DISCLAIMER: I own no-one but the character of Sunny. (awesome name IMHO!)

AUTHORS NOTE: I am taking a vacation for two weeks, so no more updates for now. But I promise when I get home, I will have 2 updates waiting for you! I swear!

So please, review this chapter! I'd love to have a bunch of reviews waiting for me when I get back! Enjoy this chapter! Hope it's up to everyone's liking! :D

Chapter Ten: I Don't Like Myself Right Now

FLASHBACK

"So, Jay..." Sunny said unsurely. "I was wondering, if you're not doing anything, uh, maybe, if you want, do you wanna come with me to the New Year party at the Rec Center. I know it isn't much but..." She trailed off, her voice well an truly lost.

Jay felt a bit lost. He stared at this beautiful stood before him. She looked like she was going to hurl. He wished she wasn't so nervous around him. She was beautiful. He'd said it before, and it would never get old. Auburn hair that gently waved and bounced, round greeney-blue eyes and a heart-stopping smile. Sunny was the first and only person he'd met so far in Oregon that he would regard a friend. Sunny's friends became his acquaintances but Sunny was just one great girl. Plus, she ha a freakin' awesome name too. That was cool. But he still felt loss. Reason being, he would be more than happy to go to this party with Sunny, but he had already got his plane ticket back to Toronto. He was in a quandary.

"Uh... this New Year?" He asked stupidly.

Sunny's face fell. "Yeah." She said, her voice a defeated whisper. Flush instantly crept up in her cheeks. She felt furious at herself for asking Jay, of course he didn't want to go with her to some shitty party at the Rec Center. She'd known him – vaguely – for a few weeks. She must have misinterpreted the talking, joking and general flirting.

"I- I'd love to..." Jay began unsurely.

"But you're not gonna." Sunny finished for him expectantly.

"No, Sunny it's not that!" Jay interjected with an uneasy smile on his face. "I want to but I'm going back to Toronto tomorrow."

"Oh..." Sunny's eyes clouded over and she looked away, letting her hair fall in front of her face.

There was a horrendous silence between the two of them. Sunny felt like the walls were closing in on her. "How long for?" She choked out, feeling ashamed that she was crying in front of Jay.

"Uh... I might have to stay."Jay admitted, knowing it would break Sunny.

Right on cue, Sunny lifted her head to reveal her tear-stained face. Jay hated to break girls hearts, but somehow he'd managed to break two girls hearts in the space of a few weeks. Sunny looked defeated. "Why?"

"It's a long story." Jay said, hoping she'd drop it, but the look fixed on her face told him otherwise. "Basically, I've got a friend there, she really needs me."

"A girlfriend?" Sunny inquired, her voice raising a few octaves.

"Sorta." Jay admitted sheepishly.

Jay was expecting a slap, or at least a challenge, but Sunny just laughed, which threw him straight off track.

"Why are you laughing?" Jay asked nervously. The tables were turning...

"You made me look a complete dickhead, Jay!" Sunny chuckled at her own embarrassment. "I was worried sick about asking you to this party. Why did you never mention before you were going back to Canada?"

"I... uh.. I... you never asked." Jay stuttered, then said the first thing that came to mind.

"What?" Sunny exclaimed, a fresh batch of tears forming in her emerald eyes. "I never asked? I shouldn't have to ask!"

She was older than Alex and Jay noticed it. Talking to Sunny was much more complex and grown up than talking with Alex. There was only nine months in it, but those nine months made all the difference.

"Look, Sunny I'm sorry, OK? But she needs me. Her dad's beating her and her mom up, and I have to get back to make sure she is OK."

"So you're just gonna ditch me after leading me on all this way?" Sunny folded her arms across her chest and looked away from him again.

"It's not like that!" Jay protested standing up.

"It's exactly like that!" Sunny stood up too, although her petite size was no match on Jay's stature.

"I've gotta go." Jay said, turning sharply and heading away from Sunny.

"Wait!" Sunny called out. She lunged forward and grabbed hold of his arm. "Wait, you can't go yet."

"Yes I can. I need to go home so I can go... home." Jay said feeling a riddle coming on.

Sunny just looked at him. Their eyes met and Jay was transfixed for just a few moments. The world seemed to stop for a moment, and he wished things were simpler. But they just weren't. He leaned forward and gave Sunny a quick peck on the lips. "Bye." He snapped out of his trance and turned and walked away. Sunny was like an angel who'd had her halo knocked off. He snuck one last glance at her, then he walked on confidently an he didn't look back. He was going to Toronto. To the fallen angel he'd left behind.

The watery sun finally began to poke out from beneath the horizon at about 7.15. It was a relief to finally feel the warm air.

Don't get too carried away. Jay thought to himself. This was January. Weather wasn't gonna get too sunny just yet.

He wondered when would be an appropriate time to knock on Alex's door. He checked his reflection in a car window. Yep, typical hobo look: crumpled clothes, bloodshot eyes and unkempt hair. Sure, he was gonna make a great impression today.

He ruffled his hand through his hair, then decided to get his baseball cap out of his bag and put that on to cover his bad hair. You vain bitch! He thought to himself as he checked around to see no-one had witnessed his little beauty regime.

Alex found herself awake again just two and a half hours after she fell asleep. It was hopeless. Dark nightmares of Nathaniel and Jay were corrupting her dreams. It had got worse in the past few weeks. Jay being all the way in Oregon and knowing Nathaniel could be just around the corner at any minute scared the shit out of Alex. She'd never been scared of Nathaniel. Anxious yes. But scared? No. Not until now. It made her feel angry at herself that she was scared of what Nathaniel could do to them. Her mom had spent the whole of Alex's childhood teaching her never to be scared of men or let men dictate to her at all. Now she was going back on all of that cos she was scared.

Jay got back to the trailer park at nine and things looked much better in the daylight. Despite the empty beer cans, cigarette ends and smashed glass that littered the place, it still felt like home, and Jay was happy to be here. He'd spent the night thinking about leaving Sunny behind, and wondered if he'd done the right thing. He remembered when he left Alex in TO and went to Oregon for the first time. He'd kissed her and then left her. He'd done the same to Sunny. It wasn't the nicest way of leaving a girl behind, but he'd done it twice. He had a bad habit of treating one girl the same as the rest, like shit.

He'd debated it all morning, but when it came to crunch time, he just though fuck it. He strolled casually toward Alex's trailer and knocked on the door confidently.

He waited for what seemed like hours, before he heard floorboards creak and someone came padding over to the door to open it. He had a horrible few seconds where he pictured Nathaniel opening the door and head-butting him. But it turned out to be Alex at the door.

"Ah!" Alex opened the door and ducked behind it again almost instantly. He knew why. She was wearing little blue shorts and his AC/DC t-shirt that he'd left her when he went to Oregon. He knew that she'd be embarrassed by that. He wasn't sure why, but he knew she would be.

"Lexi, don't worry. I ain't laughing." He said grabbing the door handle so she was exposed.

"Jay, where the hell did you stay last night?" Alex asked running a hand through her messy bed hair.

"Uh, I converted a picnic bench into a makeshift tent." Jay admitted, knowing he'd get a lecture.

Sure enough, Alex's eyes grew wide and she began to run off a list of reasons why it was dangerous to sleep outside: cold weather, pneumonia, muggers, wild animals...

"Alex, it's the ravine, not the outback!" Jay pointed out, gesturing with his hands for her to calm down.

"That's not the point! You coulda stay here." Alex offered, a bit late in the day.

"What are you doing today?" Jay asked.

"Uh, nothing. Do you wanna come in?" Alex noticed Jay's eyes drooping.

"Uh, yeah sure." Jay blinked and looked up at her trying to keep his heavy eyelids open. He stumbled over the threshold and slumped down on the couch sleepily.

"Do you want a drink?" Alex asked, heading to the fridge to pick out two Cokes.

Jay nodded and held his hands out to grab one. Alex lobbed it across the room and he caught it with one hand. "Thanks." He took one long sip and set it down on the coffee table. "So..." He rubbed his hands together and looked around the room smiling foolishly.

"My mom's at work. I'm sorry I don't have anything we can do. Wanna play video games?" Alex asked doubtfully.

"Sure." Jay agreed. The simple things in life were what made people happiest. This was one of those times. He pushed all thoughts of Sunny to the back of his mind and focused on staying awake.

Please R+R – What do you think of Junny? Constructive criticism is always welcome too!