Wake Up! Pt 1

He’s dead, Jess! Fucking Dead!

Like no air in his lungs dead!

Like no opening his eyes tomorrow morning dead.

“Okay”, Jesse holds up her hand in an effort to calm Nate.

“Maybe you need to calm down, Aunt Gail said her will would present opportunities. Let’s see this as an opportunity, to fight like hell, inherent all the money AND NOT GO TOO JAIL,” Jesse screams.

“You need help, Jess, you know that right?”

“Debatable”, says Nate

Jesse starts to pace back and forth. “Firstly we don’t know if he’s dead! Are you a fucking doctor? Just the other day on Grey’s I heard Dr Miranda say he isn’t dead until his cold and dead! AT A HOSPITAL!” Jess says with a half arched questioning eyebrow.

“Yes...yes!” wide eyed Nate nods, the terror of what may or may not have just happened showcasing in his voice. Cold and dead!

Nate suddenly shakes his head as if someone splashed cold water on his face.

“You sound bat-shit crazy, but this is a lot of money, and I’m way to pretty to be someone’s wink wink friend in prison. Sooooooo what do we do now?”

Jess looks at Nate suggestively... RUN?

Three days earlier

Riley, Jesse and Nate walk into the living room of their recently decreased Aunt Gail’s house. Her perfume still lingers in the air. Bitter sweet moment but exciting as all hell, all of them expect to inherent tons of money. Greeted by their aunt’s attorney Paul, he announces the following:

You all know why you are here, granted unorthodox, she wanted to read it too you herself, so settle down and enjoy the ride.

Riley, Jess and Nate all look at each other with a knowing smirk, typical Aunt Gail!

I know you all hated me but loved my money and the perks of being associated with my name and good fortune. So, because I do not want my money to go too some doggy shelter, I have a will with a few conditions and opportunities.

“Aunt Gail always had a flare for dramatics, and now we all know she knew we were brown-noser's”, says Nate.  

“Opportunities that sounds intriguing”, Riley says turning his face toward Jess and Nate. “May the best man win!”

“Woman, WOMAN! May the best woman win”, Jesse barks back.

Pleeeease you haven’t finished a thing in your life, Jess!

“Oh and what, being an almost famous model makes you the golden boy?”, “I don’t think so” roars Jesse.

“Guys can we please just listen”, Nate says gesturing towards the Laptop screen.

My estate is quite substantial and instead of splitting it between each of you, I’ve decided you would have to earn your inheritance through a series of challenges for respective portions of my estate.

"What! Can this be done?", Nate gives Paul a questioning look.

Well yes, it’s her estate, she can request anything as her last will and testament.

With pursed lips Riley moans, “What a cow.”

“Riley, have some respect”, Nate snaps.

"Fine, what a dolphin!"

Jesse lets out a contained fit of laughter. “Guys come on, listen.”

Aunt Gail continues. For rights to inherent, my loft in Paris, beach house in South Africa and this current California residence. The individual to successfully open my safe and dispose the content therein will receive deeds to these properties. To be clear only one person can win a specific challenge, however I have no objection to the same person winning more than one challenge.

This leads me to my entire investment portfolio, yes all my stocks. The first person to go too. Leo and my beloved vacation spot, have dinner at our favourite restaurant and order our favourite shared dessert will receive the transfer of shares.

Aunt Gail pauses a sneaky smile on her face, this will showcase if any of you actually listened to me when I spoke.

Riley looks at Jess...”Dolphin!”

My extensive art collection, my jewellery collection, luxury shoe collection, couture clothes and vintage car collection will be inherited by the person who is willing to oversee the pack up of my Californian residence and office.

And lastly the person who is willing to adopt my beloved dog, cakes will receive my most prize possession my jewellery box.

Lastly, before we part, I have watched each one of you since you were born and I've loved you as if you were my own. When you reached adolescence I hoped I would witness each of you finding your way in life by now or at least your passion but to no avail. I have often questioned whether or not Leo and I were responsible for this as we have coddled you throughout your lives and now I’ll never know. I hope our last journey together will push each of you on your own path to greatness.

 Love you guys truly Aunt Gail.

“Wow”, the word unexpectedly escapes Nate’s mouth. “Why would she do this? She ends it with love Aunt Gail but somehow I feel slighted. I mean what the rude word is this?”

“It’s random I’ll give you that”, Riley joins in turning his attention to Gail’s attorney. “What now?”

“Well”, he responds with a tone that affirms this is not a joke. “I am to bear witness to each tasks completion in the correct manner and handle the paperwork for transfer of assets to winner. Only instruction is that challenges be followed in order as stated in will, so; safe, destination, California residence and pet!” 

“When do we start”, Jess asks.

“Tomorrow, meet you all here at noon”, Gail’s attorney says packing his laptop and swiftly exiting the room.

The Next day (Noon)

“What the heck, Riley?” “You blew open the safe?” A shocked Nate says as he enters the room.

Hey, I did what needed to be done, okay! We spoke for hours after her attorney left and we tried every possible combination. We suck; we clearly don’t know her that well! Its five minutes until Paul gets here and I’ll take credit for this challenge. She never said we couldn’t break it, the instruction was, “first person to open the safe”, Riley says waving his hands in the air.

Whoever wins which ever challenge we split it, except that box and pet, that can go to our always perfect cousin Elizabeth. Aunt Gail always gushed over her, annoying! Paul said she declined to compete but would gladly take the dog as she knew how much that pet meant to Aunt Gail. So? What do you say?

Nate and Jess agrees just as Paul enters.

I see we have already started, Good afternoon to you all, I see the safe's open and the paper work? Paul asks.

Riley steps forward. “Oh I manage to open safe and shred paperwork.”

“You by any chance read the files?” Paul probes.

Nah, just respected my Aunt Gail’s wishes.

Paul steps towards the safe and notices it was opened using force. "Okay then Riley, Congratulations! I’ll see the winning person at restaurant in Gail’s vacation spot tomorrow evening 18h30pm sharp. You all have a good day. Paul says exiting the room.

“See, easier as pie”, says Riley. “Now any ideas on this vacay spot?”

Day Two since will reading.

Nate picks up his phone to call Riley. “Where the hell are you man?When we left yesterday we’d agreed to meet at 9am to figure out where this place is, it’s eleven?"

Nate, I’m sorry bro, but asking family and thinking about conversations didn’t work so I asked a buddy of mine to hack Aunt Gail’s email. We looked at emails and reservations two years prior, when Uncle Leo was still alive. We tracked down a place in Malibu where they stayed as well as reservations for a restaurant there. It’s about 4 hours drive, and I added some time to locate restaurant and look at dessert menu. Maybe ask the staff if they remember Aunt Gail and what dessert she ate?

I know this is crazy but I couldn’t wait on you guys, I’ll just take this win too. Remember we split it. Gotta go. The line goes dead.

Nate places his phone in his pocket, looks at Jess and says; “this feels wrong, yesterday and again today? He's so secretive, forceful and ambitious! The way I see it, he takes all the wins and refuses to split inheritance, why should he share, right?”

Jess looks at Nate suggestively; "I take sleeping pills when I suffer insomnia. Maybe we slip him a couple in his morning coffee before we clean the house, and one of us takes the final win, just to be even-ish! Couldn’t hurt!"

Nate smiles, “I’m in, also let’s sleep at Aunt Gail’s house tonight to avoid any more Riley surprises. Meet you at Aunt Gail’s in an hour, we can order take out.

“Deal”, Jess high fives Nate as she walk to her car.

Day three since reading of will (Aunt Gail’s house)

"RUN, Jess? How many sleeping pills did you give him?" Nate demands

"Don’t shout at me!", the panic in her voice evident. "I'm sure his just really sleeping, maybe. He'll wake up soon. Maybe?"

The door bell rings

Nate looks at Jess, "quick cover him with a blanket they won’t see him here."

Nate and Jess run to answer the door.

Standing there, teary-eyed next to Paul.

"Elizabeth, WTF?"

____________________

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