Used

[ihrtjb]

Aw. Its not bad! I liked it. I hope there is going to be more Joe soon though! PLZ UPDATE SOON!

[blatentlyobvious]

Thanks ihrtjb. =) I hope this one sounds better.THIS is where things start rolling.. I know it took a while..
my bad lol




Ten-


“Grandpa, I'm leaving!” I called as I ran down the stairs. I had my sneakers, my
water bottle, and my sweatband and I was ready to run.

“Bye Kiddo! Be home for dinner!” Grandpa called. I closed the door tight behind me
and slipped my head phones on. I looked around, scoping out my new routine. I
headed down our street and turned onto Hulcourt Rd. There I found the dog park
littered with kids, dogs and adults; all of them living their lives.

I ran hard for forty minutes before I was exhausted. I used to be able to go at a
steady pace for at least an hour and twenty back home, but something about the
humidity made it harder here. I slowed to a jog, then a walk and started for a lap
around the park.

In the middle of the park, was a great big baseball diamond. As I walked, I stared
at it. There were people there, playing slo-pitch. I considered joining them, trying
to get to know some people. I walked around the edge of the diamond, watching
as they laughed when one missed the ball.

“Come on Nicholas!” Someone yelled. My curiosity perked at that name and I
stopped at the fence.

I dug my fingers into the chain links and focused on the boys. There were six of
them there. The youngest looked to be about sixteen or seventeen and he was
standing, readying himself for batting. His swing was off. His hands were too
tight. The bases were covered. An older guy stood at third; ready to cut off
anyone looking to get home.

Two more guys stood covering the outfields, while another took first. I wasn’t too
far from the diamond; close enough to see the look of concentration on the face of
the batter. I squinted my eyes. There was something familiar about that face,
and it hit me.

“Nicholas. That kid.” I said out loud. My eyes grew wide. That meant that “Cache”
was there too. I searched the six oldest guys, trying to find him. I couldn’t
though, which sort of disappointed me. I was going to keep walking, but a curious
thought was prodding at my mind. Why was he everywhere I went? First Denver,
then the Milford airport and again the day of the funeral. Now his friends were
here, and it was possible he was too. So what was the deal?

I pushed it out of my mind, but still I felt I owed him something, for trying to
comfort me the day of my Grandma’s funeral. I started to walk to the entrance of
the diamond. One by one, the people on the field watched me. I kept walking,
until I got to home plate and a surprised boy.

“Hi. You’re Nick.” I said crossing my arms. He looked around uncomfortably.

“Yeah.” He said cautiously. I looked to the field and saw everyone staring. I saw
another boy I recognized coming over. I tried to rack my brain for his name.

“Do you recognize me?” I asked quietly. The other guy was by Nick now.

“No.” He stated. I suddenly felt stupid for coming over and expecting him to know
who I was. I never gave him a name, and it was cold, dark and wet when he saw
me. “Should I?” He asked.

“No, you know what forget it. I'm sorry I interrupted.” I said and looked away. I
blushed and turned to go.

“From the airport. And Milford!” I turned around and the older one was nodding.
His curls bounced and his eyes lit up. His name popped into my head as I
remembered that night. Kevin. And it clicked. Nick and Kevin were “Cache’s”
brothers. I had seen them at the airport. They were there when I fell.

“Right.” I said slowly. I felt my lips pull into a half smile.

“Oh, yeah. Woah. That’s crazy. What are you doing here?” Nick said in
realization. I figured he meant what was I doing in California, but I gave him a
different answer.

“I wanted to thank you for seeing if I was okay. It was really nice. Both of you.” I
said. The feeling of discomfort vanished.

“Well, no problem.” Kevin said smiling. “What’s your name?” He asked.

“Chelsea.” I said holding out my hand. I shook both of theirs. “Well, I’ll leave you
to your game.” I said. “Oh, Nick you might want to loosen up on your swing a
bit.” I pointed out smiling. He looked at the bat and smiled.

“Thanks. Hey, do you want to join us? We could use another batter.” Nick said
casually.

“Well…” I was about to tell them I needed to get home. Make up some excuse
about having to go to work. Truth was I didn’t start at work for another two days.
These guys seemed really nice, and their team didn’t seem to mind. What would
the harm be? Maybe I would even see “Cache”. “Yeah. Thanks, I would love to.”
I smiled.

~

“Home! Home!” Kevin yelled. He whipped the ball to Nick. I slid in right before he
could call me out. I was laughing on the ground as Nick reached down to help me
up. The game was over.

“That was awesome!” Someone called running up to home plate. I dropped Nick’s
hand and looked up in surprise to see “Cache” standing over me. He held his hand
out to me and I took it. His skin was soft and warm as he lifted me to his feet.

“You’re…” He trailed off. I knew he immediately recognized me. I smiled. He was
dressed in a grey t-shirt with sunglasses all over it, plaid shorts and a blue baseball
cap.

“Chelsea.” I said quietly. I dropped his hand and turned to Nick and Kevin, who
were smiling to themselves. “Thanks guys. I have to run though.”

“Wait.” Kevin said. “We were going to go grab pizza. You should come, I mean, you
did win.” He smiled as the offer hung in the air. I looked around at the expectant
faces. Nick was watching, and so was the mystery guy. (I should’ve asked his
name.) I looked at my watch. It was only quarter after two. Still, I realized I had
work to do at home which included phone calls home.

“I really would, but I have some stuff to take care of at home. See you around.” I
said and waved. Walking away, I felt a little stronger, like approaching them had
given that to me.

~

“Grandpa?” I called as I got through the door. “Grandpa you home?” I called again

“I'm in the kitchen Kiddo.” His nickname for me now.

“Hi. Has DJ called at all?” I asked walking in.

An update: After two weeks, I found a job thanks to my Grandpa. He contacted a
woman by the name of Lucy, at a magazine called Scene. I also got a letter back
from Berkley School of Business. They rejected my application. I’ve found my way
around most of the neighborhood, and I know the park, where I was this
afternoon, to a tee. I’ve also been coming under pressure from my parents
concerning my education, and I haven’t talked to DJ more than twice.

“I'm sorry Chelsea. I haven’t heard from him. You’re mom called though. She
wants you to call.” He said smiling softly. Grandpa looked better today. He was
happy, and up and about, and cooking something that smelled really good.

I groaned. “I’ll call later.” I said and slid up on the counter. “What’s that?” I asked
looking at the glass dish filled with…stuff.

Grandpa chuckled and looked up. “I'm making Sheppard’s Pie.

“Oh!” I said. Really, I had no idea what that was. “Um, where is the crust?” I
asked. He laughed again, but it was real, and the sound filled the room. He
reached over and patted my knee.

“You don’t put Sheppard’s pie in a pie. It’s more of a casserole.” He explained.

“Oh.” I said smiling. “Could I help?” I asked.

“Sure. Here, cut up some carrots.” He said handing me the chefs’ knife. I
jumped down off the counter and started chopping, carefully moving the blade
back and forth until I found a rhythm.

I started thinking as silence crept between us. I was thinking about my Grandma.
Every place in this house, I thought of how she had been here, and now she was
just gone. She was such a big part of my life, even though I didn’t spend a lot of
time with her or getting to know her really well. I lost out on that part.

“How did she die?” I asked. Grandpa stopped opening the can of corn and stared
at it. I felt bad for asking, but it was out there now. There was a long silence as
we both stared at the food.

“She had a brain aneurism.” He said quietly.

“Grandpa, I'm sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.” I apologized.

“No, it’s alright. You deserve to know.” He was quiet again, and we went back to
preparing food.

“We didn’t even know.” He started again. “It was just like, one day she was here,
and the next, I was saying goodbye.” The tears brimmed in his eyes and I put
down my knife. I wrapped my arms around him.

“I'm sorry Grandpa.” I said. He turned to hug me back.

“So am I Kiddo.”

~

I woke up to the sound of the phone. I rolled over in my bed and glared at the
phone. It rang again and I rolled my eyes.

“Hello?” I said trying to sound awake.

“Good morning Darling.” Mom said through the phone. I sighed and sat up in the
bed, pushing away the soft covers.

“Morning Mom. How are you?” I asked. I didn’t want to get up because I knew
that I had to pee, and that would make it much worse.

“I was sad that I didn’t hear from you last night.” She said in a reproachful tone.

“I'm sorry Mom. I was pretty busy. I have to get ready for my first day at work.”
I said, throwing in the good news.

“Oh! A part time job!” She said delighted. I rolled my eyes. Oh crap. Now I
would have to explain and this wouldn’t end well.

“No Mom, it’s a full time job. Four days a week plus travel time.” I explained.

“What? You said you were looking at Berkley.” She said confused. I could picture
her now, with her feet up on the table, coffee mug in one hand, and the phone in
the other. It was eight, and she would be leaving for work soon. In for a sluggish
Tuesday at the Advertising Firm. Now, I would get to tell her all about my
rejection letter from Berkley and she would tell me it was alright, that I could
make a good living from the magazine, and be happy there.

“Mom, Berkley rejected my application. They’re full for this semester and I don’t
meet the standards for the School of Business.” I told her, explicating the facts.

“Well, you can take some online courses and get your marks up-“ I rolled my eyes
and cut her off.

“I don’t want to go to school right now.” I said plain and simple.

“Well, you can apply again for the Winter.” She said like it was nothing. My
mother was a stubborn woman.

“I do not want to go to school right now. That means no winter classes either. I
just don’t Mom.” I said. I felt like I was having to spell this out for her.

“Well, are you sure because I mean, there are other schools in California.” She
said. I laughed.

“Mom, I'm sorry. Not this year.” I said.

“I'm sorry to hear that.” She said quietly. I could tell she was upset, but I knew
that I wasn’t ready to go to school right now. The push to apply to Berkley was
some sort of thought that it would please my parents. “I guess I’ll tell your father
when he gets home.”

“I should go Mom. I love you. I miss you. Have a good day at work okay?” I said
tenderly.

“I love you too sweetheart. I miss you a million times over. Have fun and be sure
to at least let your Mamma know when you’re working.” She said. We hung up
and I sighed.

I guessed that went as well as it could of with my mom. A pang hit me and I
realized that I had to pee like a racehorse. I jumped off the bed and ran to the
bathroom.

When I got downstairs, Grandpa was sitting outside on the patio drinking coffee. I
slid the door open and stepped out. The air was warm as the breeze dappled
around my skin.

“Morning Grandpa.” I said pulling a chair next to him.

“Mornin’ Kiddo!” He said squeezing my shoulder. I giggled.

“What’s on the agenda for the day?” I asked.

“I have a meeting.” He said surprising me. “With an old friend from college.” He
smiled at my surprise.

“Really?” I asked smiling back. “That’s great. How did you two get in touch?” I
asked.

“When I was at the grocery store. His name is Hunter Colwall and he just moved
to Oakland. Guess I'm not the only one crazy enough to retire here.” He laughed.

“That’s good Grandpa. I'm glad. You know what?” I said sitting back in my chair.
The view from here was beautiful. Tall Oaks covered the back yard and the grass
was a perfect green.

“What?” He asked looking at me sideways as he drank some of his coffee.

“I think I want to go for another run.” I said and got up.

“Alright, well I won’t be home when you get back. Where do you go anyway? You
were gone for two and a half hours yesterday.” He said. I wondered if Grandpa
would care to hear the whole “Cache” story.

“Do you have a minute?” I asked sitting back down.

“Of course.” He said. I smiled and launched into the whole story. I told him
about the Denver meeting, and when I saw him at the Milford airport. I told him
about the run in with his brothers when I ran from the church. I left the story at
the meeting yesterday.

“So what is his name? Is it actually Cache?” He asked. He had turned his chair to
face me. I had my legs pulled up under me.

“No. It’s not Cache. That just means cryptic in Spanish. I thought it was fitting.
I really don’t know his name…” I said. It didn’t make sense that I didn’t know his
name. I spoke to him yesterday, and he knew my name. I had the opportune
moment to ask, and I passed it by.

“Well, next time you run into him which I’m sure you will, because it sounds like
something or someone else is making it so, ask his name.” He said. I grinned and
got up again.

“I will Grandpa, I promise. See you later.” I said and ran upstairs to change into
some good running clothes. I grabbed my sweatband and looked around for my
iPod. I couldn’t see it anywhere, and I started to panic. A thought slapped me into
realization. The baseball game yesterday. I put it down on the bench before I
started playing.

“Shit.” I said and fell back on the bed. Well, I was already going for a jog, I could
just stop by the diamond. But what if they were there again? It would be really
awkward. That was my iPod though. I needed it. But if they were there…

I got up, leaving the argument with myself behind and ran down the stairs and out
the door. I ran fast to the park, as if running my fastest would stop it from being
stolen. There was plenty of time for that to happen yesterday. I kept running
until I got to the bench at the baseball diamond. No one was in the fenced area so
I bent over and started to search the ground and the bench for it. Nowhere. I got
up and sat on the bench, leaning over and resting my head in my hands.

I felt like crying, until I heard a voice.

“Here.” He said. I looked up to see a familiar face smiling down at me.

[blatentlyobvious]

One more tonight!! =) Thanks to everyone who has been reading. <3

Eleven-

“Oh my God. Thank you.” I said reaching out and taking the iPod from “Cache.” I
thought back to what Grandpa had said about someone making us run into each
other. I also remembered my promise.

“Who are you?” I asked.

“You don’t know?” He asked sounding surprised.

“Well, I mean, I know Kevin is Kevin and Nick is Nick, but I have no idea what your
name is.” I laughed feeling stupid.

“Joe.” He said. Well now I knew.

“Joe.” I repeated. He chuckled.

“Yeah. So are you going to tell me why you’ve been following me?” He asked
sitting down beside me.

“Woah. Hold up. I don’t follow you.” I said taken aback. Did he think I was his
stalker or something messed up like that?

“I was just joking.” He said smiling.

“Oh.” I said and looked down blushing. “Sorry, I'm a little on edge I guess.”

“No worries.” He said calmly. Why was he sitting here with me?

“So, you’re a runner?” I asked pointing out his jogging pants and sweatband.

“When I can.” He said looking distant. “It’s weird though.” He added.

“Running?” I asked dumbly.

“No.” He laughed. He looked up at me, his eyes peaking over his sunglasses. “I
mean how we keep running into each other. The airport and Milford and
yesterday.” He said.

“Oh, hey look, I'm really sorry about what happened at the airport. It was a bad
day for me.” I said. He laughed.

“No, it’s alright. Don’t worry about it.” He said. I noticed his smile for the first
time. It was perfect and white. His teeth gradually got a little shorter in the front,
but his smile was just right.

“What are you doing here anyway?” I asked out of curiosity. He looked like he was
thinking before he answered.

“We just…” He trailed off and looked down. “We’re visiting some people; our family.
And you?” He answered, questioning me.

“I live here with my Grandpa. Just moved in about three weeks ago.” I explained.

“You’re here without your mom and dad?” He asked sounding surprised.

“Yeah. They’re back in Vancouver.” I said nodding.

“You’re from Canada?” He asked with the same tone.

“Yes. But I have a duel citizenship. My mom was born in Milford.” I explained. He
looked like he was processing the information.

“That’s really cool. So are you going to school here?” He asked, reminding me of
this mornings conversation with Mom.

“Not right now. Look, I know I just met you, but I’ll let you in on a secret.” I said
surprising myself. He repositioned himself on the bench, cross-legged, like he was
ready to listen intently. I had to tell him now. “The reason I was in Milford was
because my Grandma died.” I said quietly.

“I'm sorry.” He said as expected.

“It’s okay, everyone’s dealing with it. But, the reason I'm here is because I
needed to help my Grandpa out and because of myself. A lot happened and I
needed an escape, and I get that here.” I explained. It was for no apparent reason
that I was telling him this, but it felt okay.

“Wow.” He said again, processing what I had told him.

“Look, I'm sorry for pouring my heart out to you…” I said and trailed off. I couldn’t
avoid embarrassment. I looked up to God for a brief moment. You couldn’t have
stopped me?

“No, I appreciate the honesty. You don’t get that a lot.” He said in a low tone.
The sound of his words rumbled in my mind as I held on to the sound of his voice.
He looked hesitant, and a few times it was like he was going to say something.
Finally he did. “Wasn’t it hard to leave them behind? You’re parents and your
siblings?”

“Hardest thing I’ve had to do,” I said, knowing that it was true, but there were so
many other things that were close behind; leaving DJ, admitting the rape… “But
they understood, and it made it easier. Plus, I don’t have brothers or sisters.”

“Oh.” He said simply. I nodded. He was a good listener. Intent, thoughtful, and
patient.

“So is it just you, Nick and Kevin?” I asked. He smiled.

“We have another little brother, Frankie. He’s only nine, but he’s crazy. He’ll
spend a whole day just jamming out on Kevin’s old guitars.” He said laughing. I
giggled.

“Kevin plays the guitar?” I asked. I would love to be able to play, but it was like an
impossible dream. I had tried, via DJ’s lessons, but failed repeatedly. I was only
able to play a little bit of the White Stripes song “Seven Nation Army.” That alone
felt like the biggest accomplishment.

“Well, um, it’s my Dad’s old guitar. He just gave it to Kevin. He plays it a little.”
He stuttered out. I smiled and nodded.

“You know, it’s nice to meet a friendly, normal guy.” I said before silence could fill
the space between us.

“Yeah, you’re really easy to talk to.” He said smiling. Something was hiding in his
eyes, but he was almost impossible to read. Maybe I was thinking too much of it.

“I really appreciate you returning my iPod. I guess I left it here yesterday after the
game.” I said re-wrapping the ear buds around it.

“It’s no problem. I have to say, I was watching the game for a while, and you’re
really good. You ever play on a team?” He asked. I blushed and looked down,
thinking back to grade eight and nine when I was on a minor league team in
Vancouver.

“Yeah, when I was younger, I was on a team called the Yale Town Yorkies. That
was best our coach could come up with, so we had to wear uniforms with little
dogs on the front. We sort of owned every team though.” I said laughing.

“I can see why. Man, that swing is killer.” He said smiling.

“You know, baseball isn’t really big in Canada, but here, it’s nice to know people
care about it.” I said smiling warmly.

“Yeah, you know what they say… ‘Baseball is America’s favorite pastime.’” He said
putting on a voice.

“What are you up to today?” I asked feeling bold. Maybe, I would ask him to do
something.

“Actually, I'm not doing anything, but I could be…” He said. For a minute I didn’t
know what he meant, but I caught on.

“Well, I haven’t really been anywhere yet. I think I need to see the city. Or at
least a bit of it.” I said smiling.

“I think I can help. I know this place pretty well.” He nodded confidently.

“Maybe I should go home and change first…” I said looking down at my clothes.

“Same here. But we should meet back here in an hour.” He said thoughtfully.

“Sounds like a plan. Thanks again Joe. For the iPod, for listening.” I said and stuck
my hand out to him. He half smiled but shook it.

“Well, I will see you in an hour. Just meet me outside the fence.” He said. I
nodded and we walked off, me to take the long was across the field, him obviously
headed for a short cut home.

I ran home, because, well, I was on the run in a first place, and when I got to the
door was super thirsty.

I got to the kitchen and saw a note on the counter.

‘Chelsea, I went out to go meet with that friend. I will see you later. Love
Gramps.’

I smiled and set it back on the counter. I turned to the fridge and grabbed a bottle
of water. I cracked it open and took a long sip. I looked at my watch. I had about
forty minutes before I had to meet Joe. I could shower, change, and maybe even
give DJ a ring.

I ran up the stairs, nearly tripping over myself, and into my room. I showered and
grabbed a soft pink t-shirt and a pair of cotton shorts with blue polka dots.

I snatched the phone out of the holder and dialed DJ’s number.

“Hi, it’s Chels. Is DJ around?” I asked looking at my nails. The old blue nail polish
was chipping away, but I sort of loved the look of them.

“Hey Chelsea. It’s Shawn. DJ’s sort of out right now… I’ll let him know you called
though. See you.” Shawn said.

“Wait Shawn-“ But the phone clicked. I sighed and checked the time again. Well,
I didn’t want to be late.

I left a note on the kitchen counter, under Grandpa’s and checked my purse for
money. I had enough for the day and I left the house, locking up behind me.

I got to the fence and saw Joe waiting, looking really hot, though I didn’t want to
think of him like that. He was wearing tight jeans with a stripped t-shirt in green
and yellow along with the shades from before and a hat with three smiley faces on
it. My stomach flipped but I breathed deep.

“Ready?” Joe asked smiling brightly. That smile really was something.

“Sure. Nice hat.” I said raising an eyebrow.

“Frankie bought it for my last birthday.” He explained. “But I actually love it.
Don’t tell.” He said putting his finger to his lips. I laughed.

“Thanks for showing me around.” I said as we walked down the street. I knew
downtown wasn’t too far away, and it was nice to walk. The weather was too good
to waste.

“It’s my pleasure. So, we can just walk around and if you want to go somewhere,
just let me know.” He instructed.

“Will do.” I said. We walked a little further, talking about this and that. “Where do
you live?” I asked suddenly. I realized that he had only said he was visiting.

“Uh, I live in…LA.” He said watching his feet.

“Wow. That’s crazy. I'm not sure if I could do that.” I said. We were coming up
on an intersection and Joe pointed in the direction of Fourth Street. I followed
him.

“What do you mean?” He asked watching the light.

“Well, I mean isn’t it sort of… crazy there?” I asked. “I mean, you have so much
celebrity presence in LA and my Grandpa told me that the roads are insane. It just
seems chaotic.” I elaborated.

“I guess. I mean, I'm not arou-“ He started but cut himself off. “I'm not too
caught up in the celebrity.” He finished.

“That’s good. I don’t think I am. I lean towards Old Hollywood, if anything.” I
said.

“How so?” He asked. This is what I mean, he was a really good listener and he
never minded my talking.

“I mean, I'm into people like Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Frank Sinatra, and actors
like Steve McQueen. The oldies, classics, whatever you want to call them. What
about you?” I said.

“I love everything.” He said simply. I grinned. “Would you like to stop here?” He
asked. I snapped back to where we were. I looked up at the sign. It was a cow
holding a ice cream scoop.

“That sounds perfect.” I said nodding. He opened the door for me and I stepped
inside the air-conditioned building. The walls were painted with black and white
stripes and the booths were that electric blue that you always see in old diners.
This places was even decked out with the cool silver bar stools. I smiled ear to ear.
“I love this place.” I said turning to Joe.

“I know. My family always comes here in the summer. We make a big deal of it.”
He told me.

“Next!” The guy behind the counter called. He was wearing a cow print apron and
a cute little bow tie. His hair was red and he had a big smile pasted onto his face.

“You go ahead and order.” Joe said nodding towards the ice cream display. I looked
at the flavors and found my favorite. Carmel Pecan.

“Could I have a scoop of that please?” I asked pulling out my wallet.

“Absolutely.” The guy behind the counter said over-cheerfully. He must’ve really
wanted this job. I checked his name tag; Bernie.

“I’ll take a scoop of Mint Chocolate Chip. You don’t have to pay Chelsea. It’s on
me.” Joe said stepping to the register.

“Really?” I asked. That was the first time any guy had treated me, besides DJ.
He nodded smiling, like it was no big deal. To me though, it was, and that was
strange. I knew he was more of a friend but I couldn’t help but feel a little
affection for him. “Thanks.” I said.

I walked to grab a booth and Joe came over with the ice cream, setting mine down
in front of me.

“So, tell me more about you.” He said scooping some of his ice cream.

“I don’t know.” I chuckled. “I think you’re holding out on me. You haven’t said a
whole lot about you.” I said.

“Well, what do you want to know.” He said quietly.

“How old are you?” I asked taking a bite of my Carmel Pecan. It was delicious. I
swirled it around on my tongue relishing the creamy texture.

“Nineteen.” He said. “You?”

“I thought we were talking about you…” I said smirking. He smiled and waited. “I'm eighteen. I turn nineteen this winter.” I admitted.

“Well, at least this year you won’t have to spend you’re birthday in the snow.” He
said.

“That’s true. Now back to you. I’ve been wondering. Why were you in Milford?”
He looked down at his ice cream and I couldn’t see his eyes.

“My brothers and I were visiting my, um Aunt. She has a house there.” He said
and looked up. He sighed, and I got the impression that he was bored of the Q and
A.

“I’ll stop. For now.” I said.

“No, it’s alright. I just always feel weird talking about myself.” He admitted.

“Well, then instead of talking, would you like to show me around some more?
After, I will need to know where the good stores are.” I smiled.

“Great idea. We can eat and walk.” He said jumping out of the booth. As his
newfound enthusiasm rubbed off on me, I followed suit.

We walked a little longer, and Joe actually took his job of tour guide very seriously.
He pointed out the best shops for everything; ice cream (obviously the shop we
were just in, called Moo Moo Milkshakes and Ice Cream), shoes, fashion, and
athletic wear.

We were almost at the fence when Joe stopped me.

“Chelsea, do you think I could get your number?” He asked. I tried not to smile. “I
mean, you’re really cool to be with, and who knows how many more times we
would just run into each other.” I put my hand on his shoulder to stop his
rambling.

“Sure.” I said. He pulled his phone out and punched in the numbers as I recited
them. I added his. “Well, I better go home.”

“Do you want me to walk you?” He offered. I looked in the direction of Grandpa’s
house. It would be nice to have some company.

“You wouldn’t get lost on your way home?” I asked. He smirked.

“Nah. I know this neighborhood like my own.” He said with a glint of mischief.

“Alright. I’ll lead the way.” I said smiling.

As we passed the little playground, Joe nudged me.

“See that see-saw?” He asked. I nodded and stared as we walked by it. “When I
was ten, Kevin and I were on there and he was fooling around. He slipped off, and
I shot to the ground.”

I tried to stifle my laugh at the image in my head. “Sorry.” I muttered.

“It’s hilarious thinking about it now, but I spent the rest of the day parked on ice.”
He laughed.

Before I could think about it, I was at the front door of my Grandpa’s house, and Joe was beside me.

“This is my Grandpa’s house.” I said, stating the obvious.

“It’s nice.” He said. “See you later Chelsea.” He leaned up, and I think he was
going to kiss me but I took his hand and shook it instead. His face flushed, but I'm
sure mine was brighter. I unlocked the door and slipped inside. I heard voices
stop.

A voice belonged to my Grandpa. But there was someone else here.

I put the almost-kiss-awkwardness behind me and started down the hall.

[blatentlyobvious]

Twelve... for anyone who thinks they are going crazy because they saw chapter twelve already, you're not. It was posted but I took it down because it need major alterations. =) Just at the end.

Twelve-

I nearly fell over when I saw the guest in my kitchen.

“DJ?” I said though I didn’t believe it. Maybe he was a hallucination.

“Surprise!” He said smiling. He walked over to me and held me tight. I squeezed
him back laughing. I don’t think hallucinations can give hugs.

“Oh my God. What are you doing here?” I asked and looked to Grandpa.

“I asked if I could live here for a bit.” He said. Okay, stop. He’s living here? Like,
in Oakland? How was that possible?

“You’re what?” I said. My smile was fading. It wasn’t that I didn’t want him living
here, but I wanted to know that it wasn’t to “protect” me or something stupid like
that.

“I missed you lots, and well, I got into Berkley.” He said smiling. I hugged him
again.

“That’s fantastic DJ. And Grandpa, you’re okay with this? I mean, it’s sort of
strange that he’s living here. Wait, how do you two know each other?” I asked

confused.

“Chelsea,” My Grandpa said standing up and walking to me. He wrapped his arm
around my shoulder. “You introduced us.” He said smiling.

“Yeah, you remember the family barbeque that you had back in Vancouver three
years ago?” DJ said leaning back on the counter.

“Yes I do. And now I remember you two meeting. Well, this is awesome! Thank
you Grandpa!” I said and turned to hug him. He laughed and walked out to the
back yard. I dragged DJ over to the couch and sat him down.

“I can’t believe you’re living here.” I said smiling. He laughed.

“I'm only here for a few months. Only until I find my own place.” He explained. I
nodded, but it didn’t faze me.

“You’re still here and that matters.” I said. “So what’s been going on at home?”

DJ looked down, frowning. Oh no. “My parents are getting a divorce.” He said
quietly. I scooted over beside him and leaned against his chest.

“I'm so sorry.” I said. I didn’t understand why a couple like DJ’s parents would
divorce. They were probably the happiest family I knew. I guess you don’t always
see everything in one glance.

“Me too. My Mom was having an affair with some guy she went to school with.”
He elaborated. “That’s sort of why I'm here. You said something about escape
before you left. I wanted that too.” He said.

“Well, you can have as much of it as you want. It helps, being here. In the past
three weeks I’ve been more myself than I ever could have in Vancouver. I even
have a job.” I said smiling. He moved so he could see my face.


“Doing what?” He asked.
“At a magazine called Scene. I'm a journalist, or correspondent, or whatever you
want to call it. Either way I get to travel, and write. It’s sort of perfect.” I
explained.

“Well, I'm happy you found something.” He said. “What else has happened?”

That’s when I decided to fill him in on the whole Joe story. He listened intently the
whole time, and when I was finished looked like he was going to explode.

“DJ, he’s a good guy.” I said. I could tell what he was thinking.

“You don’t know that. He could be another creep, Chelsea.” He said with his eyes
narrowed. He was thinking about Noah.

“But he isn’t. Maybe you should meet him.” I said hopefully.

“Fine.” He said stately.

“DJ come on. Let it go alright? Just trust me.” I rolled my eyes and got up.

“I'm sorry, but it’s hard not to feel protective.” He said following me. I walked to
the stairs and started up them. “You’re like my sister. I love you.” He said and fell
into step beside me. I wanted to ignore him. I opened my door and looked at my
unmade bed.

“Fine.” I said mocking him. He gave me a look and I stuck my tongue out. I lifted
the sheets from my bed and gave them a shake. The fell down and I fluffed the
pillows.

“Do you want to stop being a child and talk to me?” He asked sitting on the bed.

I sat beside him and leaned my head against his shoulder. “I think I like him.” I
said. That was the first time I admitted it to myself, or anyone else.

“What?” He said sounding disgusted. I punched his arm. He rubbed it. “OUCH.”
He said and narrowed his eyes. His straight face cracked as I stared at him
blankly. He laughed.

“What are you going to do when I'm not here?” I asked.

“Well, tomorrow your Grandpa offered to take me to a used car lot. I'm getting
some wheels.” He said and crossed his arms. He smirked.

“You’re not cool. Even with wheels.” I said laughing.

“I missed you too.” He said wrapping his arms around me. I hugged him back, and
without expecting it, I cried. I had missed him a lot.

~

“Grandpa what happened to your meeting?” I asked as I pushed my earrings
through the wholes in my ears. Today was the first day of work, and the best part
was that I got to drive there.

“Yesterday? That’s actually not until tomorrow, but it worked as an cover for
picking DJ up from the airport.” He said smiling. He and my Grandpa were sitting
at the breakfast table like buddies. I laughed.

“Clever.” I said and smoothed out my outfit. I walked down so they could see me.
“How do I look?” I asked. I did a spin and faced them. I was wearing lightweight,
billowy suit pants with a light green blouse. This morning in the mirror, I thought
I actually looked pretty sophisticated.

“Hot.” DJ said. I rolled my eyes and my Grandpa smacked the back of his head.
DJ looked surprised. I laughed so hard I nearly lost my balance.

“That’s my Granddaughter Boy.” He said. DJ said sorry and laughed. My Grandpa
was chuckling when he stood up. He gave me a hug and a kiss on my forehead.
“You look beautiful, just like your Grandmother.” He said and I blushed. “You
remember where you’re going?” He asked.

“Yes Sir. I’ll be home at four. I love you guys.” I said and left. I was super excited
for today. Not only was it my first day working at Scene, but I got to drive the
Phoenix there.

I carefully unlocked the door and slid inside. I started the car and let the sound of
the engine surround me.

Driving, I realized that I didn’t remember exactly where I was going. I racked my
brain for the directions Grandpa had given me. I gave up and pulled into a gas
station. There was only one other car there. A woman with curly brown hair was
standing filling up the car while a man was wiping the face of a little kid.

“Dad, please don’t. I can do it.” He said trying to take the cloth. His dad gave him
the cloth.

“Listen to me next time I say no ice cream in the car, Frank.” He said laughing.
Frankie blushed and wiped his face. I pulled the car into a parking spot and got
out. I walked towards the woman filling up the tank.

“Excuse me.” I said getting her attention. She looked up and smiled.

“Hello.” She said.

“I'm a little lost. Do you think you could give me directions?” I asked. She turned
and called her husband, Paul.

“Paul, she’s wondering if she can get directions.” She said. He nodded and she
turned back to me. “My husband knows this city well. He can help you out.”

“Thank you Ma’am.” I said. Paul came over and Frank watched.

“Where are you headed?” He asked. I explained that I was on my way to Scene
magazine. He drew me a little map and labeled a few streets. By the time he was
finished I knew exactly where I was going.

“Thank you so much Sir.” I said and shook his hand.

“It’s no trouble. Congratulations on your new job.” He said and waved. I got in
the car and looked one more time before driving away. It never ceased to amaze
me how kind people were in this town.

I got to the Scene building and I primped again as I was on my way to the 24th
floor in the elevator. There was no one else in here, just me, and my thoughts.
The elevator dinged and I stepped out. The front doors were glass and I walked
through to the front desk.

“Hi how can I help you?” The woman said. Her name was Amber.

“Hi Amber, I'm Chelsea Baker,” I said sticking my hand out. She shook it. “I start
work today and I'm wondering if Lucy is in.” I finished.

“Welcome to Scene. I’ll show you to her office, just follow me.” She got up and led
me down the hallway to a corner office. It wasn’t a big place, but it was full. “This
is Lucy’s office. If you need anything, I’ll be at the front. I can’t wait to get to
know you.” She said beaming. She wasn’t much older than me.

“Thanks Amber.” I said. She walked off and I knocked on Lucy’s door.

“Come in.” She called. I opened the door and she started smiling.

“Welcome to Scene Chelsea.” She said. “Ready to work?”

“Of course.” I said smiling.

~

First days are busy. My first day was insane. Lucy showed me around the office,
introducing me to the 23 members of Scene Magazine. I was on my way home
now, trying to remember the names of everyone.

The Magazine had six main departments: Fashion, Body and Mind, Sports, Advice,
Quizzes, and Entertainment.

I was working in the entertainment section, specializing in music. That meant I
had a lot of work to do concerning up and coming bands. It also meant I was one
of the lucky few who were able to interview musicians and travel. I still had a
period of a month for “probation.” Until that month was up, I wasn’t able to fly
anywhere for interviews.

Lucy showed me to my little office. It was the equivalent of a cubical, but it was
perfect for me. The walls were littered with pictures of the musicians who had
been interviewed for the magazine. The most recent was with a band called The
Maine. They signed it underneath: Thank you for the opportunity.

My thoughts slipped back to the names of everyone.

In Fashion: Theresa, Holly, Marc, Patricia, Kim, and Stuart.

In Body & Mind: Sarah- a nutritionist, Dr. Harold Cheung- a doctor specializing in
psychology, and Barbra- a fitness master.

In Sports- A team of four people three of whom I could not remember, the other
who’s name was so hard to pronounce, that everyone called him Todd.

In Advice- Two woman who worked alternately on questions sent in by readers.
Trish and Alundra.

In Quizzes-A guy and a girl who bragged that they had the most fun of the jobs,
though I could read them both and knew they hated it.

And Entertainment- Matt, Heather, Stephanie, Andrea, Lucy (the head honcho of
the whole magazine) and now, me.

Except for sports, I had done pretty well.

I slowed the car to a stop as I got to Grandpa’s house. I put it in park and got out.
I dug around in my purse for my keys. I rolled my eyes when I realized I didn’t
have them. In the rush this morning I must’ve left them on my night table. I
sighed and sat down on my steps.

I looked around and realized that I didn’t have any neighbors to ask, and I could
only sit and wait until Grandpa and DJ came home.

My phone started ringing to the tone of Let It Be. I flipped it open hoping it was
my Grandpa.

“Hello?” I said anxiously.

“Chelsea, hey it’s Joe.” Oh. Well, I didn’t mind talking to him either. I smiled, even
with the predicament I was in.

“Hey Joe.”

“Listen I'm sorry about the whole awkward kiss thing yesterday. I was too
forward.” He said. I felt my face flush. He was trying to kiss me.

“So, that means you like me?” I asked. Well duh Chelsea. I rolled my eyes at
myself.

Joe laughed on the other end of the line. “Yeah. I do. But if you don’t want to kiss
me I'm not going to make you.” He liked me. I never thought that anyone would
want me, after what happened. He was crazy. Maybe he was delusional and he
didn’t really know what he wanted. I had to explain that to him somehow.

This didn’t put me in a position at all…

“Joe, I like you too, and I would have kissed you it’s just that…” I trailed off. I
didn’t want to tell him that the real reason I didn’t want to date him was because I
was raped. He would think I was disgusting if he knew. “A lot’s gone on with me
lately and just trust me, you don’t want any of it.” I finally said.

“Are you feeding me the ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ line?” He asked. My stomach sank.
Oh, I actually was.

“Not intentionally. Listen, you told me you appreciated honesty, so I'm giving you
the truth. I don’t know if I can deal with a relationship right now.” I wasn’t
entirely sure I would ever want to be in a relationship, not after the rape. Every
guy I knew had expected too much, and I broke up with him before they could
take anything from me. Noah was different; he was vicious, and he didn’t give me
a choice.

“Well, can we still hang out? Just because you don’t want to date doesn’t mean
you can’t have friends.” He reasoned.

“Yeah, we should still hang out.” I said. I looked up at the sky and noticed clouds
creeping in. They were rain clouds and I wondered something. My mom told me
when I was little, that the weather reflected the things that happened in people’s
lives, and sometimes even their moods. I wondered if that were true.

“What are you doing tonight?” He asked cheerfully.

“Not much, but if you’re going to ask me to hang out, I have to be home early. I
have to work tomorrow.” I said before he could ask.

“It’s no problem. So would you be up for a movie with Kevin, Nick and I?” He
asked hopefully.

“Sure, but I need some directions.”

He gave me a brief description of where I was going, and it turns out the movie
theater wasn’t too far from work.

~

I got in the house before my Grandpa and DJ got home. I phoned them and asked
if there was a spare key. It was in the back under the bird feeder. I got inside and
looked around. I'm sure they would enjoy a homemade dinner.

It was strange, that there were three of us now. Me, my Grandpa and my best
friend were all in the same big house because we wanted an escape from the hard
times in our lives. It seemed to be working.

I wondered if Grandpa had talked to DJ about respect for the house and the
responsibility. I knew he was paying rent, which was good. I would smack him if
he had of been freeloading off my Grandpa.

I set my purse down on the kitchen counter and opened the fridge. I looked
around and saw a few things. There were fillets in the meet drawer. I took them
out and looked at the label. Haddock. That would work. I looked in the vegetables
for something sweet to complement them and found peas, corn on the cob and
pumpkin squash. I shucked the corn and washed it. I sliced the squash in two,
set the halves on a cookie sheet and popped it into the oven.

I had a beautiful aroma filling the kitchen after just twenty minutes. I made sure
the skin was on the fillets and slipped them into a pan with lemon juice and bay
leaves. They sizzled as the sauce bubbles around them.

I heard the front door open.

“Chels?” My Grandpa called. I heard them sniffing and peaked my head around
the corner.

“Hi!” I said smiling brightly.

“What smells so good?” Grandpa asked. He threw his jacket against the chair and
came down the hall.

“I thought I would make dinner.” I explained sweeping my hand across the empty
space.

“Wow.” He said. DJ came in behind him and sat down on one of the bar stools.
“Archie helped me pick the perfect car!” DJ divulged. I looked at “Archie” and DJ.
The looked like they were related.

“Yeah, DJ is pretty smart when it comes to cars, but sometimes it helps to have an
old geezer along with you, right Boy?” Grandpa said. DJ nodded and looked at me.

“Dinner is ready.” I said smiling. I swear DJ could have been my Grandpa’s
grandson the way they were together.

DJ and I ate as Grandpa told us stories. It was nice to sit down and hear all about
him for once. He told a story about when he was on the football team in High
School, and how he met my Grandma.

He didn’t forget about us though, and after questions for DJ, he asked me about
work. I told him about my first day, knowing I would repeat the same story to my
parents tonight.

Grandpa pushed his chair back looking satisfied. We had eaten every bite of the
supper I made.

“So, what are you two up to tonight?” He asked. DJ was about to talk, but I
stopped him with a look.

“Just chilling with a few friends.” I said. They looked confused and I smiled. DJ
threw me a look. I dragged him out of his chair and pulled him to the kitchen. We
grabbed some dishes on the way.

“Just get changed and come with me and I’ll explain on the drive over.” I said
quietly as I ran the water.

“Fine, but we’re taking my car.” He said proudly. I rolled my eyes and ran upstairs
to change.

[blatentlyobvious]

Wow. Alright, I know this took forever! My computer wasn't accessible a whole lot this week. But, here is thirteen! If anyone who reads this could just leave a comment for it that would be fantastic!! Thanks for reading guys! You're honestly the best <33
Nat


Thirteen-]

“See you later Grandpa.” I called as I skipped down the stairs. He was working away on
some new project in his office. I guess I should mention that my Grandpa is an avid writer
and reader. He’s had some of his works published. They’re books about business and
international relations, and though I don’t read much into the topics, am working my way
through his most popular one right now. He doesn’t know though.

“You look nice.” DJ said when I hit the landing. I smiled. I had changed into a blue and
green baby doll and some sleek black skinny jeans along with my favorite pair of flip-flops.

“Why thank you. Ready?” I asked as I opened the door. I stepped out before him and
reminded him to lock it.

“So, why do I have to go?” DJ asked. I socked him in the arm and glared at him.

“So you can see how nice Joe and his brothers are and so I can hang out with my best
friend.” I said as I hopped into the passenger’s seat. DJ was about to retort but I stopped
him. “Hold up. Let me drive.” I said holding my hand out.

“No. My car, I'm driving.” He said stubbornly.

“DJ, you don’t know where we’re going.” I laughed.

“Okay. You can drive. Only this time though.” He said and handed me the keys. I jumped
out and we switched sides.

I think I saw him pouting so as I started the car (which was really nice by the way) I told him
he could choose the station. He pumped his fist and chose some top forty station. I rolled
my eyes at him as I pulled down the street.

“What? I want to listen to some Kanye.” He smirked. He was doing it to bug me. I was one
for oldies, as I’ve mentioned before and I hated most pop music.

“It’s not music.” I said raising an eyebrow.

“It’s not YOUR music. It sort of sucks anyways.” He said switching it off.

“Thanks for coming DJ.” I said quietly as I passed the gas station from this morning. “I'm
really glad you’re here.” I said.

“Yeah, no problem. It’s nice not to have to deal with the divorce at home. I called my mom
today. It’s taking a toll on her and dad. Poor little Beth.” He said looking at the dash. He
was right. His sister had to stay behind in the midst of the situation.

Beth was a sweet little kid, only twelve years old, and happy. I used to baby-sit her all the
time with DJ. Even then, I never saw anything between his parents. I guess it was a shock
for everyone.

“I couldn’t imagine what it’s doing to her. You remember when Harold Swinton’s parents got
divorced?” I asked, thinking back to grade nine.

“Yeah. Man that kid was messed up after. That won’t happen to Beth though. I think
Harold was screwed up even before the divorce.” He said. I nodded because it was true. He
was a strange kid.

“What movie are we seeing?” I asked. I was trying to change the subject, but I realized that
DJ wouldn’t have the answer.

“I don’t know. It better be good though. So, are you going to tell me more about this Joe
kid?” He asked.

“Sure. First thing, he isn’t a kid.” I said and shot him a look. I shifted gears as the light
turned red. “He’s really nice DJ. He’s got three brothers, and he’s visiting a relative. His
brother’s names are Kevin and Nick, and they’re super-sweet too. And he like’s me.” I said.
I added the last part and he gave me a look.

“You like him back.” He stated. I nodded my head. “So does that mean you’re going to date
him?” He asked.

“I told him I wasn’t ready to date, you know, because of the rape.” I said quietly. He was
quiet for a minute, while he thought about everything I said. He reminded me of Joe.

“You know, I'm not sure if it’s because of this guy, or just because of the city, but ever since
you got here, you’re a hell of a lot stronger.” He offered. “And you just never stop getting
more beautiful.” He added.

I blushed. We were in front of the theater and I put the car in park. I looked at DJ who was
smiling.

“Thanks DJ. Having you here will make me even stronger though.” I opened my door and
got my phone out.

I waited for it to ring when I dialed Joe’s number. Twice, three times. DJ leaned against the
other side of the car playing with his phone.

“Hello?” Joe said when it finally picked up. I was staring at the complex from the parking
spot.

“Hi Joe. We’re here. By we I mean my friend DJ and I. I hope that’s alright.” I said quickly.

“Yeah not a problem; can’t wait to meet him. We’re just inside. I can see you at your car.”
He said. I looked down at the doors, but I couldn’t see him.

“I’ll see you in a couple seconds then.” I said and closed the phone. “Come on DJ. Who were
you texting?” I asked as he slipped his phone back in his pocket.

“Shawn. He says that he met some chick at a party last night, and now she won’t call him
back.” He said smirking.

“Gee, I wonder why. It’s only Shawn after all.” I rolled my eyes and grabbed his arm. He got
the door for me and I walked in. Joe, Kevin and Nick were all pressed against a wall with
sunglasses on.

“Either you’re lying to me and they’re all stupid enough to think sunglasses inside are cool, or
they’re all blind.” DJ whispered as we walked towards them. I punched him hard and he shut
up. Truth was I was curious to know why they were all wearing sunglasses.

“Hey guys.” I said smiling. I reached out to Nick and gave him a hug. “What’s with the
glasses.” Then I gave Kevin a hug. He laughed and said they must have forgotten about
them. They all slid them up and Joe pulled me into a hug.

He was warm and well built and smelt amazing. I didn’t want to let go because having him
hold me felt right. I think his hug was what started to make me change my mind. I heard a
cough and it startled me. I pulled away and blushed. DJ was standing, waiting for an
introduction.

“Guys, this is my best friend DJ. He just flew down from Vancouver to live with my Grandpa
and I.” I said gesturing to him. He shook each of their hands, as they introduced
themselves, but I could tell he was judging. I didn’t stop him, because really, I couldn’t. DJ
was my protector and he always would be.

“Well, we better get tickets.” Nick said looking at the board. “What are we seeing?”

“Iron Man!” Kevin exclaimed. Joe smacked his arm.

“Dude. Chelsea gets to pick.” Joe said laughing. Kevin looked a little disappointed, and I
exchanged glances with DJ. He knew what I meant.

“Iron Man!” We said together, reiterating Kevin’s choice. He laughed and thanked us. We
stepped up to the ticket booth and paid.

“Do you guys want to get popcorn and drinks, and Chelsea and I can go get some seats?” Joe
asked. He was looking at Kevin, Nick and DJ. I smiled at DJ hopefully and he chuckled.

“Yeah, come on guys, you can tell me what Oakland’s all about.” DJ said guiding Kevin and
Nick to the concession stand. They immediately started talking.

“Let’s not disappoint.” I said and gave my ticket to the usher. She handed me back a stub
and eyed Joe. She giggled as she returned his. He smiled politely, but didn’t take his
attention off of me.

“Where do you want to sit?” Joe asked as we climbed the stairs. I saw a row of seats empty
and waiting at the very top.

“Keep going. There’s spots up there.” I said pointing. We moved down leaving room for
everyone else. Joe sat to my right.

“I'm glad you came tonight.” Joe said smiling. I looked at him and felt a surge of boldness. I
stood up.

“Can I have another hug?” I asked awkwardly. He stood up too and wrapped his arms
around me. I stood there as his arm stayed around my waist. I pulled back a little, just
enough to see his dark brown eyes. At that moment, I was thanking God for letting Joe into
my life. “Thank you.” I said to Joe. I sat down again and he chuckled.

I changed my mind, but I wasn’t going to tell him just yet.

“You look beautiful by the way.” He said taking my hand. It surprised me, but I liked it. His
hand was soft and warm as his fingers tangled around my own. Tingles rushed through my
body. Oh yeah, I had definitely changed my mind. The best part of being with him was that
in an instant, all the discomfort from the memory of my rape vanished.
“Thank you.” I replied blushing. He stroked my hand and my blush got deeper. I was
thankful for the crappy lighting. “I hope this is okay.” He said as if suddenly he realized he
was holding my hand.

“No it’s fine.” I said thinking to myself; friends don’t hold hands like this. That reminded me
of DJ and I wondered if he was doing okay. “Sorry I didn’t mention anything about DJ
before.”

“That’s all right. He’s nice, sort of intimidating, but nice.” He laughed. I chuckled.

“You think he’s intimidating?” I asked.

“A little.” He admitted and looked up at something behind me. I turned to see DJ standing
up staring at me, holding a bucket of popcorn. He raised an eyebrow.

“Hey guys.” He said smirking. I threw him a look and he sat down. Kevin and Nick were
looking around anxiously, and I was going to ask if something was wrong, but the movie
started. Joe stroked my hand again, and when I glanced towards him, his eyes were glued to
the screen.

I would tell him I changed my mind as soon as the movie was over because this was
something new, something that I wanted.

DJ nudged me and I snapped out of my thoughts.

“Popcorn?” He said grinning. I chuckled and reached in the bucket.

~

“That was awesome!” Nick said as we left the theater. We all looked up as a crack of thunder
roared across the sky. “Good thing we drove.” He added. Kevin and Joe nodded.

“Do you remember where we parked?” DJ asked. I looked around and spotted DJ’s car. I
pointed it out. “I will meet you there.” He said as he ventured out in the rain.

“Joe we’re going to go to the car. See you later Chelsea.” Kevin said. I gave him and Nick
hugs before they walked away.

“Bye Chelsea.” Joe said pulling me into another tantalizing embrace. I held my arms around
his back and my hand was against his shoulder blade. God, he was really strong.

“Bye.” I said. I was about to tell him, but he surprised me. I pulled back

“I know that I'm being forward again, but I really like you.” He paused. “I do want to go out
with you, but I need you to know that I'm leaving in two weeks. If you did say yes, it might
be a while until you see me again.” My stomach dropped and my smile faded.

“I can wait, because I think I changed my mind. Well, you changed it.” I said. I leaned
forward and kissed his cheek. “I still want to do it right. Goodnight.”

With that, I walked to the car. DJ was in the driver’s seat with the music on an old Steppin’
Wolf track blasted. I slid in and buckled up before turning the dial way down. He stared at me
like I was a three-headed dog.

“I appreciate the song, but I also like the fact that I can hear.” I explained.

“I like them.” DJ said casually. “Kevin and Nick are pretty cool. Joe seems nice too.”

“Good. I know it’s stupid, and I don’t feel like I need approval from you or anything, but it
feels better if you’re okay with it.” I admitted.

“Okay with it? With what?” He asked. He put the car back in park.

“I told Joe that I would be okay with seeing him.” I said. I waited for his reaction patiently.
I toyed with my seatbelt.

“If he doesn’t hurt you and he makes you happy then I think that’s great, but if he ever tries
anything, stand up for yourself.” DJ told me.

“I can’t believe how much he’s helping me. He doesn’t even know it.” I said and shook my
head.

DJ startled me by reaching over and kissing the top of my head. I laughed and pushed him
away.

“Home Geeves.” I said loudly. He saluted me and we drove out of the parking lot.
Something must have caught his eye because when he turned back to the road, he mumbled
something.

“…don’t do a good job of hiding it…” was all I heard.

“What?” I said frowning.

“Nothing.” He said and stuck on a smile. I could see right through it though, and I knew he was hiding something.

[blatentlyobvious]

Wooooo..Chapter fourteen.
HAH. This is SO not my best. I really hope you like it anyway though <33

Fourteen-

Hah. Whoever said the first day of work was the hardest, was way off. Lucy had been rushing me around the office giving me a run down of the process of publishing an issue. There was a hell of a lot of work that went into it before that happened.

When she took a break, I took a breath.

“Are you following?” She asked. I was going to answer, but I found out fast that
Lucy asked a lot of rhetorical questions. “Good, because I know there’s a lot to
take in. If you need any more info, I will be in my office.” She said. She tapped
the door in front of us and I looked to see a younger woman with pale skin and
little freckles covering her face. She was in khakis and a light green blouse but her
blonde hair was back in a braid. Her door said Stephanie Luther: Chief editor of
Scene Magazine.

“Now, I'm handing you over to Stephanie who can get you started on your first
assignment!” She said this as a goodbye, along with a pat on the back and
ventured in the direction of her office.

“Busy day today. She’s only that frantic because we’re getting ready for
September’s issue.” Stephanie explained with a note of a Southerner’s accent.
She was standing beside me and motioning. “Come on in.” She said smiling. She
was very pretty, even with a tooth visibly missing from her smile.

I stepped inside and she closed the door behind her. “Take a seat hon.” She said as she walked to her own chair. I did as told and sat in the tough brown chair in
front of her desk. It was a dark cherry wood. She laughed nervously as she tried
to clean up the mess sitting in front of her. A coffee cup knocked over but it was
empty. She gasped and stood it upright again, laughing nervously. What did she
have to be nervous about?

“Sorry hon. Like I said, it’s been a busy day.” She explained. I smiled and
nodded sympathetically.

“So, Stephanie what can I do today?” I asked anticipating my first task.

“Well now, relax girlie,” She said obviously sensing my anxiety. “We want to put
you through a test of sorts.” She started to explain this to me and leaned forward
on her desk.

“So you’re giving me a conception test?” I asked trying to understand.

“Well, you’re our junior correspondent,” I smiled at my title. “We’ve got to see
what you can do hon.” I loved her accent, but I wished she would stop calling me
hon.

“Alright, what will I be tested on? It would be nice if I knew.” I said. She didn’t
look too amused that I asked that, but her smile never disappeared.

“I can’t tell you that. What you should know is that we have arranged a personal
interview with one of the most popular musical talents in the States. I'm sure
you’ll be delighted when you meet them.” She was talking animatedly with her
hands, but with this information I faced a revelation.

I didn’t know anything about Pop Culture. The biggest person I knew of was Miley
Cyrus, but I never paid any attention to who she was or her TV show. I didn’t
watch Disney. My parents had brought me up in a real world, sheltering me from
as much false media as they could, while at the same time exposing me to its
deluding characteristics. Now here I was at a Magazine with a position that had
everything to do with it. For a minute I contemplate why I was here, but replaced
that thought with the gratitude towards everyone here for the opportunity.

“Stephanie, thank you so much. If you don’t mind me asking, who am I
interviewing?” I inquired. She got a secretive look on her face. “Can’t tell you that
either hon, but I assure you, you’ll be surprised. I don’t want you to get to caught
up in that because we have something else we need done.” She explained.

I was getting nervous though. I only had minor experience with interviewing,
nothing past the journalism program at Yorktown High School.

“Anything I can do to get ready?” I asked.

“You can work that out today, but we want you to write a personal introduction
and we’ll publish that in September’s issue. If you get that in tomorrow, that
would be great hon.” She said calling me hon in her southern twang yet again. I
thanked her and walked back to my cozy office, unsure of what exactly I would
write about myself.

I pulled off a sticky note and jotted down my list of things to do, which included a
blurb about myself and a list of questions for an interview with a musician I had no
knowledge about or even an inkling as to who they were, though I knew I should
have.



I thought of numerous questions that would be good enough for an interview.
Things like how did you get started, how long have you been performing/singing,
where do you want to go with your career…etc.

By the end of the day, I was pretty confident in everything I had.

Everything but my lack of expertise in pop culture.

On my way out of the office I stopped at Amber’s desk. She glanced at my
notebook and then my face. I shrugged. The book, which she had dropped off in
the morning, had already started filling up. It looked like it was already weeks old.

“You get everything?” She asked casually. I nodded.

“Amber, can I ask a question?” I asked. She waited patiently for me to continue.
“I have this surprise interview tomorrow and it’s with ‘one of the most popular
musical talents in the States’” I paused after quoting Stephanie. “The thing is, I
really have no clue of who that would be.” I looked down and fiddled with and edge
of a stray note.

Amber looked at me bright-eyed. I chuckled at her expression.

“Okay.” She started standing up. She grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and
jotted something down. She gave me the little white slip of paper. “I see where
you’re going so here is my number. Call me at six-thirty tomorrow morning and
we’ll come in and get you up to speed. When we’re done we can just chat a bit.”

She took a breath at the end of her rushed sentence and I laughed again. Her
smile went sheepish.

“I get excited about entertainment. It’s where I want to be, so I can definitely
help you out.” She offered.

“Thank you so much.” I said and tucked her number away in my purse.

“See you tomorrow morning.” She said waving.

Early tomorrow morning. Very early. I just got myself here an hour and a half
earlier, but I hoped it would be worth it. I needed to get caught up, and fast.

~

“Chelsea, could I talk to you a minute?” Grandpa asked as I passed his study.

“Sure, just let me put my bag away.” I dropped my purse on my bed and scooted
back to the study. Grandpa was at his big Oak desk with his laptop open in front of
him. He must have been busy.

“Hi.” I said and sat down in the big, Victorian style chair, upholstered in smooth
brown suede. I ran my hand along the fabric.

Grandpa looked up from the computer. “You remember the meeting I had with
my old friend?” He asked. I knew it was yesterday, but up until this moment, I
had forgotten about it.

“Of course.” I lied. “How did it go?”

“Good. I haven’t seen him in years. We talked a lot.” Grandpa paused and I could
have sworn I saw a glimmer of nostalgia in his eyes. It disappeared quickly. “We
talked about your Grandmother. He remembered her well. His wife passed three
years ago.” I looked at my Grandpa, who was void of any tears.

“I'm glad you could talk to someone Grandpa.” I said whole-heartedly. “I guess
sometimes it’s better to talk to someone.” I said looking down. When I lifted my
head my Grandpa was smiling warmly at me. He hands were folded in front of him

“Me too.” He said softly. For a millisecond there was a feeling of a relief between
the two of us. “Hunter wants to take a road trip. He and a few other fella’s are
leaving Sunday morning.” He waited for my reaction, which was of course very
excited. But, it was almost like he needed my approval.

“Grandpa! You need to go. Just spend some time away with friends.” I said smiling
brightly. He still looked hesitant, but I could see the reprieve creeping through.

“I'm concerned about leaving you here. I promised your parents I would be here
to look out for you. If anything happened…” He furrowed his brow and pressed his
hand to his forehead.

“It’s alright Grandpa. I’ll be fine here.” Then I thought of DJ. “We’ll be fine here.” I
added. “DJ and I are very responsible and it wouldn’t be a problem.”

“Okay. I think I will let Hunter know that I’m coming.” He said reaching out to my
hand. He patted it, and I took that as my signal to go.

“I love you Gramps.” I said before walking downstairs to see DJ.

He wasn’t home. It was five thirty and he wasn’t home.

“Where’s DJ?” I called running back up the stairs.

“Orientation kiddo.” Grandpa said nonchalantly.

I stood at the top of the stairs. I was planning to force him into helping me with
my introduction, but I guess it could wait. I got a better idea, and sauntered off to
my room.

~

“It was long.” I replied to my mom. She had just finished telling me about her
upcoming project and asked me about my day.

“What did you do at work?” She asked. I told her about the surprise interview,
and how I was completely clueless about it.

“It makes me second guess everything Mom.” I said quietly as I leaned back in the
patio chair. I had a big grey sweater on over my camisole because, although it was
California, it still had its chilly days.

“Chelsea, I don’t want you to give this up just because you’re uncertain.” She
lectured. “You can’t say something is too hard because it’s intimidating and then
give up. This could be really good for you, you know?” I thought about Joe when
she said this, and how much more it applied to.

“You’re right I guess.” I said hesitantly. I knew for certain she was right, but being
a stubborn only child, sometimes I had trouble admitting it.

“If I ask you something, will you promise not to close me off?” She said somberly.
I knew pretty well after that what she was going to ask about.

“Okay.” I said diffidently.

“Do you get scared?” She asked.

I looked down at my middle, and automatically felt a burning sensation, and it
wasn’t comfortable at all. Though the physical damage, and the blood had long
since gone, the memory was still imminent.

The thought was still in my mind, nagging me at every turn, but as a means to
over come the episode, I had started to ignore it. Sometimes it wasn’t enough,
and in secret, I would cry over it. I would shed my tears until I felt numb.

“Not as much.” I said softly. “I used to feel like wherever I went, he was waiting,
following me, and that he would jump out and attack me again.” I admitted.

“Yeah.” She said in a ghostly voice. It felt a little better to tell her that, and I
wasn’t sure why.

“I think moving helped. I was able to leave it behind and sort of gain a part of
myself back.” I explained a little more.

“Thank you Sweetheart. You don’t have to talk about it anymore, but I'm glad
you told me.” Mom said gently. I smiled into the phone as a breeze blew against
my skin. The papers beside me, my introduction for work, ruffled quietly.

“I'm glad you aren’t treating me like fragile piece of glass. I need to talk about it
sometimes Mom.” I said honestly.

“I’ll always be here.” She told me.

“I'm going to go but I love you so much.” I said.

“Bye Baby.” This time I didn’t take it to offense. No, this time that nickname
made me feel safe. I hung up the phone and realized my eyes were wet. I wiped
the tears and smiled to myself.

My cell phone, in my side pocket started buzzing frantically, snapping me into
focus. I slid it out and slid it open. I had a text message from Joe. I thought
about what Mom said, about turning away from things, and it just made me more
certain that being with Joe could be really good for me.

‘Really want to see you but I’m going to busy this tomorrow and Saturday. You
busy Sunday?

-Joe’

I felt my cheeks flush, though I knew no one was around.

‘I think I have a date.

-Chelsea.’

In a matter of minutes I got one back from Joe.

‘Really, and who might this date be with?

-Joe’

It went on like that, the two of us bantering flirtatiously, for another twenty texts.
Finally it was decided that Joe and I would hang out on Sunday, but at his house
this time. My stomach fluttered when he told me that his parents would be away,
and Nick and Kevin would be busy taking care of Frankie. He said it left lots of time
for the two of us.

I must have been consumed in my thoughts, because I didn’t notice DJ standing
beside me until he coughed.

“Hey! You’re home!” I exclaimed. I hopped up from me chair and wrapped my
arms around him. He gave me a shrug and I realized his arms were full of books.
I took a few from him and read them to myself: Law, Entrepreneurs, US economy.

“Good choices, I know.” DJ said sarcastically. “Who were you texting?” He asks
peeking at my phone.

“Joe.” I said and felt my face go red yet again. Immediately, I expected him to
make some stupid sarcastic remark, but instead, DJ’s eyes narrowed, and his fists
clenched and unclenched so quickly. “What?” I said concerned.

“Nothing. I have to pee.” He said and walked off. God help him, I thought as I
followed DJ back inside and downstairs.

[blatentlyobvious]

Well, I hope this one is good!! Please let me know what you think!! Guests are welcome to as well!! Thanks for reading everyone.
(Meghan...ummmmmJACKKKK)

Fifteen-

Amber had run to the back to grab some papers while I sat patiently, waiting for
her in one of the stiff lobby chairs. I ran my hand against the cold, taut leather
and shivered. It wasn’t very welcoming, but then I was sure many people didn’t
actually sit and wait around here. Maybe they were more for show.

I was running my finger back and forth against a little dent in the arm of the chair
when Amber strutted back into the room with piles of magazines in her hands.

“It’s time for a little education.” She said and sat down beside me, in the
matching chair. I imagined hearing a bang when she sat down, but instead it was
silent. I guess the sound betrayed its uncomfortable-ness. She spread the glossy
pages out in front of me, and immediately one cover jumped to my attention.

Three VERY familiar young boys were on the front. I pointed at the magazine.
“Who are they?” I asked wide-eyed.

“Them?” She asked. I nodded impatiently. “The Jonas Brothers.” She said like I
was crazy. “Seriously?” She asked me. “You don’t know who they are?”

I shook my head and snatched the book from the table. I looked closer. That was
Joe; and Nick, and Kevin! I felt myself shaking. Too many emotions were running
through my veins to be still.

“That’s Joe.” Amber said pointing at his face with her manicured nail. “He’s not my
favorite; Kevin is, but I think Joe’s eighteen-“

“He’s nineteen.” I said thinking back to the ice cream parlor. He had told me. I
narrowed my eyes when I tried to think of why he would hide this from me.

This was crazy. They couldn’t be on the cover of a magazine. They couldn’t be
famous. No, because things didn’t work like that. Joe was a normal guy and so
were his brothers.

“I thought you didn’t know about them.” Amber said curiously. I looked up at her,
trying to pull on a collected face again. I think it worked pretty well.

“No, I don’t…” I didn’t. The Joe I knew would tell me this. The guys I knew were
normal. I repeated that one word in my head; over and over and over. NORMAL –
because that was what I needed. I was screaming inside. “He just looks
nineteen.” I said trying to cover up. I couldn’t put the paper down.

There were headlines underneath their pictures. Under Nick’s it said “Are Nick and
Miley dating?” Miley as in Miley Cyrus? Under Kevin’s “What Kevin looks for in a
girl, just inside!” And under Joe’s “Would you lie to make a girl like you?” I glared
at the words trying to burn a hole in the question. Damn irony.

“I can’t believe you don’t know about them! They’re one of the biggest bands in
the world right now!” Amber said taking the issue from me. I let it slip out of my
hands but my eyes never left Joe’s paper face. I smiled a fake smile at Amber.

“Well, if they’re that big you should tell me all about them so I can be caught up.”
I said cleverly. I wanted to know exactly how much I didn’t know about them;
about him.

“You’re lucky Chelsea! I know a lot about them, their history and stuff. Don’t say
anything though. No one around here thinks its normal to be that into a boy
band.” She blushed and wiped a piece of her hair out of her eyes.

I smiled another fake one, flipped open my notebook, crossed my legs, and let her
launch into the story of the Jonas Brothers.

~

It was eight fifteen and my interview was scheduled for 8:30. It was with them. I
swear, God was mocking me. Amber told me shortly after she got a phone call
about the interview. I wouldn’t let up my begging until she told me who it was.
My heart had actually stopped, and I died.

Well, I didn’t die, but I dying sounded better than having to face them- HIM- now.

It had been an only half an hour since Amber dumped the information on the
Jonas Brothers on me. A band of brothers from Wyckoff, New Jersey who started
out small and when they got signed to Hollywood records blew up in the face of the
world. Apparently, in the past few months, they even got really popular in Canada.
It makes sense that I wouldn’t know. I was in a cocoon for those months, and
even when I wasn’t, I stuck with oldies; sheltered, remember?

I wiped my hands on my slacks; my palms wouldn’t stop sweating. Amber was in
the room with me, waiting for them to come in. Lucy was here now as well, she’d
bought Amber and I coffee’s and given me a run down on the process of
introductions. She said that would be the only heads up I would get from anyone.
Amber was there to take note of things, but now she was here for support. I told
her what happened, because really I didn’t have a choice seeing as where I ended
up.
All the things Amber had told me about them scared me. I didn’t know who they
were, and more importantly, I didn’t know who Joe was. I took Joe to be an
honest guy, and someone who could help me move on, someone (as stupid as it
sounds) heaven sent. How else do you explain the run-ins? But now, I was
reconsidering everything, especially saying yes to him.

I don’t know how to describe the feeling that swept over me when I processed the
situation, but it was sickly. I had to run to the washroom ten minutes after Amber
finished. I actually got sick. As I sat in the open stall throwing up my breakfast,
Amber stood there, consoling me. I was stable enough after a while to explain to
her what was happening. She was as surprised as I was and I made her swear not
to tell anyone.

The vomit was just a passing phase, but my emotions weren’t going away. I was
so angry that I was shaking and my ears were hot, but I was sad too, that he
didn’t tell me any of this.

Snapping back I realized that Lucy was handing me something. It was a bottle of talcum power. I looked at her incredulously. She shook it a little.

“It helps with sweating. Just rub a little in the center of your hands.” She instructed. I shook the bottle and felt the cold powder against my skin. I slid my
hands together over the floor and against the backs. It did help. I felt my phone
vibrating and quickly slid it out.

There was one message.


‘Can’t wait for Sunday

-Joe’

I slid it right back into my pocket and rolled my eyes. I had no idea where to go
from here. I just wanted so badly for things to change for me, and I realize that
was selfish, but I felt like I needed to be eventually.

The room was quiet between the three of us, but the tension pulsing from me was
blatant. I sighed again, a less audible one this time. They should be here soon.
Amber squeezed my shoulder and I smiled weakly at her.

“Ready?” She asked. I wasn’t going to say no in front of Lucy, but I relayed the
real message in a look.

“Yeah.” I said trying to sound excited. Lucy smiled at me briefly and the door
opened. In stepped three striking boys and an older woman. The boys looked up
and each one of them froze as they saw me. I was trying to think of the proper
“interview procedures” but all I could do was glare at Joe. His face went red, and
so did mine, but for two different reasons. His-embarrassment, mine- anger.

I pushed myself to do the introductions, pulling my eyes away from Joe. I stuck
my hand out, and shook Kevin’s first. He was nervous as he shook my hand. He
knew exactly what was going on. Though he smiled at me I could see an
apologetic look in his eyes. I narrowed my eyes quickly and moved to Nick. He
wasn’t forgiven either because he knew.

“I'm Chelsea Baker.” I said holding my hand out. He looked at me curiously, and
then I assume he realized no one knew that we had already met and shook my
hand.

“Nick.” He said simply and I saw him smile feebly. I would have rolled my eyes but
I knew Lucy was watching every one of my movements.

I got to Joe and grimaced as I reached forward. He took my hand gently, as if that
would help anything. His hand was warm, and I still felt that tingling sensation,
but I tried my best to ignore it. If I could maintain a cold, distant aura, right now,
that would be the best way to get through this. Realizing quickly that people were
staring at our drawn on shake, I tugged my hand away and motioned to their
chairs.

“You can sit down.” I said quietly. I looked to Lucy and she gave me the thumbs
up. I smiled half-heartedly and took a seat in my own chair. It was facing away
from the window but the sun was shining right on Joe. Stop it, I thought glancing
up. I started with thank you for coming, as was planned.

“Thanks for having us.” Kevin said in return. I pasted a fake smile on my face. I
wasn’t going to compromise my job because Joe lied.

“I understand you grew up in New Jersey, and got your start on Broadway. How
old were each of you when you were signed?” I asked, reciting the first question
on my notepad.

“I was eleven, Kevin was fifteen, and Joe was fourteen.” Nick answered trying to
sound casual. There was still an uncertain quiver in his voice. I could tell this was
making him feel weird.

“You’re music is really fun and upbeat, so how do you write about love and
heartbreak and still make it danceable?” I asked. I only knew this because Amber
sat me down and made me listen to some tracks while she was explaining
everything. I stared at Joe, who shifted uncomfortably in his chair. I was waiting
for him to answer, but instead, Kevin piped up.

“We try to take a positive approach to everything, even when it’s a bad situation,”
He paused giving me a look. I narrowed my eyes for a split second. “That way
people can see that it’s something they can work past.” He said, again giving me
that look.

I wrote it down, though I knew the answer was more for me, and looked at my
next question. Actually, they were a series of questions having to do with nothing
in particular, but more as a means for readers to get to know the band.

1.) Favorite colors.

2.) Musical influences.

3.) Best Birthday presents

4.) Favorite concert.

Etc…

I changed my questions, because now I felt like attacking Joe.

“So, I’ll just ask you a series of random questions.” I explained propping up my
notepad.

They each nodded their heads slowly. I wonder what was going through his mind
right now.

“Have you ever lied to someone without thinking of the consequences?” I asked.
My eyes burned into Joes and his face went red. We sat, staring at each other, as
the room was silent. I was done tiptoeing around this. He would face it head on
because I was tired with having to forget about all the shit that was happening.
None of it was going away, and now, with this, I needed a better way of dealing
with it.

“Uh, Kevin you know what? I feel dizzy. I think I need sugar.” Nick said suddenly.
I glared at Joe for a second more before turning my attention to his brother.

“Yeah. Wow Buddy. You look bad. Chelsea, if you’ll excuse us, Nick has diabetes
and he needs sugar.” Kevin said getting up. “Maybe you three could help us find
some food?” He said looking to Amber, Lucy and the woman who had come with
them. I didn’t know he had diabetes. He sure didn’t seem like a kid who did.

“I should come too.” Joe said standing up. I rolled my eyes.

“No.” Nick said flatly. His look made Joe sit right back down in the chair.

“Sure.” Lucy said getting the door for Nick. His arm was wrapped around Kevin’s
shoulder, and he was putting on a show. I could tell. Amber gave me a look of
pity before following the Lucy and the other woman out the door. It closed and
Joe and I were alone.

“Sort of a cheap shot, don’t you think?” He referenced to the question, shaking his
head.

“It was justified.” I said viciously. “Why the hell would you lead me on like that?”

“I wasn’t leading you on-“

I cut him off. “You weren’t leading me on? Seriously Joe? You’re going to sit there
and say you weren’t lying to me by not telling me who you really were?” He looked
down, ashamed, and his dark hair fell over his eyes.

“I'm sorry.” He whispered.

“Sorry isn’t worth shit! I could hear sorry over and over again and at this point it’s
not going to mean anything.” I yelled. DJ and Jen were sorry that I was raped,
everyone was sorry for my Grandma’s death, and I was sick of the word.

He whipped his head up. “You know why I didn’t tell you?” He asked standing up.
He leaned against the open window. I waited silently. “I didn’t tell you because I
wanted to feel normal.” He said.

“You’re joking. You know how stupid that sounds?” I said sharply. He glared at
me for a change and I went quiet. Obviously he meant it.

“I know how stupid it sounds and I know how stupid I’ve been, but you didn’t
recognize me. I figured I could be a normal guy around you because you didn’t
know. You didn’t judge.” He explained.

“You couldn’t have believed that I would never find out. God, I work at a teen
magazine.” I pointed out.

“I didn’t know that. I thought maybe I could spend enough time with you so you
could know me, and then I could tell you.” He reasoned.

“That’s great and all, but do you not understand how much you hurt me?” I asked
slouching over and rubbing my forehead.

“I never meant to.” He said simply. That wasn’t enough to stop me from saying
something though.

“I’m tired of hurting.” I said as tears brimmed in my eyes. My throat was feeling
tight and I was trying my hardest not to cry. He looked at me with concern, and I
felt like melting. I wanted to tell him so bad.

“I don’t ever want to hurt you again. I'm sorry.” He said softly. He was walking
over to me and I stood up defensively. “Do you think you can forgive me and we
can still try to…you know…” He said trailing off.

I just shook my head. “I was going to try with you, but it’s different now. You
lied.” I said staring at him. He stared back, as if he was trying to manipulate me
with his eyes.

“I didn’t. I just left out a few details.” He said. I wasn’t that stupid.

“YOU LIED.” I shouted. He stepped back an inch, putting three feet between us.
It was too close for me right now. I tried to inhale slowly because my breaths
were starting to quicken.

“Stop being stubborn.” He said in a low voice. He closed a couple feet between us
and touched my arm. I slapped him across the face.

“Don’t touch me.” I said hostilely. He was in shock and his mouth was opening
wide and closing, as were his eyes. “Don’t touch me, don’t call me, just stay away
from me.” I said crying now. I couldn’t believe I had done that. I ran out of the
room with my purse and bolted down to the car. I drove around the city and
finally decided to go home.

It wasn’t worth it anymore.

[hayleyheartsyou]

Wow,
it's really good.
PMS!!!

[Kim]

WOAH. GOOD.
What does PMS mean??
LAWLZ

[blatentlyobvious]

Sorry for the long wait! I kinda lost the will... or more like lost my path. Thank you for reading everyone.

Sixteen –

I got through the door and slammed it shut behind me. No one would be home to hear me. I started to run up the stairs, but my foot caught and I slammed into the edge.

The numb pain shot through the front of my face and tears poured from my
already sore eyes. I wiped my nose, instinctively tilting my head back. I looked at
my bloody fingers and cried harder.

I walked to my bathroom keeping the pressure on my nose and running my hand
along the wall for direction. I grabbed a cloth and ran it under cold water.

I sat down in the tub and pressed the cloth against my face, letting the icy cold
dull the pain.

I didn’t understand why Joe never told me, nor did I understand why I wanted so
badly to forget it all and forgive him. It wasn’t fair of him to lead me on like that.
I was bound to find out.

“He should have told me.” I said as though someone was in the room. I leaned
my head against the cold tile and dropped the cloth. My head rested on my arms
as sharp breaths shoved my chest. I was crying harder than I ever had, even
harder than when Grandma had died. This time I was crying for everything. “I
HATE YOU!” I screamed at God through the painful intakes of air. “YOU’RE
RUINING MY LIFE!”

I dropped my head to my arms again and the coppery taste of my own blood
leaked into my mouth. I didn’t care. The blood could cover my face, my mascara
could run, and my lip-gloss could smear, and I wouldn’t care. All I wanted to do
right now was hurt.

I cried for a long time but the blood didn’t stop flowing. I was covered in it and I
was getting dizzy quickly. The bathroom was spinning, the open door swaying
back and forth. I felt disgusting and sick and I shut my eyes to make it go away.
Soon enough it did.

~

“Can you hear me?” A familiar voice said frantically. I couldn’t open my eyes
because of the stinging sensation. I tried to move but my arms were weak and
paralyzed. I tried to speak but my mouth was dry. “Chelsea?” He whispered.

“She isn’t awake DJ.” Another familiar voice, but older, said.

Something soft, wet and warm moved across my face.

“Is she okay?” DJ asked my grandpa.

“I don’t know. Dr. Montgomery said she lost a lot of blood.” Grandpa said. A
doctor had been here? What happened? And, when did I get to my bed.

I struggled again, this time actually being able to move my arm. I was trying to sit
up but all I could get out was a limp motion. What was wrong with me?

“Chelsea?” DJ exclaimed. He must have shifted all his weight to watch me
because I felt the bed shake.

I mumbled, and that was all I could get out with my throat as dry as it was. His
soft warm hand brushed across my face and I forced my eyes open.

“Get her some water.” Grandpa instructed. They were on either side of my bed,
my Grandpa to my left, DJ to my right. He nodded and got up, letting my Grandpa
take his place.

“Hey kiddo.” He said. He took my hand and stroked it gently. The feel of his
rough, dry hands was comforting, and a little surge of strength came over me. I
pulled my hand away slowly and lifted my lead-like body so I was sitting up. My
head spun wildly and I pressed my palm to my forehead. It hurt like hell and I
could feel a bandage taped just above my eyebrow.

“Ow.” I said in a scratchy voice. Grandpa frowned.

“How are you feeling?” He asked taking my hand again.

I couldn’t talk because of the rough feeling in my throat. I coughed slightly and
shook my head. He sighed and I watched DJ come back into the room with a
glass.

“Water.” He said holding it out to me. I grabbed it and swallowed it all in one gulp.
I stuck the cup on my nightstand and cleared my throat. The cold helped a little,
and so did the moisture.

“I tripped.” I said quietly. DJ nodded.

“You cut your head open and nearly broke your nose.” He added. I felt at the
bandage again. It stung underneath it. DJ reached over and tucked a piece of hair
behind my ear.

“I'm happy you’re awake.” Grandpa said smiling.

“How long did I sleep?” I asked.

“Well, we found you at about five on Friday. It’s Saturday afternoon.” He said,
stunning me. “You’ve had us scared to death.” Grandpa said.

'“Sorry.” I said frowning. My eyes were burning and they felt swollen. “I must l
ook terrible huh?” I asked.

DJ shook his head. “We got most of the blood cleaned up. You’re still beautiful.”
He assured me. I blushed.

“I need to go call Montgomery.” Grandpa said standing up. He threw DJ a look and
left my room.

“What happened?” Was the first thing out of DJ’s mouth. I thought back to Friday
and felt my throat tighten. Joe.

“He’s not who he said he was.” I sighed. His jaw clenched and his eyes went
dark. The look disappeared soon and he was himself again, but it left me confused

“What happened?” He asked furrowing his brow. He’s going to take it okay, I
assured myself. At least, I hoped he would…

~

The water was running over my back, massaging my tender muscles. I had been
standing in the same spot under the pressurized water for ten minutes and it was
almost six pm. I didn’t care about time. My lip was swollen, I had a painful cut
above my eye, a blue bruise was throbbing under my nose, and I felt disgusting.
On top of that, it didn’t matter because I had nowhere to go, and no one to see.

I felt tears stinging at my eyes again as I thought of Joe. This whole thing was
stupid. I shouldn’t have ever bothered to talk to him. The minute he gave my
iPod back I should have thanked him and walked away and forgotten all about it.

Of course, I’m sure I would have kept running into him.

I reached over and pushed the knob in, then turned the taps off. I stood for a
second longer and sighed. All I could think was I hate my life. And yes, that was
dramatic, but in half a year, I had to suffer through more than anyone should ever
have to deal with in their life.

I was raped, I lost my grandma, my relationship with my parents fizzled, and now,
after meeting a great guy, I find out he was just another liar. I made a mental
note to detach myself from everything close to me, because at this point, I wasn’t
sure what else I would lose.

I wrapped my towel around my hair and wiped away some of the condensation on
the mirror. I just finished washing my face when the door opened.

“Chelsea!” DJ squeaked as I screamed. He slammed the door shut and I swept the
towel off my hair and around my naked body. I cracked it open.

“Knock next time.” I said peering my head over the side of the door. DJ spun
around; his face bright red, and smiled weakly.

“My bad.” He said and sat down on the edge of my bed.

“What did you need?” I asked opening the door further.

“I wanted to know how you were doing.” He said quietly.

“I'm alright. Dizzy, that’s all.” I lied. In reality I was still nauseous and my head
was throbbing. I had a pretty good idea that if I said anything about how I was
really feeling then it could jeopardize my grandpa’s trip. I knew him well enough
to know that he wouldn’t leave if I was feeling that rotten. “Hey, if Grandpa asks,
tell him I’m better.” I added.

“I don’t think I can lie to your Grandpa.” He said smiling. I sighed and stepped
outside the door.

“Turn around.” I said and he smirked. He turned and made a show of covering his
eyes.

I grabbed a tank top and shorts as well as underwear from my drawers and
changed in the bathroom.

When I came out DJ was sitting on my bed with my laptop open.

“What are you looking at?” I asked curiously. I walked over slowly to the bed and
sat down beside him. My head was spinning again.

“Email from Dad.” DJ explained frowning. “Here read it.” He turned my laptop
towards me and I read the letter.

‘DJ. I want you to know that I’m sorry for everything that has happened. I hope
you’re doing all right in California. I'm proud of you Son. For everything you’ve
done. The divorce is still on going, and I’m not dragging you into it, but I want you
to know what is happening. You’re mother wants things to be settled out equally,
and they will be. Before I end this, I wanted to tell you that I’m moving too. In a
month I’m packing up and heading to Ontario. There is an opening for a job as a
Sports reporter on one of the radio stations. Good pay, good hours. I’m sad that I
won’t be near you or Beth now, but I want to visit. We’ll have to plan to get
together the same time. Love you Son.’

I half smiled but DJ was still frowning. I wrapped my arm around his shoulder and
pulled him against me. “At least he seems happy.”

“I don’t believe he’s moving. We’re going to be completely opposite each other.”
He complained.

“It’s okay. You’ll still see each other.” I started to feel myself grow woozy, and I
needed some room. “I have to call Jen.” I said quickly.

“She misses you.” He said giving me a look.

“Which is why I’m calling her. It’s not like I don’t talk to her. We’ve got an email
chain going…” I said defensively.

“That’s not the same.” He said knowingly. I was very aware of that fact. Jen and
I hadn’t been as close since I left. Just as things were with my parents, we were
more and more distant.

“Well, it’s a good thing I’m calling her then.” He nodded thoughtfully and I
grabbed the phone from its cradle. “And remember, if Grandpa asks, I'm fine.” I
added. He gave me a look. “I am.” He titled his head as if he was trying to see
through me. I lowered my eyes to the phone and started to dial her number. The
only way he would believe me was if I adverted his eyes. “Promise!” I sang.

“Kay.” He said hesitantly, walking out of my room. I got up and closed the door
when he started down the stairs. I nearly fell onto my bed on the way back.

I scrunched my hair as I waited for Jen to pick up her cell. It went to voice mail
but I didn’t leave a message.

I dialed in her phone number and pressed my fingers to my temples. My headache
obviously wasn’t going away anytime soon.

“It’s Molly. What can I do for you?” A voice chimed over the phone. I could hear
the plastered smile in Mrs. Andale’s voice.

“Hi Molly. It’s Chelsea calling. I was wondering if Jen was around.” I explained
trying my hardest to sound myself.

“Sure darling! I think she’s with someone, but let me go get her.” She told me. I
waited patiently until I heard Jen’s voice come over the phone.

“Hey Chels.” She said sweetly, but I could sense the rush in her voice.

“Hey Jen. Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.” I said half expecting her to tell me it
was totally fine; expecting that she wouldn’t care.

“Yeah. It’s fine.” She said discontentedly. “I'm just sort of heading out soon.”
Oh. The tone in her voice that changed so quickly confused me.

“Oh. Well I just called to-“

“Stop….No…I’m talking to her right now….Noah!” She said whispering. I assumed
she was trying to make it so that I couldn’t hear, but she did a poor job of it.
Noah?

“Jen.” I said sharply getting her attention.

“Yeah?” She said plainly, but again a crack in her voice betrayed her.

“Is Noah there?” I asked as my heart pounded against my chest.

“No. It’s um, its just Doug.” She lied.

“I want a straight answer. Is that son of a bitch in your house?” I asked with an
icy tone.

“Yes.” She said in a small voice.

“Why the HELL is he at your house.” I said feeling myself grow angrier. This was
out of context. Jen would never do anything like this. In the few minutes talking
to her, I was starting to realize how odd she was acting and how it was so far from
what I had known.

“We just sort of…started hanging out.” She said this like it was no big deal and like
Noah had done nothing wrong.

“Hanging out? As in, you’re friends with the sick jerk-off who ruined my life?” I
shouted into the phone.

“You don’t understand. Look, he came over like three weeks after you left. He
wanted to talk to you. He wanted to apologize. He was crying, Chelsea.” She
explained. My head was pounding and I felt something hot running down from my
nose. I wiped my hand underneath and saw blood again.

Instead of reacting worse than I was, I hung up on her. That backstabbing whore
could do what she wanted, but as far as I was concerned, I was finished with her.

I leaned back against my pillow, grabbed a tissue, and pressed two fingers right
below the bridge of my nose. I glared up at the ceiling.

“Where are you going with this?” I asked bitterly. I waited, though I knew I
wouldn’t get an answer. I heard footsteps and turned to see my Grandpa walking
towards the bed.

“What’s the matter Kiddo?” He asked gently. I looked at him and sighed. I didn’t
want to go into details. I was too drained.

“Just some stuff between me and someone at home. Sorry for yelling.” I said
quietly. He sat down on the bed and ruffled my hair.

“I leave tomorrow.” He said smiling. I remembered his trip. “Are you going to be
okay? If you aren’t I can stay home.” He added quickly.

“Grandpa, you have to go. I will be fine. I promise.” The thing that was eating at
my mind was the reality that I wasn’t sure I would be. All I could think of was
how great it would be to not have to deal with this anymore. How perfect not
being here could be.

“I love you Chelsea. You call me every day okay?” He asked smiling. I nodded
happily and as soon as he left I threw the bloody tissue in the garbage. I gathered
my strength and walked to the medicine cabinet in my bathroom. I grabbed my
strongest painkiller and popped three in my mouth. I swallowed them dry, not
caring about the starchy feeling in my throat. What I needed now was relief from
everything.

It only took the painkillers about fifteen minutes to kick in. By then, I was in my
bed, awaiting sleep. If I had to live through this, the least I could do was sleep it
off.

~

“Chelsea?” DJ whispered as he gently shook my arm. I groaned slightly. “Archie is
leaving soon.” He said. I opened my eyes and the pain was much less than the
night before, but the feeling from everything that had happened had not
disappeared.

“What time is it?” I asked rolling over to check the time. It was already eleven. It
couldn’t have been past seven when I crashed last night. “I’ll be up soon.” I
promised. He nodded and left my room, closing the door slowly behind him.

Sitting up, I pulled away the covers. I rubbed my temples and looked outside. It
was beautiful outside, and the green of the Oak trees was consuming the view
space of the window. A little chickadee was perched on the edge of the balcony.
This seemed different, happy even.

I had a quick shower and after changed into a pair of jean Capri’s and a plain green
tee. When I got to the bottom of the stairs, all of Grandpa’s bags were against the
wall. I ventured down the hall and found DJ and Grandpa sitting by the door
laughing and smiling as the paper lay splayed out on the table between them. I
walked into the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water. As I took out a bowl for my
cereal, they came inside.

“Well, I should get going.” Grandpa said smiling at DJ. “Morning Kiddo.” He greeted
me with a hug and a kiss on the forehead.

DJ and I walked to the front with him and helped with the bags. When everything
was packed and Grandpa was driving off, I realized how much I would miss him.

He was gone for two weeks, leaving DJ and I to deal with everything. That got me
thinking exactly what I had to deal with. It was coming up on the end of August
now and soon enough the Canadian Thanksgiving would roll around, leaving me to
make a decision surrounding where I was going. On top of that, I completely blew
my interview, and even though when I called Lucy yesterday and she told me that
I could have one more shot, Is still felt like a complete failure.

If these were the only things I had to deal with, then I could manage, but right
now, there was so much more.

“DJ, can I talk to you?” I asked as we stood on the front step.

“Anytime Chels.”

We walked down the hall and I slumped down onto the couch. DJ did the same and
grabbed the remote. When he turned on the TV I recognized the movie as You
Only Live Twice. Normally, I would have stopped everything to watch Sean
Connery as James Bond, but right now, I needed my best friend.

“I need to vent a little bit.” I explained. He put his hand around my shoulder and
pulled me against him.

“What’s wrong?” He asked thoughtfully. I thought of how to start telling him.

“I'm tired of everything.” I started “I’ve had to put up with so much shit. On top
of everything, Jen is hanging out with Noah.” I revealed. His face when blank and
then I saw the anger register.

“Jen wouldn’t do that.” He said in disbelief.

“Well, she did. She’s changed DJ. I don’t know how we didn’t notice.” I said. But
I suppose I actually did. People can lie as much as they want through text, and
the only mode of communication between Jen and I was email.

“I can’t believe she’s hanging out with him. He’s such a jack ass.” He said. I
nodded.

“Well, to be honest, I don’t give a damn about Jen anymore. She can fuck up her
life being with him. But, I think that I need to press charges.” I admitted.

“Alright. You know that means a trial back in Vancouver.” He said. I looked up to
him and nodded again.

“Yeah, I think I can do that.” I said grimly. I would need a lot of support, but I
could.

He looked at me, for a second, like I was more than his friend, and it made me
uncomfortable. I sat up abruptly. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I don’t know. You’re just…you’re so strong. And beautiful. I can’t believe that
Joe is so dumb.” He said.

“This isn’t going to be weird, is it?” I asked sliding a down the couch a bit.

“No.” He laughed. “I don’t mean it that way, I don’t think of you like that…ever.”
He said shaking his head. He turned the TV off.

“Good. And Joe is dumb. Can we not talk about him? I hate him. I wish that I
never met him or his stupid brothers. He just made things worse.” I crossed my
arms and pushed.

“For avoiding a topic you suck.” He said giving me a look. I narrowed my eyes. “I
don’t believe that you’re letting that kid just get away with it.” He said blankly.

“Seriously DJ? You think I want to talk to him ever again?” I asked in frustration.

“Well…No…I just…Maybe…” He was nervous. He doesn’t stutter unless he’s
nervous. And the glint in his eye made me understand that he was hiding
something.

“What’s going on?” I asked slowly. He averted my eyes and focused on the
remote. “DJ!”

“Nothing alright!” He shouted. I jumped at the volume of his voice. What was his
problem anyhow?

“DJ. You never do this. What the hell man?”

“It’s just…God these guys don’t stop. You’re like my sister and I just want
everyone to treat you right, but they don’t cease to pull this crap out of their
asses.” He said as he paced the floor.

“I'm fine DJ –“ The doorbell cut me off. I sighed and walked to the front with DJ
tagging alone behind me. I opened the door and in front of me was the person
who I wanted to see the least.