to the iPad screen.
“Payne, you’re amazing!” The other kids looked up in awe.
Chapter 50
“Louis said you couldn’t skateboard; he lied!”
“Louis! You tricked us!”
Clearly flustered, Louis confronted Kevin, “Payne, when did you learn to skateboard?”
Kevin scoffed coolly. “Piece of cake. I’ve been doing this since I learned to walk.”
He tilted his chin up and asked Louis, “Wanna learn what I just did?”
Louis nodded eagerly, “Yes, yes, yes!!”
Kevin instructed him, “Then grab a marker and wipe off that drawing of my dad on your board!”
After a moment’s hesitation, Louis, desperate to learn the trick, complied. Once Lou erased Devil’s face, Kevin said, “Now, let me show you another move!”
He then hopped up a 10–step stairway with the board and effortlessly glided back down. The kids around Louis were stunned.
“Payne, I wanna learn that!” Louis‘ eyes sparkled with admiration.
Kevin, hands on his hips, declared, “Check this out – I’m gonna pull off my ultimate move!”
Clutching his skateboard, Kevin thundered up the staircase, each step echoing loudly as he ascended more than a dozen steps.
He perched his board on the handrail, his tiny frame flipping up onto it. The kids on the iPad were shrieking non–stop!
Kevin rode his skateboard, sliding all the way down from the handrail. As he was about to reach the end of the handrail, he leaped off with his board, spinning 360 degrees in mid–air, and Kevin landed flawlessly!
“Whoa!!”
Kent was back, and as soon as he walked through the door, he caught sight of his little daredevil flipping in the air. He was so startled that he nearly passed out cold!
“Good grief! My little rascal!!” Kent’s legs turned to jelly, and he almost dropped to his knees. crawling on all fours towards Kevin.
“Kiddo, where’d you get that skateboard?”
Kevin turned off the video call on the iPad. Cradling his skateboard, he pondered for a moment before saying, “This is the dashing, valiant, handsome, and invincible Cool Kevin lending me his board!”
Kent was stupefied for a good while.
Kevin peeked around Kent, craning his neck, “Where’s Daddy?”
“Mr. Bradshaw’s gone to the market to get groceries. Hey, can you not skateboard anymore? It’s way too risky!”
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Chapter 50
Glancing at the clock, Kevin realized Payne would soon be back from kindergarten, so he said. to Kent, “I’m off to the villa at the west district to return the board.”
At the international kindergarten, it was midday dismissal.
“Mommy!” Payne, backpack in tow, sprinted toward Athena who had come to pick him up. Athena scooped up her son into a big hug, planting a kiss on his forehead.
Payne’s cheeks flushed instantly, his fan–shaped lashes trembling slightly. “Mommy, look at my test paper,” Payne presented his perfect–score paper to Athena like a treasured prize.
Athena’s face lit up with joy as she took the paper, but then the smile in her eyes froze solid.