Angela looked to her father, a look of shock and fear drawn across her young face, "Daddy, do you think Craig's turning into a dinosaur?' she asked innocently. With that remark from his daughter Joey turned to the stairs and thoughts and memories from when he'd helped Craig get away from his abusive father floated through his head. "Daddy?" Angela asked as she tugged on her father's shirt to get his attention. Joey looked down at his daughter.
"I dunno Angie, but I'll find out, why don't you go up and get ready for bed?" he said bending down to kiss the top of her head, "get your PJs on and brush your teeth and I'll be up to tuck you in." Angela smiled and hugged her father tightly around his waist before bounding up the stairs to the bathroom to brush her teeth.
Joey walked over to the phone and picked it up and casually called a number he knew by heart, he listened to the ringing tone in the receiver and breathed a sigh of relief as the other end picked up and muttered a tired greeting, "Sydney, it's Joey, I think something's wrong with Craig."
Sydney's voice perked up, "what do you mean?" she asked, furrowing her eyebrows.
"I mean he's acting out one minute, completely angry and violent and not himself, and the next moment he's on cloud nine, and sometimes he's just too depressed to even play his guitar."
"Have you taken him to see a doctor?" she asked.
"You think it's medical…"
"Well I think if these mood changes are very severe it might be a chemical imbalance," she answered, hoping what she said was helping.
Joey rubbed the back of his neck and paced the room, "so who do I take him to see, do I take him to see a psychiatrist or a regular doctor?"
Sydney pressed her lips tightly together before she answered his question, but her thoughts were interrupted as she heard Angela Jeremiah's voice resounding through the room on the other end asking her daddy to tuck her in. "Listen Joe, I'll give a few friends a call and set you up with an appointment, and give you a call in the morning, go tuck Angie in."
Joey frowned and nodded as he agreed verbally on the phone, "alright, and Syd?"
"Yea?" she asked, half hoping he'd end the conversation with an "I love you," like he used to, half wishing he wouldn't because getting into a complicated relationship with a man who would always been in love with the ghost of his dead wife and with the woman that was his first love, was not something she needed, nor wanted to deal with.
"Thank you, a lot, I really appreciate it," he said softly into the phone.
"Anytime Joe," Sydney answered smiling weakly, "anything to help you and the kids."
Joey smiled, "bye," and waited for her to hang up before he climbed the stairs to tuck Angela into bed.
ooO0Ooo
"What's for breakfast?" Craig asked in a physically tired tone, but his demeanor was very awake. He slipped up onto a stool at the kitchen island and ruffled Angela's hair. Angela in response looked up at her brother and frowned as he mussed up her hair and was greeted with a stuck out tongue and she giggled happily knowing that the dinosaur from the night before wasn't residing in her brother.
"Can we have pancakes Daddy?" Angela asked.
"Yea Joey, pancakes, with chocolate chips!" Craig said brightly.
Joey smiled and pulled the pancake mix from the cabinet and began to make breakfast for the two before he was interrupted with a phone call. "Jeremiah residence," Joey said into the cordless phone as he measured out ingredients for the batter.
"Joe, it's Sydney, I got you an appointment for Craig with an old friend Dr. Crescent, she practices psychology and psychiatric medicine over at the Middleburough Medical Center at three this afternoon, do you think you can get him over there?"
Joey nodded, "yea I think I can manage that, thanks, really"
"No problem," Sydney answered, "call me later and let me know how it goes, I have to get back to work."
He said goodbye and hung up the phone and proceeded to pass the pancake mix to Craig who added chocolate chips and began dropping them into a heated and buttered skillet pan. "Who was that?" Craig asked.
"Oh, you just have a doctor's appointment later, that's all."
Craig flipped the pancakes in the pan, "oh, okay," he said shrugging, concluding it to be no big deal.
"Are we going to find out if Craig's a dinosaur?" Angela asked.
Craig looked over at his sister, "what do you mean?" he asked.
"Well you've been all rawr" she growled and clawed imitating a dinosaur, "like the dinosaur that hurt you, remember?"
Craig immediately thought of his father and gripping the skillet in his hand tightly to the point where his knuckles turned white as he lifted the skillet and slammed it against the stove top, and the cooking pancakes flew out of the skillet and butter splattered onto Craig's forearm. He released his grip on the skillet that collided with his arm, burning him more than the scalding butter had.
Joey immediately began running water and tried to tug him over to the sink to stick his arm under the cool water, but Craig pulled away, "damnit Joey, look what you made me do," he held his burned arm close to his body trying to coddle it like a child.
"Craig look, people are worried about you, me and Angie are worried about you, we just want to help you," Joey tried to reason.
"No! You're just, you're just…" he shouted before suddenly bursting into tears, "it hurts Joey, it hurts," he stuck out his arm which was making it's way to being second-degree burns and would more than likely blister later on. "God, everything hurts Joey." Joey led the teary eyed teen to the sink and pulled his arm under the flowing water. Angie slid off the stool she was sitting on and walked over to Craig and hugged him tightly, Craig looked down at her and cried harder as she looked up at him and spoke.
"It's okay, Craig," she said softly, "we'll get you dinosaur medicine."
ooO0Ooo
"So you're really coming shopping with me and Marco," Ellie asked as she held the cordless phone between her neck and shoulder, while she folded laundry on her bed.
"Definitely milady, I wouldn't miss it," Orion's voice resounded through he receiver of the phone, so I'll take the bus and meet you guys at Queen Street West?" he asked.
"Yea, we'll be there around noon-ish," she answered as she began putting away the clothes she'd folded.
"Mm, can't wait, Thrift Town here we come," he said laughing, "I gotta go milady, I'll see you guys tomorrow."
"Later," Ellie said before hanging up the phone and turning off the phone. She walked down the hall to the bathroom and running her fingers through her hair she shook it up and primped it while looking in the mirror, finding that her vibrant red hair looked a bit dull and lifeless she tugged off her socks while tripping over to the shower and turning it on, letting the water run while she finished undressing before finally climbing into the shower.
As she let the hot water run down her body she began thinking about her plans for later, preferably going to the movies with Sean, Jay, Alex, and Amy later that night. Ellie still was, and would more than likely be wary of Amy spending time with Sean, even is she was around to cling to him like an accessory. Ellie didn't want to be an accessory, she wanted to be his girlfriend and not have to worry. 'Is this what it's supposed to be like in a relationship' she thought to herself, 'to constantly have to worry about other people feeling the same away about Sean?' she groaned at the thought of being overzealously jealous. She didn't want to be the jealous girlfriend, but she didn't want to end up like Ashley, Craig, and Manny, a triangle of distrust.
Ellie massaged her shampoo into her scalp. She closed her eyes and through about all the drama, all the fights, and make-ups, and the trust in the relationship she had with Sean and found herself wondering, 'do I really need to worry.' They'd come so far, 'is it even worth it to be jealous of a bond that no one else would be able to have with Sean?' she continued to think as the water rinsed her hair clean of the lather. She smiled to herself as as she reached for the conditioner. 'Emma' she thought. She hadn't thought about Emma and Sean's bond in a long time. If there was any body to be jealous of it was Emma.
Emma Nelson, Sean's first girlfriend, Sean's first heartbreak. 'Emma Nelson, the girl that isn't with Sean,' she concluded. Ellie continued to muse about her relationship with Sean as she finished her shower. That despite all the negative things around them, all the anger and the fights, they worked through them. 'I guess that's where we differ from most relationships people our age are involved in,' she thought as she turned off the water and wrung the water from her hair, "we work through."
Ellie reached for a towel and climbed out of the shower as she wrapped the towel around her body and reached for a second towel and began rubbing her hair dry before wrapping it up in a turban. She walked over to the sink and mirror and wiped her hand across the steamed up mirror until she saw her face. She stared at herself for a moment, wondering, 'am I really worth working it through?' Ellie tried her best to push the negative thoughts to the back of her head before tugging the turban from her head shaking her now damp hair around her face, combing it through with her fingers. Ellie frowned at her reflection before gathering up her discarded clothes and walking back to her room to change.
ooO0Ooo
Ashley and Mark sat in her room after dinner, casually lounging on her bed watching a movie that played on her television set, the door to her room wide open. Even long before Jimmy her mother initiated a rule about boys in the house, at least while the parents were home and knew about said boy(s), the door must always be open. Ashley was leaning back against her headboard and against Mark's shoulder. He had his arms wrapped around behind her and was twirling a small strand of her hair smiling as he watched the movie, but his thoughts were trailing elsewhere, with thoughts of his recent procedure and the possibility of his body rejecting his new heart in the next few months.
Ashley turned to him and noticed his attention didn't seem to be in the movie at all. Ashley turned towards him and gently pressed her lips to his bare neck and rested her chin on his shoulder looking up at him. She had grabbed his attention. "What's wrong, you're not here at all," she asked him.
"Just thinking," he answered.
"About?" she asked, trying to get an answer out of him.
"I dunno Sweets, I mean," he let out a breath he knew he'd be holding, "what if…what if…" he stopped speaking for a moment and Ashley sat up straight and curled her legs up underneath her, "what if my body rejects this heart, what if I'm not meant to make it through all this?"
Ashley's face suddenly turned to a sympathetic yet terrified look, "why the sudden negativity?" she asked, "I mean you've been so happy lately."
"I seem happy, but Ashley, I'm so terrified, I don't want to die."
She reached down and took Mark's hand and held it warmly in her own and kissed it softly, "I won't let you."
"You're stubborn you know that?" he said smiling.
"Very, and I hold a mean grudge," she responded.
Mark laughed softly, "I guess I should never cross you then, should I, sweets?"
Ashley smiled and leaned over and gently pecked him on the lips, she looked up at him, "Wanna get outta here?" she asked seducing him into getting out of the house in hopes of getting his mind off of the recent transplant.
"Where would we go?" he asked, easing himself off the bed.
"Want to go down to the Natura Café?" Ashley asked, "it's open mic night."
"Can we bring your pop's guitar?" he asked smirking.
Ashley smiled and laughed as she nodded, "of course."
"Let's go Sweets," he said taking her hands and leading her off the bed, "while the night is still young."
ooO0Ooo
Judy Nash sat at the kitchen table a glass of water in one hand and a small piece of paper in the other. On the paper was written a number, and a name, Sylvie Wu; her AA sponsor. Ellie watched from the doorframe of the kitchen as her mother stared at the piece of paper. "You gunna call her?" Ellie asked as she held a bottle of aspirin in her hand.
"Hm, what?" Judy asked looking up at her daughter.
"Your sponsor, are you going to call her?" Ellie said slowly, hoping her mother would understand.
"Not right now, I'll call her in a bit, I just want to nurse this hang over." Ellie rolled her eyes and walked over to the kitchen table and set the aspirin down on the table.
"Whatever, look I'm going out tonight,…" Ellie said, and began walking to the front door when her mother's voice stopped her.
"With that boyfriend of yours?" she spat. "Look Ellie, he's not good enough for you…"
Ellie rolled her eyes, "well he certainly cares enough to take care of me when I need it."
"Eleanor, do not take that tone with me."
"Why mother?" Ellie asked angrily, "you know it's the truth, I spend more time taking care of you than I do myself, do you not remember what happened the last time I let myself become self obsessed with you and your problems mother?" Ellie began walking to the table and leaned down against the table top and glared at her mother, "when I started cutting myself to deal with the stress of taking care of you, taking care of myself, just trying to live with you?" Judy looked up at her daughter, "or did you forget where I spent a month and a half of my life?"
" I didn't forget Ellie," Judy said trying to soften her tone, in an attempt to not get angry.
"I was in a mental hospital mother, where you never visited me, did you know Sean came to visit?" Ellie asked, "did you?"
"I'm sorry Ellie"
"hen are you going to mean it?" Ellie asked, "because you've said that so many times, you promised me you'd stop, you told Dad that you would stop, but you caved in," Ellie said as she blotted at her eyes with her hand before that could start a waterfall of mascara down her cheeks. Ellie turned to leave and looked back at her mother, "I'm going now Mom, I'm staying over at Sean's or Ashley's, or somewhere that isn't here tonight. I don't want to have to come home and find you passed out drunk on the couch, or asleep by the toilet."
Ellie walked out of the kitchen and grabbed her bag she'd dumped on the couch before leaving her mother with aspirin for her hang over, grabbed her keys, and walked out the front door. As she walked down the street towards the Cameron residence she stopped and let out a long breath that she'd been holding since she yelled at her mother. Tears were threatening to fall as she walked up to Sean's place and walked through the door.
"Hey Red," Tracker called from the couch where he sat with Kemmie, "Sean's in his room….Hey kid what's wrong you look like…"
"Nothing, I just called my mom out on everything before I left…do you mind if I…"
"Stay here tonight?" Tracker finished for her, "no problem."
"Ellie, come here a sec," Kemmie said kneeling on the couch as Ellie stood behind it. Kemmie reached up and ran her thumbs under Ellie's eyes and wiped away some of the eyeliner and mascara that had started to run. Ellie sniffled and smiled at Kemmie who pulled back and looked her over, "never look like your crying around men, because they'll never leave you alone all night about it." Ellie laughed slightly and thanked Tracker's girlfriend before making her way to Sean's room.
Ellie took a few deep breaths and smiled before she turned the knob and walked into Sean's room just as he was pulling on a clean shirt. He turned to Ellie, "hey," he said and walked over, cupping her face and kissing her gently on the lips. Ellie smiled into the kiss as she smelled his cheap knock-off cologne, knowing that she'd be curled up next to that scent tonight.
"You ready?" she asked, as she reached up to fix his messy, dirty blonde hair, still freshly damp from the shower he'd had before Ellie arrived.
"Yea, Jay called and said he'd be here in a few with Alex, and Amy's meeting us at the mall. On that remark they heard a horn honk from outside and Tracker call from the living room.
"Sounds like Jailbird is here" Tracker shouted.
Sean rolled his eyes and grabbed his house keys and wallet off his dresser before walking with Ellie outside. "Yo, Cameron, move your white ass," Jay called as Alex climbed out of the front passenger seat and moved her seat up to let Ellie and Sean into the back seat of Jay's orange civic. Jay looked back at Ellie and smiled, "well Vampy, you look normal tonight," as he noticed her casual attire of worn jeans and a nice t-shirt. Her eyes were barely lined as heavily in black as they usually were, and her hair was loose and wavy. Sean looked over at his girlfriend as she responded to Jay's wannabe insult towards Ellie, whom he thought looked beautiful.
"Wow Jay you look…almost white today," Ellie answered cockily. Sean couldn't help but laugh as Jay scowled while they pulled out of the driveway.
ooO0Ooo
Amy stood outside the theater as she waited for Jay, Alex, Sean and Ellie to arrive. Alex has managed to rummage up some free tickets from work and they were seeing what was supposed to be the blockbuster hit, Meu Demon Interno. She toyed with her pony tail and checked the length of her skirt, knowing fully well that it wasn't too high, and it wasn't too long. She rolled her eyes as she thought about her last meeting with Jay. She then smirked as she realized that she had Jay wrapped around her finger, and could easily do the same for Sean, only it may take a little more persuading on Sean's part. Amy looked around the theater lobby and gave a flirtatious look across the lobby at a guy in the concessions line. " I might as well get something out of this evening," she said to herself aloud as she made her way over to the guy as he winked at her.
"Hey I'm Amy," she said sweetly, "what movie are you here to see?" Amy smiled. The somewhat cute boy responded.
"Name's Carl, here to see Meu Demon Interno" he answered as he paid for his popcorn, and tilted the bucket towards her, offering her a bit. Amy grabbed a few kernels and popped them seductively into her mouth and smiled.
"Me too, I'm just waiting on a few friends, care to join us?" Amy asked.
Carl shrugged, "sure why not."
Amy watched as Jay, Alex, Ellie and Sean came walking into the theater and over towards us, "guys, this is Carl, Carl, these are the guys,…" Carl awkwardly introduced himself to the group and walked with them into the theater, sit ting next to Amy who became more flirtatious as Sean and Ellie became more adorable.
Alex leaned towards Amy and whispered in her ear as the previews started, "this making Sean jealous thing isn't going to work Amy, you're gunna break that poor guy's heart."
Amy turned towards her best friend and scowled, "I'm not trying to make Sean jealous…why would I do that?" Amy whispered fiercely back.
Alex looked over at Amy and just rolled her eyes, "okay," she gave in and looked over at Jay, "popcorn, go get me some…and some Twizzlers ä" she ordered. Jay rolled his eyes as he got up to go to the concession stand. Amy watched Jay walk back up the aisle to the lobby and quietly excused herself to go to the restroom and followed Jay.
"Hey" she said sweetly as she waltzed up behind him and gently raked her nails down his back as she stood behind him. The action caused shivers to run down Jay's spine as he imagined her pinned underneath him doing the same thing to his naked back.
"Come on Amy, I'm out with Alex tonight, I think I'd like to enjoy the evening with my girlfriend, go play games with your toy," he begged.
"Do you think it might ruin your night if I told her about our sometimes more than friends meetings in the school basement?" Amy asked curving her lips into an seductive smirk.
"Amy, not tonight, I told you to bother me—" he stopped talking to her, "large popcorn and some Twizzlers ä" he told the concession cashier, "bother me when I have time to deal with your petty bullshit." He turned to look at her, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"This isn't petty bullshit," she argued.
" Yes it is," he said as he paid the cashier, "you're more than capable of having any other guy, what's so special about Cameron?"
Amy followed Jay as he walked back towards the theater, "you should know, because he's obviously good enough to hang out with you,"
"Yea but I don't want to fuck him, Amy that's a major difference."
Amy glared, "fine, then I guess Alex won't mind having a nice girl-to-girl talk about the stuff you seduced me into doing."
"Damnit Amy," Jay said backing her into a wall outside the theater doors, "what the hell do you want from me?"
Amy smirked as she tugged at his jeans, "Sean."
"Sorry, he's not mine to give up."
Amy huffed, "you could at least do me a favor here and help me out," she argued, "I don't think five-cent bracelets are enough to cover the favors you receive from me."
Jay growled, "we'll talk later."
Amy smirked happily and pulled open the doors and skipped down the aisle to return to her seat followed by a disgruntled Jay moments later, who pushed the popcorn and candy into his girlfriends arms and angrily threw his arm around the backs of the seats, "what's with you?" Alex asked, annoyed with his attitude change.
"Nothing," he said, trying to push Amy and her stupid plans out of his head while he enjoyed the movie with his girlfriend and best friends.
A/N: Okay, this was definately unexpected. I didn't think I'd finish this chapter this soon, but somehow I managed to pull it off, I just started writing and didn't stop, and somewhere between when I started this chapter this afternoon and now I ended up with a good near four thousand words and was like, "might as well update with this." You know this means right? Only one more chapter before this story ends. The next chapter should be fairly long, tying up some lose ends and establishing the storylines for the next (and final) story, Reprise. Read, enjoy have fun...MJ