Chapter 3: New Life

(POV Seth again)

I woke up early again today. Grabbing the pants that were draped over the back of the chair by my desk, I strolled out to the bathroom. Stormy was awake talking to Pierre.

"Good morning Seth." She smiled at me. I smiled back at her. She knew nothing of what I was. When I had showed back up here a month or so ago, after my refusing of Ella, I ended up naked. She asked me what the hell happened to me and I told her that I walked out and I had told her t hat I didn't know how to shut off the shower and I went out to look for a job but I got mugged. She believed me.

"Good morning Stormy, hey Pierre." I greeted. He smiled at me and pushed himself to his feet, coming over giving me a hug, his wife followed. I wasn't completely use to the touchy, hugging show of affection yet, even though I had been living here for a straight month. Apparently it was his custom to greet people with hugs. He told me that he didn't have to if I didn't want him to but I figured that we all did things differently so it was best to let him do what he needed to in ways he was familiar with.

"What is your plan today?" He asked, walking over to the cabinet to get out a dinner plate. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Well, I have to go to work, but I'm not sure what else after that." I admitted, looking out the window at a little bird that had been resting inside of the bird feeder. He nodded and scooped up some scrambled eggs and bacon onto the plate and handed me a homemade blueberry muffin. I smiled and thanked him, sitting at the kitchen table. Stormy sat next to me, and Pierre sat next to her. They always did this, they liked to keep each other company, and they liked to keep me company.

"So, how is your job keeping you?" He asked. I looked at him blankly. He was French by birth so his English sometimes sucked. Stormy smiled.

"He means 'how do you like your job so far?'" She smiled at her husband. He laughed.

"Yes, sorry if I confused you." He itched his head. I smiled and shook my head. "No problem, I know it gets hard to talk in a different language and make sense." They both looked at me blankly. I smiled. "I'm learning French." I informed them. They both smiled. Stormy clapped her hands together and bounced.

"I'm so proud of you Seth! Soon you and Pierre can talk crap about me behind my back without me knowing it!" She giggled. Pierre shot her a hurt look.

"never! I never speak bad about you." He replied. I nodded.

"Neither do I, you're too nice." I replied, winking at her. Her cheeks turned red as she laid her hands on them and bounced.

"Oh you two flatter me too much!" She giggled. Finishing breakfast I stood up and put the plate in the sink. I walked to the bathroom and turned the water on. I could hear Pierre and Stormy talking in the next room about what color they should paint the computer room walls. I smiled and shook my head. Adjusting the temperature I stripped, placing all of my clothes on the dryer and climbed into the shower. I scrubbed up quickly, keeping my mind blank. That was the only way I could keep it sane. If I didn't keep my mind blank then I would end up thinking about Ella. I didn't want to think about her. Like, at all.

Rinsing off I shut the water off and grabbed the towel. I brought it across my body. I wondered how Sam and Jared were doing though. Stepping out of the shower I grabbed the hairdryer out from under the sink and plugged it in. Standing in front of the mirror I turned it on and started to dry my hair. I heard a scream out in the living room. Quickly shutting off the hairdryer I threw on my boxers and ran out. Stormy was hiding behind Pierre screaming. Pierre had a phone book in one hand. I looked at her with a cocked eyebrow.

"What's going on?" I asked. Pierre turned around and smiled at me nervously.

"Stormy saw a spider, its on the ceiling, I'd get it but I am not that tall." I smiled and rolled my eyes.

"Where is it?" I questioned stepping forward. She screamed again and pointed. I looked up. There in the middle of the ceiling was a huge spider that must have been the size of a bouncy ball. "Whoa! That's freaking huge!" I boomed. It scampered across the ceiling. She screamed and started jumping. I followed it.

"Kill it! Kill it Seth kill it!" She started crying. Pierre hugged her. I smiled and cornered it. Biting my lip, I reached forward and lightly grabbed its leg. It let off a high pitched noise that sounded like a scream. I pulled my hand away, sending it flying to the floor. She screamed as it started speeding across the carpet towards her. She turned around and dashed to the bathroom. Slamming the door shut she shoved like…twenty towels under it to make sure it didn't get in. She continued screaming. I ran after the spider. I bent down and grabbed it. It screamed again. Quickly running to the window I opened it and chucked it outside. Shutting the window I shuttered.

"It's gone Storm, you can come out." I hollered. I could hear her crying. I never knew she was an arachnophobia. I sighed. "Stormy? Can you like…toss my clothes out here so I can get dressed for work?" I questioned, walking up to the door. The door opened up and she stepped out, her cheeks were drenched, her eyes were red. Pierre came over and gave her a hug. I felt awful. I never knew that spiders could scream now. Maybe it was a different breed of spider? I know it was none I've ever seen.

Walking into the bathroom I shut the door and slid the rest of my clothes on. Grabbing my shoes I slid them on and grabbed my work hat.

"I'm heading out now." I called to Stormy and Pierre. They both looked at me, Stormy still shaken up, but they smiled and bid me a good day. Smiling back at them I opened the front door and stepped out into the hallway, shutting it behind me. Walking down the hallway I headed for the elevator. Pushing the button I stepped in and waited for the door to shut. In the lobby, the man at the desk smiled at me and bowed his head. I returned it and headed out the front door. Out front there was a taxi parked. I headed towards it and opened the back door, climbing in.

"hey Seth, how you doing?" The man asked as I shut the door and situated myself.

"Ah, pretty good Briand, how is the wife?" I replied, hooking my seatbelt and sitting down as he pulled out into traffic and headed down the street.

"She pretty good, wife is pregnant." he replied, looking at me in the rearview mirror. I smiled.

"That's great! Congratulations!" I boomed, although the words felt hollow. He shook his head.

"Baby not mine." he replied. My jaw dropped, my heart stopping.

"What!" I whimpered.

"Baby not mine, someone elses, probably that ass she works with." He spat. I looked around. Oh god! I had thrown myself into the midst of a huge feud. I was being too nosey and I ended up somewhere I never should have ended up.

"W-well, I'm sorry dude." I replied, trying to say something that would make him feel better yet not pry into his business. I really didn't want to know any details. He snorted.

"not your fault, it's hers." He replied. I sighed and looked down at my lap, nodding. "Anyway, what's new with you?" He asked, looking up at me in the rearview mirror. "You find a girl here yet?" He smiled. I copied his snort and shook my head.

"Are you nuts, me find a girl? Hah! I have a better chance of getting a guy." I joked. He laughed and nodded.

"It happens." I nodded adjusting my hat.

"Some times, you don't want it to happen though." I laughed. He shook his head and turned the corner into the parking lot of where I worked and pulled up in front of the doors. I unbuckled and handed him a twenty.

"Take care bud, I'll pick you up at 6." He called as I opened the door and climbed out.

"Thanks dude, see you then." I replied, flashing him one more smile, then shutting the door. I watched as he drove off. Sighing I turned around to gaze at the dirty, fingerprint smudged glass door and shook my head. Obviously Martin wasn't here. I rolled my eyes and pushed the doors open and stepped inside. The place was packed. I sighed and walked forward behind the counter and over to a window where I grabbed a headset.

"Hey Seth." a girl greeted.

"Hey Ellie, what's up?" I asked as I put me headset on. A car pulled up outside the window.

"Pretty good." She replied, smiling at me. I smiled and nodded.

"That's good." I looked down at a few bags. Grabbing them I opened the window and leaned out, completely taking over. Once the person drove away, I looked up at the camera as another car pulled up to a window a little farther down. "Welcome to McDonalds, what would you like today?" I questioned, the restaurant name leaving a sour taste in my mouth. I never liked McDonalds, and I hated working here save for the few hours I got to spend outside of the apartment and be with Ellie.

"I'd like a…and a…" The woman spoke into the speaker. My mouth hung open. I did not hear a single thing she said.

"I'm sorry ma'am, can you repeat that?" I focused. She repeated it, her voice sounding…strained, deep pants filled the headset. I looked around nervously. I listened. The pants filled to moans as she carried on with her order. "Ma'am, are you trying to molest me via drive thru?" I squeaked. She continued to moan. "Ma'am, I hope you realize that um…I can hear you, so uh…" I shrugged my shoulders, I didn't know what to say to her. "Can you tell me your order?" I whimpered.

"I want a whopper with fries and sauce on my body!" She screamed. I pulled the headphones off and threw them across the room, my ears ringing from the sudden loudness of her voice.

"Jesus!" I squealed, my eyes watering, the manager came in, his eyes narrow.

"What is all of the racket?" He snarled.

"This lady was molesting me through the drive thru then screamed that she wanted a whopper and sauce on her body!" I whimpered, rubbing my ears. He looked at me confused, shocked as I shook my head, trying to get the ringing out of my ears.

"Um…did you tell her we don't sell whoppers and body saucing doesn't come with regular meals?" He questioned, his face disturbed. I shook my head.

"No, not yet, should I?" I walked over and grabbed the headset. He laughed and nodded.

"I would." Turning he left me alone. Putting the headset back on I sighed.

"Sorry ma'am, so you know we don't sell whopper's and we can't body sauce the customers." I replied. A car drove by the window. A shirtless woman in the driver side. My jaw dropped. "Oh my god." I put my head in my arms and grunted. It was going to be a long day.

NFS

A couple more clicks of the clock till I got to stamp out and leave. Ellie was already off, but she stood around in the drive thru room and spoke to me when no one was driving through.

"So, you told that girl you don't sauce customer's bodies, how about mine?" She winked. I laughed and shook my head, sitting on a stool, leaning against the counter with my hands on my knees. I looked down at the floor.

"I can't believe that people are starting to get even more crazy throughout the years. It makes me sick really." I chuckled dryly. She laughed.

"Can you sauce my body?" She joked. My face turned hot. Ellie was pretty. She had long brunette hair, blue eyes, a thin, long nose, small, rounded tip. Her lips were narrow, smooth. She had a lip piercing. Her eyebrows were thin, very well taken care of. Her hair was cut straight across the bangs and the rest of it was layered. She was fairly tall for being a girl, thin, long legs, a small, slightly flat behind. Her waist was narrow but curvy. Her chest must have been at least C's, and she had more muscle than I did -not really but if I were human then yeah.

"I'll sauce your body with honey and applesauce and lock you in a room with bee's." I muttered. She laughed.

"it's your ass when you get thrown in jail there for murder." She winked, crossing her arms, leaning against the counter across from me. She was allergic to bees big time. If one even landed on her she swells up. I clenched my fists and brought my hand back.

"Yes! I get to become a Clearwater sandwich in prison! I hope they lube before they scube." She laughed and shook her head, her hair -which was pulled back into a ponytail- fell up over her head and into her face.

"Nope, they like dry entrances." She stuck her tongue out at me. I imagined what it must feel like, then gasped as I imagined the pain. My hand shot to my rump as my eyes shut tight.

"Oh man, that must hurt something wicked!" I howled. She laughed and shook her head. Walking forward she grabbed the headset and pulled it off of my head. I looked at her confused as she put it on the counter after turning it off. "What are you doing?" I questioned. She smiled at me.

"It's time to go." She pointed at the clock. I looked. 6 o clock sharp. I smiled and nodded, happy that today was over. "You got a ride home?" She asked, turning, walking towards the exit. I nodded.

"yeah, Briand said he'd drive me home." I replied. She snorted.

"Oh yes, Briand. I hope he also told you that today he had to leave at 5 to go to Florida to visit his aunt." She looked back at me, her face not looking pleased. I sighed and shook my head.

"You know, his aunt is sick so I don't blame him for bouncing out on me." I replied, punching out, following her towards the door.

"No, but he could at least tell you so that you had an alternative ride!" She growled, pushing the door open, holding it for me. I put my hand out and held it open as I shoved my way through.

"Ell, it's fine I don't care, I can walk." I replied, not understanding why she was getting so worked up over it. I had known her for a month. A whole month, and Briand was her brother, so really meeting her was my portal to my transportation to and from work.

"I know but, it's not right!" She whined, waking down the sidewalk. I followed her.

"It doesn't matter, plus I'd rather walk home, it's nice out today." I looked up at the sky. She stopped and whirled around. I stopped before I ran into her and looked at her questioningly.

"I just…I don't want something bad to happen to you Seth." She replied. Her eyes looked thoughtful. My eyebrows furrowed as I looked at her, trying to translate that expression. What was she trying to say? What was that look for? But better yet…why did it hurt to see that? I shook my head slowly.

"Nothing is going to happen to me Ell, I'll be fine." I whispered. She sighed and looked at the cement. We just stood there quiet for a few moments. I stared at her as she looked at the ground. "I…I should get back." I whispered. She looked up at me and nodded. I stepped forward, but her hands stopped me. I looked down at her. Taking a deep breath she closed her eyes and threw herself to her tippy toes, pressing her lips against mine. My heart skipped a beat as her arms wrapped around me.

How could this be? Ellie like me like that? I felt my stomach go sour. Why? Why did she like me like this when I felt nothing for her? How could she like me in such a short time? She pressed herself against me. She disappeared. Her brunette hair being replaced by red, her body feeling colder. Her scent changed, tickling my nose, burning my senses. I closed my eyes so I couldn't see it. So I could see her. I had to stop this nonsense, before I hurt both of us. Grabbing her arms I pushed her back and backed away from her.

"Ellie, I'm sorry but…I don't feel anything like that for you. I-" I paused as I saw her face warp into one of pain. She shook her head.

"no, I'm sorry, I'm such an idiot, how could I ever think someone could love me." She cried. Turning she ran the opposite direction. I watched her, letting my arms fall to my sides. I looked down at the ground, feeling my eyes turn hot.

"I would love you…" I whispered. Turning I headed the other way towards home. "if only I were allowed to.