Hey guys, I'm glad you liked the last chapter! (Y) It is written from Arizona's and Rory's perspective. I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter =D
Eight. Almost Easy
"Shame pulses through my heart
From the things I've done to you."
- Almost Easy, Avenged Sevenfold
"Hey Callie, Leah just called and her car broke down so I won't be able to help you with the carburetor after all." My brother says to Calliope as she enters the living room.
I can't help but notice that Alex walks closer to her as she enters the room. I see his lips begin to move but his words are too quiet for me to hear, I catch bits and pieces. "Just think tonight, think about what you want to tell her." and "Talk to her tomorrow, just don't go to bed angry."
My brother's words cause acid to churn in my stomach, the bile rise in my throat. My heart rate begins to quicken, my hands begin to become clammy.
"Thank for having us, little sis. I'm sure we'll see each again soon enough." Alex quickly makes his way over to me pulling me into a quick hug. "Come on Molly, Jude, let's go get your mother and brothers before they start to panic." Alex chuckles his classic hearty laugh before beginning to usher Molly and Jude out of the living room.
"I'll see you in school tomorrow." Molly says lively. Jude simply nods with a smile before following his father and sister.
As soon as they leave the room the fake smile I was wearing disappears from my face. The kids have followed Alex out of the room so I don't need to put of my "smiley, cheery" façade.
Calliope gives me a small smile. "So how was your surgery on Benjamin today go?" She walks over to the couch taking a seat, patting the spot next to her.
I hate what I've done to her, I hate what we have become; I hate what I've done.
I hesitate before taking a seat next to Calliope. She props her feet up on the ottoman, wrapping her arm around my shoulder. I hesitate before leaning against her. "The surgery went well, there was a bit of bleeding but I got it under control no problem."
I can tell that she's asking about surgery because she doesn't want to do anything to trigger a change in me. The thought of her being careful in her words because she's afraid makes me feel even worse. The nausea starts to set in and my hand begins to shake.
I need get out of here or I'm going to do something I'll regret. I launch myself up off the couch. "I'm exhausted so I'm going to take a small nap. I'll see you when I wake up." I give her a fake smile and swiftly exit the room barely making it to the bathroom fast enough to empty the contents of my stomach into the toilet.
I need it to stop.
"Rory Robbins?" Mr. Edwards calls out my name during attendance.
"Here." I stick up back hand, turning slightly in my seat.
"Matt Sloan?"
"Here." In my peripheral vision I see my best friend practically since birth raises his hand in suit.
Mr. Edwards continues on with the roll call. I turn around to talk to Matt. "So have you heard much about the new kid?"
Matt and I weren't exactly outcasts but we weren't popular either. It had always been just the two of us, along with whoever strayed into our 'group' for a period of short time. At school the only constant things I ever had was Matt and my grades.
"I haven't heard much to be honest." Mark begins his habit of scratching the back of his neck when he's nervous. "It's a girl, she's in our grade. She's not some preppy bitch by the sounds of it."
I now understand why he's nervous; Matt didn't exactly get Mark's confidence when it comes to women. He had gotten Lexie's slight shyness but once he got to know people he opened up.
"Oh, now I see, I see. Let's just hope she's not as bad as them." I nod my head slightly to a group of my obnoxious classmate. "Just as long as she not as bad as them then I'll be fine."
"Agreed." is all Matt gets to say before being interrupted by Mr. Edwards.
"Okay class, get your notebooks out. We're going to start the next unit." Mr. Edwards gets up out of his seat and heads straight for the whiteboard. "Okay, we're starting off with the molecule structure of DNA."
He doesn't get anything else out as a knock on the door stops him in his tracks. He looks down at his watch. "Right on time." He says almost whispering as he walks over to open the door.
As Mr. Edwards opens the door he reveals a girl I've never seen before. "Come in, there are a few empty seats in the back." He motions to the three empty seats next to Matt and I that have been empty all year.
He walks back towards the whiteboard, giving me and Matt a better look at the new girl. Her hair was the same style I've seen in pictures of my Mom when my parents first started dating, loose curls the same subtle red color of Aunt Addison's hair falling just below her shoulders.
"I don't think we're going to have a problem with her, Rory." Matt leans forward and whispers into my ear.
I now take the time to fully take in her presence. She's wearing a form fitting classic Ramones t-shirt over a grey long sleeve t-shirt, black classic fit Levi's and slightly muddy teal Chuck Taylors.
"I'd have to agree with you on that, Sloan." I chuckle. "Stop drooling, I'm not even looking at you and I can tell you're drooling."
"Hey! I'm not drooling." Matt slaps me slightly on the shoulder jokingly.
"Sure, mut." I can't help but try and stifle my laughter.
Growing up Matt had trouble with his A's and used to say his name was Mut. He grew out of it but when I wanted to bug him, especially when he did something especially alpha dog like, I'd call him by it. It was a running joke in our families.
"Sure, Rory, I'm sure that you've drooled over a certain someone." Matt chuckles. "But I'll let it go, and for the record I wasn't drooling."
"Um do mind if I sit here?" The new girl from my biology class approaches our lunch table. During lunch I sat with Matt and Molly leaving one empty seat.
I give Matt and Molly a quick glance to see their reaction. They were giving me reassuring smiles. "Sure, not a problem." I give the redhead a small smile before taking a bite out of my chicken wrap.
"I'm Jess, Jess Allaway, by the way." She says as she lays her tray down on the table. "Great, I just rhymed that unintentionally, way to make a good impression, Jess." She laughs shaking her head.
"Don't worry about it." Molly says with a laugh. "I'm Molly Robbins, you're not the only one who's new around here. I moved her last week."
"That is code for if you're going to be asking for directions don't ask her because she's just going to get you lost. I'm Matt Sloan. I'm in your biology class." Matt sticks out his hand for a traditional handshake.
"I'll keep that in mind." Jess laughs as she shakes Matt's hand before taking a bite of her classic red apple.
"I'm Aurora Robbins, but only my Grandma calls me that. Everyone calls me Rory." I say taking another bite of my lunch.
"I know the feeling, my full name is Jessalyn but that's classified information that never leaves this table okay?" She looks across the table to each one of our faces for a look of understanding.
Matt raises his right hand. "Scout's honour." We all can't help but at Matt's juvenile moment.
"Quick question, it's probably a stupid one but I'm going to ask it none the less."
"Shoot." Molly quickly assures her.
"Is it always so damn wet around here? Not to sound prissy but it's my shoes extremely muddy and it's rotting me." Jess shakes her head before tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.
"Sorry to tell you Jess but it is as you say 'so damn wet' around here ninety percent of the time, nine percent with just overcast, and the other one percent is the lovely thing people from areas like Hawaii and Florida call sunshine." I say matter of factly.
Jess hangs her head slightly. "You'd think with the proximity of Oregon to Washington they'd have similar weather but no, you guys have to have a lot more rain making everything muddy as I don't know what." She laughs.
"Well join the club, I'm not much of fan of rain or mud but I'm adjusting. It's slow but I'm getting used to it. Soon enough we'll be just like these two, a much of rain loving Seattleites." Molly says pointing her thumb at Matt and I with a laugh.
"Let's hope, Molly, let's hope." Jess throws her head back in laughter.
"To Seattle." Molly holds up her can of apple juice taking a large swig.
"I'm with you on this one, Mol. To Seattle." I hold up my own apple juice and follow suit.
Sitting here with Matt, Molly, and Jess somehow made me feel that things were getting better, even if this was only one aspect of my life that was returning to normal I couldn't help but feel grateful.
The rest of the day went fairly fast and was actually the first school day since we've returned from Oregon City I've enjoyed.
It turns out Jess, Molly, and I all had the last two classes together. Matt was in our last class of the day with us as well. But he was off in his own little word; between staring at Molly and actually paying attention to Mr. Hutchins who was rambling on about the chemical properties of carbon going completely off the class' current topic.
"What was with you in chem. class last period?" I ask Matt as I open the door of my baby blue T-bird, the slight rain beginning to wet my hair.
"Nothing, you know that I like chemistry. I thought that after a semester school you'd have noticed that." Matt says almost defensively as he takes shot gun.
"That's not what I meant, Matt." I sit in the car pulling the door shut behind me.
"Mark's taking Tommy, Addie, and Ollie home right?" I can tell that Matt knows what I'm actually talking about considering he's changing the subject.
"Matt, don't try and change the subject. Come on, what is up with you having a hard time keeping your eyes off of my cousin?" I raise my eyebrow
"Don't look at me like that. You look like Aunt Callie when you do that." Matt laughs.
I hit him jokingly. "Well Matthew Sloan you are a spitting image of your father so you haven't got much room to talk. And again you're changing the subject."
"Fine, I'll admit it. I think she's cute, stop making such a big deal out of this." I can see the blush slowly beginning to rise in his cheeks.
"Well, I think that it's cute. So I'm not going to make a big deal out of this but can I ask you one question?" I turn the keys in the ignition before turning my head to look him in the eye.
"Bring it on, Robbins." Mark throws his military messenger bag back over the seat, landing on the back seat.
"Are you actually going to do anything about you thinking she's cute or are you just going to continue with the longing glances and never ask her out?"
"I don't know, Rory. Now can I ask you a question?"
"Whatever, Matt." I put my classic red curtain colored JanSport backpack on the back seat next to Matt's bag.
"Is that Jess Allaway?"
Matt points to an average height hooded figure. I notice a small amount of red hair from under the hood and the teal converse shoes she was wearing.
"I'm pretty sure that's her." I can't help but notice that the slight rain from earlier has turned into something pretty close to a down pour.
"Do you think we should ask her if she wants a ride? She's getting sogged out there."
"I think we should." I start the car and check for traffic before pulling up to the curb in front of Jess. I roll down my window, giving Jess a smile. "Hey there, Allaway! Want a ride?"
Jess snaps out of her daydream-like state. "You have no idea!" She yells over sound of the rain.
As Jess opens the back door I pull my book bag to the other side of the seat, making enough room for Jess to sit in. "How come you were standing out in the rain, making yourself look like a wet dog, Jess?" Mark laughs as Jess shuts the door behind her.
"My mom must have got called into work and forgot to call me to tell me to catch the bus. She can be slightly forgetful when it comes to these things. She probably called my brother who forgot to tell me, more thank likely." Jess laughs as she throws back her hood.
"So where we headed?" I chuckle.
"I don't know if you know the place but," Jess pauses for a second to buckle her seat belt. "Seattle Grace Mercy West."
"Here it is, the legendary Seattle Grace Mercy West." I say with a laugh as I pull into the hospital.
"Woah, it's a lot bigger and nicer than I expected." I can see the look of what I'd classify as awe on Jess' face in the rear view mirror as I shut off the car. "Why are you shutting off the car?" Jess asks with a chuckle.
"I decided to visit our parent's since we're here." I say smiling.
"Well I'm glad that you guys can help me out so I don't get lost." Jess puts up her hood with a small smirk before opening up the car door and running out into the rain.
"Come on, Matt. We better not let her get lost." I chuckle before following Jess, Matt into the shelter from the storm that is Seattle Grace Mercy West.
"So where are we headed?" Matt asks Jess as we shake off the rain.
"I thought you were the one who knew your way around here?" Jess chuckles, raising her eyebrow.
"That's not what I meant, Jess. I meant what wing. Derm, OB, what?"
"Surgical."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously, my mom's a surgeon."
"Join the club. Our parents are surgeons as well." I smirk.
"In that case, lead the way."
"Hey Jess, I'm going to see if my Mom knows where your mom is." I say as we enter the surgical wing.
"Alright, my mom's Dr. Hahn."
"Got it." I say, noticing my Mom standing at the nurses' station checking over a chart. "Hey Mom."
"Rory?" My mom's blonde curls bounce slightly as she looks up from her chart. "What are you doing here?"
"Matt and I are dropping off a friend from school." I nod in the direction of Matt and Jess. "You wouldn't happen to know who and where Dr. Hahn is would you?"
"I'm right here." A firm yet calm voice answers from behind me.
As the voice speaks I can help but the smile on my mother's face falters. My stomach is beginning churn. Something is going on. I may not know what it is but there's a reason why my mother, the cheeriest person I know which includes my sister who is almost exactly like her, has a fake smile on her face; a fake smile that falters at the sound of my friend's mother.
"Erica." My mother's voice is quiet and the sort of calm that puts people on their guard, scares them even.
"Arizona."