••CHEATER••Chapter 5 POSTED! :)••

Once a cheater, always a cheater.
That's what they always say.
And after watching all those lame TV movies where the girl catches her boyfriend cheating on her, you think to yourself, Gosh, I'd NEVER do something like that. Believe me, I get it. It's totally wrong and unacceptable. And there was a time when I thought I would never do it either.
But I was all wrong.



"Are you JOKING me?!" I screamed at my mom, my face red with anger. It was the first day of summer, and after sleeping in until 10 o'clock, I wandered down the winding staircase into the kitchen. My mom was peering behind her morning paper in her purple flannel pajamas, and thats when she dropped the bomb.
I had to spend the summer in some teeny speck on the map called Vinton Township with my aunt, while my parents lived it up in Europe.
"Honey, just get over it. You will have a great time with your aunt Katie." My mom replied restlessly. Her sandy blonde hair was pulled up into a loose ponytail, with a few strands hanging in her face. Her round, wire rimmed glasses teetered on her nose.
"NO I WON'T! I don't have any friends there! And you can't just ruin my summer because you and dad want to have some romantic getaway!" I shrieked angrily. This would ruin everything. You see, I had this boyfriend, George. He was the hottest guy in school… Bronzed, toned body, with jet black hair spilling over his dark eyes. He was the football star, and he was amazing. The thing was, is that we had to keep our relationship a secret, because my best friend, Ashley, had a huge thing for him, too. It was hard, you know, because we were so crazy in love with each other. We texted each other all night long, and thought about each other all day.
So I was thinking, that since Ashley would be at her beach house most of the summer, that I I could sneak around with George without her knowing.
"Just shut up, Iris! You are going to Aunt Katie's tomorrow. Go pack. Okay? Theres nothing you can do about it. We didn't even want any kids anyways." My mom grumbled under her breath, returning to her paper.
"I HATE YOU!" I screamed, running back through the entry way and up 4 flights of stairs until I finally reached my floor of the house. Tears were running down my cheeks as I swung open the door to my bedroom.
Our house is huge, four stories tall, and white with black trim and big marble pillars out front. The perimeter of the house was trimmed in rose bushes. I had the entire 4th floor to myself… My own kitchen, living room, bathroom, bedroom, and a small room I put racks in to store all my clothes. My mom's best friend used to stay up on this floor on the weekends before I was born.
I was… Well, an accident. Or a surprise, maybe, is a nicer way to put it. My parents hadn't planned on having any children, but crazy things happen when you put my mom and dad together with a few glasses of wine.
I was always embarrassed of that, too. My dad was pretty cool, but he was always at work, and my mom treated me like a piece of crap. She hated me, and would rather have me dead than occupying an entire floor of her mansion.
So I wasn't exactly surprised that my mom and dad were ditching me over the summer.
I threw myself on my soft bed. It was one of those modern ones that was low to the ground with the drawers underneath. It was black, and my bedding was black, white, and pink plaid.
I cried for a few moments, but was interrupted by the ringing of my cell phone. I didn't bother to check who it was, I just pressed talk and pressed it to my ear.
"Hello?" I said mournfully.
"Iris, baby, is everything alright?" It was George. I smiled and rolled over on my bed.
"It is now," I chirped flirtatiously.
"Well good. Your mom, I'm guessing?" He said uneasily. I sighed.
"Yeah." I said quietly.
"Well I was just wondering if you were free tomorrow night," He said mysteriously. "I was thinking we could meet out by the lake…" I could hear the smile in his voice.
"I'm sorry, George," I began, sitting up on my bed. "but I'm not free tomorrow night. Or the night after that or the night after that."
"What are you trying to say?" He asked, his voice raising. I laughed a little.
"I'm not breaking up with you, idiot. My parents are sending me off to some farm town to visit my aunt all summer while they are in Europe."
"What?" He asked angrily.
"Yeah, I know. Thats why I was so upset.." My voice trailed away.
"Now we'll never get to see each other." He whimpered.
"I know," I said sadly. "I miss you already."
"Sneak out, right now."
"Now?" I asked, looking into my vanity mirror at my messy blonde hair and my cami top.
"Yeah, now." He said quickly. "I have to see you before you go." I looked over at my window.
My window was perfect for sneaking out, even though it probably sounds like it isn't, with it being on the fourth floor and all. Right below it is a patch of the roof, and below that is a trellis. Unfortunately, the trellis is covered in climbing roses, so I normally get pretty scratched up on the way out, but it is always worth it in the end.
"I don't know," I said uneasily. I don't know if I have time to…" I was cut off by my mom's yell.
"IRIS! ARE YOU ON THE PHONE?" She screamed.
"Gotta go bye!" I whispered into the phone and hung up. I walked out to the railing.
"No?" I lied, peering down at my mother.
"Sure you weren't," She said, walking back to the kitchen. "PACK!" I rolled my eyes and headed back to my closet.
My closet room had magenta walls and the same hardwood floors as my room. It was pretty dark in there most of the time, because it had no windows. I felt around until I reached the light switch. The light coming from a chandelier on the ceiling bounced light off the shiny metal clothing racks.
I kept my summer stuff in the front of my closet, on 3 racks. I grabbed as many clothes off the racks as I could carry and brought them back to my room and threw them on the bed.
Then, I opened the door to a linen closet in my hallway and pulled out my biggest suitcase… it was pink with white glittery polka dots. I sulked back to my bedroom, dragging the suitcase, and slamming the door behind me.
I just sat on the floor for a few moments, staring at my pink suitcase like a distant enemy. I hated my mom. It wasn't fair. Why couldn't I go to Europe? I mean, I had never even met my aunt Katie. What if she were worse than my mother? They were related, after all.
Even so, I figured I should get packed. I didn't want to be stuck there with virtually no nice clothes. I unhooked all the tank tops, shorts, and tee shirts from their hangers and dropped the pile into the suitcase, along with other things I would need, like my shampoo, conditioner, and flat iron.
By the time I had everything I needed, I couldn't quite shut my suitcase. I groaned, and sat on top of it for a moment, compressing my entire summer wardrobe down into the suitcase. Still I could only zip it halfway shut. Determined, I grabbed a few encyclopedias and put them on my lap. Finally, it shut. I grinned, and stood up and placed my hands on my hips, studying my overstuffed pink suitcase.

-

I heard the grandfather clock downstairs strike midnight, bell by bell. Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding.
I suddenly remembered I had planned to meet George that night. I shut my laptop, resulting in complete darkness in the room. I slowly stumbled out of my bedroom and into my closet, quietly shutting the door behind me. I felt around for the switch. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the bright lights, but I headed over to my dress rack.
I had packed most of my sun dresses, but there was one left that I must have missed. It was a halter, and light pink and white striped. "This is perfect," I whispered in satisfaction. I set it down on the floor next to the full length mirror, and stripped off my pajama pants and tank top and slipped on the cotton dress, along with some braided leather flip flops.
Makeup, I thought next. I left out my makeup so I could use in the morning, good thing, too.
I slipped out the door, turning off the light behind me and crept into the bathroom.
My bathroom was rather large, with a jacuzi tub, and a walk in shower, both marble. I looked in the mirror. My hair was wavy from my shower a while ago. I had forgotten to straighten my hair before I packed my flat iron! I swore under my breath and brushed out my blonde waves and pulled it into a low, side pony tail. It did look really pretty like that.
I powdered my nose, and coated my long eyelashes in mascara, swiped some light pink eyeshadow on my eyelids, and to top it off, pink shimmery lipgloss.
I made sure all the lights were off and headed for my window. I used a heave of strength to yank it open, and lift up the screen. Next, I stuck my head out the window and observed the area. Nobody was around.
Then I remembered I was wearing a dress.
I growled , but elegantly slipped out of the window, standing on the bit of roofing. I tossed my leather sandals off the roof, and they landed with a thud. I turned around so that I was facing my window, and lowered myself onto the trellis. My legs dangled below, as I tried to steady my toes into one of the holes in the trellis. Finally I steadied my foot in, and lowered myself slowly, grabbing onto the top of the trellis below. I kept moving down bit by bit, until I was around 6 feet off the ground. I did as I had tons of times before, lowering my foot into the next hole in the trellis, but my foot didn't go in, and I fell.
I clawed at the air desperately, falling down, down, down and crashed into a bed of rock and rose bushes. I almost screamed but tried my best to keep my mouth shut. It took me a few moments to gather myself, and I stood up lamely, wobbling a bit. I picked a few rose stems out of my hair, and put my hand to my head. I felt something wet, and looking down at my fingers, blood.
It couldn't be too bad, I figured, slipping my shoes back on my slender feet, and walking onward down the dark street.
Finally, I reached the lake. The water was still, and the smooth surface was illuminated by the light of the moon. I made my way up the bridge, and there, under the pale moonlight, was George.
He looked especially amazing today… His hair done in that purposefully messy way, with a light gray teeshirt that highlighted his tan skin. He turned to face me, and a smile grew on his face.
"Hey beautiful," He said, taking a few steps toward me.
"Aww, thank you George." I beamed. He pulled me closer to him, kissing me gently. I could feel him smile in our kiss. I let go.
"I wish this night would last forever," I said sadly.
"Me too," He whispered quietly. A light breeze played with my hair, and slightly messing George's even more. He studied me carefully. He stepped closer, pulling a rosebud out of my hair.
"What happened to you?" He asked, clearly concerned. I laughed.
"I fell when I was sneaking out, its no big deal." I said nonchalantly.
"Iris, honey you're bleeding!" He lightly touched the side of my face where I had gotten cut.
"It's fine George," I insisted, walking a few steps away from him. He hugged me, and my face pressed against his gray tee shirt, and I could smell the light fragrance of his cologne.
"I'm sorry baby. I'm just worried about you." He said sweetly.
"Its okay," I said, slightly annoyed.
"Do you feel okay?" He asked kindly.
"Little dizzy," I replied, laughing.
"Just be more careful next time, okay?"
"Yeah yeah yeah." I said, pulling a rose petal off my dress, and dropping it off the bridge. It fluttered downward, falling into the water with a quiet splash.
"I'm going to miss you so much," He said, leaning on the balcony next to me.
"I'll miss you too," I said quietly.
"So you'll be gone all summer?" He asked.
"Yeah," I said weakly. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes.
"Are you crying?" He asked, trying not to smile.
"No," I said smiling back.
"I love you Iris."
"I love you too, George. No matter what happens, I will always love you."

Chapter 2…

"IRIS! GET UP!" My mom shouted from the hallway.
"Mmmm," I mumbled, turning over in my bed.
"IRIS, GET OUT OF BED NOW!" She screamed in my ear. I sat up groggily, touching my face, just as George had the night before.
"But its so early," I grumbled, not even opening my eyes. I blinked them open, looking over at the clock. 5:04am. No wonder I was so tired, I just got home 2 hours ago.
"Get ready, we don't have a lot of time. Aunt Katie is expecting you at 9 o'clock." My mom said sternly, shuffling out of my room. I slid out of the covers and stretched my arms, picking up my phone to check my messages. None.
I sighed heavily and walked to the bathroom and brushed out my hair, which was still wavy. I reapplied my makeup... Today I went for a softer look. I sprayed on a little of my favorite perfume... It smelled like strawberry.
Then I headed to my room and slipped on a pair of distressed short shorts and a light pink tank top with silver sequins around the neckline, with my favorite big sunglasses and designer sandals.
"Hey Iris," My dad said casually, walking into my closet, where I was admiring myself in the mirror.
"Hi dad," I said blankly, not taking my eyes away from the mirror.
"Ready to go?" He asked impatiently.
"Yep," I said, grabbing my hot pink purse off the floor. "I just need my suitcase." My father nodded in approval. I slipped past him on my way out and grabbed my suitcase.
"Gosh Iris, do you have a whole entire person in there?" He asked, his eyes widening at my suitcase.
"I wish," I replied mournfully.
"Who? He asked, starting down the stairway.
"It's a long story..." I said quietly.
I never told my parents about my personal life. For one thing, they wouldn't care, and they wouldn't give me advice, either. In fact, my mom probably would mock me for messing things up like I had a tendency to do.
"I see," He said curiously. I was silent until we got outside.
The air was moist and fresh, from the rain the night before. I smiled to myself as I made my way down the wet pavement to my dad's Volvo, as I recalled last night with George when it had started to rain.
George and I were laying on the shore of the lake, my head on his chest. Looking at the stars. And then it started to rain, and all we could do was smile. He stood up and took my hand, and we danced like Cinderella does with Prince Charming in all the movies. Then he stopped and we laughed, just staring at each other for a moment, and our faces moved closer and closer together, and we kissed for what seemed like forever and he finally...
"Iris, get in the car...." My dad directed, confused. I snapped back to reality and swung open the car door and slid into the seat.
"Uh, sorry.." I stammered. He laughed.
"Who's the boy?" He asked, pulling out of the driveway.
"Boy? Psh, there's no boy..."
"Iris, I was a teenager once too you know. Now who's the boy?" I drew in a deep breath.
"His name is George and he's the HOTTEST guy in school!" I said quickly, trying to hide the smile on my face. My dad gave a small chuckle.
"So why haven't I met this hot boyfriend of yours?" He said, never taking his eyes off the road.
"Well, I didn't want to bring him home because of mom because..." I said carefully. My dad slowed down the car.
"I'm afraid you don't understand Iris. Your mother is a very overwhelmed woman..."
"I DON'T UNDERSTAND?" I shouted in disbelief. "YOU don't understand! You're never home so what do you know? Overwhelmed with what? Hate?" My dad sped the car back up.
"Now Iris, you shouldn't say things like that about your mother. You're just over reacting. She wouldn't do anything in front of George." He said cooly.
"You should listen to the things she says to me, dad!" I shrieked, tears rolling down my cheeks. "She talks to me like I'm a piece of garbage! She makes me feel SO unwanted dad, you don't even KNOW."
"THERE'S A REASON SHE ACTS THAT WAY!" He yelled.
"Why, because she hates me?" I yelled back. My dad just shook his head, and for a moment, I thought I saw a tear roll down his cheek. I turned to look out the window, shoving my headphones in and turning up my mp3 real loud.
My father and I were totally silent for the remaining 3 hours. I listened to my mp3 player, and he sped down the highway. Eventually the straight, smooth highways turned into winding bumpy back roads.
Eventually my dad brought the car to a stop.
"Here we are," He said quietly.
The house was tiny... Maybe the size of my room and closet put together, at least it seemed, and made of yellow painted wood and had a big porch in the front. Vines crept up one side of the house that faced the sun. Surrounding it were open green pastures. Behind the house was a huge red barn, bigger than the house.
I swung open the door and put my sunglasses over my eyes. The sun was bright, and hotter than in Bellemont.
"Bye," My dad said as I slid out of the car. I slammed the door shut as a response and retrieved my suitcase out of the trunk. My dad had a concerned look on his face as he sped off into the distance.
The air was moist and heavy, and smelled fresh, like the produce section in the supermarket. Next door was another farmhouse, painted white, that looked to be of a similar layout. I took a moment to take it all in, standing in my aunt Katie's driveway.
Just then, a door swung open, creaking on its rusty hinge and slamming its self shut behind her. It was my aunt Katie.
She was short, maybe a couple inches shorter than me. She looked young, too... I mean, not young like, a teenager, but maybe in her mid 20s. She had the same sandy blonde hair as my mom, except hers was curly, much longer and topped with a cowgirl hat. She wore a tight pair of plain blue jeans and a yellow top the same color as the house.
She was definitely not what I had expected.
"Iris, honey is that you?" She asked excitedly, running down the driveway to see me. Her voice was peppy and had a slight twang.
"Hi Aunt Katie!" I said, taking a few steps toward her. She met me with a hug.
"Oh my goodness, look at you!" She said, pulling away, putting her hands on my shoulders. "You're so big! Why the last time I saw you you were just a young little thing!"
I just laughed. I didn't know what else to do, because I never remembered meeting Aunt Katie when I was little. She motioned toward the house.
"Come inside I just made lemonade!" She chirped, walking up the steps. I followed, dragging my suitcase behind.
Inside, the walls were the same shade of yellow. We walked right in to a mud room, where Aunt Katie kept all her cowgirl boots, apparently, and then into the kitchen. There was a plain looking wooden table, generic wooden cabinets, and wooden chairs. The floors were tile. It seemed rather impersonal.. No decorations, aside from a vase of some type of poppies. On the counter was a big pitcher and some mail, and in the sink were squeezed out lemon halves she hadn't thrown out yet.
"Your house is... very nice." I said, trying to be friendly.
"Aw thanks honey! Now lets take that suitcase to your room," She instructed, walking through a cozy looking living room with one of those old dinosaur sized TVs, and through a short hallway. She opened the wooden door. I stepped inside.
It was small. Maybe less than half the size of my room at home. On one wall was a twin sized bed with a handmade quilt and a small side table. Behind the bed was a huge window. Across from it was a small desk with some papers left on it, accompanied by a bookshelf, full of dusty books. There was a closet, (a very tiny closet) and an amoire across the room.
I set down my suitcase right inside the doorway. How could someone live in a space that small?
"Sorry if it seems small," She began, opening the sheer linen curtains behind the bed.
"Oh no," I said quickly. I didn't want to seem impolite. "It's just fine."
"Great! I'm really thirsty, so lets grab some lemonade and I'll show you around town. But first, you're gonna have to change," She said observing my outfit. I blushed.
"Whats wrong with what I'm wearing?" I asked, tilting my big sun glasses off my nose. She laughed.
"You're in Vinton Township now, and you look like you're from Bellemont."
"But I am from.." She cut me off.
"Just wait here, I'll be right back." I shrugged and sat on the bed, looking around the room. She returned with plaid shirt that was my size along with a pair of boots. "Here," She said, tossing them at me. "I'll be in the kitchen, just come in when you're ready. We can get you some real clothes later." I nodded, unfolding the shirt. She shut the door behind me and I shut the curtain.
The shirt was very soft, and was different shades of red and pink, along with white. It fit perfectly, surprisingly, and so did the boots. I studied myself in the old mirror above the dresser. I looked like I would fit in.
I wandered back into the kitchen, where Aunt Katie was pouring lemonade into two paper cups.
"Hi," I said uneasily. She finished pouring and turned around.
"Well look at you! You look perfect!" I smiled.
"Thanks!"
"Just be careful, all these country boys out here would be dyin' to get their hands on a city girl," She said with a wink, handing me a cup of the lemonade. I laughed.
"I don't think I'll have to worry about that, I actually have a boyfriend at home, so." I explained, taking a sip of the lemonade. I nearly spit it out it was so tart. I wondered if she even used sugar.
"Mmm, interesting,"Aunt Katie said, guzzling down the sour lemonade. I took another teeny sip. "Well best of luck to you with your boyfriend."
"Thanks Aunt Katie," I said slowly, trying to gag down some more lemonade. "Say, um, who lives next door?"
"The Ryders. Bad, bad people."
"Whats so bad about them?"
They shot and killed your great great great great.. well, you get the idea, grand daddy."
"But that was so long ago," I considered. I mean, that is a little long to hold a grudge.
"Hmm, well we better get goin. First I'll show you around the barn, and then we can go off into town. Sound good?" She asked, grabbing a pair of keys off the counter.
"Sure," I said, trailing after her. We walked out the door, and a while way back to the barn. She unlocked the doors using a key on the key ring and used a heave of strength to open up the door.
The inside of the barn was about what I expected... There were two horses, a white one with a gray tail and mane, and a chestnut colored one with a black mane and tail. There was also a cow, chickens, and a few kittens playing around in the corner.
"Wow," I said looking around. I walked over to the horses. "Your horses are gorgeous," I said, stroking the brown ones face.
"Aren't they?" She said, admiring them as well. "Do you know how to ride?" I gulped.
"Of course," I lied.
"Perfect! Would you mind taking Beauty here for a little ride while I go to the store to get more sugar cubes? They just love sugar cubes." She said sweetly. So thats where all the sugar was going to, in her horses not in her disgusting lemonade.
"Oh, sure!" I said quickly.
"Awesome, see ya in a bit." She said, walking out of the barn. I peered out a hole in the wood to make sure she was gone, and then I turned to Beauty.
"You better go easy on me," I said, leading her out of the barn. Luckily, she already had a saddle on... Aunt Katie was probably going to take her for a run when I arrived. Once we were outside the barn, I slowly hoisted myself up onto Beauty's back.
"Please be careful," I whined into her ear. She bolted off into the green pastures, a little faster than I would have liked. "Slow down!" I yelled at her, but she sped up. This couldn't end well. "SLOW DOWN!" I yelled angrily. Finally, she slowed down. "Thank you," I said kindly, petting her. Now she was just walking, slow enough for me to enjoy the outdoors. I was getting hot, and I wanted to go back inside. I looked down into the grass. Something caught my eye. "Omigod..." I said in disbelief. There, coiled in the grass was a snake. A slimy, scaly, ugly looking snake. It raised its head up off the ground and hissed, slinking toward Beauty. It began to coil around her leg. Beauty took off running the other direction, losing her balance trying to get rid of the snake. And down I tumbled, onto a green bed of grass, just as my whole world went blank.

Chapter 3…

My light green eyes fluttered open. I was somewhere... In a room, a bedroom. A small bedroom. It wasn't mine, though, it looked nothing like the one at Aunt Katie's.
The door swung open rather loudly, or at least, it seemed that way. In the doorway was a boy.. A boy about my age, maybe a teeny bit older. He had blonde hair that hung over a pair of blue eyes. He wore a pair of jeans with a rather large buckle, and a gray shirt. The same color gray as George's shirt. He smiled at me, even though he couldn't tell my eyes were open from where he was standing. I shut them quickly.
He sat on a stool next to the bed, and I felt a damp cloth touch my face. The water was cold, so cold it sent a shock through my veins. I sat up quickly.
"Who are you?!" I panicked, looking around franticly. "Where am I?"
"Sssh, take it easy. I'm Clint Ryder, I live next door to your Aunt Katie." He said soothingly. His voice was deep and southern.
"You creep!" I said loudly, standing up off the bed. I hadn't realized how weak I was when I was laying down on his bed. The room seemed to spin. I almost tripped but he grabbed my hand and dragged me back to the bed.
"I told you to take it easy," He said gently. I was leaned against the wall behind his bed with my eyes closed.
"Why am I here?" I asked blankly.
"You took quite a fall outside and were pretty beat up, so I thought I'd help you." It started coming back now.. Beauty, the snake, and falling onto the ground.
"Oh no!" I said suddenly, my eyes snapping open. "Aunt Katie is gonna be back from the store, and she'll be so mad if she knew I were here!" I began to get up, but he put a strong hand on my shoulder to stop me. The touch was warm, and kind, but slightly forceful.
"Haha, I think your Aunt Katie will be a while," He smirked, taking his hand off my shoulder. Light was filtering in through the window, reflecting off his ocean blue eyes.
"What do you mean?" I asked innocently. He laughed.
"You mean to tell me Katie didn't tell you about Travis?" I shot him a puzzled expression.
"Travis? Who's Travis?" A grin spread upon his face.
"Her secret lover." He blurted out. "He's the manager of the general store. When she goes down there, she's not buyin' milk and sugar, if ya know what I mean."
"How do you know?" I said leaning forward, resting my face in my hand.
"One time, I went down to the store to get some more rope, but they were out. So I went around back to ask Travis if he had any back there, and he was kissin' her right there in the corner. I've seen them around together, too." He said deviously.
"Wow," I said, leaning back on the wall. "How long has that been going on?"
"About a year. They seem pretty serious, but they like to sneak around about it." Kind of like how me and George used to sneak around together. I sighed heavily. "What's the matter?" He asked, sitting next to me.
"Oh, it's a long story." I said quietly.
"You can tell me, if you want." He said kindly, putting a hand on my knee. I stared at his hand for a moment. How could Aunt Katie hate him so much? He seemed so nice to me. I mean, he was nice enough to help me after I fell, and he seemed so, well, nice.
"I barely even know you," I accused. He looked up at the ceiling.
"Well, I guess you're right there." He said, smiling. "But that doesn't mean you can't get to know me."
"I suppose so.." I said, looking around his room. The walls were a gray blue, with lots of pictures on the back wall above his dresser. I stood up confidently and walked over to the pictures. I didn't feel as weak any more.
They were mostly of him... Some of him at a fair with a cow, some just outside his house. One picture caught my eye... It was old, and faded, and placed inside an intricately carved gold picture frame. I picked it up.
"Who's this?" I asked, turning to him. He walked over and stood close behind me, taking the picture from me. I looked up at him. His gaze was fixed on the photograph. His expression was distant... As if he were looking at something that wasn't really there.
"That's my momma," He whispered. "She died 2 years ago.."
"Oh I'm so sorry," I said quietly. He shook his head, but remained silent.
"She died when she had my baby sister..." He trailed off.
"I'm sorry," I repeated. "That must be awful." He nodded and set the picture back on the dresser. He exhaled heavily and motioned for me to follow him out of his room. I shrugged and trailed behind him.
"My mom isn't very nice to me," I confessed. "She hates me for some reason. Maybe cause I was a.... surprise." He cracked a small smile.
"You're lucky to have a momma."
"I guess so." He led me out his front door, to his porch. There was a wicker chair with a faded purple cushion, standing there alone.
"She used to sit right there and watch me play with Rex, our dog." He said, pointing at the chair. I nodded. He sat on the porch steps and looked up at the sun. It was high in the sky now.
I sat next to him. We were silent for a few moments. It was starting to get kind of awkward, so I pulled my mp3 player out of my pocket and put one earbud in my ear.
"What's that?" He asked, looking down at the metal object resting in my hands. I laughed.
"You've never seen an mp3 player before?" I asked in disbelief.
"mp3 player?" He asked. I paused the song.
"Its a thing that plays music. See?" I explained, putting the other earbud in his ear. We listened through the rest of the song.
"Huh," He said, removing the earbud. "Your music is kinda weird." I laughed.
"It's Lady Gaga. She's my favorite singer."
"Lady what?"
"Lady Gaga. It sounds weird, I guess."
"A little." He said laughing. "Sorry about the whole thing about my momma, I didn't mean to drag down the mood..." He trailed off.
"Oh no it's fine. You can always talk to me about it if you want," I said kindly.
"Thanks..." He said, pausing. "What did you say your name was?"
"Iris." I said, smiling.
"Iris," He repeated. I liked the way it sounded when he said my name.. His accent made it sound pretty. "So, Iris, what were you all bummed out about before?" He asked.
""Oh," I said suddenly. "I uh, it was nothing.." His face seemed to lose color.
"Ohh.." He said, stumbling over his words.
"I just… Miss someone. But its nothing."
"Sure," He said quickly. "Say, I oughtta walk you home.. Your Aunt Katie should be back soon."
"Oh, um, yeah." I stood up, and he did the same. We walked a while towards Aunt Katie's house. We were both silent. For the first time meeting Clint, I wasn't exactly sure what to think. He was really nice, and he seemed sensitive, too. But there was something mysterious about him. We finally reached the dusty driveway when the roar of a truck engine interrupted my thoughts.
My jaw hung open. Clint just froze.
Katie stepped out of the car, the heels of her boots smacking against the rock beneath her feet.
"Clint you get lost!" She yelled. My eyes wandered in different directions, finally reaching Clint. He looked alarmed.
"Sorry ma'am." He said quickly.
"I said GET LOST!" She yelled louder, coming toward us. "You stay away from Iris." She threatened, her lips curling around her words deviously. "The last thing she needs is a rotten kid like you. Now get off my property before I call your daddy." Clint gulped and ran toward his house. I looked over at her, astonished.
"That boy didn't lay a hand on ya, did he?" She asked, her expression still stern.
"No, no he didn't."
"Good. I don't want you around that boy, ever again. Understand?" I nodded slowly.
"I won't, I promise."
Problem was, I was ready to break that promise.




Chapter 4…

"Rise and shine, doll face!" Aunt Katie chirped, peering in my room.
"Already?" I asked sleepily, sitting up.
"Yes ma'am, now up! You're wastin' daylight." I stumbled off the creaky mattress, pushing the quilt off my legs.
"I'll be in the kitchen. Hurry and get dressed now." She strolled off into the hallway. I sighed and looked in the mirror at my hair. It had held up pretty well over night, I figured I could touch it up later in the day. I unzipped my suitcase and lifted out my makeup bag and my brush. I ran the brush through my hair several times, until it was back to its original, shiny state. I put on a little makeup.. Not a lot, just enough to look nice. Now I had to decide what to wear.
I leafed through all my clothes. I picked up a pair of distressed denim shorts with a big brown belt, and a white tee shirt that showed off my tan. I was going to put on my favorite brown leather sandals, but I figured I should wear the boots Aunt Katie loaned me. I slipped them on, and strolled into the kitchen. I liked the noise the boots made when they clicked against the tile.
"Hey Aunt Katie," I said meekly, taking a seat at the small kitchen table.
"Hey darlin," She said, flopping a pancake off the sizzling hot pan and onto a plate in front of me.
"Looks yummy," I really hoped she made better pancakes than lemonade.
"They're chocolate chip," She beamed. "Want syrup?" She asked, walking over toward the stove.
"Yes please," I replied, gazing at the pancake.
"There ya go," She put down a little ceramic jug with a maple leaf on it. I unscrewed the top and drizzled the sticky sweet syrup over the pancake, and stabbed it with my fork. The pancake was delicious. The chocolate chips were all melted and gooey, and the syrup tasted way better than the kind my dad buys at Krogers.
"This is really good, Aunt Katie." I said, cramming more pancake in my mouth, being careful not to get any on my white tee shirt.
"Thank you," She said, flipping another pancake. "I got the recipe from Wendy, she owns the diner. We should grab dinner there sometime."
"Sure!" I said through bites. Aunt Katie joined me at the table with her pancake.
"So what exactly were you and Clint doing together yesterday?" She asked, drowning her pancake in maple syrup. I gulped.
"Um," I began, looking up at the clicking ceiling fan. "Well, I fell off the horse yesterday..." I mumbled. Aunt Katie put down her fork.
"You what?"
"Well there was a snake, and Beauty freaked out and I fell. And when I woke up, Clint was there helping me. So then we just talked for a little bit and he walked me home." I confessed.
"You could have gotten seriously hurt!"
"I know, I know. I'm sorry. But everything is okay. I feel fine, and.."
"Are you sure? When I was a young girl I fell off my horse, and I got a concussion." She said matter of factly.
"Yes, Aunt Katie. I'm fine, I promise."
"Okay. I didn't mean to freak out on ya, I just don't you to get hurt."
"Its okay," I said in a high pitched tone. I giggled at a thought I had.
"What's so funny?" She asked.
"Clint told me something interesting yesterday," I said, cracking a smile.
"Oh no. What'd he tell you?" She asked, concerned.
"Not anything like that," I said quickly. "It was about you actually."
"Me?"
"He told me about Travis!" I blurted out, smacking a hand over my mouth. Aunt Katie sighed.
"I can assure you, Travis and I are just friends." She said, trying to keep a straight face.
"Well last time I checked, friends don't just start making out in the back of a general store," I scoffed. Aunt Katie gasped.
"Darn. Well I guess you caught me there," She said, smiling. "But you can't say nothin' about me and Travis to anyone. It has to be a secret."
"Why? If you are lucky enough to find someone special, why not share it with the world?" She collected my empty plate and stacked it on top of hers, carrying it over to the sink.
"It's complicated," She said, dropping them in the sink.
"Tell me!" I demanded.
"Well," She said slowly. "I have a friend, that used to date Travis. I don't want to hurt her feelings." Almost like me and Ashley.
"I see.. But why don't you just tell her? She's gonna find out eventually."
"I don't wanna ruin our friendship over it, but I may have to. Travis and I are… pretty serious."
"Aww!" I said brightly. "You have to tell her." Aunt Katie shrugged.
"I'm gonna go start up the truck," She said suddenly, wiping off her hands on a dishtowel and heading out the back door. I shrugged. Just then my phone vibrated. It was George!
"Hello?"
"Hey baby," He said. I smiled bigger.
"George I miss you sooo much!" He exhaled heavily.
"I miss you too," He said weakly.
"Is everything okay?" I asked.
"Yeah, no everything's fine. I just miss you.."
"Its so good to hear your voice," I melted.
"So how is everything down there?"
"Um, it's okay," I said, looking around. "Aunt Katie is really nice. Way nicer than my mom. Uhm, I fell off my horse yesterday. And yeah. But get this, Aunt Katie doesn't have a computer!"
"You fell? Are you okay?!"
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." I said quickly. I was so tired of people asking if I were okay.
"If you say so," He said uneasily.
"I made a new friend yesterday." I said positively.
"Really? Thats good."
"Yeah, he's really nice. Except, Aunt Katie hates him. Something about his family shooting someone in our family a billion years ago. Stupid, if you ask me."
"Sounds like it."
"Yeah, it is. So anyways, I have to go. Aunt Katie just started up the truck."
"Goodbye Iris. I love you."
"I love you too," I said, careful not to cry. I hung up and made my way out the door. It was sweltering hot outside today. I stepped down the porch steps and walked up to Aunt Katie's truck.
I swung open the creaky rusty door and sat down on the old, worn out interior.
"Well it took ya long enough," Aunt Katie exaggerated, putting the gear shift into reverse.
"Sorry, I had a phone call…" I said quietly.
"Who was it?" She asked, pulling the truck out of the rocky driveway.
"My boyfriend." I said blankly.
"Ohh I see." She smirked.
"I miss him." I complained. Her eyes were fixed on the road.
"Sorry 'bout that hun," She said sympathetically. "Not much you can do about it though." I sighed.
"I guess so."
"You know," She said over the roar of the engine. "Sometimes being apart is good for a relationship… It's good to miss each other."
"Maybe," I whimpered. Somewhere inside of me, I knew… This wouldn't end well.


--

"Hello, Travis." My Aunt Katie said as blank and impersonal as can be.
"Howdy, Katie. How can I help you?" Travis asked from behind the counter. Travis had a very rugged look… Dark brown hair, worn out jeans. His face looked stern and worn, but he plastered a smile over the years worth on stress and pain.
"I need some more sugar," She said, pulling out her small leather wallet. Travis nodded and walked into the back room. Katie flashed me a sly smile and followed him around back. My eyes wandered around the room. The entire place was covered in wood, and brown. The walls were splintered planks with ancient warped shelves teetering on exposed nails. There was random junk hung from the ceiling and walls… Paintings, wind chimes, bells, and other decorations. There were shelves and isles everywhere, fully stocked with everything from basic food items like sugar and milk, to small china dolls and snow globes. It was kinda dark in there, too. There were only 2 windows, small ones, that were dirty. The main light was a flickering light bulb above the counter. I spotted a pretty hand painted music box a few feet away and wandered toward it.
It was white, china, I thought, with small red and pink flowers, rich jade green leaves, and gold scrolls. I gently opened the lid to reveal a red velvet interior, accompanied by a little pink ballerina. The music was quiet and soft, a pretty, feminine tune. Eventually, the little song was over, and the ballerina stopped spinning. I gently shut the lid and placed it back on the shelf, nestled between two fancy dolls.
I suddenly felt a soft, warm touch on my shoulder. I gasped a little and spun around.
And there he was.
His blonde hair was spilling over his tanned face. His blue eyes looked tired, but kind. He had grass stains on his jeans, and was wearing the same huge belt buckle as the day before, and a white shirt. He smiled at me.
It was Clint.
"Clint! What are you doing here?" I whisper shouted in alarm.
"Sssh. I just…" He stuck his hands in his pocket. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry that we got off to a weird start yesterday."
"No, it's fine…"
"I just think you are really nice and I always have troubled with making friends and…."
"Clint," I said with a smile. "Its totally okay. You didn't ruin a thing. We can be friends," He laughed nervously.
"Okay," He smiled. He looked over at the counter, where Katie and Travis were now engaging in a conversation of some sort.
"Crap," He said, looking over at the counter. "I don't want your aunt Katie to see me. Gotta fly, bye Iris." My name rolled off his tongue in the most perfect way. He pushed his way out the door, the little tarnished bell dinging at his departure. I smiled as I watched him disappear down the dusty road.
"Ready to go?" Aunt Katie asked, the clicking of her boots filling the air of the now silent room. She clutched a brown paper bag.
"Yeah," I said hazily, pushing open the door.

----

I took a quick look out the window before I shut the curtains for bed. The moon was full, casting an eerie glow on Aunt Katie's farm. I could see a teeny bit of Clint's house…. His bedroom light was on. I sighed and shut the curtains, pulling my hair back into a ponytail and slipping on sweat pants and a sparkly tee shirt. I shut off the light switch and crawled under the covers. The room seemed cold that night. I shivered a bit, shifting my position so I'd be more comfortable. Finally, I found the perfect spot, and closed my eyes, just laying there quiet, breathing slowly.
I was interrupted by something hitting the window. It sounded heavy, and full of force. I sat up, somewhat annoyed.
"It's probably just a branch hitting the window," I mumbled, pulling aside the curtains.
It was definitely not a branch. I struggled with the window jamb for a moment, trying to yank it open. I finally managed to pull it open, and I poked my head out of the window, the light, cold breeze tussling my blonde ponytail.
"Clint! What are you doing here!?" I asked. He laughed.
"I came to see you."
"Is something wrong?" I asked.
"No, no. I just want to talk to you about… something." I looked over at my door, which was shut. I turned the lock and opened the window wide enough for him to crawl inside.
"Come in." He quietly crept through the window, landing on my bed. He shifted positions so he was sitting next to me. "Sorry I'm not really dressed," I said, looking down at my glamorous tee shirt.
"Is that how you usually dress?" He asked, studying me.
"Yeah. Aunt Katie doesn't allow me like this in public, though." I said with a small laugh. I brought my legs up on the bed and folded them underneath me. "Now what did you want to talk to me about?"
"It's just always been so awkward between us.. Even in the store today. I just.. I just want to throw it out there so it won't be weird anymore." I tilted my head.
"Well… What is it?" I asked, slightly impatient.
"I… I have a crush on you, Iris." He admitted, slowly, not making eye contact. His cheeks turned red, and so did mine.
"I…" I couldn't form any more words. I was speechless.
"I understand if you don't want to be friends any more…" He said, standing up to leave.
"No, Clint, wait." I said standing up. He turned around to face me.
"It's okay. We," I said looking at the door. "We can still be friends." He smiled at me, his blue eyes glimmering in the light of my lamp.
"I better leave before your Aunt Katie comes.." He said softly. "Bye Iris." There it was. I loved the way he said my name.

Chapter 5.

"Hey Iris," Aunt Katie said, peering through my doorway. A wide smile was spread across her face. I sat up in bed. "I have some errands to run down town... Do you think you'd be okay here by yourself for a little while?" I looked down and smiled to myself.
"Yeah, yeah that's fine." I said standing up.
"Awesome, I left you pancakes on the counter. See you around noon?" "Sounds good," I said, nudging her out of my room.
"Alright, bye!" She made her way out the door, and I made my way into the kitchen. I wondered if Clint would be around today. The sun was just beginning to rise, bringing patches of light into the dimly lit kitchen. I grabbed the round plate piled high with pancakes greedily and set it down on the table with a bit too much force, causing a loud clanking noise. I slid into the chair and went at the pancake with my fork. I watched the birds out the window while I ate. Two male blue jays fought over a female, who merely just flew away.
Then I saw him… I knew it was him, even though it was far away and he looked to be the size of an ant out the window. He was walking out to the barn. I dumped the remains of my pancake in the trash, and headed for the shower.
The bathroom in Aunt Katie's house was far from luxurious. The water pressure wasn't good enough for my liking, and the shower head was wimpy and small. There was a oblong mirror with a cabinet above the sink. The walls were a pale blue and the floors were cracked white tile.
After my shower, I blow dried my hair, but decided to leave it curly today. I put on some eyeshadow that was a metallic light brown, a little lip gloss, and mascara. Then I had to decide what to wear.
I walked down the hallway to my room and dumped out my suitcase on the carpet and stared at the contents. I spotted another pair of denim shorts, but these had a light brown belt. Now for tops. Most of the tops were bright colored, or covered in sequins and sparkles, plastered with big city brand logos. I dug through the pile, and decided on a red button up blouse. I slipped on the shorts and top, along with a pair of rhine stone earrings and the boots Aunt Katie gave me. They must have been the same kind as the ones she wore, because they clicked against the hardwood floor as I slipped out the door.
The air was particularly moist today. Good thing I had left my hair curly, I thought to myself as I made my way down the back porch steps. I peered over at Clint's barn, where he had been headed while I was eating breakfast. I saw him walk out of his house and walk toward the barn. I nodded in approval and walked into the grass.
The grass was specked with dew, making it shiny and wet. It was a long walk to Clint's barn, since the two houses were pretty far apart. If only they were as close as the houses back in Bellemont. I'd be at his house in less than a minute. Finally I reached his barn. His was a bit bigger than Katie's, and looked to have a fresh coat of red paint. The door was open, but I peeked over the doorway and watched him for a minute.
He was with one of his horses… I couldn't tell you what kind of horse it was, since I had no knowledge of such things at the time. It was white with brown spots, and had a brown tail and mane. Her fur was shiny and healthy, and she was eating a sugar cube out of his hand. He stroked her head with the other hand and whispered to her softly. I smiled and stepped through the doorway, my boots crunching down on a bit of hay. He must not have heard me, though.
"Hey there, cowboy." I joked, with a smile. He turned to face me and looked happy to see me.
"Oh hi Iris." He said, walking away from the horse to meet me. "What are you doing here?"
"I just came by to say hello." I said casually. "Aunt Katie went to run some errands and won't be back till noon."
"Ohh I see." He said nervously, putting his hands in his pockets.
"Your horse is very pretty," I said, walking toward her.
"Thanks," He said quietly. "You still don't know how to ride, do you?" He teased. I looked down, slightly embarrassed.
"No, I don't.." I said through bits of laughter.
"I could teach you," He suggested. I smiled.
"Okay." He unlatched the wooden gate, guiding the horse out of the stable and out into the grass. He attached the saddle and then looked over at me.
"C'mere, Iris." He instructed. I walked closer to where he stood, stroking the horse's head. "Now first you gotta get on the horse. Stand on the left side of her here," He motioned closer to the horse. I followed. "Now put your left foot in the stirrup, and push up, swinging your other leg over." I did as instructed, although, it took a few tries to get my right leg over. I was now mounted up on the horse. "Now grab onto the reins," He began once more. He snapped his fingers, and the horse began walking. "Keep your back straight now," He added, walking along side the horse.
"This isn't so bad," I considered, as Clint's horse walked around his yard.
"Your'e doin' great," He beamed.
"How come your daddy never catches us together?" I asked. It seemed like he lived completely on his own.
"Oh, daddy works all day and at night, too. He works 2 jobs," He said, somewhat distantly.
"Oh… Well what about your little sister?" I asked, recalling our first conversation.
"She stays with my grandma most of the summer. My daddy doesn't want me to miss out on anything," He replied, looking over at me. "I have to watch her sometimes, though."
"I see." It was silent for a couple minutes, aside from the chirp of the birds and the sound of the horse's hooves against the moist earth.
"I'm sorry I came to see you so late last night," He said finally. "I had to pick my little sister up from my grandma's because her car was in the shop… I just needed to tell you.."
"Wait… you drive?" I asked, surprised. I secretly was scared he's turn out to be way older than I expected.
"Yeah, don't you?" He said, looking over at me.
"I'm only 14!" I exclaimed.
"So am I," I he said with a chuckle.
"You have to be 16 to drive." I said firmly. He shrugged.
"Nobody's stopping me. Our sheriff got shot a long time ago," He smirked. I gasped.
"That is totally illegal." I said, trying not to laugh.
"Just don't rat me out to the FBI," He joked.
"I'm just not used to breaking the law. I mean, what's next, robbing a bank?"
"Ooh good idea. Are you free tomorrow?" He said sarcastically.
"You're scaring me Clint," I said, bringing the horse to a stop and climbing off.
"I was just kiddin'," He said kindly, taking my hand as I got off. As soon as I steadied myself on the ground, he let go. He led the horse back toward the barn. "Were you surprised when I told you last night?" He asked carefully. I looked up at the clouds and sighed heavily.
"Hmm. Kinda, I guess. Is that why you helped me after I fell? Because you thought I was pretty?" I asked, looking over at him. He laughed.
"Maybe, but I would've helped you anyways even if you weren't. I was just bein' nice."
"Oh," I said with a smile. We were almost to the barn by now.
"Would you have helped me?" He asked.
"Nahh," I said jokingly. "I don't help fugitives."
"That's not very nice," He said, slightly offended.
"I was only kidding, Clint." I said matter of factly.
"Oh," He said, slightly embarrassed. I laughed. The awkward phase of our conversation was interrupted by the roar of a truck engine. It was Aunt Katie's truck.
"Oh crap. I gotta go… Bye Clint!" I hollered behind me as I took off running back to the house.
"Bye Iris," He said weakly, wiping his hands on his jeans and returning to the barn. I hurried up the porch steps and sat on the stairs trying to look natural, just as Aunt Katie pulled into the driveway.
"Hey Iris, let's go grab lunch at the diner. The truck's waitin'. Let's go!" I stood up suddenly and followed her back to the truck. I climbed inside beside her and she put the car in reverse. "So what were ya doin' outside?"
"I was hum… Just getting some fresh air." I lied hopefully.
"Ohh I see. It can get kinda boring in the house I reckon." She said in consideration, her long fingers gripped on the steering wheel. I let out a sigh of relief.
"Yeah."
"I saw Travis today at the Post Office." Aunt Katie said with a certain look in her eyes.
"You need to stop hiding it," I instructed. "Then maybe your relationship would actually go somewhere."
"C'mon now, I don't want to hurt Kelly's feelings." She said firmly, tightening her grip.
"Well," I began, shifting in my seat. "You said you and Travis are pretty serious, right?"
"Four years." She said blankly, as we sped down the dusty road.
"Four years?!" I exclaimed. "You have been hiding that for four years?" She looked over at me finally.
"Well yeah! Kelly is a good friend and I don't want to hurt her. I don't know if she still has feelings for him or not, but either way, I aint telling her jack." I shrugged.
"A few months is one thing, but years is another. You are going to have to tell her." Aunt Katie shook her head. We were both silent for a little while, until she brought the car to sudden halt.
"Here we are," She said, pulling the keys out of the ignition. "The Vinton Diner." I studied the building as I swung open the rusty door to Aunt Katie's truck.
It was small.. A hole in the wall type place. The exterior was far from attractive.. The windows had streaks from the cheap glass cleaner, and the stucco siding was crumbling and cracked. The pavement walkway was a rusty orange, filled with little holes and cracks with little weeds poking out of them. The flowerbeds had a few berry covered shrubs, and a few patches of marigolds. Hovering atop the building was a neon sign that read "The Vinton Diner" except several letters were burned out.
I didn't have high expectations. Aunt katie opened the door ahead of me. In the entry way was a little faux wood podium with a vase of red flowers. A perky girl with black hair in a bun greeted us.
"Hey Katie! Who's this?" Aunt Katie smiled.
"This is my niece, Iris." The girl stepped out from the podium and shook my hand.
"Howdy Iris! I'm Kelly." So this was Travis' ex. Upon further examination, she was a little taller than Aunt Katie, and had dark brown freckles spread across her cheeks.
"Hi," I said, trying to be friendly.
"Well here, let's get you guys a table!" She hurriedly grabbed 2 menus and led us to a table near the kitchen door. The diner wasn't as bad on the inside.. The walls were a shiny white, and the floors were black and white checkered tile. Some of the tiles were cracked or broken, but overall they were in good shape. The table had a slick and shiny top, and chrome trim. The booth was squishy, but slightly sticky. On the table was one of those little racks they put salt and pepper in, along with the sweeteners, ketchup, and a little card with the daily specials.
"Alright can I get your drinks while I'm over here?" Kelly asked, hovering over our table.
"I'll have a sweet tea," Aunt Katie said with a forced smile.
"Alright, lemon, right?"
"Yes ma'am."
"How about you sweetie?" She asked, scribbling something on her notepad, then looking at me expectantly.
"Umm… I guess just a sweet tea."
"Lemon?"
"No thank you," I said, turning away.
"Awesome I'll have those right up." She pranced away to the kitchen.
"Is that her?" I whispered. Aunt Kate nodded.
"How long did they date?" I asked.
"1 and a half years." She said nervously.
"Wow. What happened?" I asked, clearly intrigued.
"He liked me. But he didn't tell her that, of course. He always had liked me. But he told her that he needed some time alone to look at his life and decide what to do next. One day wer're hopin' to move to the city so we can start a family." She whispered. "But he still hasn't proposed yet."
"Well I'm sure he will soon," I said encouragingly.
"I don't know, honey. He hasn't mentioned anything about that stuff in a long time. Maybe he doesn't plan on marrying me." She shrugged.
"Well I.." Kelly came toward the table carrying a tray with the two drinks on them.
"Here's your drinks," She said, setting them down on the table before us.
"Are y'all ready to order yet?" She asked.
"No we still need a minute," Aunt Katie replied, looking down at the menu.
"Alright." Kelly said, heading over to another table. I studied the menu a little, when my phone vibrated. It was a call.. From George.
"Hey Aunt Katie, I need to take this call.. Just um, order for me." I said hurriedly, sliding out of the booth.
"Well okay." She said slightly surprised at my sudden exit. I made my way past the murmuring conversations between other cutovers at the diner and through a hallway to the ladies bathroom. I pressed talk.
"George?"
"Iris? Is everything okay?"
"Yeah yeah everything is fine…." I said pacing around the restroom. "I'm just at dinner with Aunt Katie and I wasn't expecting your call…"
"Oh well I can call you back…" He said uneasily.
"No, it's fine. What's up?" I asked, sitting up on the sink.
"Well…" He said quietly. "Something happened…"
"What happened?" I asked, my voice growing tense.
"Please don't be mad." He begged. I quivered.
"George, tell me what's going on!" I demanded.
"Ashley… she found out about our secret."

I hate her mom already.

Good, that was my intention. xD
Sorry there isn't much up, I just started it today xD

That's okay.

Awesometasticness Grace! (yes I just made up the word awesometasticness ) Post more soon!

Thanks! I will, I have some more written but I want to get to the end of the chapter I'm writing first.

Oooh . . . I'm glad you posted it, Grace. :3 I like it already! It seems like it's going to end up a really interesting story. Can't wait until you post more!

Thanks shadow! (:
I will post more tomorrow

Can the Mom die? She's mean. She should die. I'll do it! Let's see... I'll need a tube of toothpaste, rope, a shoelace and the little opener thing on the soda cans.

By the way, can I say that I really admire the way you start a story and finish it before you start another one. I really wish I had the drive to do that. Now I have about 50 unfinished ones... I respect that trait.

xD She's a meanie. Luckily, she's not in most of the story.

Thanks! It can be really hard, cause sometimes I get all excited over a plot and want to drop everything to start it, but I force myself to not write it. xD

I really like it!

But I really hate her mom.
But George sounds like, extremely....nommy.
x3

Thanks Rai!
Yes her mom is quite evil.

IKR. Haha. I based him off this extremely hot guy from the travel channel, but BETTER. :3

Chapter 1 up!

Love it!
I feel so bad for her, though.

Me likey Total awesomeness! Can't wait to read more!

Rai wrote:Love it!
I feel so bad for her, though.

Thanks!
I know, me too In ways it gets easier and in other ways, harder.

conich wrote:Me likey Total awesomeness! Can't wait to read more!

Thanks!

Your welcome

Awesometasticicnesss! o.o
Can't wait for you to continue ^-^

Thankyou! I should be adding the second chapter today.

Yeah, her mom reminds me of mine. -_- I'm gonna enjoy this story! :3 Can't wait until Chapter 2 is up.

GraceMarie8 wrote:xD She's a meanie. Luckily, she's not in most of the story.

Thanks! It can be really hard, cause sometimes I get all excited over a plot and want to drop everything to start it, but I force myself to not write it. xD

Thank the Lord.

Yeah... That happens to me, and I usually try to write down the idea, but... Eh, it never works. Lucky for me I can go back to a story pretty easily.

Aww, the rest of that chapter was so sweet! :3 George is such a wonderful feller.

shadowsowner888 wrote:Aww, the rest of that chapter was so sweet! :3 George is such a wonderful feller.

Thanks!
xD feller.
haha.
I know right? I love writing scenes like that.

Akeria wrote:

GraceMarie8 wrote:xD She's a meanie. Luckily, she's not in most of the story.

Thanks! It can be really hard, cause sometimes I get all excited over a plot and want to drop everything to start it, but I force myself to not write it. xD

Thank the Lord.

Yeah... That happens to me, and I usually try to write down the idea, but... Eh, it never works. Lucky for me I can go back to a story pretty easily.

I just write down the ideas for safe keeping and try not to look at them... xD
Yeah, she doesn't come back into the story until like, toward the end.

Mrs. Jessi O'Shea wrote:Yeah, her mom reminds me of mine. -_- I'm gonna enjoy this story! :3 Can't wait until Chapter 2 is up.

thats no fun.

I am adding Chapter 2 now!

DOES SHE DIE?!
Just wondering.
If not, I've got my MacGuyver bomb all ready...