Chapter 3
I hailed a cab to Alli's house and went up to my room when I noticed that no one was home.
I got out the suitcases and started repacking \i all\i0 of mine and Isabella's stuff. For the second time in like a month. Oh well. I packed all of the clothes first except for a few outifts. Then I packed all of my stuff. Then I packed a diaper bag of stuff for Isa and most of her toys. I disasembled the crib and other furniture then packed some more stuff.
After I had everything that didn't need last minute packing done and everything by the front door, I went and made Isa and me some dinner. For her dinner consisted of mashed carrots but for me dinner consisted of pizza and milk.
I was halfway through my second slice when Alli came in, followed by the rest of her family.
"Hey, Clare. How was work?" Sav asked me. "And why's all your stuff by the front door?"
I got a text message from CC that said there was a change of plans and that they would be here in half-an-hour.
"Good. I actually got a new job. I was supposed to be picked up in the morning. But they'll be here in half-an-hour."
I got everything in the living room just as they came up in the bus.
"Alli, I have to leave. Promise me that you won't tell anyone where I went or anything else. This job is a great chance for me," I said as I went over to answer the door before the boys could knock. "Okay, divvie up the stuff to take to the bus. Just put the stuff where ever you normally would," I told them while I picked Isa up so that they could bring my stuff to the bus. I would have brought some of it if I wasn't pregnant.
"Fine. I promise. Now tell me where your going and why," Alli said.
"L.A. I'm going to L.A., Alli. I got a job as the female vocalist for a band. But remember, no one can know."
"Yeah, yeah. Go get your butts on the road. All of you. And all of you better take good care of Clare and Izzy."
"We will," Jake said. "Clare is amazing and we can't wait to get her in the recording booth. She won't be announced as a member for a few months which makes it even more important that you keep the secret."
"Okay, bye Clare. You'll always be my best friend."
"Bye Alli. Bye everyone. Thank you so much for opening your home up to us in our time of need."
"We were more than happy to. Now, as you are leaving we have a gift for you," Mrs. Bhandari said. "We have opened an account with all the money you gave us for rent as a college fund for young Isabella."
I felt the tears brim in my eyes. "Thank you so much. We need to go. You guys will always be like my second family."
"BYE!" they all called as we got on the bus.
We had been on the road for about three hours just joking and goofing off. It was around three when I put Isa down for her nap and then I just looked out the window when I saw a hearse pulled off to the side of the road. And it had Eli's liscence plate and Rockin' Dad sticker.
"Pull the bus over now!" I barked as I grabbed the tools that I had taken when I took Isa. It looked like Eli needed help. I ran off the bus and back to Eli who was bent over the engine trying to fix it. Of course I had his tools so I just put them down and went to work doing what I do best. Well maybe okay. Oh, I helped Eli out.
"I think you may need these," I said. I made sure he wouldn't reckognize my voice and I knew I looked a hell of alot different then the Clare Edwards that Eli knew and the Clare I am now.
"Thanks," Eli said as he took the wrench I handed him with his Deadhand sticker that he used to i.d. his stuff. "Hey this is mine. Where did you get it?"
"I took it when I picked Isabella up from your old house."
"Clare?" Eli asked, turning around to look at me for the first time. I knew he saw the blue and black hair, the dark makeup and my favorite skinny jeans and my HOT MOMMA! t-shirt.
"What happened to you?" he asked.
"You. You left so I moved on in ways. I still love you though. I put all the money you sent me for Isa in a college fund along with the rent that the Bandahri's gave back to me."
"What are you doing out here?"
"I joined a band and we're heading to a hotel to stay at over night."
"Mind if I tag along. This is gonna take longer to fix then I thought."
"Let's hook it up and we can drag it to the hotel," I said.
"I have a question," Eli said, "where is Isabella?"
"Just hook Morty up to the back of the bus and then come with me," I said as I texted Andy to have the driver back up. Then I chained the hearse up to the bus. "Come with me," I said when I was done as I went to the entrance for the bus. Eli just looked around my new home with awe on his face.
"You live here?" Eli whispered.
"Thank God, Clare," Ashley said, holding Isabella. "She won't stop crying! I have no clue what to do!"
"Oh, Isabella. Come to Mommy, everythings okay," I said as I took my daughter from Ash. "Go lay down Eli while I talk to the boys." I said as I bounced Isa and started her bottle.
"Can I please feed Isa, Clare?" Eli asked me.
"Yes. Just please give her back to me if she gets too fussy."
"Clare, I think I know how to take care of my daughter, and later I'll tell you why I left."
"No, sit down and tell me now," I ordered as Eli put the bottle in Isabella's mouth. "Ashley, go tell the other boys to play video games upstairs and do not let any of them out."
"Okay," Ash said as he left.
"I left because Fitz threatened to rape you if I stayed."
"Eli, I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself. And as such you should have just told the police."
"He threatened to rape you Clare. I just did what I had to do. I had no time to stop and think."
"Oh," I said sarcastically. "So you had plenty of time to write up a legal document making me Isabella's legal mother but not to make a trip to the police to tip them off. God. Look, I forgive you," I said. I looked him in the eyes and picked up Isa and burped her.
"You do?" Eli asked me.
"Yes, but oh believe me when I tell you that you have alot of ass kissing to do before I take you back. Now, I'm gonna go ask Andy when we're going to arrive at the hotel."
"Don't bother, Clare," Andy said coming up. "We're a little behind schedule so we're driving all night."
"Great, I'll set up Belly's crib," Jake said.
"NO!" me and Eli screamed.
"She can sleep with me," Eli said. "And I have a question, can I stay with you guys?"
"Clare?" CC asked. "Are you okay with that?"
"Yeah, I am. Eli, you can sleep on the pull out couch and Isabella can lay down next to you," I said. "I'm gonna go lay down. Night everyone."
"Good night, Clare," everyone said.
"Cwy," I heard a little voice say, causing me to turn around and look at my daughter. "Cwy-er. Cwy-er!" she said.
I just looked at her before I ran over and pulled the five-month-old out of Eli's arms and into a hug.
"Cwy-er. Ewi. Cwy-er. Ewi. CWY-ER! EWI!" she just chanted over and over again.
"MY BABY'S TALKING!" I exclaimed. "YES!"
Eli has the proudest smile on his face instead of his usual smirk. Isabella clapped her little hands and kept smiling and chanting.
"Aren't you guys a little upset that shes not saying mama and dada?" CC asked.
"Naw, CC. Eli always called his parents by their first names so that's what we're gonna do."
"Hey, Clare," Andy said. "I just thought of something, your parents kicked you out, right?"
"WHAT?" Eli screamed.
(I considered ending the chapter here. But I think I'll give ya'll a bit more. Enjoy)
"Yeah," I replied. "So? What about it?"
"Well they would have had to disown you, in which case you need a legal gaurdian," Andy went on. "And if that gaurdian happened to be from the US..." he trailed off.
"That would make me a dual citizen and I could live here! You're a genious Andy. But who's going to be my gaurdian?" I asked.
"I figured that for now I can just be your gaurdian or we can ask my mom if she wouldn't mind. But, hey. We're going into the Mid West. Mind if we stay for awhile? In like Ohio?"Andy asked.
"Yeah," I said. "I'm okay wit-"
"WAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Isabella cried.
"Shhh." I hushed her as I rocked her. "It's okay honey. Mommy's here," I comforted her. I decided to try singing.
I open my lungs dear/I sing this song at funerals... No rush/These lyrics heard a thousand times, just plush/A baby boy you've held so tightly, this pain it visits almost nightly/Missing hotel beds I feel your touch/I will wait dear/A patient of eternity, my crush/A universal still, No rust/No dust will ever grow in this frame/One million years I will say your name/I love you more than I can ever scream/We booked our flight those years ago/I said I love you as I left you/Regrets still haunt my hollow head/But I promised you I will see you again, again/I sit here and smile dear/I smile because I think of you and I blush/These bleeding hollow dials... This fuss/A fuss is made of miles and travels when roadways are but stones and gravel/A bleeding heart and conquer every crutch/We booked our flight those years ago/You said you loved me as you left me/Regrets still haunt your saddened head/ But I promised you I will see you/We booked our flight those years ago/I said I loved you and I left you/Regrets no longer in my head/I promised you and now/I'm home again, again, again/I'm home again, again, again/I'm home again
I finished singing the song and I got a round of applause from Andy, Ashley, Jinxx, Jake, CC, and Eli.
"Thank you, but Izzy won't stop crying and that was the whole point. To get Isa to stop crying!" I explained.
"Let me try," Eli said. "Can you guys play your instruments."
The boys grabbed the instruments and Eli told them what song to play.
A lonely road/Crossed another cold state line/Miles away from those I love/Hope is hard to find/While I recall/All the words you spoke to me/Can't help but wish that I was there/Right where I longed to be, oh yeah/Dear God, /The only thing I ask of you/Is to hold her when I'm not around/When I'm much too far away/We all need/The person who can be true to you/But I left her when I found her/And now I wished I'd stayed/'Cause I'm lonely, and I'm tired/I'm missing you again/Oh no-o-o/Once again/There's nothing here/For me on this buried road/There's no one here while the city sleeps/And all the shops are closed/Can't help but think/Of the times I had with you/Pictures and some memories/Will have to help me through, oh yeah/Dear God/The only thing I ask of you/Is to hold her when I'm not around/When I'm much too far away/We all need/That person who can be true to you/But I left her when I found her/And now I wished I'd stayed/'Cause I'm lonely, and I'm tired/I'm missing you again/Oh no-o-o/Once again/Well some search/Everybody to way/Before long/They waste away/I found you/Something told me to stay/But I gave in/To selfish ways/How I miss/Someone to hold/When hope begins /To fade/A lonely road/Crossed another cold stateline/Miles away from those I love/Hope is hard to find/Dear God/The only thing I ask of you/Is to hold her when I'm not around/When I'm much to far away/We all need/The person who can be true to you/I left her when I found her/And now I wished I'd stayed/'Cause I'm lonely, and I'm tired/I'm missing you again/Oh n-o-o/Once again
Eli sang the song as he tried to rock her and she fell asleep.
"You know," Jinxx said. "I think you guys should just make up your band. We can help you get started, but you two really have amazing voices."
"Why don't we record a song together first," Eli suggested.
"I like that," I said. "But I'm pregnant and I'm tired."
"I'm such a douche," Eli said. "I left and you had to find out on your own."
"It's okay," I said. "I'm going to bed in the extra bunk. I'll see you guys in the morning."
Everything is only going to get better from here. Wait. Damn, I bet I just jinxed it. No offense to you Jinxx.
AN/ Italics are credited to Morticians Daughter by Black Veil Brides. And Dear God by Avenged Sevenfold.