Chapter Four: Beth
"Who was that?" Dylan asked with a mouth full of popcorn.
"Bobby Munson" Beth put the phone back on the table.
"Booty call?" he giggled. Spraying popcorn everywhere.
"Becks got pissed and assaulted Jessie"
"Brilliant" Dylan exclaimed happily clapping his hands.
"No, not brilliant. Apparently Jessie got a shot in and scratched her face up. As well as Becks making a complete ass of herself"
"So do we need to go pick her up?"
"No she's getting dropped off, she should be here soon"
"So DVD nights over?"
"Fraid so. It looks like you'll have to go out and actually have a good time"
"Aw babe I always have a good time with you, just a better one when I'm draped over a hot muscled sexy man" he said with conviction.
"I've got to admit Will Farrell doesn't really compete in that respect. Collin Farrell maybe"
"Yes please. Yum yum" Beth grabbed a handful of popcorn and hauled herself up. She started to clean up as she popped the popcorn in her mouth.
"Well far be it from me to stop you finding the man of your dreams"
"I can stay and help with Rebecca if you want?"
"Nah, I'll probably just put her to bed. Don't need two for that"
"Just make sure she don't take advantage of ya" he got up from where he was lying on the floor and hugged her from behind.
"I'll try beat her back" Beth laughed. She had just put the dishes in the sink when she saw the tow-truck pull up outside. "That's her" She watched as Abel jumped out and tried to coax Rebecca out. Beth felt the cold air whip around her as she opened the door. Dylan appeared beside her.
"Who needs Collin Farrell when you got him. No wonder you didn't want me to stay" He whispered as he watched Abel. "I'll leave you three to it" he kissed her on the cheek waved at Abel and Rebecca as he headed to his car.
"Beth" Rebecca shouted when Abel finally got her out the truck. She stumbled up the patio steps and threw her arms round Beth. "I gave that bitch what for" she breathed. Beth flinched from the smell of Rebecca's breath.
"So I heard. Hey Abel"
"Hey" Beth backed up into the house. Rebecca still hanging onto her. Abel followed her in.
"Nice place"
"Thanks, Rebecca's mum rents it to us" Beth sat Rebecca down at the dining table and went to get the first aid kit from the bathroom. When she came back in Rebecca was leaning against Abel.
"Right lets have a look at you" she lifted Rebecca's face up to the light. "How bad was it?" she asked Abel.
"Not too bad. Rebecca got the worst of it. It was mostly verbal"
"I told her what she did to you" Rebecca whispered almost falling asleep.
"Great. Made me sound like a right saddo didn't she?" she looked up at Abel.
"No made Jessie look like a bitch and Tommy look like an idiot" Beth grabbed some cotton out and swabbed around the cuts.
"Good news their not that deep I think the layers of makeup protected you. Bad news your gunna have a throbbing head tomorrow"
"Mmmmm" Rebecca mumbled as she dribbled slightly, her eyes were tightly closed.
"Do you mind helping me take her to bed?"
"Sure. Come on" He scooped her up in his arms and waited for Beth to lead him to her room. Beth went to Rebecca's bed and pulled back the covers, ready for Abel to put her down. After Beth had slipped off her shoes she and Abel left her to sleep soundly.
"Want some tea or coffee?" Beth asked once she shut the door.
"Tea would be good"
"Can I ask you a question?" Abel asked as Beth switched on the kettle and he sat down.
"Sure"
"What happened with you and Tommy? I mean I know he cheated but why? I thought you guys were going good" Beth bit her lip and sat down across from Abel at the dining table.
"About a week before you got sent away I had a pregnancy scare"
"Oh"
"Yeah, I didn't tell him until… well you were away. I didn't think he needed more stress"
"What happened?"
"He threw me a couple hundred dollars to get an abortion"
"Is that what you wanted?"
"I might not be outside the clinic with a placard but I couldn't"
"So you wanted to keep it?"
"Yeah. Tommy got a bit freaked out at the thought. It turns out I wasn't… just late. But we never really came back from that. I mean don't get me wrong I wasn't hoping for a kid at nineteen but I didn't see it being too bad. I was working, had a place to live, had Tommy, who I'd known for all my life and dated for three years by then. Better then plenty of other girls. After that I felt Tommy pulling away"
"How'd you find out about him and Jessie?"
"She came in one day crying her eyes out saying she thought she might be pregnant and that the guy wants her to get rid of it. Then she 'accidentally' let it slip that it was Tommy's"
"Let me guess the baby never appeared"
"Nope, just a way to let me find out about the two of them and play little miss innocent"
"I knew she was two faced but to do that" Abel said shaking his head.
"I don't know why she did it, I wish I did. I wish I knew if it was anything I had done"
"A girl like that doesn't need a reason" The kettle clicked off and Beth got up to make the tea.
"Maybe. Milk and sugar?" she said as she poured the hot water.
"Just milk please. It's good to see you've moved on though"
"Hmmm?" she looked at him.
"That guy tonight"
"Oh Dylan god no. I keep forgetting you haven't been around. Dylan works at Floyds. Gay as the day is long. One of my best friends too"
"He didn't look it"
"They don't all walk around wearing pink spandex and full makeup" Beth laughed as she handed him his tea.
"I've missed so much since I've been inside"
"I'm not trying to be funny Abel but not really. Before you went in you wouldn't have been interested in knowing why me and Tommy broke up. I hate to say it but you were all about the club and getting laid. You've learned more since you've been out then you would have if you had never gone down"
"I wasn't that bad"
"You didn't see your brothers girlfriend in a year despite the fact we were inseparable... in Charming"
"Ok, so maybe I was a little rapped up in woman and the club. So miss smarty pants, if you know so much about me, did I enjoy family time before I went down?"
"What do you mean?"
"Mum keeps trying to push me into spending quality time with her, and I'm dreading it"
"Oh yeah that hasn't changed"
"Really?" He said smiling
"Really. Don't get me wrong you love her but playing monopoly with the family was never really your thing" she said knowingly. "You prefer a night out with the boys…or girls"
"Its scary you know me better then I know myself"
"It's a gift" she joked haughtily "Do you want to know what I think?" she said more seriously.
"Why stop now?"
"I think you know yourself fine, but your second guessing everything you think and do because your wondering how much jail has changed you" she said seriously.
"How'd you get so smart?" he joked, while feeling a little more at ease now someone had told him he wasn't going crazy.
"Watch a lot of Oprah" she laughed.