~Chapter 7~
Sean ended up staying with Joanie the entire night. It's not like he minded, he could have stayed with her like this forever. Not like he would ever tell her that, or anyone else, for that matter. The last thing that Sean wanted to happen was for Joanie to find out his true feelings for her, especially now, especially after everything that had just happened. Sean knew that Joanie was going through a tough time right now; Paul was her whole life, and with him gone, it left a huge void, a void Sean wanted to fill, whether he was her friend, or even something more. It was early that morning, and they still had a show to get to, though Sean wasn't fully convinced that Joanie would feel like going anywhere. "So, you ready to go?" Sean asked, figuring it was worth a try. "Yeah, but I don't have a ride.I'd always travel with Paul." "Well, if you want, you can travel with me from now on. But only if you want to. I don't wanna force you or anything." "I'd love to." Joanie said, almost smiling. "Alright."
When Sean and Joanie arrived at the arena that morning, Kevin was eager to talk to Sean. "Hey, guess what? The rumor goin' around is that Paul and Joanie broke up." "It's not a rumor." Joanie said. "Oh.well, I guess you would know the truth. But." "But what?" Sean interrupted. "Well, there is another little rumor goin' around, and, well, the rumor is that Joanie cheated on Paul." "That's not true either! Paul must have made that up.either him or Stephanie." "So what exactly happened, Joanie?" "He decided that he wanted to be with Stephanie more than he wanted to be with me. And so now it's over." Joanie said, trying to sound confident about it. "So the rumor was true!" Scott said, emerging from around the corner. "About Paul and I breaking up? Yes. About me cheating on him? No." "Oh.well, I was talking about the first rumor. And, I didn't believe the other one for a second." "Yes you did!" Kevin said matter-of-factly. "Okay.maybe.but for just a second." "What rumor?" Mike asked, joining up with his friends. "About Joanie cheating on Paul." Scott told him. "Oh, yeah.that..I didn't even know you guys broke up." "Well, we did. But only last night." Joanie said. "So are you still in love with him?" Kevin asked Joanie, eager to get as much information as possible about this whole situation between Joanie and Paul. "Yeah, after you've been with somebody for a really long time, you just don't forget about them overnight." "Ya know, you could probably get him back if you wanted to.." "I don't really think so, Kev. He's kinda in love with Stephanie now." "Well, you could if you tried." "Look, I don't exactly feel like talking about this right now, okay Kevin?" Joanie said, but before he could reply, she was gone. "Joanie." Sean called after her, about to go get her. "Just let her go. She needs space right now." Scott said, and Sean simply just nodded. "So.when are you gonna ask Joanie out?" "Huh?" Sean asked, confused. "C'mon, Sean, its obvious that you're falling for her." "So obvious!" Scott chimed in. "Well, you're wrong, 'cause I don't." "Yeah, you do." "No, I don't." "Okay then.then I guess you wouldn't mind if I went out with her." "I would!" "Aha! So admit! You do like her!" "No.maybe.yeah." "I knew it! So why didn't you tell me?" "'Cause I.I just kinda figured it myself." "I know, falling in love is tough." Scott added. "And the last time you had a girlfriend was." "Okay, okay. Forget I said anything." "So, when are you gonna ask her out?" "Not now.not after everything that just happened with Paul." "So when?" "I dunno. Not anytime soon.that's for sure. Maybe never." "Awwww.that's no fun!" "Oh well." "Tell her now.or maybe I'll tell her." "Kev, you wouldn't do that!" "I know. So when will you tell her?" "I dunno, but when I do, you'll be the first to know." "What about me?" Scott asked. "You'll be second." "You know, I think that you guys are being really immature. This is Sean's personal life, and you guys are prying into it." Mike said. "Thank you!" "But hey, can I be third?" "Yeah, sure. But you guys gotta promise not to tell." "Promise." All three men said in unison. "Good."
Joanie couldn't believe how rude Kevin had been back there. He was totally ruthless, but he wanted the details of the breakup, and he had gotten them. She wasn't even sure why she had come in today, she was exhausted, and she was about to fall asleep right now. To stay awake, she decided to take a little walk, alone, away from everyone else. That's when she saw him. Paul was walking with Stephanie, and he said something to her and they both started laughing. And then, as if he saw Joanie there and wanted to make her jealous, he kissed Stephanie in a brief display of passion. So there it was, the man she was with for what seemed like forever, gone, out of her life, and already moving on. It was disgusting.
She had to get away. What she had just seen was too much too soon; in fact, if she never saw Paul again she would be happy. But the fact that they both worked in the same company made that seemingly impossible. She was still shocked at what had just happened.it had seemed like they had been together for years rather than just a little over twenty-four hours. It made Joanie wonder how long he was dating her behind her back. She thoughtlessly ran out into the pitch-black parking lot. The cold, fresh air felt good, as she filled her lungs with it. Her only intention now was to get out of here, no matter what. So she began the quest to find Sean's car in the lightless parking lot.
She began walking.and that's when she heard someone behind her. Maybe she was going crazy, she thought, and then stopped. The sound of footsteps lurking so close halted, too. When she picked up the pace again, she could hear the sound again, right behind her. "Hello?" She called out, than realized that she just gave herself away to whoever was out there. They could easily find her now. She felt fear cover her like a blanket, consuming her. She began to run, and swore she felt someone's breath along the back of her neck along with the footsteps. Then she found the car, but, she realized all of a sudden that she wouldn't be safe there, either. The car was locked, and she didn't have a key. Out of options, she ran back into the building, squinting as her eyes adjusted to the light. "Joanie! Are you alright? I've been looking all over for you." "Yeah, I'm fine.I.I." Joanie stopped speaking and attempted to catch her breath. "What happened? What were you doing out there?" "I saw Paul with Stephanie, and.and.I dunno. I guess it was just too much. Plus there's someone out there in the parking lot!" "Really?" Sean said. "Yeah, unless I'm going crazy.which you probably think already happened." "Nah, I don't think that. You're under a lot of stress." "So you don't believe me?" "I do. Completely. C'mon. Let's go."
Sean ended up staying with Joanie the entire night. It's not like he minded, he could have stayed with her like this forever. Not like he would ever tell her that, or anyone else, for that matter. The last thing that Sean wanted to happen was for Joanie to find out his true feelings for her, especially now, especially after everything that had just happened. Sean knew that Joanie was going through a tough time right now; Paul was her whole life, and with him gone, it left a huge void, a void Sean wanted to fill, whether he was her friend, or even something more. It was early that morning, and they still had a show to get to, though Sean wasn't fully convinced that Joanie would feel like going anywhere. "So, you ready to go?" Sean asked, figuring it was worth a try. "Yeah, but I don't have a ride.I'd always travel with Paul." "Well, if you want, you can travel with me from now on. But only if you want to. I don't wanna force you or anything." "I'd love to." Joanie said, almost smiling. "Alright."
When Sean and Joanie arrived at the arena that morning, Kevin was eager to talk to Sean. "Hey, guess what? The rumor goin' around is that Paul and Joanie broke up." "It's not a rumor." Joanie said. "Oh.well, I guess you would know the truth. But." "But what?" Sean interrupted. "Well, there is another little rumor goin' around, and, well, the rumor is that Joanie cheated on Paul." "That's not true either! Paul must have made that up.either him or Stephanie." "So what exactly happened, Joanie?" "He decided that he wanted to be with Stephanie more than he wanted to be with me. And so now it's over." Joanie said, trying to sound confident about it. "So the rumor was true!" Scott said, emerging from around the corner. "About Paul and I breaking up? Yes. About me cheating on him? No." "Oh.well, I was talking about the first rumor. And, I didn't believe the other one for a second." "Yes you did!" Kevin said matter-of-factly. "Okay.maybe.but for just a second." "What rumor?" Mike asked, joining up with his friends. "About Joanie cheating on Paul." Scott told him. "Oh, yeah.that..I didn't even know you guys broke up." "Well, we did. But only last night." Joanie said. "So are you still in love with him?" Kevin asked Joanie, eager to get as much information as possible about this whole situation between Joanie and Paul. "Yeah, after you've been with somebody for a really long time, you just don't forget about them overnight." "Ya know, you could probably get him back if you wanted to.." "I don't really think so, Kev. He's kinda in love with Stephanie now." "Well, you could if you tried." "Look, I don't exactly feel like talking about this right now, okay Kevin?" Joanie said, but before he could reply, she was gone. "Joanie." Sean called after her, about to go get her. "Just let her go. She needs space right now." Scott said, and Sean simply just nodded. "So.when are you gonna ask Joanie out?" "Huh?" Sean asked, confused. "C'mon, Sean, its obvious that you're falling for her." "So obvious!" Scott chimed in. "Well, you're wrong, 'cause I don't." "Yeah, you do." "No, I don't." "Okay then.then I guess you wouldn't mind if I went out with her." "I would!" "Aha! So admit! You do like her!" "No.maybe.yeah." "I knew it! So why didn't you tell me?" "'Cause I.I just kinda figured it myself." "I know, falling in love is tough." Scott added. "And the last time you had a girlfriend was." "Okay, okay. Forget I said anything." "So, when are you gonna ask her out?" "Not now.not after everything that just happened with Paul." "So when?" "I dunno. Not anytime soon.that's for sure. Maybe never." "Awwww.that's no fun!" "Oh well." "Tell her now.or maybe I'll tell her." "Kev, you wouldn't do that!" "I know. So when will you tell her?" "I dunno, but when I do, you'll be the first to know." "What about me?" Scott asked. "You'll be second." "You know, I think that you guys are being really immature. This is Sean's personal life, and you guys are prying into it." Mike said. "Thank you!" "But hey, can I be third?" "Yeah, sure. But you guys gotta promise not to tell." "Promise." All three men said in unison. "Good."
Joanie couldn't believe how rude Kevin had been back there. He was totally ruthless, but he wanted the details of the breakup, and he had gotten them. She wasn't even sure why she had come in today, she was exhausted, and she was about to fall asleep right now. To stay awake, she decided to take a little walk, alone, away from everyone else. That's when she saw him. Paul was walking with Stephanie, and he said something to her and they both started laughing. And then, as if he saw Joanie there and wanted to make her jealous, he kissed Stephanie in a brief display of passion. So there it was, the man she was with for what seemed like forever, gone, out of her life, and already moving on. It was disgusting.
She had to get away. What she had just seen was too much too soon; in fact, if she never saw Paul again she would be happy. But the fact that they both worked in the same company made that seemingly impossible. She was still shocked at what had just happened.it had seemed like they had been together for years rather than just a little over twenty-four hours. It made Joanie wonder how long he was dating her behind her back. She thoughtlessly ran out into the pitch-black parking lot. The cold, fresh air felt good, as she filled her lungs with it. Her only intention now was to get out of here, no matter what. So she began the quest to find Sean's car in the lightless parking lot.
She began walking.and that's when she heard someone behind her. Maybe she was going crazy, she thought, and then stopped. The sound of footsteps lurking so close halted, too. When she picked up the pace again, she could hear the sound again, right behind her. "Hello?" She called out, than realized that she just gave herself away to whoever was out there. They could easily find her now. She felt fear cover her like a blanket, consuming her. She began to run, and swore she felt someone's breath along the back of her neck along with the footsteps. Then she found the car, but, she realized all of a sudden that she wouldn't be safe there, either. The car was locked, and she didn't have a key. Out of options, she ran back into the building, squinting as her eyes adjusted to the light. "Joanie! Are you alright? I've been looking all over for you." "Yeah, I'm fine.I.I." Joanie stopped speaking and attempted to catch her breath. "What happened? What were you doing out there?" "I saw Paul with Stephanie, and.and.I dunno. I guess it was just too much. Plus there's someone out there in the parking lot!" "Really?" Sean said. "Yeah, unless I'm going crazy.which you probably think already happened." "Nah, I don't think that. You're under a lot of stress." "So you don't believe me?" "I do. Completely. C'mon. Let's go."