Hello all, sorry I haven't been updating.
Was away in another country.
However, I brought my laptop and here's the awesomely long chapter I wrote on the plane back, because I didn't have time to write during the holiday itself.
Thank my computer for being so nice (not running out on battery lol)
Took me about an hour and a half to type this.
So, I expect at least 10-15 reviews.
I would greatly appreciate it if you guys could find something else to say besides
"Wow! Good chapter, update soon!"
The more you guys do that, the more I don't feel like updating. You see, the reason why I write is because
It's my passion (which I sometimes like to share with people, and at other times I don't. In this case, I do.)
If my stories are good, people would feel good and enjoy, and I like to know people enjoy my stories.
BUT, the way you guys have been reviewing… it feels like you're taking advantage of me. Seriously, if you want more chapters, REVIEW.
This is the last chapter you're going to get unless I get 10 reviews, or more.
I will still be writing this story, to complete it and PM to a few people who are good friends/reviewers of mine.
So once again, REVIEW, or no more.
"Hello, Jack. I see you remember me," she grinned at him.
"You!" he growled.
She knelt down in front of him, "Yes, it's me."
"What do you want, Vivian?" he spat at her.
She frowned.
"I see you've changed, Jack. No more the little, timid boy you used to be," she sighed as she took out a nail filer and began filing her nails. He looked away from her. She giggled, "Good times, weren't they, Jack?" He just grunted.
She turned away and rolled her eyes.
"I know you don't want to talk to me, Jack. I know you probably loathe me. I can see it in your eyes, Jack. I-"
"What the hell do you want, Vivian? Get to the point damn it!"
She sat in the chair opposite him, and pointed the nail filer towards him.
"You."
"Are you crazy!? No! No! No! I am not coming with you!" Jack yelled.
"Don't be foolish, Jack," she said as she dropped her nail filer, "You're coming with me, whether or not you want to. You don't have a choice," Vivian mumbled as she dug into her purse for a cigarette. She light up and looked at him, "Want one?"
"I don't smoke anymore, Vivian," he bitterly whispered.
He felt so weak, so tired.
He squeezed his eyes shut and bit down on his lower lip, hoping to God he wouldn't whimper. He felt his face burning up, cheeks flushing and tears began sliding down his cheeks. Mama… Bobby… Jerry… Angel…. He silently cried out. His mind flashed back to Angie. Oh, little Angie. Cassandra… He knew Vivian always got her way. There was no way for him to let any of them know of his whereabouts or what happened to him. Surely, they will indeed notice he was gone. But to where? Where would he have gone?
Ma would be so upset. Bobby would be so angry… Jerry and Angel would be a mess. Angie… he didn't want to think what it would do to Angie.
"Well, we shall be leaving for France tonight, Jack."
"France?" Jack's voice broke.
She nodded, "I own a little cottage out in Nice. It has a darling pool in the backyard and a wonderful view of Nice, as it is on a hill. I also have a few apartments there. We will be living there, Jack. Just you, me and your brother."
The door opened and a young man stepped out into the light.
"Hello, brother."
"Kyle."
Angie grabbed a tray and filled it up with food, only to be dragged away by Kayleigh and Helena to their usual table. There was a new girl sitting there, and she was absolutely pretty. Golden-blonde hair which was curled up, beautiful sea-coloured eyes and a figure to die for. She was beautiful and looked very matured.
"Oh, hey guys!" Hunter greeted them, "Meet Louise. She's a transfer student from South Carolina. She was offered a scholarship here for dancing." She smiled at them all. Angie felt a thonk in her chest when she saw the way he looked at her. She sat down and forced a smile onto her face. Kayleigh sat beside her and Helena sat next to Louise, opposite Angie. Hunter was on the right of Louise.
"So Louise, tell us about yourself," Hunter said.
Louise opened her mouth to talk but she was suddenly interrupted by Travis.
"Dude!! Guys, check it out! We're going to be one of the bands that's going to be playing for the dance this year!" Travis exclaimed, his brown eyes gleaming excitedly. He plopped his tray next to Hunter and started drumming his fingers on the table. Angie giggled. Helena rolled her eyes, "Travis, say hello to the new kid."
Travis looked up at Louise and nodded, "'Sup?", and began drumming again.
Nathan and Blake came a few minutes later, and they were discussing about some project a teacher had assigned to them. "Since when did you guys discuss about projects?" Kayleigh wrinkled her nose. "Since if we do it right, we get points for it and if we get points for it, we're going to be the DJs for the dance!" Nathan and Blake gave each other a high five.
"A dance?" Angie asked.
"It's the dance where the Grades 8, 9 and 10 kids get together for a dance. The graduates of 2004 set this whole dance thing up. Teachers aren't allowed to do anything with the dance, but they're most welcome to join in the dance. Basically, students are in charge," Nathan explained.
"When is it held?"
"Sometime in December. We don't know when exactly. The graduates who made this up come for it every year. I'm guessing they're about in their early twenties this year. They are the ones who decide when it's held, the time it's held and how it's held.
"Oh," Angie said, stumped.
"If you want, I could explain to you every detail I know of the dance," Nathan shrugged and gulped down some water. Angie smiled, "Sure."
Helena laughed.
"Gee, Angie! First Hunter, now Nathan? Damn girl!" she chuckled.
Angie turned red. She looked at Nathan and saw that he wasn't bothered by it.
She turned to look at Hunter.
He was in a deep conversation with Louise. The two of them were so close their foreheads were almost touching. Louise giggled and he grinned.
"Okay, then," he smiled, "Friday night, 6p.m.?"
She nodded, blushing.
"It's a date done," his smile got wider. He then did the unpredictable. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders. Louise's eyes got bigger when he did this, and the entire table fell silent. Angie knew she would start crying if she opened her mouth to talk, so she just shook her head and pointed at her stomach, miming herself throwing up. She immediately got up, ran to the bathroom and locked herself inside a cubicle.
She cried for all she's worth.
Dearest and most beloved Ma,
I just want to say I'm sorry. I'm sorry this happened, I'm sorry this is happening to you, the boys and Angie. Ma, you'll probably never see me again after this. Perhaps it's for the best. I'll be fine, I promise.
Ma, you're the best mother anyone could ever ask for. You've provided me with love, care, taught me things others couldn't and showed me hope still exists. Because of you, I am now the person I am today.
I want you to tell Bobby, Jerry and Angel I love them so much. I always will. They are the best brothers anyone could ever have. Tell Bobby thank you for sticking up for me, even though he always did tease and make fun of me. Tell Jerry thank you for teaching me, and for reading to me when I was a kid. Tell Angel thank you for always being there to listen, and to advice me about girls. Haha, good times…
And little Angie… tell her I love her. Tell her I'm sorry. She'll understand. Tell her to move on, live her life and not think about me.
I love you, Ma.
God bless you all.
Love, Jack.
Jack wiped his eyes as he sealed the letter shut in an envelope. One of Vivian's men had been reading over his shoulder to make sure Jack wouldn't reveal anything about Vivian, his location or whatever that has happened in the past few hours.
"May I have another piece of paper, please?" Jack whispered, his voice shaky and coated with sobs.
"Sure, kid." The man went to the other side of the room and took several pieces of paper, and gave it to Jack.
"Thank you…" Jack's voice could hardly be heard.
Dear Cassandra
I know you hate it when people call you that, but this is a serious matter.
Cass…
Thank you.
Thank you for everything. You've been a wonderful best friend, a great shoulder to lean on and an amazing person. You are beautiful inside-out and believe me when I say I can't imagine life without you.
I want you to know that you'll probably never see me again, and please don't be upset. Dry those tears, Cass. I know you'll be crying when you read this. Don't ask questions.
Forget about me, move on. Live your life, spend it wisely. You only get a shot at life once. And please… take care of Angie for me. Make sure you put those wolves in their places. When Angie grows up, she's going to be beautiful.
I don't want her getting in harm's way.
I also have another thing to tell you.
Cass…
Ever since yesterday night, I couldn't stop thinking about you.
I have to admit. I had a crush on you a few months back. I still do. But now, it feels stronger. Much more stronger. I am completely head over heels for you.
Promise me, Cass.
Promise me, you will be strong.
I love you.
I'll always be with you, deep down inside your heart.
Love, Jack.
Jack folded it and allowed the tears to flow freely. The man took both letters and went out of the room. Jack curled up in his chair and sobbed hard. He was never going to see any one of them anymore. The man came back after a while, and sat in the chair opposite Jack.
"Jack, right?" he said softly.
Jack nodded, his head buried in his arms.
"I'm Ian."
Silence.
"Look, Jack. I'm sorry you have to go through this. I know-"
"You don't know shit!" Jack bitterly mumbled.
Ian frowned, "Listen, kid. I've been working with Vivian for almost 3 years. I know what it's like being under her power."
Jack looked up, his eyes all puffy and red.
"Why not just leave then?" Jack whispered.
"Because…"
Jack squinted through his blurry vision, "Because…?"
Ian sighed. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He then took out a small picture from it. He handed it to Jack.
"Because of her."
Jack looked at the picture.
In it, were Ian and a woman beside him. He had his arm draped around her shoulders and was kissing her on the cheek. She was smiling, he was smiling. They looked happy. She had olive skin and gorgeous brown hair which curled at the end. She had a heart-shaped face and flawless skin. Ian was wearing a sleeveless brown shirt, and underneath the black leather jacket she was wearing, was a strapless shirt. He must have given her his jacket, Jack thought.
"Who is she?" Jack asked, not tearing his gaze away from the picture.
Ian smiled sadly.
"Althea."
"Who is she?"
"She's the woman who holds my heart."
Jack was confused.
"You can't leave because of her? Vivian has an adopted daughter?"
"Yes, to both."
"Oh. Why not?"
"She's Vivian's adopted daughter."
MEANWHILE
"So when you have 2x + 3y 0, the graph-"
Knock, knock, knock.
"Come in," Mr. Welf look irritated at being interrupted.
A Year 10 boy walked in with a note, and handed it to the teacher.
"Angie, the principal wants to see you in his office." Mr. Welf sighed and gave her a hall pass.
Angie got up and walked out of the class, feeling relieved. She had spent thirty minutes sitting behind Hunter and Lorraine, listening to them getting to know each other. His hobbies, her dislikes, his family, her previous school… It was getting a little too much for Angie to bear. She followed the Year 10 boy to the office.
The secretary, Miss Georgia, smiled and showed her into the office. Angie went in and saw the principal, Sir Tolden, looking out of the window. He had a troubled expression on his face.
"Good afternoon, Sir," Angie said politely.
"Ah, Angie Mercer," he said, turning around to look at her, "Please, have a seat."
Angie sat down.
"Can I get you anything?" he asked, being unusually nice.
Angie slowly shook her head.
Sir Tolden sighed, "Angie. What I'm going to tell you next… I hope you're okay to hear this."
Angie felt her heart beat increase. Did something bad happened to Ma? Her imagination ran wild for the next few seconds.
"Jack's not in school."
He carefully examined her, watching her expression.
"What do you mean… he's not in school?" she said. Her eyes had gone blank, and her face was pale.
He reached under his table and pulled out a maroon coloured bag with buckles on it. Jack's. "A janitor found this outside the school compound, near the sidewalk. He brought it in to me, and I had a look through the bag. These books belong to Jack. So, I thought, 'Perhaps Jack had accidentally dropped them, somehow'. I then asked a teacher to call him so I could give it back to him. The teacher couldn't find him. I searched for him myself, and couldn't find him. Do you have any idea where he could be?"
Angie suddenly felt dizzy. "No, I don't."
"I would have called your mother, but I didn't want to start any unnecessary trouble. I'll call them now."
"No, wait!" The principal held the telephone in his hand.
"Don't call Ma. Call Jerry. He'll know what to do." Angie said.
"Very well. What is his number?"
"184-455-7970."
Jack sat before Ian, feeling miserable and curious.
"What's wrong with just taking her and leaving?" he asked, fiddling with his collar.
"Althea is basically like you – a prisoner. It's like… that fairytale, the one where the princess is locked up in a tower, all alone by herself and guarded. Just not by a dragon and not under a sleeping spell."
"Sleeping Beauty."
Ian nodded.
"Yes."
"How did you meet her in the first place? Why did you come to work for Vivian? Why can't you just run away with her?" Jack exclaimed, running a hand through his hair. Ian sighed, "It's difficult."
Jack looked around, and folded his arms.
"We've got time."
"Okay," Ian got up, "I'm going to get us some water first." Jack nodded and leaned back in his chair. Ian left the room and returned within a minute. He placed the glass of water in front of Jack, and took a sip of his own. "Where shall I start?" he murmured, mostly to himself.
"From the very beginning, where you met Vivian first or Althea. Whichever."
"Okay," Ian inhaled deeply.
"Hold it," Jack held out a hand, "Is this a trap? To get my guard down?"
Ian shook his head and chuckled bitterly, "If only life was that simple, Jack."
"There are no security cameras here? Or can they hear us in here?"
"Calm down," Ian soothed him, "It's fine. I rigged the audio and changed the visual to another empty room."
"But then, won't they ask where I am?"
"The only people around here are Leo, Kyle, Vivian, Althea, Rebecca and myself."
"Leo? Rebecca? Althea's here?"
"I'll explain later. Want me to continue?"
Jack nodded.
"I met Althea first," Ian's light brown eyes suddenly became teary, "It was in the winter, about two to three years ago. It was snowing very heavily, and I was driving home from the gym. Snow had filled up the roads, and you couldn't even see any plants, insects or animals during then. I was about an hour's drive away from home, when my car suddenly got stuck in the snow. I didn't bring my jacket with me. I was depending entirely on the heaters in my car. I knew I couldn't walk all the way home, so I decided to get out of the car, go to someone's house or something. I had to do something. I didn't want to freeze to death. So I did as I said, and came upon this house around the corner. It was quaint, and rather decent. I went up to knock on the door, and Althea opened it. When I met her eyes, I knew that it wouldn't be easy to resist her. She invited me in immediately, gave me a thick jacket along with a blanket, woolen socks and made sure I was comfortable sitting on her couch. She treated me with so much care, kindness and I was very grateful. Not everyone would treat a random stranger the way she treated me."
"I see," Jack said, "Two to three years ago, you say?"
"Yes."
Jack lowered his gaze, "I ran away from Vivian at that time."
Silence filled the small room.
"Did you meet Vivian then, at the house?" Jack asked.
"No. Althea was living with two girlfriends of hers."
Jack was confused, "Okay, confused. What the hell?"
"I'm not done yet, Jack." Ian muttered, looking annoyed.
"Sorry," Jack sheepishly said.
"One of those girlfriends is Rebecca."
"Wait. Could you please clear it up for me? How old are all of you?" Jack raised an eyebrow.
"I am twenty four. Althea's a year young and Rebecca is twenty one years old. Leo is about eighteen. Anyways, Althea was already Vivian's daughter. However, Althea hardly ever saw her. Vivian claimed to be 'traveling' to other states and countries. Althea couldn't care less. Vivian had adopted her at the age of fifteen; the rebellious stage. So when Vivian suddenly disappeared when she was 17, Althea gave up on living with Vivian and bought herself that house with Vivian's money. Althea knew she wouldn't be able to manage on her own, so she brought Rebecca and Lynn along with her. Althea met Rebecca at school. They were both on the boxing team. They became good friends. I don't know much about Lynn but all I know is that Lynn was the complete opposite of Rebecca."
He sipped some water, and loosened his collar.
"Of course, when Vivian found out what Althea had done, she was furious. She immediately went to the house the minute she had found out about it. There, she met Rebecca. Rebecca is a highly trained woman in karate, sword fighting and kick-boxing. She is Vivian's pet. Vivian paid for all her classes, which made her the person she is today. Vile, cruel, unforgiving and emotionless. She is the guard to Althea's room."
"Wow. That's…"
"Yea, I know."
"But weren't they the best of friends?"
"Yes. Vivian killed off their friendship."
Jack frowned.
"How do you know that Althea isn't on their side?"
"Because she killed Lynn."
Jack jumped up from his chair, and slammed himself back against the wall, "What!? She killed Lynn?! But why? Didn't you say Lynn was the complete opposite of Rebecca?!"
"Yes."
"God, this is so fucking confusing and complicated…" Jack trailed off. He began walking up and down, scratching his head. "I know, Jack," Ian said, finishing off his water, "But there's so much more to tell."
Jack groaned, "Oh God… what else?"
Ian opened his mouth, but instead of hearing his voice, they both heard the door slamming open.
"Oh, hello, fellas!" Kyle came bouncing in.
Jack leaned in to whisper to Ian, "I thought you said-."
Ian whacked him on the arm, "That's enough, Jack! Stop talking!"
Jack flinched.
"What did he say, Ian?"
"Just how he wishes you would drop dead right now," Ian said, sounding robotic and did not look at Jack when he said so.
"Oh, Jackie. Jackie, Jackie, Jackie. Come with me," Kyle grinned, "Come on. Let's go."
"Why?" Jack carefully said.
"Just want to show you something," Kyle smiled.
This smile was not one of Kyle's usual smiles. It was more relaxed, yet suspicious. His eyes had soften and so had his features. Jack slowly got up and walked towards the door.
Wanna know what happens next?
Wanna know why Althea killed Lynn?
Wanna know what the Mercers' and Cass' reaction is going to be when they read the letters?
Wanna know what's going to happen between Angie, Hunter, Lorraine, Daniel, and Dylan?
REVIEW.