Woods Random Legacy: Chapter 25 - Rewards

As James's high school days came to an end, he accumulated a shelf full of awards.  First, participation trophies for both clubs he'd been active in.  He'd also received another - smaller, oddly - trophy for being elected president of the debate club after a particularly harrowing debate.  On top of his after school accomplishments, he also graduated with honors.  Everybody in town thought that James Woods would go far!

James wasn't so sure.  The closer his plan came to execution, the more issues he found.  None were insurmountable, but what if there was something he was missing?  No, he couldn't afford to think like that.  He had to find the holes, patch them, and move on.  So there wasn't enough money to move his parents out and pay his own construction crew, he could deal with that.  They'd just have to live in the guest room.  Hopefully his father could manage to keep his mouth shut for the time he had left to live.

Another problem which presented itself to James was that of what method of deployment to use.  Sure enough, a solution soon presented itself - that stupid gnome.  He didn't know what it was or where it had come from - Greg probably wasted the house money on it - but the damn thing was always showing up in different spots around the house.  It was time for it to go.  James shuffled through the photos he had recording the various sightings, then suddenly paused, quirking an eyebrow curiously.

One of these photos wasn't like the others.  He liked that one, he'd have to find it and keep it.

James finally convinced his parents to allow him to have a party on his eighteenth birthday.  He invited three of his friends from school, all girls - the flirt.  Just before he was about to blow the candles out on his cake, Eliza's phone rang.  She apologized and stepped into the hall to take the call.

James thought he'd feel different once he was an adult, but he really didn't.  There were more responsibilities, especially with the weight of his inheritance on his shoulders, but the freedoms he now had easily outweighed the additional stress.  Life was good.

Eliza came back in with an announcement.  That was Lyle on the phone, calling from the hospital - Crystal had just given birth to a baby girl, named Talia!  James's party posse went to ooh and ahh over the camera phone pictures Eliza had received, and James leaned over a chair, smirking to himself.  Yeah, life was good.

And now it was time.

~ * ~

Short chapter, just wrapping a few things up.  Ah, those gnomes.

An outtake from the party: crap, I've been spotted!

And that's a wrap for generation 1!