Man, Wade's got some wild ideas!
"What's going on?"
"Hey boss, so here's the thing! You know how I've been saving up some money? Well, I figured selling drugs wasn't a long-term plan, especially since my cousin Seth skipped town. So, I started looking into other ways to make money. Then, through some connections, I got into the whole storage unit auction thing."
Storage unit auctions are a pretty unique way to make money in America.
See, in America, there are a lot of storage unit rental companies that specialize in letting people store their personal belongings.
If a customer stops paying the rent on their storage unit, the rental company has the right to auction it off.
The rental company will open the unit for potential buyers to take a quick look, and then the bidding starts.
Every now and then, someone will find antiques or gold or something in a unit and strike it rich overnight, which has attracted a lot of people to get involved.
But at the end of the day, it's still gambling, and the risks are pretty high.
Most of the units actually just contain junk and aren't worth much, and a lot of people who get into storage unit auctions end up losing their shirts.
After all, if a unit is actually valuable, the rental company would probably take it for themselves. The ones that end up in the auction market are usually the ones that aren't worth much.
Storage unit auctions are really just a way of trying to find a hidden gem.
"Where are you doing these storage unit auctions?"
"In Austin."
"Alright, I'm actually heading to Austin this weekend anyway, so I'll look you up when I'm there."
Roy thought Wade was a decent guy and decided to give him a hand.
Hearing this, Wade looked surprised and happy.
"Boss, if I find anything good, I'll cut you in on it!"
Roy shrugged. He wasn't really expecting Wade to find anything valuable.
But you never know, that kid Wade has pretty good luck.
After school, Roy dropped Jennifer, Needy, and Emma off at home like usual, and then went to see the Parkers.
Through Roy's introduction, Samantha had found a pretty decent house and was getting ready to move in.
As for the school transfer, that was pretty much sorted out too. Tomorrow, Ashley would become Roy's new classmate, and Mike would be in Emma's class.
Roy followed Samantha on a tour of their new place and saw that it was a good size and the furniture inside was all there – pretty much move-in ready.
"This house looks great! How much did it cost?"
"Only ten thousand bucks!"
That's so cheap? Could it be haunted?
Roy looked at Samantha and noticed she looked exhausted. It didn't seem like a good time to bring that up.
So he changed the subject last minute.
"What did the police department say?"
"I already gave my resume to Chief Hughes, and according to him, it shouldn't be a problem."
The other sheriff, George, is about to retire, so Waterfall Town really needs a young, new sheriff, and Samantha's timing couldn't be better.
"That's good! How's Elrisha doing?"
"Other than her weird eating habits, most of the time Elrisha is just like any other kid and she's pretty easy to take care of."
As she was talking, Elrisha seemed to hear Roy's voice and came out of the room. When she saw Roy, she immediately rushed over to him.
"Daddy, hungry, food!"
"Okay, okay, I'll feed you right now. Samantha, could I borrow a room?"
One of the main reasons Roy came to see Samantha was to feed Elrisha. After borrowing a room from Samantha, he spent over an hour making a baby milkshake and finally got Elrisha full.
This doesn't feel right. Having to spend hours feeding Elrisha every time is a real waste of time.
Roy thought he needed to find a way to wean Elrisha off the baby milkshakes, just like weaning a baby off milk. The problem was, what could he replace the baby milkshake with?
Even the Key of Solomon didn't have this information. Looks like he'd have to ask Elizabeth later.
Back at his own place, Roy made some food for Emma – real food, not baby milkshake.
At the dinner table, Roy explained to Emma about seeing a therapist.
Even though she hid it well, Roy still saw the nervousness in Emma's face.
"I... I think I'm perfectly normal. I don't need to see a therapist."
"Emma, don't be scared. The therapist won't give you any shots, they'll just chat with you."
Emma's hands clenched into fists under the table, the veins popping out, showing the turmoil inside the little girl.
"Big Brother Roy, actually, my dad got me a therapist before, and that doctor said I was perfectly normal."
Hearing this, Roy looked up and stared into Emma's eyes.
"Are you telling the truth?"
Emma opened her mouth, wanting to say it was true, but under Roy's intense gaze, she couldn't say anything.
Before coming here, Emma's father had indeed hired a therapist for her, but that therapist was actually like her, so she actively covered for her.
(In the 2018 version of 'The Bad Seed,' the actress who played the therapist was the same actress from the original 'The Bad Seed.' That's right, 'The Bad Seed' is a remake.)
"I guess not then. I'll take you to Austin on the weekend. By the way, what's going on between you and Jennifer?"
Roy then prepared to mediate between Lilith and Emma.
Emma bit her lip, finally seeming to show a hint of personal emotion.
"I don't like her. She's always bullying me!"
"Jennifer already told me about it. She just wants to help you."
Emma shook her head.
"I don't need anyone's help!"
Looks like the conflict between Emma and Lilith won't be resolved anytime soon. Maybe he could find some time to let Lilith come clean with Emma.
But that would have to be after seeing the therapist.
The atmosphere at the dinner table became pretty heavy after that. Emma picked at her dinner and then retreated to her room.
Roy shook his head. Even he, the old 'sea king,' couldn't figure out the complex thoughts in Emma's head. He'd leave this problem to the therapist.
The next day during class, Elizabeth led Ashley into the classroom.
"Class, we have a new student! Ashley, why don't you introduce yourself?"
Ashley wasn't shy at all and introduced herself confidently.
"Hi everyone, my name is Ashley Parker. I used to live in Nevada, and I just recently moved to Waterfall Town."
With her pretty face and hot figure, Ashley instantly won over most of the guys in the class. A few of them even whistled.
Yeah, the prime example would be Mr. Wade, who shall remain nameless.
"Whoa! I think I'm in love again!"
But the girls generally didn't have a very good impression of Ashley. This was probably because Ashley's looks were too aggressive compared to Nancy.
"Ashley, why don't you find an empty seat?"
The rebellious teenager Ashley didn't listen to Elizabeth and look for an empty seat. Instead, she walked straight to Roy – or rather, to Jennifer next to him.
"Could I have this seat?"
Jennifer noticed Ashley glance in Roy's direction and immediately understood her intentions, so she refused without hesitation.
"No."
Ashley wasn't discouraged and went to Needy on Roy's other side, wanting to switch seats with her.
The somewhat socially awkward Needy was too embarrassed to refuse, so Jennifer answered for her.
"She's not going to switch seats with you either! Ms. Parker, the teacher told you to find an empty seat. Can't you understand that?"
Ashley glared at Jennifer.
"None of your business!"
As the school queen bee, Jennifer naturally wouldn't back down and glared right back.
Sitting in the middle, Roy felt a bit speechless and quickly stood up to stop the staring contest.
"Ahem! Ashley, class is in session. Why don't you find a seat first?"
When Roy spoke, Ashley didn't say anything more.
But a rebellious teenager is a rebellious teenager. She directly moved an empty desk and chair to sit behind Roy.
Roy was actually sitting in the last row, which meant Ashley was adding an extra row just to sit near him.
This behavior seemed to explain Ashley's thoughts, making the boys in the class sad again.
"Boss, please, throw me a bone here! I don't want to be without a date for prom!"
This was what a lot of the guys were thinking.
Prom is the most important party for all high school students. Many of them see it as a battle, and it's very embarrassing to not have a date.
Roy felt a bit helpless. He couldn't help it that he was so charming that the girls in the class would rather be single than go for other guys.
"Shut up, Wade!"
"Alright class, let's officially start our lesson now."
Elizabeth looked at the students with a smile, seemingly unaffected by the little drama that had just unfolded.
Jennifer, however, noticed something in how Roy addressed Ashley earlier. When she looked at Ashley behind Roy, Ashley immediately returned a challenging look.
Roy saw this entire exchange and had a feeling that his school life wasn't going to be very comfortable from now on.
Why did he bring the Parkers to Waterfall Town in the first place? It felt like he had shot himself in the foot!
As soon as the bell rang, Jennifer stood up and grabbed Roy's hand.
"Roy, I need to talk to you!"
However, Ashley also grabbed Roy's other hand from behind.
"Roy, I need to talk to you too!"
Why did they start competing with each other right away?
"If you guys want to talk, then let's all talk together! Needy, you come too!"
Roy didn't want to play any kind of love triangle game, so he just called everyone over to have an open and honest conversation.
The four of them went to the oak grove near Oak High School. It was very secluded with a great view, so they could be sure no one would eavesdrop.
"Roy, what's the deal with this girl?"
Jennifer was the first to attack, pointing at Ashley with a nasty look on her face.
"Jennifer, I think I told you a few days ago, Ashley is from the family I helped on the road. Their family moved to Waterfall Town."
Jennifer remembered now. Roy had mentioned such a family, but he hadn't said anything about them having a pretty daughter.
Then, Ashley also pointed at Jennifer and Needy.
"Roy, what about them two?"
"Jennifer Morgan and Needy Lesnicki are both my official girlfriends."
Roy directly confessed their relationship.
Jennifer and Needy were actually quite happy to hear Roy admit they were his official girlfriends, but given the situation, it wasn't the right time to smile, so they held it in.
Ashley really didn't expect Roy to admit it so directly. She initially thought he would try to hide it somewhat, which made the rebellious teenager a little sad.
"They're your girlfriends, so what about me?"
Roy looked at Ashley in surprise. He didn't think he had done anything to her. Why would she think that way?
"Ashley, I already admitted on the road that I have multiple girlfriends, don't you remember? I've joined the fundamentalist Mormon church and I definitely have to abide by the oath of polygamy. If you can't accept that, we can only be regular friends."
Ashley's eyes filled with tears. She seemed to have a hard time accepting the reality. She probably still held onto the fantasy of capturing Roy's heart and having him all to herself.
But reality would prove that even if Ashley could capture Roy's heart, she couldn't handle his... physical needs.
With Roy's current physique, a normal human woman wouldn't be able to handle him alone without it being life-threatening!
For a moment, the oak grove fell silent.
Finally, the kind-hearted Needy walked over to Ashley, wanting to comfort her.
But Ashley wiped her slightly red eyes, left a sentence, and then turned and ran off.
"Hmph! Roy, I'm not giving up!"
That girl is really stubborn.
Roy scratched his head and looked at Jennifer and Needy with an awkward expression.
Needy was okay, her expression didn't change much, but Jennifer had her arms crossed and didn't look too happy.
"That girl is so rude!"
Clearly, Jennifer's impression of Ashley was very bad.
At this point, Needy started to play peacemaker.
"I think this might have something to do with Ashley's family situation. Roy, is Ashley from a single-parent household?"
"Yes, Ashley lost her father a long time ago."
When Roy said that, Jennifer's expression changed slightly. She had also lost her parents at a young age, which is why she always acted so aloof.
This was actually a kind of protective shell, similar to the rebellion Ashley was showing.
But having just scolded someone, Jennifer couldn't possibly change her attitude right away. Where would that leave the school queen bee's reputation?
At this moment, Needy took the initiative.
"Roy, let me have a good talk with Ashley!"
Roy looked at Needy in surprise. He didn't expect the usually socially awkward Needy to want to actively socialize with a stranger.
"Are you sure about this, Needy?"
Needy nodded firmly. You could tell she hadn't just stepped forward on a whim.
"I want to try!"
"Then I'm counting on you."
The little drama seemed to have come to a temporary end, but Ashley's attitude showed that things weren't over yet.
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