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"Come on, Two-Bit," I moaned as he parked his rust bucket outside his house and stared grimly up to the windows where light was flooding their dirt patch. "You have to come inside some time, just don't flip out, that's all."
"Yeah," Two-Bit snorted. "Of course I won't flip out, Pixiedust, I'll be a good little boy and keep my trap shut, right?"
"Yeah," I replied stonily as I threw the door open and made sure to slam it as I heard him curse me. As I tossed my hair back and walked up their porch I opened their door, which like our house was often unlocked, and marched inside to hear Mrs. Matthews in the kitchen chatting with her daughter, "Hey, Mrs. Matthews." I said cheerily.
"Oh hello, Pixie." Said Mrs. Matthews looking slightly startled as she looked up to see me leaning against the door. "How are you, dear? Is Two-Bit with you?"
"He's in the car," I shrugged giving her a smile; she was about my mother's age. "But I'm good, how are you?"
"Lovely," she said with a smile as she placed the knife she'd been holding down on the chopping board and gave me her full attention. "I was just talking to Emily about you and Two-Bit actually, it's very sweet that you're both together, your mother and I always had our suspicions."
I raised my brows slightly, but I was pretty determined not to get distracted, as I gave a slight laugh, "Mom thought we would?"
"Mmm," Nodded Mrs. Matthews with a grin resembling Two-Bit's and Emily's. "Your mother knows you four very well, don't dismiss that!" As she picked up the knife and began chopping up what looked to be a salad she spoke again, "Emily, its not like you to be quiet, cat got your tongue?" she laughed as I heard the front door open again and Two-Bit reappeared behind me.
"What's for eating, Mom?" he almost grunted looking sullen and annoyed, he didn't meet my eyes. "Aw not salad!" he groaned.
Mrs. Matthews rolled her eyes as Emily walked into the kitchen, her face half in the shadows as her blue eyes ran over my face, an unhappy frown ruining her normally pretty features. She gave an almost sad sigh as she glanced to her mother then to Two-Bit and back to me before she bit her lip nervously and looked back to her mother again.
"Ma, I'll be in my room if you need me."
Emily nodded her head slightly to me as she disappeared into the shadows again and I gave Two-bit one last glance before I followed her up their stairs and down their narrow hall into Emily's tiny bedroom, which rivaled my own for that desperately needed space. Emily frowned even more sadly at me as I saw her face in full light now and she leaned against her door and it slowly clicked shut.
"Sorry, Pix." She whispered, staring me in the eyes. "I didn't mean to get mad."
I sat down on her unmade bed, careful not to step on any of the piles of clothes around me; I nodded slightly and said nothing but stared back at her. Emily's own face was contorted in what looked to be her trying her hardest not to get upset. As she sighed again she reached into the start of her top and pulled out a long silver chain and pulled it over her head and tossed to me, which I barely managed to catch.
"Dad gave that to me on my eleventh birthday, last birthday he was here." Said Emily bitterly as I reached for the locket that was on the end of it and opened it. "That was one of the presents he gave to me to make up for everything, I can't believe I accepted it then and I can't believe I still am wearing it."
I stared into it and I could help but frown as I looked at the picture, a ten year old Emily with a fifteen year old Two-Bit there and their parents in the other picture. I clasped it shut quickly and looked up at her but I couldn't say anything, it was like my lips had honestly been sealed as Emily just shook her head and sunk to the floor, her back sliding down her door.
"I know, ironic isn't it? A picture of happiness, it was anything but." Emily told me savagely as she threw the shoe next to her away from her, I watched it hit the wall and see it disappear behind a chair. "I know there are some things I guess you can't stop from happening, and I could've stopped that but I didn't and I regret it. Don't get me wrong, I know I didn't act like I did, I know I acted like I still wanted Dad around but I'm glad he went." She said honestly as she met my eyes again. "I know we couldn't have stopped Johnny dying, or Dallas losing it but I'm sorry at first how I reacted but this isn't something we can stop. It won't work." She said tearfully as she pulled her knees into her.
"What do you mean?" I asked finally, my voice hoarse as I tossed the locket onto her bed. "It can be stopped, Emily, I swear it if you say its happening and we know for sure we can stop it."
"Pixie, I honestly did walk into a door," Emily said with a half smile. "I didn't get a bruise though, but I swear Tom didn't give me the one on my arm. I swear on my life, he's not the best boyfriend, hell I barely like him. I just liked the idea of a date, a kiss, saying I had one. He don't like me much either, he likes Angie Sheppard, y'know her, right?"
I nodded and bit my lip, "If he don't like you and you don't like him why are you together?"
"A bit of fun, you only live once, right?"
I managed a faint smile when she said that but it didn't connect in my head yet. "Fine, he isn't hitting you but why'd he get all defensive over who is?"
"Because I told him." Emily whispered closing her eyes and she pressed her knees further into her, I imagine she bruised herself. "I told him, Pixie and he swore he wouldn't tell no one, not even Evie when she accused him. I'm sorry I caused all that trouble but it ain't him."
"Emily, who the hell is it?"
"Dad."
"Oh God, Emily." I whispered as I clasped my hand to my mouth and felt a tear run down my cheek as I saw her eyes were streaming as she opened them again. "When?"
"Two weeks ago."
"God." I whispered again unable to utter anything much more coherent than that.
Emily's tears were silent but that made it more painful as I watched her. I really was speechless at that. He'd left over three years ago and we thought it'd be for the best, Two-Bit always said he probably went to Texas, that he wouldn't stick around in Tulsa or anywhere in Oklahoma for that but clearly he didn't go that far, he was always a drunk. As if he'd have made it out of Tulsa. That was like saying Elvis owned a house around the corner from me.
"Are you mad?"
"That you didn't tell?" when Emily nodded I did too as she started to cry louder this time. "Heck yeah, Emily. You didn't tell no one that he was back, course I'm mad! I mean, that mans a nutter! Your dad or not we all know he's trouble and you told no one, hell Em, you even let Tom get the blame!"
"He said he didn't mind." Said Emily sadly.
"That's besides the point," I said with a sigh as I took a deep breath. "Where is he?"
"In a motel. He came round one afternoon and he said he had good intentions he just wanted to talk, Pix." Emily told me solemnly. "Well he talked and he came back a few more times, I didn't wanna tell Ma or Two-Bit because I didn't wanna worry them, when he asked me where Ma worked and I didn't tell him he got mad. Then he came back and said sorry and he did it another time. I'm sorry."
"Don't be." I said as I slipped off her bed and knelt in her clothes as I got closer to her. "Its not your fault, but you can't lie and tell us its Tom when its not, its not your problem if your mom gets mad that he's here, in fact if you told her first off it would've been better, the fuzz could've made him go away, you know."
"Sorry."
"Em, don't be." I told her again as I closed my eyes and rested my head on my knees as she placed her chin on the back of my head and I sighed again. "This is a mess," I said softly.
"I know, I know."
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A/N: I'm so sorry I haven't updated in ages but I've been really busy with homework and school! I'll be frank with you, I have about eight school weeks left of year eleven and then I have my end of year exams so I'm going to be really busy and school comes first for me so this story is probably going to be on hiatus for awhile until I get the time I desperately need to write this story. I can't just rush the chapters because they won't be up to the standards you guys are expecting of me, I have one and a half other chapters written but I do need some time. I'm sorry but I'll be on hiatus just for a little while until I can get everything in my life all organized.
But don't worry, I'll never leave this unfinished. I promise you that, if anything hold my word to that, seriously.
Rachel