August 31
"Is Lyllian home?" asked Matt.
"She is up in her room," said her mom.
"Okay," said Matt walking past her and up the stairs.
Matt walked up the stairs and down the hall to Lyllian's room.
"Knock, knock," said Matt opening the door slightly.
"Hey," said Lyllian looking up from her magazine.
"Whatcha doing?" asked Matt.
"Reading a magazine," said Lyllian lifting it up.
"Cool," said Matt walking over to her bed. "You still coming to Jeff's party tonight?"
"Um…I don't know," said Lyllian.
"Cause of Shannon, right?" said Matt.
"Yeah," said Lyllian.
"Ok," said Matt sighing.
"I will try and come by later, even if I just drop off the gift," said Lyllian
"I think he will be happy that he is having this party," laughed Matt.
"Me too," smiled Lyllian.
Later that Night
"Ready?" asked Matt as he walked a blind folded Jeff out the back door.
"Just take the damn thing off!" said Jeff.
"Not yet," said Matt. "A little farther."
"Now?" asked Jeff grabbing at the blind fold.
"Now," said Matt pulling the blind fold away.
As soon as Matt pulled it away, everyone who was there shouted 'surprise' at Jeff.
"Awesome!" shouted Jeff.
Jeff mingled with everyone at the party for a while before he made his way back to his brother.
"Where is Lyllian? I figured she would be here," said Jeff sitting down by Matt.
"Well you can thank her for your party, it was all her idea. But she said she didn't know if she was going to come," said Matt.
"Shannon right?" asked Jeff.
"Yup," said Matt
"Figures," said Jeff getting up.
"Where you going?" asked Matt.
"Lyllian. Door," said her mother.
"Okay," said Lyllian getting up off the couch.
"What is up with you missing my party that you planned for me and I can to your party that you planned for you?" asked Jeff when she opened up the door.
"What?" asked Lillian a little stunned.
"I cam to your party last month," said Jeff walking into the living room. "But you wont come to my party tonight."
"You left your party to come bitch at me?" asked Lyllian closing the door behind him and following him into the living room.
"Yup," said Jeff sitting down on the couch. "And I'm not going back unless you go with me."
"Jeff I will give you your present, but I am not going to the party," said Lyllian walking up stairs.
"Why?" asked Jeff running up the stairs after her. "Because of Shannon? You've got to move on."
"Here," said Lyllian handing Jeff a wrapped box.
Jeff took the box then set it down on the bed and looked at Lyllian.
"Seriously," said Jeff. "You expect me to take it and leave."
"Jeff, I am just not ready to be around Shannon," said Lyllian picking up the present. "Now. Go back to your party. Or I wont throw you one next year."
"Fine," said Jeff walking back down the stairs.
Lyllian followed Jeff down the stairs and to the front door.
"I am really sorry that I am not going to the party," said Lyllian handing the present to Jeff.
Instead of taking the present Jeff took Lyllian's arm and pulled her over his shoulder. And started walking down the drive way.
"HEY! Put me down!" shouted Lyllian.
"I will. When I get back to my house," said Jeff still walking.
"No, put me down now!" said Lyllian.
"Nope," said Jeff still walking down the road.
After a few minutes Jeff put Lyllian down. They were about twenty feet from Jeff's house.
"Now, you can leave," said Jeff not letting go of her arm. "I mean, you are already here."
Lyllian looked over at Jeff, who was smiling at her.
"Fine," she said. "But I can leave when I feel uncomfortable, right?"
"I guess. Matt can drive you home then," said Jeff. "Now lets go!"
Jeff pulled Lyllian down the road and into the yard running past everyone else towards his brother.
"I have succeeded!" said Jeff jerking Lyllian in front of him.
"What?" asked Matt looking up.
"I got her here," said Jeff smiling from behind Lyllian.
"How?" asked Matt getting up to hug her.
"He dragged me," said Lyllian hugging Matt.
"Ah. Dad's gonna have your hide if you don't go find him and tell him where you disappeared to," said Matt.
Jeff ran off to find his father while Lyllian sat down and talked with Matt. Matt tried to keep Lyllian's attention whenever he saw Shannon. And it worked for most of the night.
"I am back," said Jeff sitting down next to Lyllian.
"And in one piece, I see," said Lyllian.
"Eh…it is my birthday," laughed Jeff.
"What's up guys?" said Shane walking over.
"Not much. Talking about how Jeff practically forced Lyllian to come here," laughed Matt.
"Practically forced?" asked Shane sitting down.
"Yeah, as in Threw me over his shoulder and walked down the road with me," laughed Lyllian.
"Ah, but you are here," said Jeff smiling.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," said Lyllian.
At around eleven Lyllian started getting tired. At first she leaned her head on Matt shoulder, but he eventually left to go with his girlfriend. After a while she was leaning on Jeff's shoulder talking to him about school and what he was going to do with his new dirt bike.
"I'll be back in a second," said Jeff getting up and walking over to his father.
Lyllian nodded her head in acknowledgement and leaned back in her chair. After about twenty minutes she stretched out on the bench sitting next to her and fell asleep.
"Huh. Guess she is tired," said Jeff walking back over.
"Yup. We cant leave her laying here," said Shane shaking her lightly.
"Uh…" said Lyllian.
"Come on darling, time to get up," said Shane still shaking her.
"Uh…okay," said Lyllian sitting up.
"She can't walk home like that," said Jeff's dad walking over.
"I will take her home," said Shane picking Lyllian up in his arms. "Jeff go open the door to my car."
Jeff ran across the yard and to Shane's car. Jeff opened the door and Shane set Lyllian into the passenger seat. He jostled her enough to wake her up some more.
"Mm…what's going on?" asked Lyllian looking up at Shane.
"I am taking you home. It is almost eleven-thirty," said Shane.
"Okay," said Lyllian laying her head back and falling asleep again.
Shane said his goodbyes and happy birthday to Jeff and his father and got in the car and drove away. It took him about ten minutes to get to Lyllian's house from Jeff's. Shane parked the car and turned it off. He ran up to the front door and rang the door bell. A few seconds later her mom answered the door.
"Yes?" she asked half asleep.
"Um…I brought Lyllian home from Jeff's birthday party," said Shane. "She uh, fell asleep in the car on the way over here."
"Um…okay. Her room is upstairs. You will either have to wake her or carry her up there," said her mom opening the door more. "You are better of carrying her."
"Yes, ma'am," said Shane before running back to his car.
Shane opened the passenger side door and unbuckled Lyllian. He leaned her out of the car and hooked his other arm under her legs and picked her up. He readjusted her in his arms the walked back to the house. Lyllian's mom had left from the door and had gone up the stairs ahead of him and turned on the light in Lyllian's room. Shane made his way, slowly, up the stairs so he didn't wake her or drop her. Once he finally reached the top of the stairs he made his way down the hall to her room. He laid her on her bed and removed her shoes then covered her up and turned of the bedside lamp. As he started to walk away Lyllian called to him.
"Shane?" she said sleepily.
"Huh?" he said turning around.
"Can I ask you something?" she asked.
"Sure," said Shane.
"Tonight, I saw Shannon," she said sitting up. "Did…did he have someone with him?"
"You are tired. Go to sleep," said Shane.
"No. Tell me," said Lyllian.
"It wont make you feel any better if you knew," said Shane. "I will see you later."
Shane walked out of her room and closed the door behind him. He made his way down the stairs and out the front door to his car.
"Shane?" said Lyllian's mother.
"Yes ma'am?" said Shane turning around.
"You boys mean the world to her. Don't let her stay this way for to long," she said. "Please?"
"We are trying, ma'am," said Shane. "Sorry to disturb you so late. Goodnight."
"Night," she replied closing the front door.
Shane got in his car and drove back to the Hardy's house for the night.