Hi.
Thanks for the great reviews as usual – you awesome people.
Disclaimer: …I do not own… a lot of things. Mostly this house…and the night world series.
Here's chapter 1.-
Paris feels like home now. At first I wasn't sure, but then, I guess I changed and Paris changed with me. The faces are familiar, the language is more fluent and my personality has changed. I've finally grown up.
I'm a second year student at university, studying criminology; I thought that seeing as though I have had a brush with the legal system all my life, I might as well learn about it.
It has been hard moving on, though friends do soften the blow. Nothing has hurt more than not speaking to Quinn. It's like a void that is getting larger, bruising me deeper. I hate that he hasn't responded to my phone calls, emails or letters in a whole year. But I know there must be a reason. My friends, they think that I'm a mad for contacting him in the early mornings knowing that it will only go straight to voice mail.
Jacqueline in particular, she shakes her head and looks at me like 'he's not worth it'. But he is. I know that there is a reason why he hasn't spoken to me. I know he loves me. It must be his dad- or Megan. God only knows what kind of trash she is; once a bitch always a bitch. My other friends bombard me with outings to go skiing or to go to the movies, the library, the parties, the concerts, the restaurants…but I feel as if they are wasting their money trying to make me feel better. The only thing that will make he feel better is seeing Quinn. Maybe I delude myself into thinking that he will come and see me. I sure as hell can't go and see him – his father made that perfectly clear.
I tend to talk to about him to most to Aurora. She's the only one who wants to listen. And I think she really cares. Whenever I break down and cry, she is there, and she gets me through it.
Every day is the same. And they tend to merge into one. I walked to work as usual; the long journey wasn't so bad today. The weather has been nicer than it was. Not to hot, not to cold. Just right. I took the opportunity to ring Quinn's phone, only to here he's voice mail.
"Hey, sorry you've missed me, but if you leave a message I'll call you back." His voice said. Liar - thought. You won't call me back.
I loved to here his voice; so soft and velvety. But its just a voice after all.
"Quinn. Its me. Again. Just wanting to say hi… Miss you…" I said, then I snapped the phone shut. I have given up saying 'call me back' because he won't.
I could see the café in the distance and I sped up to get to the doors. I turned the handle – expecting it to open, but it wouldn't. I looked at the window, to see the closed sign. He is not awake? Jean Louis, my boss, was known for being a heavy sleeper, that and his type 2 diabetes.
I got out my phone and dialed his house while I banged noisily on the shop window. After ten rings he picked up.
"Hello…" He said groggily.
"Jean. Wake up. Its 5 am we need to set up!" I snapped down the phone.
"Alright fine Sweetie…" I heard a yawn. "Just give me 10 more minutes."
"Hey! Do not go back to sleep!" I yelled. There was no response. Damn him. "JEAN- LOUIS." I screamed down the phone. I could see and Aurora and her older brother Paul walking arm in arm. Jacqueline and I call them 'The Blondie's' because there hair was so wild and yellow, your eyes would be blinded. They gave both gave me the same strange look. I laughed uncomfortably. "Jean- Louis…he's fallen asleep." I said guiltily
Aurora and Paul's face changed into an understanding. "Typical." Paul said shaking his head.
"Give it here."Aurora said pointing at my phone. I handed it to her. She rolled her eyes. "He is flipping snoring!" She said angrily. "WAKE UP! DO YOU WANT TO LOSE BUSINESS? CUSTOMERS? WE ARE STUDENTS AND WE NEED MONEY – YOUR MONEY! IF YOU DON'T WAKE UP WE WILL DIE!" She yelled. "DO YOU WANT BLOOD ON YOUR HANDS? DO YOU WANT TO MURDER 3 TWENTY YEAR OLD STUDENTS?"
"That's a bit much don't you think?" Paul said. Aurora glared at him and continued screaming. People by looked scared as they passed us. Paul and I laughed uncomfortably, as if to say; 'what is she like?'
Annoyed, and feeling pretty cold I started to bang on the window and Paul began to throw stones at Jean's bedroom window, above the shop door, hoping the noise would wake him up. Then Paul threw a stone too hard at the window – smashing the glass.
"Oh shit." Paul said. Aurora slammed down the phone and stared at the damage. My mouth was wide open.
"YOU BLOODY IDIOT! LOOK WHAT YOU DID!" Aurora said slapping her brother around the face.
I wanted to cry. The whole idea was to wake him up so we could start working, not to wake him up so that he could fire us. Then a shocked face appeared at the crack.
"Morning Jean…" I said a little scared. I didn't really know how scary Jean could be – but he is a big man, so you tend to be on your best behaviour around him.
"He did it." Aurora said, pointing at her brother. He stared back at her in shock. Jean- Louis raised his eyebrows and then stepped back.
"Gee. Thanks Paul. Now we're gonna get fired." I said slapping on the back of his head. He looked sad. I knew the look; 'If I could only turn back time, I would have done that differently.'
Through shop I could see a plump dark figure moving towards the door. I took a deep breath in. As it got closer, I could see him wearing his wife's floral dressing gown. He smiled as he put on his glasses and unlocked the door. Hallelujah – we still have a job.
"I am so, so, so, so sorry." Paul begged as Jean opened the door.
"It's fine. I hated that window anyway." Jean said patting him on the back. He held out his hands for the rest of us to walk in.
"Please let me by you an alarm clock." I said hanging up my coat and bag.
"Who needs an alarm clock? The sun wakes me up."He said rubbing his bulging stomach. Then it rumbled. "And so does my belly." He chuckled.
I smiled as I flipped the sign from closed to open.
Throughout the day we always see the same people; otherwise known as the 'regulars' Maria the single mother who always has to bring up the fact that she is a single mother, Taylor the totally sexy Latin student who comes in every day just to have Aurora serve him coffee. There are others to, the type of guys and girls who you grow to love.
Paul nudged me to tell me that Maria had walked in. No one else could take her, and seeing as though I'm too nice to say no, I was elected for Maria duty.
"Maria. Hi." I said walking over to her with my pad and paper. I was dreading the endless conversation with her. I'd bet my life that she would tell me that she is a single parent.
"Rashel, how are you?" She said. She'd bought a new buggy and her baby age 3 months was playing with its feet.
"I'm great, how are you and baby Matthew…" I cooed at the baby blowing a bubble with his saliva.
"Oh, you know stressful, seeing as how I'm a single mother now." She said. Here we go… "Do you know how hard it is looking after a little baby when you are on your own? Not easy. You are really lucky that you've had such a great upbringing." I alsmost burtst out laughing. My upbringing has been far from 'great'.
Maria continued. "I only hope that my Matthew will see that I've tried to do my best. But can you really do that being a single parent? Marcus? Oh he doesn't care. Sure I call him all the time, telling him how big his son is getting. Marcus clearly couldn't keep up with my maternal needs…" She kept going and I switched off.
She orders the same thing ever day, a cheese sandwich with salad and a can of cola, so I showed her to her seat and stood therenot listening, for a good 10 minutes. She took a breath between a sentence. I smiled and said, "I think you're a great mother." Then she almost burst out into tears, and I took that as my cue to leave.
I thanked God for sparing my ears. I leant my head on the counter table, where the staff is mainly stationed.
"You have the patience of a saint ma darlin'." Aurora said smiling at me she began to rub my spine.
"Gee, thanks." I said rolling my eyes. "If she tells me she is a single parent one more time…" I took a deep breath in when I exhaled I saw Taylor stroll in like the Spanish Latin God that he was. "Oooh. Lover boys back." I said leaning over Aurora's shoulder.
"Who?" She said. I pointed at the door. "Oh no, not him again. This is the fourth time this week and it is only Tuesday!" She huffed irritated.
"He loves you." I said making goo-goo eyes and creating the heart shape with my hands.
"Oh shut up. Maybe he really likes coffee." She shrugged.
"So why did you say 'Oh no' like he doesn't love you."
"Shut up. You and I both know he's going to ask for me." She said rubbing her head. "Why don't you tell him I've got a migraine."
"I'm not lying for you! Just wait on him, be nice."
"I don't wanna." Aurora said making a baby face, her blonde fringe covering her eyes completely. "It's not like he talks to me anyway."
"Yes, so be the bigger man." I said pushing her forward from her shoulders. "Start a conversation. Its not that hard!"
She froze. "I don't wanna be the bigger man!" She cried. I pushed harder.
"Carpe Diem!" I snapped. She clicked into gear; she sucked in her anxieties – reluctantly - and strolled over to Taylor's table. Every since her father died of cancer, the words 'Carpe Diem' reflected his life; He went for anything and everything. Jacqueline, Claude, Paul and I all use it to break her out of her shy shell. Not that she's in the shell most of the time.
-
The day dragged on and my shift was almost over. Thank god.
I started to remember essays due and the stress of student life. I didn't have time to catch up with Aurora about how her date went, but I'd see her back at home. I waved and ran all the way home.
I opened the door to the house, and I'd know what I'd see. I'm not saying that I can predict the future but my friends are pretty predicable. Jacqueline and Claude would be sat on the sofa watching a horror movie, in the middle of the afternoon.
Sure enough when I opened the front door I was in complete darkness. I slammed the apartment door shut and heard them both scream.
"Helooo…."Claude said shaky.
"Do you think it's a ghost?" I heard Jacqueline say with a tiny voice. I rolled my eyes. For someone so sure of her self, she's pathetic when it comes to the paranormal.
"Guys it's just me." I said turning on the light. They both screamed again and clutched each other at the sight of me. "Ha, ha. Funny. What are you watching?" I said walking into the kitchen.
"Paranormal Activity…you wanna join us?" Jacqueline asked clinging onto Claude's arm for dear life. Her voice still sounded petrified.
"No, I have essays and deadlines – as do you!" I said grabbing a bottle of lemonade.
"When did you get so boring?" Claude wined, rolling his eyes. He jumped over the sofa and switched off the light. Then he shimmied his way back to his seat. He put his legs on the coffee table and stretched out his arms. "Life is about vampires, ghouls, witches, werewolves…"
"And the things that go bump in the night. Sure I get it." I rolled my eyes as I poured the drink into a mug.
"We should go out and buy the 'New Moon' DVD…" Claude said. "That Jacob has one sexy body!" He said. I shuddered; his obsession for the actor was bizarre. Taylor Lautner – be afraid.
"No. No. No." Jacqueline shook her head. "We should go…and rent… 'Lord of the Rings'!" She said excitedly.
"I thought you were watching 'Paranormal Activity'?" I asked confused.
"Yeah…but it's not as scary as we thought." Claude said. He looked disappointed. How people can sit and watch something to scare them so much they want to wet themselves…I'll never know.
"Wait, but Jacq? You're scared of Smeegal , or what ever his name is."
"Oh yeah.." Claude said. "You freak out when ever someone says; 'my precious…' in that voice"
"AHH STOP IT!" She screamed and threw a pillow over her head. "I hate you guys."
"Lord of the Rings isn't even scary."I said shrugged.
"Neither is New Moon."Jacqueline said pouting. "I know! The Grudge – the Japanese version…" She said as if it made a huge difference.
"Oh my god. You're a genius!" Claude said taking the pillow away from Jacqueline "My friend told me that after she saw the movie…she couldn't sleep for days… "He said like he was telling a ghost story. I rolled my eyes. Horror movies don't do it for me; I'm more of a thriller type gal. The Bourne movies and all that suspense junk.
"I don't mind not sleeping! It's over rated anyways." Jacqueline said. If she had been studying and doing her homework as she should, then maybe she wouldn't have said that sentence. Sleep is the best thing God ever invented.
Without a moments hesitation the duo jumped up and grabbed there coats. Suddenly Jacqueline froze as if she remembered something. She looked over at Claude and gave him a secretive look.
"Right." I said moving on with my life. I wanted to go to my room, and finish my essay for; 'Why the Criminals are criminals'. It is the worst essay I have ever written in my life, but then again, it is the most annoying essay question, ever given. "I'll be in my room if you need me." I said walking passed them. I noticed when Jacqueline pinched Claude in the stomach.
As I walked to my room Claude stopped me by his tone of voice. "Rash, by the way…" I turned around to see that his face had changed to a more uncomfortable expression. "You're mum called…"
I didn't get the big deal. Jackie called all the time. "Okay, great. I'll give her a ring back-" I started as I dung my hands into my back pocket to get my phone. She probably wanted some help with Blaise, ever since she turned 15; she's been a right pain in the arse.
"No, I mean your real mum…"
I didn't get it. "Huh?"
"You're birth mother…" Claude said scratching his neck.
I froze. "What did she want?" I said.
"She wanted to speak with you about…" He trailed off into a mumble
"About what?" I asked confused. I wanted to rip my hair out of my scalp. The woman made my life hell, my life and Keller's life was at risk every single day, and now she wants contact. If she wants something then it's probably money to buy more drugs, then again why would she ask me when she's so used to selling her body.
"Rashel." Jacqueline said sympathetically. I'd told her about my mother and the horrors that Keller had told me. She remembers more than I do, for reasons I don't really want to know. "You're mum says she needs your help…because she's pregnant…"
"Ay?" I said confused. My drug addict, good for nothing mother…is going to have another baby? God help us all. And just when I thought I left her at the airport.
-
O.o …what the hell happened to fan fiction while I was away… there is no more, green button???? SPEECH BUBBLES AREN'T SEXY! DAMN YOU CRUEL WORLD!!!
Okay, I'm calm now. It's been a while, haven't had a chance to use a computer in for-e-ver. Got all these huge exams coming up – and I'm revising like there is no tomorrow. Plus, life didn't help when my damn internet broke!
Ps. Yes, I want Quinn and Rashel back together again…but if they don't get split up for a while – I'll have no story. Is that what you want? – Actually don't answer that.
Sorry about some typo's my brain hasn't bee functioning...well...
So, tell me how much you hated/liked this chapter. C'mon, you can be honest with me. ..
No you can press….the…sexy? …bubble…to review...?
Damn you fan fiction…