Jenny's Nano! - Meadow's Pond

[JennyxEli]

Posting this because Callie won't stop bugging me about putting it up.

SPOILER: Click to show

Summary: In a small town called Cliff, there is a population of 2,348. The city is built around Meadow's Pond and it rests peacefully inside the cliffs. The town is closely knitted and everyone knows everyone. Sure, twenty-five hundred people is a lot to know, but as everyone knows big towns have dirty secrets, and yet small town secrets are much bigger and much dirtier. This town has a lot of secrets, and that’s probably how everyone knows everyone’s name. Everyone is hiding something…and when there's this many secrets, none of them can stay secret for long. People always say rumors are never true, but in this town…they are.

Chapter 1
Eileen
I walked along the edge of Meadow’s Pond, Bree’s hand in mine. It was quiet and peaceful today in Cliff, and I enjoyed being alone with my four year old daughter without having to worry about people’s interrogating stares.
Most people would question why a twenty year old would be raising a four year old; they always immediately assume that they’re mother and daughter. Here in Cliff…I try not to give people that impression. In fact…nobody but me knows that Bree is my daughter. Everybody else believes she’s my little sister.
I don’t like lying about who I am. It goes against everything I believe, but I don’t want to be judged on what I did. It wasn’t by choice that I got pregnant. It wasn’t even my choice to have sex. If it were up to me, I would have stayed as possibly pure as I could. Eric made that impossible for me though.
That’s why I escaped while pregnant with Bree while I had the chance. I was too stupid, too naïve, to notice that Eric didn’t actually love me. He just knew he could use me to get what he wanted, and if I wasn’t doing it right, I was beaten. I was sixteen, and he was eighteen.
Of course, I was kicked out of my house by my mother. I was hoping for support from Eric, but he had already found another girl by that time, and I was too sick and fed up with him to bother anymore. I stayed at a shelter in Detroit until Bree was born, and then when she was around two I moved us both to Cliff to start anew.
Now we live in a crummy neighborhood on the Southside of Cliff. I work a minimum-wage job and take a few college classes; Bree goes to a daycare which I pay for her to be at while I work. But of course it’s not cheap. Nothing ever is. That’s why I suspect that Bree and I will be leaving soon.
Lost in my own thoughts, I was surprised to notice Bree’s hand was no longer in mine. I looked around wildly, calling her name. “Bree? Bree!”
“Excuse me, miss?” I heard a soft voice say. I whipped around to stare at a man…no…a young adult, more like it. Just over being a teenage boy. “Are you looking for your daughter?”
“Sister,” I corrected him quickly. “And yes, I am.”
“I noticed a little girl alone over in that patch of dandelions. I wasn’t sure if she was lost…but by the way I saw you looking around, I take it you had no idea she was missing,” the guy said.
I had been inspecting him as he talked. Dirty blonde hair, blue eyes, just a bit taller than me…his posture and body language suggested he was casual, a relaxation kind of person. From the awkward way he held himself and leaned away from me, it was obvious he was a shy person. Hm. Interesting.
“Thank you,” I told him gratefully, now seeing Bree in the patch of dandelions that was farthest from the water’s edge.
“It’s no trouble at all,” he told me calmly. He was looking me up and down too. Trying to figure out how Bree could be my sister, probably.
“That girl is too smart for her own good,” I said, laughing weakly. He laughed with me slightly until we trailed off and continued to just look at each other again.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t ask your name,” I apologized after awhile of more scrutinizing.
“Rayne,” he answered. “And yours?”
“Eileen,” I replied, turning my head to check on Bree. She was still playing contentedly in the patch of flowers. She picked one up, then starting to chew on the petals,
“No, sweetie, no!” I called to her, starting to head for her, but Bree understood me. She spat out the petals, scrunching up her face in disgust.
“Looks like we know now that dandelions do no taste good,” Rayne analyzed.
I shook my head. “And I was just about to start bragging about how smart she was.”
“Just because she was experimenting with taste doesn’t mean she’s any dumber,” Rayne pointed out.
“I guess so,” I said, going quiet.
I jumped when a sudden figure jumped next to Rayne, throwing an arm around him. “Hey, buddy!” he said loudly.
Rayne rolled his eyes, but his face flushed slightly in embarrassment. “Hey, Adrian.”
“Who’s your friend? I thought I was your BFF?” Adrian asked, grinning slightly as he looked me over.
Rayne’s cheeks got even redder. “This is Eileen, and she’s not technically my friend…we just kind of…I was just helping her find her…sister.”
“Yet you’re still talking to her?” Adrian said, raising an eyebrow and giving a cocky grin.
It was my turn to blush this time as Rayne scrambled to answer that. He opened his mouth, but closed it, obviously not knowing what to say to that.
“Dude, I dare you to ask her out. Come on! You’re such a boring stick in the mud. Do something!” Adrian goaded his friend.
“I…I…Adrian!” Rayne said, flabbergasted.

[JennyxEli]

SPOILER: Click to show

My blush turned redder. “Um…”
Adrian looked at me. “Sorry if I’m making you uncomfortable. This guy needs to get out more, though. Surely you’d help a poor anti-social guy, right?”
“I, um…I don’t know, I guess,” I said cautiously.
Adrian elbowed Rayne in his side. “Eh, eh? See? She’ll do it! Come on, have some courage, mate!”
I couldn’t help but giggle a bit at that, but was silenced by the sheer embarrassment on Rayne’s face.
Rayne let out a tired sigh. “Fine, man. Just leave me alone.”
Adrian beamed at the both of us, then walked away. I watched him for awhile, watching him take off his shirt as he stared out at the pond. I frowned, until I realized what he was going to do.
“I wouldn’t - !” I started to say, but Adrian had already jumped into Meadow’s Pond by the time I got it out.
“Adrian likes to pretend he’s some sort of genius daredevil,” Rayne told me, and even though I wasn’t looking, you could tell he was rolling his eyes.
“That water is probably toxic,” I pointed out.
I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw Bree point at Adrian’s bobbing figure in the water. Not wanting Bree to follow his example, I excused myself for a moment to go pick her up in my arms and carry her back over to Rayne.
Rayne’s face lit up when Bree turned to look at him. “Hi sweetheart,” he cooed, a smile spreading across his face. Bree waved at him, and we both laughed.
I leaned my head down so I could whisper in Bree’s ear. “Can you say hi to Rayne?” I whispered.
She looked at me, then turned to Rayne. “Hi, Rayne!” she trilled.
Rayne looked surprised. “She caught on fast.”
I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “She’s a quick learner. She can read most children’s books already.”
“I don’t know the whole story, but you appear to be raising her well,” Rayne said softly.
“Thank you,” I murmured. I put Bree back down, giving her the right to run free for a bit longer.
After a long silence, I asked curiously, “So…are we on for that date then?”
Rayne blinked, obviously taken aback. His cheeks flushed, and I bit my bottom lip to stop myself from smiling. “I…I guess. I mean…do you actually want to? You don’t have to just because you feel like you have to because of Adrian.”
I shook my head. “No. No, I want to.”
Rayne smiled tentatively. “Well, um, I’ll give you my number so I can call you later, I guess.”
“That’d be great,” I said.
We swapped phones and put our numbers into each other’s phones, then gave them back.
“I’ll call you when I’m on break so we can make plans,” I told him, smiling as I put my phone away.
Rayne nodded slowly, and we both watched Bree as she sat back down on the ground, holding another dandelion, picking off the petals.
My eyes started to follow a bee that was buzzing around Bree, feeling worried and prepared to run to Bree’s aid if it tried to sting her.
Rayne must have seen my expression, for he walked over quickly to Bree, swatting away the bee. He cursed slightly, and I noticed that the bee had stung his hand.
I hurried over to them. “Are you okay?” I asked him, watching a welt on his hand growing red.
He winced. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
I remembered the eyebrow plucker I kept in my bag, and opened it, searching for it. When I found it, I gently took Rayne’s hand. I felt him shiver, and I felt like there was an electric touch regulating between us. I carefully pulled the stinger out of the welt, and looked at him. We stared at each other for awhile, until I dropped his hand.
“Make sure to buy some ointment to treat that,” I said quietly. “Don’t want it to get infected.”
Rayne only nodded, but he was looking between me and his hand in wonder.
He must have felt the sparks too.
I took Bree’s hand, slowly pulling her up. “I have to go to work now,” I said softly. “Expect a call from me.”
“I’ll be waiting,” he told me, his voice sincere.
I smiled at him again before leading Bree away, my mind now wrapped around thoughts of tomorrow.
“Who was that, Leeny?” Bree finally asked me curiously. I hadn’t been lying when I told Rayne that Bree was a gifted child. I had been able to teach her to call me Leeny around people and Momma when it was just the two of us at home. She didn’t find it confusing in the least bit.
“That was a friend,” I said.
Bree nodded like she understood me. “We go see Miss Callie now?”
“Yes,” I assured her. I bit my lip. I wondered if I’d be able to scrape together enough money to pay the daycare this week; I’d have to ask if I could work extra shifts.
I dropped Bree of at her daycare and walked to the diner where I worked. My boss, a red-haired , sharp nose lady, eyed me the moment I walked through the doors, begging me to be late so she can clock me for it.
I tied my hair up in a bun and quickly got to work. I was a waitress, being paid six dollars an hour every day I work. I only work six hours a day. Which means I make about thirteen thousand dollars a year. Which sucks.
As I boringly took down an order and started to walk to the kitchen with it, I felt a slap on my ass. I whipped around and glared at the perv that did it.
“’Sup, babe?” Andy asked, a grin stretching across his face.
I rolled my eyes. Andy was a regular here at the diner - one reason why I hated working here. All the customers were either hillbillies, perverts, or idiots. He was cute, yeah, but it didn’t make up for his personality.

[JennyxEli]

SPOILER: Click to show

Andy chuckled but went back to eating his food. I turned around on my heel and clipped the order on the rack, then left for my break, eager to call Rayne suddenly.
Just as I got outside, my phone started vibrating, and I answered quickly. “Hello?” I breathed.
“Hey. I wanted to, uh, call and let you know that…I don’t know if it occurred to you…but my friend, you know, Adrian, said he could baby-sit Bree for you, incase that was a problem or anything,” Rayne said, mumbling slightly.
I blinked. I actually hadn’t thought about it. “Well thank you. For thinking about it,” I said modestly. “So. I was thinking we could maybe go out for lunch tomorrow? I’m just not sure where.”
“Hey, who’re you talkin’ to, baby?” I heard a voice call to me. Ugh. Andy is a freaking stalker. “Are we still on for tonight?”
“Shut up, you bastard,” I hissed at him.
“Uh…” I could tell Rayne could hear Andy in the background. “Um, I know this great burger place we could go to.”
“Ooo, a burger joint. Sure, I’d like that. What’s it called?” I asked.
“What’s wrong? Afraid of losing your v-i-r-g-i-n-i-t-y?” Andy said loudly, pronouncing the letters slowly.
My face turned bright red in embarrassment and anger. I didn’t want to point out the fact that I already had. I didn’t want to open my mouth incase I accidentally said something that would reveal my secret.
“Um, it’s called…well, I’m not really sure, but I call it the truck stop ‘because a lot of truckers go there.” Rayne paused. “Who is that guy you’re talking to?”
“Truck stop…got it. Oh, this guy? He is the most annoying perv in the world. He seems to think he’s actually got a shot with me.” I covered the mouth piece of the phone. “Seriously, GO AWAY,” I told Andy.
Andy chuckled, pulled out a cigarette from behind his ear, and lit it with a lighter he took out of his pocket. He took a long drag and blew smoke rings at me before walking off down the street.
Rayne laughed slightly. “Is he gone now?”
“Yeah, thank God,” I grumbled. “I seriously hate my job. None of the customers who go here are even…It’s just too hillbilly for my liking.”
“Why don’t you get a different job?” Rayne asked me thoughtfully.
“I don’t really know what other jobs I can even qualify for,” I replied simply.
“Well…what would you like to do? I mean, I work as a substitute teacher on occasion. I could help you out.”
I was taken aback by the offer, surprised by his kindness. “Well…right now I’m a literature major. I take a few courses at the community college. Maybe something along those lines…?”
“So you’re good with words then?” Rayne guessed. “Maybe…you could be an author. Write stories, poems, songs, and get them out in the public. Earn some money from it.”
“But it would take forever for me to be noticed by something huge. Publishing stories isn’t that easy,” I protested.
“Then bring your stories to the daily paper. They’ll be bound to find something in there they like and can publish. Even if it’s not a lot, you’ll still get paid. It’s worth a shot.”
“I guess so,” I said tentatively. “I guess I can write a book in my spare time. If I ever get any.”
“So…I’ll just, uh, pick you up tomorrow then. We can drop Bree of at Adrian’s place and then head out,” Rayne said.
“Sounds like a plan,” I said firmly, then laughed a little.
“Oh, uh…where do you live? I need to know so I can pick you up later.”
“Oh. I live on the Southside of town…the block with all of the rundown apartments. I say just park anywhere…but do me a favor? Don’t get out of your car. It‘s not very safe over there.”
Rayne chuckled nervously on the other end. “All right, will do. I’ll just honk the horn to let you know I’m there.”
“Okay,” I said, sighing with relief. “See you tomorrow at noon?”
“Yup. See you,” Rayne said, hanging up so all I could hear was the dial tone.
“Bye,” I said again, softly, even though I knew he couldn’t hear me. I stored my phone back in my jean’s pocket, fighting back a smile as I went back to work.


**Chapter 2**
Andy
I took another long drag of my cigarette as I walked away from the dinner. Eileen was so much fun to mess around with, since she was all ‘goody-goody’. Not that I’d ever dream of hooking up with her.
I started walking towards the casino at the edge of town; it was a great place to get wasted and forget about everything on your mind. I winced as I remembered Ellie, Danni, Ally, and Ileana, wondering how our babies were doing. No, not our babies. Their babies, I reminded myself.
So what if I had knocked up four girls, including the one I actually loved? That doesn’t make me a bad person, right?
Wrong. It makes me a coward for running away.
I shook the thoughts away as I entered the casino, automatically walking over and taking a seat at the bar. I rarely came here to gamble. I ordered a beer to start out with, putting out my cigarette in an ash tray in front of me. When my drink came, I gulped it down quickly, grateful to be having it.
“Trying to forget something?” I heard a smug voice ask.
I looked over to my right to see a hot blonde girl looking at me thoughtfully. She looked a bit young to be at a casino, much less a bar. “Suppose so. That’s what alcohol’s for, right?” I said wryly, running a hand through my hair.
“Or boredom,” the girl said with a shrug. “I’m Dawn.”
“Andy,” I grunted. I downed the rest of my beer and quietly asked the bartender for another. “Where ya from, Dawn?”
“Vegas. How ‘bout you?” Dawn replied, then catching the bartender’s attention. He left, and then came back with a martini. Dawn nodded her thanks and took a sip
“And I thought you’d need to show ID,” I murmured incredulously to myself.
“Hmm?” Dawn asked me, taking another sip.
I shook my head. “Nothing. Vegas. Nice. I’m from Detroit.” I popped the cap off of my new bottle of beer and took a swig.
Dawn looked down at her drink, then finishing it off. “That’s great.”
We were silent for awhile, ordering more drinks as we quickly downed the others. At one point, I finally asked her, “So, what was it like living in Detroit?”
She gave me a confused look. “I can’t remember,” she said with a grin. “I thought you were the one from Detroit.”
“Ah. Right, right,” I said drunkenly. I could tell I’d be going over the deep end soon enough.
We returned to silence again, asking for more beers, eventually just asking for anything. I could tell the bartender was getting wary, but it wasn’t his job to worry about how drunk we were getting, was it?
I chuckled as I watched Dawn pay for another two bottles of beer. “Hey, easy there. You might want to let up; we don’t want two over-the-top drunken people stumbling around here.”
“I’m not drunk,” Dawn replied, her words slurred.
“But you’re getting there,” I pointed out, though it seemed like she was to me. “I’ve been to enough bars to know.”
“Well so have I,” Dawn shot back. “I just don’t particularly care.”
I rolled my eyes. She barely looked twenty-one and yet she’s been to loads of bars? I raised an eyebrow. “And how old are you, again?”
“I never told you how old I was, but for the record, I’m nineteen,” Dawn said lowly so the bartender wouldn’t hear.
I shrugged. “Nineteen?” I said in a disapproving tone. “That’s against the law, missy, incase you didn’t know.”
“Like you care,” Dawn said, snorting. “I bet you’ve done plenty of illegal things in your lifetime.”
“Ah, ah, ah!” I protested, wagging a finger. “I am a guy. We break the law all the time. However, pretty girls like you should not be. Though I’ll admit, it’s a turn on.”
“See? Can’t be all bad if it’s a turn on,” Dawn responded.
I got a bit closer to her. “Maybe not,” I said, smirking.
Dawn opened her mouth as if about to say something, and then closed it. She appeared to be lost in thought, like debating with herself whether or not she should flirt back. Finally, she got closer to me too. “Y’know…you’re not that bad for some guy I met at a bar.”
“Well thank you. You’re not the ordinary girl seen around a bar either.”
“Oh? And what are those types of girls like?” Dawn asked, raising an eyebrow.
“The ones who prance around on top of the table and take off their shirts,” I commented nonchalantly.
“I’m slowly weaning off the ‘shedding of my shirt’ in public places,” Dawn told me sarcastically.
Dawn was starting to look a little…off the deep end now. I frowned slightly. “Really, you should let up. You aren’t looking too hot. I mean, of course you’re hot, I just meant…never mind.”
Dawn smirked at me slightly, delighted by my stumbling in words. “All right, I’ll stop drinking…for now.”
I laughed. “Good…but I’m not making any promises.” I sipped at my drink once, looking up at Dawn innocently.
“Now that’s unfair. I have to stop drinking, and yet you can drink as much as you want?”
“Yes, because I won’t go absolutely bonkers when I drink. Plus I’m actually past the legal age limit?” I told her, raising my eyebrows.
“I’m not bonkers,” Dawn said, sounding mildly offended, but grinning.
I chugged the rest of my…whatever I was drinking. "Woo, these are going fast!" I shook my head to clear it a little, then looked at her in false disbelief. "Oh, sure, you are absolutely normal..." The teasing smile fell from my face. "Actually...no...you're above average. Not like most girls." Wow, I'm surprised I haven't made a move on her yet. I'm not being pervy with her like I was with all other girls, especially Eileen.
"Am I really that special?" Dawn questioned with a raised eyebrow. "I mean, you've only told me how different I am from most girls twice now, and I'm starting to wonder if it's a good thing or a bad thing."
I eyed her warily. "Good thing. Most likely." I was about to call the bartender for more, but he came and took my glass and filled it up without me asking.
“Most likely?” Dawn laughed. “Okay then.” She got up off her stool, then stumbled, almost falling over. Seeming to think better, she sat back down.
“Need some help over there?” I offered.
Dawn shook her head stubbornly. “No, I’ll just stay here.”

[JennyxEli]

SPOILER: Click to show

“All right…I don’t see you gambling anymore tonight,” I said, the corners of my lips twitching in an attempt to smile.
“I don’t gamble. Well…at least not tonight, anyway.”
“And why is that?”
“Because I’m drunk. You shouldn’t gamble when you’re drunk,” Dawn said matter-of-factly.
“Right. Don’t want to wake up married and broke, now do you?” I said dryly, sipping some of my drink(which, for the record, I still had no idea what it was).
"That would be it," Dawn replied. "Can't say the married one has ever happened, but I have ended up broke."
I tilted my head slightly to the left. "Well, you seem to be doing just fine now. I know a few poor people, and trust me, you aren’t like any of them." That made me think of Eileen; she was obviously poor, the way she struggled with work and how hard she worked, and all that crap she took from her boss and the customers...Oh yeah. That was flat-up broke.
“Well I am now,” Dawn said, nodding her head.
"Well that's good...casinos can make you broke or rich. 'Course, I come for the bar more than the gambling. This place is huge, so it's more fun being here."
"I usually come for drinking, gambling, and because I count on naive people.”
I chuckled lowly. This girl was hilarious. "I'd like to see you win against pros," I said with a smirk.
"I probably wouldn't, but hey, it's worth a shot, right? Not to mention I'm just so innocent looking, I couldn't possibly know how to play poker," Dawn said, batting her eyelashes.
"Oh yeah. I'm sure the sight of you at that poker table would stun all the men there. I'm sure they would wonder why a girl, especially a girl this hot, would play such a rough game."
"Oh, but that's exactly what I wanted, little do they know. Guess I shouldn't ever play poker with you, then, now that you know my secrets."
I shrugged. “Poker’s not really my game anyway. I’m more of a Texas Hold’em guy.”
Dawn smiled slightly. “I play whatever I can win the most money out of.”
“Should I assume that you rarely lose?” I asked.
She laughed and grinned widely at me. "Pretty much." Dawn yawned a bit and almost leaned back, but didn’t. Instead, she got down and tried to walk again, succeeding this time.
I jumped off my stool, stumbling a bit as well. “Incase you fall over, I’m right here.”
Dawn laughed slightly. “Thanks.” She paused, slowly taking a few steps, testing to see how drunk and uncoordinated she was. “I should head home,” she declared.
"Oh no you're not! There is no way you are driving home. Even if you feel fine, you're still under the influence and you can be arrested."
“I have to get home!” Dawn groaned. “Zack’s going to get worried!”
I felt a sickening feeling in my stomach; Zack must be her boyfriend. Why would a girl like her not have a boyfriend, dumbass? "I'm sure he'll understand. I'm just watching out for your safety, and driving home while drunk is obviously not safe." I shook my head. "You're staying put."
“Well where am I supposed to stay then if I can’t drive anywhere?” she asked me pointedly.
I frowned. “Well…my house is nearby. We can walk to my house and leave your car here, and you can spend the night and then get your car in the morning,” I offered.
I could tell by the way she bit her lip that the idea made sense, but she was wrestling with her conscience, wondering if it was good to go through with it. “Fine,” she said with a resigned sigh.
“All right then,” I said, giving her a kind smile. “Follow me.”
I led the way out of the casino, sighing as the fresh air helped clear my head a bit. I looked back at Dawn, who was staring at her feet and holding herself, trying to keep herself warm.
I pulled off my jacket, holding it out to her. “It’s not much, but it can help,” I suggested.
She smiled tentatively at me and took it, throwing it around her shoulders and hugging it close to her body. “Thanks.”
“No problem,” I said softly as I turned to face ahead again. We turned onto my block, and when we reached my house, I pulled my keys from my pocket and unlocked the door for us.
“It’s not very big,” I warned her. “You can take the bed in my room, and I’ll sleep on the couch in the living room.”
Dawn shook her head. “No, I’ll take the couch.”
I didn’t deny her if that was what she wanted. “Do you want some Aspirin? It might help with the hangover when you wake up.”
“Doesn’t work for me if I take it at night. I have to take it in the morning with vodka.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Interesting. Sorry, I’m out of vodka…Do you want a pillow and blanket or something? The couch isn‘t all the comfortable.”
“Sure, why not?” Dawn said. She paused, then looked at me curiously. “Hey, you wouldn’t happen to have anything…interesting, to do around here, would you?”
I grinned slightly. Wow, this girl knew me so well. I went to the cabinet and pulled out a bag of brownies. "Do you want one of these...special brownies, or the real thing?"
“Real thing. I don’t like that fake shit.”
I duck deeper into the cabinet and pulled out a bag of pot, throwing it to her, then getting the pipe. I brought it over to her and sat down, leaning against the couch, passing the pipe over.
“Thank you!” Dawn said sweetly, taking the pipe and putting it to her lips.
After watching her smoke it for a minute, I said, “My turn,” and took the pipe out of her mouth. I put it in mine and inhaled deeply, blanking out for a moment.
“Hey!” Dawn grumbled, but she didn’t make an attempt to take the pipe back from me.
I rolled my eyes and passed her the pipe again. I was feeling the giddiness already, the intense feelings...whoa, was Dawn really that pretty? I stared at Dawn for a few moments longer, watching her smoke some more, before I finally knocked the pipe out of her mouth…and replaced it with my lips.
She was surprised for a moment, I could tell, but soon she was kissing me back. I ran my hand along her back, the other around her thigh, forcing her mouth open as we kissed. This felt good…but like déjà vu for me.
I moved her leg so one was wrapped around my waist, and she threw the other around it too, sensing what I was thinking. I lifted her up and carried her to my bedroom, not separating our lips from each other’s.


**Chapter 3**
Rayne
I sleepily looked at my clock, then jumped up and stumbled out of bed. It was ten-thirty already?! I stumbled into the shower, quickly cleaning myself. I didn’t want to be late for…my date.
It was still hard to wrap my head around the fact that I was actually going on a date. Ever since Audrey…I didn’t even think it would be possible for me to fall for another girl ever again. Of course, Adrian had kind of forced me and Eileen into this date, but I found myself actually looking forward to it.
I turned off the water and changed into jeans and a long sleeve shirt. I ran a towel through me hair a few times, then brushed my teeth. I put a few drops of cologne on my neck, scrunching up my nose as the strong scent hit my nose. Oh well. Girls like it, right?
I toasted up some bread and nibbled it as I watched television, waiting for eleven-thirty to roll around before I went to pick up Eileen and her sister.
Sister. There was something odd about that. Why would her mother wait so long to have another child? The oldest Bree could be was five, and Eileen had to be my age. Why wait sixteen years to have another child? Not to mention Bree looked so much like Eileen; they could be mother and daughter. But if Eileen insisted they were sisters than…I have no choice but to believe her, right?
It’s not like I could judge anyway. I mean, considering the fact that Audrey and I…considering we had…twin sons…I shook my head. Thinking about them would only ruin any chance of happiness I might be able to get out of this date. You’re not allowed to see your sons anyway. Thinking about them will do you know good.
When the time finally rolled around, I headed out to my car and started up the engine. I drove to the address she had given me and parked across the street from her apartment. I waited, like she had told me to, and honked the horn twice. I got out of the car and leaned against the side of the door, putting my hands in my pocket.
Eileen finally came out, Bree shielded in her arms. She closed the door hurriedly and ran out to greet me. “Hi,” she said breathlessly, smiling.
I was again stunned by the beauty of her smile, the effortless beauty she put forth and didn’t even know about. “Hey. Are you ready to go?”
“Yes, of course,” Eileen replied, then opened the door the backseat and slid in, keeping Bree in her arms and she put her seatbelt on.
I closed the door for her and got in the driver’s seat. I started the car and started out drive to Adrian’s house.
After awhile, a high, tinkling voice called, “Hey, mister!”
“Yeah?” I asked, looking in the mirror back at Bree and Eileen.
“I saw you yes-ter-day!” Bree pronounced slowly, then grinned.
I laughed as we stopped at Adrian's house. "I saw you too," I told her teasingly, opening the back door for them.
Eileen carried Bree out of the car, then set her on her feet, taking her hand as we walked up to the front door of the house.
I knocked on the door and waited for Adrian to answer. I listened closely and I could hear him moving around. Then the door opened and he grinned.
"I don't let strangers in unless they bring food," he said with a grin.
I rolled my eyes at him. "Adrian..."
"... but I suppose I could make an exception," he added, smirking as he stepped aside. "Come on in."
“It’s nice to see you again,” Eileen said politely to Adrian. She let go of Bree’s hand, and Bree threw herself at my leg, attaching herself to it.
“Nice to see you again, too. Rayne here's all sorts of excited about your guys' date," Adrian told her, grinning as I looked down and blushed heavily.
"Shut up," I muttered.
"Hey, Zack's not here yet, so it's my duty to pick on you like an older brother," Adrian said solemnly, nodding.
"I'm older than you," I reminded him with a roll of my eyes.
Adrian just shrugged, and I smiled down at Bree, wondering how I was going to get her off of me.
Eileen laughed, though she blushed too. "Bree, baby, come to Leeny," she crooned.
Bree smiled and ran at her, and Eileen threw her up into the air. Bree squealed as she caught her, and then nuzzled her face into Eileen’s neck. "Who's Zack?" Eileen questioned the two of us.
“My twin brother. He’s coming by to visit with some new girlfriend of his,” Adrian answered.
"Oh. Great to know Bree will have plenty of people to watch her. If anything happens to her, I have the right to sue," Eileen joked, grinning.
"I'd really rather you didn't, since I'm not all that great with kids anyways, but that's why Aubrey's here," I said with a grin.
I was about to ask who and where this Aubrey person was, when I noticed the girl standing awkward behind Adrian, listening to our conversation. I didn’t even want to know if she was a friend of Adrian’s or not.
Aubrey smirked. “Apparently so.”
"Haha, well, we should be off," Eileen said, looking up at me. She kissed Bree's forehead and murmured, "Be good, baby girl. Don't cause any trouble."
Bree nodded slightly, then ran off and jumped onto a couch. Eileen shook her head, biting back laughter.
“I don’t think she will,” Adrian commented, smiling as he watched Bree jump all over the place.
Eileen took my hand, leading me out the door. I smiled slightly, letting her.
“I hope they all stay there,” I said.
"They better. Bree can't sit by herself in a car, much less without a car seat." Eileen bit her bottom lip. "I swear, I worry about her too much. I wish I could just...unwind. Stop worrying. Have fun without remembering Bree." She shook her head. "I know, I sound so selfish."
"Well." I grinned. "We'll work on that," I said, opening the passenger side door for her, and getting into the driver's seat.
"I hope so," Eileen said with a smirk, sliding into the passenger's seat. "Now, let's go get something to eat. I'm starved."
"Something to eat. Right," I mumbled to myself, putting the car into drive and starting to go to the one place I'd told her about. "Feel free to change the radio to whatever you want."
Eileen smiled and searched through the stations, stopping at a song with a nice, soft feeling. Like a mixture between pop music and folk music. She started humming along to the beat, staring out the window.
I smiled as we pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant. “Voila!”
Eileen got out of the car and looked the place over, but didn’t say anything.
I got out of the car as well, then said, “This place is my guilty pleasure.”
“Well then let’s go and eat before we die of hunger!” Eileen exclaimed, grinning as she held the door of the restaurant open for me.
"Hey!" I laughed. "I'm supposed to hold the door open for you!" With that, I grabbed hold of the door and ushered her in.
“Oh fine then!” Eileen huffed jokingly, walking in and stopping to wait at the podium.
I followed her inside and started for a booth. "We seat ourselves," I explained, turning the sign in the booth to "Waiting" so the waiters knew that we still needed to order.
“Well that makes sense,” Eileen said bluntly.
I laughed and sat down. "They fired their host a while ago. Sleeping on the job."

[JennyxEli]

SPOILER: Click to show

She let out a laugh. "Of course. I sneak cups of coffee in during my breaks so that I keep high and energetic."
"Apparently the guy didn't have your genius idea," I said with a grin.
"No, apparently not," Eileen laughed, and ended with a sigh.
A waitress came to our table, handing us our menus. "Would you like any drinks to start out with?" she asked in a nasally voice.
"Oh, uh, I'll have a chocolate milkshake, please," Eileen said, opening the menu.
“A caffeine-free Pepsi,” I said, nodding.
“I’ll be right back with that,” the waitress said dryly before leaving.
“What, are you trying to lose wait?” Eileen teased me, but before I could respond, she assessed the menu and said, “Butter-bun steak burger! Sounds good to me!”
I grinned. "I'm just gonna go with a plain cheeseburger and fries. Can't go wrong with that," I said solemnly. "I believe in the classics."
“I like trying new things. Besides, my dad used to take me out to get steak burgers all the time…” Eileen trailed off, seeming lost in her memories.
"What happened?" I asked quietly. I could tell from the way she trailed off that something had happened to him.
"He, um, died when I was fourteen, before Bree was even born," Eileen said quietly.
The waitress came back with our drinks and placed them on the table. I was expecting her to ask for our orders, but she just turned and walked away.
I frowned slightly. "That sucks," I said, looking down and drinking some of my soda.
“Yeah…” Eileen trailed off again, and when the waitress came back, she quietly told her what she wanted, as did I. The waitress nodded and then left.
"If it like... I don't know, makes you feel any better or something, my parents got a divorce a while after I turned eleven. That was a fun custody battle," I said with a slight smirk.
Eileen frowned and reached out, taking my hand. “I’m sorry.”
I smiled gently at her. "It's fine. Things could be worse," I said, looking down at our hands and blushing slightly. Things could be worse... like they are.
“I have to agree with that.”
"So..." I mumbled, leaning back as we waited for our food. "Awkward silences make gay babies, you know," I said knowingly.
“Oh do they?” Eileen murmured, not looking like this amused her.
I shrugged. “That’s what I hear.”
Eileen didn’t respond, instead took the cherry out of her milkshake and popped it into her mouth, pulling out the stem.
I looked down into my drink before drinking some of it, trying to think of something interesting to say. "Did you ever plan on going to college or anything?" I asked her, then almost slapped myself. Stupid. Like she wants to talk about school.
"I do, actually," Eileen said, perking up slightly. "I take a few classes at the community college; while I'm not working and don't have Bree on my hands." She sighed. "But I can't really afford any of it anymore. I don't have enough money for this month's rent, much less my classes."
I frowned slightly. "Well... if you want, I could baby-sit her for you. Y'know, so you don't have to pay anyone to look after her."
Eileen’s eyes grew wide. "No, no, I couldn't let you do that! You have a life too...I couldn't just dump my responsibilities on you!" She shook her head.
I chuckled. "I don't, actually. I don't, uh, get out much. I was only at the park yesterday because Adrian dragged me. Really, it'd be no problem."
Eileen sighed after searching my face for awhile. “Are you sure?
I nodded. “Absolutely.”
Eileen sighed again. "All right, fine. But we have to make sure it's all right with Bree. She's only known you for two days; she may not be so comfortable with you."
"Right." I nodded. "We'll ask her when we get back, then."
“All right,” Eileen said, sipping at her milkshake for awhile. “It’s been awhile since I’ve had something this good.”
I laughed a bit. "You must have had very few good things in your life for a while, then. Though their milkshakes are pretty good."
“Very few things,” Eileen murmured. A distant look came into her eyes, and I had this feeling she wasn’t…with us.
"I think you need to dance," I told her. "Or to laugh, at least. You're starting to look depressed, and I might have to get a hold of some of that laughing gas."
Eileen smiled wearily but didn’t answer.
"You look tired," I observed suddenly, noticing that it wasn't just her facial expression, but her eyes. There was a sort of exhaustion in there that... that I had too, sometimes, when I wasn't careful. But if I was easygoing and fun, then it usually hid the look. Other times, though, it was visible, and that scared me. It was a look that made me seem so much older than I really was, like I'd been through too much, and I didn't like it.
"I always am," Eileen mumbled. "Having to juggling work, Bree, and school...it leaves no time for sleep."
I frowned. "That... sucks," I said, unable to think of anything else to say.
Eileen nodded slightly. "That it does."
I looked down and drank the rest of my drink. Things were getting awkward, and fast. I could tell her about my past, but it was full of things I didn't want to remember, so I stayed silent.
Eileen drummed her fingers against the table, and then placed a hand on top of mine. "I'm sorry, I'm making this date suck by making it gloomy. I should stop talking about my life," she joked.
I chuckled and looked at our hands, blushing slightly. "Nah, it's fine. You're supposed to learn about each other on dates, right?”
Eileen nodded slightly and blushed too. "So...how amazingly fantastic has your life been?"
I laughed and shrugged. "Things have been better, but I'm doing okay," I said with a slight smile.
"Right...seems like that for most people," Eileen said, smiling slightly. Our meals arrived, and she leaned back into her chair awkwardly.
"Yeah," I agreed and took a bite of my food.
It was pretty quiet as we both ate, which I guess was better than talking with our mouths full anyways, so... I finished chewing and looked over to her, smiling weakly. "What's your favorite kind of music?"
"Rock. Classic Rock," Eileen mumbled around her food. She covered her mouth with one hand so it wouldn't look like her mouth was full.
I nodded. "About the same here. You like Regina Spektor, huh?" I asked, just making small talk for the moment. I realized that that was who we had been listening to in the car.
God, I knew there was a reason I didn't go on dates. And I couldn't really blame Audrey for this, could I? I just sucked with people, ever since... ever since, well, that.
Eileen nodded. "She's the only pop/folk music I can stand." She popped a fry into her mouth.
I just nodded a bit. "Have you ever heard of Nickelback, then?"
Eileen smiled. "I love Nickelback. Never Gonna Be Alone is by far their best song."
I smiled. "Yeah, it's pretty good. I like Savin' Me, though."
"That one's nice too.”
I grinned. "You like classic rock, too? AC/DC and Aerosmith, stuff like that?"
"Oh yeah. REO Speedwagon, Journey...them old guys." Eileen grinned, picking at her hamburger's bun now, popping bits of soft bread into her mouth.
I laughed and took a bite of my own food. All this music talk was good. Guess that's what I get for being an addict, hmm?
Eileen chewed thoughtfully on a fry for a second. "What bands are you into?" She asked after swallowing.
"Oh, all kinds. Mostly the old stuff. Like what you mentioned, what I mentioned, and ZZ Top, Yes, Bob Seger, Ozzy Osbourne, y'know," I answered.
"ZZ Top, oh my God," Eileen laughed. "I haven't listened to them in forever though. I'm pretty into Bon Jovi though."
"Bon Jovi's good," I said, nodding. "You should listen to them, then! You know Cheap Sunglasses, right? It's my absolute favorite by them."
"I like all their hit songs," Eileen said. "You Give Love A Bad Name is one of my favorites."
"Yeah, that's one's really good, too. There's a band called Atreyu - I don't know if you've heard of them - but they did a cover of it," I told her.
"I haven't heard of it, but that's pretty cool," Eileen said, smiling. She finished off her burger and took a sip of her milkshake.
I laughed. “I’m the guy here - I was definitely supposed to finish before you. Fail on my part,” I said with a laugh.
Eileen laughed as the waitress came to our table the check. She collected our plates, and I pulled out my wallet, placing the tip on the table and putting the money in the booklet.
"Do you want to...go home and do something?" Eileen asked calmly.
I arched an eyebrow at her. "Whose house and what?"
She shrugged. "Your house is probably way better than mine. And I dunno...watch TV? What do normal people do in a house?" Eileen asked.
"Well, my house, then." Then I shrugged. "Yeah, I usually read or watch TV."
Eileen stood up, brushing off any crumbs on her.

[JennyxEli]

SPOILER: Click to show

I stood up, too, and headed for the door, opening it for her. "Ladies first," I said with a grin.
Eileen laughed once and walked through, her head shaking slightly. She got in the passenger side and buckled in, laying her head back and humming to herself.
I let the door close and got into the car after her, starting the drive back to my house.
When we reached my house and had parked, Eileen stumbled out of the car, seeming shocked. I had a hunch that she wasn’t used to seeing…well, a house. In good conditions, anyway. I locked the car and headed up to the door, unlocking it and holding it open for her again.
Eileen walked through the door, nodding her thanks, and scoped the room. The dining room and kitchen were one, separated from the living room by a folding door. She sat down on the loveseat in the living room, taking everything in.
I shut the door and plopped down on the loveseat next to her. "So now we watch TV. What do we opt for: scary movie, action adventure, comedy, mushy romance, or a romantic comedy?"
"I haven't seen a scary movie in forever! Can't watch them around Bree," Eileen explained quickly.
I nodded. "Understandable," I said as I looked through the Pay-Per-View channels for something to watch. "See anything good?"
"The Ring looks good," Eileen commented. "I heard about it. People coming out of wells to kill you sounds pretty interesting."
"Not something I would want to happen in real life, but interesting all the same," I said with a grin, ordering it.
Eileen lay back in the loveseat, pulling her feet up onto the cushions as the opening credits came on the screen. "I don't want a creepy kid in a well killing me off."
I laughed and grinned at her. "Don't worry, I'll beat them up for you if they try."
Eileen smiled appreciatively. “My hero.”
I smiled back at her, then turned to look at the screen.
Eileen quieted as well as the beginning credits rolled off the screen. She watched the beginning scenes with wide eyes, expecting the worst. She turned frozen as the movie turned worse. Eileen let out a scream as the first murder was made, and hid her face in the couch.
I grimaced. Okay, that was just gruesome. I turned when Eileen screamed and saw her bury her face in the pillow. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her closer to me. "Hey, didn't I say I'd keep you safe?" I asked jokingly.
Eileen burrowed deeper into my arms, resting her head on my shoulder. "I believe you," she said quietly.
I looked down at her so my eyes met hers and felt... different. Weird. But a good kind of weird. I hadn't noticed how soft her lips looked before, and I found myself wondering what it would be like to kiss her.
Eileen turned to look up at me, then, and she seemed to search my face, like making a quick decision. She slowly brought a hand up to my cheek, hesitating for a moment, and then brought my face down to hers and pressed her lips against mine.
I kissed her back and realized that it did feel good to kiss her. For the first time in awhile, I felt truly and blissfully happy.
After a minute or so, Eileen pulled back to breathe, resting her forehead against mine lightly. She pecked me on the lips once more, then tucked her head into the hollow under my chin, like nothing had happened.
"Well..." I said, blinking a few times, wondering if I'd imagined it. "Nice," I finished, blushing a bit, unable to think of anything to say. Of course I had to get all shy now.
Eileen laughed a little. “It was.”
I smiled a bit, then looked back at the movie, feeling too happy for words.


**Chapter 4**
Dawn
I woke up slowly, blinking a few times and yawning. I sat up and realized that this was not Zack's house, which meant that guy sleeping next to me, while extremely sexy, was not Zack. My eyes went wide and I groaned to myself, quietly getting out of the bed and pulling my clothes on and swearing under my breath. Great. It didn't take a genius to figure out what the two of us had done last night, even though I couldn't remember it, let alone his name. Avery? Andrew? Andy. That was it. Andy. Well. Wonderful.
Andy yawned, and I knew he was awake now. "Oh my God," he gasped, getting up quickly. He slipped on a pair of sweatpants, then came up to me, hands out in front of him, taking wary steps. "I...I'm so sorry."
I shook my head. "Don't be. We were drunk, right?" I sighed and finished tying my shoes. I really needed to get a shower... and to explain where I'd been. The old and overused hotel excuse was going to have to work. "Well, I gotta go. It was nice... meeting you, Andy," I said with a dry smile.
Andy leaned forward and hugged me gently. "Take care. I'll keep an eye out for you at the casino." He winked.
I made a face. "Yeah. Sorry to crush your hopes, but I wouldn't count on it," I said, heading out of the bedroom and shutting the door behind me before I went outside and took a guess on which way the casino was, then walked towards it. Honestly, I didn't want to be harsh on him, but I had a boyfriend, for Christ's sakes!
I got back to Zack's house, and crept inside, hoping he was still asleep. He was. On the couch. I shut the door as quietly as I could, but when I turned around, he was sitting up and looking at me warily. "What happened?" he asked.
"I stayed out gambling too late and had to book a room at a hotel," I said with a sheepish smile, lying through my teeth. He wouldn't find out what had happened.
"Oh. Okay," he said and shrugged.
I headed back to the bathroom and took a shower, feeling... weird. Dirty. Of course Zack wouldn't question it; he didn't think I'd lie to him, but I had.
I headed out of the bathroom once I was done with my shower to see the front door open, so I headed outside. Zack was shoving bags into the trunk of the car.
"You ready?" he called to me.
I nodded and walked out to him since I'd already put my bags in the car.
"Wanna go to that casino you found the other night?" Zack asked me suddenly. "Y'know, before we stay at Adrian's for a while. We'll just drop off our stuff."
I hesitated. I was very against going there now, incase we might run into Andy. Zack frowned slightly, knowing I’m not one to hesitate when casinos are involved.
“Sure,” I said finally, not wanting to seem suspicious.
We got in the car, and I wasn’t sure how anxious I was supposed to be about meeting Zack’s brother. Maybe it was good that I seemed this worried; maybe Zack would think that’s why I was behaving so strangely.
I hadn’t even noticed that the car was parked now. Zack got out of the car and headed up to Adrian's door, me following after him. He knocked and waited for Adrian to answer.
We didn't have to wait long, and when Adrian opened the door, he was grinning. He hugged Zack and looked back at me. "Hmm, decent. I think you could've done better."
"Better watch it, Adrian," I warned, but I was smirking.
"Good to see you again, too, Adrian," Zack said, shaking his head and laughing slightly.
“Oh, right. Good to see you, too, brother,” Adrian said.
"Well, we're off, then, Adrian. We'll be back later; I promised Dawn I'd take her to check out the casinos," Zack said with a small smile, which I returned.
"Man, I wish I could come along. I'm stuck on diaper duty, though." Adrian stuck his tongue out. "At least Aubrey won't abandon me."
"Lucky you," Zack said, smirking as he walked out and shut the door, getting into the car after me and starting the drive to the casino.
I headed inside the casino while Zack parked the car, and ended back up at the bar, but I didn't order anything. Not like last night. With Zack here, things might end disastrously.
After a while of sitting there, Zack came in, but didn't join me at the bar. He started on a game of pool, and I turned around on the seat to watch. He still couldn't hustle as well as I could, but he was getting better at it. I decided to order a beer after a bit longer. Just one.
I looked around and rubbed my eyes, then got up and sat next to him. "Well. Guess I should've expected to find you here," I said to Andy with a wry smile.
Andy gave a slight, jerky nod, grinning. "When you have a hangover, I say it's better to keep drinking then to sit in your house moaning in pain."
I smirked. "Yeah, I heard that if you want to get rid of a hangover, you just need to drink some more."
"Well yeah, that's how it works. If you spend everyday drinking excessively, you never feel the hangover!"
"I don't think I'll try that. Replaying last night would not be a smart idea... especially not while Zack's here," I murmured, nodding towards Zack at the pool table.
“Right, right,” Andy said solemnly, sipping at his drink.
"So... this is awkward," I muttered, looking down. Most of the time, I never saw my one-night-stands again. There was something about Andy, though... I wanted to see him again, and it just wasn't right! What about Zack?
“A bit, yes,” Andy said, eyeing Zack warily.
Right then, I put my hand over my stomach. I knew that feeling. "I'll be right back," I uttered before getting off the stool and running into the bathroom, spilling my guts up into the toilet. Great. I wiped my mouth off and made a face. I spit repeatedly into the sink, then swished water around in my mouth again and again, trying to get rid of the terrible taste. Once I was satisfied, I went back to the bar and sat down with a sigh.
"You okay?" Andy asked me. He tried to sound concerned, but the words came out a little slurred.
I just nodded. "Yeah," I mumbled as Zack joined us, sitting down and ordering two beers. "I don't want one," I told him.
He looked surprised, but told the guy to make it one. "Hey, what's wrong?"
"I'm hung over."
"Oh." he frowned slightly and kissed me on the forehead, looking over to Andy. "Who's he?"
"That's Andy. My friend," I answered, hoping he'd go along with it.
Andy raised a hand. "Hey."
Zack shook his hand and looked at him warily, not saying anything.
Andy shook his hand firmly back, then ran a hand through his hair, glancing at me. "Well..."
"Awkward," I remarked, looking between the two of them and ordering myself another beer. I'd changed my mind. Too much tension.
"Wanna dance?" Zack asked after a moment.
I just shook my head. "I think I'll probably fall over or vomit if I do, so..."
He chuckled a bit. "If you insist."
"Yeah. Go win some money." He looked warily at Andy, and I rolled my eyes. "I'll be fine."
Zack nodded a bit, then walked back to the pool table.
“He doesn’t trust me?” Andy said with a laugh.
“Apparently not,” I answered with a smirk.
“Good. He shouldn’t.”
I chuckled slightly. "And why's that?" I asked, arching an eyebrow at him as I downed some of the beer.
"Because I'm bad," Andy chuckled. "To the bone," he added on the end, grinning sheepishly.
I laughed. “You’re not all that bad.”
“In which way?” he asked, raising his eyebrows mischievously.
I rolled my eyes. "As a person. I can't really remember much of last night, actually." Huh. Guess I had been pretty wasted. I had to wonder if he could remember, but I didn't particularly think about that.
Andy flicked me on the nose. "That is because you took a ride on LSD. A bit too much. Causes memory loss, don't cha know?"
"I vaguely remember hearing that somewhere." I smirked slightly, wrinkling my nose at him.
“Then you should have known better,” Andy scolded me.
"The alcohol was clouding my judgment," I told him defensively. "Besides, you know what they say," I said with a grin, going over and putting Blame It (On The Alcohol) by Jamie Foxx on the jukebox.
Andy shrugged. "Or, you can take the parody and blame it on the apple juice."
I waved a hand dismissively. "They're almost the same thing," I said jokingly.
“Almost,” Andy said, smiling.
“So…what brings you here again?” I asked conversationally.
“I came to drink away my hangover, remember?”
I laughed. "Well played. But I think you're here for your next conquest," I said, my eyes sparkling playfully.
“I have no idea what you mean.”
“Of course you don’t,” I said, rolling my eyes at him.
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Andy laughed, leaning forward.
I took in a sharp intake of breath as I realized how close our faces were now. I blinked and leaned back slightly. That was bad. I was not supposed to want to kiss him. Bad. "It means that you're lying and you definitely know what I mean," I answered, sticking my tongue out.

[JennyxEli]

SPOILER: Click to show

Andy pulled back too and rolled his eyes. “Fine then. No, that’s not why I’m here.”
"No?" I asked, then shrugged and snapped my fingers, trying to act like everything was normal and not weird, that I didn't feel this weird, annoying attraction to him. A lot... stronger than the one I felt with Zack. But I loved Zack... didn't I? God, I was so confused. "I was so sure, too."
Andy smirked. “You don’t know me very well.”
I smirked back at him. “Maybe I do, but you just don’t know it.”
Andy raised an eyebrow. “Oh really?”
I shrugged. “You never know. I’ve been told that I’m a pretty good judge of character.”
“I must look like a crappy person, then,” Andy said flatly.
“It depends on how drunk you are.”
He raised both his eyebrows. “Then how am I looking now?”
“Not all that bad. Drink some more and it’ll probably get worse.” I nodded solemnly.
“Well then I’ll stop drinking,” Andy said, pushing his bottle away.
“Really?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
Andy nodded his head sincerely. “Don’t want to make a bad impression.”
“Too late,” I said teasingly. “At least for you and Zack, anyway.”
“I can live with that,” Andy replied. “It’s the ladies I’m more concerned about.”
“You’re proving my hypothesis right,” I pointed out to him.
“Damn,” Andy grumbled under his breath.
I raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
Andy ran a hand through his hair and grinned sheepishly at me. "I, uh, only care about certain girls - people - in particular, really. I'm not that big of a ladies man."
"If you insist," I said, smirking slightly at him. I didn't believe him what bit, but hey, it was his story, let him tell it how he wants.
“So, um…”
I laughed. “Not good at talking long conversations, are you?”
“No, not really,” Andy said, chuckling weakly.
"S'okay - I'd be lying if I said I had long, intelligent conversations with people often," I told him simply.
“Yeah, totally,” Andy mumbled.
I got off the stool and waved slightly. "I'm gonna go play pool, then."
Andy pressed his lips into a tight line, but waved drunkenly. "All right, you have fun with that...boyfriend of yours." He grinned tightly.
"Don't worry, I'll hustle him in your honor,” I promised.
“You do that,” Andy said, then turning away from me.
I walked over to the pool table and just watched Zack play pool with a few other guys for now - I knew they wouldn't let me join until this game was over, anyhow. I kept sneaking glances over to Andy occasionally, too, though.
The game ended and another started. I ended up being on Zack's team, because the other guys didn't see me as a threat. Zack smiled and squeezed my hand, and I did my best to smile back, though I still felt guilty.
When the game ended(Zack’s team winning, of course), I turned and looked at the bar. Andy had disappeared, and I felt my heart sink. NO! I’m not supposed to care! I shouldn’t…but I do.


**Chapter 5**
Eileen
Three Weeks Later
I yawned as I looked over at Bree's sleeping body. I didn't like waking her up early, but now that Rayne could watch her, I could take longer shifts and get more money. I had just enough money to pay last month's rent, but I really have to start working harder to get enough to pay for this month's, plus some extra money for food and clothes.
I sighed. Five more minutes of sleep won‘t hurt. After those few minutes were up, I stumbled to the bathroom and got in the shower. After I had showered and dried my curls, I slipped on my work uniform.
"Bree honey," I said quietly, shaking her little body. "Bree?" I pressed an ear to her chest. No, she was fine...but her breathing was heavy, and her nose was running. "Oh, great. She's sick!" I exclaimed to myself.
I took out my phone and dialed Rayne. "Hello?" I said when it picked up.
“Eileen? What’s wrong?” Rayne’s voice answered.
"Bree, she's sick. I'll just keep her at home today and take off of work." I bit my lip as I headed to the bathroom. "Do you mind picking up some Tylenol? I'm out."
"Yeah, sure. I'll be there in about ten minutes."
"'Kay, thanks," I breathed and hung up. I started pacing across mine and Bree's room, waiting and checking on her.
About ten minutes later, I heard a knock on the door. I hurried to it and opened it quickly. "Thank you!" I said, wrapping my arms quickly around Rayne and then taking the small bag in his hands. "Can you wake up Bree for me, please?" I called as I headed to get her breakfast ready.
Rayne nodded, walking back to Bree's room and shaking her gently. "Hey, Bree. It's time to wake up, munchkin,” I heard him say.
As I popped some bread into the toaster, I heard Bree moan from the other room. "Tired...tummy hurts...where's Momma?" I froze. She must be confused...she can't think right...oh crap.
“She’s getting you some breakfast from the kitchen,” Rayne replied soothingly, no trace of confusion or suspicion in his tone.
The toast popped back up, and I put the pieces of bread on a paper plate. When sick, you only eat little things that won't fill you up; that way you won't upset your stomach.
I walked into the bedroom. "Hi honey," I whispered, bending down on my knees. "Can you sit up and eat for me, please, Bree?" She nodded weakly and sat up. "Eat your toast and then you can have the cherry juice when you're done," I said softly.
Bree nibbled on the toast and I gestured for Rayne to follow me into the living room to give her peace.
Rayne followed me into the living room and raised an eyebrow. “Momma?”
I looked down at my feet. What do I do? Tell him the truth? Can I actually trust him? I searched Rayne with my eyes. I couldn't find anything untrustworthy about him. But what if he tells someone, everyone? I just want a normal life, with no shame.
I sighed as I sat down on my ratty old couch. "Sit," I told him before saying anything else.
He sat down and looked at me expectantly.
"I'm going to assume I can trust you. If I can't...then this is all a mistake." I watched a bug crawl across the wall for a bit before I blurted, "Bree is my daughter."
"I had no idea," Rayne said sarcastically, then smiled kindly. "Sorry. But you know... there's a pretty big age difference between the two of you, and your parents probably wouldn't have waited that long to have another kid."
I let out a sigh of relief, then shrugged. "It happens all the time. I could have been the child who was born while they were teens, and they wanted to wait until I could take care of my little sibling before they had one. You never know." I grinned sheepishly. "So...you're not freaked out or anything?"
Rayne shook his head. “I’m not a hypocrite.” He blinked, seeming surprised by what he’d just said…scared, even.
My brows furrowed. “…What do you mean?”
“I have twin sons,” Rayne admitted quietly, looking down at the carpet.
“Really?” I was able to choke out, stunned. There are absolutely no words…at all…how to describe this. None.
Rayne nodded. "My, uh...ex-girlfriend won't let me see them, though." Rayne chuckled dryly, then looked back to me. "You want to hear the story?"
I nodded, mouth half open. "You deserve to hear mine afterwards," I whispered. I crossed my legs, ready to listen.
Rayne took a deep breath. "My ex-girlfriend... well, ex-best friend, Audrey. She's their mom. Her boyfriend had just broken up with her and she felt like shit. Acted like it, too. She was crying all over the place and she didn't feel up for anything. After a long time, I managed to convince her that going to a bar would be a good idea. It might help her forget what she felt for him. 'Course, it only magnified how I felt for her. I'd been in love with her for years, but I was too much a chicken to ever tell her.
“Anyhow, we both had quite a few beers, got sufficiently drunk, and... well... the twins were born. But... she won't talk to me anymore. Says it's all my fault, and she gave birth to them, so they're her kids more than mine," Rayne finished softly.
"I would have had no idea," I whispered. I leaned forward and kissed him, pulling myself closer to him so that we were right next to each other. When I pulled away, I sighed. "My turn."
I gathered my thoughts and then murmured, "He was my life. Everyday I looked forward to seeing him and hanging out with him. I thought he was my true love. Eric...he took me to his senior prom when I was sixteen, still a sophomore. He...he took advantage of me that night; it was nothing I wasn’t used to, though.
“When I got pregnant, he basically spit in my face and told me he wouldn't help me out at all. He went off and found himself a better girlfriend. When my mom found out I now had no support from him, she kicked me out to fend for myself. I'm glad that Bree and I are healthy and doing pretty decent. I taught her, when we moved here, to refer to me as Leeny in public. She understands perfectly, she's so smart. I love her to death and all that matters now is her." I hadn't realized I was crying until something wet hit my hand. I buried my face in my hands, ashamed.
Rayne smiled weakly and kissed the top of my head, pulling me as close to him as he could. "We both have pretty shitty pasts, huh? I think yours is worse, though, if I'm being honest."
"I don't like admitting it, but yeah, probably." I chuckled weakly, but burrowed into Rayne as far as possible.
Rayne smiled, then reluctantly pulled away from me. "I'm gonna check on Bree," he told me, getting off the couch.
I waited for Rayne, hearing him murmur encouragement to get Bree to eat. I smiled to myself. Rayne seemed like he would make such an excellent father - it was such a tragedy that he could never meet his own children.
Rayne eventually came back in the room, sitting down next to me again. He put a finger under my chin, and I smiled as he brought my face in to kiss him.
When we pulled away, I closed my eyes, still smiling. “I love you,” I said hesitantly. It was hard not to feel that strongly about Rayne; he was so much better than I was used to, and he understood me, and…he was so perfect.
“Did you just…?” Rayne’s voice sounded shocked. I opened my eyes to see his expression. His eyes were wide, mouth gaping open slightly.
I frowned. “I…I think Bree needs some company. Feel free to watch something on my shitty television,” I said stiffly, getting up and moving over to mine and Bree’s room.
I sat down on the edge of her bed and moved the hair out of her eyes. “Hi, baby,” I whispered.
"I don't wanna eat anymore, Momma," Bree whimpered, pushing the plate away from her. I put it on her bedside table for later.
I went into the bathroom and took the Tylenol Rayne had brought out of the plastic bag. I opened it, poured the right amount, and coaxed Bree to drink it. When she finished, I brought the little plastic cup back into the bathroom, washed it out, and store the Tylenol in a cabinet.
I went back into the bedroom and rubbed Bree’s forehead for awhile, softly singing to her until she fell asleep. I debated heading back into the living room and joining Rayne, and just decided that I would.
I awkwardly sat on the edge of the couch, staring blankly ahead of me. I was still hurt by his reaction.
"I'm sorry," I heard Rayne murmur. "I just... I didn't know what to do. After... the whole episode with Audrey, I stopped... believing in love. But I was wrong."
I looked over at Rayne and raised my eyebrows. "You think I would have, too," I said coldly. "But I believe in you."
“I’m sorry,” Rayne repeated. I could see the torture that hid in his eyes, desperate. He was truly sorry.
“I heard you the first time,” I said, looking away from him.
“I don’t want to lose this, Eileen,” Rayne said softly.
I sighed, looking back at him again. “Really?”
“Yes, really.”
“Well…that’s good to know.”
Rayne moved over so that he was next to me on the couch, pulling me back and into his arms.
"Mm," I murmured. "And now what? You think you can just...say something sweet...and everything is all better?" I said as I nuzzled into his chest.
“Maybe. That’s the way it works in movies.”
“It’s hard to resist you, you know that?”
“I have no idea, actually.”
“I guess I wouldn’t expect you to.”
I felt his lips on my hair, and I sighed. How had I finally so hard for him so fast? Hadn’t I learned my lesson the first time?
No. Rayne is different, completely different from Eric. He’s sweet and considerate and excellent with Bree. Wasn’t that all that mattered?
“What I wouldn’t give to know what you’re thinking about,” Rayne said wistfully.
“Don’t you sound like a certain fictional character,” I commented with a laugh.
He looked at me in confusion, brows furrowed, and I laughed again until we lapsed into silence.
We sat there for awhile longer, and I closed my eyes, letting myself enjoy the warmth of Rayne’s body and the feel of being in his arms.
“I should check on Bree,” I finally said.
Rayne let me go. “I’ll be here.”
I nodded and went to Bree's room. Her breathing had slowed, kind of shallow. I went and got some Vick's from the bathroom; it'll open up her sinuses. I rubbed some underneath her neck and on her chest, so the smell could hopefully reach her nose. I sat by her side for awhile, just to make sure she would be okay.
When I was sure that Bree would be fine for now, I headed back over to the living room, sitting next to Rayne on the couch. "Her breathing got weaker, but I think she'll be fine," I said, but my voice was still coated with worry.
“Do you think it’s just a cold?” Rayne asked, frowning.
“She’s gotten colds before, but they don’t usually affect her breathing.”
“Why don’t you take her to the doctor, just to be sure? It couldn’t hurt.”
It’ll hurt my savings, I thought to myself, knowing that visits to the hospital weren’t cheap. “I will when she wakes up, then. Will you come with me? I might need some moral support incase she really isn’t okay.”
“I’m sure she’ll be fine, but I will come if you need me,” Rayne said sincerely.
“Thank you,” I said gratefully, kissing his cheek.
Rayne blushed. “No problem.”
I heard Bree cough from the other room, and I rushed to her side. She was sweating bullets, but very pale. I lifted her up gently in my arms. "Honey, we're going to the hospital. Remember to call me Leeny," I whispered. She nodded feebly as I carried her into the living room. "Is your car ready?"
“Yeah, it should be. I mean, it doesn’t take long to start up,” Rayne said, fishing his car keys out of his pocket. He opened the apartment door for me, and we walked down to the front door of the building, crossing the street and getting into his car. Rayne started the engine and drove us quickly to the hospital, me cradling Bree in the backseat.
I jumped out of the car as soon as we reached the Out Patient. Careful not to move Bree too much, I walked into the hospital and looked around, going to the front desk. "My sister’s sick, and I'm not sure what's wrong with her,” I said fretfully.
I let them take Bree out of my hands, though I didn't trust them. I went to follow them as they put Bree on a stretcher, but a man held up a hand.
"Miss, we need you to stay here, please," he said curtly. I nodded sadly and watched them roll my daughter away. I stood there, in the middle of the hall, like an idiot, praying she would be fine.
Rayne came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me. “She’ll be fine,” he assured me, though I could tell he was trying to convince himself as well as me.
I placed my hands over his arms. "I hope so," I whispered, still staring after the way she they had taken her.
After awhile of waiting, a nurse came up to me. "Who are you here for?" she said curtly.
"Bree Daniels," I said quickly.
She nodded. "Follow me." I looked at Rayne and stood up, following the nurse into a small room where a doctor waited for me.
Rayne started to follow me, but the nurse said curtly, “Family members only.” Rayne shrugged and took a seat in the waiting room.
I kneeled next to Bree, her tiny figure lying in the huge bed. IVs were dripping next to her, but no needles were in her arms. "Is she okay? Is it just a cold?" I said, biting my lip.
The doctor shook his head. "She has pneumonia. She should be able to make a full recovery, but we're keeping her here for a few days to make sure."
I took a deep breath and kissed Bree's forehead. "I'll see you soon," I whispered as I headed back out to Rayne. I couldn’t bear to see her like this.
“Is she okay?” Rayne asked immediately when I sat next to him.
“She has pneumonia,” I said flatly.
“But she’ll be okay, right?” Rayne pressed.
I shrugged dejectedly. “Bernie Mac died of pneumonia, didn’t he?”
“But he also had a brain tumor,” Rayne protested.
I sighed. “They said she should be fine, but they’re keeping her here for a few days to make sure and give her proper care.”
"I'm going to go sign the forms," I mumbled, heading to the front desk. I told them the patient name and they handed me the forms to sign. Legal guardian...Eileen Daniels. Legal Parents...Eileen Daniels...N/A for father.
I didn’t like having to put my name as Bree’s mother; nobody was supposed to know I was her mother in this town.
I sat back down next to Rayne after what seemed like gruesome questions I was asked to answer. "That just sucked the life out of me, that did."
"Well, you look like you're still alive, on the bright side," I pointed out. "But what did they do?"
"Ugh, the questions were just so...I had to basically give them my life story!" I groaned.
“Fun. I wonder why they needed your life story.”
“Because they’re nosy little bastards?”
"I think that's a common thing with people who work in hospitals," I told her with a slight smile.
I shrugged. "Guess so. I mean, do they really need to know what my occupation and lifestyle is like?"
"Not if they already know what's wrong with her. Otherwise, it could probably be used for a diagnosis."
I rolled my eyes. “Whatever. I still like my privacy.” I sighed, leaning back in my chair. “I’ll need to take off work today.”
"I'd offer to stick around, but I already planned on it, and I can't really blame you for wanting to be nearby," I told her.
I called my boss, explaining my situation to her. I could tell from the tone of her voice when she spoke that she didn’t really care, and that I was certainly being docked off for this. I hung up and closed my eyes, breathing deeply.
I opened my eyes to see Rayne watching a nurse standing at the front desk; a blonde beauty, big ass and boobs and everything.
“And I thought you weren’t the perverted type.” I commented.
Rayne jumped slightly in his seat, then grinned sheepishly at me. “Every guy thinks perverted thoughts at some point or another.”
“You?” I said, raising an eyebrow. “Not possible.”
"Maybe I'm not that immature, but I can tell you right now, I keep perverted thoughts to myself."
"Oh do you? Well, share 'em anyway. I want to know what you think when you see me." A grin widened across my face, but I cocked my head to the side to look innocent.
Rayne’s eyes went wide. "Oh no. These are thoughts I'm keeping to myself. Know that I love you, I think you're sexy, and we'll leave it at that. Okay?"
I threw my head back and laughed. "Damn straight! Ditto, babe." I kept my tone light and teasing, though it didn't seem appropriate for a hospital, much less the situation I was in.
Rayne shook his head at me and took me into his arms. "You're amazing," he whispered into my ear.
I turned my head slightly to lock mouths with him, putting one hand in his hair. When we broke apart, I turned back, smiling, and murmured, "I know."
Rayne chuckled. “So, what now?”
"Well...I was thinking...I don't need to be here twenty-four-seven...while we've got some time to ourselves...we can head back to my place and...talk?" I suggested. I hope it didn't seem selfish of me, but I do deserve some time off occasionally.
Rayne smiled slightly and nodded.
I got up, taking his hand. “Shall we go then?”
“We shall,” Rayne said, letting me pull him out of the hospital. We got into his car and drove slowly back to my house, not looking forward to anything or in a rush.
In the slow drive, I had dozed off. It wasn’t until I heard Rayne quietly calling to me that I awakened, looking at him through narrowed eyes. “Sorry ‘bout that. It’s been a rough day.”
“I get it. It’s fine,” Rayne said.
I yawned again. "Oh good. Okay, I need to make a pot of coffee and wake myself up a bit. Then we can...do whatever." I smirked and opened the door for myself, getting out of the car and pulling my keys out of my pocket.
I opened the door and headed up to my apartment door, unlocking it with my key and pushing open the door. I looked over my shoulder to make sure Rayne was still there and then headed into the kitchen, starting a pot of coffee.
Rayne shut the door behind him and lay down on the couch, yawning.
While the coffee brewed, I watched Rayne for a bit, leaning against the kitchen counter. "Getting cozy over there?" I teased.
“I am, actually,” Rayne said with a grin.
I smirked and slunk over to him, lying on top of him so that my body was stretched out on top of his. "Still comfy?" I jeered, breathing into his face with a smile.
"Well, no, but I still like this better," Rayne admitted before he leaned up to kiss me.
I kissed him back eagerly, tangling my fingers into his hair. I felt so happy when I was with him; this just seemed so right in so many ways.
Rayne took a deep breath and moved his face away from me for a minute. "The bad thoughts are coming back," he mumbled, kissing my neck.
I bit back a groan of pleasure and closed my eyes. “Should we let them?”
“I’m sure they, and I, wouldn’t mind,” Rayne said quietly.
“Mm ’kay,” I murmured, pressing my lips against his again. He kissed me back, more enthusiastic now.
Eric? Eric was gone. Why should I keep holding on to that bastard? I deserve better, and I know that now, now that I have Rayne here. If anything, I wished that Bree could have been his baby, not Eric's. But I knew Rayne had his own...children...too. Whatever.
I untangled my fingers from his hair and moved them down to his shirt, unbuttoning it with nimble fingers.
Rayne inhaled sharply, then reached down to unbutton my jeans.

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