Chapter 04 – Piece by piece

"MEEEEEEG!" Here it comes. We got to this city two days ago, and every single time she can't find something, she calls me. As if I would be able to find anything in this mess! "Have you seen my black dress?"

"Which one, mom?"

"My favorite one, that makes me look professional and responsible, that I use all the time."

"I have no idea", I smile and she keeps walking around, nervous. She's gonna go see Karen, get to know the place she'll work in, so she wants to look perfect. Which is not hard for her, really, but it doesn't keep her from freaking out.

Our house here is amazing! I swore to myself I wasn't gonna like it, as a part of the whole "I'm hating every single thing about this idea" thing, but I have to give in to that. The town doesn't do anything for me, or at least what I've seen of it so far. No wonder my parents left, it's a wasteland over here. I barely got out of the house, though. I guess I'm really freaked out, I mean, what if I see Peyton, or one of those people I've seen in pictures with her? Sure, she won't even know it's me, but here's the thing… Tree Hill is pretty damn small. She'll end up finding out that I'm here, eventually, and I have no idea what I'll do then. So I'm kinda hiding. But anyway, our house. It's even bigger than the one we had back in Charlotte, and that one was already big! My room's bigger too, which means more space for my CD's and all my notebooks with everything I write. I have a nice view of the river that cuts this town in half, and I remember seeing a basketball court somewhere near. Cute guys playing basketball? Can't hurt to take a look sometimes.

Mom gave me a free pass not to go to school for a week, so I can adjust first. It's the least she could do, since she won't start working till next week either. Speaking of the devil… she just passed by my room and waved goodbye. I was nice enough to wish her good luck with Karen, even though I still have hopes that it won't work out and she'll come home determined to go back to Charlotte and forget about her crazy plan. I sit in my room, alone in this huge house for the first time since I got here, and sigh. Nothing's really gonna change, I guess. Only the place, and the fact that my dad's not here anymore. To my surprise, I find myself wanting to get out of the bedroom, something that's extremely unusual for me. I guess everything that's happened over the last month starts to sink in, and I just wished there was someone I could talk to. I grab my laptop and go to the front porch, sit, and the verses start to appear in my head, as I type them all, as fast as I can, trying not to let anything slip away.

I can't begin to think
To wonder what I need
How can I ever show
I can't do this on my own

So I run
From the distance I stop and turn
But there's no one

Piece by piece
Dream by dream
It's all so quick
They're torn away from me

Thought by thought
And word by word
I've always yelled
You've never heard

The loudest of the screams can be yelled
Without a sound

That's the way it works with me. The words come rushing through my head, as if the poem has already been written, it just needs someone to put it on paper. Sometimes I write, and when I'm finally done, it's amazing. It all fits. It's almost as if I throw a bunch of words there, and they rearrange themselves till it all makes sense. My poems are a completely different part of me than what people know. If someone ever read them, they'd have a hard time believing I was the one who wrote them. Hell, sometimes I have a hard time believing it. They show my vulnerable side, which I really hate! That's why I don't let anyone read them. And I mean it. The Pope could come here in person and ask me, I still wouldn't let him. It'd be weird, though. I'm sure he has more important stuff to do.

Just as I'm finishing writing, a couple of girls who were passing by the house suddenly stop.

"New in the neighborhood, huh?" one of them, red-haired, asks.

"New in town, actually", I answer, not even looking at her.

"So, you have any hot older brother in there?" the other one asks, smirking.

I look at them and grin. "Sorry to disappoint you, just me and mommy dearest", I roll my eyes while saying the two last words.

"Oh well, nice knowing you, then", the red-haired shrugs and starts leaving, but the brunette doesn't move. "Absentee parents?' she asks.

"Oh no! Absentee, crazy for a fight, with mysterious other daughter I've never met parents", she keeps looking and doesn't say anything. "What?" I ask.

"Nothing, you just… remind me of someone I used to know. But anyway… don't worry. With this history, you'll feel right at home here."

"Great", I mumble as the two of them start to walk away. I soon see them entering one of the other big houses on my street. And then my mom's car comes. She looks happy. So much for my hopes of ever going back home.

"Karen was so great! That café of hers is really cozy, but I definitely loved the club. She has someone to help her get the bands, but the girl's pretty young, so aside from doing the whole legal part, I'll also help the girl, you know, with the management part. And you should see her son! She showed me some pictures of him. I'd seen Lucas before, when he was about 2 years old, and now he's 18! Can you believe how fast times goes by?"

"L… Lucas? That's her son's name?" I gulp. Mom nods happily and keeps babbling. An 18 year old named Lucas? How many of them can there possibly be in this town? I try to remember the picture. "Mom? How is he?" I ask, not sure if I wanna hear the answer.

"Oh, he's so handsome! Blond, tall, hazel eyes… and too old for you in case you're having any ideas, missy!" I feel my stomach do that rolling and turning upside down thing. Little did I know the worst part was yet to come. "But you'll see it for yourself. I invited him and Karen to dinner tomorrow."

Hehe, little cliffie! I love those! But I'm not that mean, I only do them when I already have the next chapter ready! I hope you like the story so far, thank you for everyone who's been reviewing, you know how much it means for a writer! Oh, and the title of this chapter and the stuff Megan writes, I took it from a poem by... well... me! LOL! Actually, two of my poems, the last part is from another one! Please review!