Jessica walked down the streets, not letting herself cry. She refused
to cry. She was so angry, and mad at Paige for abandoning her. She bumped
into someone, she looked up.
"Hi, Angel," she said blankly.
"Hey, Jess. What's wrong?"
"I got into an argument with Paige, that's all," she ran her fingers through her red-streaked hair.
"It wasn't about the other night, was it?" He asked, concerned.
"No, not really."
"Come on, let's go to my house. We can talk," he held out his hand and she followed him.
I wanted to talk to Sean. So I called him and asked him to come over and he said that he would. I was in the middle of cooking supper when he came.
"Hi, Emily," I smiled at her. "Vanessa's in her room if you want to go play with her."
She ran to Vanessa's room, her pigtails bobbing up and down.
"Hey, what did you want to talk about?" Sean asked, giving me a hug.
"Maybe we shouldn't wait so long to get married," I said.
He nodded.
"I mean, pretty soon it will be obvious that I'm having a baby and what are my kids going to think? I don't think it would set a very good example for them."
"I think you're right."
Angel unlocked his house.
"Are you're parents home?" Jessica asked.
"They're dead," Angel said quietly. "I live by myself."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know."
"It's okay," he lead her into the house. It was small, but kept up pretty well. They sat down on the couch. "What were you two fighting about?" Angel asked.
"I don't know. She was mad about catching us the other night, I guess. And she wanted to know why I did this to myself and I just got really mad at her. Some words were exchanged, and I left."
"Are you going back?" he asked.
"Not tonight, maybe tomorrow. I need to find a hotel or something to stay at," Jessica said.
"You could stay here," Angel offered.
"No," she said. "I can't impose on you like that."
"It's okay, you're not imposing," he laughed. "Come on, it's better than sleeping on a park bench."
Jessica thought about it for a minute. "I have a confession to make first."
"Okay," Angel said slowly.
Jessica took a deep breath. "I'm fourteen...almost fifteen, but still fourteen...I'm sorry for not telling you before, but I liked you. I didn't think you would give me a chance if you knew."
"It's okay," he said after a moment of hesitation.
Spinner's conscious was bugging him beyond belief. He knew that his daughter was finally in reach. He should at least go see her. He sighed and picked up the phone. He made immediate flight arrangements to California.
Paige looked at her watch. It was eleven o'clock and Jessica hadn't been back yet. She was starting to worry; they didn't exactly live in a safe town. What if someone had picked her up? What if she had been kidnapped? She knew she should call the cops, but if she did then Jessica would be taken away from her. Paige couldn't let herself let that happen. If Jessica wasn't back by morning, she was calling the police.
"Are you mad at me? We're still friends, right?" Jessica asked.
His heart sank, friends? "No, I'm not mad at you. And yes, we're still friends," he answered.
"Good, because you're a really cool guy and I would hate to lose you. I mean lose your friendship."
She was all over me the other night and now she's saying that we're just friends? What kind of idiot am I? He nodded.
There was a long moment of silence.
"Well, I guess I should be going to bed," he said half-heartedly.
"Yeah," Jessica said. "Me too."
"I'll go get some blankets, you can have the bed," he started down the hallway.
"Wait," Jessica said.
He turned, "Yeah?"
She stopped herself. "I'll sleep on the couch."
"No, that's okay."
"No really."
"Jessica," he said. "Quit being stubborn and let me have the couch."
She laughed. "Alright, your loss."
"Hi, Angel," she said blankly.
"Hey, Jess. What's wrong?"
"I got into an argument with Paige, that's all," she ran her fingers through her red-streaked hair.
"It wasn't about the other night, was it?" He asked, concerned.
"No, not really."
"Come on, let's go to my house. We can talk," he held out his hand and she followed him.
I wanted to talk to Sean. So I called him and asked him to come over and he said that he would. I was in the middle of cooking supper when he came.
"Hi, Emily," I smiled at her. "Vanessa's in her room if you want to go play with her."
She ran to Vanessa's room, her pigtails bobbing up and down.
"Hey, what did you want to talk about?" Sean asked, giving me a hug.
"Maybe we shouldn't wait so long to get married," I said.
He nodded.
"I mean, pretty soon it will be obvious that I'm having a baby and what are my kids going to think? I don't think it would set a very good example for them."
"I think you're right."
Angel unlocked his house.
"Are you're parents home?" Jessica asked.
"They're dead," Angel said quietly. "I live by myself."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know."
"It's okay," he lead her into the house. It was small, but kept up pretty well. They sat down on the couch. "What were you two fighting about?" Angel asked.
"I don't know. She was mad about catching us the other night, I guess. And she wanted to know why I did this to myself and I just got really mad at her. Some words were exchanged, and I left."
"Are you going back?" he asked.
"Not tonight, maybe tomorrow. I need to find a hotel or something to stay at," Jessica said.
"You could stay here," Angel offered.
"No," she said. "I can't impose on you like that."
"It's okay, you're not imposing," he laughed. "Come on, it's better than sleeping on a park bench."
Jessica thought about it for a minute. "I have a confession to make first."
"Okay," Angel said slowly.
Jessica took a deep breath. "I'm fourteen...almost fifteen, but still fourteen...I'm sorry for not telling you before, but I liked you. I didn't think you would give me a chance if you knew."
"It's okay," he said after a moment of hesitation.
Spinner's conscious was bugging him beyond belief. He knew that his daughter was finally in reach. He should at least go see her. He sighed and picked up the phone. He made immediate flight arrangements to California.
Paige looked at her watch. It was eleven o'clock and Jessica hadn't been back yet. She was starting to worry; they didn't exactly live in a safe town. What if someone had picked her up? What if she had been kidnapped? She knew she should call the cops, but if she did then Jessica would be taken away from her. Paige couldn't let herself let that happen. If Jessica wasn't back by morning, she was calling the police.
"Are you mad at me? We're still friends, right?" Jessica asked.
His heart sank, friends? "No, I'm not mad at you. And yes, we're still friends," he answered.
"Good, because you're a really cool guy and I would hate to lose you. I mean lose your friendship."
She was all over me the other night and now she's saying that we're just friends? What kind of idiot am I? He nodded.
There was a long moment of silence.
"Well, I guess I should be going to bed," he said half-heartedly.
"Yeah," Jessica said. "Me too."
"I'll go get some blankets, you can have the bed," he started down the hallway.
"Wait," Jessica said.
He turned, "Yeah?"
She stopped herself. "I'll sleep on the couch."
"No, that's okay."
"No really."
"Jessica," he said. "Quit being stubborn and let me have the couch."
She laughed. "Alright, your loss."