Seventeen Years Later.
He had used her. Last night, he had finally said those words to her. 'Jeri, I love you,' he had said to her. And she had told Nathan she loved him, too. Then she got caught up in the moment. She grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him closer to her, and kissed him. That morning, after they had done 'the wild thing', he was gone, no where to be found.
Jeri wasn't the most beautiful thing in the world to guys. At seventeen, she wore a size 16, had long brown hair and brown eyes, and wore a 36D. She would be beautiful, if only she wasn't so fat, everyone would say. This made her more vulnerable to guys. That also meant she got hurt by them more, too.
But she had been with Nathan for three years, since she was fourteen. He had respected her when she said no, and she thought that had to count for something. And when he told her he loved her. she had thought he meant it. Nathan had said it with such sincerity; that's why she was hurt more than ever when she had found out he left that morning to go on a 'breakfast date' with her best friend. Kali, of all people. Her best friend and man she loved. she couldn't take it.
She took the bag from the guy and walked home slowly. Once she got home, she ran up the stairs to her room and slammed the door. She pulled out a joint. Even though she had promised her mother she would never do drugs, she couldn't help it. Jeri needed to escape, and she felt this was the best way to do that.
"Jeri, what the hell are you doing up there?" her mother yelled at her. She had been bugging her for an hour, noticing a weird smell coming from Jeri's room.
"Leave me alone!" she yelled. But her mom wouldn't. She kept yelling. So Jeri took some of her clothes, not to mention the weed, and stuffed it into her backpack. Chris was off for a week, so she could go over to his house. Hopefully he wouldn't bug her.
But he did, too. He grabbed the joint and threw it out the window. "No, Jeri. I'm not going to let you ruin your life!" he yelled at her.
She put her arms around his waist tightly, not wanting to let him go. "Chris.promise me." She told him. When she looked up at him, she noticed the confusion in his eyes. "Promise me you'll never leave me." She told him, in a questioning voice.
"Wouldn't dream of it in a million years." He said, hugging her back.
~~~
That night, she decided she didn't want to go back home. Luckily, Chris didn't tell her mom what she had done, and he had let her sleep over. Jeri was in the guest room, a few rooms down from Chris'. She tossed and turned the whole night, though. Nightmares were running through her mind; her best friend and her boyfriend together, Chris and Leslie.
"Hell, I can't sleep." She whispered to herself, getting up. She grabbed her stuffed animal, a small rabbit she had had since she was little, and walked down to Chris' room.
Chris woke up at the sound of someone coming in his bedroom. He knew it was Jeri. It couldn't have been anyone else. "What ya want, darlin'?" he asked in a sarcastic southern voice.
"I can't sleep." She told him. He gestured her over to the bed. She objected. "No, I couldn't. I'll go get some blankets and lay on the floor or something." She started out of the room to get some.
"No, you're going to come and lay down." She reluctantly did what he said and laid down beside him. He noticed the stuffed animal. "I remember that thing. It always got you happy when you were little and I baby-sat you. That and my beautiful singing, of course." He laughed.
"Will you sing to me?" she asked him.
He nodded. He had one song that had been stuck in his head for days. One by that Carter kid.
Don't wanna cry no more Don't wanna give up on it Don't wanna fight no more We'll find a way around it, he sang. Then he noticed she had fallen asleep, as usual. He turned over and tried to go to sleep.
He had used her. Last night, he had finally said those words to her. 'Jeri, I love you,' he had said to her. And she had told Nathan she loved him, too. Then she got caught up in the moment. She grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him closer to her, and kissed him. That morning, after they had done 'the wild thing', he was gone, no where to be found.
Jeri wasn't the most beautiful thing in the world to guys. At seventeen, she wore a size 16, had long brown hair and brown eyes, and wore a 36D. She would be beautiful, if only she wasn't so fat, everyone would say. This made her more vulnerable to guys. That also meant she got hurt by them more, too.
But she had been with Nathan for three years, since she was fourteen. He had respected her when she said no, and she thought that had to count for something. And when he told her he loved her. she had thought he meant it. Nathan had said it with such sincerity; that's why she was hurt more than ever when she had found out he left that morning to go on a 'breakfast date' with her best friend. Kali, of all people. Her best friend and man she loved. she couldn't take it.
She took the bag from the guy and walked home slowly. Once she got home, she ran up the stairs to her room and slammed the door. She pulled out a joint. Even though she had promised her mother she would never do drugs, she couldn't help it. Jeri needed to escape, and she felt this was the best way to do that.
"Jeri, what the hell are you doing up there?" her mother yelled at her. She had been bugging her for an hour, noticing a weird smell coming from Jeri's room.
"Leave me alone!" she yelled. But her mom wouldn't. She kept yelling. So Jeri took some of her clothes, not to mention the weed, and stuffed it into her backpack. Chris was off for a week, so she could go over to his house. Hopefully he wouldn't bug her.
But he did, too. He grabbed the joint and threw it out the window. "No, Jeri. I'm not going to let you ruin your life!" he yelled at her.
She put her arms around his waist tightly, not wanting to let him go. "Chris.promise me." She told him. When she looked up at him, she noticed the confusion in his eyes. "Promise me you'll never leave me." She told him, in a questioning voice.
"Wouldn't dream of it in a million years." He said, hugging her back.
~~~
That night, she decided she didn't want to go back home. Luckily, Chris didn't tell her mom what she had done, and he had let her sleep over. Jeri was in the guest room, a few rooms down from Chris'. She tossed and turned the whole night, though. Nightmares were running through her mind; her best friend and her boyfriend together, Chris and Leslie.
"Hell, I can't sleep." She whispered to herself, getting up. She grabbed her stuffed animal, a small rabbit she had had since she was little, and walked down to Chris' room.
Chris woke up at the sound of someone coming in his bedroom. He knew it was Jeri. It couldn't have been anyone else. "What ya want, darlin'?" he asked in a sarcastic southern voice.
"I can't sleep." She told him. He gestured her over to the bed. She objected. "No, I couldn't. I'll go get some blankets and lay on the floor or something." She started out of the room to get some.
"No, you're going to come and lay down." She reluctantly did what he said and laid down beside him. He noticed the stuffed animal. "I remember that thing. It always got you happy when you were little and I baby-sat you. That and my beautiful singing, of course." He laughed.
"Will you sing to me?" she asked him.
He nodded. He had one song that had been stuck in his head for days. One by that Carter kid.
Don't wanna cry no more Don't wanna give up on it Don't wanna fight no more We'll find a way around it, he sang. Then he noticed she had fallen asleep, as usual. He turned over and tried to go to sleep.