Later update because I'm sick… well I was. Stupid stomach bug that caused me to stay home Wednesday and Friday and cancel my double date gr asdfghjkl. But yeah that's next Friday now. Anyway, I'm trying the best I can to post new chapters soon. But, like I said before, I am completely winging this as I go. No plot, no notes, no typed chapters ready beforehand. Yeah :D
Shout-outs: Dreamer1992: Well here's chapter 3! I hope you love this one too :P
Taylor Shine: Thanks :) And that is good! I will kill of Drew. Ooh, now that I think about it, I have the perfect way :D But it might not be any time soon… I have to see how much time will pass in the chapters. And any day :) I do like to give credit when it's due. And I used your idea as a bounce-board (is that what they call it?) so I could end the chapter with a cliffhanger where people could read up top to refresh. It is settled. I, Samantha Anne *formal last name in British accent* will not kill you for cliffhangers and drama overload if thou swearest to do the same. Oh yes I understand about updates because we all get busy. Chapter 3 now!
Now, here is Chapter 3 of "What Happens Now?"
~Chapter 3: Mother's Advice~
"What Happens Now?" Chapter 2 Ending:
Just when I put the home phone back in the charger, my cell phone went off. Not bothering to look at the caller, I swiped the screen and talked "Hello?" in the phone.
"So I have to watch a fucking celebrity news show in order to find out you're engaged? When were you going to tell me?"
The voice was one I was not expecting at that moment in the middle of everything. It was on the news? Speaking into the phone, I exclaimed "Mom?" Why did she call?
SAM'S POV:
"Yes, Samantha! Who else would it be? Now please explain to me why I have to find out about my own daughter's engagement on some television entertainment show?" Oh boy did she sound pissed. I loved how I didn't get a usual greeting either.
"Good morning, Mother. Nice to hear from you too. Of course I miss you and love you" I sarcastically stated into the phone, rolling my eyes and shifting my legs to sit cross-legged on the bed. "Oh, everything's fine here. And tell Dad I say hello back."
"Don't you use that tone on me, young lady!" my mother snapped into the phone with that tone I missed oh so much. "You may be an adult now living in another state, but I am still your mother! I deserve an explanation as to why I received no notification about this!"
I growled into the mouthpiece and bit my tongue from swearing at my mother. "Mom, calm down and sip on another beer, will ya?" I told her, rolling my eyes again. "This morning hasn't been the best, and I really don't need you yapping in my ear when this headache is big enough…"
"You better watch your tone" she replied in a low, angry tone. "I just want to know what the hell happened last night that you couldn't even call me or leave a message at least saying Oh hey Mom. Wanted to let you know that I got engaged. I'll call you later. Love you. Bye?"
"Because I FAINTED, that's why!" I yelled with clear annoyance. "The night was busy enough and then I fainted! I was going to call you this morning this morning but I got in a fight with James, ok? I have my own problems, you know!"
"Oh my god honey" she gasped, pulling the phone closer to her mouth. "Are you ok? Why did you faint? Did you go to the hospital? Is someone taking care of you?"
"I'm fine now. I'm sure" I promised, smirking at how she changed from Queen Bitch to Loving Mother in a few seconds. And people wondered why I snapped sometimes… "I fainted because of a problem with Drew. And no I didn't. James took care of me downstairs on the couch until I woke up and he carried me upstairs."
"Samantha!" Here comes the lecturing. "You should have gone to the hospital! James isn't a professional doctor, no matter how much you may think he's your Prince Charming! I really want you to go so you can get checked out! And what's this about Drew? Drew, your ex?"
Oh shit. I may have kind of forgotten to tell my own family about the Drew problems I had. I got so caught up in trying to avoid him and focus on my relationship with James that I didn't tell anyone outside my friend circle. Well this was going to be a fun conversation. "Before you start going off, I need to tell you something" I warned my mother, my voice getting quieter. "Don't freak out or anything, and don't tell Dad. I can handle this on my own, and I always have James and my other friends if I need them."
"Sam, you're scaring me" my mother uttered, sounding hesitant. "I'm your mother. You can tell me anything."
Taking a long breath, I blew it out through my teeth and rubbed my face with my hands. "I uh… I'm been having some problems with Drew…" I began, trying to make it as short and simple as possible. "He… he's been trying to get back together with me since the end of January."
"Oh honey, everyone puts up with ex boyfriends" my mother chuckled, clearly not understanding the meaning of this. "It's a part of life. You almost had me scared there for a second."
"Mom, it's more serious than that" I corrected, looking down into my lap and playing with the string on my sweatpants. "He showed up at my house one day and kissed me, saying that he loved me and wanted me back. Drew said he'd do anything, and that led to other problems…"
"Did you push him off?" she asked, sounding worried. "What other problems? I hope he didn't do anything to you or I would personally have to fly down there to beat his ass."
"Yes, I slapped him. And well, he kind of showed up at my work place as I was leaving in February and said he'd be the perfect guy for me. Just wait and see."
"What? Is that all?" She sounded shocked and surprised. And she didn't even hear the worst of it yet.
"No…" I carried out, scared myself to relive those memories. "On the last day of February, he broke in my house and tried to force me to say that I loved him. He threatened to kill me, James, and my friends. Anything to be with me."
"Oh my god!" my mom started crying into the phone. "Samantha, how could you keep this from me so long? Are you alright? Is he in jail for that? You have to tell me these things!"
"I'm sorry!" I apologized, bringing my hand to my head and leaning on it with my elbow. "It was overwhelming for me, and I just wanted a break when he finally decided to stop! Drew's not in jail. James beat him up and he stayed away until yesterday. I just didn't want you to freak!"
"How am I NOT supposed to freak hearing this?" my mother questioned in an obvious tone. "You're my daughter, Samantha! He put your life in danger! Did you even bring it to the police? He could be in jail, you know! You can't expect to handle all this yourself!"
"No I didn't because he said he'd kill if I did! And I DON'T WANT TO DIE OK!" I screamed into the phone, feeling the tears wanting to break out. "I don't want James to either! Or anyone for that matter! He disappeared and didn't bother anyone for nine months! But last night I guess he was in the audience when James proposed and decided that now was the time to start up again. So he put a note in my bedroom with a rose saying You will always be mine. Now James is freaking and wanting to move, and I don't want to right away because I had a terrible nightmare when I fainted and we got in a fight this morning and started screaming and swearing and arguing-"
"Honey!" my mother interrupted, shushing me with soft whispers. "Calm down, and explain to me this fight. Are you still angry? Do you want to talk about it all?"
Hearing those words just made me break down. I started to sob over the phone, my shoulders heaving as I covered my mouth with my right hand. "I'm scared, Mom" I confessed through my cries and weeping. "I'm scared of what else he can do! I don't want to live my life in fear! And I don't want James to leave me!"
"Oh, honey" she spoke sadly into the receiver. "It's ok. I'm here. Don't cry." Her tone was soothing like a mother should be. "This is why you need to take it to the police and get him in jail so you're not in fear everywhere you go. And James is leaving? What happened?"
I sniffled and blinked, trying to calm the tears that were pouring out. But for some reason, they rushed out faster. "I-I'm just too stressed out!" I wailed, slamming my fist onto the mattress. "So much has happened and it's moving too fast for me. I can't keep up with everything! My mind is such a mess right now after everything that I can't think straight. I just can't do this…"
"I know, baby. I understand" my mother whispered in a soft tone. "What exactly is moving too fast for you? Can you not handle Drew? James? The engagement? Moving?"
"Everything!" I answered back, shaking my head and letting the tears cover my whole cheek. "I love James and want to get married to him, but not with all of this other stuff happening! It hasn't even been a full day and already I'm so overwhelmed! I don't like to have issues being thrown at me! It's too much to take in!"
"Alright, you need to take it one step at a time" she told me, helping me with the much needed motherly advice. "Now what's the biggest issue right now?"
I wiped from under my eyes with my right thumb and rubbed the excess water off on my sweatpants. "J-James" I stammered, closing my eyes and taking a long breath to calm myself. "We got into an argument over moving this morning and now we aren't talking."
"Oh honey, you have to straighten that out then" she sighed, her voice getting lower. "Did he leave the house or anything?"
"No, I don't think so…" I stuttered, turning my head towards the door to try and hear if there were any movements from outside. But all I got was silence. I didn't know if that was a good or bad thing. "He's not upstairs… He might be downstairs."
"Ok, well you need to get off your bed and go downstairs to talk it out. I know you, Sam. You're going to keep yourself locked up in that bedroom and never come out because you're scared to face the realization that this truly is happening. James is your fiancé. You need to make this right."
"How did you know I was in the bedroom?" I asked, ignoring all the other comments she said because I was too curious.
"I'm your mother. I know these things" she managed to laugh out. "You used to do that as a teenager. Some things don't change… But what I do know has changed is your heart. You know what's right, but you can't go down and talk to James because you feel like something bad will happen."
"I-" I tried to think of a reasonable excuse or response to this, but there was none. Mothers always knew best, and they seemed to give the perfect advice. I had to listen to it right now and take it. "I had a nightmare James left me…" I squeaked out in a barely audible voice.
There was no noise on the other line, the static the only thing filling my ears. "Is-is that why you're scared?" my mother asked, connecting everything together.
I couldn't even respond with a yes, so I just mumbled and allowed my face to scrunch up as I sobbed again. It was more of a dry weeping, my eyes getting glossy and watery but never releasing the tears inside. "He… he said he couldn't handle the Drew situation. And…. and he couldn't deal with us. So he moved out and left me to die…"
"That was only a dream" my mother tried to reassure, shushing me and making small loving noises to soothe me. "James would never do that. He's supported you all this time. And now he's engaged to you. There is no way he's leaving. Now go downstairs and tell him how you feel. Now."
"No. I can't do-"
"Samantha." That stern tone was coming out, even though she was helping me with my issue. "Go downstairs now. This is the only way your fear will go away."
My breaths were short from all the crying, but I wiped my face with my hand and blinked a few times. Cupping my hands around the bottom of the phone, I whimpered "Will you stay with me on the phone?"
"Of course baby" she confirmed, trying to block her own sadness. It must have been hard hearing her own daughter so unstable. If only she saw me earlier…
"Ok." I uncrossed my legs and moved them to the side of the bed, standing up and taking a moment to gather myself before creeping to the door. Step by step, I shuffled to the door and slowly turned the doorknob, sticking my head out to see if James was in the hallway. He wasn't. Opening the rest of the door, I slipped out and cautiously made my way to the stairs.
The noise of the television couldn't be heard from the top of the steps. I took this as a bad sign, unless James was taking a nap. Gripping onto the handrail with my right hand, I secured the phone under my chin as I crept down the steps.
Reaching the bottom of the stairs, I peered around the corner into the other hallway to see if anyone was down there. Seeing nothing, I made my way into the middle of the living room and looked around. The light from the kitchen wasn't on, and the furniture in the living room wasn't occupied by James. The remotes weren't where James usually keeps them, and I noticed that the kitchen chair he saw sitting in was pushed back in. This really wasn't a good sign.
"Mom" I whimpered again, sounding like a scared little child. "I don't see him."
"Go check the other rooms in the house then" she replied, keeping a calm tone.
I didn't want to do that, though. I already knew the result if I did. Moving over to the front door, I looked out the small window design in front at my driveway. I saw my black Pathfinder, but James' truck was gone. My breath got trapped in my throat as I spun around to the coat rack. His jacket was gone, and so was his wallet and key he usually kept on the glass table. James wouldn't leave. He just wouldn't. He couldn't!
Ripping the phone from under my chin, I grabbed the bottom of it and screamed "HE'S NOT HERE!" at the top of my lungs before collapsing onto the mat in front of the front door. I threw my phone towards the cushions as I banged my head against the door. I couldn't believe this. He left. For how long, I didn't know. But he wasn't here with me when I needed him. He took his coat and left me alone. Well Happy New Year's to me I guess. I got the one thing that I never wanted to happen, but it was bound to anyway.
My nightmare was coming true.
Yeah sorry about the shorter length. I had a little mind block on this one because I'm going back and forth between my English homework and this story. But I hope you all don't hate me for the curveballs I've been throwing at you. It's the sequel! Gotta make you interested somehow! Keep reviewing lovelies :P
