A/N: Hello. I can't believe how long this story is. I'm sorry. I hate
long stories. It looks so much shorter on the word document. I'm on page
35 and have writer's block on what will happen in the very end. Oh well.
If you have any suggestions, comments, raves, go ahead and write them.
BUT NO FLAMES! Luv y'all!
Disclaimer: I disclaim what I don't own but own what I don't disclaim.
***
"Hey Joey, what's going to happen when we get back to Texas? I mean, my mom either way is going to have a boyfriend or whatever and we'll still be friends. And I'll have a father, but I mean, I have to go back to my life as a girl who isn't worth anything and has an anger management problem and a boyfriend that left her for another girl."
They stopped walking and Joey squeezed her hand for a moment and looked down into Emily's eyes. "Em, you're worth everything."
"You're the only one who thinks so at this point."
Joey bent down and kissed Emily on her forehead. "I don't think I'm the only one Baby." Emily leaned onto his chest, put her arms around his neck, and closed her eyes. Joey ran his hands through her hair and bowed down to her level. She opened her eyes and just looked at him. She closed them again as he kissed her on her forehead, eyelids, cheeks, and mouth. He pulled back and straightened his back. Emily opened her eyes again, now blushing. Joey looked a little remorseful. "Em, I'm sorry-"
"Don't be. It's history. No taking it back now. I knew you'd have to do something exciting without being asked."
"Emily, I never and will never want to take that back."
***
"Ow! How did you do this in high school?" Claire asked John as the climbed through the air vents. The others decided to stay and not get in trouble and Claire had just nicked her ankle again on a screw.
"Practice," replied John smugly. He seriously didn't want to talk to her and vice versa.
"Stop, stop, stop!" John stopped crawling, sat down, and turned around to face Claire, who was still amazed he knew his way around in the labyrinth hiding in the ceiling of the school. She was sitting also.
"You're not tired are you?" asked John.
"No."
"Then why did you want to stop?"
"We need to talk."
"Right now? My neck is going to kill me if we have to stay like this and talk."
"A real quick talk."
"All right. No yelling though, it carries."
"Well, I want to apologize. You deserved to see your daughter grow up and you deserved to help name her. My fear is no excuse. But there was one thing that was truly holding me back. Two actually."
"What could have possibly held you back?"
"My parents. I heard my father tell my mother that if he ever found out who my baby's father was, he'd kill him. Literally. I didn't want you to die. And I was also scared if I told you, you'd want me to have an abortion."
"I can see your point but I would have rather heard of Emily and died than not hearing about her for sixteen years. At least I would have been able to watch over her. And a life is a life Claire. I would have never wanted you to get an abortion. Claire, you are so naïve."
Claire looked down at her hands and tears began to form in her eyes again. After awhile, she spoke. "John, do you forgive me?"
John looked at her. "Yes, I forgive you."
Tears began to fall uncontrollably from Claire's eyes. "I'm sorry. I really, really am. I was wrong. I am so, so sorry."
John didn't know what to do. The last time she did this around him, he kissed her. He couldn't do that now that she was engaged, could he? He took Claire into his arms and let her lean against his chest. "Claire, it's done, okay? Calm down. We have to keep going or the bottom of the vent will crash soon, trust me." Claire nodded and relaxed. John kept going and at some point stopped.
"Are we wherever yet?"
"Vernon."
"What?"
"Vernon is still the freaking principal. If he only knew what we were pulling right now."
Claire laughed quietly. "He'd throw us in detention like he used to."
"Exactly... Okay, we're almost there."
They kept climbing through the tunnels and stopped seven minutes later. John climbed down and helped Claire out. Claire looked around and immediately knew they were in the gym. John seized her hand and starting running out to the halls to find the three teens. They found Callie playing with Penny so they were very quiet so she didn't notice. They turned a couple of times and eventually found the other two, holding hands and walking. They were talking also and Bender tried his best to listen in. "What do you think they mean by 'the kiss'?" he whispered.
"Ummm..." John let go of her hand and walked closer to the two. She ran after John, trying to stop him. The only time he ever beat someone up in high school when they were going out was in order to protect or get revenge for Claire from anything or anyone, in John's terms anyways. She didn't want to see Joey get beat up. She trusted that they didn't do anything that would result in a baby, or that would come close, but John didn't know that. Claire suspected his imagination was running wild, extremely wild.
She got up to him and held him back. The couple noticed and turned around. Emily looked angry. Joey looked a little scared. By the way Bender was looking at him, he had every right to look terrified. "How did you two escape?" asked Emily, not noticing John's glare. "Finish your paper already?"
"No young lady but you are in sooo much trouble," growled Claire.
"Joey, right?" asked Bender, disrupting Claire's lecture.
"Yes sir," replied Joey, trying not to be scared out of his wits even though he was still getting the evil stare for John.
"Emily's friend. And I expect you've done nothing to her."
Joey looked into Bender's eyes. "I kissed her." Emily looked to her side and blushed while Claire grinned from ear to ear. She had been anticipating this. John looked like he could kill the guy. It scared him how naturally being worried and a father came.
"John, I swear you can trust us," said Emily. "Mom-"
"Emily, you know, I think I just thought of what to write. Come on John," said Claire, interrupting her daughter. She grabbed John's arm and took him to the library. Emily just watched. She had no clue what to say or do. She just stared. And beamed.
She whispered, "Joey. I think detention worked."
***
Disclaimer: I disclaim what I don't own but own what I don't disclaim.
***
"Hey Joey, what's going to happen when we get back to Texas? I mean, my mom either way is going to have a boyfriend or whatever and we'll still be friends. And I'll have a father, but I mean, I have to go back to my life as a girl who isn't worth anything and has an anger management problem and a boyfriend that left her for another girl."
They stopped walking and Joey squeezed her hand for a moment and looked down into Emily's eyes. "Em, you're worth everything."
"You're the only one who thinks so at this point."
Joey bent down and kissed Emily on her forehead. "I don't think I'm the only one Baby." Emily leaned onto his chest, put her arms around his neck, and closed her eyes. Joey ran his hands through her hair and bowed down to her level. She opened her eyes and just looked at him. She closed them again as he kissed her on her forehead, eyelids, cheeks, and mouth. He pulled back and straightened his back. Emily opened her eyes again, now blushing. Joey looked a little remorseful. "Em, I'm sorry-"
"Don't be. It's history. No taking it back now. I knew you'd have to do something exciting without being asked."
"Emily, I never and will never want to take that back."
***
"Ow! How did you do this in high school?" Claire asked John as the climbed through the air vents. The others decided to stay and not get in trouble and Claire had just nicked her ankle again on a screw.
"Practice," replied John smugly. He seriously didn't want to talk to her and vice versa.
"Stop, stop, stop!" John stopped crawling, sat down, and turned around to face Claire, who was still amazed he knew his way around in the labyrinth hiding in the ceiling of the school. She was sitting also.
"You're not tired are you?" asked John.
"No."
"Then why did you want to stop?"
"We need to talk."
"Right now? My neck is going to kill me if we have to stay like this and talk."
"A real quick talk."
"All right. No yelling though, it carries."
"Well, I want to apologize. You deserved to see your daughter grow up and you deserved to help name her. My fear is no excuse. But there was one thing that was truly holding me back. Two actually."
"What could have possibly held you back?"
"My parents. I heard my father tell my mother that if he ever found out who my baby's father was, he'd kill him. Literally. I didn't want you to die. And I was also scared if I told you, you'd want me to have an abortion."
"I can see your point but I would have rather heard of Emily and died than not hearing about her for sixteen years. At least I would have been able to watch over her. And a life is a life Claire. I would have never wanted you to get an abortion. Claire, you are so naïve."
Claire looked down at her hands and tears began to form in her eyes again. After awhile, she spoke. "John, do you forgive me?"
John looked at her. "Yes, I forgive you."
Tears began to fall uncontrollably from Claire's eyes. "I'm sorry. I really, really am. I was wrong. I am so, so sorry."
John didn't know what to do. The last time she did this around him, he kissed her. He couldn't do that now that she was engaged, could he? He took Claire into his arms and let her lean against his chest. "Claire, it's done, okay? Calm down. We have to keep going or the bottom of the vent will crash soon, trust me." Claire nodded and relaxed. John kept going and at some point stopped.
"Are we wherever yet?"
"Vernon."
"What?"
"Vernon is still the freaking principal. If he only knew what we were pulling right now."
Claire laughed quietly. "He'd throw us in detention like he used to."
"Exactly... Okay, we're almost there."
They kept climbing through the tunnels and stopped seven minutes later. John climbed down and helped Claire out. Claire looked around and immediately knew they were in the gym. John seized her hand and starting running out to the halls to find the three teens. They found Callie playing with Penny so they were very quiet so she didn't notice. They turned a couple of times and eventually found the other two, holding hands and walking. They were talking also and Bender tried his best to listen in. "What do you think they mean by 'the kiss'?" he whispered.
"Ummm..." John let go of her hand and walked closer to the two. She ran after John, trying to stop him. The only time he ever beat someone up in high school when they were going out was in order to protect or get revenge for Claire from anything or anyone, in John's terms anyways. She didn't want to see Joey get beat up. She trusted that they didn't do anything that would result in a baby, or that would come close, but John didn't know that. Claire suspected his imagination was running wild, extremely wild.
She got up to him and held him back. The couple noticed and turned around. Emily looked angry. Joey looked a little scared. By the way Bender was looking at him, he had every right to look terrified. "How did you two escape?" asked Emily, not noticing John's glare. "Finish your paper already?"
"No young lady but you are in sooo much trouble," growled Claire.
"Joey, right?" asked Bender, disrupting Claire's lecture.
"Yes sir," replied Joey, trying not to be scared out of his wits even though he was still getting the evil stare for John.
"Emily's friend. And I expect you've done nothing to her."
Joey looked into Bender's eyes. "I kissed her." Emily looked to her side and blushed while Claire grinned from ear to ear. She had been anticipating this. John looked like he could kill the guy. It scared him how naturally being worried and a father came.
"John, I swear you can trust us," said Emily. "Mom-"
"Emily, you know, I think I just thought of what to write. Come on John," said Claire, interrupting her daughter. She grabbed John's arm and took him to the library. Emily just watched. She had no clue what to say or do. She just stared. And beamed.
She whispered, "Joey. I think detention worked."
***