Chapter 10
A/N: Alright guys, this is the final chapter of Paranoid. I hope you all have enjoyed this story and will fully enjoy this chapter as well. Make sure to have me on Author Alert, so you'll know when the sequel arrives. (:
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Sonny's POV
After a minute, I finally found the strength to push myself off the off-white floor and thrust myself back into the lobby. Tawni was perched on a chair, examining People Magazine and twirling a lock of shiny blonde hair around her perfectly manicured finger.
"Let's go," I said dully. Tawni snapped her head up and I could see her placing my mood. Immediately she strode over to me- the sad, weak version of me, I should add- and whispered, "Didn't go well?"
I managed a sigh and brushed my bangs out of my eyes. "That would be an understatement," I corrected her. Tawni was feeling bad for me, I knew, but you could tell, the drama was making her excited. "Give me the deets on the drive back to your apartment." She whispered, eyes sparkling.
"Alright," I shrugged limply and followed her down the hallway. I kept my eyes on my shoes the whole way. "Oh wait, I left the magazine!" Tawni shrieked as we neared the door. "Can't you buy another one later?" I snapped. Tawni rolled her eyes good naturedly. "No! Not when we can take these for free, silly!" She cried, then dashed back down to the lobby.
I turned and planted my hands on my hips. "Okay?" I yelled. "I'll just go to the car!" I muttered something unintelligible under my breath and shook my head. Thoughts clouding up in my mind, I swiveled on my heel and bumped right into somebody!
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" I exclaimed in embarrassment, looking up to see who I had almost knocked over.
As my eyes locked onto a pair of electric blue ones, I felt like slapping myself. Obviously I'd run into Chad. Things never go how I want them to.
"Watch where you're going!" Chad retorted, crossing his arms angrily.
"Well…" I propped open my mouth to deliver a comeback, but looking at Chad's cross face…remembering all that had happened…I just couldn't do it. My lips quivered and I had the feeling I was dangerously close to tears, so I closed my mouth, and my eyes, momentarily, just standing there silently.
"Sonny…" Chad hesitated. I glanced up at him with watering eyes. I didn't want a confrontation, so I said "Excuse me," very politely and practically sprinted down the hallway and out the door. Once I was out, I fell to the ground and leaned warily against the wall of the hospital, uttering heaving breaths. I couldn't believe I had just talked to Chad like that- like two strangers in a hotel passing each other on their way to their rooms.
I just wanted to get home.
--
Finally, Tawni arrived, about four magazines stuffed in her bag, and she was behind the wheel of her shiny pink Volvo, and we were on the road. I leaned my head against the window and watched the palm trees and stretches of sand fly by.
"So, what's going to happen with you and Chad?" Tawni wondered aloud.
I bit my lip and didn't answer at first. "Well," I said finally. "I have no idea. Things are extremely bad right now; I don't even know how they got to this point. We…we've never been in a fight this dramatic or big before," I added. "Somehow the whole kidnapping drew us apart, when I had assumed it'd bring us together. It started, I guess, when I had told Craig I hated Chad. I don't know why that would even faze him, we say we hate each other all the time!" I exploded. Then, calming down, I continued. "I still have the note he wrote me…" I dug around in my pocket and yanked out an old, crumbly paper and showed it to Tawni.
"Sonny, I have to drive," Tawni said impatiently. "Just read it to me," She ended in a kinder tone.
I took a deep breath and started: "'Hey Sonny- I'm just writing this before Craig comes up here and kills me and stuff- so yeah. Don't worry, stay on good behavior with Craig so he doesn't hurt you too much. Stay safe for me, okay? I swear I won't let him kill me, so don't worry about me too much. :-P Anyways, everybody misses you Sonny. And I'm really sorry this is happening. It's all my fault. Don't tell anyone, but I miss you a lot, too. Probably more than anyone. –Chad'"
Tawni cooed while I whipped a tear from my eye. "That," She announced, "Was the cutest thing I've ever heard!"
I slid it back in my pocket. "I guess," I replied. "But he doesn't feel that way anymore."
Tawni didn't answer. When I looked over at her, she was staring at the street, lost in her thoughts. I did the same, curled up in my seat, and fell asleep. My dreams always seemed to be better than my reality.
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Chad's POV
"Mr. Cooper, you are excused from the hospital, just make sure to hand in your hospital gown," The receptionist peered down at me over the rims of her pink glasses.
"Awh darn!" I exclaimed in sarcastic sadness. "I really wanted to keep it!" I rolled my eyes and remembered the hospital gown laying in a crumbled heap on my bed. A smirk curled up on my lips, that'd be their mess.
I was about to leave, when I got a few text messages. I settled myself on a chair in the lobby and couldn't help noticing the magazines-
People Magazine: "Chad to Sonny- I Love You! Full Story Inside"
OK Magazine- "The hidden love of Chad Dylan Cooper and Sonny Munroe is brought to the open!"
Seventeen Magazine- "Chad: 'Sonny, I love you!' How Sonny reacts to the sudden confession from Mackenzie Falls' Chad Dylan Cooper."
Tween Weekly- "Millions of fan's 'Channy' dreams come true! Feature inside."
O Magazine (Why does Oprah have a frickin magazine anyway!? Why was it here!? Why does it haunt me!?)- "What Doctor Oz Has to Say About CDC's Love Confession to Sonny Munroe"
"Screw you, Dr. Wizard of Oz," I yelled, balling up the paper and hurling it at the wall. The patients in the lobby stared at me with freaked out looks.
Sighing, I glanced at my phone.
Jake- hey man, did u c media? Ur the buzz! Boosted ur popularity! Woo hoo- CDCs got a gf!
I cursed under my breath. "It didn't boost my popularity, it ruined my tough cool reputation!" I hissed.
But then I thought about it. I had never been in these big time Magazines (Minus Oprah's magazine. I didn't know or care what was in THAT one.) But suddenly, I had been thrust into the spotlight, along with Sonny.
Then I thought about something else. Why was I blaming Sonny?! I groaned inwardly. Sonny had done nothing! This was all on me. I had decided to announce my feelings, and now I'd take the toll.
The other text was from my Mom, making sure I was okay. I told her I was fine, but as I neared my car, I wondered if I was. I had been horrible to Sonny- she looked as if she were about to break. How could we recover from this?
Maybe I was stupid for telling you goodbye,
Maybe I was wrong for trying to pick a fight.
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Sonny's POV
"Honey, you're awfully quiet," My mother observed during dinner. I was nibbling on some lasagna and sipping on the iced tea. Usually, I'd be laughing and singing and portraying tales of the day's events. More like the months events, because my Mom came up from Wisconsin at the end of each month.
"Mom," I said impulsively, my fork clattering to the table. My Mom looked at me curiously.
"I was considering your offer," I said bravely.
My Mom smiled. "Really, dear? Your family would love to see you. Just imagine, spending five glorious months back in Wisconsin before coming back to film the next season of So Random!."
I forced a smile. "It sounds fabulous," I lied. Honestly, it sounded boring. I loved living in Hollywood- it was amazing! But, the offer had been outlandish when Chad and I were on good terms. No way would I wanna leave him- I mean, him and all my friends, behind. But now, I wasn't sure if I could stand seeing him every day.
My mother was overjoyed. She hated the fact that I lived by myself. I was constantly reminding her that we ALL lived in the fancy apartment building, we just had separate rooms, but apparently that was incomprehensible for her. "I'm leaving tomorrow, I'll just pick up an extra ticket!" She said blissfully. She cleared the table and started humming.
"I'm going up to Tawni's suite, I won't be long," I insisted before leaving the apartment. I ducked into the elevator at the end of my hallway, and clicked the button "S1". Nico, Grady, Zora, and I all live in normal apartments, but Tawni just HAD to have a suite.
"TAWNI!" I yelled, rapping my knuckles against the wide brass door. Tawni swept it open and looked confused when she saw me. "You're not the sushi guy," She pouted, but let me in.
My eyes soaked in the elegance of Tawni's suite- lavender walls, white flooring, gorgeous furniture and it was absolutely huge! I flung myself on the furry purple couch and sighed.
"Tawni, what would you say if I told you I was going to spend our off-months at Wisconsin?"
Tawni glared at me and sat down next to me. "I would SAY that'd be a mistake!" She snapped. "We have a lot of plans, and I KNOW why you're doing it, oh yes, I know!" She bobbled her head.
"I miss my family." I lied. "Besides, I'll be back before we start filming for the next season," I got up and strode over to Tawni's fridge and helped myself to a pitcher of pink lemonade.
"No, you want to avoid Chad," Tawni said softly as I teamed some lemonade into a clear glass.
I didn't answer, just spun around on one of the stools that line her counter and absently sipped my beverage.
"That's not going to fix things. If you two love each other, you'll be able to sort out your problems and be 'Hollywood's Hottest Couple'!" Tawni exclaimed.
"What if we can't fix things?" I replied, flinging out my arms. "Things will be horrible."
Tawni slung an arm around me and squeezed supportively. "Girl, you and Chad fight more than Lauren Conrad and Heidi Montag," She giggled. "Of course, it's not serious, since you both admitted to liking each other," (I blushed at that sentence.) "And Chad took things a step farther and said he loved you. You have to deal with the fact that Chad cares for you- he doesn't care about anyone else. You're special to him, Sonny, anyone can see that," Tawni comforted.
I nodded and looked at Tawni, eyes free of tears. "Then I guess it's up to Chad to fix things. I've made up my mind- I'm leaving tomorrow afternoon, one thirty." I finished off my lemonade and flounced out of the suite.
Maybe it's the things I say,
Maybe I should think before I speak
But I thought that I knew enough
To know myself and do what's right for me
And these walls I'm building now
You used to bring them down
The tears I'm crying out
You used to wipe away
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Chad's POV
"Honey, you're awfully quiet," My Mom observed, looming over me.
"Yeah, I'm watching TV, I'm not going to talk to it," I said sourly. Mom sighed and stood in front of the TV. She had straight, dusty blonde hair, just like mine, and identical blue eyes.
"Chad," she started. "You're finally home after being kidnapped for five days. Most people would be happy, maybe even pleasant! But you…" she shook her head in disappointment. I felt awful. "You're being rather unpleasant. Any reason why?" She peered down at me.
I looked up at her. My Mom's a pretty cool person, and usually she knows when to leave me alone. Why did she have to start nagging now?
I kicked my feet up on the coffee table and bored my eyes into the TV. "No." I said flatly.
Mom sighed and picked up a magazine off the table- People Magazine!
"Why are you stalking me?" I hissed at the stupid thing. Mom smirked. "So you finally told her you loved her?" She said softly.
"Yes," I said through stiff lips, directed at the TV. "But now everybody knows and what should've been a private matter is a global epidemic," I retorted.
Mom sat beside me on the couch and patted my shoulder. "Chad, honey…" She stared off into space. "Listen to your heart. If you want to be with this girl, you have to make it happen."
I looked up at her, at last, and blinked. "Okay Mom." I stood and stretched. "I'm going to my room."
Listen to your heart. But how could I do that when I didn't even know what my heart was telling me!?
I thought you said it was easy,
listening to your heart
I thought you said I'd be ok
So why am I breaking apart?
Don't wanna be torn.
Just as I was trudging up the stairs, the doorbell chimed. I looked blankly at the door and then yelled "MOM CAN YOU GET IT?" Mom appeared from the Den and rolled her eyes. "Chad, I see you." She informed me. "I see you at the door."
"Fine," I steamed, yanking open the door.
"I need to talk to you," Tawni Hart brushed into my home, and a whiff of dark night air flew into the hall. It was after dinner- the day was almost over. I couldn't believe it, my first night spent in my home.
"Why?" I wined, following her to the Kitchen. She plopped herself down at the wide, expensive bronze table and glared at me.
I shot a Look over at my mom, and she got the hint and left. "Did you know that Sonny is leaving tomorrow and won't be back for five months?" Tawni asked, sugary sweet.
My jaw dropped and my eyes bugged out. I felt my heart fall into my toes.
"WHAT?" I shouted. Sonny was leaving? For five frickin months!?
Tawni nodded. "But WHY would she-" I began, but realization hit me, and a dull pain crept into my stomach.
"She's leaving because of me," I gaped.
"Yes Captain Obvious, that ship has sailed," Tawni rolled her eyes.
"But…she can't!" I yelled. Sure, we were having problems, but I didn't want her to leave!
"She doubts you'd care, that's why she didn't tell you," Tawni said snidely. "But, I don't want her to go either. It's not the right way to solve things between you too. That's why YOU have to do something," She pointed at me.
"Don't tell me what to do," I grumbled. But pain was obvious in my eyes. If Sonny left, my world would suck. Before Sonny, I didn't have any friends. I was always a jerk. I was never really happy. Then Sonny came and brought some light into my perpetual darkness. If she left…I'd be worse than before.
Tawni stood, ready to leave. "I had to warn you," she said softly. "Because I think you're the only one who can stop her. She leaves tomorrow, 1:30 pm." She winked sadly before excusing herself out of my mansion.
I buried my head in my arms. This was way too much pressure.
Why is all this so confusing,
Complicated, and consuming?
Why does all this make me angry?
I wanna go back to being happy.
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Sonny's POV
The next morning, I woke up and groggily wiped sleep from my eyes.
"Rise and shine, sunshine!" Mom said cheerfully, her voice ringing in from the kitchenette. "I'm making eggs!"
"Great," I mumbled, staggering up. A sharp pain hit me in the stomach when I realized I was leaving today. My packed bags sat primly by the door to my room, and my carry on was left open on my dresser, my book and cell phone spilling out of it.
I quickly got dressed in a travel-outfit- moss green sweat pants, a white tank top, and a matching sweat jacket, the pants tucked loosely into my favorite brown fridge boots. I brushed my hair blankly, staring into my reflection in the mirror. I hardly recognized it- it was sad and alone.
"Be right there, Mom!" I yelled as I checked my phone for texts. Just two.
Lucy: Can't wait 2 c u !
Tawni: Ur making a big mistake.
Tears welled in my eyes. Maybe I was making a mistake, but I didn't care right now.
I joined my Mom at the breakfast table, and rested my head on my hands. I ignored my Mother's worried looks and sighed. Soon, I'd be on a plane, leaving all my troubles on the ground, to disappear like the landscapes.
Don't make me have to choose between
What I want and what you think I need.
Cause I'll always be a little girl,
But even little girls have got to dream,
Now it all feels like a fight,
You were always on my side,
The lonely I feel now,
You used to make it go away.
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I sat limply on a chair in the waiting room at the airport. My Mom was busy talking to the woman at the counter, so I busied myself by reading a magazine. Of course, the lead article was on me and Chad.
It was hard to read- it just went on about how we loved each other, and was complete with pictures. There was one of us on our fake date; one at the Prom, dancing; and another was a shot of us in Chad's movie, during one of the never ending romantic dialogues between our characters.
"Flight 182 will take flight in T minus 15 minutes, boarding will begin shortly," The woman at the counter said into a microphone, and I nodded absently. I shoved the magazine in my bag and slung it over my shoulder. My thoughts were buzzing, mostly in a curious fury on how the paparazzi got those private pictures.
"Sonny?" My Mom reappeared. She looked at my somber face and sighed. "You don't have to come, sweetie."
"I want to!" I said defiantly. "You get on the plane, I'll be there in a sec," I held up my empty plastic water bottle. "Alright," Mom replied uncertainly, turning around for the plane. Everybody was pushing one another to get on.
As I threw the bottle away, I realized with a pang I'd be leaving and wouldn't be back for almost half a year. It was hard to imagine.
"Goodbye, Hollywood," I murmured, then I started to leave. Things between Chad and me would never get better.
"Sonny! Wait!" A familiar voice shook my body and made me utter a gasp.
I whirled around and saw Chad Dylan Cooper running towards me, looking out of breath.
"Chad, what are you doing here?" I asked through tear filled eyes. Seeing him was unbelievable, his handsome face was just a painful reminder of the past.
"I came here because I couldn't let myself be torn," Chad took a deep breath and switched his gaze from his shoes towards my face.
"What do you mean?" I whispered.
"Miss, the plane is finished boarding! You have to get on!" The woman said sternly.
"Hold on!" Chad and I yelled in unison. Then we looked at each other again, emotion swimming in our eyes.
"I blamed you for something you had no power over," Chad explained. "It was stupid and I let my ego get in the way of how I felt, and I wanted to say I'm sorry."
"Chad Dylan Cooper apologizing?" I offered a small chuckle. Then I narrowed my eyes. "Well, it's okay Chad. Your conscience is clear. You can sleep at night; that's what you wanted right?" I said blindly.
Chad rolled his eyes. "Be quiet, Munroe. For once this isn't about me, okay? It's about us," Chad let his hand graze my cheek. I could hardly see through my welled eyes, so Chad gently wiped them. This was so endearingly sweet.
"Then what do you want?" I warbled. A grin found its way onto Chad's face.
"I want you to stay here, Sonny. Please, don't leave." Chad whispered.
"Why?" I cried. "Why shouldn't I? I don't want to deal with your bipolar mood swings anymore!"
Chad sighed. "Then can you deal with one mood?" He said hopefully. "I didn't lie in the magazines, you know. I wasn't kidding," he said meaningfully.
I said nothing, but my eyes were finally clear. I gazed up at Chad steadily.
"MISS, TWO MINUTES UNTIL TAKE OFF!" The lady roared.
"Oh, shut up!" I said crossly. The lady looked wounded, but I had bigger fish to fry.
"So what are you saying, Chad?" I asked quietly, biting my lip.
"I'm saying that, I…" Chad stared at his feet again, then back up at me. His cool ego returned.
"I'm saying I love you!" He shrugged. "Yeah, I said it. And this is probably going to swamp the media, but honestly, I don't care anymore. I love you, Sonny Munroe, and I wanna know if you feel the same way. If you don't, then go have fun in Wisconsin. But if you do, I want you to stay here, with me," Chad said earnestly, grabbing my hands and squeezing them.
Listen to your heart, I thought to myself. I gazed up at Chad and smiled. "I love you too," I confessed. Freeing my hands from his and instead, wrapping them around his neck, and squeezing him tightly. His hands wound around my waist and he hugged me back.
"MISS, THE PLANE IS LEAVING IN THIRTY SECONDS! GET ON!" The woman was seriously annoying.
I broke away from Chad but kept hold on his left hand, and he kept his right hand wrapped around me. "Let it go!" I laughed. "I'm staying here. Just tell my Mom to send me my stuff,"
Then, I turned to face Chad, who had an adorable boyish grin on his face.
"Hey Sonny, will you be my girlfriend?" Chad asked playfully.
I smiled so hard it hurt. "Hmm," I teased him. "I'd have to say I'm not torn at all. I'll definitely be your girlfriend!" Chad cupped my chin in his hands and smiled wanly at me, then he looked at me hesitantly.
I gulped back my nervousness, knowing what was going to happen. I stood on my tiptoes and placed my hands on his shoulders. Our lips met- softly at first, unsure, we had never kissed before, we were both new to this and kind of nervous- but once I felt the warmth and electricity that emitted from it, I squeezed his shoulders and pressed harder against him, pushing myself into the kiss. Chad reacted the same way I did, and we kissed as the plane took off.
The End.
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Thank's to everyone who's read this story. I think I'll make a sequel later, so keep on Author Alert. Please review and let me know what you think of this long chapter that took hours to write.