*A/N~ Wow, I really need sugar. I'm so tired. And that means I'm not going
to bore you all to death with my incessant chattering. Because I'm so
tired, I'M IN NO MOOD FOR GODDAMN FLAMES, okay? Thanks. Stayed up late into
the night to finish this, so be appreciative ppl. Anyways, this chapter's
for my ghetto fab friend with the toothpick (lmfao) leigH 143, as with any
other chapter of your choosing, that can be yours too. R+R peeps, makes me
review faster, I swear.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from SOR, so don't sue me, I'm broke as it is. Trying to pay Kevin to go out with me, so I've gotta save up. Lol, great time, rite Leigh? Stay away from lawnmowers! And keep the cookies away from everyone else!
NOTE: We're turning very angsty for a bit. But never fear, everything smoothes out...eventually.
**Chapter 7**
It was late, and her parents had already gone to sleep, but Katie stayed awake, staring into the computer screen blankly as she talked to numerous people online. She knew something had gone on in Summer's life, but she couldn't be certain, since her friend was being all mysterious, and not making any sense of herself. A big call for suspicion since she always was concise in her thinking and speech, but this definitely wasn't her. But it was much too late to be wondering all of this full out. Even with all of that sugar she had consumed still humming around in her system, Katie was still tired.
Glancing out the window towards the inky darkness dotted by the incandescence of the stars, she sighed, tracing out the pattern of a bass guitar in the sky in a connect-the-dot fashion. There was too much on her mind, and too much that was supposed to occupy her time, what with that big competition coming up, and Dewey was working them to the bone and pushing Zack and Freddy to churn out new material. Of course, those two were always up for a challenge, and impressed the rest of the band with the songs they wrote.
The flashing of the header on her screen brought her to her senses and Katie quickly responded to Summer's question, no she hadn't talked to Freddy lately. That kid had turned elusive as of late. Honestly, there were times where she felt she needed to use a megaphone to get it through to his head that she was still available.
:So what's going on between Zack and you? Any new developments?: Katie typed, waiting for Summer's response. There was a noted pause, before Summer typed back.
:....: She wasn't responding clearly. Frustrated, Katie typed random sentences to get something out of Summer.
:Skips around like Freddy, only more gracefully:
:Skips around like Freddy and breaks ankle: Summer retorted. : Wait, that was pretty mean.:
: Yeah, but it's still funny, and that's what makes you great. You may now take a bow.:
: *slams head into monitor* crap.:
:What?:
: I tried to bow, and hit my head:
:There go the brain cells: Katie shook her head at how stupid the two of them were being.
:What braincells?: Summer joked.
:The ones you stole from everyone so that you're the smartass in the class. *oops*, I mean smartest:
: Mmmm. Can't be da otha one cause Freddy takes that position.:
:True. Hey, I g2g...:
:K:
Katie logged off as quickly as possible, checking first to see if Freddy was on. Of course, she knew he wasn't going to be on, hadn't been for almost a week, but it had become pure habit. Surprisingly she didn't feel too bummed out that he had backed out of the world of the Internet for the time being. She didn't want to talk to him right now.
Sometimes is was the looks he sent her that made her wonder if he liked her, but then there were times when his eyes conveyed pity, like she was too blind to see something. It was disturbing, and puzzling at some points. Katie was confused, and she prayed that the fog on the mirror cleared up soon. She hated feeling like she was in for a ride.
*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Lawrence, right?" The Asian girl sitting across from him looked up from her magazine, surprising Lawrence out of his thoughts.
"What?"
"You're Lawrence, right?"
"Uh, yes." He nodded hesitantly, smiling quickly. The girl returned the play on face, putting down the glossy text to put her full attention to him.
"I'm Hailey Benson. I take piano lessons here too." She motioned to the door that was adjacent to the waiting room they were in now. Lawrence nodded once again, hiding his bewilderment pretty well.
"Are you Chinese?" He asked after a moment's pause.
She laughed and shook her head. "Nope. Half Japanese. And yes, I know Benson doesn't sound like a Japanese name. My mom's Japanese, my dad's American. That answers any questions about to come out?"
"Yeah."
"You got a lot on your mind?" Hailey inquired in a friendly manner, " Cause it sure seems like it. Wanna share?"
"No. That's okay." Lawrence responded in his quiet and polite tone.
"You sure? It always helps me when I have a problem to talk it out with someone." She tilted her head slightly, and narrowed her eyes in thought. " Lemme guess. Girl trouble."
"How did you know?"
"You become a pro after a while, and you can read problems pretty well." Hailey grinned. "So tell me about her, and what's going wrong."
Lawrence shifted uneasily. "Her name's Arin Kam, and she seemed to like me when I first met her, and she still does seem to like me a bit, but lately she's been spending all her time with another kid."
"Ouch. Getting pushed to the side is harsh. Who's the kid that she seems to be choosing?"
"Freddy Jones."
Hailey pursed her lips. "I've heard of him. He's cool, but he chooses bad company. He knows my cousin Trent."
"Really?" Lawrence frowned slightly. "I had no idea."
"It's a small world when you think about it." Hailey said stiffly. "I don't really like Trent myself. Probably the least favorite of all my cousins, but that's my problem. Anyways, if Freddy's got you all upset, why don't you go tell Arin's parents that she's cavorting around with him? I'm sure they've heard of him."
"She lives with her aunt."
"Then tell her aunt." Hailey reasoned. "It's not that difficult."
"What happens when Arin and Freddy find out?"
"Deal with it then. Life's like that."
The door opened, and an elderly lady with glasses perched precariously on her nose stuck her head out sharply.
"Hailey, you're next." She informed the girl gently. Hailey nodded, picking up her bag.
"Nice talking to you Larry. Think about what I said, okay?"
Lawrence assured her that he would, and watched her go out of the room. Maybe he would go and talk to Mrs. Tan later.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Mrs. Tan, may I speak with you?" Lawrence smiled earnestly, hiding the desperate tone in his voice as much as possible. Arin wasn't home yet, and hopefully she wouldn't get wind of what he was about to do until the next day.
"Uh...sure Lawrence." Mrs. Tan nodded and let him in, a confused look on her face. "Is this about Arin? What has that girl done this time?"
"Nothing too bad." He let his eyes wander around the neatly kept room, mentally telling himself that it was going to be okay.
"Nothing too bad? Would you mind clarifying?"
"Well, you see..." Lawrence paused hesitantly, wondering how to start. " I...developed a...liking to Arin when I first met her and..."
"So you have a crush on Arin. Go on." Mrs. Tan was smiling a strange smile. "Are you the reason she's been out this late all the time? Cause if you're here to apologize, I think it's perfectly fine."
The pianist bit his lip and adjusted his glasses with his index finger. " Well, you see that's not the case. Arin's been hanging out with someone else, and I thought you might like to know who."
"So tell me then."
"Freddy Jones."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Arin never thought she would pull a Freddy and have to sneak into the house, but that was exactly what she was doing right now. Sighing, she pulled open the front door and tiptoed in. Arin hated sneaking around behind her aunt's back, and this was the first time. She had always walked in with a large smile on her face and cheerily greeted her relatives and brother, but not this time.
She was unprepared for the tiny mass of energy that hurtled at her from the top of the stairs.
"Arin! You're back! Where were you?" Charles hugged his sister as tight as he could, not wanting to let her go. "I missed you, and it wasn't the same without you here. I couldn't go to sleep cause I couldn't hear you playing the guitar or the piano."
"Shhh. It's okay Cha Cha. I'm here now. I'm sorry I couldn't play your favorite songs last night. I was preoccupied. I'll try not to miss them ever again." She slid down to his eye level and patted his cheek affectionately.
"Promise?"
"I promise." Arin smiled. Her brother was just too cute.
"Pinky promise?" He held up his tiny finger and locked it with his sister's. Arin smiled in remembrance of all the other promises she had made to Charles.
"How are your music lessons coming along?" She asked brightly. "Don't mind me, I reek of alcohol and cigarette smoke. I didn't smoke though."
Charles looked perplexed before he deemed it wiser to answer Arin's question. "I'm a lot better now than before. Mr. Schneebly said so. And that other guy, the one that teaches the big kid band? He said I was a natural. He says you're a natural too, but he never gets the chance to talk to you cause you 'book it outta there like hell?'"
"Cha, don't say that. Hey, wanna play me something on the guitar? Show me what you've learnt." Arin offered, taking her brother by the hand. Charles nodded animatedly, rushing with her to get his little guitar. Proudly he played a couple of easy tunes, beaming at his success, and feeling extremely content when Arin complimented and encouraged him. She was his main critic, and Cha Cha didn't want to have anyone else's opinion save hers.
They used to fight when they were younger, but somehow things had smoothed out, and now that they were all the other had left in the world of a family that was very tight knit, it made them that much more accepting and affectionate towards each other.
"Nice to see you're enjoying your class." Arin ruffled his head. "But I gotta go take a shower. Keep practicing for me though, 'kay Cha Cha?"
"Mmm-hmmm. Gotcha."
As Arin walked down the stairs, she was vaguely aware of her aunt's eyes on her, following her niece's progress. But even when the girl passed, Aunt Ruby said nothing to her, but still gave her that strange look.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
School. What a wonderful way to spend the day. If you asked the population of kids in a school building, chances are more than three quarters of them would say that school sucks, and the only reason they're present in that god forsaken building is because they were forced to go. Of course, then there are those who deem that school is wonderful, and choose to make school their second home. But no matter what anyone says, school is indeed tedious, and cuts a lot of time out of our daily lives.
You wonder, how many hours of my life is spent inside that school building, that high school, that college? And then you look back on it all, and wonder how the heck you ever managed to get through those "6-hours- every-day". If you added up all those hours, how many full 24-hour days could you get? How many weeks? Years?
"Wonder why they call it Modern Euro and then we study about the Crusades." Freddy grumbled as he toted his bag down the hall to the cluster of friends around him. One by one they peeled off until it was just Zack, Summer, Arin and Katie.
"Well you have to study the past to get the future." Katie reasoned with a tilt of her head and deftly applied another layer of lip-gloss, cunningly watching Freddy out of the corner of her eye and almost memorizing every expression his face lapsed into.
"But crusades? Come on."
Zack shook his head. "Well, who were the three kings that led the Third Crusade again?"
"King Richard the Lionhearted of England, King Philip II of France, and Frederick Barbarossa." Summer responded promptly, smiling as Zack settled his arm about her shoulders in a carefree manner.
"I can always trust you to tell me the answers to my questions." He laughed.
Katie stared at the two of them before her face split into a smile. " This is what you wouldn't tell me about online last night." She accused playfully towards Summer, "So I take it you two are together?"
Blushing, Summer nodded. "Yeah. I didn't want you to know until today. It was supposed to be a surprise." She added in what seemed like an after thought to her boyfriend. Zack mouthed a dramatic oops and sorry, his grin extremely contagious.
"Nice." Freddy nodded, frowning for a second before it lifted. "Hey, doesn't Ricky taunt Phil when Freddy goes missing?"
"'Ricky taunts Phil'?" Arin repeated laughing softly, "And 'Freddy' as you put it, doesn't go missing. He drowned while taking a bath, so his troops went back to Germany."
"Sounds like something I would do." Freddy joked with a faraway look in his eyes. "Call me Mr. Freddy Barbarossa."
"Problem." Arin interjected, "Frederick Barbarossa was given the name Barbarossa because he had a red beard. Obviously you have neither, so therefore you can't be considered Barbarossa. And at any rate, we find out that Summer and Zack are together, and the first thing you say is to question about some bicker that Richard and Philip II had."
"What can I say? My name speaks for myself." Freddy laughed. "But yeah, I'm glad for the both of you. That suit you and your mom-ing?" He turned to Arin and watched her frown slightly.
"I'll see you guys in study." She told Zack and Freddy, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear and walking away from them briskly, leaving the four of them confused.
"What's her problem?" Katie asked after a moment's pause looking around to all three of them. Summer shrugged, and Zack admitted that he didn't have a clue. Freddy however screwed his face up in thought before running a hand through disheveled blonde hair.
"Oh shit. I think I know what went wrong." He groaned, looking like he was going to murder himself. "I shouldn't have been so stupid. She's really touchy on the mom subject."
"Why?" Zack asked, just as confused as the two other girls around him. " Why would she be? I mean I know she lives with her aunt, but why?"
Freddy brushed the question off. "Never mind. I shouldn't have brought it up." He made to go after her, but Katie stopped him by grabbing his arm.
"Don't Freddy. She'll be okay." She told him in as confident a voice that she could manage. " Besides, she went into the girls bathroom anyways, and I don't think the teachers would appreciate you going in there."
Defeated, he sighed, adjusting the strap of his bag and making sure his sleeve was still rolled up. "If you say so. I've got a bad feeling about today though." He muttered, not even noticing that Katie still held his arm as he submerged himself further into the depths of his mind. Freddy didn't even know how accurate his words would prove.
"A bad feeling?" Katie repeated, "Since when have you gone all Miss Cleo? You've never been this serious in your life."
"Yeah, are you okay?" Zack asked, concern shining through. "Shake it off man."
"I'll try to." Freddy said faintly, and forced a smile though they could all see it was fake.
Katie moved her hand to link it with his and patted his hand. "Oh my god, you've got goose bumps." She exclaimed before he wrenched his hand from hers and rubbed his arms in an attempt to warm himself.
"Catch ya later." He called over his shoulder as he picked up his pace, fleeing down the hall. He sprinted around a corner and stopped, slumping against the wall and leaning his head back. He didn't care if he was going to be late for study hall. Besides, the proctors didn't really care how late you came in, just as long as you showed up.
He lifted an arm that was too pale in his estimation and saw that Katie was right. He did have goose bumps. It was unexplainable, he had this feeling in his gut that something wasn't right, but couldn't place what. You know that feeling you get when you know that there's something you might be able to stop if you knew what it was? That's exactly what Freddy was feeling.
Head in his hands, he though over what happened, from the first when Arin left because he mentioned mom-ing, to when Katie went all touchy-feely, to when he finally took off to get some space from everyone else.
"Why is this goddamn life so confusing?" He asked himself as he struggled to his feet, going down the nearest stairwell to get to the cafeteria.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Arin couldn't explain what made her take off when Freddy said mom-ing. It wasn't that he had struck a nerve or anything. She just got the worst vibe possible when he said that, and right now as she sat in her seat with her books and papers out in front of her, Arin was filled with dread.
"Hey, Freddy was pretty worried about you." Zack broke the tense silence between them as he took one of her books to check something, "Why did you take off so suddenly." He glanced up from the heavy textbook seated in his lap that he had been rifling through to see her face clearly.
"I...can't say. Do you...believe in a sixth sense? I just...felt something in me when Freddy said mom-ing. Maybe cause it's tied to mom..."
"I've been meaning to ask you about your parents." Zack said cautiously. She stiffened noticeably, but then relaxed.
"You have?"
"Yeah."
"What up?" Freddy greeted brightly, dumping his stuff into the pile of mess that was growing. His arrival was impeccable, and Arin almost wanted to thank him on the spot since she avoided having to go into a full depth conversation about her parents right then and there.
"Not that much." Zack shrugged. It didn't bother him all that much that Arin wasn't really keen on telling him about her parents, but she would tell him and the rest of the band when she was ready.
None of them noticed the principal walking towards them, her hands folded tightly as if she was trying to squash an annoying insect that kept bugging her.
"Miss Kam?" She inquired politely to get the girl's attention. "I just got a phone call from your aunt. You're being taken out of school."
"Why?" Arin asked, then checked herself seeing the principal's expression, "If I may be so bold."
The principal sighed, this wasn't going to be very easy news to break to the teenager. "Your aunt called because your brother was in an accident..."
No sooner than the words were out of her mouth, Arin was out of her seat, packing up to go.
"What kind of accident?" Her voice was rising in pitch, the showing strains of a growing hysteria.
"A car accident. Another car hit from the side that your brother was sitting on. He was getting a ride back from morning kindergarten, and..."
The color drained from Arin's face. "How is he?" She wasn't aware that she was trembling. Freddy and Zack left their chairs to stand next to her, offering unspoken support through their presence.
"He's in the hospital. He lost a lot of blood from the gashes he received from the breaking glass. And since it wasn't a modern car with side air bags...I'm sorry." Their principal turned and left, not wanting to be seen since her eyes were already misting over slightly.
Freddy placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "He's going to make it. I'm sure of it." She didn't respond. Just blankly stared at the ground in front of them. Wanting some response, the drummer turned her to face him, tilting her chin up with a gentle hand so that she would look at him.
"Trust me, he's going to make it." He repeated adamantly.
"What if he doesn't?" Tears were sliding down her face, wetting his palm, but Freddy didn't care to notice it. "I'm so frickin scared Freddy. I don't want to lose Charles."
"You won't." Zack said seriously. "He'll pull through. He's a cool kid."
"I need to go." Arin said, taking a steadying breath. "But I don't have a car."
"I'll drive you." Freddy offered without hesitation. "I know the teachers aren't going to miss me and cry over my lost presence, so I'll drive you, no problem."
Arin nodded, but she feared the worst. She knew why she had gotten that strange feeling when Freddy said something related to mom now. Her mom had died in a car accident. Now Cha Cha had unfortunately been in one too in a stroke of bad luck. She was afraid of losing him too.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Thanks for everything Freddy." She said gratefully but distantly as they pulled into a parking space at the hospital. The blonde boy shook his head.
"I said it was no problem. Anything for a friend."
"Yeah." She agreed, her eyes staring out the window.
"Do you want me to go in there with you?" His gaze flickered from the back of her head to the building looming up ahead.
"Would you?" Her eyes finally sought his, "If it's not too much for you. I mean...you can go if you want to..."
"I'd rather be here than back in school. I'm staying with you." Freddy stated blatantly, getting out of the car to punctuate his meaning of intent. Arin nodded and followed him, taking her bag with her as she vacated her seat.
"It's gonna be okay." Freddy assured her once again, wanting to see her smile. But she didn't.
Arin looked up at him in surprise when he took her hand in his, giving her an encouraging squeeze. The faintest trace of a smile then touched her lips as she sent one back.
Of course, they ended up in a waiting room for Charles to be wheeled out as he was undergoing surgery to get out any shards of glass that might have become embedded in his skin. The minutes ticked by, almost killing Arin with the suspense. If it weren't for the occasional cheesy joke contributed by Freddy she wasn't sure if she would have actually lasted that long. Her grip tightened on his hand, as if that would make Cha Cha get better.
"I'm wondering if I'm going to have to be next in there if you keep trying to break the bones in my hand." He said, carefully observing her with a worry born over the now two hours that had ticked by. She laughed a little, but it sounded thin and stretched. Freddy never had any siblings, so he was impressed and awed, even jealous of the devotion she showed to her brother.
"You know, most of the other kids in our school aren't that attached to their siblings."
"I know. At one time I wasn't...nice to Cha Cha. But he's all I have left of my family. And now...I don't know. I'm hoping his injuries aren't that bad."
Silence picked up its reign over them once again, and Freddy wondered for how long had he been stroking the back of her hand with his thumb. But that acted like a sort of worry stone, easing him slightly.
Presently a nurse came and told Arin that her brother had been moved to another unit for recovery and that she could go and see him if she wanted.
"Thanks again Freddy." She smiled for the first time in those few hours. "I can't tell you how much your support means to me. I bet you have other stuff to do, so I'll let you go."
"Yeah." He agreed, though he much regretted it. "Band practice. I'll stop by later though. I'm guessing you're going to be staying here for a while?"
"As long as they don't throw me out." Arin said calmly. She leaned forward and kissed his cheek quickly. "Bye!" And just as quickly she disappeared trough a set of double doors.
Touching the spot where she had kissed him, Freddy grinned. Normally he would have been celebrating, but given the circumstances he didn't.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"How is she?" Zack asked in greeting when Freddy first entered the room twirling his black drumsticks easily.
"She's fine. Worrying about her brother though."
"What happened?" Summer asked, looking up from the book she was reading. "Where's Arin?"
"Yeah, where is she?" Marta piped up, looking around the room but coming up empty.
"She's at the hospital, visiting her brother."
"I heard she was called out of school cause of that." Katie tuned her bass, but wanted in on the conversation, nearly turning the knob the wrong way when she looked up.
"It's true." Zack nodded. "You dropped her off, right?"
"Yeah." He took his place behind the drum set, pushing up his sleeves again as Dewey entered with great gusto.
"Are we all ready to rock?" He demanded arms splayed wide in a comical stance. His band nodded animatedly.
"I didn't hear nothing." Dewey said, ignoring Summer's pursed lips at his double negative.
"YES!" Eight voices roared in unison. One voice was missing though.
"Hey, Lawrence, you've been avoiding us all day." Summer said, noticing that the pianist had remained silent. "Is something the matter?"
"No. Nothing." He shook his head vigorously before fixing his glasses.
"You sure man?" Dewey asked, a suspicious look coming to his face before he shrugged. "Well, let's get rocking. The song that Freddy and Zack wrote...um...the second one that you guys came up with. Can't remember the title, but I'm sure you guys know what I mean."
Blank stares from all corners. Dewey could have sworn he heard crickets chirping in the background.
"You talking 'bout Burnination?" it finally clicked in Freddy's mind.
"Yes, that's it!" He exclaimed excitedly. "Burnination, it's recreation. That's the one."
"Burnination, it's what we do." Marta challenged in a singsong manner.
"Burnination, it's something that I like," Dewey returned with the funniest expression and voice that made his band mates crack up.
"Burnination, we follow the fire's light." Tomika concluded. "And that's just the chorus."
Freddy grinned maniacally. "Got that damn right."
"Hmm, wonder who wrote that song." Their teacher pretended to think. " If I can recall correctly, there was a certain blonde drummer who liked to burn things..."
Everyone laughed when Freddy began to whistle, looking around the room innocently. "You talking to me?" He teased.
"No, we're talking to Lawrence." Katie retorted with a little tilt of her head. "Of course we're talking to you."
"Yeah." He nodded, and set the beat for the song hearing Zach come in with a well-rehearsed solo.
In his head he heard the strains of another song rolling around in his head. At that same moment, Arin sat at her brother's bedside, wishing that he would wake up. She missed the cheery boy he had been the day before, proudly showing off to his sister in hopes of gaining her pride. This one that lay there on the bed was so different, so cold, and so distant that it hurt her almost.
"Get better Cha Cha." She whispered, almost looking upward and sending a prayer up there.
*A/N~ Yes, I know it's sad that Cha Cha got into an accident, and I know it's kind of coincidental that he got into another car accident, but hey, I was watching Dateline, and it's possible, so I don't want to hear that it's not possible. Tell that to the families that lost more members in their family because of car accidents. And no, I have not lost any family members to car accidents; at least I don't think I have. Then again I have a pretty big extended family. And by the way...review, cause I really will update quicker. Have chapter 8 already written, and the more reviews (note reviews, not flames) I get, I will def. update.
Too tired to do this, but oh well, I'll do it anyways.
Jewelkitten: Yeah, that pretty much explains it all. Glad you liked it.
XxAnimeSwtnZzxX : Oh fun, the whole family playing? At least it's just my brother and I that play the piano in my family. My mother isn't musically talented, but my dad plays guitar and a few others, including the Chinese flute. And seriously, I wonder why Asians are always supposed to be nerds and play the piano or violin? Seriously bugs the hell out of me sometimes. I'm so glad you liked the previous chapter. I have to say I like that chapter a lot more that this one, specially since it's going morbid fast...but ah well. Thanks so much!
Saxaphonebaby: Well, Freddy has to add some comic relief -_^. Especially since this ficcie is taking an angst turn for a little bit. Need to add some problems, but don't worry, it ends up happy for everyone. Thanks so much for reviewing!
Skaterpunkgcpnay: Katie's not going to be excluded from future chapters. At least, I don't think she will. And neither will Lawrence. Er...gotta check that, but you get the drift. Thanks for the words!
Dolly: Yes, I felt very special, and very honored. And Katie will be talking to Freddy concerning them very soon. *cough*in two chapters *cough cough*. Lol, now that that coughing fit is over...thanks so much for the reviews. They really mean a lot to me. And I'll definitely try to update soon.
LeigH 143: HEY GAL!!!!!!!!!!! *hides plate of cookies so that Josh can't steal them* jk, great times on aim. Hehe. I really need to go and take a sugar binge. I'm so tired. But anyways...it was great talking to you, joking about Kevin and such and such. Since you loved the last chapter too, that can be dedicated to you as well. I'm so glad you love the character of Freddy. It's a relief that I'm not the only one stalking him from a distance...Well, I have the eighth chapter written, guess all that inspiration from talking to you really worked. Lol. So now I have got to shift the lawnmower into gear and drive off....jk. Nah, I'm bolting with Kevin's laundry basket...thinking of those hand movements and all those hilarious faces he makes.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from SOR, so don't sue me, I'm broke as it is. Trying to pay Kevin to go out with me, so I've gotta save up. Lol, great time, rite Leigh? Stay away from lawnmowers! And keep the cookies away from everyone else!
NOTE: We're turning very angsty for a bit. But never fear, everything smoothes out...eventually.
**Chapter 7**
It was late, and her parents had already gone to sleep, but Katie stayed awake, staring into the computer screen blankly as she talked to numerous people online. She knew something had gone on in Summer's life, but she couldn't be certain, since her friend was being all mysterious, and not making any sense of herself. A big call for suspicion since she always was concise in her thinking and speech, but this definitely wasn't her. But it was much too late to be wondering all of this full out. Even with all of that sugar she had consumed still humming around in her system, Katie was still tired.
Glancing out the window towards the inky darkness dotted by the incandescence of the stars, she sighed, tracing out the pattern of a bass guitar in the sky in a connect-the-dot fashion. There was too much on her mind, and too much that was supposed to occupy her time, what with that big competition coming up, and Dewey was working them to the bone and pushing Zack and Freddy to churn out new material. Of course, those two were always up for a challenge, and impressed the rest of the band with the songs they wrote.
The flashing of the header on her screen brought her to her senses and Katie quickly responded to Summer's question, no she hadn't talked to Freddy lately. That kid had turned elusive as of late. Honestly, there were times where she felt she needed to use a megaphone to get it through to his head that she was still available.
:So what's going on between Zack and you? Any new developments?: Katie typed, waiting for Summer's response. There was a noted pause, before Summer typed back.
:....: She wasn't responding clearly. Frustrated, Katie typed random sentences to get something out of Summer.
:Skips around like Freddy, only more gracefully:
:Skips around like Freddy and breaks ankle: Summer retorted. : Wait, that was pretty mean.:
: Yeah, but it's still funny, and that's what makes you great. You may now take a bow.:
: *slams head into monitor* crap.:
:What?:
: I tried to bow, and hit my head:
:There go the brain cells: Katie shook her head at how stupid the two of them were being.
:What braincells?: Summer joked.
:The ones you stole from everyone so that you're the smartass in the class. *oops*, I mean smartest:
: Mmmm. Can't be da otha one cause Freddy takes that position.:
:True. Hey, I g2g...:
:K:
Katie logged off as quickly as possible, checking first to see if Freddy was on. Of course, she knew he wasn't going to be on, hadn't been for almost a week, but it had become pure habit. Surprisingly she didn't feel too bummed out that he had backed out of the world of the Internet for the time being. She didn't want to talk to him right now.
Sometimes is was the looks he sent her that made her wonder if he liked her, but then there were times when his eyes conveyed pity, like she was too blind to see something. It was disturbing, and puzzling at some points. Katie was confused, and she prayed that the fog on the mirror cleared up soon. She hated feeling like she was in for a ride.
*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Lawrence, right?" The Asian girl sitting across from him looked up from her magazine, surprising Lawrence out of his thoughts.
"What?"
"You're Lawrence, right?"
"Uh, yes." He nodded hesitantly, smiling quickly. The girl returned the play on face, putting down the glossy text to put her full attention to him.
"I'm Hailey Benson. I take piano lessons here too." She motioned to the door that was adjacent to the waiting room they were in now. Lawrence nodded once again, hiding his bewilderment pretty well.
"Are you Chinese?" He asked after a moment's pause.
She laughed and shook her head. "Nope. Half Japanese. And yes, I know Benson doesn't sound like a Japanese name. My mom's Japanese, my dad's American. That answers any questions about to come out?"
"Yeah."
"You got a lot on your mind?" Hailey inquired in a friendly manner, " Cause it sure seems like it. Wanna share?"
"No. That's okay." Lawrence responded in his quiet and polite tone.
"You sure? It always helps me when I have a problem to talk it out with someone." She tilted her head slightly, and narrowed her eyes in thought. " Lemme guess. Girl trouble."
"How did you know?"
"You become a pro after a while, and you can read problems pretty well." Hailey grinned. "So tell me about her, and what's going wrong."
Lawrence shifted uneasily. "Her name's Arin Kam, and she seemed to like me when I first met her, and she still does seem to like me a bit, but lately she's been spending all her time with another kid."
"Ouch. Getting pushed to the side is harsh. Who's the kid that she seems to be choosing?"
"Freddy Jones."
Hailey pursed her lips. "I've heard of him. He's cool, but he chooses bad company. He knows my cousin Trent."
"Really?" Lawrence frowned slightly. "I had no idea."
"It's a small world when you think about it." Hailey said stiffly. "I don't really like Trent myself. Probably the least favorite of all my cousins, but that's my problem. Anyways, if Freddy's got you all upset, why don't you go tell Arin's parents that she's cavorting around with him? I'm sure they've heard of him."
"She lives with her aunt."
"Then tell her aunt." Hailey reasoned. "It's not that difficult."
"What happens when Arin and Freddy find out?"
"Deal with it then. Life's like that."
The door opened, and an elderly lady with glasses perched precariously on her nose stuck her head out sharply.
"Hailey, you're next." She informed the girl gently. Hailey nodded, picking up her bag.
"Nice talking to you Larry. Think about what I said, okay?"
Lawrence assured her that he would, and watched her go out of the room. Maybe he would go and talk to Mrs. Tan later.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Mrs. Tan, may I speak with you?" Lawrence smiled earnestly, hiding the desperate tone in his voice as much as possible. Arin wasn't home yet, and hopefully she wouldn't get wind of what he was about to do until the next day.
"Uh...sure Lawrence." Mrs. Tan nodded and let him in, a confused look on her face. "Is this about Arin? What has that girl done this time?"
"Nothing too bad." He let his eyes wander around the neatly kept room, mentally telling himself that it was going to be okay.
"Nothing too bad? Would you mind clarifying?"
"Well, you see..." Lawrence paused hesitantly, wondering how to start. " I...developed a...liking to Arin when I first met her and..."
"So you have a crush on Arin. Go on." Mrs. Tan was smiling a strange smile. "Are you the reason she's been out this late all the time? Cause if you're here to apologize, I think it's perfectly fine."
The pianist bit his lip and adjusted his glasses with his index finger. " Well, you see that's not the case. Arin's been hanging out with someone else, and I thought you might like to know who."
"So tell me then."
"Freddy Jones."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Arin never thought she would pull a Freddy and have to sneak into the house, but that was exactly what she was doing right now. Sighing, she pulled open the front door and tiptoed in. Arin hated sneaking around behind her aunt's back, and this was the first time. She had always walked in with a large smile on her face and cheerily greeted her relatives and brother, but not this time.
She was unprepared for the tiny mass of energy that hurtled at her from the top of the stairs.
"Arin! You're back! Where were you?" Charles hugged his sister as tight as he could, not wanting to let her go. "I missed you, and it wasn't the same without you here. I couldn't go to sleep cause I couldn't hear you playing the guitar or the piano."
"Shhh. It's okay Cha Cha. I'm here now. I'm sorry I couldn't play your favorite songs last night. I was preoccupied. I'll try not to miss them ever again." She slid down to his eye level and patted his cheek affectionately.
"Promise?"
"I promise." Arin smiled. Her brother was just too cute.
"Pinky promise?" He held up his tiny finger and locked it with his sister's. Arin smiled in remembrance of all the other promises she had made to Charles.
"How are your music lessons coming along?" She asked brightly. "Don't mind me, I reek of alcohol and cigarette smoke. I didn't smoke though."
Charles looked perplexed before he deemed it wiser to answer Arin's question. "I'm a lot better now than before. Mr. Schneebly said so. And that other guy, the one that teaches the big kid band? He said I was a natural. He says you're a natural too, but he never gets the chance to talk to you cause you 'book it outta there like hell?'"
"Cha, don't say that. Hey, wanna play me something on the guitar? Show me what you've learnt." Arin offered, taking her brother by the hand. Charles nodded animatedly, rushing with her to get his little guitar. Proudly he played a couple of easy tunes, beaming at his success, and feeling extremely content when Arin complimented and encouraged him. She was his main critic, and Cha Cha didn't want to have anyone else's opinion save hers.
They used to fight when they were younger, but somehow things had smoothed out, and now that they were all the other had left in the world of a family that was very tight knit, it made them that much more accepting and affectionate towards each other.
"Nice to see you're enjoying your class." Arin ruffled his head. "But I gotta go take a shower. Keep practicing for me though, 'kay Cha Cha?"
"Mmm-hmmm. Gotcha."
As Arin walked down the stairs, she was vaguely aware of her aunt's eyes on her, following her niece's progress. But even when the girl passed, Aunt Ruby said nothing to her, but still gave her that strange look.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
School. What a wonderful way to spend the day. If you asked the population of kids in a school building, chances are more than three quarters of them would say that school sucks, and the only reason they're present in that god forsaken building is because they were forced to go. Of course, then there are those who deem that school is wonderful, and choose to make school their second home. But no matter what anyone says, school is indeed tedious, and cuts a lot of time out of our daily lives.
You wonder, how many hours of my life is spent inside that school building, that high school, that college? And then you look back on it all, and wonder how the heck you ever managed to get through those "6-hours- every-day". If you added up all those hours, how many full 24-hour days could you get? How many weeks? Years?
"Wonder why they call it Modern Euro and then we study about the Crusades." Freddy grumbled as he toted his bag down the hall to the cluster of friends around him. One by one they peeled off until it was just Zack, Summer, Arin and Katie.
"Well you have to study the past to get the future." Katie reasoned with a tilt of her head and deftly applied another layer of lip-gloss, cunningly watching Freddy out of the corner of her eye and almost memorizing every expression his face lapsed into.
"But crusades? Come on."
Zack shook his head. "Well, who were the three kings that led the Third Crusade again?"
"King Richard the Lionhearted of England, King Philip II of France, and Frederick Barbarossa." Summer responded promptly, smiling as Zack settled his arm about her shoulders in a carefree manner.
"I can always trust you to tell me the answers to my questions." He laughed.
Katie stared at the two of them before her face split into a smile. " This is what you wouldn't tell me about online last night." She accused playfully towards Summer, "So I take it you two are together?"
Blushing, Summer nodded. "Yeah. I didn't want you to know until today. It was supposed to be a surprise." She added in what seemed like an after thought to her boyfriend. Zack mouthed a dramatic oops and sorry, his grin extremely contagious.
"Nice." Freddy nodded, frowning for a second before it lifted. "Hey, doesn't Ricky taunt Phil when Freddy goes missing?"
"'Ricky taunts Phil'?" Arin repeated laughing softly, "And 'Freddy' as you put it, doesn't go missing. He drowned while taking a bath, so his troops went back to Germany."
"Sounds like something I would do." Freddy joked with a faraway look in his eyes. "Call me Mr. Freddy Barbarossa."
"Problem." Arin interjected, "Frederick Barbarossa was given the name Barbarossa because he had a red beard. Obviously you have neither, so therefore you can't be considered Barbarossa. And at any rate, we find out that Summer and Zack are together, and the first thing you say is to question about some bicker that Richard and Philip II had."
"What can I say? My name speaks for myself." Freddy laughed. "But yeah, I'm glad for the both of you. That suit you and your mom-ing?" He turned to Arin and watched her frown slightly.
"I'll see you guys in study." She told Zack and Freddy, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear and walking away from them briskly, leaving the four of them confused.
"What's her problem?" Katie asked after a moment's pause looking around to all three of them. Summer shrugged, and Zack admitted that he didn't have a clue. Freddy however screwed his face up in thought before running a hand through disheveled blonde hair.
"Oh shit. I think I know what went wrong." He groaned, looking like he was going to murder himself. "I shouldn't have been so stupid. She's really touchy on the mom subject."
"Why?" Zack asked, just as confused as the two other girls around him. " Why would she be? I mean I know she lives with her aunt, but why?"
Freddy brushed the question off. "Never mind. I shouldn't have brought it up." He made to go after her, but Katie stopped him by grabbing his arm.
"Don't Freddy. She'll be okay." She told him in as confident a voice that she could manage. " Besides, she went into the girls bathroom anyways, and I don't think the teachers would appreciate you going in there."
Defeated, he sighed, adjusting the strap of his bag and making sure his sleeve was still rolled up. "If you say so. I've got a bad feeling about today though." He muttered, not even noticing that Katie still held his arm as he submerged himself further into the depths of his mind. Freddy didn't even know how accurate his words would prove.
"A bad feeling?" Katie repeated, "Since when have you gone all Miss Cleo? You've never been this serious in your life."
"Yeah, are you okay?" Zack asked, concern shining through. "Shake it off man."
"I'll try to." Freddy said faintly, and forced a smile though they could all see it was fake.
Katie moved her hand to link it with his and patted his hand. "Oh my god, you've got goose bumps." She exclaimed before he wrenched his hand from hers and rubbed his arms in an attempt to warm himself.
"Catch ya later." He called over his shoulder as he picked up his pace, fleeing down the hall. He sprinted around a corner and stopped, slumping against the wall and leaning his head back. He didn't care if he was going to be late for study hall. Besides, the proctors didn't really care how late you came in, just as long as you showed up.
He lifted an arm that was too pale in his estimation and saw that Katie was right. He did have goose bumps. It was unexplainable, he had this feeling in his gut that something wasn't right, but couldn't place what. You know that feeling you get when you know that there's something you might be able to stop if you knew what it was? That's exactly what Freddy was feeling.
Head in his hands, he though over what happened, from the first when Arin left because he mentioned mom-ing, to when Katie went all touchy-feely, to when he finally took off to get some space from everyone else.
"Why is this goddamn life so confusing?" He asked himself as he struggled to his feet, going down the nearest stairwell to get to the cafeteria.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Arin couldn't explain what made her take off when Freddy said mom-ing. It wasn't that he had struck a nerve or anything. She just got the worst vibe possible when he said that, and right now as she sat in her seat with her books and papers out in front of her, Arin was filled with dread.
"Hey, Freddy was pretty worried about you." Zack broke the tense silence between them as he took one of her books to check something, "Why did you take off so suddenly." He glanced up from the heavy textbook seated in his lap that he had been rifling through to see her face clearly.
"I...can't say. Do you...believe in a sixth sense? I just...felt something in me when Freddy said mom-ing. Maybe cause it's tied to mom..."
"I've been meaning to ask you about your parents." Zack said cautiously. She stiffened noticeably, but then relaxed.
"You have?"
"Yeah."
"What up?" Freddy greeted brightly, dumping his stuff into the pile of mess that was growing. His arrival was impeccable, and Arin almost wanted to thank him on the spot since she avoided having to go into a full depth conversation about her parents right then and there.
"Not that much." Zack shrugged. It didn't bother him all that much that Arin wasn't really keen on telling him about her parents, but she would tell him and the rest of the band when she was ready.
None of them noticed the principal walking towards them, her hands folded tightly as if she was trying to squash an annoying insect that kept bugging her.
"Miss Kam?" She inquired politely to get the girl's attention. "I just got a phone call from your aunt. You're being taken out of school."
"Why?" Arin asked, then checked herself seeing the principal's expression, "If I may be so bold."
The principal sighed, this wasn't going to be very easy news to break to the teenager. "Your aunt called because your brother was in an accident..."
No sooner than the words were out of her mouth, Arin was out of her seat, packing up to go.
"What kind of accident?" Her voice was rising in pitch, the showing strains of a growing hysteria.
"A car accident. Another car hit from the side that your brother was sitting on. He was getting a ride back from morning kindergarten, and..."
The color drained from Arin's face. "How is he?" She wasn't aware that she was trembling. Freddy and Zack left their chairs to stand next to her, offering unspoken support through their presence.
"He's in the hospital. He lost a lot of blood from the gashes he received from the breaking glass. And since it wasn't a modern car with side air bags...I'm sorry." Their principal turned and left, not wanting to be seen since her eyes were already misting over slightly.
Freddy placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "He's going to make it. I'm sure of it." She didn't respond. Just blankly stared at the ground in front of them. Wanting some response, the drummer turned her to face him, tilting her chin up with a gentle hand so that she would look at him.
"Trust me, he's going to make it." He repeated adamantly.
"What if he doesn't?" Tears were sliding down her face, wetting his palm, but Freddy didn't care to notice it. "I'm so frickin scared Freddy. I don't want to lose Charles."
"You won't." Zack said seriously. "He'll pull through. He's a cool kid."
"I need to go." Arin said, taking a steadying breath. "But I don't have a car."
"I'll drive you." Freddy offered without hesitation. "I know the teachers aren't going to miss me and cry over my lost presence, so I'll drive you, no problem."
Arin nodded, but she feared the worst. She knew why she had gotten that strange feeling when Freddy said something related to mom now. Her mom had died in a car accident. Now Cha Cha had unfortunately been in one too in a stroke of bad luck. She was afraid of losing him too.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Thanks for everything Freddy." She said gratefully but distantly as they pulled into a parking space at the hospital. The blonde boy shook his head.
"I said it was no problem. Anything for a friend."
"Yeah." She agreed, her eyes staring out the window.
"Do you want me to go in there with you?" His gaze flickered from the back of her head to the building looming up ahead.
"Would you?" Her eyes finally sought his, "If it's not too much for you. I mean...you can go if you want to..."
"I'd rather be here than back in school. I'm staying with you." Freddy stated blatantly, getting out of the car to punctuate his meaning of intent. Arin nodded and followed him, taking her bag with her as she vacated her seat.
"It's gonna be okay." Freddy assured her once again, wanting to see her smile. But she didn't.
Arin looked up at him in surprise when he took her hand in his, giving her an encouraging squeeze. The faintest trace of a smile then touched her lips as she sent one back.
Of course, they ended up in a waiting room for Charles to be wheeled out as he was undergoing surgery to get out any shards of glass that might have become embedded in his skin. The minutes ticked by, almost killing Arin with the suspense. If it weren't for the occasional cheesy joke contributed by Freddy she wasn't sure if she would have actually lasted that long. Her grip tightened on his hand, as if that would make Cha Cha get better.
"I'm wondering if I'm going to have to be next in there if you keep trying to break the bones in my hand." He said, carefully observing her with a worry born over the now two hours that had ticked by. She laughed a little, but it sounded thin and stretched. Freddy never had any siblings, so he was impressed and awed, even jealous of the devotion she showed to her brother.
"You know, most of the other kids in our school aren't that attached to their siblings."
"I know. At one time I wasn't...nice to Cha Cha. But he's all I have left of my family. And now...I don't know. I'm hoping his injuries aren't that bad."
Silence picked up its reign over them once again, and Freddy wondered for how long had he been stroking the back of her hand with his thumb. But that acted like a sort of worry stone, easing him slightly.
Presently a nurse came and told Arin that her brother had been moved to another unit for recovery and that she could go and see him if she wanted.
"Thanks again Freddy." She smiled for the first time in those few hours. "I can't tell you how much your support means to me. I bet you have other stuff to do, so I'll let you go."
"Yeah." He agreed, though he much regretted it. "Band practice. I'll stop by later though. I'm guessing you're going to be staying here for a while?"
"As long as they don't throw me out." Arin said calmly. She leaned forward and kissed his cheek quickly. "Bye!" And just as quickly she disappeared trough a set of double doors.
Touching the spot where she had kissed him, Freddy grinned. Normally he would have been celebrating, but given the circumstances he didn't.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"How is she?" Zack asked in greeting when Freddy first entered the room twirling his black drumsticks easily.
"She's fine. Worrying about her brother though."
"What happened?" Summer asked, looking up from the book she was reading. "Where's Arin?"
"Yeah, where is she?" Marta piped up, looking around the room but coming up empty.
"She's at the hospital, visiting her brother."
"I heard she was called out of school cause of that." Katie tuned her bass, but wanted in on the conversation, nearly turning the knob the wrong way when she looked up.
"It's true." Zack nodded. "You dropped her off, right?"
"Yeah." He took his place behind the drum set, pushing up his sleeves again as Dewey entered with great gusto.
"Are we all ready to rock?" He demanded arms splayed wide in a comical stance. His band nodded animatedly.
"I didn't hear nothing." Dewey said, ignoring Summer's pursed lips at his double negative.
"YES!" Eight voices roared in unison. One voice was missing though.
"Hey, Lawrence, you've been avoiding us all day." Summer said, noticing that the pianist had remained silent. "Is something the matter?"
"No. Nothing." He shook his head vigorously before fixing his glasses.
"You sure man?" Dewey asked, a suspicious look coming to his face before he shrugged. "Well, let's get rocking. The song that Freddy and Zack wrote...um...the second one that you guys came up with. Can't remember the title, but I'm sure you guys know what I mean."
Blank stares from all corners. Dewey could have sworn he heard crickets chirping in the background.
"You talking 'bout Burnination?" it finally clicked in Freddy's mind.
"Yes, that's it!" He exclaimed excitedly. "Burnination, it's recreation. That's the one."
"Burnination, it's what we do." Marta challenged in a singsong manner.
"Burnination, it's something that I like," Dewey returned with the funniest expression and voice that made his band mates crack up.
"Burnination, we follow the fire's light." Tomika concluded. "And that's just the chorus."
Freddy grinned maniacally. "Got that damn right."
"Hmm, wonder who wrote that song." Their teacher pretended to think. " If I can recall correctly, there was a certain blonde drummer who liked to burn things..."
Everyone laughed when Freddy began to whistle, looking around the room innocently. "You talking to me?" He teased.
"No, we're talking to Lawrence." Katie retorted with a little tilt of her head. "Of course we're talking to you."
"Yeah." He nodded, and set the beat for the song hearing Zach come in with a well-rehearsed solo.
In his head he heard the strains of another song rolling around in his head. At that same moment, Arin sat at her brother's bedside, wishing that he would wake up. She missed the cheery boy he had been the day before, proudly showing off to his sister in hopes of gaining her pride. This one that lay there on the bed was so different, so cold, and so distant that it hurt her almost.
"Get better Cha Cha." She whispered, almost looking upward and sending a prayer up there.
*A/N~ Yes, I know it's sad that Cha Cha got into an accident, and I know it's kind of coincidental that he got into another car accident, but hey, I was watching Dateline, and it's possible, so I don't want to hear that it's not possible. Tell that to the families that lost more members in their family because of car accidents. And no, I have not lost any family members to car accidents; at least I don't think I have. Then again I have a pretty big extended family. And by the way...review, cause I really will update quicker. Have chapter 8 already written, and the more reviews (note reviews, not flames) I get, I will def. update.
Too tired to do this, but oh well, I'll do it anyways.
Jewelkitten: Yeah, that pretty much explains it all. Glad you liked it.
XxAnimeSwtnZzxX : Oh fun, the whole family playing? At least it's just my brother and I that play the piano in my family. My mother isn't musically talented, but my dad plays guitar and a few others, including the Chinese flute. And seriously, I wonder why Asians are always supposed to be nerds and play the piano or violin? Seriously bugs the hell out of me sometimes. I'm so glad you liked the previous chapter. I have to say I like that chapter a lot more that this one, specially since it's going morbid fast...but ah well. Thanks so much!
Saxaphonebaby: Well, Freddy has to add some comic relief -_^. Especially since this ficcie is taking an angst turn for a little bit. Need to add some problems, but don't worry, it ends up happy for everyone. Thanks so much for reviewing!
Skaterpunkgcpnay: Katie's not going to be excluded from future chapters. At least, I don't think she will. And neither will Lawrence. Er...gotta check that, but you get the drift. Thanks for the words!
Dolly: Yes, I felt very special, and very honored. And Katie will be talking to Freddy concerning them very soon. *cough*in two chapters *cough cough*. Lol, now that that coughing fit is over...thanks so much for the reviews. They really mean a lot to me. And I'll definitely try to update soon.
LeigH 143: HEY GAL!!!!!!!!!!! *hides plate of cookies so that Josh can't steal them* jk, great times on aim. Hehe. I really need to go and take a sugar binge. I'm so tired. But anyways...it was great talking to you, joking about Kevin and such and such. Since you loved the last chapter too, that can be dedicated to you as well. I'm so glad you love the character of Freddy. It's a relief that I'm not the only one stalking him from a distance...Well, I have the eighth chapter written, guess all that inspiration from talking to you really worked. Lol. So now I have got to shift the lawnmower into gear and drive off....jk. Nah, I'm bolting with Kevin's laundry basket...thinking of those hand movements and all those hilarious faces he makes.