Hey ffn readers-
Sorry this chapter took way longer than usual. I had some writers block,
and I wrote the whole chapter out, then decided it sucked, so I erased it
all and started again (this was all march) plus I was contemplating how I
wanted the fic to end. I'm afraid I'm slowly slipping away from the
character's personalities...sorry about that. I'm trying to stay true to the
characters, but its hard. But anyway, here's #16. Thanks everybody who
had reviewed. Seriously, it means a lot to me!
Ren 117
********Back to Reality*************
Tawny sat there on the cold metal bench of the locksmith, waiting. She rubbed her arms, trying to get her blood moving. That morning she had woken up warm, Louis's body next to hers. In fact, he was slobbering on her shoulder and his arm was slung dangerously close to her breasts. She had moved him in slight disgust and prepared for the day.
Louis approached with a huge smile on his face. "S'all ready for you Tawn."
Tawny stood and he removed his crutches and slid his arm around her neck for support.
"What are you doing?"
"Shh! Tawn, you'll blow our cover."
"What cover?" Louis shushed her as a mechanic approached them.
"Congratulations you two. Here's the keys Mrs. Stevens." He placed them in her hand. "You'll have to call us when you know the sex of the baby." Tawny's eyes widened.
"Oh and good luck with the foot," he said, holding out his hand for a handshake. Louis attemped to shift the crutches to the hand around Tawny, but the guy shook his head. "Ah, don't worry about it. Looks like you have your hands full. Good luck you two." Louis nodded and led Tawny away.
Once in the car, Tawny broke her silence. "What did you tell that guy?"
He laughed. "Nothing much. Just that we're married and we're expecting a kid. But hey, he picked the lock for free!"
Louis could see a protest forming in her eyes, but then to his surprise, she laughed.
"I can't believe you pulled it off!" he laughed at his own geniusness.
A beat passed and Louis let his gaze fall on her. Her whole face would light up like no one else he knew when she laughed. Her eyes would sparkle, and the slight baby fat in her face would bunch together at her cheek bones, reminding him of the girl he fell in love with when he fell off the flag pole that first day of junior high.
"Like I would marry you." She laughed and punched him lightly on the shoulder.
"Hey!" Louis pouted. "Ouch that hurt."
Tawny grinned. "Just kidding. You're not too bad." She avoided Louis's stare and placed his crutches in the back seat.
"Hey, you want me to drive?" He smirked, already knowing her answer.
"Funny," Tawny replied sarcastically.
*****
Tawny parked the car. Louis grudging pulled his casted foot out of the car, then stood and crutched his way over to Tawny, who was lifting his luggage out of the trunk. They were back, finally.
Louis and Tawny walked to Louis's apartment complex in silence. Finally, they stopped at his doorstep. Tawny set down his luggage.
"Thanks Tawn, for everything. Really." She muttered a 'no problem' and stared at the floor. A bump came from inside Louis's room, both of them knowing it was Lauren waiting for him.
Louis dreaded going inside his room. He played with the keys in his hand, as if trying to polish the already clean brass necks.
Tawny was at a loss. She was happy with Jason. Secure. But it didn't feel right.
"So," Louis said. "I'll see you later?"
Tawny nodded numbly and turned to the elevator.
Louis slowly opened the door and Lauren tackled him to the hallway floor and repeatedly kissed his neck.
He turned his head toward Tawny, just in time to see her sink against the elevator wall as the doors closed.
**
"Hey Tawny, what happened? I thought you said you would call me yesterday when you got back."
"Oh sorry. Had some technical difficulties with the car yesterday. Louis locked the keys in the car and we had to stay the night at a hotel." Jason looked at her with a strange look on his face.
"Don't ask." She wasn't about to tell him that she 'slept' with Louis.
"Ok, I won't." he wrapped his arm around her. "Well at least you're back." He kissed her forehead. She limply held him.
"I have something to tell you."
"Hmm." She asked.
"I just found out that my agent found a string playhouse theaters in Europe that wants us to act for them."
"What?" She unlocked hands with him and looked him directly in the eyes.
"It'll be like a tour. We'll perform a number of Shakespeare's plays and travel all throughout Europe for a year. It'll be great! They'll be all sorts of pickups after that. I heard that tons of scouts and movie directors go to these types of plays to pick up fresh actors and actresses. This is a chance of a lifetime Tawny!"
Tawny smiled weakly. "But what about college? We haven't even finished a year yet."
"You forget that I'm graduating this year. Plus, we don't need acting school if we've already been picked up by a playright tour. Besides, we won't leave until later, so you could finish up this year then go." his eyes darkened at her silence. "Come on Tawny, this was supposed to be exciting. We can really pick up our acting careers from this." He took her hands. "And we can do it together."
She looked away. "When would we leave?"
"June 10th." The image of Louis being kissed by Lauren in the hall filled her mind.
"Ok, I'll do it." He brought up her chin with his hand and kissed her. She returned half heartedly.
************
Tawny tapped her pencil. For once, Lauren wasn't pestering her with constant chatter. The phone call on the way back must have shut her up. Tawny smiled.
"Hey do you and Bruno have a thing going on?" Silence was too much for her to ask. Tawny picked up her pencil and continued taking lecture notes.
"No, Lauren we do not have a 'thing' going on."
Lauren eyed her skeptically. "Whatever, but I saw the way he looked at you." Tawny ignored her and continued writing. Lauren gritted her teeth.
"Hey, look. You have no right treating me like this just because you still have feelings for Louis."
Tawny pursed her lips, keeping her temper in check. "Oh, you're assuming too much." She scoffed.
Tawny turned back to her notes, trying to concentrate on the professor.
"Say what you want, but I know you do. And you better not mess with Louis, because he's my property." She paused and came closer to Tawny, whispering in her ear. "But we both know that you'll always be second rate."
Tawny could feel the blood rushing to her face with anger. Her hand threatened to crunch her pencil and her whole body stiffened.
Satisfied, Lauren picked up her pen and started taking notes.
**
Jason was waiting right outside of the classroom. Tawny walked right past him, her face still flushed.
"Whoa, wait a sec Tawny." He grabbed her shoulder. "I thought we were going to have lunch together." Her face contorted to a mixture of anger and sympathy.
"Sorry Jason, I just can't right now. I have to go deal with something."
"What's going on Tawny?" she shook her head and turned away from him, walking in the opposite direction.
*************************************************************
R&R!
Ren 117
********Back to Reality*************
Tawny sat there on the cold metal bench of the locksmith, waiting. She rubbed her arms, trying to get her blood moving. That morning she had woken up warm, Louis's body next to hers. In fact, he was slobbering on her shoulder and his arm was slung dangerously close to her breasts. She had moved him in slight disgust and prepared for the day.
Louis approached with a huge smile on his face. "S'all ready for you Tawn."
Tawny stood and he removed his crutches and slid his arm around her neck for support.
"What are you doing?"
"Shh! Tawn, you'll blow our cover."
"What cover?" Louis shushed her as a mechanic approached them.
"Congratulations you two. Here's the keys Mrs. Stevens." He placed them in her hand. "You'll have to call us when you know the sex of the baby." Tawny's eyes widened.
"Oh and good luck with the foot," he said, holding out his hand for a handshake. Louis attemped to shift the crutches to the hand around Tawny, but the guy shook his head. "Ah, don't worry about it. Looks like you have your hands full. Good luck you two." Louis nodded and led Tawny away.
Once in the car, Tawny broke her silence. "What did you tell that guy?"
He laughed. "Nothing much. Just that we're married and we're expecting a kid. But hey, he picked the lock for free!"
Louis could see a protest forming in her eyes, but then to his surprise, she laughed.
"I can't believe you pulled it off!" he laughed at his own geniusness.
A beat passed and Louis let his gaze fall on her. Her whole face would light up like no one else he knew when she laughed. Her eyes would sparkle, and the slight baby fat in her face would bunch together at her cheek bones, reminding him of the girl he fell in love with when he fell off the flag pole that first day of junior high.
"Like I would marry you." She laughed and punched him lightly on the shoulder.
"Hey!" Louis pouted. "Ouch that hurt."
Tawny grinned. "Just kidding. You're not too bad." She avoided Louis's stare and placed his crutches in the back seat.
"Hey, you want me to drive?" He smirked, already knowing her answer.
"Funny," Tawny replied sarcastically.
*****
Tawny parked the car. Louis grudging pulled his casted foot out of the car, then stood and crutched his way over to Tawny, who was lifting his luggage out of the trunk. They were back, finally.
Louis and Tawny walked to Louis's apartment complex in silence. Finally, they stopped at his doorstep. Tawny set down his luggage.
"Thanks Tawn, for everything. Really." She muttered a 'no problem' and stared at the floor. A bump came from inside Louis's room, both of them knowing it was Lauren waiting for him.
Louis dreaded going inside his room. He played with the keys in his hand, as if trying to polish the already clean brass necks.
Tawny was at a loss. She was happy with Jason. Secure. But it didn't feel right.
"So," Louis said. "I'll see you later?"
Tawny nodded numbly and turned to the elevator.
Louis slowly opened the door and Lauren tackled him to the hallway floor and repeatedly kissed his neck.
He turned his head toward Tawny, just in time to see her sink against the elevator wall as the doors closed.
**
"Hey Tawny, what happened? I thought you said you would call me yesterday when you got back."
"Oh sorry. Had some technical difficulties with the car yesterday. Louis locked the keys in the car and we had to stay the night at a hotel." Jason looked at her with a strange look on his face.
"Don't ask." She wasn't about to tell him that she 'slept' with Louis.
"Ok, I won't." he wrapped his arm around her. "Well at least you're back." He kissed her forehead. She limply held him.
"I have something to tell you."
"Hmm." She asked.
"I just found out that my agent found a string playhouse theaters in Europe that wants us to act for them."
"What?" She unlocked hands with him and looked him directly in the eyes.
"It'll be like a tour. We'll perform a number of Shakespeare's plays and travel all throughout Europe for a year. It'll be great! They'll be all sorts of pickups after that. I heard that tons of scouts and movie directors go to these types of plays to pick up fresh actors and actresses. This is a chance of a lifetime Tawny!"
Tawny smiled weakly. "But what about college? We haven't even finished a year yet."
"You forget that I'm graduating this year. Plus, we don't need acting school if we've already been picked up by a playright tour. Besides, we won't leave until later, so you could finish up this year then go." his eyes darkened at her silence. "Come on Tawny, this was supposed to be exciting. We can really pick up our acting careers from this." He took her hands. "And we can do it together."
She looked away. "When would we leave?"
"June 10th." The image of Louis being kissed by Lauren in the hall filled her mind.
"Ok, I'll do it." He brought up her chin with his hand and kissed her. She returned half heartedly.
************
Tawny tapped her pencil. For once, Lauren wasn't pestering her with constant chatter. The phone call on the way back must have shut her up. Tawny smiled.
"Hey do you and Bruno have a thing going on?" Silence was too much for her to ask. Tawny picked up her pencil and continued taking lecture notes.
"No, Lauren we do not have a 'thing' going on."
Lauren eyed her skeptically. "Whatever, but I saw the way he looked at you." Tawny ignored her and continued writing. Lauren gritted her teeth.
"Hey, look. You have no right treating me like this just because you still have feelings for Louis."
Tawny pursed her lips, keeping her temper in check. "Oh, you're assuming too much." She scoffed.
Tawny turned back to her notes, trying to concentrate on the professor.
"Say what you want, but I know you do. And you better not mess with Louis, because he's my property." She paused and came closer to Tawny, whispering in her ear. "But we both know that you'll always be second rate."
Tawny could feel the blood rushing to her face with anger. Her hand threatened to crunch her pencil and her whole body stiffened.
Satisfied, Lauren picked up her pen and started taking notes.
**
Jason was waiting right outside of the classroom. Tawny walked right past him, her face still flushed.
"Whoa, wait a sec Tawny." He grabbed her shoulder. "I thought we were going to have lunch together." Her face contorted to a mixture of anger and sympathy.
"Sorry Jason, I just can't right now. I have to go deal with something."
"What's going on Tawny?" she shook her head and turned away from him, walking in the opposite direction.
*************************************************************
R&R!