Chapter Three
Cheri
I ran as fast as I could (which, pathetically, isn't as fast as you would think), to get away from him. I heard Tony calling my name, but I didn't stop. I got tired, though, and slowed down to a stop. He wasn't as out of breath as me, and we stood there. Me and my heavy breathing not facing him, and him and his hotness self staring at me pitifully.
"Go." Pant. "Away." Pant. Pant. Pant.
"Cher..."
"I." Pant. "I don't want you here right n-now," I said. Then I coughed, trying to get oxygen to my fiery lungs.
Wow, I am really out of shape, aren't I? Maybe I shouldn't have had that extra burger...
"Cheri, it's okay!" Tony reassured me. I whirled around to face him, ready to screech an 'It will never be okay, Tony!' into his face, but instead, all that came out was a sharp clucking sound. I clamped a hand over my mouth, and I felt tears in my eyes. I blinked, trying to keep them from falling, but it was no use.
"Cheri...Cher, no..." Tony sighed. I heard the rustle of the grass and leaves as he walked towards me, but I moved away, shaking my head. More rustling, but I still moved away.
"Let me just...Let me just be alone right now. I'm sorry I ruined your night," I choked out. Then I turned and ran off again.
Tears flew off my cheeks as I ran. It felt cold in places where there was water, but I didn't care. It almost felt good.
Why the hell was he back?!
But...
It's funny. For all my life...I thought I wanted him back. Sure, he wasn't my real father, but he was the only one I knew. And I loved him. But then he left. I remember, on my birthdays, when Sue would say 'make a wish, Cherry-Berry' and then I'd close my eyes tight...And chant over and over again in my head bring Daddy back, bring Daddy back...
Then I'd puff my cheeks out and blow out the candles. And I'd open my eyes...
But my wish wouldn't come true.
I'm beginning to think that what happened just now with him coming back had something to do with my fifteenth birthday wish.
'Make a wish, Cheri,' Sue smiled.
I closed my eyes tight, and chanted over and over again: have sex with me Louis Tomlinson, have sex with me Louis Tomlinson...
Then I puffed out my cheeks and blew out the candles. And I opened my eyes.
And...The wish didn't come true.
So maybe, now that for once I stopped wishing for something that I'd thought I wanted, it came true!
Ugh...
Have I mentioned to you how much I hate my life?
No?
Well I hate it. I really, really do.
I slammed the door to my house shut, and ran up the stairs. My stomach felt like someone was stabbing it over and over again with a knife, and my head pounded.
Too many burgers...
I laid on my bed, curling my knees into my chest. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep but it didn't come. All I could feel was the pain in my stomach, and my head.
Later, I heard noise downstairs. But I didn't move. They wouldn't bother me.
Or, at least they better not. If they don't want to get their faces pounded in with Cheri Clearwater's fists, they won't.
000000000000000000000000000000
Nami
I let myself in to the Clearwater's house, the guys following me. Tony looked beyond worried, and he hurried in front of me up to Cheri's room. I sighed, seeing her laid on the bed in a little ball. Tony sat down next to her, fingering her hair.
Marlon stayed quiet (for once), sitting down in 'his' beanbag chair in the corner of the room. Wynter sat at Cheri's desk chair. I got on my knees by Cheri's bed and shook her.
"Come on, Cher. Let's go to the corner store and raid their freezers and stuff. Bring it home, cook it up, watch some old '70s horror movies," I suggested. That was her favorite thing to do on Friday nights.
Instead of hopping up in joy, she tucked her head deeper into her body and mumbled something that I couldn't hear.
"Is this because that dude showed up to the bonfire? Why are you overreacting, anyway?" Marlon asked, standing up. "C'mon..."
"That 'dude' is her dad, Arrowhead," I said to Marlon. "He left her when she was a kid. Been gone twelve years," I added quietly. That shut him up. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"Hey, Cher, let's go through the closet and put on all the clothes we can find! We can take pictures, and stuff...?" Wynter suggested. That was Cher's second favorite thing to do on Friday nights. Sometimes Saturdays, it really depended on Her Highness's mood.
Tony moved her hair away, leaned down, and kissed her temple.
"Guys...I think it's best if we leave her alone to get her head around things," he said quietly. I didn't want to leave my friend - one of my best friends, to be exact - but I know that he was right. I looked at Marlon and Wynter, who in turn exchanged glances of their own.
Before leaving, we each gave our Baby Cheri kisses on her cheek. She'd never let us say it, but she was like our baby sister. We watched and took care of her like she was our own, because we knew she'd do the same for us.
I waited for Tony, who was whispering something in her ear. He gave her one last, lingering kiss, and then followed me out of the house.
0000000000000000000000000000000
Seth
"I feel so bad."
"You should. Did you really think that she was going to be jumping for joy at the sight of you?" Leah asked me. I sighed, knowing she was right. Taking a drag from my cigarette, I looked up. Leah coughed.
"I thought you were done with those?"
"Twelve years changes things, Leah," I replied, taking another drag. I ran a hand through my hair and then blew out the smoke. I let out a cough myself, and Leah sighed. "You think she'll want to see me soon?" I asked hopefully.
"Cheri? As hardheaded and bitchy as she is, I'm not so sure."
I growled at her comment.
"Bitch? Don't call her that," I spat.
"I'm just calling her what she calls herself," she answered. "For real. She calls herself a bitch, her friends, everyone, Baby Bro."
"Hm."
"She also calls herself ugly, fat, whore...Not to mention obese...We're actually thinking about sending her to a counselor. She puts herself down pretty bad."
"And I suppose you think it's my fault?"
No answer.
"Okay. My fault," I rolled my eyes and put out my cigarette. Standing up, I looked back at Leah. "I'm going to go see her. She upstairs?"
"Her room is my old one."
"Wish me luck?"
"No. Whatever happens, you brought upon yourself."
"You've really changed, you know that?"
"Twelve years changes things, Seth," she mimicked my voice from earlier. I smiled at her and then disappeared into the house.
I went up the stairs to Leah's old room, and found Mom sitting down on the bed. Cheri - damn, I can't believe how big she's gotten - was curled up on it. Mom moved away her hair and pressed a hand to her head, pulling away quickly.
"Cher, you're burning up!" she cried, hopping to her feet. "Cheri! Cher, do you hear me? Cheri!"
Mom turned around, meeting my eyes.
"Take her to the car, Seth. Hurry up!" she ordered. I rushed over and picked Cheri up, noticing that Mom was right about her burning up. Her head hung limply from the crook of my arm, and she opened up her eyes the tiniest bit. Then they closed again.
"Hurry up!" Mom screeched.
The next thing I knew, I was in a waiting room at the hospital, watching my daughter get rolled down the hallway by Carlisle and other doctors. Mom paced the floor frantically, fingering her hair.
It was shorter now, and white at the roots. She seemed a little thinner than I remembered her, too. But she was still Mom. My mother. Beautiful, no matter what.
Leah came in from outside.
"I called Jake. He's staying with Willie. Some of the Pack is on their way, and Heaven's coming over, too."
I sat down, trying to keep myself from phasing. I didn't know what they were doing to Cheri back there, but whatever it was - and no matter how many times I told myself that they were helping her - I felt that it was bad.
"Mom, sit down," Leah pleaded.
"No. No, no, no, no, no. I can't..." she sobbed. "My baby's back there..."
Embry walked in, Heaven's hand held tightly in his. Heaven looked so much older. I noticed a diamond on her finger, and she was very, very pregnant. On the hand that wasn't holding Embry's, she held the hand of a boy that looked to be about four or five.
"Where is she? How is she? Is she alright?" Heaven asked frantically, rushing over.
"C-Carlisle said it's her appendix. Th-they're operating right now," Mom answered, still pacing. Embry let go of his imprint's hand to lead her to a seat. She sat down, wringing her hands.
"Emerson, come here. Sit on Aunty Leah's lap," Leah said to the little boy. He rushed over, climbing onto my sister's lap where he latched onto her and laid his head on her stomach. Leah pulled away, and tweaked his nose.
"Leah," she said.
"Leah," the boy repeated.
"Loves."
"Loves."
"Emerson."
"Leah."
My sister giggled and smiled, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. She hugged the boy closer, rocking him back and forth. Cue a young man. He rushed in, skidding to a stop when he saw us.
"Tony!" Mom cried, rushing out of her seat. Embry looked at the ceiling. I turned to who Mom was hugging.
"I-I-I...I knew something was wrong, Mrs. C...I coulda..." Tony was stammering. I cocked my head and narrowed my eyes, looking at him closely.
"She's in surgery right now," Mom said quietly. Tony's eyes widened, and he looked even more worried and scared than he did before.
"S-Surgery?" he whispered. Mom nodded and hugged him again. He didn't hug her back, but stared straight ahead.
"Who's he?" I asked Embry. He looked at me, then back at Mom and the Tony kid.
"Cheri's boyfriend," he answered. I swear, my heart dropped to hell at that moment. I growled, and stood up, breaking the handles of the chair.
After that I stalked outside, not even bothering to take my clothes off before I phased.
000000000000000000000000000
Cheri
All I could feel was pain.
Which is really saying something, because usually the only thing I feel is hungry. Or horny. But don't worry, because that's only when Tony teases me with kisses. Cause you know-
Eh...Never mind. I'll save the nasty details for another time.
...This is the part where I wink seductively. Damn, play along, will you?
Beep. B-beep. Beep.
Okay, who invited the annoying parking truck into my room? Like, seriously?! What is life right now? I mean, come on!
Beep. B-beep. Beep.
Holy freaking mother of a cow, shut up.
Beep. B-beep. Beep.
Without opening my heavy eyelids, I yelled, "SHUT THE FUCK UP BEFORE I PUNCH YOU INTO NEXT YEAR, YOU STUPID MOTHERFUCKING TRUCK!"
But in reality, it came out sounding more like, "Mmm...Ohhhh...Mm-Mmm...Ahhh..."
Dude, I sound like I'm having an orgasm, or something. Like, wow.
"Cheri?"
"HOLY FREAKING SHIT, WHAT?!" I screamed. Again, it came out sounding all orgasm-y.
I forced my eyes open, a bright white light flooding my vision. I felt a dreamy smile creep onto my face when a head appeared.
"Louis...?" I squeaked. Everything came into focus, and the smile disappeared. Instead of Louis Tomlinson - or Tony. I would've loved to see Tony right now - it was not-my-dad Dad.
"Ugh..." groaned. "My stomach...Ugh."
"She's okay!" I heard Sue cry. She threw herself on me, and I let out a yelp in pain when her arm hit my stomach. I felt like someone had just stabbed me with knife and left it there.
"Dude! Get off!" I yelled. And this time, thankfully, it didn't sound like I was having sex. "That hurts!"
"Oh, honey, I'm sorry! I forgot about your stitches. Carlisle says that you'll need to be on bed rest for the next few days, and take it easy. You just had surgery only a few hours ago."
"Surgery? So like..." I gasped. "Did I get gastric bypass?! I didn't say I wanted it, but I'm not complaining-"
"Your appendix burst," not-my-dad Dad cut me off. I rolled my head to give him a blank stare, and a smile creeped onto his face. I rolled my eyes, looking back at Sue.
"You gave us all quite a scare, sweetie," she told me.
"Good." I smiled. "But seriously. This situation would be so much better if I'd just come out of gastric bypass, or something, then came face to face with Louis Tomlinson. Then he'd sing-"
"Cheri!"
"Cher!"
"Fuck, I'm gonna kill you!"
My head rolled to the door, and I smiled as my friends rushed in. Wynter had a giant card in her hands, and Tony had a huge bouquet of flowers in his. I grinned at him, and then Nami made my grin widen when I saw the bag of McDonald's in her grasp. Marlon saluted me and nodded.
"You fucking scared me! Ugh, Cheri! Don't...! Next time your appendix bursts, TELL US please!" Wynter screeched.
"You only have one appendix, smartness," Nami said, rolling her eyes. "Once it's gone, you can't get that back."
"Oh...We made you a card!" Wynter said happily.
"We bought you a card," Nami corrected.
"I paid," Marlon smiled.
"I also brought McDonald's. Big Mac, right?" Nami winked. Marlon jumped in front of her.
"I paid."
"And these are for you," Tony held out the flowers. A giant rose and baby's breath bouquet. It was really beautiful.
Maybe better if My Louis was giving it to me in person...But, hey. I'd take Tony Tiger any day.
"I..." Marlon started to say, but Tony eyed him dangerously. "He paid."
I giggled, but then cringed at the sharp pain through my stomach then.
"Stop! Augh! It hurts, doesn't it?! Quit making her hurt, guys! She's a fragile little person, you know!" Wynter shrieked, hitting Marlon's arm. He rolled his eyes.
People tend to do that when Wynter gets dramatic.
"I'm fine. Really," I reassured her. She looked skeptical. With all the strength I had - and, really. I mean a hell of a lot - I reached my arms out for my boyfriend.
"Gently, man! Gently," I said. He leaned down and kissed me, giving me a small hug.
Seth - I'm just gonna call him that now. I'm pissed at that guy - growled, making everyone jump and look at him. Sue made a motion for him to leave the room, which he did.
He slammed the door so hard, I swear he just created a new continent with all the shaking the room did.
"Umm...I'll just leave you guys alone," Sue said. She gave us all a forced smile, getting up and leaving the room.
"I swear, your family gets weirder by the day," Nami said, making me smile. "Fry?"
She took out a golden French fry, holding it out to me. I wanted to eat one, but strangely...I wasn't hungry.
Holy crap, what's wrong with me?!
"Oh, my God, she's delusional. Cheri! Cheri! What'd they do to you, Cheri!" Wynter screeched, she shook me and I sucked in a breath at the pain that shot through my abdomen. Tony pulled her off.
"I'm still here, golly. I'm just...Not hungry."
"...You're starting to scare me now," Marlon said. I smiled tiredly at him, and Tony clutched my hand. He smiled at me, and I smiled back, closing my eyes for a second.
"Does it hurt?" he asked.
"Like a bitch."
"Good to know," he chuckled, then he looked at everyone. "She sounds like Cheri. I think we're good, guys."
"Dude, we were like, so worried about you," Wynter suddenly exclaimed.
"I know. I heard you the first fifty-thousand times," I said sarcastically.
"But I can't express the feeling enough, Cher!"
"Oh. Well, sorry."
"Did it hurt before? Or do you not remember?" Nami asked.
"Well...When we were playing Frisbee, my stomach hurt a little bit...But I thought it was just period cramps." I shrugged. "And then when...Yeah. When I got home, that's when I really started to feel it. After that...I guess I fell asleep." I shrugged again.
It was quiet for a few minutes, the only sound the heart monitor next to me.
That was when the door opened, and a nurse walked in.
"Visiting hours are over, but they start up again at seven until ten tonight," she said with a smile. The five of us groaned together.
"Can't we stay?" Wynter whined.
"I'm sorry, but unless you're a part of her biological family-"
"We are! We're sisters!" Nami exclaimed. Wynter nodded.
"I'm her...Brother...?" Marlon said. Or, asked. He wasn't good at lying under pressure.
"Boyfriend," Tony said. "That's basically like a relative, right?"
"Yeah, nice try, kids," the nurse smiled with a nod. "Come on. Miss Clearwater needs her rest. We'll see you again tonight."
"NOOO! What the hell are we going to do for eight hours without Cheri?!" Wynter exclaimed.
"Out, children," the nurse gestured elaborately out the door.
I pulled Tony down by his collar, giving him a long kiss before pushing him off.
"I'll manage without you. Go on, before you're banned for good," I said. He smiled at me, setting the flowers on my bedside table. Nami put down the card, telling me she'd save my McDonald's for when she came back.
"And you better be hungry," she scolded. "Because if you're not, I might just have to call the government."
"Aye, aye, captain," I saluted her with a small smile. She, Wynter, and Marlon hugged and kissed me goodbye, and went out the door with one last wave.
After that, I fell asleep.
Yeah. Really, there's nothing else important. I just fell asleep.
Kay, bye.
00000000000000000000000
If I thought the pain in the hospital was bad, it was nothing compared to what I felt right now. Holy crap, I feel like my stomach is being run over by a monster truck driven by the fattest man in the world. Really. It was that bad.
The fact that I've had like, no sleep, doesn't help much either.
Or that I can't hold down any food. Ooh, I think that's the worst.
But, hey. Maybe that was just karma, because I've been such a bad girl in the past when it came to eating.
Yeah. Let's go with that.
I had to drink this glass of whitish stuff every day to keep healthy until I can eat food again. It tastes like shit. Like, for real. I think I'd be better off eating grass than the stuff Sue mixes in my glass.
It hurt to move. Standing up was so bad, and actually, I wasn't supposed to be doing it. Sue was always concerned that I'd rip my stitches, so I didn't do it much. But when I did...
Oucccchhh...
The only times I moved was when Seth came to sit by me, or start a conversation...Like he was trying to now.
"So, Cher...? How's school?" he asked awkwardly. I grabbed a hold of the armrest of the loveseat, and hoisted myself up, cringing and whining as I did so. Finally, I made my way slowly up to my room (I had a bigger and better TV in there anyway).
On the last stair before the upstairs hallway (Wow, I'm already out of breath. Maybe when I heal, I should get a personal trainer, or something...Nah!), I heard Sue say to Seth: "Give it time, honey. She's still hurting."
Let's go ahead and agree that she was talking about my surgery. Cause this shit hurts like hell.
Because there was nothing good on TV, I decided to sit down and practice my singing. Because one day, Louis Tomlinson is going to call me and tell me that I'm going to sing on stage with him at his concert. So until that day, I had to be ready.
It was kind of hard to practice sitting down and in pain. Usually, I'm up cleaning my room, something. The pain in my stomach was keeping me from breathing correctly, so on those long notes, I had to end short.
I gritted my teeth together, and stood up to go to my closet and organize it, singing Rehab.
"...I ain't got the time, and if my daddy says I'm fine. He tried to make me go to rehab, but I won't go, go, go!"
Not to toot my own horn, or anything, but I sing actually really good for someone who just came out of the hospital not even twenty-four hours ago.
"I'd rather be at home with Ray...I ain't got seventy days! Cause there's nothing, nothing you can't teach me. That I can't learn from Mr. Hathaway...!"
I organized my closet from darks to lights, humming the rest of the song.
"I ain't got a lot in class...But I know it don't come in a shot glass..." I closed the doors then, and walked slowly back to my bed.
Surgery sucks. I'm telling you, don't let your appendix burst. It's not fun. But you know what is fun? Getting-
"Hey."
Seth snapped me out of my thoughts, and I huffed out a breath, making my bangs fly up and out of my face. With much pain, I stood up again, and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind me.
Two seconds later, I walked back in, folding my arms over my chest.
"This is my room," I murmured.
"Me and your Aunt Leah had some good times in here," he sighed.
"Look, your conversation starters suck, okay? Can you just leave so I can heal in peace?" I spat.
"Cheri..." he sighed again. "I'm...I'm sorry, okay? I was young and stupid."
"Now you're old and stupid."
"Ouch," he chuckled.
"You can't just come back after twelve years and think that everything is all fine and dandy, because it isn't, okay? That hurt, you know, when you left," I added quietly. "I thought you didn't love me."
"I did! I-I-I do! You're my-"
"No, I'm not your daughter, Seth. My dad's name is Kaden and he lives Kansas with a wife and a daughter. I know. I called him once."
Silence.
"I hate you," I murmured.
"I know."
And then I smiled. And then I giggled.
Holy crap, why am I giggling?
"That's the greatest thing you've said to me all week," I replied quietly.
Oh. So that's why I'm giggling.
Come to think of it, I don't think that I really hated Seth. I think it was just all those feelings of betrayal that I'd felt bubbling up inside of me, so I played it off as hatred.
Wow, I read too many 'Just Girly Things' quotes.
Seth can never know this though. That I don't hate him anymore.
"Leave my room, please," I said, wiping the smile off my face.
"I want to talk," he said sternly.
"Do you, or do you not want to see me naked?" I gripped my jeans, ready to pull them down.
"I'm going to go for a walk," he said, leaving the room.
"Don't let the door hit you on the way out, bitch," I told him.
Wow, I'm a bitch. Whoo...Umm...Maybe that was a bit harsh. Where the hell did that come from, anyway?
After closing my door, I stripped down to just a bra and panties then I looked at myself in my mirror.
My stitches looked so nasty on my un-tanned olive colored skin. Diseasable. Yuck.
I gripped the fat hanging off the sides of myself, and frowned. There was more, I swear. This...This was ugly. So incredibly ugly.
I really need to get a treadmill, or something. Like, for real.
"See? You're below ten. You're overreacting!" Tony's voice rang through my ears.
Size. Five.
It could go up to, like, a fifteen in a month if I wasn't careful! And being all handicapped at the moment wasn't helping my exercise regimen at all.
Cause, you know, I totally have one.
"Wow..."
I whipped around, and smiled when I saw Tony at the window. I always left it unlocked for him and the others. He wolf whistled, swinging one of his legs over the sill.
"Shut up," I rolled my eyes.
"I find stitches really attractive. Very sexy," he smiled slyly at me.
"I'm in pain. Quit making me horny," I whined, waving him off. I went to my drawer, pulling on a really big sweater. Then I carefully sat down next to Tony on the window sill, leaning my head on his chest. He kissed the top of my head, and we looked out at the forest together. From my second story bedroom, we could see over the tops to First Beach and the cliffs.
"PDA!"
Tony and I looked down at Quil, who smirked and waved at us. I flipped the bird at him, and he only laughed before running off into the forest most likely for patrol.
"Your uncles are cool," Tony chuckled.
"Yeah, yeah," I giggled a little bit before cringing.
"Dammit, you freak me out when you do that," he hissed.
"It's not my fault that my stitches are all enflamed and shit!" I elbowed him.
It took a whole week to heal and get back to my old self. I was more than grateful to give up those nasty milkshake things that I had to eat and switch it up for a big slice of pizza and fries. I ate the whole refrigerator today, like literally. Sue came home so mad, and I was on the ground satisfied.
"You're lucky I was going to go grocery shopping, young lady," she scolded me. I burped.
"Ooh, and can you remember to get Hot Pockets? Yeah. We're out," I told her, wagging my finger in the air. Sue only scoffed and went to go shower.
Wow, at this rate, by this time next week I should be fatter than the Fattest Man!
Isn't it great?!
I rolled my eyes, covering my face with my hands.
"Cheri, honey," I said to myself. "It's time to get your shit together."
Blah, blahhhh! This was kind of like a filler chapter, and the ending was crap, but review please! Thankss!
~SashaFierce12.0