10. Forgetting

Vanessa ran into Asher on her way to her room from lunch. She had gone out to get lunch for the rest of the gang. "Oh, hi Asher," Vanessa said with no emotion. "Vanessa! I'm not a dad! I'm not engaged! I'm not ruining my life anymore!" Asher stood close to Vanessa. "Oh, congratulations. That's good for you." Asher stepped closer. He pulled her into a hug. She let him hold her. She put her head on his shoulder and began to cry. He released her. "Bye Vanessa," Asher said, and once again, he walked out on her.

"Hey, Vanessa! Guess what!" Larc exploded when Vanessa walked through the door. "I don't know, what?" Vanessa asked. "We get to be in the performance tomorrow!" Larc hugged Vanessa excitedly, something Vanessa would usually do when she was excited. "Really?" Vanessa asked Patrick. "Really," Patrick said. Vanessa rushed over to him and wrapped him up in a huge tackle/hug. "Well, I guess Larc wasn't kidding when she said you'd be excited!" Patrick held Vanessa in front of him so he could see her face. Vanessa tilted her head so her long hair would cover the stains on her cheeks. Well, Patrick was too smart for that, (plus, you learn a lot about somebody when you've lived with them for a week.) and pushed her hair back. He released her when her saw the stains. "Ness, have you been crying? Are you alright?" Patrick asked Vanessa. "Yeah, I'm fine. Asher told me the news, that's all." Vanessa walked to her bed. It was pushed up against one of the only windows. (They'd separated the beds. Larc said it was too… wrong.) She faced the window and looked out to sea. In only four more days, they'd arrive in the Bahamas.

Patrick usually would have rushed over to her and begged to know what's wrong and how he could help, but Larc gave him a look that told him to leave Vanessa alone. After sitting for a while, Vanessa walked to the large closet that held her and Patrick's clothes. She pulled out her swimsuit and silently went to the large bathroom. She shut the door and changed her clothes. She grabbed a towel then opened the door. She walked to Patrick and Larc and asked, "Want to go swimming?" "Sure!" Larc and Patrick responded. They both quickly changed. ((Skye: "I presume you mean in separate rooms, V? Curse you, Patrick and Larc have been around each other a lot…")) Just as they were about to walk out the door somebody knocked on it. Patrick opened it to find Emmy. "Vanessa! The captain says he needs you on deck. It's an emergency. He wouldn't tell me what had happened, just that he needed you, now!" Vanessa and Patrick rushed on deck. They saw a large group. In the mob of people was Captain Andrew. "Vanessa! Thank goodness you're here!" The captain ushered them through the crowed. Vanessa saw Asher standing on the tip of the ship, on the opposite side of the rail. "Vanessa! You came," He laughed when he saw her, "I'm going to jump!" Asher took a step closer to the edge. If he were to slip, nothing would catch him.

Vanessa gasped in horror. Patrick came up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. She was trembling like crazy. "Vanessa, we think you can make him come back to this side of the ship." The captain yelled. Vanessa nodded her head. "Patrick, help me up." Vanessa started to climb over the rail. Patrick yelped in horror as Vanessa stood on the rail. "Patrick!" Vanessa had begun to fall. Patrick rushed to her and caught her in his arms just before she plummeted to her doom. "Vanessa, you don't have to do this!" Patrick yelled as he grabbed her waist, he tried to pull her down, but it was useless. Vanessa hopped over the rail. "Patrick, I'll be fine. I've been around you for a week and two days. I think I can handle myself." Vanessa stood on the other side of the rail. Patrick held out his hand, Vanessa grabbed it and walked as far as she could. He tried to come after her, but Vanessa signaled him not too.

"Asher, you're crazy!" Vanessa said once she reached him. She was scared to death, so clung to him. "Ah, a willing hostage!" Asher said madly (mad as in crazy). He pulled a pocketknife out, holding it to her neck and yelled, "I'll use it! I'll use it!" Vanessa stared at him, "Asher, you're crazy! Why would you kill me?" Vanessa looked at Patrick. His face was stricken with horror. "Patrick! Get Larc and Gerard! They're the only ones who can help!" Patrick looked at Vanessa and realized that there was no time for any remark on what she'd said. He left to find Larc and Gerard. "Asher, why are you holding me hostage?" Vanessa looked in the face of a boy she once liked a lot. "Vanessa! My Vanessa! Am I hurting you? You look pale! Be my wife and save them all!" Asher sounded like a very bad impression of Erik. "Asher, have you been reading Phantom of the Opera? Or have you seen the play and movie one too many time?" Vanessa searched his face for an answer.

"My angel of music! Angel of music, guide and guardian. Grant me to you glory. Angel, speak, I listen. Stay by my side, guide me!" Vanessa looked at Asher. "You A) know that that part is sung by Christine. And B) know that you sang it wrong. So very wrong. And out of tune. If Larc were here she'd hurt you for singing at all. Asher look at me! Please, look at me! If you know what's good for you… for me, you'll walk back over the rail. Without hurting me! Asher, who are you? Falling in love with maids, getting beat up, holding me, the girl you once loved, hostage, jumping off of a ship? Asher, you aren't the boy I once knew. You have no sense of what you're saying or doing. Asher, are you willing to throw both of our lives away? Asher, if you have ever loved me, if you want to show that you love me now, tell me, why. Why are you doing this? You aren't this boy. Asher, look me in the eye and tell me that this isn't all for me. Look me in the eye and tell me you are who you once were. Asher, tell me you haven't succumbed to the dark side. Asher, tell me! Don't throw your life away, for my sake." Vanessa had tears in her eyes. Asher looked at her, "Vanessa, I can't. I can't be who you want me to be. This is the point of no return. Vanessa, I love you. But I can't be the person I once was. Vanessa, I can't. I can't let go of all the things I've done to hurt you. I did it all for you, and all for nothing!" Asher looked into Vanessa's eyes. "If you love me, now and any other time, go back over the rail and forget any of this happened." Vanessa started to move to the rail when Asher said, "Vanessa, I can't forget. I've gone to far to stop." Vanessa was about to say something about how you can always stop, when she heard Patrick call out her name. She turned around. "Patrick, Larc, Gerard. Help! He won't listen!" Patrick ran at her. Larc and Gerard ran right behind him. They hoped over the rail, Larc closest to them.

Patrick looked concerned and said, "I think that there are too many people over there, if one of you sneezes, all of you could fall." But as he said this he himself hoped over the rail. He went straight to Vanessa. "Are you all right?" He tried to hug her but Asher prevented that. "Now Asher, hand over Vanessa and then you do whatever you want," Larc commanded. Asher thought this over, but Gerard pulled Vanessa from him. He flung her to Patrick who pushed her over the rail to safety. Patrick followed and held the trembling girl. Gerard and Larc tried to persuade Asher back to Vanessa but he jumped. "Asher! The boat will crush him!" Vanessa screamed when she saw him leap off. Vanessa shook Patrick off and ran to the rail. She sat on it than stood. "Larc, I'm going to jump. Pull me up as soon as I yell to you." Vanessa turned and jumped. "VANESSA!" Larc, Gerard and Patrick screamed when they saw the last color of her feet. They ran to the rail and saw her splash into the water. They saw her head bob up then saw her swim to Asher. "NOOOOOOOOOO!" They heard Vanessa scream. She grabbed Asher's body and swam to the ship. "LARC! PULL ME UP!"

Vanessa arrived on deck with Asher in her arms. "He died. When he fell… the knife went into is stomach. He landed on his face… making it where he couldn't get the knife out. The initial shock would have paralyzed him, had he lived." Vanessa let him fall to the ground. She then let her tears run freely. She fell to her knees in anger, sadness, and loss. Patrick rushed to her side. She stood and cried into him. Even Larc was crying into Gerard. ((Skye: "Ah, wonderful Gerard. I can feel all of your hate pouring into Larc right now. Let me tell you, it's in a fatherly way.")) She was crying mostly for Vanessa. Gerard awkwardly patted Larc on the back, and Larc whispered, "Sorry," while pulling away. Gerard shook his head and put a hand on her shoulder. "Tears are a good way to cleanse the heart, right?" he said. Larc cracked a smiled through her tears. "It's alright," said Gerard as he gently and delicately pulled Larc back. Larc whispered, "Thanks," and let her tears flow again. Patrick stood there holding Vanessa, whom was shivering and sobbing. The captain came and saw then burst into tears.

Patrick and Vanessa went back to their room. "Vanessa, I know it hurts, but you have to forget. You have me, and Larc and Gerry, and Emmy. You have so many people that love you. Vanessa, he didn't love you like he should have. He hurt you too many times. Vanessa, he didn't deserve you." Patrick looked at Vanessa. She was wrapped in a towel and his arms. Just then Larc burst in the room. "You won't believe what I have to tell you!"

((V: "This chapter is sad for any fan of Asher. But what does Larc have to say to Patrick and Vanessa? And if any of you got or read deeper into what Patrick told Vanessa, you might find something out. Ooops, did I say too much?))

How sweet. ... Well, onto the next chapter!