A/N: *blows party blower* This chapter we're celebrating. For three reasons. Uno - we reached 800 reviews last chapter! Two, we reached 100 favourites! And finally, this is, officially, the 50th chapter of Quite the Opposite! Half of a hundred! What a milestone! I wanna thank all you guys for this year-and-a-bit full of gloriousness and I'm so glad that QTO has become as popular as this. I seriously never expected such a great reception for this story, so thank you all very much! The chapter is dedicated to EVERYONE who has read, reviewed, favourited, or alerted this story at any time, whether from the beginning or only just recently! This is for YOU! :D
darksaber92 - Haha, I'm honoured! :D
BIG THANK YOU TO IAmSrak for being my 800th reviewer! You rule :D
I didn't own Sonny with a Chance 50 chapters ago, and I don't now. I do, however, own Chad's friends and his parents mentioned in this episode. Yay for family and friendship! xD
Chapter 50 - Wisconsin Welcomings!
Sonny's POV
I think I just about jump out of my skin when three young-looking guys charge up to the car, surrounding it like zombies in some kind of apocalyptic attack. I make a dive for Chad's hand, and he just lets out an insensitive laugh, wiping at his eye like he's wiping away an invisible tear.
"Ah, so these are the monsters you warned me about, huh?"
He wiggles his eyebrows, "Brace yourself." He simply warns.
I have precisely three seconds before the doors on each side of the back of the car (both mine, and Chad's) are swung open and, in a lightning-speeded moment, my seatbelt is yanked out of it's socket and I'm thrown into a mash of arms and torsos of guys that I've never even met before.
Spluttering a random choke, I look above my head to try and get a glimpse of my attackers, but everything moves so quickly that I hardly realise that I've been dragged about five feet from where I got out. Distorted, I rub my head, only regaining total focus when I hear the only familiar voice, yelling protectively, "Guys, you're overwhelming her!"
A warm hand clutches my arm and tugs me out of the crazy mix of arms and torsos and tenor, male laughter. The sound of best friends having a laugh together. The body next to me, the only familiar one within all this craziness (and the only sane one, it seems), clears his throat, as if assuming a leading position. The three male bodies turn to face him, like soldiers to a commander, only not so serious and formal. One is still snickering, while the one to his right elbows his friend in the gut, like addressing some inside joke.
Chad's expression doesn't falter. Being the presumed "leader" of the group, he gives each member of his pack a long, hard glare. After a while, he opens his mouth wide to speak.
"You guys are insane." He concludes after a while, folding his arms, still clutching my hand protectively. His warm touch is somewhat comforting among all the madness.
Chad continues with the hostile act for precisely three more seconds before the guy on the left yells, "Nice to see you too, Grumpy Pants!"
Chad breaks into a shy smirk, rubbing his tongue across the teeth in his closed mouth slowly, like he usually does in thought. He takes a deep breath, and the three boys lean in closer, waiting for his 'OK'.
The commander finally breaks into an informal chuckle, "I'd rather be grumpy than mental in the head." He retorts. The boys chorus a respective "OHHH!" and pound Chad on his back as he is thrown into a large group-hug, chuckling. A group-hug I fear I'd get lost in. Chad is taller than me, and damn, so are his friends. Every one of them. Especially the guy on the right, with black hair – he's even taller than Chad. Who, by the way, I swear has grown a couple of inches since we met, while I've stayed tiny as ever.
Almost as if he can read my thoughts, one guy, who is about Chad's height, with mocha-skin and cheeky eyes turns to face me with a freaky, overly-wide grin and says, "And does your gorgeous girlfriend wanna join the bear hug too? We'll be careful, promise."
Chad shoots him a glare, but it's not at all serious. The protective edge is in there, somewhere, but over it all just lies the gladness to be back with his friends. "You're not touching her, Jake." He warns, and the guy groans.
"Damn."
"Too bad." The guy to Jake's left agrees. "She's even more gorgeous in real life."
"Yeah, well she's my gorgeous girlfriend, so, uh, it ain't gonna happen." Chad states, wrapping an arm around my shoulders to prove his point and smiling smugly at his friends. Normally I'd object to being, well… objectified, but I refrain. Chad's only reacting this way because of his friend's cheeky banter, and objectifying me like a trophy is not something he's usually do. Plus, he's enjoying his moment of being one-over on his friends, so it seems. There's a layer of competitiveness; something I see constantly among actors. Especially in the small-minded world of the Falls, where being the Alpha is the ultimate essential. If you're not top-quality, you're out; no ifs, no buts.
It's kind of sad, how the best are shot right up to the top while the others are left in their dust, not even given a chance.
The last guy speaks – a brunet. He gives me a warmer smile than the cheeky one the other guys gave me.
"It's nice to meet you, Sonny Munroe. My name's Daniel, but everyone just calls me Danny." He says, holding out a hand for me to shake. I do so, giving him a smile back. "It's really cool that you're dating Chad."
Jake nods in the back, "He's crushed on you for forever."
Chad turns pink, "She didn't need to know that." He mumbles, removing his arm from my shoulders. Despite his sudden shyness, the boys smile at Chad, almost in respect. Despite Chad being probably the shortest, they still look at him as if looking at a 7-foot superhero – in awe, admiration. Of course, that flees in two seconds as the tallest one, with ink-black spiky hair, steps forward and holds his hand out for me to shake, while he smirks audaciously.
"Terence White." He announces, putting on a snooty voice. I laugh and shake his hand, only for him to kiss it. Chad glares at him, bro-punching him on the arm.
"And I guess you kinda know Jake's name…" Chad comments. Jake stands forward.
"Jacob. But you can call me Jake, if you want." He confirms, winking at me, "Or whatever you want. Good to meet yah, beautiful." I smile at him friendlily.
"Guyyys!" Chad carps, replacing his arm over my shoulders in a protective gesture, "Stop charming my girl."
His whiny ten year-old tone makes me even more comfortable as I laugh alongside his friends. They all shoot me a smile.
"Hey, Chaddyo, you gonna introduce your girlfriend to your daddy?" Jacob asks.
"Is Dad here?" Chad asks back with a smile. The boys point to the door, where Chad's mom is talking to a blonde man in the doorway whose features fit Chad to a T. The hair colour, the smile, and those eyes – bright and blue; can see them even all the way over here. He's smiling, warm and friendly, despite talking to his ex-wife, and his whole aura reflects him as being a kind, gentle man before I've even met him. Chad's eyes just about light up with glee. If his friends weren't around, he probably would've done the whole run-into-daddy's-arms thing and jumped at the guy. Instead, he grabs my hand and gives me the same affectionate smile I see radiating off of his father, and bundles towards the front door of the house. He stands there at the side, smiling, waiting for his mother and father to finish speaking.
The name pops to my head – Goldfarb. Chad told me a while back that that was his father's name and had been his own name until his mom and dad divorced. I look between the father and the son and scoff. Well, his name may be Chad Dylan Cooper, but there's no doubt that my boyfriend's a Goldfarb, through and through.
I take this as a chance to take in my surroundings. The house is nice, sweet; the front is clearly bricked, and a little concrete path leads from the front of the yard up to the door, with a concrete step just at the foot of the door. The grass at my feet is nicely cut and weeded and clearly taken care of, and surrounding the whole front yard is a wooden fence, only waist-height, painted a glossy black. It's surprising to see a few little flowerbeds at the foot of the house too – you wouldn't suspect a man, living alone, to care about flowers and weeding and keeping the yard nice and clean. Well, at least, not this clean.
I turn back to the man, who is still giving his ex-wife that kind, gentle smile. She's smiling right back too, and I notice just how comfortable Chad's Mom and Dad really are around each other. They're not husband and wife, but they give off no aura of being ex-lovers – they don't display any emotions of hate or malice or disgust. There is no hint of any kind of anger or grudge or pain. Their kind eyes and gentle words and happy laughs show that, despite their split, they were mature enough and close enough to each other's hearts to remain close. To remain friends.
A chorus of coos in my head and heart is suddenly followed by a stabbing pain, as the insecure, Sonny Munroe part of my brain awakens.
My parents couldn't patch things together. They couldn't remain close. My mother doesn't even know where my father is right now; has been for the last few years.
It pains me to make comparisons between Chad's father and my father – I feel sick with envy at how fortunate Chad is to have a father who loves him, a mother who cares; parents who, despite being split, are still together, in a sense. Still close, still friendly. Still okay with the sight of each other – something I know my immature parents could never be capable of.
Chad's Mom steps down from the concrete step, making way for Chad to step onto it. Chad's hand is still wrapped around mine though, and so I end up following him up as he gives his dad a friendly man-hug, leaving me to be hanging awkwardly on the edge. The hug doesn't last long though, and when Chad and his father finish exchanging the "hey's" and "good to see you's" and "it's been too long's", said father turns his attention onto me. He graces me with that same sweet smile that I see reflected on his son, holding out his hand for me to shake.
"Hello there," He greets me formally and benevolently, "I'm guessing you're Sonny Munroe?"
"That's me!" I confirm, adding a well-mannered smile to seal the deal. The kindness in Mr Goldfarb's eyes makes them sparkle.
"Chad's girlfriend, right?"
"Right again, sir."
"Hey, now what's with the formalities?" Mr Goldfarb chuckles, holding his hands up jokingly, "Name's Damien. Just call me Damien."
"Damien." I agree.
"Or Dad, if you prefer."
I swallow, "I have a Dad. A bad one at that, but I have one."
Mr Goldfarb frowns, "Sorry."
I shake my head, not wanting to take out my father problems on someone as warm-hearted and genuinely great as Damien.
"It's okay Mist- Damien…" I pause. "Dad." I add on the end for good measure.
His eyes light up. I examine Mr Goldfarb's friendly features; the bright blue eyes, the blonde hair, the familiar smile… and I find comfort. I find home in him. I feel like I've found somewhere I truly belong.
With the Coopers (slash Goldfarbs).
A large hand suddenly ruffles my hair, and shoves past me so quickly that I almost lose my balance and fall off the step.
"I CALL DIBS ON THE FRIDGE!" The figure yells, with another running after him and complaining that "THAT'S NOT FAIR!" and the third chasing after them both muttering something about legit weirdos.
Mr Goldfarb grabs my wrist to stop me from falling, rolling his eyes light-heartedly.
"Your friends, Chad…" He sighs to his son. Chad shoots him a look with those perfectly reflected eyes, the eyes I previously assumed he got from his mother, but now I'm certain he got from his father. The look he shoots him is clearly one shared by the two of them, seeing as they have the same eyes and all they probably both use it.
It reads 'I hear ya'.
"Hey, you guys know, just because I'm back in town doesn't mean you can eat from my dad's fridge!" Chad yells after his friends.
"'Course it does!" A husky voice shoots back – Jacob's. "It's in the friendship handbook."
"…The what?"
There is a long pause in response. Jacob laughs, "Man, you suck. We missed you and your cluelessness."
"I could say the same about you." Chad retorts, turning to face me as I just about regain my balance, "Don't you know it's rude to knock over a lady?"
"What lady?" Terence's voice interjects, followed by Jacob's chuckle, and then a sound of a whack and an 'ouch' from the both of them. I grin.
"Sorry, Sonny!" Danny's kinder, smoother voice yells, "These dumbasses wouldn't know manners if they whacked them in the face and yelled I'm right here!"
Chuckling, Chad wraps an arm back around my shoulder and leads me in the front door, with Mr Goldfarb – Damien – following behind, and Ms Cooper behind him.
The house is small and simple. The moment you enter, you are led down a narrow, homey hallway, painted a deep green on the walls. The hallway ends and separates off three ways, like a maze – to the left is the living room, to the right is the kitchen, and forward leads to a downstairs toilet, tucked behind the kitchen, and a staircase leading upstairs. There's also a glass double-door leading to the back garden, which looks just like the front garden – homey and sweet. The grass is well-cut, the fences are painted a nice green colour, and a washing line drapes across the grassy area. There's a patio separating the grass and the house; concrete, like the path in the front, and there are a couple of vegetable plants and bean stalks and strawberry plants in pots, all in a neat line alongside the fence on the right side of the garden.
The munching behind us alerts me to Chad's friends' presence. Jacob and Terence have various snacks cradled in their arms, while Danny shoots Chad an "I couldn't stop them" look that makes me giggle.
"Okay, dorks, you gotta leave now so Sonny can get settled." Chad orders, ushering his friends out like a security guard while the boys moan and protest.
"No fair, dude." Jacob moans.
"Life ain't fair." Chad replies in monotone. The boys groan.
"Since when did you become boring?"
"When did you become whiny?" Chad retaliates.
The argument (sorta) continues until Chad can finally lead the distracted boys out of the door and slam it on them. He turns back to me with an exhausted whistle.
"So… let's get you to your room!"
A few hours later and it's midnight, and I'm lying in the bed of Chad's old room when he used to live here prior to moving to Hollywood. I insisted that he take his room and I take the couch, but being such an old-fashioned gentleman the guy would not cave in. So here I am, lying in the comfy little bed with a blue duvet that his dad found in the loft and a pillows that are so flat and overused that I have to pile two or three on top of each other just to stay comfy. Chad claims that he's fine with having just one pillow that's only two inches high, but I like having a lot more support, and Chad was willing to supply any extra pillow to help his lady. He even offered to give up the one he was using down on the couch, and I smacked him lightly and politely told him no.
Lying on my back, my head pretty much parallel to the ceiling, I let out a deep sigh as I tell myself for the fifth time in about an hour that it's not gonna work and I'm not gonna sleep tonight.
I hate not being able to sleep some nights. Why did I have to torture myself and sleep on the plane? Why?
And now I'm not sleeping. Well, at least there are no nightmares in consciousness. At least in this world I can only think about what's bugging me while in the dream world I can see it, feel it.
Puffing, I sit up and look around Chad's room. The dark blue curtains shut out any possibility of moonshine light and the door is closed so I'm only getting a little light coming in from underneath there. The room is pretty much almost pitch-black, but I can still make out the old bookcase full of a bunch of Chad's old childhood books and trinkets that Chad neglected to take to Hollywood and Damien refused to put away, and I can still make out the door right opposite me, thanks to the faded, tiny light coming from the centimetre of space at the bottom.
Throwing the duvet off of my body, I shakily get up out of the bed, shivering in a purple bed T-shirt. I slip on a pair of grey sweats lying in my open suitcase at the foot of the bed, and tug on a black cardigan to warm myself up a little. Wisconsin is much colder than California; that's for sure.
I open the door, cringing as it creaks. Damien's room is just beside mine, and so I fear that I'll wake him up, but Chad promised that he's a light sleeper and so I don't panic so much. Creeping down the stairs, I then pass the living room and enter the kitchen, thirsty. I avoid the living room fully, not wanting to wake Chad in his makeshift bed. I don't even peak inside to observe him sleeping, and when I realise how creepy that really sounds, I head back up the stairs with my cup of water without a backwards glance.
Thinking I've got away with it, I'm shocked a little as I bump into a sleepy, but still smiling Damien.
"Oh, hello, Sonny." He clears his throat, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "I thought I heard you moving around."
I cringe. Busted. "Did I wake you up?"
Damien shrugs. "I was just dozing off."
I bite my lip. "Sorry."
"Don't worry about it." He smiles, his eyes coming into contact with the glass in my hand, "You were thirsty?"
"Oh…" I drop my gaze to the glass. "Uh, yeah."
"No need to be ashamed or anything." Damien chuckles. I make eye contact with him again.
"Sorry. I just…" I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear nervously, "…Sorry."
"You've no need to be sorry, Sonny." Damien comforts me, folding his arms across his chest. "Can't sleep?" I nod, a well-timed yawn escaping my mouth to prove my point. He lets out a small chuckle.
"Need to talk?"
After a little hesitation this time, I shake my head.
"Sure?" Damien raises an eyebrow, "I used to do this all the time for Chad. If he couldn't sleep he'd go downstairs for a drink and he'd wake me up on the way, and I'd offer to talk with him about whatever was keeping him up, and usually talking tuckered the kid out and he was out like a light."
I smile at the image of Chad as a little kid in footie pyjamas in my mind, cradling a brown teddy bear and a little cup of milk in his hands, rubbing his eyes tiredly while his father told him stories and talked with him until the early hours when they were both just about ready to pass out. I then imagine my father doing the exact same thing for me when I was a kid, and it seems out of place, mismatched. Chad's father is a sweet, kind man who would do anything for his child – something I doubt I could ever honestly say for my father.
I swallow the bitter thoughts of the man who abandoned me and return Damien's warm smile. "Thanks, Mr Goldfarb, but I don't wanna keep you awake."
"Don't be silly, Sonny. Just take a seat on the bed and tell me what's up. I don't bite."
Unable to politely reject anymore, I walk into 'my' room with Mr Goldfarb following behind. I slump down onto the foot of the bed and he sits beside me, his young face smiling despite the late hour.
"So, what's eating you, Sonny?" He asks as I take a sip of my water to give myself thinking time.
"I just…" I pause. Do I really want to throw the load that is my family problems onto Mr Goldfarb's shoulders for him to carry too? It's bad enough that I gave such a heavy load to Chad without submitting his father to such pain too. I don't know about him, but if someone I'd known for half a day told me their entire life story I think I'd be more than a little freaked out.
But this is Damien Goldfarb, the man who raised Chad Dylan Cooper into the sweet, caring, considerate boy he is. Chad listened, Chad understood… maybe his father will too? And I don't have to give him the whole story; just the basic details.
"I've just been thinking." I confess, "About my dad."
"Oh. You mentioned him earlier." Chad's Dad recalls.
"Yeah." I put the drink on the floor and place my hands in my lap, "Just… please don't take this the wrong way, but visiting you has just reminded me of him."
"How so?"
I take a deep breath, "Well… just because he's my dad; you're a dad. But he left me and my mum when I was younger. No warning, no address, no nothing. I haven't really heard from him since."
Mr Goldfarb's features are flooded with pity. I don't like pity, but coming from someone like him it almost doesn't really bother me. "I'm sorry." He sighs, "I can see why you didn't want to talk about it."
"Oh, it's okay." I try to assure him in a soft voice, "He was an idiot. And it doesn't matter anymore – I used to act all awful after he left. I was a bit of a mess. But… thanks to your son, I'm not anymore."
Damien grins proudly, "Well, he's a good kid."
"A really good kid." I agree, "You must be proud to have raised him."
"I am." Damien nods, "Really, if he's helping someone the way he seems to be helping you. You know, his mother was worried he'd get lost in the big fancy lights and cameras of Los Angeles; that's why she went with him, 'cos she was worried and wanted to be able to see him every day to check he wasn't taking drugs or something." His grin turns the closest to smug it could get, "I knew he'd fit right in. I guess he's found somewhere he belongs – a job, friends, a girlfriend…"
I find myself blushing. Mr Goldfarb halts his speaking.
"I'm probably getting on your nerves, gloating about my son like this."
"Don't worry!" I chuckle, loud enough I'm worried it'll wake Chad. "You have reason to gloat; your son's incredible, you're still friends with your ex-wife…"
"Ah." He clicks his tongue, "Yes, Dianne."
"I wish my parents could still get along after their divorce." I say, my shoulders suddenly slumping, "Then maybe I could see my dad again, rather than feeling like I don't matter to him."
Damien hesitates, before putting a hand on my back for a couple of seconds, stroking it in a fatherly gesture, "Hey, come on now, Sonny, don't worry about it." He says sweetly, "I know it must be difficult for you that your parents have had such a rocky road. Divorce is a sad thing, and I'm disappointed that I had to go through with it. I was terrified when Dianne and I split that Chad would go mental because of it. We were lucky to get out of it unscathed – or, as much as we could've been." He takes a breather, "What I'm trying to say is… everyone's relationships are different. Your dad and mom must've gone through such a rough spot that they couldn't stand it anymore. But your father is still your father, and whether he's around or not he will still always love you."
"Yeah right." I scoff, before realising my rudeness. I swallow hard.
"He's your father, Sonny." Damien continues, "And you're his daughter. And whether he'll admit it or not, he will always love you. And if not, well, that just shows he was never really fit to be your father in the first place. I mean, why would he leave his beautiful daughter without one of the most important men in her life?" His tone is now joking. "Man must've had a screw loose."
I chuckle again, truly this time. I haven't had a father-daughter talk in six years, and I miss them so much. And I'd rather call Damien my father over my real father any day.
"Thank you, Damien." I say, "Chad's lucky to have you as a dad."
Another warm smile, "No problem, Sonny. You tired?"
I yawn, "…Clearly, yes."
He chuckles, getting up from his seat, "Alright. Sleep well, Sonny."
He closes the door behind him and I watch him and smile. "Goodnight." I say to the empty room, snuggling back into the bed and fading into sleep before I even know it.
Tawni's POV
I swallow hard.
"What do you mean, no?" The tall figure in front of me folds his arms. I don't know why I feel fear, but it's sickly and horrible in my stomach, making me want to hurl. I really didn't want to be here tonight, but I had no other option than to come here and tell James that I couldn't be part of his little plot to break up Sonny and Chad.
I will not betray Chad. No matter how much I want to.
"I got your letter, and the answer to it is thank you, but no." I say, keeping a straight face.
James scoffs, like he can't quite believe it, "But you hate Munroe." He tries to remind me.
"So what?" I retort, "Chad is like my brother, and I will not disrespect him behind his back. No matter what you say."
James lets out something close to a growl, sticking his hands in his jeans pockets. "I shoulda known you were just some sappy loser, Tawni."
My eye twitches, "Excuse me?"
"You're pathetic, you know that?" He barks, "Ya know, I thought you were a smart girl, I thought you'd make the right choice. Clearly I was wrong."
I clench my fists and take deep breaths to keep my cool, "Too bad." I say, "And now you'll have to carry out your little plan on your own."
James' twisted smirk lights up his face, "Oh, I think you'll find that you're sadly mistaken."
I blink, "What do you mean?"
"I have a hand." He admits, "I've had one the whole time. You think this was just some big one-man job?" I nod slightly. "Well, you're wrong."
I gulp, feeling less safe than before. "…Who's your hand?" I ask carefully.
"Well if I told you it wouldn't be fun, would it?" James shrugs, folding his arms across his leather jacket, "C'mon, Tawni. You're smart; you should know we evil geniuses don't reveal our plans to the very last second."
I scoff, "You're weird."
"I'm clever." James retorts, "And I'm gonna make sure that, by this time next week, Channy's split will be the one thing on every magazine cover."
The way he says 'Channy' makes the name sound like a breed of bug he'd particularly like to squash. I inhale. One… two… three… four… "They're in Wisconsin. Away from you." I remind him.
"You think I forgot that?" James barks out a laugh, "Don't worry, babe, I remembered. I'm going back there in a couple o' days, and my accomplice is over there as we speak – been there the whole time, actually. You could call them a… childhood friend."
I put on a tough act, "You don't have friends!"
He smirks, "You don't have friends…" He mocks me. "Believe me, Tawni, this'll all be over soon enough. Just a shame you won't be having any input into it… I thought you were smart, but turns out you're just as idiotic as Sonny and Chad."
A growl emits from deep in my core, "Shut up."
He grins, almost evilly. "You'll see soon, Tawni." He promises, "Sonny and Chad'll be broken up soon enough. And then, you'll thank me."
I shake my head. He's insane. "I'm calling Chad-"
I take out my phone, but James grabs it from me, throws it on the floor, and stomps on it. He gives me a smug grin.
"Oops."
"Hey, you just-"
"And remember, Tawni," He interrupts, "You can always change your mind."
And before I can scream at him, he turns and walks off without so much as a backwards glance.
A/N: Ohhhhhh... So what do you guys think? Love it? Hate it? I dunno 'bout you, but I despise James. He's eeeevil...
So what will happen next? How will Channy's time in Wisconsin go? What will happen with James? Will Tawni try to stop him or will she give in and help him anyway? And will Sonny fit in with Chad's awesome, but insane, friends?
Stay tuned to find out! Peace,
~Amy x
