Chapter 8: The Return Home
Story of A Girl
October 24th, was the happiest and saddest day of my life. It was the day I had to leave Chloe and Robbie behind and head home to Ipswich. All morning I held onto Chloe, hoping that not even the jaws of life, could tear our grip apart. Chloe and I promised to call each other every day, and I gave her my address, if she was ever to stop by Ipswich.
Caleb picked me up in his beautiful Mustang and I waved goodbye as we drove off, back to place I used to call home.
"Mom and Dad got back together." Caleb asked me, after we had stopped and picked up some coffee, for a quick caffeine boost.
"You're shitting me." It came out more as a statement than as a question. I took a sip of my delicious and chocolaty coffee beverage. Mmm, Starbucks.
"No, I'm not. Apparently the stress of everything got to them, in a good way." He laughed, as he popped a CD into the stereo and AC/DC's 'Back in Black' started playing.
I smiled. At least something good happened out of my mess. My mom and my dad back together? Hey if Hefner could pull chicks a third his age, why not my poppa? I mentally laughed at my joke.
I looked down and traced the scar on my wrist. It was only a faint scar, and I covered it up with a bracelet Chloe had made me a few weeks ago. I smiled, remember how after she had given me the bracelet I teased her about idolizing Martha Stewart. She then called me Bertha, Martha's jealous best friend. From then on, we referred to each other as Martha and Bertha.
I missed Chloe so much. It was beyond words.
We pulled up to the house I had grown up in, with a line of cars parked in the drive way. "Caleb, what's going on?"
Caleb smiled. "Mom's throwing a surprise party." So much for the surprise!
I raised an eyebrow. "It's not such a big surprise after I pull up into a driveway full of cars."
We laughed and made our inside.
"SURPRISE!" Everyone yelled as they jumped out from their hiding places and greeted me with hugs. Everyone except for Tyler and Ashleigh.
Caleb took my stuff up to my room for me, and I greeted everyone as best as I could. I purposely avoided Ashleigh and Tyler for as long as I could. Everyone including Gorman, my parents, my brother and his three friends, Sarah, and Ashleigh were here. I wished Chloe could have been here.
After talking with Sarah for a while, and finding out that Kate had transferred out of Spencer's because her and Pogue broke up, I decided that I should bite the bullet and go talk to Tyler and Ashleigh.
I was making my way over to the living room, where they were at, when I nearly had a heart attack. They were holding hands. I know, I know, you're probably thinking that's harmless right? But it's not that easy to see when you're still so in love with the guy that's holding your best friends hand. I stopped walking and turned around. I needed fresh air, ASAP.
I pushed open the sliding glass door that led to the balcony. I closed it shut behind me and leaned over the wooden railing, taking in the scenery of my back yard.
"Rough crowd?" A voice from the side of me came.
I turned to see Pogue, sitting in the reclining chair, drinking a Heineken. He was wearing his signature leather jacket, jeans, and biker boots. He was still the same sexy Pogue I had remembered him to be. I hadn't seen him when I had walked out from the house.
He noticed me staring at the bottle of drink in his hand and offered the bottle to me. I politely declined, although I was tempted to take a swig.
"Let me guess? It's Tyler and Ashleigh." He took another sip. The beer was almost gone. I looked down at the patio floor next to him and saw that this was the last beer out of the six pack. If that were me, I would have been wasted by now. In fact, I probably would have been passed out already.
"It's just different." I need to stay positive. It's like Robbie had told me: One negative thought will turn into a million. "I'm happy if they're happy. I guess I just need some time to adjust to it." I wasn't just saying this to Pogue. I was really trying to convince myself too.
"I guess so. I don't know if that would be my approach if I were you." He chuckled.
"And what would be your approach?" I asked him, taking the seat next to him.
"I'd kill Tyler if that was my girl. You know, physical harm." We laughed. "You know, Kate and I broke up."
"That's what Sarah told me when I asked her where Kate was."
"Yeah, but did she tell you why we broke up?"
"Not really, I don't think Sarah would have told me anyways. It's really isn't anyone's business."
"We broke up because Kate wasn't you."
A few moments went by and I realized I had been holding my breathe. "What?" Did I just hear him right?
"I know this probably sounds stupid, but ever since that incident at the Mexican restaurant, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. And after you left for Boston I finally realized that what I had with Kate wasn't nearly what I had been feeling for you."
I could feel my eyes pop out of my head. This is shocking. Pogue Parry likes me?
"You know, you can say something now."
I realized that I had been silent for quite some time.
"I don't know what to say, really?" It was true. I was speechless.
"Tomorrow's Friday night, and we're all going to Nicky's like usual. Why don't you come… with me?"
Oh my God, Pogue Parry was really asking me out. Should I move on, and start something new with Pogue, or should I continue to dwell on Tyler and Ashleigh and stay stuck in the past?
"I'd love to." I agreed.
So that was that. Pogue and I were going on a date, tomorrow.
Maybe things were looking up for me after all.
--
I had finally gotten everything settled back into my once familiar settings. A few changes had been made while I was gone. There were no longer any locks on any of the bathroom doors around the house, a huge white board was put up in the kitchen to use as a reminder of all the different appointments we had going on, and my mother had taken the time to learn a few things about nutrition while I was away. She developed a monthly menu, based on some guidelines Robbie had given her, and she was making sure to stick by them. Tonight, before I was allowed to go on my date with Pogue, Caleb and I were to eat a dinner consisting of baked salmon and vegetables. Oh, and I should mention I wasn't allowed to eat by myself. But I wasn't worried about that anymore. In fact, I was sort of looking forward to our family dinners.
A few minutes after dinner, a knock on the front door was heard. "Will you answer it please?" I asked Caleb. He nodded his head in agreement and I ran upstairs to change quickly. I threw on a pair of washed out jeans and an AC/DC t-shirt. I let my hair hang loose, and added eyeliner and lip gloss. There was no need to spend three hours applying different types of make-up and restyling my hair in different ways. I looked in the mirror and smiled. This was me.
I ran downstairs and smiled when I saw Pogue waiting for me. He was wearing that leather jacket again. Boys in leather jackets are hot.
"Hey, you look great!" He said as we walked outside. He handed me a spare helmet from his bike and helped me put it on. I couldn't believe I was getting to ride on the Ducati.
"Thanks, so were going to Nicky's right?" I watched Pogue swing his foot over the side of his bike and hop on. I did the same.
"Yeah, with Caleb and Sarah. Is that okay?" I wrapped my arms around his middle as he started the yellow bad boy up.
"Of course it is." I clung tighter as we left my driveway. The vibrations from the bike, not to mention I was straddling one of Spencer's leanest swimmers, was a feeling I hoped to never forget.
--
Despite double dating with Caleb and Sarah, I had a lot of fun on at Nicky's. The four of us sat around, talked for awhile, and played a little pool. I'll admit that I caught myself glancing around a few times, searching for Tyler, but Pogue was nothing but a perfect gentlemen. And he was my date for tonight, not Tyler.
"So, what do you think?" Sarah asked me as I washed my hands in the sink. For some reason, Sarah liked to follow me everytime I went to the bathrooms. I'm sure it was Caleb's probing that made her do it, since I'm not allowed to go to the bathroom unattended. But I like to think that us girls like to stick together.
"About Pogue?" I reached over and grabbed a paper towel from the dispenser.
"Duh!" She giggled.
"I think I'm enjoying our date tonight." I smiled at her. Despite being annoyingly in love with my brother, Sarah was actually kind of cool.
"Well, I know that I haven't seen Pogue smile this much in a while." She said over her shoulder as we made our way back to our dates at the pool table.
--
"You know, surprisingly, I had a lot of fun tonight." I teased Pogue as he walked me up the front door of my house.
"Yeah, surprisingly, huh? You were actually decent company." He teased back. He ran his hand threw his hair.
"Decent is what I was going for." I half laughed.
"You want to do this again sometime?" He was nervous. I was making Pogue Parry nervous.
"I would love to Mr. Parry." I gave him a little bow. He laughed.
"Can I kiss you?" That caught me off guard. I nodded and Pogue leaned down.
The kiss was simple and fun. He ran his fingers through my hair as his tongue slid into my mouth. Soon, the one kiss turned into two, and then three. And before I knew it, we were making out.
"Adele." Pogue stopped me before I shut the front door.
"Yeah?"
"Will you be my girlfriend?"
--
"Do you think we can talk for a minute?" Tyler asked Ashleigh while leaning against him, her head on his shoulder, sitting on his bed in his dorm room.
They had spent the evening in, after Tyler had heard that Pogue was taking Adele out to Nicky's. Reid may have been a pain in his ass, but Tyler was grateful the kid had warned him not to go. Tyler and Ashleigh decided to catch up on their favorite movies, Die Hard and The Notebook. Tyler couldn't help but think how very different their movie choices were. Sometimes, opposites don't attract.
"Sure, what'd you want to talk about babe?"
He hated how Ashleigh had given him nicknames since the day they started dating. Honey, Sweetheart, Babe. He found it annoying. His name was Tyler. And only his three best friend could call him Baby Boy. Everyone else could suck it.
"Us." He stated, getting up and turning off the tiny flat screen TV he and Reid shared.
"What's wrong babe?" Ashleigh didn't even look up. She knew this was bound to happen. She loved Adele but she hated how her boyfriend was caught up with her best friend.
"This isn't working out." He had been rehearsing his words all afternoon, in his head. He knew he wanted to be honest with Ashleigh. He didn't want to lead her on any longer.
"Babe, is this because of Adele being back? I already told you I'm fine with the two of you being friends." It was true, every time she saw Tyler, she made it her mission to tell him that being friends with Adele was okay.
Just friends.
Tyler was thinking of what to say next. He had it all planned out but for some reason, his words just escaped him. He forgot everything he had rehearsed.
"Do you love her?" Ashleigh knew the answer before even asking the question. She knew it all along. She just needed to hear him say it.
Tyler nodded and Ashleigh left without saying another word to him.
He felt guilty, for hooking up with Adele's best friend while she was away. It was the comfort thing, he had guessed, that had made Ashleigh seem so attractive. But the second he saw Adele at her party the other night, he knew in his heart that Adele was the one for him. Ashleigh, as wonderful of a person as she was, was not Adele.
--
"You don't have to answer that right away" Pogue looked a little sad.
After he had asked me to be his girlfriend I had zoned out. I had started thinking of Tyler and Ashleigh, and began wondering what the two of them were doing, when Pogue brought me back to earth.
"No, no that's not it, Pogue really." I reassured him. I can move on, or I can dwell in the past. And dwelling in the past will only make me depressed. Depressing thoughts can lead to a relapse, or so I learned during my stay with Robbie and Chloe.
"It's okay, I understand that it's a lot to think about." He turned around and walked down the steps of the front porch.
Sighing, I ran after him.
"Pogue, do you mean it?" I reached for his arm and pulled him around.
"Yeah." His hazel eyes met mine.
"Okay." My answer even shocked me. But if Tyler had moved on, it was about time I did too.
Pogue leaned down and kissed me one last time before leaving for the night. I closed my eyes and heard him ride off into the night.
I opened my eyes and sat down on the bottom step of the front porch, looking up into the night sky. It was a clear night outside, which is rare for my town, given this time of year. Normally all we see are rain clouds and fog. When I was younger, during the summer nights with clear skies like this, my parents would let Caleb and I stay up late. My mom would lay a blanket out on the grass and the four of us would lay down, watching the stars. My dad would point out the different constellations, and one summer night we all caught sight of a falling star. My dad told me that I had to make a wish, and my wish that year, was to get a pink bike for my birthday. Caleb had made a big deal about it, saying the wish wasn't going to come true, because I had said what I wanted out loud. But that year, for my birthday, I got that pink bike.
And I stood there, sitting on that bottom step, watching the sky. And for some unknown reason, fate maybe, I caught sight of a shooting star. And I wished, with all my heart, that I could love Pogue the same way I had loved Tyler.
--
I spent the next day, Sunday, with Sarah. It was definitely weird, because I felt as though I was taking Kate's place. Hanging out with Sarah and mackin' on Pogue. It was just an eerie feeling. Like I had stolen Kate's identity or something. Sarah and I talked throughout our stroll of downtown Ipswich, and I found her to be more relatable than ever. She too, liked to study. And she liked Joan Jett. This girl was almost flawless.
I spent Sunday night going over all of my independent study papers. From math to history, my teacher's did not give me a light load. They didn't know why I was on independent study, but I'm sure that even if they had known, they wouldn't have eased up any better. I had stayed on top of the homework when I was in Boston, but I just wanted to double check everything and make sure the homework I was going to turn in, was completed and completed the right way. Maybe I was a little obsessive and compulsive about my homework? Maybe I took pride in my studies? Maybe I was still a fucking nerd? I had a feeling that last one was never going to change.
The next day at school, I felt unusually happy to be back. I hadn't realized that I could miss the familiar school halls, or the smell of old books so much. By the time lunch came around, the entire school knew of Pogue and I. To top that off, I hadn't seen or heard anything from Tyler or Ashleigh. I'm not sure what I would have done if I had seen them together, let alone by themselves. I kept telling myself that I was a more mature person throughout the day, but I couldn't help but glance around, in hopes that I would see him.
Girls whispered behind my back and guys stayed as far away as possible, as Pogue and I walked hand in hand from lunch to my art history class. The class I had with Tyler. Just Tyler.
To be honest, I wasn't with Pogue to make Tyler jealous. I honest to God did have some feelings for Pogue. After all, this guy had been the dude I was crushing over since before I even hit puberty. Pogue was tall, lean, sexy, funny, and did I mention he looked pretty good in a Speedo? Tyler was shy, quiet, thoughtful, annoyingly smart, obnoxiously right 100 percent of the time, and a pain in my ass. But I couldn't stop thinking about him.
"I'll see you after 8th period." Pogue leaned down and kissed my cheek. I nodded and walked into the classroom. I felt stares follow me as I walked over and took my seat in the front of the class. No Tyler in sight.
--
For the rest of the day I dealt with the gossip of the prep school girls as best as I could. I ignored them and occasionally sent a glare in their direction. I know, I said I was trying to be mature, but some of the shit they were saying was really starting to piss me off.
"Did you hear, Adele went to rehab? She totally looks cracked out."
"Adele ran off and eloped with an immigrant from Venezuela."
"She got involved in a sex trafficking scandal."
But my favorite, and it's a pretty good one too, was the one where I mysteriously got involved with a hit man and went to live with him in the ghettos of downtown Boston. I then became head of the Mob and sent someone to attack Kate Tunney, which made her transfer to a different school, which is how I got my new boyfriend.
I was walking out of my last class for the day, physics, where I ran into Chase. You know, the dipshit that scared the shit out of me at the beginning of the school year. He was in a hurry, and bumped right into me, knocking my physics text book out of my hand. I bent over at the same time he did to pick it up, and we bumped foreheads.
"Great job" I reprimanded him massaging my now tender forehead.
"Sorry, I guess I didn't see you there." He handed me my book and stood up. "I'm not sure how I missed those thighs though." He stormed off.
I looked down at my thighs and I could feel my face turn red.
--
That night, at our family dinner, I started falling into my old habits. I picked at my food, thinking of my thighs the entire time I chewed and swallowed. Sensing something was wrong, my mom suggested that I call Dr. Ruiz and talk to her about it. Maybe it was just my mother's intuition, but she was right. I called Robbie and told her everything, from Chase's comment to how I was starting to feel guilty for eating again. Robbie decided that it would be best if she came down and paid me an early visit. Much to my surprise, my mother agreed to let Robbie stay with us for a few weeks.
After I told Caleb what had happened with Chase, he mysteriously disappeared for a few hours after dinner. I tried to call Pogue to see if he knew where Caleb was, but Pogue never answered his phone.
"Mom, have you seen Caleb or heard from Pogue?" I called from the kitchen, thinking she was in the living room. I got up and started walking from the kitchen to the living room. "I've been trying to get a hold of-" I stopped mid-sentence, and stopped walking altogether when I saw Caleb, Pogue, Reid, and Tyler in my living room.
"Hey baby." Pogue greeted me. The four of them were standing in a line, in the middle of the living room. I was waiting for someone to start singing and dancing, because that's exactly what they looked like; Ipswich's version of 98 degrees.
"Hey." I quickly glanced at Tyler to see that he was staring down at his feet, which he has a habit of doing, then turned on my heel and began walking the other way, as fast as I could… without looking too suspicious.
"Where do you think you're going?" Pogue caught up with me before I could even make it back into the kitchen. I could feel his hot breathe on my ear. He grabbed a hold of my shoulders and turned me around, so now I was facing him. "We came to talk to you, about Chase. We should probably fill you in on what we found out."
"Okay" It came out more as a mumble rather than an answer. Pogue, was being way to desirable for his own good. Whether he knew it or not, his breathe on my ear, his hands on my shoulder, I know it doesn't sound too sexual… but it was. It really fucking was.
He grabbed my hand and led me back to the living room. We all sat down and Caleb started talking. All four of them looked on edge and jittery.
According to my brother, my boyfriend, and their two other friends, Chase was actually a witch as well. It didn't make any sense, so I'll spare you the details. To sum it up, Chase was bad. End of story.
--
"You know, I don't think you're fat. I never have." Pogue and I were sitting outside on my porch, later that night. The air was very muggy and not at all like the raw, crisp, and chilly Fall air it should be for this time of year.
"Yeah…" I answered him, my mind drifting back to what Chase had said earlier that day. I looked down at my thighs. I sighed.
"Stop thinking about him."
I looked over at Pogue who was staring down at me. "I'm trying not too." It was true, I was pushing Tyler as far away as I could. Wait, he was talking about Chase wasn't he?
"He said that only to get under your skin. I think your thighs are sexy." He chuckled, while one of his hands ran their way up my leg.
I'm not sure exactly what led to it, but one second Pogue and I are sitting on my front porch and the next we're in a heated make-out session. His hands were all over the place. In my hair, up my shirt… I was a little disappointed when we he stopped and said he had to go. I wanted it to go further. A lot further. Fuck you hormones!
"I'll see you tomorrow at school" Pogue got onto his sexy yellow bike and drove away.
"Yeah." I said to no one in particular. My mind was full of dirty thoughts.
--
The next day at school was Chase-free. He was in none of the classes we had together and I didn't see him roaming the halls of Spencer's in between classes. I did however, get to see Pogue at swim practice later in the day. And the thoughts I had been thinking the previous night, were innocent compared to the thoughts I had, when I saw him in that tiny little Speedo he wore for an hour and a half straight.
The best thought came to me when Pogue slowly emerged from the water, after coach had told everyone that practice was over. It all happened in slow motion too. Pogue was emerging from the water, soaking wet, and still in that tiny Speedo, running a hand through his damp hair. It was like a walking ad for Gay Man's Viagra. In three words, It was hot.
"Want to go to Nicky's later?" I was snapped out of my fantasy. I looked over at Pogue who was now fully dressed, although his hair was still slightly wet. I was alone on the bleachers. Everyone must have left while I was deep in thought, fantasizing abut a chiseled Pogue-God coming back to earth, and claiming me as his servant.
"Can't, Robbie's coming down from Boston and she should be here by the time I get home from school. You should come over for dinner." I replied casually. He had no idea what he was doing to me, just standing there, looking like… well… looking like Pogue.
After Pogue agreed to have dinner with my family and I, I met up with Caleb, and we rode home together.
"You know, you did promise you would take me car shopping when school first started up." I reminded him.
"That was before you stole Mom's car." He did have a point.
Touché.
I let my mind wander back to Pogue for the rest of the drive home. I know fantasizing isn't good for you. But I just could help it.
Pogue and Adele Parry.
Mr. and Mrs. Parry.
Lord and Lady Parry.
--
We pulled up to our house and I saw Robbie's car in the drive. The fact that she drove a Toyota and not some yuppie BMW made me like her even more.
I ran inside and found Robbie and my mother talking and laughing like they were old friends. Robbie was wearing a Hilary inspired dark grey pantsuit while my mother was wearing a dark green, long-sleeved sweater dress. I was a little shocked to see them laughing like that. They couldn't have anything in common, could they?
"Robbie!" I exclaimed and ran over to her. I hadn't stopped thinking about her and Chloe since I returned home.
"Hey there Kiddo. How are you?" She smiled warmly.
"Eh." I answered and we all laughed.
"Honey, will you put your stuff upstairs and change out of your uniform. I'm about to do a load of laundry and I noticed you're wearing you're last clean set of uniforms."
I looked over at my mother, a confused and bewildered expression spread across my face. Since when did my mom start doing laundry again? And when did she start calling me honey?
Instead of arguing, I was far too confused to do that anyways, I did as I was told. I came back downstairs and handed over the uniform I had been wearing to my mother. Caleb must have seen the confused look on my face because he raised an eyebrow at me as I sat down across from him at the table.
A few minutes later, after Robbie and I had caught up, my mother decided to make her exit from the house, to the grocery story, taking Caleb with her. I laughed, as my brother got up from the table with a confused look on his face while I raised my eyebrow at him. He must have figured out why I was acting so confused. My mother was starting to act like her old self again. Like an actual mother. I wasn't sure if I liked it or not.
--
"So tell me, what exactly did this Chance guy say to you?" Robbie took a sip of her water.
"Chase," I corrected her, "told me that he wasn't sure how he ran into me with my thighs being so huge." So I didn't quote him word for word. Sue me.
"And what'd you do afterwards?"
"I came home and I didn't eat until dinner. And even then I didn't want to eat."
"What was going through your mind when you were eating?"
I thought about that for a moment, and then answered. "My thighs." I changed the subject quickly though, because I didn't really want to talk about my body anymore. "Have you heard from Chloe?"
"She left a few days after you did," She paused. "I haven't heard anything from her at all." Robbie's voice was a little deeper than usual and I could sense that she was worried. I didn't press her on the subject of Chloe anymore because my mother and brother had returned home the grocery store.
--
My mom sent Caleb and I upstairs to work on our homework while her and Robbie started making dinner. I took the time to ask Caleb if he thought mom was just putting on a show for Robbie. I was surprised to hear him say that mom's been different since her and my dad got back together. I had no idea what 'together' meant because the only time I saw them together was at my party and I highly doubted they were dating, because everyone except for the covenant and a few close friends thought my dad was dead.
An hour or so went by until Pogue and Sarah arrived for dinner. We were all sitting around the table, getting ready to eat when the doorbell rang. I noticed there were two empty seats at the table.
"Oh that should be them now." My mother said as she turned around and walked out of the kitchen to open the front door.
"Who did mom invite?" I asked Caleb who was sitting directly across from me.
Instead of answering me, Caleb lifted his chin in my direction. I turned around and smiled. Gorman was pushing Dad in his wheelchair over towards the table. Thank God it wasn't Tyler and Mr. Simms. Now that, would be awkward.
It was the first time I had a family dinner with my entire family in years. Although Robbie, Sarah, Pogue and Gorman were there as well it felt as thought it was just my Mom, Dad, Caleb, and I. Just the four of us together again, eating a normal dinner, and just being a normal family.
And it was a wonderful feeling.
--
After dinner was over, Gorman and my dad left, Sarah and Caleb went upstairs, Robbie and my mom were cleaning the dishes, so Pogue and I decided to hang out on the back patio.
A year ago, I would have never thought I'd be laying next to Pogue on a recliner, participating in a very sexy and very sloppy make out session. Both of his hands rested on my ass, both of my hands were entangled within his hair, and occasionally we'd make either a grunt or moan when the other had to pull away for air.
"We should take this upstairs." I said in between kisses.
I was answered by his hand smacking my ass. I giggled. Pogue liked it rough. I sat up and was about to pull him up when Robbie decided to she wanted to interrupt us. I could never express how much hate I felt towards her in that very moment. It was cynical, sadistic, and very intense. If looks could kill, she'd be dead.
"Hey, we need to finish our little talk." She smiled widely. She knew she was interrupted. She wasn't very sly about it.
"Talk about what?" Pogue asked, as he stood up and adjusted his jacket.
"The birds and the bees." I could have sworn that was what Robbie said as she turned and walked back into the house.
I looked over at Pogue who was grinning ear to ear. Yeah, I had heard Robbie right. And apparently, Pogue did too.
"She's outstayed her welcome." I laughed as I walked him out of the house.
