Chapter 21
Disclaimer: I do not own anyone except the OC's, which I'm sure you guys can pick out
"Mothe-Stephanie," Persephanie said under her breath. She couldn't believe it. The person who'd deserted her all her life, is here, standing before her. What was she doing here? How'd she get here? What does she want? All these questions couldn't stop swirling all over Sephie's head as she stared completely stunned over who was standing on her doorstep.
"Sephie, sweetie, just listen to me before you say anything," the woman started to say. She was a forty-year-old woman, who looked much younger than her real age.
"No, ma, I don't wanna hear it. Daisy just get inside," she ordered, tears quickly filling her eyes.
Daisy nodded her head and walked back into the house, getting next to John on the couch.
Persephanie was just about to shut the door until Stephanie stopped her. "No I need your help, Sephie. Your dad needs to under go surgery but we don't have enough money to pay-"
"Oh great!" Persephanie laughed in sarcasm. "My mother actually comes to me for once! She actually needs me…well my help. That's what your so good at huh ma? Kissing up to people only when you desperately need to."
"Sephie you don't understand," her mom started to say.
"I don't understand? Do I have to understand? You've treated me like crap when I was living under your house. You put out all your anger out on me, you never let me go out with my friends, you always locked me down in my room, you made me get two jobs just so I can provide myself and everyone else that lived in our house food, then you kicked me out? And now you want money from me?"
"It's important," she explained. "Your father needs to go through surgery for the sake of his life."
Persephanie closed her eyes letting the tears fall freely down her face.
"Baby," John said putting his arm around her shoulders. He let both his crutches fall, as he leaned on his good knee to support himself up, so he can wrap both arms around her.
Stephanie smiled. For the first time in her life, she finally saw someone who deeply and truly loved her daughter. John. He was the one Persephanie's been missing all her life and it jollied Stephanie to finally see her daughter have him.
"I can't take this, I'm going up stairs," Persephanie said softly. She walked off upstairs leaving everyone unsettled.
Daisy was sitting on the couch running her hand continuously back and forth on the fabric, to lessen the nervous tension. John and Stephanie were still in the entrance standing in front of each other.
"We desperately need the money," she said almost in a cry.
John sighed before picking up his crutches. "Alright I'll write you a check, just hold on."
Stephanie nodded, walking into the house. "So are you my daughter's husband?" she couldn't help but ask, staring at the younger man singing a check on the kitchen counter.
He smiled before shaking his head. "Just a boyfriend."
"Well she's lucky to have you. She never once in her life had that 'protector' guy in her life, you know?"
"Yeah and that's what I'm here for. I love her with all my heart," John smiled, handing her the check.
Stephanie looked at it and smiled. "I really appreciate this. I know I have absolutely no right to ask for money from you guys but-"
"No, it's completely understandable," John said nodding his head. "It's the sake of someone's life. We gotta protect that."
"Yes, well I better get going," she said getting her purse.
John nodded his head, slowly walking into the foyer to lock the door.
"Johnny," Daisy said walking over to him.
He looked down at her and smiled. "Are you okay? Where'd you guys go?"
"No where, we were just sitting on the side-walk outside," she answered.
John smiled patting her head. "Here let's go to the kitchen and make hot chocolate."
"Thanks Johnny," Daisy said after having a mug full of hot chocolate put in front of her.
John smiled. "Your welcome."
"No, not because of the hot coco," she said turning the mug lightly.
He scrunched his brows in curiosity. "Then for what?"
"For everything," she said looking down. She was too shy to look up at him with the conversation they were having. "Mother's right. Sephie and me never had a manly figure in our lives and were more than happy to have you here."
John smiled patting her head again. "I love you guys."
She smiled up at him. "Like a fat kid loves cake?"
He laughed at the little girl's innocence. "Yes, and more."
She smiled before hearing footsteps coming their way.
"Is Stephanie gone?" Persephanie asked walking over to them.
John nodded his head before handing her his mug. She took a sip, setting it gently back on the table after.
"I gave her money," John informed.
Her head shot up, "What? You gave her money without getting my permission?"
"Well the last time I checked, I was free to give money to whoever I want," John stated freely. He shook his head. Oh god. That came out completely wrong and harsh. "Wait baby I didn't mean for it to sound so cold like that."
She shook her head. "John how could you? We're not even sure if that money's really for my dad. My parents are divorced and from what I understand, my mother couldn't care any less about my him. She remarried! So only God knows where she's really using that money on."
John locked his eyes on the counter. "Daisy just drink your hot coco in your room."
"No," she budged. "I'm old enough to hear this conversation."
He shook his head. "No, Daisy I don't want you worrying about this dilemma. Just go to your room and don't worry about this."
The younger girl took her mug and stopped her way upstairs leaving the two alone to continue their conversation- soon to be argument.
Persephanie sat down on the swivel stool, resting her forehead on her hand. "John, you shouldn't have given her money."
"Yeah but if it was really for your dad, then it was only the right thing to do! It's his life we're talking about," John reasoned.
She was still being stubborn. "But like I said, you're not even sure if it was really for my dad. And I bet she just took off once she got the money huh?"
John nodded his head with guilt.
"See! That's so stupid. Money was all she needed," Persephanie groaned. "But fine, do whatever the hell you want, I'm going upstairs to sleep. Don't even bother joining me, just sleep on the couch or the guest bedroom."
John buried his head in his hands. This is just bound to get ugly.
The worst part? Well, as seen earlier, Meaghan was part of the reason why John ended up getting back with Persephanie. Her words stick to him, and it's exactly like brainwash. He's too gullible when it comes to her and believes every advice she gives. And guess what? That whole 'she' needs to treat you better' persona is really starting to stick to him.
Instead of feeling guilt, John carried some sort of hate. He's trying so hard to do whatever he can to please Persephanie but she just wont budge. This is definitely the make it or break it point in their relationship.
-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-
John was contently drinking his coffee in the morning until a high tempered Persephanie barged into the kitchen. Oh lord, here we go again.
"Morning," he greeted sincerely but instantly regretted it after getting a death glare from her. She just poured herself a glass of juice before heading back upstairs and leaving him all alone yet again.
He shook his head before grabbing his crutches to get the ringing phone.
"Hello?"
"Johnny!"
A smile crept to his lips, knowing very well who it was. Meaghan. The second person only ever allowed to call him that. Shoot, Persephanie wasn't even allowed to call him by that name. Only Daisy and Meaghan were. And wow, how weird.
"Hey Megs," he greeted, switching hands with holding the phone.
"How was last night?" she asked curiously.
"Eh, not one of my best nights. Persephanie's mom came by and she got mad at me for giving her money," he informed. "I think she's giving me the silent treatment."
Meaghan gasped. "That bitch."
That whore. Persephanie thought. She had the same phone line upstairs and was listening to their conversation.
John laughed, not bothering to defend his girlfriend. "So how are you?" he asked.
"Good. I'm playing ice hockey later with the guys," she said rather excitedly.
"The guys? All guys?" John questioned, with a hint of jealous present in his voice.
"Yes! And they're all so hot!" she squealed.
Oh my gosh she is a whore. Persephanie scorned, hanging up the phone gently. She sighed, crashing her body down on the bed, with one hand on her stomach. The pregnancy feeling was starting to really come on strong now and she hated it. She hated being pregnant! Especially having them die the very minute their born.
"So your okay with me right?" Meaghan asked.
"What do you mean?" John questioned getting himself a seat.
"Like with what I did yesterday morning," she said uncomfortably.
"Oh! Yeah of course I'm fine with that," he laughed. She kissed him, he has a girlfriend, and he's okay with that?
"Oh but sweetie, I have to go," John said seeing Persephanie enter the kitchen again.
"Sweetie?" both girls said.
"Uh yeah Megs, I'll talk to you later," he said, hanging up.
Persephanie shrugged, crossing her arms. She tried acting as if she didn't care over the situation with Meaghan. Sure, her boyfriend seems to only get closer and closer to this lady friend, but what does that matter? They're just friends. Right?
"Baby," John said getting up and walking over to her.
She smiled before tapping his right cheek and walking pass him to get more juice.
"Let's go to the beach and hang out," he suggested turning his body to her direction. Boy was his knee getting really irritating. It'd take him literally ten seconds to fully turn to the damn left!
She sighed, bringing the glass to her lip. "Okay," was her response, not giving him eye contact. She took a short sip before setting the glass down and rummaging through the refrigerator for food.
"But are you sure you'll even have fun there?" Persephanie asked taking white bread and cream cheese out. "Your knee's kind of in the way."
John laughed and walked himself closer to the counter. "My knee's in the way of what? It was pretty easy for us to make love to each other on the hospital bed."
Persephanie rolled her eyes, spreading cream cheese on her bread. "I'm just worried your gonna loose your patience with your knee slowing you down."
"I don't care about my knee. As long I as I have the love of my life with me, I couldn't care less about anything else," he smiled walking behind her.
She hid a secret smile before taking a bite from her food. "Okay."
"Are you mad?" he asked wrapping his free arm around her.
"Yes," she grunted. "You just dropped your crutches on my foot!"
"Oh I'm sorry!" He apologized, kicking his good foot to move his crutches out of the way. "No wonder I didn't hear a sound when I dropped it."
Persephanie shook her head and took another bite.
"My apologizes," he laughed softly.
"Whatever," she said with an eye roll.
"Seph why do you have to be so bitter towards me? I'm sorry I gave your mom money. But it's just the right thing of a person to do when a life's at stake."
"It's not that," Jhen whined. "John you know, you know exactly how I feel whenever another woman gets involved in our relationship. I've learned so much after what happened with you and Reanna. No matter how much you say you love me, and how much you say you'll be with me, it still wont change a thing!"
"What are you trying to say? I don't own up to my words?"
"Yeah that's exactly what I'm saying. You told me you'd be with me forever, never leave me, and will always be there to not let me fall. But you know what you did? You broke up with me, left me pregnant, and broke me down to pieces. How the hell am I suppose to believe a damn word you tell me?"
"Well if you didn't believe me then why'd you get back with me in the first place?" John asked putting his hands out to the sides.
"Oh what now? Are trying to say getting back with you is a bad idea?" Persephanie asked.
"No baby I-" he started to protest but she stopped him.
"Coz if that's what your trying to say, then I damn well agree," Persephanie said softly, before walking away.
John slammed his hand on the counter and groaned. "Fuck."
-x-o- Later That Night -o-x-
"I told you she's a bitch," Meaghan said rather harshly.
John sighed and leaned forward on the table. They were over at her house eating dinner together. Persephanie didn't bother making food or even coming out of her room at all, for that matter. So now here John is, sharing his time with his 'best lady friend' which seems to happen an awful lot nowadays.
"Find a better girl that doesn't know drama, marry her, have babies, and forget Persephanie," Meaghan noted. "Do that and I'm sure you'll be one happy man."
John looked down on his plate and laughed. "I can't do that."
"Why not?" Meaghan asked leaning forward to take her drink. "She's a bitch. You try to please her but she's still being mean. Kind of like those wwe fans that boo you all the time."
John glared at her in the mention of the booing jerks he's had on his back for the past couple of months.
"Well it's true!" she defended.
"No Megs, I can't just leave Persephanie like that. I love her to death. There's just no other girl existent in this universe that can make me feel like she does. Besides, it's completely my fault to why she's like that. She's right, I broke her heart and I don't blame her for having some sort of hate at me for that."
"Well she should at least try and appreciate of you trying to please her," Meaghan shrugged. "Whatever. Just don't regret staying with that bitch in the end, if you guys break up."
"Nah. I'll never regret being with that girl, speaking to her, meeting her, kissing her, or anything with her. It's like they say, don't regret something that once made you smile," John chuckled.
"You're too nice to that bitch," Meaghan mumbled rolling her eyes.
"Stop calling her that!" John ordered. He took another bite of his food, not taking a second thought to grabbing his cell phone and calling his girlfriend.
"Don't call her," Meaghan protested standing up to pry the cell phone off his ear. "You guys are just gonna get into a bigger fight."
John backed his face away from her, "Shut it."
"Get off the phone, don't call her!" Meaghan yelled stepping closer to him. She kept fighting for the phone as she ended up getting too close to the point she was straddling him.
Just when that happened Persephanie finally picked up. "Hello?"
"Meaghan stop! Get off my lap!" John laughed not knowing his girlfriend heard what he just said.
"I'll get off you if you get off the phone," she returned moving closer to snap the phone off his ear. She pressed the end button and shut his phone off.
"Hey!" John exclaimed.
Meaghan got off his lap with an evil grin on her face. "I don't want her to hurt my best friend anymore than she already has."
John sighed following it with a sly smile on his face.
-x-o- Meanwhile -x-o-
"What the fuck?" Persephanie cursed still with the phone put against her ear. The line was dead but the last thing she heard really bothered her. 'Meaghan stop! Get off my lap!'
Stop doing what? Get off my lap? She was on his lap?
Persephanie banged her phone lightly on her knee as she took a seat on the bed to just relax. Being stressed and pregnant is never a good combination so she tried best as she can to just calm down and not over react. She'll just have to talk to John about it later when he gets home.
If he gets home…
-x-o- 2 A.M. -o-x-
"Whoa!" John exclaimed looking to his right to see Meaghan fast asleep.
Her back was turned to him with the covers hovering over her bare body. Looking down to his own, John noticed himself only in his boxers and nothing else. His shirt was on the floor along side with Meaghan's.
He scrunched his eyebrows in complete confusion. What happened? The last thing he remember doing was pouring himself and his 'friend' a glass of mojitos but other than that everything else was blank. He stepped his left foot out of the bed, lightly getting up, cautious not wake up the girl next to him. He stood on his two feet, bending down to grab his white t-shirt off the floor to put it on.
He sighed and grabbed all his belongings heading straight to the door not wanting to add any more problems already surfacing their paradise.
He got in his car taking a very quiet ride back home. It was dark, cold, and silent. He didn't even bother putting on the radio.
This can't be happening. This couldn't have! Did he cheat on Persephanie again? With all the clues gathering all together before his eyes, the answer would've been yes. But to be quite honest he really doesn't remember a thing! Having sex with Meaghan is seriously close to impossible in John's mind.
He took a deep breath before getting out of his car once pulling up to his driveway.
"I don't know what I'm gonna do," he mumbled opening the front door. He found himself in the master bedroom in a matter of two minutes.
Laying himself gently down on the bed, he put one arm around his girlfriend's waist feeling a slight movement.
"Go to sleep," she mumbled.
He sighed knowing all too well she wasn't fully-fully asleep. In fact, she's been waiting all night for him but finally got into some decent sleep once midnight hit.
"I love you," he said before fully resting his head on the pillow.
She shuffled her body closer to his, remaining to keep her eyes closed. "I love you too." She muttered as he gave a sly smile to put an arm around her.
-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-
"Whoa!" John exclaimed looking to his right. This was pretty much the same reaction he had to waking up earlier, but this time was different, much different. There was a tray settled just below Persephanie's pillow with breakfast food all fixed and ready. He smiled seeing a folded paper that said 'Always and Forever' in Persephanie's handwriting. He picked up the tray, lightly settling it on his lap to begin eating. Hearing the door to the bathroom open, Persephanie walked out with a very revealing outfit. She wore a black low cut, crop top with jean short shorts. "Hey that's my food!"
John blinked a couple times with food still in his mouth. For one thing, his girlfriend's never worn something that showed nearly 90 percent of her whole body, two, he couldn't help but feel embarrassed for stuffing food in his mouth that she claimed to be hers, and three, last night was just a complete mystery he was more than scared to solve.
Persephanie couldn't help but bust into laughter seeing John's reaction. He turned so pale as all he did was blink and look up at her with food halfway finished in his mouth. "You're so cute." She said walking over and sitting in front of him in the bed. They were facing each other but wasn't as near as usual, due to the fact that a tray was set in front of him. "And I was just kidding, I made all that food for you."
John nodded his head quietly, taking the food into one swallow. He took the spoon shyly to his mouth before taking another slow bite.
Persephanie laughed. "Why are you acting so weird?"
"Your outfit's hot and I just- you make- I'm speechless," he stuttered looking down at her body.
She laughed harder, running a hand down her brown hair. "I'm just taking advantage of these slim outfits before I blow up into a watermelon."
John raised his eyebrows up and down with a huge grin on his face. "Me like."
Persephanie blushed as she got beside John waited till he got finished eating.
"I love you," he said turning his head to look at her.
She smiled, running one hand down the back of his neck. "I love you too."
He threw his head back, letting it rest on her arm.
"I'm sorry," she spoke up.
He raised his head and looked her straight in the eye. "For what?"
"For being so uptight and blaming you for every little thing you do. I know you're trying to do the best you can to make up for what happened last year, and I apologize for making the job so hard on you."
John swallowed a huge lump on his throat and managed a small smile. "I understand."
She pouted her lips before leaning forward and landing it on John's. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
His smile remained, as he circled one arm around her back. "Don't be," he said softly, kissing her temple.
Jhen's Notes: Whoa wtf did John and Meaghan do now? Awe but John and Seph really care about each other. Sadly, there's too much drama on their hands. Hahaha, review please! I need the least bit of encouragement i can get since school's here. wow, how fun! ((sighs)) lol. oh and special thanks to Lil'MissCena! New reviewers saying they read my story all night really boost my confidence in writing. and thanks to everyone else who consistantly has been reviewing. you guys rock my world! oh and check out my other stories please-o! (:
xoxo. Jhen.
August 26, 2006.