A/N I am so sorry for the long wait, I've had a huge writers block, not to mention the ice storm of the century just happened to hit my area, which left me with out power for SEVEN DAYS, meaning no computer, then it was Christmas and now I have the time and the ideas to update. :D And this chapter is really important in the long run, it doesn't have much Josh but its essential for the later chapters.
Disclaimer: *sad face* Me no own. I wish I owned Josh, but sadly I do not, Kate Brian does, I am merely borrowing him for a while. *sad face* I wanna keep him! LOL.
Chapter 4:
It's the night before Ness's homecoming; we have the webcams set up and everything. I was sitting in the library studying for my French vocabulary quiz, it was easy, I took French last year so everything I was learning was a review. The only other person who seemed to know as much as me was Dan's friend, Josh. Josh was hot, but Dan was hotter, still, he had the cutest curly blonde hair, bright blue eyes and a smile that would be, for some lucky girl, to die for, but not for me, I only had eyes for Dan. I snapped out of my little daydream, to someone, or rather two people sitting down in front of me. I looked up to see Dan and, believe it or not Josh.
"Hey," Dan said.
"Bonsior." He said, glancing at my French vocabulary list.
"Let's keep it English please." Dan interjected before I could even respond.
"Hey Josh, you ready for tomorrows French quiz?" I asked.
"Yes, French comes naturally to me. What about you?"
"Considering everything we're learning is a review, I'm feeling ready." I said with a smirk.
"Review eh? You do realize you're in AP French at St. James prep. right? " he said, with a look of astonishment upon his face.
"Yes, is there something wrong with that?" I stared at him, he stared right back, a hint of a smirk appearing when I said. "I've been tutored by a French college professor, a friend of my moms, since I was in third grade, we, my family, took a trip to France, and I fell in love with the language. So I begged my mom to let me get a tutor and I've been learning ever since. I'm almost fluent."
"Almost?" he asked incredulously.
"Yes, I stopped for a year." I said, looking down at my review sheet.
"Why, if you don't mind me asking, did you stop?" He said, intrigued.
"Well, that was the year… umm… that my dad… he… umm, well…" I completely broke off then, unable to continue, I felt arms around me from both my left and right sides. Before I knew it I was crying into Dan's chest and holding Josh's hand while he rubbed my back with his other.
"Belle, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry." Josh said with hurt in his eyes after I calmed down. I still had one arm around Dan and still clutching Josh's hand, as if my life depended on it.
"It's all right. It's just that talking about my dad is hard. Really hard." Every time someone brought up the subject of dad, I broke down. I thought I had it under control, now that I was gone, but I now realize it made it worse. "Fudge muffins!" I screeched. Then I looked up and saw Dan and Josh with very confused looks on their faces. "Homecoming is in 3 hours!"
"So?" "Your point?" Dan and Josh said simultaneously.
"I need to get to that webcam!" I said half way across the now deserted library.
"Shit!" I heard someone trip and fall, then appear next to me.
"What would you do without me?" I smirked.
"I don't know and I only met you 72 hours ago. That's a little scary." Dan said.
"I have that effect on people." I giggled.
When we got back to my dorm, I made Dan wait in the common room, while I went up to grab my laptop and the webcam. On my way back down, I ran, literally into Julianna, she was a freshman in my dorm. I think she lived on the floor below me.
"Hey, sorry I ran into you, I'm kinda in a hurry." I said.
"Its cool, I was just avoiding the blonde bitch that lives above me." She said.
"Blonde bitch. Hmmm, you must mean my roommate, Jordin?"
"Uh, yeah."
"Blondie the Bitch! Perfect!" I laughed.
"Blondie the Bitch?" she asked.
"Yeah, that's my new name for her, I hated her from the start, I even asked Dan, the first person I met that goes here, if the school would give me a waterproof cardboard box to live in!"
"You hate living with her that much?"
"Yes, wouldn't you?"
"True. Hey wanna talk to housing and see if you could room with me?" she said, rather optimistic.
"Hells yes! You seem like my kinda girl." Now that I thought about it we really clicked. For starters she was in all my classes and she was a freshmen, I saw that her clothes had paint stains on them, which made me draw the conclusion that she was a painter too. "Wait, someone like you doesn't have a roommate?!" I said, rather shocked.
"Most people think I'm weird because I hate sports, and when ever I have spare time, I'm almost always in the art studios painting." I felt my jaw drop. I shrieked.
"What?!" she seemed rather freaked.
"Oh my god you're my idol! It was you that was in the studio the other day, the doors were locked and Metro Station was blasting!" I was so exited right now, it wasn't even funny.
"Wait, what were you doing trying to get into the studio?! Only a few select people, mostly me, use it?" She said, with a hint of alarm in her voice.
"Because I left my brushes and easel in there and I wanted another canvas, mine was too small." I said.
"Wait, you paint?" she said, amazed. By now we both were heading back down the stairs, at a much slower rate than before.
"Mhmm, that's actually one of the biggest reasons I got to come here, the piece I submitted is in the front of the art building." Can you believe it; they have a whole building dedicated to art. And my piece is in the front. That must mean something.
"Really, me too! Is yours the red flower on the black back round with red tear drops?" she said.
"Yeah, but how did you know?" I asked her.
"Because the first day I went into the center, it caught my attention, its next to mine, and I thought 'Damn, who ever did this has some skill and soul.' Then when you said you painted I immediately knew it had to be you." She said as I held the door open for her, we were on our way to housing.
"Wait, the picture of the hearts, in pink, red and black is yours?!" I said. We were now half way across campus. And I heard somebody running behind us. I turned around and I saw, Dan, o shit!
"Jules stop for a sec." she nodded her head and turned around. "Hey, sorry about that. I ran into Julianna on the stairs and we started talking and we clicked and she asked me to be her roommate and we're headed to housing now. Kinda had a moment regarding the 'Master Plan'." I said in a rush.
"It's ok, but if you wanna make it on time we gotta go." He said.
"Hey, is it ok if we meet up tomorrow and talk to housing then, I have a homecoming picture thing to crash."
"Ok, not gonna ask. I'll call you later." We switched cell phones to put our numbers in.
"Now missy time to go!" Dan said, pulling me back across campus yet again to his dorm. When we got there I called Jay and told him to turn it on and to get Ness into the living room. A few minutes later I heard Ness yelling at Jay, "Why do I have to go into the living room?! I need to finish my make up!"
"Well that's not a very nice way to greet your big sis and her new bestie Dan." I said to an extremely shocked Vanessa Anderson.
"AHHHHH! What are you doing, what's all this?!" she said realizing what was happening.
"I told you I'd make it to see you off, and I figured I'd bring your dates big bro along with me." I said with a smirk and a wink.
"Omigod I love you. I'll be right back I just need to finish my eye shadow." And with that she was off and in came Ethan.
"Hey E, lookin good." Said Dan.
"Brett is that you?!" he said.
"Brett? Who's that?" I said to who I thought to be Dan.
"Uh, guys we'll be right back." And with that he turned off the web cam.
"Care to explain?" I said.
"Brett is my real name. But I told you Daniel because I thought you'd make fun of me." He said the last part sheepishly.
"Why would I make fun of you? I think Brett suits you. I think it's kinda hot." I said.
"You do eh?" he smirked.
"Shit. I just said that out loud didn't I?" Dan-now-Brett nodded. I could feel my face go 15 shades of red. All he did was laugh.
"What? So maybe I think you're hot, and Brett is a good name to go with a hot guy. But where'd you come up with Daniel?" I said, still red as a fire truck.
"So you think I'm hot, you have extremely excellent taste. And it's my middle name."
"Shut up! And hmmm… Brett Daniel Michaels. I like it." And this time making sure I didn't say it out loud. Isabelle Rose Michaels, I like it. "Ok lets go back to homecoming, Brett." I said with a laugh.
"Fine." And he proceeded to turn the webcam back on.
"Hey guys sorry about that…" we said.
"Yeah, not even gonna ask." Said Ethan, and Jay nodded in agreement. Then I heard the click clacking of my sister's heels coming down the hallway.
"V, you look beautiful." Ethan said, he then proceeded to kiss her on the cheek.
"Awwww how cute!" I quietly squealed to Brett.
"I can't believe I'm saying this but it is." He said.
"Awww, Brett has a sweet side."
"Picture time!" my mom squealed.
"One reason I'm glad we're attending via webcam, is that we're not in any pictures." I whispered.
"Amen, girly, amen." Before we knew it pictures were over and it was time for them to head to the dance.
"Call me later hun." I told Vanessa before we left. "Bye Mom, Jay. I'll call you guys soon."
"Bye." They said in unison.
We had just dropped my laptop back in my room, and were heading to the dinning hall for a late dinner when I got a text from Ness.
B, Me and Ethan didn't work out.
We're going as friends.
-V
I responded back:
V, and I'm supposed to do what with that knowledge?
-B
B, one word dummy.
Brett.
-V
Damn, I love the girl more and more everyday.
"What's that grin on you gorgeous face supposed to mean? Brett asked.
"Just thinking how much I love my lil sis more and more everyday. And did you just call me gorgeous because I believe you did." I said, turning pink.
"Now I'm the one saying things that should be kept in my mind." He said, turning pink as well.
"Look, I made big, strong Brett blush." I smiled as I said this.
"Shut up!" he said. "Oh, and what's making you love Vanessa more and more everyday?"
"She just told me a valuable piece of information." I said coyly.
"Oh, and what is that?" he asked.
"You'll find out when the time is right."
"And when will that be?"
"When it is. End of subject. Time for dinner, I'm hungry." I said and starting walking to the dinning hall.
I had tater tots and a grill cheese and Brett had the same. Then we went our separate ways. When I got to the dorm I walked in and Blondie the Bitch was having a full out make out session with some man whore on her bed so I just walked in grabbed a pillow, blanket and put a pair of PJs, my toothbrush, stuff for tomorrow all into a bag and headed down stairs to Jules's room.
I found her room and knocked.
"Can I crash here tonight? Blondie the Bitch is having a full on make out session in our room and I really don't wanna witness it." I asked her as she opened the door.
"Sure, I'm cool with that. Come on in." she said helping me carry my stuff in.
"Thanks, you're officially a life saver. And no I don't mean the candy." I said laughing.
"Thanks." She said.
"It was around 10 when we finally went to bed, then I was woken up by a phone call around 8 in the morning. I looked at the caller id and it said unknown number, but I answered it anyway.
"Hello?" I said.
"Hi, Isabelle, it's Ethan." Oh shit. He sounded upset.
"What's wrong?!" I said, alarm evident in my voice.
"It's Vanessa." And then both he and I broke down crying. I knew it. He found her. He fucken found her and hurt her. And it's all my fault!
"Where is she?!" I almost screamed into the phone.
"St. Noelle, do you know where it is?" he asked me.
"Yes, I know exactly where it is. I'm on my way. DON'T LEAVE HER!" and the last part I finally broke down and screamed/ sobbed into the phone. By this time I had woken Jules up.
"What the hell is going on?!" she asked me.
"My sister. I have to go. I'll call you when I get to the hospital. Don't worry, I'm bringing Brett. Bye." And with that I was out the door and flying down the stairs and across campus to Brett's dorm. I ran in and straight into a body, I immediately knew to be Brett's, as I'd cried on that very same chest many times before.
"Did he call you?"
"Yes, now lets get to the airport and you can tell me just what the fuck is going on, on the plane ride back to Colorado. Kay?" I just nodded and he picked me up and ran to the shuttle station. After 2 long hours in the airport we finally made it on a plane to Colorado.
"Ohkay, now tell me, what the hell is going on with your sister?!" Brett asked.
"Alright I'll tell you. But you can't say anything until I'm finished. OK?" I said. I can do this.
"Ok, I promise."
"Well it all started when I was in sixth grade, V was in fifth. My mom was working late so it was just Ness and me. Then my dad came home drunk. We've never seen him act the way he did. He came home screaming his head off, he said he wanted to know where mom because he wanted to get some ass, I didn't know what that meant at the time, and when I said she was at work he, he hit me. He didn't stop, Ness heard the noise, my screams, and she said she called the police, and then he switched and started beating her. He didn't stop until the cops got there and then they arrested him, and brought us to get cleaned up at… St. Noelle's. My mom divorced him the second she found out. Unfortunately he got a damn good lawyer so he still got the right to see us. Then when the flights changed, we didn't tell him. And I'm assuming he took his anger out on Ness, because she was the only one there. That's it. That's our story."
"Holy shit. Come here." I looked at him, and he had tears going down his face. I'm sure I did too by the look he was giving me. I laid my head on his chest and stayed there for an hour or two.
"Brett, I think its time I told you what V told me." His eyes said go on. "She said her and Ethan broke up, and I asked her what she meant, and she said one word. Do you want to know what that one word was?" he nodded. "Brett."
"In that case." He said, looked me in the eye and kissed me. We pulled apart. "Was that too much? Because I've wanted to do that since the day on the plane?"
"No, it was perfect." And we held hands for the rest of the plane ride. Since we didn't bring anything, getting out of the hospital and the airport was easy. We went to the receptionist's desk and asked for V. Anderson. She said intensive care, room 564, fifth floor. As soon as she said ICU, we both started to cry. "Th-th-thank's ma'am." I said and we made the slow journey to room 564. When we got there I couldn't stand it, and I fell to the ground sobbing. I felt Brett pull me back up and sit me in his lap on the chair in the room. The last thing I knew was him rubbing my back and telling me 'shhh, it's gonna be ok, she's gonna be ok'.
A/N Again sooo sorry for the wait. So I stayed up until two in the morning for you all. None of this is real, just outta my overactive imagination, although after school, slightly underactive. Haha. I'll try my hardest to make a speedy update.
And reviews = love.
Dark Rose,
Forever.