Waiting in the Dark
By The Sole Survivor
Author's Note: Hello all. Yes, I am still alive and kicking. Not quite as well as I would've hoped, but still. This is a new story I've conjured up in my English II class. ... What? You'd be thinking a lot too if you knew how boring it was in there. Anyway, I don't know how long I'll continue this story, but if it's liked, I might. If not, I'll forget the whole flip dinky thing. But, the beginning to this.. might.. seem kinda strange. If you're a girl, most of you understand. The major mood swings, the pain, and yipes.. the whole thing is a mess. The curse of a female. (sigh) Okay, now onto the summary.
Summary: Renee Maxell had a totally normal life.. well, as normal as normal could go. But when she gets word she's moving to Hawaii, Kauai to be exact, how will she adapt without her friends? Can one little Hawaiian girl and a blue experiment make it all seem good? Or will something go terribly wrong as always? R&R!
Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own the little Stitchie or Lilo Pelekai. Or any of the other characters I borrow from Chris and Disney. But I shall return them safe and unharmed. But can't say the same for my OC Renee. .. She has life insurance, right? Heh.. anyway, enjoy the story.
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They say when you find that special person that you want to spend the rest of your life with, you automatically know it. You find this good steady guy to comfort you, and love you up real good and raise a big family, then you let yourself go and--
Unfortunately, this wasn't the case for Nani Pelekai at this point in time. She couldn't see straight, and she knew that all her mind was telling her, was to throw all that heat at the first person she saw.
David.
Her face was blood red, sweat building above her eyes on her brow and slowly falling down her very angry face. Her fists were shaking so violently, someone might have thought she were a child's ride that one could swing their little bodies around like a swing of some sort..
"DAVID!"
...if not for the fact that this particular child's ride was heaving air through their nose like a pissed off bull with a face ripe as a tomato. Poor David, the man currently targeted on, was cowering in the corner, his eyes wide with fright. He had no idea what was going on. He didn't do a damn thing to her or Lilo. Especially Stitch. The little blue experiment was known to have a very bad temper at times. But Nani was usually the calm natured type when she didn't have to work. But as David traced the veins pulsing in her neck with his eyes, he could tell something was brewing. You guessed it.
It was that time of the month again.
"Nani, what's the matter?" Coming in at exactly the right moment and saving his butt, Lilo walked into the room like nothing was wrong. Sensing the tension in the room, she looked over at David with confusion before taking a glance at her sister. Nani seemed to have calmed down at hearing the oh-so-familiar voice of her younger sister, but still kept her heated gaze at her boyfriend. "Did David do something wrong?" Nani kept her eyes on her boyfriend, and forced herself not to turn all the heat on her little sister.
"Go back upstairs with Stitch." Her voice was so low, Lilo barely caught it.
"But Stitch is already up stairs. We were playing a game, and then I heard you scream. What's the matter?" Lilo repeated again, staring pointedly at David. He was knocked out of his trance and started pointing at his crazy girlfriend in front of him.
"Lilo, Nani's gone loco! All I did was ask her if she wanted some skim milk, then she went off saying that I was calling her fat!" Ducking around Nani, who was currently sending him ice glares, tiptoed toward Lilo and hid behind her. "Is it that time of the month?" He asked her in a quiet voice. Lilo nodded slightly. When it was 'that time of the month', everyone stayed clear of Nani. Her cramps weren't just little abdomenal pains, they were 'clench your fists' pain and she bled constantly. This is why she got so angry and frustrated everytime this happened.
"Lilo..?" Two pairs of eyes turned to face the little blue experiment that entered the room. He stopped cold when he saw the frightened motions of Lilo and David. Lowering his ears, Stitch glanced up at Nani, who had taken to just standing still for a few moments, breathing heavily, her fists clenching and unclenching at a slow rate. Gulping, Stitch turned around slowly and began to head out of the room when he was suddenly picked off of the ground by the scruff of his neck. Squeaking, he threw his hands up in front of him to protect himself. A few minutes passed.
Nothing happened.
Stitch dared to open an eye to look at Nani, and was very surprised when he saw that Nani was crying. Her eyes were red puffy as if she'd been crying for weeks. She looked at Stitch as if he were her teddy bear. At that moment, Stitch knew what she wanted. The blue experiment lowered his arms in defeat and sighed. For the past 2 months, always around this time, Nani has taken dibs on Stitch as her comfort pillow, much to Stitch's fear and disappointment. Reaching his arms out, he gave a cute little whimper which made Nani throw her arms around him and hug him for all he was worth, tears cascading down her cheeks in waterfalls. Although, this was always done in Nani's bedroom for both times. David and Lilo watched on in shock.
"Did Stitch just..?"
"Yeah, I think he did.." Lilo mumbled as she shook her head in astonishment. Usually when Nani was in that kind of mood, Lilo would think that 626 would stay clear of Nani, fear of the blood being sucked out of him. Lilo giggled at the memory of Stitch's face when he learned of that fact. But, despite sticking his neck out like that, he knew that Nani was in shambles also. Having it being that time of the month, (so he learned also from Pleakley), he knew the Earth females were fragile during that time. Tears soaked his fur and he softly patted her back with a very sympathetic look. Although he was about to pee himself on the inside. Any movement from her head, he would jerk a bit.
"Stitch.." Nani's choked voice broke out. Pulling back, she looked at the small bundle of blue fur in her arms. Despite the decidedly freaked out look on Stitch's face, she continued to cuddle him to her. "You're the only one who loves me, aren't you? You and Lilo. I love you guys!" She suddenly wailed and brought his head to the crook of her neck. His fur was so soft, it felt better than any teddy bear combined. Barely able to turn his head, he glanced at Lilo and mouthed the words, 'Help me..' with a desprate look. Lilo giggled. Nani had taken to running her hands down Stitch's ears in a rhythmic fashion.
"Nani.." Lilo called softly. Walking foward, she touched her older sisters arm lightly. "Nani, you can let go of Stitch now. Everything's fine. Why don't you take a glass of water up to your room, okay?" Grabbing Nani's shirt, she pulled the girl down until Lilo could reach her experiment friend and tugged him out of her arms. Stitch latched onto Lilo and climbed to the ground, running over to David. Nani took a deep breath, nodded, and went to do as she was told. Wiping the sweat from her brow in one quick motion, she swiftly turned to face Stitch with a smug expression. He caught that look, and lowered his ears a bit in warning, his lip curling. David let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, before realizing the tensed Stitch beside him. Groaning, he slapped his forehead in exasperation.
"What now?"
"Stitch going upstairs.." Stitch muttered and his ears sprung up halfway as he stubbornly made his way back to their room. Even though she knew as well as he did, Stitch had very good acute hearing. But even so, she waited until he was out of sight before she burst out laughing.
"Oh, Stitch. I love the guy, but sometimes.. he's a little too sweet, you know? Even I wouldn't have done that." She muttered in an amused afterthought. Glancing at David, she grinned and skipped off after her friend. Shaking his head, David rubbed his temples. Standing up, he flopped on the couch, and resumed watching tv before he was in that predicament. Lilo calmly made her way to her and Stitch's room. Coming off the elevator, she entered the room to see Stitch nowhere in sight. "Stitch? Where are you?" Hearing a small muffled sound, she made her way to the bunk beds, and peaked under it. Stitch was curled up into a ball, quite literally, and was deep in the corner of the underside of the bed. Smiling slightly, Lilo crawled her way under it with him. "Come on, Stitch. It couldn't have been that bad. You were very brave to help Nani calm down like that, despite your fear." Stitch uncurled himself halfway so that half his face showed, and stared at her with one eye.
Just as Lilo was about to comment about something else, a loud, high pitched beeping sound echoed throughout their room. Stitch squeaked and lowered his ears as he rolled out from under the bed. Lilo crawled out from under the bed and ran to the window, Stitch following closely behind. The house that was the nearest to their house had a huge moving van parked outside, and was currently backing up toward the garage. "What's going on?" Lilo asked, very confused. She never knew there was a house right there.
"I don't know." Stitch jumped out the window, turning back and holding his paw out to her. "Let's find out." She nodded, and grabbed it while he swung her from the window seal and put her on his back, despite him being smaller than her, and scaled down the house. Once they reached solid ground, Stitch let Lilo down and they both ran toward the house. When they reached it, they saw a couple standing outside, the woman seemed very small compared to the huge Asian type man. The woman seemed to be pregnant, or she was just a bit of an alcoholic with a beer belly, and she was crying. The man glared at her. Deciding that they wouldn't be wanted, they watched from afar. The guy with the moving truck stared emotionlessly at the couple, and waited for the guy's answer.
"Yeah, we're selling it. Go ahead and pile all that junk into the truck while me and this bit- I mean, my wife, go walking." Gruffing in reply, the man with the white cap made his way to the huge pile of furniture, collectibles and appliances to pack it into the truck. Lilo turned to Stitch and both nodded. They would be getting some new neighbors soon.
And Lilo had neither a good or bad feeling about it.
Meanwhile...
"We're moving?!" Renee exclaimed, as she stared at her mother in disbelief. "To Hawaii?" Sondra nodded slowly as she stared blankly at her daughter.
"Yes, honey, we are. I can't afford to pay for this house, so we're buying a cheaper home in Hawaii. I found a nice cheap one near the beach." Waving her hand toward her room, she said, "I suggest you start packing because we're leaving first thing in the morning." Renee gasped.
"But mom, what about my friends?!" She was panicking now. She was supposed to go to the movies the next night with Lee, Annette, and Nicole; three of her best friends. Lee was the best of the lot, one guy friend she'd known since she was in kindergarten. Annette and Nicole were some of the girlfriends she'd met through Lee. Being in middle school, she'd known them practically her whole life. Renee didn't want to imagine a life without her best buddies. She couldn't cancel on going to the movies, and as she thought about it, she couldn't move anyway. The manager at the fast food joint down the road had hired her just last week and she hadn't even gotten her pay yet. Sighing, Sondra shook her head.
"Honey, you don't have that many friends. Just call them now and tell them because you need to be ready by tonight."
"But, mom--"
"Shut up already!" A whiney, scratchy voice yelled over Renee's objective one. "I'm trying to watch my show, one more distraction and I'm coming in there!" Anya, Renee's older sister practically screamed. Renee closed her mouth and slumped over, rolling her eyes. Scowling, she looked back up at her mother with pleading eyes.
"Please, mom, can I just go say bye to them?" She continued in a slightly softer tone. Sondra closed her eyes and shook her head slowly. She hated it that Renee had her husband's eyes and looks, but dispised it more when Renee had the same type of personality as her father. Sighing, she nodded, wincing when Renee hugged her tightly. "Thank you so much, mom! I'll be back before dark!" Glancing at the clock on the far wall, Sondra realized that wasn't too far away, it being 5:30 in the afternoon.
"That child.." She muttered before closing the door after her youngest daughter slammed it open. Sprinting down the sidewalk toward Lee's house, she brought out her cell phone and dialed in Nicole's number. It rang a few times before a beautiful voice picked up on the reciever. Nicole had the most lovely singing voice Renee had ever heard. She swore that Nicole would be famous from that voice one day. As she reached Lee's porch, she panted.
"Hello?" Nicole asked, decidedly a little freaked out. She'd seen a few horror movies, and usually when you get a phone call with heavy breathing, then it usually means you have a stalker.
"Ni.. Nicole, call.. Ann and tell her to.. (gasp).. meet me at Lee's house. You come too. I have to tell yall something important." Renee gasped out, breathing heavily and making her feel as though she didn't get enough exercise. Although others called her skinnier than a post, she still felt as if she were no competition for Nicole's hour glass figure. On the other end, Nicole let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding when she realized who it was.
"Oh, sure, Ren. See you in a bit." Flipping her phone closed, Renee knocked on Lee's door.
"Coming!" She listened as she heard footsteps echoing down the hallway, a loud squealing noise, then an even louder crash. Wincing, Renee reached for the doorknob and turned it, letting it slowly creak open. Looking down she saw Lee in a crumpled heap on the floor.
"Uh.. Lee, you okay?" Ren asked, bending down to his level as he lifted his head up. Immediately, a huge grin flashed across Lee's face as he hopped up.
"Hey, Ren! What brings you to my neck of the woods?" He asked as he lifted her up into a standing position and hugged her. Laughing, she hugged him back before she remembered why she was there. Releasing him, she backed away a few inches.
"Well, Lee, I have to talk to you, Annette and Nicole about something. They're coming over soon." Lee nodded, the grin still on his face before he noticed Ren's downcast look. He frowned and grabbed her arm, pulling her to his couch. His house wasn't the most perfect one, but it was something he could live in. The front door was hidden down a long hallway, and when you exit the hallway, you enter the living room and part of the kitchen. Then to the left of the kitchen, there was another hallway that had his room and his parents room. Sitting on the familiar couch next to her best guy friend, she leaned back into the habit of laying her head on Lee's shoulder and he put his arm around her. This picture might give someone the idea that they're a couple, but they're just really comfortable with one another and love hanging around each other. Coming out of her thoughts, Renee sighed deeply and looked at the hand that hung off her shoulder.
"Ren, why don't you tell me what's wrong? You seem really upset about it if you called Ann and Nicole over here too." That's what really worried Lee. Was that she called them. When Renee wanted to talk, she usually just talked to him, and him alone. But he didn't want to worry about it. Renee could call her other friends if she wanted to. Or maybe this was very important? So important, that she had to call them over to talk to all three of them at once? Lee sighed when Renee sniffled and hurriedly reached a hand up to wipe away some stray tears. They sat in silence for another 10 minutes before Lee heard a desprate knock at his door. Standing up, he let Renee cuddle into a pillow while he answered the door. Opening it, a body was thrown at him. Catching it before it fell to the floor along with him, he saw it was Annette, hugging him tightly around the waist in panic. Nicole stood sadly on the porch.
"Lee, what's going on with Ren? She sounded kind of lifeless when I talked to her on the phone. Other than breathing hard." Nicole added in an afterthought. Lee shrugged and let Ann steady herself. Glancing at her to make sure she could, he let her go and walked back to the living room. Ann and Nicole were actually cousins, and looked almost alike. Nicole had long black, brown and blond colored hair that reached her waist with bangs that curled around her face. She always had it up into a horse tail, which gave her the princess look. She had a nice oval face and deep soft brown eyes. Nicole had on a tight black shirt that really showed off her chest, and a plaid skirt that reached the top of her knees.
Standing up next to Renee and Ann, she was probably the tallest. Lee being the second tallest, then Renee and lastly, Ann, standing at exactly 4'11. Ann was a cute girl, having short black hair that was a little above her shoulders and bangs that cropped her face and hung around her cheeks. She was built like her cousin, but was small for her age. Ann's bright blue eyes, much like Renee's were really one of the best features on her face. She had on a huge black shirt and some dark bellbottom jeans. And as her traditional look goes, she had her black broadway type hat on that really added a cute look to her.
"Hey guys.." Renee muttered when she felt their presence in the room. Ann walked softly over to her and sat beside her, her face twisted into a sad expression. Lee and Nicole filled into the room and sat on the couch opposite of Ren and Ann.
"Oh honey.." Ann muttered and wrapped her arms around her, bringing her closer to herself. "What's the matter?" As far as compassion goes, Ann was the one to go to. She could come up with the best advice and she was also very good at cheering someone up. Nicole was one to go to just to vent on, and Lee was one who could do a little of both. Renee closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around Ann's waist and buried her head into her stomach.
"Guys, I hate to tell you this, and I hate to be doing it but.." She trailed off and sniffled.
"You're pregnant?" Six pairs of eyes turned to Lee. Nicole glared and backslapped his shoulder lightly while Ann growled warningly.
"Ow! What?" Lee rubbed his arm, wincing. Renee rolled her eyes and couldn't help but think, 'Not likely..'
"No, guys, I'm not expecting. But I just got word from my mother today that she can't afford to keep the house." She wiped her eyes and snuggled closer to Ann while she began to rub her back in a sense to calm her. "And that.. we're moving." Renee was expecting a gasp, horror filled "No's", or even an angry response. But what she got was relieved breaths.
"Oh, is that all? Ren, girl that's not that bad. Worst case, you'll just be moving down the road, right?" Nicole's relieved voice told her as soothingly as she could. Renee shook her head roughly.
"Yeah, Ren, I could always come visit you, and we can still go to the movies tomorrow night." Lee mentioned.
"No, guys, you don't understand. Mom's moving us to Hawaii." Ren blurted in despration for their understanding.
Silence.
You could hear a pin drop outside. Even Ann's comforting hand motion had stopped suddenly on her back.
"What..?" Ann gasped out and Ren was suddenly lifted into a sitting position only to be hugged tightly by the girl. "Honey, you can't be serious!" Renee felt tears pouring heavily down her cheeks as she hugged Ann back tightly.
"B-b-but, you can't move, Renee! You just can't! You promised to help me learn rollerskating this summer!" Nicole's choked voice echoed in her ears. Letting go of Ann, Renee stood up and walked swiftly over to Nicole, hugging her tightly while the girl did the same.
"I know, Nicole, I know. Maybe I can come back here and visit during the summer. I'm sure my mother would let me do that." She told Nicole comfortingly. They knew as well as she did, Sondra would do no such thing, but it did help Nicole calm down a bit.
"Ren.. you seriously have to be joking about this." Turning, she caught sight of Lee sitting still as stone on the couch. His eyes had hardened but you could see tears building up.
Renee lost it then.
She let go of Nicole after giving the girl one final squeeze and rushed to Lee, plowing into him and hugging him for all he was worth. Sobbing loudly, she wrapped her arms around his waist.
"I'm s-s-s-sorry, Lee. I'm so sorry. I wish I was. But, I hate to say I am." She whimpered out and felt warmth spread through her as Lee wound his arms around her back tightly. Ann, still sitting on the opposite couch, couldn't help but smile. She knew that Lee liked Renee in a more than friendship way, but being Ren, she had no idea. Renee was the type of girl who you could just hug, and she'd let you. You could kiss Ren and she'd let you do it without any objection. She was that kind of person. A type of small teddy bear. In Ann's eyes, she symbolized comfort; a shoulder to cry on, and just someone to talk to. A real friend. Getting up, Ann crossed the room to the two and sat beside Lee, taking both girl and guy into a tight hug against her.
"It'll be okay, guys. Renee has our numbers, and our addresses. Letters can be sent, and messages can be sent via cell phones. We won't be completely seperated." Ann comforted, and stroked both of their backs. Nicole made her way over and leaned into the embrace, wrapping her long slender arms around all three of them. After a while, Renee glanced up and caught sight of the clock hanging above the television. It was almost 7:30. The sun was setting, and the street lights were beginning to come on. Gasping, she struggled out of the embrace and fell face first onto the floor.
"What's the matter, Ren?" Ann's concerned voice called out, and soon she felt a hand pulling her to her feet. Coming face to face with Lee, she blinked, confused when he turned a shade darker and looked away. Shaking her head, she looked wide-eyed at them.
"Guys, I'm supposed to be home, like now! My mom said we're leaving in the morning!" Panic arising in her voice, she hurriedly hugged Ann tightly and kissed her cheek. Rushing to Nicole, she jumped up, hugged her and kissed her cheek. Turning around to face Lee, she hugged him tight, as if she were afraid he'd disappear from her sight. Looking up, time seemed to stop for her. Staring into Lee's dark eyes, she leaned up and planted a very soft kiss on his lips. She felt his sharp intake of breath, and smiled slightly before backing down and letting him go. His expression was one she will never forget. Laughing, she turned to Ann and Nicole and waved, running out the door at high speed, slamming it closed behind her. Standing in silence a few minutes, Ann and Nicole suddenly burst out laughing.
"So, I guess she wasn't in the dark this whole time!" Nicole giggled and held her stomach. Ann giggled at the comment.
"Yeah, it's about time. Too bad she's moving tomorrow, though." Instantly, the room was silent again. Lee not moving an inch. Ann and Nicole exchanged looks and snickered to themselves. Out in the street, Renee rushed to get home before darkness fell on the neighborhood. There was still some sunlight, so she had enough time to get home. Racing through the front door at exactly 7:59, she slammed it closed behind her and turned around to find her mother waiting, leaning against the wall.
"You were right on time. Close, but on time." Letting out a sigh of relief, Ren walked further into the house and headed to her room to pack. She felt better about the moving thing now, not having to face Lee the next day about the kiss. Why'd she do that anyway? Maybe she had an alternative motive or something. Shrugging, she opened her door and closed it behind her. Seeing a huge suitcase on her bed, she sighed and walked foward, emptying out her dressers. Folding her shirts and pants inside the suitcase as neatly as she could, she packed in all her personal belongings like her iPod, CDs, some trinkets she obtained as gifts and from gift shops, and her most prized possession: her silver necklace with a coin attatched to it.
The coin was something she'd always treasure. When she was younger, her father had found the coin in their old house's backyard. On the coin was a monk with some foreign lettering, and on the other side was a monkey, with the same foreign lettering. She thought it looked cool, and had kept it with her always, but never actually wore it. Fear of losing it, she figured. Thinking on it for a minute, she picked it back up and put it around her neck. Looking in the mirror opposite her bed, she fingered the coin. Smiling, she sighed contentedly and finished packing. Zipping the suitcase closed, she flung it on the floor, glancing at the clock. Realizing how late it was; 10:49 to be exact, she crawled into her bed and let sleep claim her.
End Chapter