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Tori:
I looked out the door to make sure he was gone. I pulled my sleeves so they covered the little cuts on my hands. I ran to the kitchen and took all the beer out the fridge. Ever since that night when Brendon first hit me…well things have gotten worse. But I know he doesn’t know he is doing it. Its just the beer talking. So, maybe if I get rid of the beer, I get back to the happy Brendon I love. There were 10 cases of beer in the fridge.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I turned around to see Brendon standing over me. He always looked drunk even he hadn’t had a drink yet.
“Um…I was…Um…Checking to see how much beer we had left. Cause I was going to the store….”
“Really now?”
“Yeah.” I couldn’t look him in the eyes. They weren’t beautiful like they used to be. They were always dark and full of anger and sadness.
“Well, we can never have too much beer…so…yeah.”
“Ok. I will get more. Anything else?”
“No, that’s it.”
“Alright then.” I started putting all the beer back in the fridge, sad that another one of my plans failed.
“Tori…look, why don’t you come with me downtown? It could be fun.” He hasn’t asked me to go anywhere with him in months!
“Um…I dunno. I mean if you really want me to go…”
“I do.” He reached his hand down and pulled me up to my feet.
“Ok then, I’ll go.” I smiled for the first time in lord knows how long and he did too.
I sat in the terminal trying with all my power to not burst
out crying like I did on the drive over. There was this empty feeling inside me
now with Micheal gone. I just couldn’t stand the fact that he was on his way to
Patrick:
I walked into the terminal anxious at seeing Charie again, but nervous to see how she was doing. Lord only knows how she is taking losing Micheal…
And there she was. Sitting in one of the chairs with her head down, a bag of tissues in her hand. She looked so tired, but she was still so beautiful.
“Charie?”
She looked up at me, her eyes red and swollen from crying, and smiled a weak smile.
“Hi baby.” She stood up and collapsed in my arms. “I missed you.” Her voice cracked.
“I missed you too. How are you?” She let out a quiet sob, answering me without saying a word. “Sweetie, I am so sorry. I’m gonna fix this I promise you.” She looked at me and nodded her head.
“Lets just go home kay?”
“Ok.”
Jess:
“Damn airline…” I was so pissed right now. Northwest chooses
the day I find out my best friends son was taken away to “over fill” the latest
flight back to
“Hello?” Charie’s weak voice said.
“Honey hey! Patrick told me what happened. Sweetie I’m coming home as soon as I can.”
“Jess? Oh hi. Yeah…”
“I wish I was there with you. I shouldn’t have left.”
“No no, it’s alright. You had to…had to go see Joe.” Poor Charie. She sounded like something inside her died. I knew for sure, when I got home, I wasn’t going to see the same Charie.
Charie:
“I’m glad you are back Tricky.” I said to him as we walked into our apartment. “Watch your step.” We maneuvered our way around the glass all over the floor, still there from two days ago. I never bothered to clean it up. I mean, what’s the point? The only person who could hurt themselves is me…
“What happened in here?”
“I got angry.”
“Oh.” It was the best excuse I could think of.
“So…How was your trip?” I was trying my best to keep up with the small talk. But all I really wanted to do was crawl into a ball and cry myself to sleep.
“No, we’re not talking about me. What happened?” He got up and grabbed the broom and dustpan from the closet and started sweeping up glass.
“Social Services came and took him away. Said someone reported foul play going on and that they had to take him away.” Tears started to well in my eyes at the thought of what happened. “So then I called Rob and told him what happened and he said that it was all taken care off…And he said he was fighting me for full custody. He gets custody of Micheal till we settle everything in court.” He dumped the glass in the trash then came back over and wrapped his arms around me. It felt good to have him back again.
“I am going to do everything in my power to get Micheal back. I promise.”
“I don’t know what to do! How am I gonna get him back?”
“We fight. We fight hard.”
“You really want to help me?”
“How could you even ask me that? Of course I want to help you. I need to help you. I love you and I know that in order to have you I have to love your son too.”
“Oh Patrick.” I snuggled into his chest, feeling a little relieved to actually be loved again. “I remember when he was two. He was so curious. Everything he touched I had to tell him what it was. He would point at something then look at me with wonder in his eyes and yell ‘Mommy! What’s this?’ And I remember when he was afraid to be an inch away from me. I never got a moment of time to myself.” A tear glided down my cheek at the old memories and at the thought of all the new ones I might miss.
“I can’t imagine a time when he was attached to you like that!”
“Yeah, recently you would have never guessed. But he was just acting out…”
“I know.”
“A few months after he was born I was just so overwhelmed. I just didn’t know how I was going to take care of us ya know? There were times when I just wished he would disappear and I could just go home and be apart of my family again. But then I would go into his room and see him sleeping like an angel in disguise. No matter what I knew I made the right decision to keep him. But…now, just imagining the thought of wanting him to disappear? God, I feel so selfish!”
“You aren’t! You were just afraid that’s all.”
“I got myself in the mess in the first place! I shouldn’t have been aloud to be afraid!” Neither of us said anything for a few minutes. We just sat there holding each other. I started crying again and I heard Patrick start humming something into my ear softly. It was something I hadn’t heard before. It was so soothing and beautiful. My tears started to fade away and before I knew it I was asleep.
I couldn’t move. Thousands of people walked by and shoved me
but I just…couldn’t move. I thought I could do this. I told myself I
could do this but… A group of people went inside, giving me looks as they
walked by. I envied them. They’ve done this before. They know exactly what
they’re doing. And me? I’m just some stranger from
**
“Alright! Numbers 100-500 line up here!” I was number 237 and scared out of my mind. 0-100 was crazy. I can’t compete with these people! “Alright…100-200 on stage, everyone else sit back down.” I happily sat my ass back down. I was trying to go over my monologue in my head: Romeo ‘o Romeo where art though? Dammit! My phone vibrated in my purse.
“Hello?”
“Hey! How’s the audition going?” Robert’s sweet voice came from the other line. I felt so much more at ease hearing his voice.
“Well…we’re on 120 and I’m 237 so…yeah.”
“You sound nervous.”
“I am! I am nowhere near as good as everyone here! I think I’m gonna come home soon.”
“No! Scarlett Melony Hart! You stay your ass there! You are just as good probably better than those bitches! Make me proud ok?”
“Ok. You do good at your audition.” I hung up and felt my heart flutter. I like him so much…I don’t think ‘like’ explains how I feel anymore.
“237! You’re up!” Holy fuck. Already?! I stood up and walked onto the stage. I handed my sheet music to the pianist and walked center stage. I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths. You can do this. You are fucking Scarlett Hart god dammit!” I opened my eyes and started my monologue. I felt like Juliet herself with Robert as my Romeo. After I was done with that I looked at the pianist and he started the first chords of All That Jazz. I began doing the dance steps I made up then started singing. I took one big breath then sang the very last note and posed. Finished! You fucking rocked it! I took a bow then walked off stage and out the theatre. I couldn’t stop myself from smiling. No matter what anyone said, I know I fucking did the damn thang.
**
“How was it?” Robert greeted me at the door, his arms already around my waist, his lips on my forehead.
“I thought I did really well. But I didn’t make it.” I smiled a weak smile. I knew that the chance of me getting a role on my first audition was 1 to 100 but it still hurt…
“Aww honey. They are idiots for not picking you.”
“Well…whatever. Life moves on.” I broke away from his embrace and walked into the kitchen. I opened the fridge only to find a pack of beer. I just looked at it. I was so frustrated…. I could feel my hands reaching for it…
“Scarlett?”
“Yeah?!” I slammed the fridge shut thanking god Robert walked in at that exact moment.
“Look, I know you’re disappointed but there will be other auditions.”
“I know.” I was still a little shaken from the fridge incident. “Don’t worry, I’m fine.”
“I have an idea! Lets go out and celebrate!”
“Nah. I just wanna stay home with my sweety tonight.” I kissed his lips softly.
“Alright. If that’s what you really want.”
“It is. Anyway, enough about me tell me how your first day was!” Robert auditioned for some part in some movie and he got it! I was so proud of him, but some part of me was jealous…
“Kinda boring. We just went over the script all day!”
“Sounds like fun to me!”
“That’s what I love about you. You think the most boring things are so fun. Its weird.”
“Well, I am very very very weird.”
“I did learn something cool though. Wanna see?”
“Of course!”
“Ok, close your eyes…” I closed them. “Now say the letter you feel out loud kay?”
“Ok!” I felt his finger in the palm of my hand spelling out something. “I…” I laughed a little bit (cause I’m ticklish everywhere hehe). “L…O…V…E…” My smile vanished. “U.” I shot my eyes open and stared at him. “I love you?” I said in complete awe.
“I love you too!” I looked at my hand, the letters seemed burned into my palm.
“Robert, this isn’t funny.”
“Who’s laughing?” His face became very serious. Oh my god, he wasn’t kidding…
“Y-you love me?”
“With all my heart. I have never met anyone like you before. You make me feel things I never thought one person could ever make me feel. I love you Scarlett.” I was in complete shock. The only people who ever said they loved me were Hayley, my parents, and Patrick. But I knew what they meant. This…this is a completely different type of love we’re talking about here!
“Oh Robbie…” Was all I could say.
“I know you love me too. You don’t have to say it to know.” I looked into his warm eyes. He looked different. He looked vulnerable and open. I smiled to myself.
“I love you too Robbie. I do.”
i hate the spacing...its so...BIG
Patrick:
Charie:
What the hell is that noise? I opened my eyes and looked around. I was alone, the bed sheets all over the place. Images from last night played in my head. Ugh, I hated myself. I heard the sound of a door closing again. Who keeps opening the damn door? I grabbed a handful of the sheets and wrapped them around me while I walked out my bedroom. There was Micheal with a suitcase in his hands and a woman in a black suit talking to him.
“Mom!”
“I am Penelope Rouge from child services.”
“Why are you here?”
“Well…we received reports that some foul play was happening in the home so we’ve come to take custody of Micheal until further notice.”
“Foul play? What! You can’t take Micheal from me! You don’t have the right.” She looked around at the broken glass all over the floor. “I would never hurt my son ever!”
“Micheal, honey could you go wait for me in the car.”
“You stay the hell put! Look, lady I don’t know who you are or who called you here but there is nothing going on here!”
“Not according to my reports.” I turned to Micheal who had no emotions on his face.
“Micheal, baby, you do not have to go anywhere ok?” He said nothing.
“Come on Micheal.” Penelope put her hand on his shoulder and walked him out the door.
“Micheal! Stop, you can’t take him away!” I ran out after them but they just kept on walking. I ran back inside and called Rob, who I just remembered was here when I fell asleep.
“Hello?”
“Rob! They took Micheal away!”
“I know. Its all taken care of.”
“You got them to bring him home already?”
“Well…kinda. Until we settle this I have custody over Micheal.”
“Settle what? Rob what is going on?”
“I want full custody.” It all made sense now. He used me. He told me all those things so I would trust him. And right when he got the grand prize, he’d snatch Micheal right from under me.
“Y-you can’t do that!”
“I can and I am.”
“Rob! Micheal is all I have! You cannot take him from me!”
“See you in court. Oh and by the way, last night was fun.” Click. I let the phone slip from my hands. I couldn’t feel anything. I was completely numb. He screwed me over again.
Patrick:
“Alright, lets take 5.” Pete walked over to me and wrapped his arm around me.
“Oh Patrick I’m so sad this is almost over!” He pretended to cry. He is such a drama queen.
“Pete, where’s your crown? You’re being bitchy.”
“Well! Excuse me for trying to show emotion! You miss your girl?”
“Hell yeah!” My phone rang in my pocket. “Lucky me! She’s calling me right now!” I answered, happy to finally hear her voice.
“Hey beautiful!”
“Patrick.” She sounded like she had been crying. I shoved Pete off and walked out the studio.
“Babe whats wrong?”
“They took him away!”
“Who? Charie, you gotta talk to me.”
“They took Micheal away! Rob took my baby away!” That bastard! I knew he was going to do something…I just knew it.
“How what did he do?”
“He’s fighting me for full custody. Patrick, I don’t know what to do. I just…I just can’t fight anymore.”
“Everything is going to be fine. I’m coming home as soon as I can alright?”
“I feel sick…”
“Don’t worry I’ll be home soon alright.”
“No, no stay in LA. Don’t come home just cause I have some issues.”
“I’m coming home. I will be back in
“Ok.”
“Love you.”
“Love you too…”
“Whats up?” Pete walked over. “I was kinda eavesdropping.”
“I’m going back to
“What? Dude, you can’t! We still have a bunch of recording to do. You can’t go!”
“That jackass is trying to take Charie’s son away. She needs me!” He sighed and put his hand on my shoulder.
“Are you sure you have to go?”
“Yes!”
“Alright. Go. But your ass better be back here soon. I mean it Patrick Martin!”
“Thank you Pete!” I packed up my shit and ran out the studio to my car. I pulled out my phone and called Jess.
“Hello?”
“Jess! Its Patrick!”
“Oh hey! Whats up?”
“Have you talked to Charie?”
“No why?”
“She just called me and said Rob is trying to take Micheal away.”
“Well that’s nothing new. Hasn’t he been doing that for the past 3 months?”
“No, he is for real this time!”
“What do you mean by for real?”
“Fighting her for full custody for real.”
“That bastard! Holy shit. Are you on your back to
“Yup.”
“Alright, I’ll pack my shit. Meet you at the hotel.” I threw the phone in the backseat and sped down
Patrick:
Something is off. I don’t know what but I just have this…feeling that something is wrong. I picked up my phone and dialed Charie’s number. No answer.
“Damn.” I really needed to talk to her! We’re finishing up recording in a couple weeks so I can come home. I looked at the picture of us that I brought with me. I missed her so much. I wonder if she misses me as much as I miss her…
Charie:
What the hell is that noise? I opened my eyes and looked around. I was alone, the bed sheets all over the place. Images from last night played in my head. Ugh, I hated myself. I heard the sound of a door closing again. Who keeps opening the damn door? I grabbed a handful of the sheets and wrapped them around me while I walked out my bedroom. There was Micheal with a suitcase in his hands and a woman in a black suit talking to him.
“What is going on here?”
“Mom!”
“Who is this?”
“I am Penelope Rouge from child services.”
“Why are you here?”
“Well…we received reports that some foul play was happening in the home so we’ve come to take custody of Micheal until further notice.”
“Foul play? What! You can’t take Micheal from me! You don’t have the right.” She looked around at the broken glass all over the floor. “I would never hurt my son ever!”
“Micheal, honey could you go wait for me in the car.”
“You stay the hell put! Look, lady I don’t know who you are or who called you here but there is nothing going on here!”
“Not according to my reports.” I turned to Micheal who had no emotions on his face.
“Micheal, baby, you do not have to go anywhere ok?” He said nothing.
“Come on Micheal.” Penelope put her hand on his shoulder and walked him out the door.
“Micheal! Stop, you can’t take him away!” I ran out after them but they just kept on walking. I ran back inside and called Rob, who I just remembered was here when I fell asleep.
“Hello?”
“Rob! They took Micheal away!”
“I know. Its all taken care of.”
“You got them to bring him home already?”
“Well…kinda. Until we settle this I have custody over Micheal.”
“Settle what? Rob what is going on?”
“I want full custody.” It all made sense now. He used me. He told me all those things so I would trust him. And right when he got the grand prize, he’d snatch Micheal right from under me.
“Y-you can’t do that!”
“I can and I am.”
“Rob! Micheal is all I have! You cannot take him from me!”
“See you in court. Oh and by the way, last night was fun.” Click. I let the phone slip from my hands. I couldn’t feel anything. I was completely numb. He screwed me over again.
Patrick:
“Alright, lets take 5.” Pete walked over to me and wrapped his arm around me.
“Oh Patrick I’m so sad this is almost over!” He pretended to cry. He is such a drama queen.
“Pete, where’s your crown? You’re being bitchy.”
“Well! Excuse me for trying to show emotion! You miss your girl?”
“Hell yeah!” My phone rang in my pocket. “Lucky me! She’s calling me right now!” I answered, happy to finally hear her voice.
“Hey beautiful!”
“Patrick.” She sounded like she had been crying. I shoved Pete off and walked out the studio.
“Babe whats wrong?”
“They took him away!”
“Who? Charie, you gotta talk to me.”
“They took Micheal away! Rob took my baby away!” That bastard! I knew he was going to do something…I just knew it.
“How what did he do?”
“He’s fighting me for full custody. Patrick, I don’t know what to do. I just…I just can’t fight anymore.”
“Everything is going to be fine. I’m coming home as soon as I can alright?”
“I feel sick…”
“Don’t worry I’ll be home soon alright.”
“No, no stay in LA. Don’t come home just cause I have some issues.”
“I’m coming home. I will be back in
“Ok.”
“Love you.”
“Love you too…”
“Whats up?” Pete walked over. “I was kinda eavesdropping.”
“I’m going back to
“What? Dude, you can’t! We still have a bunch of recording to do. You can’t go!”
“That jackass is trying to take Charie’s son away. She needs me!” He sighed and put his hand on my shoulder.
“Are you sure you have to go?”
“Yes!”
“Alright. Go. But your ass better be back here soon. I mean it Patrick Martin!”
“Thank you Pete!” I packed up my shit and ran out the studio to my car. I pulled out my phone and called Jess.
“Hello?”
“Jess! Its Patrick!”
“Oh hey! Whats up?”
“Have you talked to Charie?”
“No why?”
“She just called me and said Rob is trying to take Micheal away.”
“Well that’s nothing new. Hasn’t he been doing that for the past 3 months?”
“No, he is for real this time!”
“What do you mean by for real?”
“Fighting her for full custody for real.”
“That bastard! Holy shit. Are you on your back to
“Yup.”
“Alright, I’ll pack my shit. Meet you at the hotel.” I threw
the phone in the backseat and sped down