Without You
Talim was curled on her bed with a book when I came in. I was soaking wet from head to foot, my mascara was smeared all down my cheeks and my eyes were probably bloodshot.
"Emma," she says dropping her book. "Are you okay?"
I sniffed. "Legolas pretty much said we're through..."
Talim hopped up and got me a towel. "I'm sure things will be okay. Tell me what happened."
"So that's what happened..." I say finally.
She bites her lip for a moment and looks at me. Finally she speaks. "He'll understand some time. Just act like everything's normal. Hang out with Darien and his friends and don't let anything get weird there. Then talk to Legolas. He's gonna want to know all that happened. After he cools off, he always does."
"Thanks Talim," I say.
"Oh and guess what?" she asks. "Eomer has been begging to get back together with me!"
"Begging? You haven't just said yes?"
"No," she says. "He met some girl while I was gone and she turned out to be cheating on him. I'm gonna show him how much he misses me by letting him suffer without anyone. I got some new clothes, I'm gonna get my hair cut again, and I got some different makeup. He's gonna be groveling on the floor...well, he already is."
I smile. "Talim, you always know what to do with guys. Thanks. I trust your judgment with Legolas."
"Good, and you should! Now, let's try to get some sleep. It's getting late," she says. Talim turns on the radio to my favorite station like we've been doing every night.
Legolas POV
I wasn't even close to calm. Even if Emma wasn't cheating, which I assumed she would have if I hadn't seen her then. How could she let some guy get all over her...plus her arm had been around HIM too! And what was this about Darien doing the same thing? I should have tried to find her before Darien and her left together...
God that sounded so weird. Them leaving somewhere together...ugh! I was always able to trust her! What had happened?
I sigh and lay in my bed. Eomer was out at a party most likely with Faramir and I was alone tonight. I turn off the lights and turn on the radio. I just listen the music.
"Bridge was burnt that kept our hearts connected, Now there's nowhere for me to turn to, Did I misunderstand or was I rejected? Now I know I'm torn from you. Stop rejecting me as if I tried to hurt you, When you feel like life's a little better Remember all the times I was here for you Come back cause I am here for you."
The song seemed kind of cheesy, but it seemed to be just the thing I needed to hear. I really felt as if I needed to know what really happened. Emma would tell the truth if I asked what had happened. That's what I was going to do.
Arleen's POV
The next morning I woke up early to go to the studio with my dad. There had been some emergency meeting or something, I don't know...but I would have nothing to do at home if I stayed.
If I went I might even get to hang with Radiochic. I hoped that girl, Emma, wasn't there. Seemed that when she was there, she had Darien's full attention.
When we arrived at the studio, Darien was coming in too. The band was recording their first song, Black Fairy Princess, today.
"Hey," Darien said quietly as we walked into the studio. My dad ran off right away and Darien jogged excitedly to one of the recording rooms. I had a feeling for some reason that this was gonna be another lonely day for me. I don't know why, but I felt tears start to form in my eyes. God, I hated my life.
Darien POV
After me and the boys were done with everything, it had been a few hours. Seems that it had never been good enough till we finished the song forty times!
We walk out together, too tired to be as crazy and hyper as we usually are. "Hi, Arleen. What's up?"
Arleen jumps and turns in her father's computer chair. "Nothing. You?"
"Nothing..."
Blake and Connor wave goodbye and walk out of the studio quietly. I sit next to Arleen. "I haven't really got to talk to you in a few days. What's up with that?"
She rolls her eyes and shrugs. "I don't know."
"Is there something wrong?" I press.
"No," she says. "I'm like this a lot. Don't take it personally. You seem to be doing so much better emotionally, where as I am not."
I frown. "Did I do something wrong?"
"Is that girl, Emma, your ex?" she asks, strangely changing the subject.
"Yea," I answer. "Why?"
She shrugs again. "I just wondered. I guess that's why you're a lot happier now?"
"Everything's been better," I say. "Where are you getting at..."
"I don't know where I'm getting at, Darien!" she says crossly. "I don't know what's up with my lately." She covers her eyes with one hand and holds her breath as if trying not to cry.
I pat her back rather awkwardly and say "It'll be okay," over and over again. "I don't like her for some reason," Arleen says. "I think I'm jealous."
I pause. "Now that's silly. Why would you be jealous of her?" I ask, trying to look under her hand at her face.
She removes her hand and looks at me with sad, watery eyes. "Because, you're obviously interested in her still! You never included me when she was around yesterday!"
It all was making sense to me now. I had a little confidence, just because it seemed that she liked me...like I liked her. Still, she continued. "When I was around you from the start, Darien, I always felt like my depression was gone. Then she comes and I feel totally ignored."
My mouth drops open a little. I wanted to grab onto her, look into those bright eyes, and tell her I loved her too, but something was holding me back. She was right. Why hadn't I made her feel included yesterday? I felt incredibly guilty. "But, Arleen, that's how I've been feeling with you too. Emma and I agreed we could never be more than friends again. But when I met you, things did become a lot better. I came to talk to you cause I've missed being with you these past few days."
She grins. "Really?"
"Really," I say. "I'm into you, Arleen."
She blushes and looks down a little. "I'm glad," she says and looks up. "Because you've been my cure."
We both look into each other's eyes and draw close. This moment was perfect and I just wanted to freeze time. Before her lips met mine, her father's voice boomed, "It's time to close the studio for today!" Arleen jumps back and starts picking up her purse and stuff. "Get your stuff, kids!" her father says.
I frown and grab my guitar out of one of the rooms. I'm gonna finish the song about Arleen tonight and sing it to her when I get the chance. Maybe then we'd be able to have another one of those moments...
Talim was curled on her bed with a book when I came in. I was soaking wet from head to foot, my mascara was smeared all down my cheeks and my eyes were probably bloodshot.
"Emma," she says dropping her book. "Are you okay?"
I sniffed. "Legolas pretty much said we're through..."
Talim hopped up and got me a towel. "I'm sure things will be okay. Tell me what happened."
"So that's what happened..." I say finally.
She bites her lip for a moment and looks at me. Finally she speaks. "He'll understand some time. Just act like everything's normal. Hang out with Darien and his friends and don't let anything get weird there. Then talk to Legolas. He's gonna want to know all that happened. After he cools off, he always does."
"Thanks Talim," I say.
"Oh and guess what?" she asks. "Eomer has been begging to get back together with me!"
"Begging? You haven't just said yes?"
"No," she says. "He met some girl while I was gone and she turned out to be cheating on him. I'm gonna show him how much he misses me by letting him suffer without anyone. I got some new clothes, I'm gonna get my hair cut again, and I got some different makeup. He's gonna be groveling on the floor...well, he already is."
I smile. "Talim, you always know what to do with guys. Thanks. I trust your judgment with Legolas."
"Good, and you should! Now, let's try to get some sleep. It's getting late," she says. Talim turns on the radio to my favorite station like we've been doing every night.
Legolas POV
I wasn't even close to calm. Even if Emma wasn't cheating, which I assumed she would have if I hadn't seen her then. How could she let some guy get all over her...plus her arm had been around HIM too! And what was this about Darien doing the same thing? I should have tried to find her before Darien and her left together...
God that sounded so weird. Them leaving somewhere together...ugh! I was always able to trust her! What had happened?
I sigh and lay in my bed. Eomer was out at a party most likely with Faramir and I was alone tonight. I turn off the lights and turn on the radio. I just listen the music.
"Bridge was burnt that kept our hearts connected, Now there's nowhere for me to turn to, Did I misunderstand or was I rejected? Now I know I'm torn from you. Stop rejecting me as if I tried to hurt you, When you feel like life's a little better Remember all the times I was here for you Come back cause I am here for you."
The song seemed kind of cheesy, but it seemed to be just the thing I needed to hear. I really felt as if I needed to know what really happened. Emma would tell the truth if I asked what had happened. That's what I was going to do.
Arleen's POV
The next morning I woke up early to go to the studio with my dad. There had been some emergency meeting or something, I don't know...but I would have nothing to do at home if I stayed.
If I went I might even get to hang with Radiochic. I hoped that girl, Emma, wasn't there. Seemed that when she was there, she had Darien's full attention.
When we arrived at the studio, Darien was coming in too. The band was recording their first song, Black Fairy Princess, today.
"Hey," Darien said quietly as we walked into the studio. My dad ran off right away and Darien jogged excitedly to one of the recording rooms. I had a feeling for some reason that this was gonna be another lonely day for me. I don't know why, but I felt tears start to form in my eyes. God, I hated my life.
Darien POV
After me and the boys were done with everything, it had been a few hours. Seems that it had never been good enough till we finished the song forty times!
We walk out together, too tired to be as crazy and hyper as we usually are. "Hi, Arleen. What's up?"
Arleen jumps and turns in her father's computer chair. "Nothing. You?"
"Nothing..."
Blake and Connor wave goodbye and walk out of the studio quietly. I sit next to Arleen. "I haven't really got to talk to you in a few days. What's up with that?"
She rolls her eyes and shrugs. "I don't know."
"Is there something wrong?" I press.
"No," she says. "I'm like this a lot. Don't take it personally. You seem to be doing so much better emotionally, where as I am not."
I frown. "Did I do something wrong?"
"Is that girl, Emma, your ex?" she asks, strangely changing the subject.
"Yea," I answer. "Why?"
She shrugs again. "I just wondered. I guess that's why you're a lot happier now?"
"Everything's been better," I say. "Where are you getting at..."
"I don't know where I'm getting at, Darien!" she says crossly. "I don't know what's up with my lately." She covers her eyes with one hand and holds her breath as if trying not to cry.
I pat her back rather awkwardly and say "It'll be okay," over and over again. "I don't like her for some reason," Arleen says. "I think I'm jealous."
I pause. "Now that's silly. Why would you be jealous of her?" I ask, trying to look under her hand at her face.
She removes her hand and looks at me with sad, watery eyes. "Because, you're obviously interested in her still! You never included me when she was around yesterday!"
It all was making sense to me now. I had a little confidence, just because it seemed that she liked me...like I liked her. Still, she continued. "When I was around you from the start, Darien, I always felt like my depression was gone. Then she comes and I feel totally ignored."
My mouth drops open a little. I wanted to grab onto her, look into those bright eyes, and tell her I loved her too, but something was holding me back. She was right. Why hadn't I made her feel included yesterday? I felt incredibly guilty. "But, Arleen, that's how I've been feeling with you too. Emma and I agreed we could never be more than friends again. But when I met you, things did become a lot better. I came to talk to you cause I've missed being with you these past few days."
She grins. "Really?"
"Really," I say. "I'm into you, Arleen."
She blushes and looks down a little. "I'm glad," she says and looks up. "Because you've been my cure."
We both look into each other's eyes and draw close. This moment was perfect and I just wanted to freeze time. Before her lips met mine, her father's voice boomed, "It's time to close the studio for today!" Arleen jumps back and starts picking up her purse and stuff. "Get your stuff, kids!" her father says.
I frown and grab my guitar out of one of the rooms. I'm gonna finish the song about Arleen tonight and sing it to her when I get the chance. Maybe then we'd be able to have another one of those moments...
