Chapter 12

Don't Trust the B in Apt. 21

The title really has nothing to do with the story. Aside that, tonight is the very last episode of Fringe on Fox. It was brought to my attention, that I should probably do an "in between" chapter before I continue on to the Musicals. So any how here goes, starting with Hero. If your character isn't in here, it's because I have placed at least one outside of school prospective for them. (Short chapter)

"Hero, honey, we need to talk," my mother tells me, as soon as I walk in the door. My stomach dropped. I knew what it was. The same that it always was.

"Is it what I think it is?" I ask pulling my bag off from my back, and placing it by the bay in the kitchen.

She didn't even bother answering the question, before she jumped right in on the answer. "Well, Julie, the manager for the company I worked for, before, we moved here, has a job opening, back in Kittery, and I've applied for an apartment. We'll be headed back to Maine, before the end of the month," she tells me.

"Mom you can't dump this on me, the moment I get home. You could have at least asked me about it first. I have friends, that accept me here. I'm on top of all my grades, and I'm in the show choir, in which, I have competition coming up. Couldn't you have at least talked to me about it first?" I ask again.

"I was going to, but I didn't know how to prepare you. The job pays better money, and we can start over in Maine again," she tries.

"I don't want to go back. I like it here. In Maine, I was bullied for everything under the sun. Here, I've stopped cutting, and doing self harm. This is my starting over point," I tell her, and leave to go to my room, slamming my door behind me.

I head inside the shrinks office, as I do once a week. Except this time, I walk in with my iPod on. I know they judge me, and make it seem as though I'm the hypocrite. They're the hypocrites, if you really want to think about.

After I sign in, I turn my iPod on, and select The Climb, and start to sing.

I can almost see it

That dream I am dreaming

But there's a voice inside my head saying

"You'll never reach it"

Every step I'm taking

Every move I make feels

Lost with no direction

My faith is shaking

"Excuse me," another client taps me on the left shoulder, and I remove my left ear bud, but let the song idly move along.

"Yes, ma'am," I address with a smile to show that this place was wasting my time.

"I couldn't help but overhear, and you have a great voice. Are you auditioning for something?" she mentions wondering.

"Thank you ma'am. No I'm not auditioning for anything, I'm actually in the show choir, at McKinley High School, we have a competition against a couple other schools in a month," I tell her with a smile.

"Good luck, and again, you sound great," she tells me, before bidding me good day, and leaving to do what she had planned to do.

'Cause there's always gonna be another mountain

I'm always gonna wanna make it move

Always gonna be a uphill battle

Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there

Ain't about what's waiting on the other side

It's the climb, yeah!

"Mr. McGuire, Sandra is ready for you now," her receptionist announces, as she walks into the waiting room, with that "hurry up, I have other things to do" expression on her fake smiled face.

"What's for dinner Natalie?" my twin brother, Nathaniel, asks as I pick him from school on the other end of town.

"I don't know. I'll think about that when we get home," I tell him, as he settles into the car. Then an idea popped in my head. "How would you like to take a trip to my school? I know a few students in the rehearsals of Footloose?" I announce my wonder.

"That would sound great Natalie," he says with a smile. As we move along, we talk about school, and sing Disney songs, that were overrated. When we arrive at the school, I help him out of the car, and head for the auditorium, where I knew Joe and Artie would be.

"She's not supposed to be in here," whined one of the actresses in the play.

"Sorry, she's right," another actor agreed.

"I was actually looking for Joe or Artie," I announce. Then the actress, who was rehearsing when backstage to get one of the two. Then a couple of minutes later, she walks out with Joe.

"Hi Joe," I greet with a smile on my face.

"Hi Nat," he greets, and then introduces himself to my brother, and then I introduce my brother to him.

"My brother attends a special needs school, and I was wondering if we could see a little bit of the show. We can't stay long though," I tell him, with a hopeful smile.

"Welcome, to a sneak preview of Footloose," he tells us, and walks back up onstage. I smile at Niall, and watch as they perform the show, until the go to intermission.

"I have one more thing I want to do before we head home," I tell him, and take his hand, and head for the music room, where the piano is. When we get inside, I sit down at the piano bench, and started to play for him.

I walked across an empty land

I knew the pathway like the back of my hand

I felt the earth beneath my feet

Sat by the river and it made me complete

Oh, simple thing, where have you gone?

I'm getting old and I need something to rely on

So tell me when you're gonna let me in

I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin

Then I heard another voice join in.

And if you have a minute, why don't we go?

Talk about it somewhere only we know

This could be the end of everything

So why don't we go? So why don't we go?

"Abby what are you doing here?" I ask, as we finish the song.

"I had Cheerio's practice. I'm just waiting for Jake, to get done, with whatever it is, that he does," she tells me happily. "Who's this?" she asks when she spots my brother.

"That's my brother, Nathaniel, but we call him Niall," I tell her. "I was bringing him home from school, but I wanted to stop in here real quick," I tell her.

Then suddenly Lisney comes to the scene.

"Hey c'mon LP. Why are you in that loser room for?" she asks sarcastically.

"Because, well, I have to wait for Jake. I like this room, and I like the music," Abbie answers.

"Oh well that sucks. I know where he is, if you want to know," she announces proudly.

"Oh hell Nat One Leg," she sarcastically announces, when she spots me.

"You know what?" Abbie announces. "I'm done. I may love gymnastics, and love cheering, but listening to your bull is the last straw!" she announces.

"Meaning what, exactly?" Lisney asks coldly.

"That as of now, I choose Natalie, over you. Yeah, that's right," Abbie confirms.

"Ok. Whatever," she announces as she walks away.

"Thanks," I tell her, as we talk more, and she waits with me until Jake arrives.

Dad's drunk again. I place my head phones on, and attempt to do my Science homework, and instead end up singing Jessie's Girl.

Jessie is a friend,

Yeah I know he's been a good friend of mine

But lately something's changed

It ain't hard to define

Jessie's got himself a girl

And I want to make her mine

And she's watching him with those eyes

And she's lovin' him with that body, I just know it

And he's holding her in his arms late, late at night

I even do entire air guitar, in which, I was really bad at, and then I receive a text. From Corey. But since it was him, I ignore him, and continue to air guitar, and dance around in my room.

You know I wish that I had Jessie's Girl

I wish that I had Jessie's Girl

I want Jessie's girl

Where can I find a woman like that?

Like Jessie's Girl

I wish that I had Jessie's Girl

I want, I want Jessie's Girl

Another text.

Jesus, Dinger, I was attempting my homework.

(Corey) I need a ride home.

Walk. You live, like ten minutes away.

The cell phone goes quiet, and then I attempt to work on my diorama of the planets, for Science. Then he texts me back.

PLEEEEEAAASE! We could have a Karate Kid marathon. I won't bitch. I promise.

I roll my eyes, and leave the house. I knew he wouldn't give up until I showed up.

"So opening weekend for Footloose is this weekend, do you want to go?" he asks as we pull into his dooryard.

"Uhh…lets' see, Cleary, is playing Rusty, and since we broke up, I really don't feel like seeing her kiss ass personality.

"So I'll take that as a no then," he answers, as we enter his house, where once again, his family weren't home.

"Mind if I jet? I have homework that's due tomorrow?" I ask trying to avoid, whatever drama of the day he had.

"Just go ahead, I seem to be replaced with Andy anyways," he tells me coldly.

"No he's not. So we sang one song together, and besides, he's reading my all time favorite book, in his class," I tell him, knowing where this was going.

"That's why you were hanging around him today instead of me?" he complains.

"Dinger, this is high school, we're allowed to have more than one friend," I tell him, as grab my keys out of my pockets.

"What exactly is your problem? We've been best friends since second grade, you were the first person, I ever came open to, so what is it?" I ask trying my best not to get pissed off at him, which at the moment, was failing.

"You want to know my problem? Fine. The girl I may or may not have fell for, is eyeing another boy. My best friend is a lesbian, and I feel like I am losing her. My family is falling a part, and I think I may be the father of a child, I'll never see again. That's my problem," he yells at me, and then comes to me crying as he hugs me. Now I knew how my best friend, had really felt. Now I had felt guilty for playing Cupid, but I wasn't about to tell him that. Not yet anyways, because, deep down inside, I knew there was more to them, than what the castles walls were showing. Just like with the both of us, every fight. Every time, we end up like this.