Chapter Twelve: How Crazy I Am
Hazel couldn't believe what she was hearing and what had just happened. Everything was happening so fast that she couldn't even believe what she had done … and even worse was what had happened afterwards.
'The ultimate betrayal,' she thought as she flushed some cool water into her face, hoping it would make her think straight and finally see things as they were.
First, she had to get out of here and then … go home. No wait. She couldn't go home. Her parents would ask her about where she'd been and what happened to the rest of her clothes. "Paige." Hazel whispered, grabbing the bag she brought in the bathroom with her and sneaking out through the other door, into the guest room and into the hallway.
'Just ignore the sounds,' she told herself, as the tears started up again, not because Jimmy was inherently incapable of being faithful, but because of the war that was about to go down … and how it was gonna kill when she really lost Sean.
"Gianni, it's Manny." He picked up the phone to hear a voice he wasn't expecting.
"You want to talk to Marco? I know his cell is broken and--"
"I'm talking to the person I need right now." She answered with a sigh.
"You don't sound too good. Is that Ritchie guy giving you a hard time about leaving? I can come over there and give him a little talk." He offered.
"Don't be a kid. Ritchie would kill you in a fight, but that's not what this is about … Do you remember that ring you gave me?"
"The one you gave back to me after the proposal? Manny what is up with you? Why would you bring that up? Why now when Marco's trying to make things with you?"
"Stop asking questions and just bring it but d-don't meet me here. Meet me at that diner and just trust me." She hung up the phone ready to get this over with.
"I knew you were a smart one." Joni smiled, appearing from the doorway as Manny brushed past her.
"Can't I have some privacy?"
"Doesn't exist in this place."
"I am in complete and utter hell." Ellie explained to Ashley over the phone. She was officially THE one and only person Ellie could talk to about anything now.
"I know losing Sean was--"
"It's not so much the losing I mind. I knew that was coming. I saw it months ago when I slit my wrists, but this is something different Ashley. This time he went behind my back and screwed me over in front of everyone. I feel so used."
"Do you need me to come over?" Ashley asked really worried about her friend. "I don't want you to do anything like before."
"I'm over that Ashley. I've got more things to live for than to die for now but … it's surreal that he married her. If they just made out or even hooked up, I could get over him easier, but marriage, it's like did he hate me that much that he had to permanently erase me from his life without saying anything to me? Who does that?" Ellie wondered, getting all disoriented.
"I really think I should come over." Ashley suggested again.
"No. I'm handling this. Sean needs to fess up and until I find someone else, we're stuck together."
"You want to talk to me?" Sean wondered, walking into the living room where Ellie was lounging.
"Do you get pleasure in catching me off guard or is this just something you picked up from Ms. Cameron?" Ellie wondered, dropping the phone onto the couch completely entrapped in the drama at hand.
"You are so full of bull Ellie. I can't believe you are bringing this up. I was drunk out of my mind when it happened." Sean clarified sitting near her on the couch.
"Does that change it? You're still married Sean. I mean, can you even think for a second or are you totally brainless?" Ellie shrugged. "I don't care let's just set up some ground rules about you living here."
"Me? You say it like it's your place."
"Well, it is. I live here Sean. Deal with it."
"Elli, I found the place and allowed you to stay after everything got complicated for you."
"Forget the details. Do you really think your new wife would allow you to live with your ex-girlfriend … and do you honestly think that the three of us could coexist in any universe?" Ellie practically yelled, gripping the side of the couch in order to stop herself from pouncing on Sean in anger.
"What makes you think you belong here Ellie? You say that I've ruined your life well mine has been one be dramatic production after another. You slit your wrists and I'm the brainless one. What kind of person does that Ellie?"
"Someone who wants to get as far away from you as possible." Picking up her black messenger bag, Ellie slid it over her shoulder and got herself ready to leave. "And just so you know … you mean less than nothing to me. You always were a nobody and you'll always be trailer park."
"What's with the get-up?" Gianni smiled as Manny pulled off an old baseball cap and trench coat. "Dressing like that only makes you more obvious."
"Where's the ring?" Manny responded, as he reached into his pocket and pulled it out. Even now, the ring was equally as breathtaking as when Manny had first seen it. She didn't let him know, but she was in love with it from the moment she saw it. "Thanks. Give it to me." She reached for it anxiously.
"Not yet … what's this about?" Gianni snatched the jewelry back.
"Gianni. I don't have time to play around. This is the only way I can pay back what I owe. You know that." Manny begged, looking intensely at him and doing whatever necessary to get what she wanted.
"How much?" He asked suddenly.
"How much what?"
"Do you owe?"
"One hundred thousand dollars … before—100,000." Manny repeated with a sigh.
"And who can you possibly pay it back?"
"I have to. Ritchie will find me if I don't." She nodded, looking away in order to avoid the intensity of this conversation.
"So what do you want me to do?"
"Don't tell Marco and get the money … if you can and if not, I'll do whatever to get out, for the baby."
"Damn it Manny!" Gianni yelled causing the few people in the diner to stare at them. "Damn it. How do you get yourself into deep shit like this? You tie the knots tighter and tighter, don't you?"
"I didn't say that you had to help me Gianni. If it's a burden you don't want to take forget I ever said anything about it to you."
"You're right. Instead of just asking me to help you, you gave me some sob story about caring about your baby. You didn't care about it when you lied to me and ran off. Why?"
"I'm sorry Gianni but … you know how I feel about you--" Manny reached for his hands, at Gianni clasped them together in front of him.
"Did I tell you that I met someone?"
"You did WHAT? How is that relevant?"
"Did you expect me to wait until it was convenient for you and you got tired of Marco?" Gianni wondered as Manny ran her hands over her face and into her hair.
"Who is she? What does she—is she … does she make you happy?"
"I'll see you later Manny." Gianni stated, elated that he finally had the upper hand with the Gianni-Manuela variety hour.
"What? Wait. The ring?"
"When you tell the whole truth … I want to know everything first."
"I am so happy that I have you on my side right now Paige. You don't understand how I've magnified this situation by what I did--"
"Which was awful." Paige finished for her from the living room.
"Worse than awful. It was despicable. I let myself believe that Jimmy could annul my marriage to Sean—which I really didn't want and then I slept with him." Hazel sighed. "I mean how stupid could I possibly be? How have I managed to do everything right up until now?" Hazel walked out of the kitchen with two cups of hot chocolate that she just made.
"I don't know Hazel. Just how stupid are you?" Sean stood directly in front of you.
"Paige, what is this? Did you bring him over--"
"Look hon, you two need to talk and I need to not be involved."
"Paige. How—where are you…"
"You slept with Jimmy huh?" Sean walked towards Hazel wringing his hands. "It's fine. I don't care."
"Sean, I'm so--"
"Don't say it. It doesn't matter. I never should've come over here." Sean shrugged, getting ready to leave.
"Don't go away. The whole thing is something that we need to talk about otherwise it'll always be hovering over us." Hazel suggested.
"You wanna talk? Fine. Give me all the gory details."
"What?"
"We're married. We're supposed to be able to talk about everything … and what's this I hear about an annulment?"
"I thought it was all a big mistake. You were drunk out of your mind. That's what I heard around Degrassi so do you really want to place the blame solely on me?" Hazel shot back even though she felt like she had more to feel guilty about.
"While you figure out what you want, I'm gonna leave."
"It's easier to run away, but let's be adult about it this time."
This is not done ... I didn't have time to finish but I wanted to post something. I'll get the rest of it up asap! -NL
