"Shawn Brady, would you stop!" squealed Belle playfully as she swatted
Shawn's hand away from her hair. From across the coffee table, Mimi
dramatically rolled her eyes. There was only so much of Shawn and Belle and
their severe case of denial that she could take - and she was quickly
reaching her limit.
As soon as Belle resumed her conversation with Mimi, Shawn began to lightly tap Belle's colorful hair clips that formed a semi-circle across the top of her head. When he realized that she was trying to ignore him, Shawn decided to try a new tactic. Acting as though he was looking for something, Shawn began to lean up and look on top of Belle's head and make the exaggerated sounds of thought.
"Hmm," loudly exclaimed Shawn.
Finally giving in to Shawn's childish game, Belle asked, "Shawn-Douglas Brady, what are you doing?"
Feigning innocence, Shawn answered, "Well, I was just trying to follow the rainbow of hair thingies to see if I could find a pot of gold. Too bad all I could find was Belle the leprechaun."
Giggling, Belle punched Shawn's arm and began to tell him yet again to leave her alone when Mimi suddenly stood and began to make her way to the door.
Belle turned around on the couch to face Mimi and asked, "Meems, where are you going? Is something wrong?"
"Yeah, something's wrong. I got stuck spending the afternoon alone with the two most blind people I have ever met!"
With that Mimi made her dramatic exit. She was halfway to the elevator when she realized that she had stormed out without her purse. She grudgingly turned around and walked back to the door where Shawn was waiting with her purse. Snatching it from him, Mimi finally made her exit.
Plopping himself back down on the couch, Shawn thought aloud, "I wonder what that was all about."
"I have no clue. Do you think that maybe I should go talk to her?"
Shawn turned to face Belle and admire her beautiful facial features. He could not help but love the way she was always putting everyone else's happiness ahead of her own. Realizing that he was coming very close to totally spacing out in the Black living room, Shawn distractedly replied, "Nah, I think she probably just needed to be alone."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Nancy grabbed Craig's arm just as he was leaving the house to go to the hospital. To put it mildly, things had been tense recently between the formerly happily married couple. Craig wasn't sure if he could remember the last time an entire day had gone by without there being some type of argument with Nancy. If she wasn't fighting with him, she was fighting with Chloe. And, Craig thought bitterly, Nancy was pushing Chloe dangerously close to the edge. With each argument, he saw Chloe become increasingly desperate to find a way to get out from under Nancy's control, and he saw Nancy become more determined than ever to isolate Chloe from all those people she deemed inappropriate for her only child. Craig feared what would happen when Chloe reached her limit and could take no more of Nancy's infuriating behavior.
"Craig, we need to talk."
"You know what, Nancy, I've tried talking to you. It's gotten us nowhere. You refuse to open up to me about what happened with Chloe's father. You know that I'll love you no matter who he is or what he did to you. Nancy, your secret is destroying our marriage."
Her nostrils on the verge of flaring, Nancy angrily said, "You listen to me. The reason our marriage is falling apart is that YOU refuse to trust your own wife. I swear, Craig, all you ever do is badger me about the past. And, to make matters worse, you continually side with my daughter instead of me. What type of example is that for Chloe?"
Trying to keep his temper in check just so the neighbors and any unfortunate soul that happened to be walking by wouldn't get a free show, Craig replied, "I think that it shows Chloe that at least one of us cares enough to take an interest in her problems. And, let's face it, that person is definitely not you."
Craig's words, no matter how calmly said, cut Nancy worse than any knife ever could. He was no longer implying that he cared more about Chloe than she did, he was now practically stating it as a proven fact. Her face reddening from the anger, Nancy vehemently replied, "Don't you dare pretend that you care more for Chloe than I do. That's not true."
"Yes, it is, Nancy. If we're being honest, then it's time I told you the truth about your so-called parenting skills. She's your flesh and blood, not mine. God knows you've thrown that in my face enough times for even me to get in through my thick skull. However, I'm the one that acts like the parent. And, do you know why? Because I love her like a daughter and don't treat her like an opponent in some twisted game."
Holding up a hand to silence his wife's protests, Craig continued, "You battle your own daughter for attention. Then, you don't even bother to concern yourself with her problems. She's sixteen years old. She doesn't know what to do with her life just yet. Chloe needs guidance - not a bulldog mother who denies her a birth father. Is any of this getting through to you, Nancy? Is it?"
Before Nancy could give a nasty response, someone from behind her husband cleared their throat, effectively getting both Craig and Nancy's attention.
"What are YOU doing here?" demanded Nancy as she gave the person her most menacing look.
Philip withheld his groan. He KNEW this was a bad idea, but he just had to see Chloe. Though he was at her house quite often, Philip was nearly always met with Nancy's cruel glares and callous remarks. She no longer bothered to conceal her dislike for her daughter's boyfriend. Philip knew that the chances of Nancy ever being nice to him were slim. He was just glad that Dr. Wesley treated him like a person instead of some animal that should be hunted down and killed like his wife did.
"Good morning, Dr. Wesley, Mrs. Wesley. I just thought I would stop by to see if Chloe was home," greeted Philip with a polite, yet terribly fake, smile.
As always Nancy was unable to keep her mouth shut and felt compelled to reply, "Well, she not, and don't you bother coming back. My daughter is far to good for a spoiled brat like you."
Rolling his eyes, Craig used all his willpower to refrain from telling Nancy to shut-up. Instead he looked at Philip and tried to give what he hoped to be a reassuring smile. "Perhaps you should stop by later this evening. I'm sure Chloe would be very happy to see you."
For the first time since his arrival, Philip gave a genuine smile. "Yeah, I'll do that. Thanks, Dr. Wesley."
As soon as Philip was gone, Nancy let her temper loose on Craig, "WHAT are you thinking? That boy should not be allowed anywhere near Chloe. Have you lost your mind?"
"Enough! I won't listen to this anymore," concluded Craig as he promptly walked away from Nancy and to his car that was thankfully take him to the hospital where he could just get lost in his work.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Mimi, along with her beloved cone of chocolate ice cream, wondered aimlessly through Salem Place, her daily problems rolling endlessly through her mind. Before her dad had lost his job, she had been a shop-a-holic just like her good friend Belle Black. Her family's financial problems were part of the reason she had been so surprised by her birthday party. Of course, Mimi had a feeling that someone, probably Belle's dad, had helped her parents with the expenses. And, despite her attempts at being grateful, some part of Mimi was really bothered by the fact that her family was still having to take even small handouts. However, she wasn't as bothered by that as she was the fact that Jason Masters had not even come down to her party. Mimi felt incredibly stupid for believing for even a moment that Jason was some kind of hero just because he made Jan shut her mouth that night on the pier.
On the other hand, Jason had been really nice to her when everyone was getting muddy at the carnival. He had actually treated her like a friend. Of course, that had been four days ago, and Mimi hadn't seen him since. Just when she thought she understood Jason, he found a way to do something to surprise her.
So lost in her thoughts, Mimi did not see the approaching figure until she, and her chocolate ice cream, smacked into him. Losing her balance as she bumped into him, Mimi instinctively reached for him to steady her. By grabbing his shirt, she only succeeded in causing him to also lose his balance and knocked the both of them into Salem Place's fountain. Unlike Mimi, the poor fellow was able to catch himself a little and keep from his shoulders up dry. Mimi was far from being that lucky. The couple was immediately surrounded by onlookers who found the situation quite amusing. Among those onlookers was none other than Jason Masters.
Approaching the fountain just as Mimi and the unfortunate person she had practically assaulted were getting out of the fountain, Jason asked in his most taunting voice, "Mimi, what did you DO to that poor guy?"
Turning approximately ten different shades of red in less than thirty seconds, Mimi tried her best to ignore Jason's comment. Turning away from Jason and his obnoxious grin, Mimi found herself staring at the unlucky person that she had run into and consequently caused to go for an impromptu swim in the fountain.
Turning an added shade of red, Mimi quickly began, "Oh. My. God. I am SO sorry. I swear I did not mean to run into you like that! I am just so sorry! I swear I'll find some way to pay for your dry-cleaning bill. Really, it was an accident."
Jeremy Horton had the strangest urge to laugh at the rambling young woman before him. From head to toe, she was drenched. Her hair, which he felt certain she had spent a great amount of time on that morning, was now matted to her head and her eyeliner and mascara were forming black streaks down her face. He wondered if he looked half as bad as she did. Reaching up and realizing that he still had chocolate ice cream on his neck from her running into him, he concluded that he probably looked worst.
Wanting to make her feel better, he said, "It's all right. Like you said, it was just an accident. It's really not a big deal. And, don't worry about the dry-cleaning, I never really liked this outfit."
Mimi gave a weak smile as Jason watched in awe. Had the guy just let her off the hook when he could have teased her for a lifetime? What, was the guy some sort of saint?
"Are you sure?" hesitantly asked Mimi, fearing that he might actually change his mind and that she would have to beg her parents for a little more cash so she could pay for his dry-cleaning bill.
"You said it was an accident - I believe you."
In a moment of extreme happiness, Mimi pulled Jeremy into a hug. Had she thought before taking such action, she would have realized what a bad idea it was. When she pulled away with a sheepish grin, Jeremy burst into a fit of laughter.
With a look of complete confusion, Mimi asked, "What? What's so funny?"
Leaning in close to Mimi, Jeremy whispered, "You now have chocolate all over your cheek."
This added incident caused Mimi's face to flush almost as red as it did when she first knocked Jeremy into the fountain.
"Oh, my gosh, this is so embarrassing."
Jeremy gave her a reassuring smile as he took the wet shirt he was wearing over his white tank top off and used it to wipe her cheek. "See? All better." Of course, the minute the shirt came off and he was standing there in that drenching wet tank top, Mimi's eyes drifted away from his face and to his tan body. Slightly shaking her head, she forced herself to keep her attention on his face and not on how close his body was to hers.
By now, the crowd had dissipated with only Jason and a few others left to watch Mimi and her victim. And, boy, was Jason watching. If he didn't know better, he would think that the guy was almost flirting with Mimi. Why would he be doing something like that? Come on, it was Meems. The same Meems whose pigtails he pulled in third grade. The same Meems he played in the mud with during preschool - and, sadly, less than a week ago. There was no way some guy would be flirting with his Meems. That was just crazy. Even crazier was the fact that Mimi looked like she was enjoying herself.
Still more than a little embarrassed by her run-in with Jeremy, Mimi decided to make a quick get-a-way. "Okay, well, I should definitely go home and get cleaned up." Turning to leave, Mimi added her good-bye before quickly walking away.
More to himself than to anyone in particular, Jeremy remarked, "But, I didn't get you name."
Walking away in the opposite direction, Jason said to himself with a smirk, "Yeah, and I sure won't be the one to give it to you, loser."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
After leaving the Wesley house, Philip aimlessly wandered around the city that had been home to him his entire life. He found it amazing how many things had remained the same - and how many had drastically changed. In a way, Salem reminded him of his love for Chloe. It was always surprising, though so many of those surprises were far from good. Things never stayed the same between them, but she was still a safety net for him. Also like Salem, Chloe was full of trouble and never predictable.
It was the very same things that he loved about her that he hated about her. No other girl had ever dared to not want to date Philip Kiriakis for merely his handsome looks and wealthy family. Chloe was different. She didn't care what the rest of the world saw when they looked at Philip, all that mattered was what she saw. Philip loved that no one could sway her opinion. He also hated it, because it meant that when she made a decision, he had no power to make her change her mind.
For most of his life, Philip had felt that he was caged by his family. Chloe, however, always seemed wonderfully free and independent. The opinions of others truly didn't affect how she lived her life. She was entirely her own person. It was another one of the things that Philip both loved and hated.
Philip had endured so many things to be with Chloe. He often wondered if he would be able to survive without her. Those thoughts were nearly always followed by one nagging question. How long could he hold onto Chloe?
More than anything, Philip wanted to be with Chloe for the rest of his life. He knew that she had become an intricate part of him. He truly needed her. He just wasn't sure if her feelings for him were as strong.
Philip knew that his jealous tendencies angered Chloe, but he often found that he couldn't control the outbursts. Any time he saw another guy, especially one he was close to such as Shawn or Brady, trying to get close to Chloe, Philip felt her slipping even farther away from him. He feared that one day, some guy would come along and she would finally slip completely away, lost to him forever. Even worse, he feared that guy had already entered Chloe's life.
Truth be known, even Philip could feel his world with Chloe slowly crumbling away. But, that didn't mean the love he felt was also crumbling. He just wasn't sure what would happen to that love once Chloe freed herself from his grasp. Philip wished that he could simply stop the hands of his enemy time and never be forced to face a future that would not hold Chloe. A future that would have Chloe with someone she truly loved and could openly admit she loved. A future that would leave Philip with a scarily uncertain destiny.
All Philip knew to do was to hold onto her as long as he could. The fighting between them was getting worse as their many differences interfered more and more often. Philip knew that his time with Chloe was running out, but he loved her and refused to just give her up without a fight to the bitter end. And, Philip suspected that the final battle for Chloe's heart would not be fought with her, but with Brady. As much as Philip loved his nephew, he hated him. Philip would always blame Brady for making Chloe realize who she really was and why she didn't belong with Philip.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
By the time Mimi arrived home, her facial coloring had almost returned to a normal shade. However, that changed the minute she arrived at her house and saw Shawn and Belle on her front porch, obviously waiting for her. Things only worsened for Mimi when Shawn saw her approaching and nearly started laughing. As he got control of his laughter, Shawn nudged Belle and pointed in Mimi's direction. Belle's eyes widened at Mimi's disheveled appearance, but she managed to keep her cool better than Shawn. In fact, Belle looked genuinely concerned.
"Mimi! What happened to you? Are you okay?"
Without looking at her friend, Mimi meekly replied, "I'm fine Belle, just totally embarrassed."
Shawn began to throw a reassuring arm over Mimi's shoulder, but reconsidered when he got a good look at her wet clothing and some of the chocolate Jeremy had missed when he had wiped her face earlier. Clearing his throat, Shawn said, "I'm sure whatever happened wasn't that bad." Though, Shawn had a feeling it was probably worse.
Leading her friends into the house, Mimi responded glumly, "Trust me, Shawn, it WAS that bad and then some. I was so humiliated. You would not believe how bad it was. You know, it was so bad, I don't even want to talk about it. I'm going to go take a shower."
That said, Mimi trudged upstairs and went directly into the bathroom.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Jason was sitting alone at the Java Cafe, generally lost in thought, when Jan sat down across from with a clearly displeased expression. Releasing a deep sigh of almost dread, Jason looked up and finally made eye contact with the person that was known as his girlfriend.
"Aren't you even going to say hello? What is your problem, Jason?"
"I'm not in the mood, Jan."
"Oh, really? Well, that's too bad. I am going to talk and YOU are going to listen. I called your house like ten times today. Where have you been? I so have the perfect plan to destroy Ghoul Girl. And, you are going to be the one to help. Well, you and that twit Mimi."
"Would you quit ragging on Mimi? Just cut her some slack. What has she ever done to you?"
Jan wasn't quite sure where Jason's sudden burst of conscience came from, but she certainly didn't appreciate its arrival. She knew that every once in a great while Jason showed his human side. And, every single time he did so, it made Jan sick to her stomach. She did not need some wimpy angelic boyfriend. She needed the Jason Masters she had helped create - mean, insulting, and always at her disposal. No, Jan definitely did not approve of Jason's new-found independence from her. She had assumed that night at the pier and the ridiculous incident at the carnival had been isolated incidents. It looked like she was wrong.
Standing, Jan loudly declared, "You know what? We're through. Call me when you get a spine."
As he watched Jan walk away, Jason found himself torn between two emotions - sadness and pure joy.
As soon as Belle resumed her conversation with Mimi, Shawn began to lightly tap Belle's colorful hair clips that formed a semi-circle across the top of her head. When he realized that she was trying to ignore him, Shawn decided to try a new tactic. Acting as though he was looking for something, Shawn began to lean up and look on top of Belle's head and make the exaggerated sounds of thought.
"Hmm," loudly exclaimed Shawn.
Finally giving in to Shawn's childish game, Belle asked, "Shawn-Douglas Brady, what are you doing?"
Feigning innocence, Shawn answered, "Well, I was just trying to follow the rainbow of hair thingies to see if I could find a pot of gold. Too bad all I could find was Belle the leprechaun."
Giggling, Belle punched Shawn's arm and began to tell him yet again to leave her alone when Mimi suddenly stood and began to make her way to the door.
Belle turned around on the couch to face Mimi and asked, "Meems, where are you going? Is something wrong?"
"Yeah, something's wrong. I got stuck spending the afternoon alone with the two most blind people I have ever met!"
With that Mimi made her dramatic exit. She was halfway to the elevator when she realized that she had stormed out without her purse. She grudgingly turned around and walked back to the door where Shawn was waiting with her purse. Snatching it from him, Mimi finally made her exit.
Plopping himself back down on the couch, Shawn thought aloud, "I wonder what that was all about."
"I have no clue. Do you think that maybe I should go talk to her?"
Shawn turned to face Belle and admire her beautiful facial features. He could not help but love the way she was always putting everyone else's happiness ahead of her own. Realizing that he was coming very close to totally spacing out in the Black living room, Shawn distractedly replied, "Nah, I think she probably just needed to be alone."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Nancy grabbed Craig's arm just as he was leaving the house to go to the hospital. To put it mildly, things had been tense recently between the formerly happily married couple. Craig wasn't sure if he could remember the last time an entire day had gone by without there being some type of argument with Nancy. If she wasn't fighting with him, she was fighting with Chloe. And, Craig thought bitterly, Nancy was pushing Chloe dangerously close to the edge. With each argument, he saw Chloe become increasingly desperate to find a way to get out from under Nancy's control, and he saw Nancy become more determined than ever to isolate Chloe from all those people she deemed inappropriate for her only child. Craig feared what would happen when Chloe reached her limit and could take no more of Nancy's infuriating behavior.
"Craig, we need to talk."
"You know what, Nancy, I've tried talking to you. It's gotten us nowhere. You refuse to open up to me about what happened with Chloe's father. You know that I'll love you no matter who he is or what he did to you. Nancy, your secret is destroying our marriage."
Her nostrils on the verge of flaring, Nancy angrily said, "You listen to me. The reason our marriage is falling apart is that YOU refuse to trust your own wife. I swear, Craig, all you ever do is badger me about the past. And, to make matters worse, you continually side with my daughter instead of me. What type of example is that for Chloe?"
Trying to keep his temper in check just so the neighbors and any unfortunate soul that happened to be walking by wouldn't get a free show, Craig replied, "I think that it shows Chloe that at least one of us cares enough to take an interest in her problems. And, let's face it, that person is definitely not you."
Craig's words, no matter how calmly said, cut Nancy worse than any knife ever could. He was no longer implying that he cared more about Chloe than she did, he was now practically stating it as a proven fact. Her face reddening from the anger, Nancy vehemently replied, "Don't you dare pretend that you care more for Chloe than I do. That's not true."
"Yes, it is, Nancy. If we're being honest, then it's time I told you the truth about your so-called parenting skills. She's your flesh and blood, not mine. God knows you've thrown that in my face enough times for even me to get in through my thick skull. However, I'm the one that acts like the parent. And, do you know why? Because I love her like a daughter and don't treat her like an opponent in some twisted game."
Holding up a hand to silence his wife's protests, Craig continued, "You battle your own daughter for attention. Then, you don't even bother to concern yourself with her problems. She's sixteen years old. She doesn't know what to do with her life just yet. Chloe needs guidance - not a bulldog mother who denies her a birth father. Is any of this getting through to you, Nancy? Is it?"
Before Nancy could give a nasty response, someone from behind her husband cleared their throat, effectively getting both Craig and Nancy's attention.
"What are YOU doing here?" demanded Nancy as she gave the person her most menacing look.
Philip withheld his groan. He KNEW this was a bad idea, but he just had to see Chloe. Though he was at her house quite often, Philip was nearly always met with Nancy's cruel glares and callous remarks. She no longer bothered to conceal her dislike for her daughter's boyfriend. Philip knew that the chances of Nancy ever being nice to him were slim. He was just glad that Dr. Wesley treated him like a person instead of some animal that should be hunted down and killed like his wife did.
"Good morning, Dr. Wesley, Mrs. Wesley. I just thought I would stop by to see if Chloe was home," greeted Philip with a polite, yet terribly fake, smile.
As always Nancy was unable to keep her mouth shut and felt compelled to reply, "Well, she not, and don't you bother coming back. My daughter is far to good for a spoiled brat like you."
Rolling his eyes, Craig used all his willpower to refrain from telling Nancy to shut-up. Instead he looked at Philip and tried to give what he hoped to be a reassuring smile. "Perhaps you should stop by later this evening. I'm sure Chloe would be very happy to see you."
For the first time since his arrival, Philip gave a genuine smile. "Yeah, I'll do that. Thanks, Dr. Wesley."
As soon as Philip was gone, Nancy let her temper loose on Craig, "WHAT are you thinking? That boy should not be allowed anywhere near Chloe. Have you lost your mind?"
"Enough! I won't listen to this anymore," concluded Craig as he promptly walked away from Nancy and to his car that was thankfully take him to the hospital where he could just get lost in his work.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Mimi, along with her beloved cone of chocolate ice cream, wondered aimlessly through Salem Place, her daily problems rolling endlessly through her mind. Before her dad had lost his job, she had been a shop-a-holic just like her good friend Belle Black. Her family's financial problems were part of the reason she had been so surprised by her birthday party. Of course, Mimi had a feeling that someone, probably Belle's dad, had helped her parents with the expenses. And, despite her attempts at being grateful, some part of Mimi was really bothered by the fact that her family was still having to take even small handouts. However, she wasn't as bothered by that as she was the fact that Jason Masters had not even come down to her party. Mimi felt incredibly stupid for believing for even a moment that Jason was some kind of hero just because he made Jan shut her mouth that night on the pier.
On the other hand, Jason had been really nice to her when everyone was getting muddy at the carnival. He had actually treated her like a friend. Of course, that had been four days ago, and Mimi hadn't seen him since. Just when she thought she understood Jason, he found a way to do something to surprise her.
So lost in her thoughts, Mimi did not see the approaching figure until she, and her chocolate ice cream, smacked into him. Losing her balance as she bumped into him, Mimi instinctively reached for him to steady her. By grabbing his shirt, she only succeeded in causing him to also lose his balance and knocked the both of them into Salem Place's fountain. Unlike Mimi, the poor fellow was able to catch himself a little and keep from his shoulders up dry. Mimi was far from being that lucky. The couple was immediately surrounded by onlookers who found the situation quite amusing. Among those onlookers was none other than Jason Masters.
Approaching the fountain just as Mimi and the unfortunate person she had practically assaulted were getting out of the fountain, Jason asked in his most taunting voice, "Mimi, what did you DO to that poor guy?"
Turning approximately ten different shades of red in less than thirty seconds, Mimi tried her best to ignore Jason's comment. Turning away from Jason and his obnoxious grin, Mimi found herself staring at the unlucky person that she had run into and consequently caused to go for an impromptu swim in the fountain.
Turning an added shade of red, Mimi quickly began, "Oh. My. God. I am SO sorry. I swear I did not mean to run into you like that! I am just so sorry! I swear I'll find some way to pay for your dry-cleaning bill. Really, it was an accident."
Jeremy Horton had the strangest urge to laugh at the rambling young woman before him. From head to toe, she was drenched. Her hair, which he felt certain she had spent a great amount of time on that morning, was now matted to her head and her eyeliner and mascara were forming black streaks down her face. He wondered if he looked half as bad as she did. Reaching up and realizing that he still had chocolate ice cream on his neck from her running into him, he concluded that he probably looked worst.
Wanting to make her feel better, he said, "It's all right. Like you said, it was just an accident. It's really not a big deal. And, don't worry about the dry-cleaning, I never really liked this outfit."
Mimi gave a weak smile as Jason watched in awe. Had the guy just let her off the hook when he could have teased her for a lifetime? What, was the guy some sort of saint?
"Are you sure?" hesitantly asked Mimi, fearing that he might actually change his mind and that she would have to beg her parents for a little more cash so she could pay for his dry-cleaning bill.
"You said it was an accident - I believe you."
In a moment of extreme happiness, Mimi pulled Jeremy into a hug. Had she thought before taking such action, she would have realized what a bad idea it was. When she pulled away with a sheepish grin, Jeremy burst into a fit of laughter.
With a look of complete confusion, Mimi asked, "What? What's so funny?"
Leaning in close to Mimi, Jeremy whispered, "You now have chocolate all over your cheek."
This added incident caused Mimi's face to flush almost as red as it did when she first knocked Jeremy into the fountain.
"Oh, my gosh, this is so embarrassing."
Jeremy gave her a reassuring smile as he took the wet shirt he was wearing over his white tank top off and used it to wipe her cheek. "See? All better." Of course, the minute the shirt came off and he was standing there in that drenching wet tank top, Mimi's eyes drifted away from his face and to his tan body. Slightly shaking her head, she forced herself to keep her attention on his face and not on how close his body was to hers.
By now, the crowd had dissipated with only Jason and a few others left to watch Mimi and her victim. And, boy, was Jason watching. If he didn't know better, he would think that the guy was almost flirting with Mimi. Why would he be doing something like that? Come on, it was Meems. The same Meems whose pigtails he pulled in third grade. The same Meems he played in the mud with during preschool - and, sadly, less than a week ago. There was no way some guy would be flirting with his Meems. That was just crazy. Even crazier was the fact that Mimi looked like she was enjoying herself.
Still more than a little embarrassed by her run-in with Jeremy, Mimi decided to make a quick get-a-way. "Okay, well, I should definitely go home and get cleaned up." Turning to leave, Mimi added her good-bye before quickly walking away.
More to himself than to anyone in particular, Jeremy remarked, "But, I didn't get you name."
Walking away in the opposite direction, Jason said to himself with a smirk, "Yeah, and I sure won't be the one to give it to you, loser."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
After leaving the Wesley house, Philip aimlessly wandered around the city that had been home to him his entire life. He found it amazing how many things had remained the same - and how many had drastically changed. In a way, Salem reminded him of his love for Chloe. It was always surprising, though so many of those surprises were far from good. Things never stayed the same between them, but she was still a safety net for him. Also like Salem, Chloe was full of trouble and never predictable.
It was the very same things that he loved about her that he hated about her. No other girl had ever dared to not want to date Philip Kiriakis for merely his handsome looks and wealthy family. Chloe was different. She didn't care what the rest of the world saw when they looked at Philip, all that mattered was what she saw. Philip loved that no one could sway her opinion. He also hated it, because it meant that when she made a decision, he had no power to make her change her mind.
For most of his life, Philip had felt that he was caged by his family. Chloe, however, always seemed wonderfully free and independent. The opinions of others truly didn't affect how she lived her life. She was entirely her own person. It was another one of the things that Philip both loved and hated.
Philip had endured so many things to be with Chloe. He often wondered if he would be able to survive without her. Those thoughts were nearly always followed by one nagging question. How long could he hold onto Chloe?
More than anything, Philip wanted to be with Chloe for the rest of his life. He knew that she had become an intricate part of him. He truly needed her. He just wasn't sure if her feelings for him were as strong.
Philip knew that his jealous tendencies angered Chloe, but he often found that he couldn't control the outbursts. Any time he saw another guy, especially one he was close to such as Shawn or Brady, trying to get close to Chloe, Philip felt her slipping even farther away from him. He feared that one day, some guy would come along and she would finally slip completely away, lost to him forever. Even worse, he feared that guy had already entered Chloe's life.
Truth be known, even Philip could feel his world with Chloe slowly crumbling away. But, that didn't mean the love he felt was also crumbling. He just wasn't sure what would happen to that love once Chloe freed herself from his grasp. Philip wished that he could simply stop the hands of his enemy time and never be forced to face a future that would not hold Chloe. A future that would have Chloe with someone she truly loved and could openly admit she loved. A future that would leave Philip with a scarily uncertain destiny.
All Philip knew to do was to hold onto her as long as he could. The fighting between them was getting worse as their many differences interfered more and more often. Philip knew that his time with Chloe was running out, but he loved her and refused to just give her up without a fight to the bitter end. And, Philip suspected that the final battle for Chloe's heart would not be fought with her, but with Brady. As much as Philip loved his nephew, he hated him. Philip would always blame Brady for making Chloe realize who she really was and why she didn't belong with Philip.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
By the time Mimi arrived home, her facial coloring had almost returned to a normal shade. However, that changed the minute she arrived at her house and saw Shawn and Belle on her front porch, obviously waiting for her. Things only worsened for Mimi when Shawn saw her approaching and nearly started laughing. As he got control of his laughter, Shawn nudged Belle and pointed in Mimi's direction. Belle's eyes widened at Mimi's disheveled appearance, but she managed to keep her cool better than Shawn. In fact, Belle looked genuinely concerned.
"Mimi! What happened to you? Are you okay?"
Without looking at her friend, Mimi meekly replied, "I'm fine Belle, just totally embarrassed."
Shawn began to throw a reassuring arm over Mimi's shoulder, but reconsidered when he got a good look at her wet clothing and some of the chocolate Jeremy had missed when he had wiped her face earlier. Clearing his throat, Shawn said, "I'm sure whatever happened wasn't that bad." Though, Shawn had a feeling it was probably worse.
Leading her friends into the house, Mimi responded glumly, "Trust me, Shawn, it WAS that bad and then some. I was so humiliated. You would not believe how bad it was. You know, it was so bad, I don't even want to talk about it. I'm going to go take a shower."
That said, Mimi trudged upstairs and went directly into the bathroom.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Jason was sitting alone at the Java Cafe, generally lost in thought, when Jan sat down across from with a clearly displeased expression. Releasing a deep sigh of almost dread, Jason looked up and finally made eye contact with the person that was known as his girlfriend.
"Aren't you even going to say hello? What is your problem, Jason?"
"I'm not in the mood, Jan."
"Oh, really? Well, that's too bad. I am going to talk and YOU are going to listen. I called your house like ten times today. Where have you been? I so have the perfect plan to destroy Ghoul Girl. And, you are going to be the one to help. Well, you and that twit Mimi."
"Would you quit ragging on Mimi? Just cut her some slack. What has she ever done to you?"
Jan wasn't quite sure where Jason's sudden burst of conscience came from, but she certainly didn't appreciate its arrival. She knew that every once in a great while Jason showed his human side. And, every single time he did so, it made Jan sick to her stomach. She did not need some wimpy angelic boyfriend. She needed the Jason Masters she had helped create - mean, insulting, and always at her disposal. No, Jan definitely did not approve of Jason's new-found independence from her. She had assumed that night at the pier and the ridiculous incident at the carnival had been isolated incidents. It looked like she was wrong.
Standing, Jan loudly declared, "You know what? We're through. Call me when you get a spine."
As he watched Jan walk away, Jason found himself torn between two emotions - sadness and pure joy.