Disclaimer: L.O.T.S. That's my (original) term for Lisi Harrison Owns (the) Series. Demi Lovato owns the song "Stop the World".
AN: I would like to give a shout-out to those who reviewed to my other one-shot, The Way I Loved You, because that lead to World Of Chances…which lead to this :). This is dedicated to Josh+Cammie (From GG series), That-Random-Guy-Who-Got-Knocked-Down-Badly-From-That-Huge-Wave-When-I-Went-To-The-Beach, and soccergrrl62.
Go read! I love you all!
I don't know why, I don't know why I'm so afraid
I don't know how, I don't know how to fix the pain
We're livin' a lie, livin' a lie this needs to change
We're out of time, we're out of time and it's still the same
"Dune?" Kristen looked both ways, almost fearfully. What am I so scared of? There's no way we could be caught here, yet…
"Hey Kris." He tossed his sun streaked hair out of his eyes. Her heart flip-flopped. They just sat on the shore for a while, watching the waves, until Dune took her hands in his. "Why do we always have to meet in secret?" His eyes pierced hers, doubling the intense ache she felt every day.
"You don't like being 'Josh' to my 'Cammie?'" She teased.
He mouthed back, sucker punch, his total trademark. Somehow, those two words were infinitely more comforting and amusing than Massie's jokes ever were.
"And you know why." She dully answered his other question.
"It's not that." He looked away. "I really do like hanging out with you. But you 'pinky-swore'," He used their diva-like term jokingly—almost bitterly. "that you'd tell Massie the next day. That was eight months and three weeks ago."
Kristen was guiltily counting the days as well.
"We can't go on like th—" Dune was cut off short.
"Not now." Kristen pulled up her knees against her knees on the soft beach towel and covered her ears with the palm of her hands. The childish action made her feel small, but she didn't pin her hands back to their dutiful side. She honestly didn't need it now.
Everyone close was turning on her. Her mom was growing suspicious. Massie already had been, and she got closer by the second. Alicia had loyalty, but loyalty to her gossip duties out-ruled. Claire was no help, Dylan was no help, and even Layne refused to. Kristen could feel the pressuring load on her get heavier every second she went on, betraying everyone's trust.
The only reason she did this was for her heart and Dune, and those two were basically the same thing. She needed him, but if that was really true, why couldn't she let the other things go?
Kristen stopped thinking, and practically stopped breathing as Dune wrapped his reassuring arms around her, the scent of ocean and nature blending perfectly. This was contentness, happiness…and wrong.
This is it, Kristen confirmed peacefully, come hell or high water, Dune and I belong together—and not secretly.
But in these cases, denial is disguised as peace.
We can't stop the world, but there's so much more that
we could do.
You can't stop this girl, from falling more in love with you,
You said 'nobody has to know',
Give us time to grow, and take it slow,
But I'd stop the world, if it'd finally let us be alone
Let us be alone
"Just one more time." Kristen vowed quietly into the phone.
"No, Kris." Claire paused on the other end. "This is your battle, and I'm not going to fight it for you. As your wonderful boyfriend would say, 'go with the effing flow'." She added sarcastically. "Besides, you swore that you wouldn't ditch Massie today."
"Sorry." Kristen mumbled softly.
"You're hurting Layne like this. She wants Dempsey. Dempsey likes you. You guys are supposedly together. But you're with Dune." Claire stated all the hurtful facts that she already knew all too well. "You're killing everyone, and it's hard to be your ally. Just get the nerve up and tell it to her face. This has to end." Claire replied gently, but knowingly.
"It will." Kristen blurted. "It will." She promised again. Kristen lowered her eyelids, unsure if she was trying to convince her blue-eyed friend—or herself.
Kristen quickly entered the changing stall, the pink top and ripped-jeans draped over her arm. She inhaled sharply, hung the clothes up, and slid out her LG Chocolate-Touch.
Kristen: dune??
She held her breath.
Dune: K?
Kristen: hi! Sry about 2day…
Dune: s'kay. I'm not here to suck your social life away.
Kristen: LOL that rhymes
Dune: how about this? When you're done with M the leech, come on over and head to the beach…I'll be there :)
Kristen giggled, then quickly covered her mouth. "Kristen?" Massie's voice seeped through the flimsy changing stall's curtain. "Are you done yet? The PC—or Alicia—wants to head over to Ralph Lauren."
"Um, almost." She called back, sending Dune a quick text.
Kristen: Just wait a sec.
"Well, hurry up. When your mom finally lets you have some freedom again, you choose the whole time trying out jeans?" Massie tapped her foot impatiently. "Let's see it."
Kristen slid the curtain open and struck a pose while holding the jeans against her with one hand. Dylan laughed. "Good." Alicia nodded. "Get those, or I will."
She wasn't in the mood. "Here." She tossed the denim over, much to Alicia's surprise.
Kristen toyed with a strand of hair as she faced the intimidating amber eyes. "Hey, you know when you said that my mom 'finally let me have some freedom'?" She kept her eyes down. "Actually, she texted me in the changing room—"
Dylan commented. "So that was the noise that I heard. I thought I heard a soft ringtone or something."
Kristen rolled her eyes. It was on vibrate; Dylan just wanted sound "in the know".
"So she texted me and told metocomehome. Sorry."
Massie raised her eyebrow. Her lips parted, then pursed back together. "Whatever." She waved her hand dismissively. "Want Isaac to drive you?" She offered sincerely.
"No thanks." Kristen didn't skip a beat.
"Dune!" She yelled, her flip flops flying off her feet as she ran to the figure, which was strangely bent over.
He looked up, startled. He jogged over to meet her, then sunset drawing out their long shadows, just like a movie.
Kristen couldn't help but notice that he'd taken off his shirt especially for surfing, then blushed deeply at her thoughts. He pulled away from the hug. "You never texted back." He chuckled, holding up his phone.
Kristen reddened. "Ohmygosh. I'm so sorry. Wait—then why did you come to the beach even though you didn't know if I'd come."
He tossed his phone casually on the golden sand and quirked a warm smile. "I knew."
His eyes traced hers. His hand caught her chin, brought it up, and their lips met softly. Kristen's eyelids fluttered close to savor the moment.
They didn't know how much time had passed, but who was counting?
Later, Dune spread out the usual striped beach towel. They both lay down next to each other, their thighs and shoulders' practically giving off sparks from where they were touching.
"I know that this is hard for you." It was obvious that there was also the message; it's hard for me too, in his sincere words. "So you don't have do it anytime soon if it's a really bad time. It's not like going public isn't that important. It'd probably be hard to face everything."
It went without saying that not going public was most likely even harder.
He continued, his voice melting each and every part of her. Gawd knew her heart was already softer than butter. "But would dropping some hints here and there work?"
Kristen nodded. Sometimes, she wished that she could control and change anything she wanted to—starting with them. And I will, she decided.
I'm hearing the noise, hearing the noise from all around
I'm on the edge, I'm on the edge of breaking down
Like Bonnie and Clyde, let's find a ride, and ditch this town
To keep it alive, keep it alive, don't make a sound
"That's what you said last time. Kristen."
"Did your mom really call you? Because you said she was out of town this week?"
"K-r-i-s-t-e-n Gregory! Where have you been, young lady?"
"You are staying home this week! Or else!"
"You might as well just…not come this time. Mass's really angry."
"Hey Kristen! Was it today?...Oh. Next time?"
"Kristen. Gregory."
"Kris!"
"Ehmagawd, K. Are you listening?"
"Kristen!"
Kristen sat straight up in her bed and screamed. All the stress and pressure was making her head throb. Instead of going back to sleep, she rolled on her side to look at the clock. It was 5:25 sharp. She slipped out of bed, grabbed a jacket and a pair of flip-flops, and ran straight out the door.
She sat down on the park bench near his house. What the heck was I thinking when I came here?
"I honestly don't know, but I don't really care, either." Hands covered her sea-green eyes.
Kristen almost jumped. "Oh…" She laughed uneasily. "I was—talking out loud?"
"Yep." He came around the side and sat down—hard—next to her. "You're not supposed to be out here, are you?"
"Are you?" She challenged. They stared at one another. And laughed. Dune found her hand.
"Would your Mom or alpha be just too angry if you didn't go to school today?"
"Yeah. Definitely." Kristen exhaled. "But like I said—I don't really care."
They raced each other to nowhere in particular.
Never wanna take that final look
I'll turn another page, won't close the book
"I don't know anymore." The salty tears ran freely down her face. "I don't know anything anymore, except that this might have been all for a waste. Maybe." Kristen tore herself away.
"Kris!" He shouted desperately. But she kept on running back to the place she called home.
"Grounded, do you hear me?!" Martha Gregory hissed. "I thought you knew better than this."
"I don't." For the first time, she stood up straight against her mother. "Have you ever thought that I just can't be perfect? Because. I. Can't. And I never will be."
Mrs. Gregory was dumbfounded for a minute. Then, "We'll talk later. But you're still going to school."
"I never thought I wasn't." Kristen lied. She changed, ate quickly, and hopped on her bike. The courage that she'd gotten from finally putting her foot down was…inexpressible, but she knew it gave her a feeling of audacity that she knew she would need.
Once she was in class, she sent the same text to three people.
Kristen: Today's the day.
We can't stop the world, but there's so much more that
we could do
You can't stop this girl, from falling more in love with you,
You said 'nobody has to know',
Give us time to grow, and take it slow,
But I'd stop the world, if it'd finally let us be alone
Let us be alone
"Are you serious?" Massie towered over Kristen, who, too, rose up.
"I've never been more serious. I don't like Dempsey, I never did. I'm in love with Dune, and he loves me. I've been trying to keep it from you, but I'm sick of it, he's sick of it—god, I think everyone is."
Kristen forced herself to keep going before she could lose her nerve.
"You've never been supportive of who I like, but this time, it doesn't even matter. Dune says that I shouldn't slave away for someone who doesn't care an ounce about what I think or feel. And I agree with him. So what if you want to kill me—or him—for 'non-HARTness'?
I'd stop the world to be with him."
Massie's lips slowly parted. Her eyebrows narrowed. And then, she gave a response that Kristen never would've thought of.
AN: Was it okay? Good? Wanna tear me to shreds? Spit? R-e-v-i-e-w? I know this wasn't my best, but I'd still appreciate any of your thoughts.
Merry Christmas everyone! I. Love. You. All!
~Chocó prep a.k.a KLU