Author's Note: Sorry for the delay. Forgive me! Not much happens in this chapter, but because it took me a long time to update, I made it a little longer than usual and also look back in3 days for another update. To make up for the long wait. Enjoy!
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Part 7: Where Has The Sanity Gone!
"Sheen, will you get up already," Jimmy pleaded as he smiled nervously at the staring crowd.
"It's not right," a woman said as her friend nodded in agreement.
"How exciting!" another woman replied.
"Congratulations!" someone else put it.
"Good for you!" another person added.
"Please, Jimmy, please!" Sheen begged.
"Go for it!" a man shouted.
With a sigh Jimmy agreed and the cheering began. Howling and clapping exploded all around them as Sheen jumped to his feet and wrapped his arms around Jimmy.
Jimmy pulled away quickly and scratched his head as he cleared his throat. "You could've done it another way," Jimmy replied, a blush growing deeper on his cheeks. "You didn't have to get down on one knee like that in front of. . .people."
Sheen smiled. "But look how happy everyone is," he said as he waved to the crowd. Their cheering and clapping became louder, very few found it disturbing.
"But they think we're a gay couple now!" Jimmy whispered. "Who're getting married!"
Sheen shrugged. "I'm happy, you're happy," Sheen began. "We're all happy!" He turned to the crowd again, waving once more. "Thanks for the support. Thanks so much!"
Jimmy rolled his eyes and then forced a smile on his face, waving to the crowd as he pulled Sheen out the door. Carl followed close behind, stuffing his face with potato chips.
"Well," Jimmy replied. "I can never show my face around them again" He sighed as he let go of Sheen's arm.
"There are other places to eat, Jim," Carl added.
"That's not the point, Carl," Jimmy said. "Just forget it. And, Sheen." He paused. "Next time you want to ask me to be your best man-"
"Yeah?"
"Don't ask me like you're ready to propose," Jimmy said. "Bending down on one knee is the kind of thing you do for a fiancé not a best man."
"It worked, didn't it?"
"That's not-" He stopped. "Aw, forget it!"
There was silence between the three of them as they walked, but it was Sheen who soon broke the silence.
"So how'd it go today?" he asked.
Jimmy sighed, knowing well what he meant. Putting his hands in his pockets, closing his eyes, and allowing his head to fall back, he replied, "I'm not sure."
Sheen looked at him, making a face. "What do you mean?"
Jimmy opened in his eyes. He looked up at the stars and watched them twinkle as he kept his head back. "We didn't talk about what happened and we all acted as if it hadn't happened." Jimmy let his chin fall against his chest. "And Cindy didn't show her face the whole time we were there."
"I still don't get it!" Sheen said. "What happened?"
"Oh, it was horrible!" Carl added. "There was screaming and the sound of something breaking. I was singing my theme song when I heard-"
"Theme song?" Sheen asked. "Your. . .theme song?"
Carl turned to see Jimmy and Sheen both staring a him. He looked away. "It's normal," he said, blushing slightly.
"Riight," Sheen replied.
"Anyway, no one really knows what happened. Not the whole story, anyway. But Becca told me that Cindy-"
"Wait," Sheen interrupted. "How does she know?"
"Ben," Jimmy answered simply. .
"Ah," Sheen said. "They're getting pretty close, pretty fast."
"Don't remind me," Jimmy said, though he smiled to himself. "But he is a good kid and Becca seems to be really into him. I can't say that I'm not worried because I am. I'm he big brother after all, but I think I can trust him."
"Of course," Carl put in. "He's a good kid."
"And it's practically your job to be worried about her at least a little," Sheen added.
Jimmy nodded. "Anyway," he continued. "Ben told Becca that his mother was out of her mind with worry and he and his father had to break down the door to get to Cindy because the door had been locked. When they finally did get to her, she was a mess. They don't know why. She came home quietly, but when she got in her room, Ben says that he could hear her mumbling about something and then her mumbles became louder until she was shouting and screaming, 'I don't love him!'. . .'Stop!'"
It grew quiet again and for a moment, neither one of them knew anything comforting or appropriate to say.
". . .wow. . ." someone finally managed to say, though Jimmy hadn't payed enough attention to hear who it had been. Jimmy only nodded in response. He couldn't help but wonder what had happened. Had Cindy spoken to someone? No, he thought. Ben told Becca that Cindy wasn't on the phone and no one was in the room with her. He took a deep breath. Who had she been talking about. I don't love him! I don't!
"Jim."
Jimmy looked up. Sheen and Carl stared at him. "Yeah."
"Who do you think she was talking about?" Carl asked.
Jimmy looked at him thoughtfully and then. . .he shrugged.
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"So tell me again what happened."
Ben let out an exasperated breath. "I don't know!" He looked down at his shoes. "It was weird, okay? I don't get much of it myself." He didn't want to look at her. He wanted to tell her so much, though, but he didn't think he could. Would she forgive him if he told her that for a second he had actually been, dare he say it, worried about Cindy? It had scared him and he didn't know how to react, but it had worried him. It really scared him and he. . .he just didn't know.
"You were worried, weren't you?"
He froze when he heard her words. It was strange. They had just started talking again only days ago and already she was able to tell how he really felt even when he didn't say much.
"You don't have to worry about it," she said.
He turned to face her. She was looking at her own shoes as she leaned back on the curb. Slowly she looked at him as she sat up straight again. She sighed and moved closer to him and steadily placed her hand through the loop of his arm and leaned her head on his shoulder. "I was worried too."
He knew she didn't want to admit it, but it made him feel so much better to hear her say that. "I didn't know what to do," he confessed. Becca listened to him, giving him her full attention. "I was so scared. My dad told me to go back in my room, but then she screamed and I froze." Becca gently placed her free hand on his arm to comfort him. "When I saw my dad push my mom aside, I didn't know what he was going to do. My mind went blank and then he began to force his way inside. I went to help him, not really knowing I had even moved."
He looked down again. He was ashamed. This whole time, for the past five years he said he hated his sister and lived by that statement and now he was worried about her. You can't worry about someone you hate! I am such a hypocrite! He scolded. If there was one thing he absolutely hated more than Cindy, it was a hypocrite.
Becca sat up again, keeping her arm entwined with his. "I-as much as you-hate myself, for being so scared and so-"
"Worried," he interrupted.
Becca nodded. "But that was. . ."
"Scary."
"And just so. . ."
"Unexpected," they finished together.
They looked at one another and smiled sweetly. "Maybe it'd be a good idea to go home now," Ben replied. "It's getting late. And your mom will get worried."
"Same goes for you," Becca replied.
Ben nodded as he stood, helping Becca up as he did so. "I'll walk you home."
"No," Becca replied. "I'll walk you home." She smiled.
Ben rolled his eyes. "But I'm the guy!" he protested.
"Psst."
Ben nodded with a smile on his face. "Fine," he said. "You walk me home."
"You're doing the right thing," she said as she lead him away from the middle school where they had been.
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"Thanks for coming along with me," Libby said as she turned to the shy girl beside her.
Marcy looked at Libby with a shy smile and nodded as she lifted her glasses delicately on the bridge of her nose. "Oh, no problem, Ms. Folfax."
"Please, call me Libby."
"Right. Libby."
She blushed again, but this time the blush was light and almost unnoticeable. Libby smiled as she shook her head. Always blushing, she thought.
"So tell me, Marcy," Libby said as she turned to the girl. "And be honest with me. Which dress looked best on me?"
Marcy looked down. "Well, I thought the second one was the best choice. You looked like a princess–no, a queen. A beautiful queen."
"Thank you," Libby replied. She stopped to think for a moment. "You really thought the second one was best?"
Marcy nodded. "It may not have been show-offy like what all the other Hollywood brides where, but it had an elegance and grace to it that made it so enchanting and just right for a wedding. And you looked amazing in it."
Libby smiled. "Now you're not just saying that, right?"
"N-no," Marcy replied.
Libby laughed and then for a moment they walked in silence.
"Libby," Marcy began. "Didn't your mother want to come with you to pick out your wedding dress?"
"Yeah," Libby replied. "But she'll be coming back with us when we go back tomorrow."
"Us?"
"You and me."
Marcy smiled. "You want me to go with you again?"
Libby smiled in return. "Of course I do." They continued to walk without speaking to one another, but Libby's curiosity that caused another break in their silence.
"Have you spoken to your family at all?"
Marcy looked down as she nodded. "Mr. Neutron made me call home the day we arrived here."
"And?"
"My mother was angry with me. So angry in fact that she began to cry."
Libby looked at her with confusion on her face.
"My mom cries when she gets really angry." She shrugged.
"What about your dad?" Libby asked.
"Well, when he's angry he doesn't cry. He-"
"No," Libby said holding back a laugh. "I mean, how'd he take the news about you?"
"Oh. . ." Marcy seemed to think for a while.
If she was my daughter, Libby began. I'd force her back home and ground her as soon as she came back home.
"Well, daddy was disappointed," she said. She then looked up as she realized what she said. She blushed furiously as she looked away from Libby's smiling face.
"It's alright," Libby assured. "I call my dad daddy sometimes."
Marcy nodded. "My sister was happy to hear from me. She cried too. She said that my dad was crying as well because like her, he was happy to hear I was safe. But I'm not sure I believe her about that."
Libby placed an arm around her, feeling Marcy's unhappiness. She wondered what it was like for Marcy back home. Was she treated right? She wondered what kind of relationship she had with her family. Every teenager had their problems, but she wanted to know just what Marcy's were. But Libby didn't feel it was any of her business to ask about it. Instead she decided to change the subject about her family. She smiled. "Did you leave a boyfriend back home?"
Marcy looked up at her, a huge blush growing all over her face. She attempted to speak but found that words had suddenly become to hard to express. She quickly shook her head.
"A crush then?"
Marcy looked down and after a moment, she nodded. She then reached into her sweater pocket and took out an old, thin wallet. "W-want to see a picture of him?"
Libby nodded and leaned close when Marcy opened her wallet, revealing a picture of herself that in many ways looked nothing like her. The clothes, for one thing, were totally different. In the picture she looked sporty in her high pony tail and soccer shorts and t-shirt. Libby took the picture and looked at it closely. "She looks like you," she said, "But she doesn't at the same time."
Marcy blushed as she took the wallet back. "That's my sister. We're twins."
Libby looked at her. Twins. . .she thought. Wow.
"We're the complete opposites," Marcy explained. "She's the pretty, strong, outgoing one and I'm. . .the opposite." she smiled weakly with a sad smile. "Mom and dad love her. She's their pride and joy. Not only is she smart but she's got popularity and beauty on her side too. I just have the smarts and nothing more."
Libby smiled at her. "I'm sure they love you just as much." Though her smile was an unsure one.
"Yeah," Marcy went on. She was quiet for a moment and then,"This is. . .Michael." She turned the small, plastic picture holder to the next page. A young man with light brown hair and crystal blue eyes smiled proudly holding up a football and wearing a letterman's jacket. Beside him stood the very shy and very outspoken Marcy with an arm draped over her shoulder. She had one hand up to her glasses, readjusting them as a blush crept on her cheeks. She looked away.
"We've known each other since we were in diapers," she said as she looked at the picture.
"And you've been friends all these years?"
Marcy nodded. "He's. . .my protector, I guess you can say. He was always the one who stood up for me all throughout elementary school up until now. Even in pre-school he was protecting me. My sister would always call him over when she couldn't handle it if she had caught someone picking on me. Michael would always come running to my rescue. He was my first kiss too." She blushed deeper at that.
Libby smiled at her and nudged her arm. "You go, girl," she congratulated. "When? How?" She was suddenly more interested.
"Well," Marcy began, "it was in second grade. It's kind of a long story."
"AW!" Libby replied. "Tell me!"
Marcy smiled shyly. She took a deep breath before telling her story. "My sister, Macy and I were waiting for the chance to go on the monkey bars. There was a line and I was after Macy. When she went across, she called to me and I guess I was taking too long, trying to get over the fear, you know and someone came up from behind me and pushed me aside and I fell off the playground. At first I didn't cry. The kids were all silent, but then the laughter roared and that was when I cried. I got up and ran away. Macy ran after me and when she caught me, she comforted me but then told me she's be back. I thought she went to get Michael, but instead she went looking for the big kid who pushed me. He was on the swing set when she found him. She got into a fight and made him give up the swing for me. She took me back to the playground and brought me to the swing set and I was happy for a while. Macy went off to play near by with another friend of ours, Derrick."
Marcy paused for a moment. She took a deep breath, it seemed as though the memory was also a painful reminder of something. "Well, the kid who pushed me off the playground was back and this time he taunted me while I was on the swing. Calling me names and making fun of me because of my glasses." She lifted them on the bridge of her nose, becoming self-conscience. "He kicked sand in my face knowing that I'd take my glasses off and wipe my eyes. I began to cry again and he laughed at me. That was when he shoved me and I fell back landing hard on the sand." Marcy flinched as if feeling the pain she had felt that day. "He looked down on me and laughed. A few others joined him and I cried even more. That was when Macy and Derrick came to me. Macy tried to help me up, but I screamed whenever I moved. My ankle had twisted in the swing's chain when I was falling back, so I had horribly sprained my ankle. Derrick tried talking to the kid who pushed me, but he wouldn't listen at least not until Michael came to help him. Someone called the teacher and both Michael and Derrick got in trouble for causing a fight."
"What about the kid who pushed you?"
"He got in trouble after I told the teacher what really happened while I was at the nurse."
"That's good," Libby commented. "So what happened? When did Michael kiss you?"
"Well, after I told the teacher what happened, I had stayed in the nurses office and only one person had been allowed to stay with me, so it was Michael who said he'd stay behind to make sure that I got better and that he's be my body guard."
"How cute."
Marcy smiled again. "He said he was sorry for leaving me alone for so long and that he was sorry he couldn't have been there earlier. That was when he had made it official that he would from then on be the one who would always protect me no matter what and after he smiled at me, he leaned in and kissed me." Marcy bit her bottom lip as she blushed yet again.
"And you guys aren't together?" Libby asked.
Marcy nodded. "He recently broke up with his girlfriend, but. . .he said it was because he realized that he was in love with a girl that he had known since practically birth. My sister, Macy."
Libby's smile faded. Marcy's eyes became sad. "Well. . ." Libby began. "How do you know he wasn't talking about you?"
Marcy looked up, it was obvious that she hadn't thought of that, but then she shook her head. "No, he and Macy. . .they have so much in common and they're so close and everyone thinks that they'll end up together by the end of the year. They just act. . .I don't know how to explain it."
Libby looked down at the picture and then she looked at the next one. Marcy and her twin sister looked to be seven in the picture playing a hand game, wearing matching outfits. It must be hard for her, she thought. To love someone who loves your sister. Libby turned the page and the picture she saw made her rethink what she thought. It was raining in the picture and Marcy was holding an umbrella over her head and Michael was with her. She smiled shyly at a raven haired boy as he laughed. Michael was staring at her with a warm smile and a tender look in his eyes that just spelled Love.
Libby wondered if Marcy ever really looked at this picture. The boy did say he had fallen in love with a girl he had known since practically birth. He could have been talking about Marcy. This picture had definitely been proof of that. Libby smiled. "You'll be getting a great welcome home party," Libby replied.
"Huh?"
"Nothing," Libby dismissed as she turned to another picture. This one was of Marcy and her sister with Michael and the same raven haired boy from the previous picture. "Is this. . .?"
"Derrick," Marcy answered. "He and Michael are on the football team. They're two of the most valuable players. They're really good."
"You all seem happy here," Libby commented.
"We were," Marcy said. "That was the day Derrick got his new car and we all decided to go to the beach."
"Well," Libby started, "that explains the cooler you and your sister are sitting on and the beach balls the guys are holding."
Marcy nodded.
Libby looked at her. "Would you do me a favor?"
Marcy looked at her and nodded. "Anything."
"Will you do me the honor of being my maid of honor?"
Marcy was stunned as Libby smiled hopefully.
"Wouldn't you prefer to have someone special-"
Libby nodded. "You are special," Libby interrupted. "And what I'd prefer is to have you as my maid of honor if you'd be so kind."
Marcy smiled sweetly and with a tear in her eye, she nodded.
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Cindy sat alone in her dark room. She hated spending her nights this way, but there was nothing else she could do. She didn't have any friends anymore. She sat on her bed and thought, Who cares. I don't need any of them. But she missed talking with Libby about just anything. She missed being able to call her even late at night to talk when there was something bothering her. She even missed Sheen's nonsense and Carl's llamas and squirrels. She missed being Becca's role model too. She even missed Jimmy's inventions and the way he smiled devilishly when he had an insult ready for her to get her back. She missed their conversations too. She hated to admit it, but she missed each and everyone of them. Even her family.
She lay down on her bed and balled herself up, resting her chin on her knees as she wrapped her arms around her legs and attempted to sleep. Tomorrow would be a new day and maybe it'd be a better, brighter one.
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"Morning, sunshine," came his mother's voice. She smiled at him as he sat down. His father brought him a plate of pancakes and set it down in front of him. "Look at you. You're all clean and ready to leave. Where to?"
"Out," Ben replied.
"With Becca no doubt," Cindy said under her breath before taking a sip of her coffee. She stood, leaning against the counter.
Ben narrowed his eyes at her. "Becca and I are gonna go see a movie."
"Oh, a movie," his parents said in unison as they looked at each other with knowing smiles.
"Don't do that," Ben warned. "It's nothing. We're just good friends now and we along with some other good friends are gonna watch a movie."
"Now that's made up," Cindy said.
"It's true!" he argued. "And what do you know!"
Cindy narrowed her eyes and scoffed before looking away.
"Becca and I are going off to meet up with friends of our's from school," Ben explained.
"I thought you two didn't have the same friends," his father said.
"Well, we don't," Ben replied. "But there are two people from school who are friends with both of us who want to hang out before the spring vacation is over."
"Who?" his mother questioned.
"Wendy and Pat," Ben answered.
"Pat as in Patricia?" his mother asked, looking at her son with a devilish grin.
Ben rolled his eyes.
"No," his father said. "Pat as in Patrick."
"Yes, thank you," Ben said.
His father nodded as he took a bite of his pancakes.
"Oh, a double date!" his mother squealed.
Ben suddenly regretted ever telling her anything. I should've left her to wonder, he thought. Now she won't ever leave me alone.
"Need any money, son?" His father asked.
Ben smiled. "No, thanks, dad," he said. "I have my allowance." His father nodded.
It didn't take Ben very long to eat and leave the house. He was finally happy to be out of there. He took a deep breath as soon as he was outside. The day was sunny and breezy, a perfect day to spend outside. Maybe the other's would agree to do something else other than see a movie. The weather was too good to pass up.
Becca was exiting her own home when Ben began to walk toward her house. He smiled when she waved and knew as soon as he saw her smile that today would be a good day.
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Jimmy and Libby both watched as Becca and Ben walked down the street, obviously enjoying each other's company.
Jimmy pulled away from the window as he smiled. He loved seeing Becca smile and he was sure that Ben's parents felt the same way about Ben. With what he knew they were probably 10 times happier than Jimmy to see Ben smile. He remembered reading something in one of his mother's letters about how Ben hadn't come around the house in a long time because after Cindy had left something between he and Becca just. . .disappeared and they acted as if they didn't know each other at all. He always wondered what had happened to the two, but he didn't bother to ask. They seemed to become close friends again just over night, but he was happy they found each other again.
"What are you looking at?" Sheen asked as he walked in from the kitchen.
Libby turned to him and smiled. "Becca and Ben. My favorite couple."
Carl moved toward Libby and sat down beside her. "They're my favorite couple too!" he replied.
"Aren't they the cutest!" Libby squealed.
Carl nodded in agreement. "Oh, yes."
"Where has the sanity gone!" Sheen exclaimed.
Jimmy rolled his eyes. "Somewhere far, far. . .far away from this room," he answered.
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A knock on the door made Cindy jump. She had been day dreaming again about-god she didn't want to say it-Jimmy. She was really beginning to think that she was losing her mind. These stupid feelings couldn't possibly be real. They had to be an illusion or something, but they weren't real.
The door knocked again and foot falls came soon after. Cindy looked up from her book. She watched her door as she heard. . .silence.
Cindy placed her book down gently beside her. She slowly moved her legs over the side of her bed and leaned forward as if it would make it easier to listen.
She could hear her mother's voice, unsure and quivering a bit, pretending to be excited. She couldn't hear what exactly her mother was saying but in seconds she was calling for Cindy.
"Cindy, honey!" she called again. "You have a visitor!"
Cindy cautiously moved away from her bed and to her door and as she opened it slowly, a feeling of foreboding overcame her and a chill swept over her spine.
Slowly, she made her way down the stairs, keeping her eyes down.
She swallowed once and when she looked up, her heart seemed to skip a beat.
"Nick?"
He smiled as a flash went off. "Hey, baby."