A/N: squeals Yay! Thanks for the reviews. They all made me smile. Positive reviews make my world go 'round. So, here's chapter seventeen. I'm not sure how much longer it's going to be...I guess until I feel it should end. Which could be whenever. =) This is the longest fanfiction I've ever written, which is exciting. Woo hoo. Okay, so now, read.
Chapter Seventeen- Accepting the Truth
"Ellie, what is it? You've gone pale. Are you okay?" Paige said frantically, putting her hand on her forehead.
Ellie smacked away Paige's hand. "My dad...he's home! He's actually...wow...I can't believe it, he's finally home!" He had been the one who had called her cell, curious as to where she was. She broke out into a huge grin and began to shriek.
"That's so awesome, El!" Paige told her and gave her hug.
Tears sprang to Ellie's eyes and she ran into Jimmy's arms after Paige let her go. "I can't believe this! You guys, I have to get home! I'll see you all later..."
She anxiously gathered her things when Jimmy asked, "Want me to walk you home?"
She nodded her head vigorously, still trying to absorb the fact that her dad...the one who had been gone for months...was home. For good. At least for now. She clasped his hand and Spinner and Paige walked with them outside. They separated not far from Jimmy's place.
"This is so exciting. My dad's home. Home. Do you know how long I've waited for this day? My mom will finally get back on track. We can be a family again. I've wanted this for the longest time...I just," she took a deep breath. "It's just. Wow. I won't believe it until I see him."
"I'm really happy for you, El. You deserve it," Jimmy said sincerely.
She smiled and looked ahead, shielding her eyes from the sun.
"Thanks," she replied, giving his hand a slight squeeze.
They drew closer and closer to the Nash residence and Ellie was getting more and more antsy to reunite with her dad. They reached the corner that led to her house.
"So, I guess I'll let you go be with your dad," Jimmy said to her.
"Thanks for everything. I mean it."
"It's no problem. I'd do anything for you, Ellie."
She blushed slightly. And then next thing she knew his arms were around her waist and his lips upon hers.
She was kissing Jimmy Brooks. She was kissing Jimmy Brooks and her father was only a few steps away. This day couldn't get any better.
----
JT was having the worst day of his life. Manny had practically ignored him throughout the day and Liberty wouldn't take five minutes to just shut up. So it went like this. JT asked Manny to the dance, she had accepted, they go out, have fun (or so he thought), then she runs off and starts spending all of her free time with Craig. It didn't make sense.
He'd spent his entire morning classes trying to sort things out. What had he done wrong? She had liked him...right? So why was she being so friendly with Craig all of a sudden?
He had confronted her after fifth period, demanding an explanation.
"JT, what are you talking about?" Manny asked uncomfortably.
"What's going on...with us? You practically lead me on and now you're running off with Craig every free chance you get. It doesn't make sense," he told her.
She glanced at the floor for a moment and then averted her gaze back to him. "Craig's just helping me sort some things out, okay?"
"What could he possibly help you 'sort out'?" JT demanded angrily.
"Things you wouldn't understand, alright?" Manny replied.
"You're right, Manny, I don't understand. Because all you've been doing is messing with my emotions and not giving me a straight signal. It's me, then Craig, then me and back to Craig again! Make up your mind!" he said, his voice rising slightly.
She looked near tears. Part of him wanted to pull her into his arms and apologize, but the other part of him wanted to yell at her some more and make her understand how she'd been treating him.
"JT...please...I can't...I can't talk about this now, okay? I-I've got to go to class. You do too," she said, her voice quavering. She slowly turned in the other direction and walked off.
"I don't need you to tell me what to do," he retorted. She didn't look back. She just kept walking ahead, her books clutched to her chest.
------
He couldn't possibly understand the things I'm going through, Manny thought, referring to JT, as she lay in bed that night. She was bundled under her comforter, staring at the wall ahead of her.
She knew she had freaked out on him when he talked to her earlier that day. She was absolutely pathetic. She couldn't even get out the words to tell him the real truth.
She wanted it to work. She wanted to be able to be with JT and have the time of her life, to forget about everything that had happened to her the past year. But she couldn't do that. He deserved so much better than her. She was a tramp, a whore, a two-faced bitch...whatever it was they were calling her nowadays. Manny was never going to live her new image down. It was throwing her into a depression...and the only person who could ever truly understand was Craig.
She had really tried to take Liberty's advice...and do some soul-searching. But that hadn't worked. She'd left numerous messages on Emma Nelson's answering machine, she'd tried talking to Ashley...and all of it failed. Miserably. She was doomed to be alone forever. It was what she deserved.
She couldn't put JT through all of this. He needed someone who could have fun with him, who could laugh with him, who could have the time of her life with him. That wasn't Manny. As much as she wanted it to be her, it wasn't.
Because as much as she wanted to not believe it, she still held feelings for Craig Manning.
So what if she had spent her lunch period with him, and met him in the hallways after classes? Even if she felt nothing for Craig in that way, what business was it of JT's? It wasn't like they had been doing this forever. It was one day. Just one day.
And he had freaked out. And then she freaked out. And everything was just one big mess at the moment.
She knew she had to tell JT that things between them just weren't working out. But she couldn't hurt his feelings. She buried her face in her hands and promised herself that tomorrow she would talk to him about it. She just really needed her sleep first.
She reached over and turned out her light. Slowly, she fell into a deep sleep.
-----
Ellie had to admit, it was weird with her dad being home now. It was great, because he had a lot to tell her and she had a lot to tell him, but he had been gone so long.
They had stayed up most of the night talking about everything. She was always very close to her father and she was glad he was home. Before she went to bed though, she'd heard her mom and dad arguing. Him yelling at her, saying she didn't do a good job taking care of the house and Ellie when he was gone, her shouting back that he never should have left the family and that it was his fault she ended up the way she did.
It went on for a good twenty minutes, and finally it stopped. They had to work things out. They had to be the family they were before he left. Her mother was going to be okay and they were going to do normal family things. She was sure of it. Well, almost sure, anyways.
A/N: Kind of short...I don't know how much I like this chapter, but I needed to clear that all up. I think I'm going to have maybe 20 chapters? I'm not positive yet, that's just a guess. Well, review please, and let me know what you think. =)
Chapter Seventeen- Accepting the Truth
"Ellie, what is it? You've gone pale. Are you okay?" Paige said frantically, putting her hand on her forehead.
Ellie smacked away Paige's hand. "My dad...he's home! He's actually...wow...I can't believe it, he's finally home!" He had been the one who had called her cell, curious as to where she was. She broke out into a huge grin and began to shriek.
"That's so awesome, El!" Paige told her and gave her hug.
Tears sprang to Ellie's eyes and she ran into Jimmy's arms after Paige let her go. "I can't believe this! You guys, I have to get home! I'll see you all later..."
She anxiously gathered her things when Jimmy asked, "Want me to walk you home?"
She nodded her head vigorously, still trying to absorb the fact that her dad...the one who had been gone for months...was home. For good. At least for now. She clasped his hand and Spinner and Paige walked with them outside. They separated not far from Jimmy's place.
"This is so exciting. My dad's home. Home. Do you know how long I've waited for this day? My mom will finally get back on track. We can be a family again. I've wanted this for the longest time...I just," she took a deep breath. "It's just. Wow. I won't believe it until I see him."
"I'm really happy for you, El. You deserve it," Jimmy said sincerely.
She smiled and looked ahead, shielding her eyes from the sun.
"Thanks," she replied, giving his hand a slight squeeze.
They drew closer and closer to the Nash residence and Ellie was getting more and more antsy to reunite with her dad. They reached the corner that led to her house.
"So, I guess I'll let you go be with your dad," Jimmy said to her.
"Thanks for everything. I mean it."
"It's no problem. I'd do anything for you, Ellie."
She blushed slightly. And then next thing she knew his arms were around her waist and his lips upon hers.
She was kissing Jimmy Brooks. She was kissing Jimmy Brooks and her father was only a few steps away. This day couldn't get any better.
----
JT was having the worst day of his life. Manny had practically ignored him throughout the day and Liberty wouldn't take five minutes to just shut up. So it went like this. JT asked Manny to the dance, she had accepted, they go out, have fun (or so he thought), then she runs off and starts spending all of her free time with Craig. It didn't make sense.
He'd spent his entire morning classes trying to sort things out. What had he done wrong? She had liked him...right? So why was she being so friendly with Craig all of a sudden?
He had confronted her after fifth period, demanding an explanation.
"JT, what are you talking about?" Manny asked uncomfortably.
"What's going on...with us? You practically lead me on and now you're running off with Craig every free chance you get. It doesn't make sense," he told her.
She glanced at the floor for a moment and then averted her gaze back to him. "Craig's just helping me sort some things out, okay?"
"What could he possibly help you 'sort out'?" JT demanded angrily.
"Things you wouldn't understand, alright?" Manny replied.
"You're right, Manny, I don't understand. Because all you've been doing is messing with my emotions and not giving me a straight signal. It's me, then Craig, then me and back to Craig again! Make up your mind!" he said, his voice rising slightly.
She looked near tears. Part of him wanted to pull her into his arms and apologize, but the other part of him wanted to yell at her some more and make her understand how she'd been treating him.
"JT...please...I can't...I can't talk about this now, okay? I-I've got to go to class. You do too," she said, her voice quavering. She slowly turned in the other direction and walked off.
"I don't need you to tell me what to do," he retorted. She didn't look back. She just kept walking ahead, her books clutched to her chest.
------
He couldn't possibly understand the things I'm going through, Manny thought, referring to JT, as she lay in bed that night. She was bundled under her comforter, staring at the wall ahead of her.
She knew she had freaked out on him when he talked to her earlier that day. She was absolutely pathetic. She couldn't even get out the words to tell him the real truth.
She wanted it to work. She wanted to be able to be with JT and have the time of her life, to forget about everything that had happened to her the past year. But she couldn't do that. He deserved so much better than her. She was a tramp, a whore, a two-faced bitch...whatever it was they were calling her nowadays. Manny was never going to live her new image down. It was throwing her into a depression...and the only person who could ever truly understand was Craig.
She had really tried to take Liberty's advice...and do some soul-searching. But that hadn't worked. She'd left numerous messages on Emma Nelson's answering machine, she'd tried talking to Ashley...and all of it failed. Miserably. She was doomed to be alone forever. It was what she deserved.
She couldn't put JT through all of this. He needed someone who could have fun with him, who could laugh with him, who could have the time of her life with him. That wasn't Manny. As much as she wanted it to be her, it wasn't.
Because as much as she wanted to not believe it, she still held feelings for Craig Manning.
So what if she had spent her lunch period with him, and met him in the hallways after classes? Even if she felt nothing for Craig in that way, what business was it of JT's? It wasn't like they had been doing this forever. It was one day. Just one day.
And he had freaked out. And then she freaked out. And everything was just one big mess at the moment.
She knew she had to tell JT that things between them just weren't working out. But she couldn't hurt his feelings. She buried her face in her hands and promised herself that tomorrow she would talk to him about it. She just really needed her sleep first.
She reached over and turned out her light. Slowly, she fell into a deep sleep.
-----
Ellie had to admit, it was weird with her dad being home now. It was great, because he had a lot to tell her and she had a lot to tell him, but he had been gone so long.
They had stayed up most of the night talking about everything. She was always very close to her father and she was glad he was home. Before she went to bed though, she'd heard her mom and dad arguing. Him yelling at her, saying she didn't do a good job taking care of the house and Ellie when he was gone, her shouting back that he never should have left the family and that it was his fault she ended up the way she did.
It went on for a good twenty minutes, and finally it stopped. They had to work things out. They had to be the family they were before he left. Her mother was going to be okay and they were going to do normal family things. She was sure of it. Well, almost sure, anyways.
A/N: Kind of short...I don't know how much I like this chapter, but I needed to clear that all up. I think I'm going to have maybe 20 chapters? I'm not positive yet, that's just a guess. Well, review please, and let me know what you think. =)