Wow, so I haven't updated in like forever!!! anyway...here's the next one...um yeah
Thanks to: Dodger, Spades, Mouse, and BugleGirl for reviewing
And to Ducky who helps...
"Do we have any soup?" Jack asked.
"Um, I think all we have is chicken ramen." I said digging through the cupboard. "Why?"
"I don't wanna eat anything too heavy just yet."
"Oh the huge gash running across your stomach?" I asked still a little upset over the whole thing.
"Nah, I was just toinin inta you and wantin soup, yes it's da cut!"
"Hehe…I'm corrupting you!"
"Ya weahd."
"Yep, and proud of it!"
"So what ah we gonna eat?" Spot asked walking in the kitchen.
"Um, we're having fend for yourself night…so find something and cook it."
"Aight."
"'Fend foh yaself night'?" Jack asked eyebrows raised.
"Yeah, um, sometimes when my mom or I don't feel like cooking, we'll have a fend for yourself night, which means that if you want something make it yourself."
"Sounds fah."
"I'm glad you approve."
I began looking for more food and talking with Jack, I thought I heard Spot mumble something but I ignored it figuring that he was just mumbling because we had no food.
"Aww…dat's nasty!" Spot said picking up the burnt eggs and tossing them out the backdoor.
"Ooooh, cookies!" Blink said coming in.
"Not if I eat em all!" Spot said grabbing the bag.
"Ya little bum, don't even!"
"I otta spit in em just foh ya callin me a bum!"
"But ya won't."
"How da ya know?"
"Because da goils made dose."
"So?"
"So dey'll beat ya if ya do."
"Good point, I'll tell em dat it was you."
"Angel, how do ya live wid him?"
"Uh, well small doses…and I don't threaten to take his food." I said turning around.
"It ain't his food!"
"It's in me hand."
"What's goin on?" Ace asked walking in.
"Blink threatened to take Spot's food and then Spot threatened to spit in it, and they were arguing about it." I said.
"You were gonna eat the whole bag?"
"I wouldn't put it past him." I said having seen him eat an entire pizza by himself.
"Spot why didn't you share the cookies?"
"Cause I don't wanna."
"I'm da one who gave ya da idea ta eat em!" Blink said.
"Yes and I tank ya foh dat."
"Ya welcome so long as ya shah."
"Spot share the damn cookies." Media said walking in the kitchen.
"Why should I?"
"Because it wont' be healthy for you if you don't."
"Somebody's in a mood." Spot said putting the cookies down.
"It happens." She said after grabbing a bag of chips and going upstairs.
"Dat was scahy." Blink said.
"You haven't seen scary Blink." I said going after her.
"Hey, how's Mush doin?" I asked.
"He's doin good."
"How are you doing?"
"Not as good."
"Wanna talk bout it?"
"No it's just frustrating."
"The fact that they got into a fight?"
"No, that his stitches popped out and he had to get more."
"Oh…yeah I can see where that would suck."
"Yeah what's going on in the kitchen?"
"Oh the usual drama."
"Ah,"
"And I really wanted to murder my boyfriend a couple of minutes ago."
"For fighting?"
"No, for playing off. He's got this huge gash in his stomach and he's acting like it's nothing!!!"
"Maybe to him it's not as big of a deal as it is to you."
"That's actually exactly what he said."
"That's kinda creepy."
"Yeah."
"Well did you talk to him about it?"
"Sorta, we talked, I-I'm just scared that one of these days he's gonna get in a fight and play it off and then it's gonna kill him!"
"I think as your relationship grows you'll become more open so he won't play it off as much."
"I hope so, because if not, if the fight doesn't kill him, I will."
"It's probably a defense mechanism for him."
"Yeah, kinda like you claming up."
"What, clamming up?"
"Yeah when something either scares you or makes you vulnerable, you just hold it inside…kinda like a clam that gets scared, it goes inside it's shell."
"You just called me a clam."
"Yeah, well, you have a tough outer shell that you hide in when you get scared until a starfish comes along and pries you open to find out what's wrong."
"You sound like a personality test."
"I do don't I?"
"Yes, it's kinda funny."
"Well I'm glad that I amuse you."
"I'm sure the door swings both ways."
"Hehe yeah."
"All right, Mush is bedridden and he's hungry, so I gotta go."
"Okay, wear protection." I kidded.
"Yes mom." She played right back. That was actually one of the reasons I liked my cousin so much, she played with me, whereas Dodger would have flipped.
"Who wants Mac and Cheese?" Dodger called from downstairs.
"Only if you microwave it!" I yelled back.
"Why?"
"You'll burn it!"
"Well lucky for you I did nuke it!"
"GOOD."
"Where shoes dis time." Jack told Media as she grabbed her coat.
"I need to find my flip-flop." Media said walking out the door.
"Is that why you're going outside?" I asked.
"That would be why."
"Well let me grab my coat and I'll help you look."
"Not widout me ya not." Jack said grabbing a coat.
"Aren't you supposed to be taking it easy?" I asked.
"Lookin foh a shoe is takin it easy."
"Whatever." I said seeing that I couldn't win.
"Come on slowpokes!" Media called bounding out the door.
"I'se ain't slow!" Jack said as we went out the door.
"How about mentally?" Media teased.
"Dere eidah!"
"Jack love, she was just playing."
"Okay, it's a black flip-flop and it should be along the path…I think."
"Aight."
"I'll look…this would be so much easier if it was lighter out here!" I said.
"I can turn on my head lights." Media said walking to her car.
"Dat's good." Jack said.
"Holy crap it looks like a cow was butchered in here!" Media exclaimed seeing the interior of her car.
"Well, I tried ta bleed on da jacket, but it didn't really woik." Jack said.
"Okay, I can clean it." She said rummaging around her backseat.
"Ew." I said at the thought of blood all over her car.
"My poor baby." She said as she began to spray it down.
"Mush or the car?"
"Before Mush, right now, my car."
"Hehe."
"Why am I da only one lookin in da snow?"
"Uh, because you didn't stop to talk…maybe?" I said.
"Ya can't multitask?"
"You've obviously never seen me multitask."
"It is a frightening thing." Media commented.
"Indeed it is."
"Awww, you guys actually got the supplies for pie." Media said digging in her backseat.
"Yeah, what did ya tink we did alla dat time?"
"I dunno." Media said. I shrugged my shoulders.
"Why am I still da only one diggin in da snow?"
"We answered that love." I said.
"Pay attention Jack, geez!"
"Hehe."
"So uh, how is it you two came to be so close?" Jack asked taking a more serious turn.
"Uh, Media, how did we get to be so close?"
"Well Jack, we didn't always get along so well. Like at family reunions, we never talked to each other."
"I find dat hahd ta believe."
"Many people do…"
"And I often wonder why."
"We were going through phases."
"Really?" Jack asked.
"Why are you so curious?" Media asked scrubbing the blood out of her car.
"Just curious dat's all, ya almost always tageddah and I was wonderin why."
"I don't know…" Media said.
"I guess because she laughs and jokes around with me and she's close to the same age." I said.
"Except I'm younger."
"That's why I said almost genius!"
"Whatever brat."
"MMM" I stuck my tongue out at her.
"If I wasn't sitting in my car, I'd be pummeling you with snow!"
"Well, if you weren't sitting in your car we might have found your flip-flop by now."
"What you and Jack can't find it by yourselves?"
"I'm sitting here talking to you, he is looking."
"Well then go help him."
"Tank you."
"Stop distracting me!" I told Media.
"Well if you'd learn to talk and look at the same time you could multi task!"
"I don't do well concentrating on one thing, let alone multiple things!"
"Goils, can ya calm down?"
"We are calm." Media said.
"Yeah if we weren't you'd know."
"I'll take ya woid foh it."
"You should." I smiled.
"Okay Jack, I got your blood cleaned out, now I need to get Mush's."
"Sahy bout dat." Jack said.
"It's not your fault, I just didn't think I'd be doing this again."
"Yeah,"
"Oh Acorn, I found a picture of us."
"Which one?"
"The one when we went hiking and…come see!"
"Okay coming."
"Oh and here's our gothic moment!"
"Haha, I remember that, fun times!" I said.
"Ya two as goths? Dis I gotta see!" Jack said abandoning his search to come and look at pictures.
"I think we pulled it off quite well." Media said.
"Yeah I actually had a few people scared with that." I said reminiscing.
"Huh, interestin." Jack commented.
"The egg smell is haunting me."
"I thought it was just me!"
"No, it smells like it's outside, but I left it in the cupboard."
"Now I'm smellin it!" Jack said.
"It's not the inside of my car, because that smells like blood, but it's coming from around it."
"Yeah, I'm smellin that too. Jack, can't you control your stomach growling?" I asked when I heard a low growl.
"Not…my…stomach." He said.
"Umm, that came from outside the car."
"Spot stop trying to scare us, it's not working." I said.
"Please tell me dat's a dog." Jack said looking at the window.
"Okay we need to close the driver's side door, slowly." Media instructed. Jack leaned forward and as slowly as possible shut the door.
"Uh, guys, wait, are there bears in Michigan?" I asked.
"Black bears maybe a grizzly if it wandered down from Canada, but it's not likely, why?"
"Because one is looking at us." I said pointing to the window.
"I'm sorry to tell you Jack, but it's not a dog." Media said.
"No, it ain't."
"WhatarewegonnadowhatarewegonnadoWHATAREWEGONNADO?!!!!" I screamed.
"First of all shut up!" Media said clamping her hand over my mouth.
"And second?" Jack asked.
"I think it's a black bear, which is good because they're not that vicious."
"Is there anything else???" I asked.
"It looks like it's eatin sumptin." Jack pointed out.
"Does it look like burned scrambled eggs?"
"Yeah."
"Who threw them out?" I asked.
"Someone who didn't know any better."
"Jack was it you?"
"No."
"Okay so that rules out me, you, Jack and Mush." I said.
"At the moment that info is irrelevant."
"I wanna know so that when I get back in there I can wring their little necks!"
"Ok we could do one of two things."
"Which are?"
"Black bears don't like noise so we can lay on the horn and scare him off."
"Or"
"Or sit out here and wait for it to leave."
"I vote layin on da hohn."
"But if we do, that will probably bring the others outside and it might get scared and attack."
"Does anyone have their cell?" I asked.
"No, I just came out to find my shoe."
"Jack, what about you?"
"No, I left it inside."
"The one time you don't have it!"
"So, it looks like we'll wait it out."
"Is there anything we can play while we wait for the world's largest walking stomach to leave?"
"I thought that was Spot?"
"After right now, he's the second largest."
"So lets play a game." Jack said.
"I just said that."
"How bout I spy?"
"I spy a big animal that wants ta eat me."
"Hmm, a bear?"
"And that is why you two are dating."
"Oh crap!"
"What?" I asked.
"What if it eats the egg, but they only made it more hungry, and it smells the blood in here…."
"How likely is dat?"
"Um, I have no idea."
"Bears have a good sense of smell."
"Media! You aren't helping."
"Aight lets just not panic." In my head I was screaming.
"Easy fro you to say! You're the calm one!"
"I'm calmer than you right now."
"Then what was that thing about the bear coming in the car to eat us?!"
"I had a moment of weakness! If you knew all the stories I know about people getting attacked by bears you'd freak too!"
"I am freaking!!!!"
"Shut up goils! Da beah is lookin at us." No one moved as the bear sniffed around the car. After holding my breath I was getting ready to scream as it pushed against the door.
"Don't panic." Jack said trying to keep us and himself calm.
"Did I not say they have a good sense of smell?'
"Now is not the time!"
"Yeah because now it's too late!"
"We aint dead, stop talkin like it."
"So, how about a story?" I asked trying to change the subject.
"Of what?"
"Of how you and Mush met."
"Ok, since we all know how you two met." Media smiled, clearly she wasn't that traumatized by the bear which was now laying outside the car.
"Oh dis will be good."
"This story is the best." Media began.
"You're so conceited." I teased her.
"Shut it, but no, so it was my senior year in high school and I was driving home and ran out of gas."
"Dat seems ta be an issue wid ya."
"Hush you're ruining the story." I said hitting him.
"Anyway, I started walking home and passed this gym, I had seen it before but never gone in, so I did since it was like 100 degrees outside. I went on in and was poking around when I saw this kinda out of shape guy trying to bench press and his spotter was really hot."
"I wonder who that was." I smiled.
"Heheh, so the dude almost drops the bar on his head but hot guy, Mush, caught it but the retard.."
"Ya callin Mush a rehtahd?"
"NO, my gosh you two are impatient. So the guy on the bench started to sit up and knocked the bar out of Mush's hands before he sat it down and the weights fell on his foot. So I went over to Mush cause he wasn't doing anything for his foot after it had just been squished. And he said I was prying, as I still do, but "
"And you do it so well."
"Acorn, if you or your boyfriend interrupts me one more time…"
"Aight soahy."
"Ok, anyway we just started talking and he wanted to give me a ride home but someone driving by had seen me go in and just happened to call Uncle Nate who arrived just as we started flirting so I rode with him and not Mush. But obviously we got together." Media smiled holding her hand out and looking at the ring.
"You can tell ya just got engaged."
"You'll probably be worse when you do."
"No comment."
"Exactly."
"Um, Ace and Spot ah outside."
"WHAT?!"
"Hmm, they must have come out the back door."
"Da beah is still sleepin."
"Shit they're coming over here."
"Ok, jack let me know if it moves." Media said slowly opening the door. I pulled her back in.
"What are you doing?!!!!!!"
"I was gonna tell them to go back inside, I wasn't getting out."
"Then why did ya open da dooh?"
"Because the window's are power windows so I had to open the door."
"Be careful." I warned her as she opened the door again.
"Psst!" she hissed at Spot.
"Wad ya doin in dere?" he asked so loud a deaf person could have heard him.
"SSSHHHHH!" Media and I hissed at him.
"There's a bear on the other side of the car, go inside." Media told him.
"What, I can't heah ya." Spot said coming closer.
"Stop!" I shouted at him. He stopped and looked at us like we were crazy.
"What's up?' Ace asked walking up beside Spot.
"He's stahtin ta move!" Jack said pointing out the window.
"Either get in the car or go inside now!" Media snapped.
"Oh…it's a bear…" Ace said backing away.
"Aight, um, how awake is it?" Spot swallowed.
"Um, ya gotta move now if ya gonna."
"OK, go inside now!" I told him not wanting everyone stuck in the car.
"Ace do not run…come back to Spot." Media said as Ace kept backing away.
"Aight lets go Ace!" Spot said as he grabbed her and ran inside.
"Did they make it?" I asked peering out the window.
"Dere fine."
"Why didn't we go in with them?" Media asked.
"Because we're stupid."
"Yeah pretty much."
"It could be woise."
"How?"
"Don't answer that."
"So does anyone else have an interesting story?"
"Blink an Mush."
"What about them?"
"Dere comin outside."
"WHAT?!" Media said flipping out. "Mush is wounded, he smells of blood!!!!!"
"So do I!"
"So?
"Hey!"
"He's in the car, they're outside." Blink and Mush started banging on pots and pans and where soon joined by Spot. The noise annoyed the bear and for a second I thought it was going to attack. But instead it ran off into the darkness.
"Ya guys ok in dere?" Blink called.
"We'se aight." Jack responded as we all climbed out of the car.
"You ok babe?" Mush asked as he rushed over to Media and hugged her.
"Yes, what where you thinking?"
"That black bears hate noise so the guys and me spooked him off."
"Good answer, but if it attacked you, you're all hurt and stuff."
"Yes but I'm fine."
"Ok everyone in the house." Dodger said pushing all inside and locking the door.
"Ya know a beah could easily…" Spot began.
"Don't even!" Dodger cut him off not wanting to hear that the bear could break down the door.
"That was they most terrifying experience of my life." I mumbled.
"Yeah." Jack said giving me a hug.
"Still didn't find the stupid shoe…"Media muttered.
"Who the HELL put the eggs outside?!!!" I snapped. There was silence for a moment before the culprit spoke up.
"Dat was me." Spot said quietly. I didn't know what to do, part of me wanted to kill him and the other part knew he didn't know what would happen. Media picked up on my dilemma and spoke before I could.
"It's ok Spot, you didn't know. So for future reference, do not throw food outside, especially by my car." She said in an instructor's voice you'd hear in class.
"Yes ma'am."
"I'm not a ma'am, that's what ya call old people." She smiled.
"Aight."
"M k."
"Yeah"
"It really is ok." She said softly to him as she walked into the kitchen.
"So, that was a black bear?" Ace asked still a bit shakin.
"Yeah, bettah dat one dan a grizzly." Jack said trying to get the mood back to casual. Everyone settled into the living room and comfort food and drink were used.
"Yummy hot cocoa." Dodger said sipping away at the steaming liquid. Slowly the mood did lighten to where we started joking again.
"Ya know Mush, Media cahs moh foh hah cah den you almost." Jack said smiling.
"Is that so?" He responded.
"No, Jack's bein a butt." Media replied.
"Yeah that happens a lot." I said.
"Hey." Jack protested.
"It's funny cause it's true!" Dodger laughed.
"Yep yep." I smiled at her.
"I'se sleepy." Blink yawned.
"Yeah me too." I agreed feeling my eyes get heavy.
"I'm not." Media smirked.
"Me either." Ace said.
"So who ever is tired go to bed and who ever isn't keep it down." I said climbing the stairs.Jack soon joined me after playing poker with who ever was awake down there.
"So tanight was interestin." He said changing his shirt.
"Indeed it was, terrifying even." I said crawling into bed.
"Yeah dere was a few times it got kinda scahy, but it toined out ok."
"The whole thing was scary."
"Da whole ting?"
"Hell ya!"
"I'se seen woise."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah back in Manhattan."
"There's bears there?"
"Nah, da people ah woise."
"The people are worse than Black Bears?"
"Dey can be."
"How so?"
"Just da atmosphere, ya look aftah yaself."
"Wow, I'd never survive." I laughed.
"Eh, maybe, maybe not, it shoh teaches ya how ta stay alive."
"It sounds like it."
"Well it ain't all bad."
"So what was your favorite part about Manhattan?"
"It wadn't just a memry, it was da atmospheah, livin dere woikin dere."
"Kinda like why I like Christmas?"
"I guess?"
"Well, I can't really explain why I like the season so much, it's just the air, the lights just the overall spirit!" I said.
"Yeah it is nice."
"Too bad you spent half of it in the ER." I joked.
"Yeah dat was memorable."
"I'll say trying to understand what you were saying was hilarious."
"It sounded nohmal in me head."
"I know it did, but it didn't to us!" Just then Jack rolled over on me. I was laying on my stomach so when he rolled on me, his butt was on my back.
"What are you doing?"
"Just wanted ta see if it'd help me back."
"It's sore?"
"Yeah."
"If you get off me I'll give you a back rub." He promptly rolled off me and I began to give him a massage. We eventually dozed off only for Jack to wake up when he smelled something. He laid in bed a moment trying to remember where he had smelled the scent and recognized it. He rolled out of bed and headed downstairs to see what Media was doing up at 4am.
"Whaddaya doin?"
"Bakin a pie."
"I can see dat, do ya always bake at 4 am?"
"Not usually, but I have before."
"So any paticulah reason dis night?"
"Just wanted to see if I could still make one."
"At 4 am, ya shoh nuttin's botherin ya?"
"Something's starting to."
"What?"
"You."
"Get ovah it."
"Why are you out of bed?"
"I smelled sumptin and came down ta check it out."
"Ah, good smell or bad smell."
"Good. So uh, what's up?"
"Nothing, how are you."
"I'se fine, just wonderin why ya up bakin."
"I already told you."
"I tink dere's moh to it dan dat."
"Do you remember what happened last time you tried to talk to me?"
"Yeah, but I ain't givin up so easy."
"And why not."
"Because, Angel will find out dat ya was up and den she'll feel bad because she couldn't help and it'll just be bad, so tell me what's goin on and we can avoid dat."
"Jack, she's sleeping, I'll be fine, later, so you can just go back to bed."
"No."
"Get out of the kitchen!"
"Nope."
"Dude, leave."
"Goil, no."
"Why not?"
"Because ya need ta let whatevah it is dat ya bottling up inside ya out."
"How touching."
"Yeah spill."
"Pie's done." She said pulling the pie out of the oven.
"Why don't ya talk ta people bout what's wrong?"
"I do."
"Yah but dey have ta take a crowbah and pry it outtah ya."
"Yeah well I never ask for their help."
"Yeah an why is dat?"
"It dosen't concern you, and as soon as this pie cools I'm out of here."
"Den ya stuck wid me foh at least a few minutes, so whad is it?"
"Nothing!"
"C'mon Media, it's written all ovah ya face."
"I'm not mad."
"I didn't say dat, I said sumptin was wrong, but now dat ya said dat I know sumptin's wrong."
"Gah! Leave me alone Jack."
"Nah."
"You're annoying."
"Yeah I've hoid it befoh."
"And yet you don't learn"
"Yeah ah well."
"Alright, the pie is cool and I'm leaving." Media said as she hid the pie in the cupboard.
"Would ya come back heah!" Jack called as Media was about to go upstairs.
"What?!"
"Would ya tell me what's wrong?"
"No."
"Aight fine just go up ta Mush and have him protect ya, ya have befoh."
"Don't even joke about that!"
"Why not?"
"Are you sleep deprived or just stupid?"
"Maybe both."
"Are you going to take that back?"
"Nope."
"Prick."
"Lashin out is ya defense mechanism."
"You sound like a freakin personality test fortune cookie!"
"Yeah and tryin ta get infohmation outta you is like tryin ta climb Mt. Everest wid a toothpick, it's had but it can be done." Media's temper took over and she swung at his face to which he caught her punch. Growing angrier she kicked himin the shin but still couldn't get free so she punched at him again and once more he caught it.
"Let go!"
"Tell me what's wrong!"
"The pie!"
"The pie is why ya so upset?" Jack asked bewildered.
"No I'm upset because you won't let go and I…" she trailed off.
"You what?"
"It doesn't matter."
"Obviously it does. What's goin on Media?"
"I didn't listen to him, I should have made the damn pie earlier!"
"And how would dat have changed anyting? If we hadn't a gone some innocent schmuck might have gotten attacked and been killed. Wouldn't ya rather me an Mush fought since we know how ta get outta fights?"
"Yeah he has to get out of them after I put him in them."
"Whaddaya talkin bout?"
"I already told you."
"Because ya wouldn't make da pie ealieah?"
"Duhr!"
"So ya paid da two muggahs ta stand outside a gas station ya had no idea we'd be at?"
"No."
"Exactly, so ya didn't put him inta dat one, in was a coincidence."
"But it happened because he had to go into town."
"He didn't hafta do anyting."
"Speaking of which you don't have to hold me."
"Ah ya gonna run?"
"Maybe…"
"Den I'se holdin on ta ya!"
"Jack, I was just messin with ya!" Jack eased up on his grip ever so slightly to see if she would run, she didn't move so he let go. Right then Media took off running toward the den to go out the backdoor.
"Oh no ya don't!" Jack said grabbing her around her waist and pinning her arms down.
"Get off!"
"Talk ta me!"
"I already have!"
"Ya scratched da soiface, now ta get ta da root a da mattah."
"It's nothing Jack."
"Den why a ya getting defensive and running away?"
"I don't know, I just do."
"I tink dat ya problem is, ya afraid ta let people in because dey'se gonna hoit ya."
"I'm not scared."
"Den what is it?"
"It's just me, it's okay."
"No it ain't and it ain't just you."
"You don't know what it's like Jack."
"Don't know what what's like?"
"You helped Acorn when she got in trouble, I put Mush in trouble!"
"When?"
"The Alley, the warehouse, almost at Acorn's house."
"Media dere was no way ya coulda known!"
"That's not the point!"
"Den what is da point?"
"It was my fault!"
"How was it ya fault?"
"He had to defend me in the alley!"
"Ya make it sound like it was a boiden."
"He got beat into a pulp that night, I'd say that's a burden."
"What I meant was he did it because he loved ya, not just because ya needed it."
"Is that what it's gonna be like when I marry him, him always having to rescue me?"
"May I remind you dat in da warehouse ya rescued him!"
"I was the one with the gun to my head."
"But ya got yaself outta it."
"Because he was there to distract him."
"So ya a team."
"I'll probably mess that up!"
"HOW?"
"Because I don't know what I'm supposed to do."
"Wid what?"
"My life."
"What does dat have ta do wid da price a beans?"
"I don't know, maybe I'm the sleep deprived one."
"Ya da one who won't open up dat's foh shoh, what ah ya afraid of dat someone might see da real you and decide dat dey don't like ya anymoh?" Media didn't respond. "Dat's in ain't it?"
"Sure."
"No seriously, is dat why ya don't open up ta anyone?"
"I do open up."
"Like I said aftah someone pries it outtah ya wid a crowbah, usually Mush or Angel."
"What do you want?"
"Ta help ya! Dat's what friends do!"
"Talking isn't the only way to relieve stress."
"Oh no?"
"Yeah ya know running, weight lifting, physical stuff."
"But ya still need ta talk ta someone, ya can't keep it bottled up inside because it'll end up killin ya!"
"What?"
"If ya keep building baheahs ta keep people out and ta keep dem from hoitin ya, ya won't open up and den da stuff just keeps pilin on until ya can't take it anymoh, and den ya'll blow up and ya life'll be in pieces and den ya'll be old and bittah, I'se seen it happen ta enough people and it ain't pretty!"
"I have to."
"Why?"
"Because people depend on me, I can't be crying or whatever."
"Ya know everyone has a breakin point."
"I've already cried this week!"
"Maybe ya didn't get it all out!"
"I'll never get it all out."
"But ya'll get out what ya need ta get out."
"I don't see how."
"Ya put on dis tough goil persona but deep down ya hoit, and ya don't want anyone ta know it."
"That's because I shouldn't be hurt, I'm supposed to be tough."
"Says who?"
"Me."
"What because ya a pillah a strength?"
"I'm supposed to be."
"But ya carryin da weight a da woild on ya shouldahs, ya can't be everyting dat everyone needs, dat's why dere's oddah people on dis eahth, ta help us out. Ya ain't poifect."
"I'm aware of that."
"Ah ya, because ya don't seem like ya ah."
"Yes I know because if I was perfect, we wouldn't be having this conversation."
"Ya deal wid everyone else's problems but when someone trys ta help you wid yohs ya shut dem down befoh dey get a chance ta stand.
"That's because they can't help me!"
"How do ya know ya nevah let dem get fah enough in ta try."
"So?"
"If dey can't try ya can't know dat dey can't help. Ya put thoins up around ya haht ta keep everyone out but all ya doin is hoitin yaself in da process." She began to tense up so she wouldn't start crying. Jack felt it and kept going." Media, ya aint pofect, and dat's da way God ceated us, so dat we could go ta Him. Have ya done dat?"
"Yes." Media said with clinched teeth annoyed that she was unable to stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks.
"And it didn't help?"
"It did for a second."
"But den someone came and hoit ya, ya gotta take down ya wall and let people in."
"Why so it can happen again?!"
"No, so dat if, IF it happens again, ya got people ta fall back on."
"I don't want be a burden."
"Ya aint a boiden."
"I feel like it." She was barely able to say because she could feel the lump in her throat so she decided to only nod from then on out.
"Ya aint." Media was silent. "We wanna help ya because we love ya especially Mush."
"I know."
"Do ya, I mean really?"
"Yeah…why?"
"Just wonderin, ya know he'd do anyting foh ya."
"I don't think I deserve him."
"No, but ya got him anyway."
"Ouch."
"I don't desoive Angel."
"You said that not me."
"I know."
"Are you gonna let go now?"
"Depends what ah ya gonna go do?"
"What do I do?"
"Pray."
"You think this time will be different?"
"Maybe but if it's not keep goin, ya gotta lay it down everyday."
"Okay, um I think you bruised me again."
"Sahhy."
"It's ok, it'lljust be fun to explain to Mush."
"Eh let me wohhy bout dat."
"You two aren't going to fight are you?"
"Not if I can help it."
"If you two do start, get him down fast because once he gets going…."
"I know."
"Cool, thanks Jack."
"Ya welcome."
"Um, Jack, you have to let go."
"Night Media."
"Night Jacko." Media began walking towards the door.
"Whad ah ya goin?'
"Going to pray."
"Stay wahm."
"I will."she said stepping outside. Jack headed back upstairs to go back to bed.