Post by rsafan on Oct 5, 2006 4:34:15 GMT -5
Chapter 5
“I mean, he just said things weren’t working out. What kind of an excuse is that? ‘I’m sorry Chelsea, but this isn’t working’ I could strangle him.”
She was sitting on Abby’s bed, lamenting about the nerve of Max Brady, as one only could with a best friend. Abby had sat through all her friends wailings about Max Brady. She marvelled that it had never occurred to her friend that maybe Max was just so sick and tired of having her run to him every time her life didn’t make sense, maybe he couldn’t deal with having to fix things for her all the time. Because let’s face it, best friend or not, Chelsea could get herself into some messed up situations. She figured the best thing she could do for her friend was to let her rant, get all the emotions out.
“You know, when he said that, I thought he as talking about the stupid car. He hadn’t even stopped working on it, just came right out an said it. And I like a stupid idiot went and told him he could fix it.”
“And what did he say?” She didn’t comment on the fact that Chelsea seemed more angry than upset. That not a single tear had fallen from her eyes.
“He said, that there was no fixing it. That it was broken beyond repair and we’d just have to deal with it. That’s when I got clued up that maybe he wasn’t talking about the stupid car, he was talking about us.” She leaned back on the bed and stared at the ceiling, contemplating this new dilemma in her life. She had enough to deal with, she didn’t need this crap from a guy who was supposed to care about her.
Abby, guessing correctly that Chelsea’s rant had run its course, reached for her friend’s hand, “You’re going to be okay, he’s just a guy. And besides, who needs guys when you have ice-cream and chocolate. I think my mom went shopping today, and I definitely remember putting those two items on the list. So how about we sneak off to the kitchen and have a midnight binge?”
Chelsea smiled, for the first time since she’d stormed out of the Garage. Abby always knew how to make things better, she squeezed her friend’s hand, thanking her. “So, what flavour did your mom buy, cause I’m definitely in the mood for some strawberry ice-cream.”
She obliged, “Sorry, the only time I’ve ever heard of you, was through Rex, and Cassie sometimes, that girl is not your biggest fan.”
“Well, who could blame her given the circumstances?”
“All I’m saying is that it’s only natural for me to associate you with Rex, I didn’t mean to imply that you belong to him in any way. Not that you could of course belong to anyone other than yourself, you’re a person, and people can’t be owned and I’m rambling, which I never normally do, so I’m just going to go before I say something even more stupid.” She got up, grabbed her bag off the counter and made her way to the door, “Best of luck with the baby and everything and…oh…” She searched her pockets for her ringing mobile, “Sorry.” She smiled at them apologetically. Totally forgetting about leaving, she smiled when she saw that it was Max who was calling. They were supposed to be having a movie night tonight, he was bringing the movies, she was supplying the sofa and the popcorn.
“Hey, long time no see.” They hadn’t seen each other since the night at the amusement park, that had been three days ago. “Are you ready for tonight? Got the movies?”
“About that…There was something I had to take care of today…”
“Something serious? You want to talk about it.”
“Yeah, it was kinda serious, but everything’s sorted. It’s just that given the circumstances, which I don’t want to discuss right now. Well, the thing is…”
She could tell by his voice, had probably known when he hadn’t even bothered to greet her back but had to say it, ask it anyway, “You’re not coming tonight are you?”
He sighed, “No, I’m not. It’s not that I don’t want to, I just don’t think it would be appropriate. I’m really sorry.”
“It’s fine, I’ll survive.” She tried to hide the disappointment in her voice, but she had been looking forward to seeing him tonight.
Picking up her disappointment, he hurriedly assured he, “We can make it another night, whenever it suits you.”
“Sure, no problem.”
“Okay then, I’ll call you.”
“Sure, Bye.”
“Bye.”
He hung up, she stood staring at the phone for a while.
She hadn’t realised she was still staring dejectedly at the phone, willing it to ring and have Max say he’d changed his mind, till Mimi asked her, “Let me guess, guy problems?”
“Am I that obvious?”
Mimi patted the area next to her on the sofa, indicating she should take a seat and let it all out. “No, every woman goes through them, you learn to pick up on the signs. You want to talk about it, it’s the least I can do given all you’ve done for me.”
She sat down next to Mimi, Shawn was on the phone, it must’ve rung while she’d been talking to Max. Dropping her head against the back of the sofa, she sighed, “No, he said he’d call.”
“And he usually does?”
“Yeah, like clockwork.”
Mimi patted her leg, “Well the, you have nothing to worry about. It’s when they say they’ll call and never do that you should worry. Maybe he’s just not in the mood.”
“That was my dad, he wants me to meet him at the station. I wouldn’t go, only it sounded urgent and he’d already tried to reach me at the garage but I’d already left. I won’t go if you want me to stay.”
Mimi, who had been praying that Shawn forgave his dad, didn’t mind one bit if he went off. Perhaps this would be one step closer to them sorting things out, “Not a problem. I’ve got Victoria here, she’ll keep me company. Go see what your dad wants.”
Shawn picked up his jacket and slipping it on, asked Mimi one more time, just to be certain, “Are you sure?”
“Of course she’s sure, she’s a grown woman. She knows her own mind, she wouldn’t tell you to go if she wanted you to stay now would she?”
He eyed the two of them and could see they were well on the way to becoming friends. Shawn might’ve found it strange leaving his wife in the care of a stranger, but there was something familiar about her, something he couldn’t quite grasp. She reminded him of someone but he couldn’t think who. He pushed the thoughts out of his mind, he’d have time to dwell on that later. Grabbing his keys he left the loft.
“I mean, he just said things weren’t working out. What kind of an excuse is that? ‘I’m sorry Chelsea, but this isn’t working’ I could strangle him.”
She was sitting on Abby’s bed, lamenting about the nerve of Max Brady, as one only could with a best friend. Abby had sat through all her friends wailings about Max Brady. She marvelled that it had never occurred to her friend that maybe Max was just so sick and tired of having her run to him every time her life didn’t make sense, maybe he couldn’t deal with having to fix things for her all the time. Because let’s face it, best friend or not, Chelsea could get herself into some messed up situations. She figured the best thing she could do for her friend was to let her rant, get all the emotions out.
“You know, when he said that, I thought he as talking about the stupid car. He hadn’t even stopped working on it, just came right out an said it. And I like a stupid idiot went and told him he could fix it.”
“And what did he say?” She didn’t comment on the fact that Chelsea seemed more angry than upset. That not a single tear had fallen from her eyes.
“He said, that there was no fixing it. That it was broken beyond repair and we’d just have to deal with it. That’s when I got clued up that maybe he wasn’t talking about the stupid car, he was talking about us.” She leaned back on the bed and stared at the ceiling, contemplating this new dilemma in her life. She had enough to deal with, she didn’t need this crap from a guy who was supposed to care about her.
Abby, guessing correctly that Chelsea’s rant had run its course, reached for her friend’s hand, “You’re going to be okay, he’s just a guy. And besides, who needs guys when you have ice-cream and chocolate. I think my mom went shopping today, and I definitely remember putting those two items on the list. So how about we sneak off to the kitchen and have a midnight binge?”
Chelsea smiled, for the first time since she’d stormed out of the Garage. Abby always knew how to make things better, she squeezed her friend’s hand, thanking her. “So, what flavour did your mom buy, cause I’m definitely in the mood for some strawberry ice-cream.”
*****
“Rex’s Mimi?” Though Mimi had posed the question, they both looked at her, as though awaiting an explanation.She obliged, “Sorry, the only time I’ve ever heard of you, was through Rex, and Cassie sometimes, that girl is not your biggest fan.”
“Well, who could blame her given the circumstances?”
“All I’m saying is that it’s only natural for me to associate you with Rex, I didn’t mean to imply that you belong to him in any way. Not that you could of course belong to anyone other than yourself, you’re a person, and people can’t be owned and I’m rambling, which I never normally do, so I’m just going to go before I say something even more stupid.” She got up, grabbed her bag off the counter and made her way to the door, “Best of luck with the baby and everything and…oh…” She searched her pockets for her ringing mobile, “Sorry.” She smiled at them apologetically. Totally forgetting about leaving, she smiled when she saw that it was Max who was calling. They were supposed to be having a movie night tonight, he was bringing the movies, she was supplying the sofa and the popcorn.
“Hey, long time no see.” They hadn’t seen each other since the night at the amusement park, that had been three days ago. “Are you ready for tonight? Got the movies?”
“About that…There was something I had to take care of today…”
“Something serious? You want to talk about it.”
“Yeah, it was kinda serious, but everything’s sorted. It’s just that given the circumstances, which I don’t want to discuss right now. Well, the thing is…”
She could tell by his voice, had probably known when he hadn’t even bothered to greet her back but had to say it, ask it anyway, “You’re not coming tonight are you?”
He sighed, “No, I’m not. It’s not that I don’t want to, I just don’t think it would be appropriate. I’m really sorry.”
“It’s fine, I’ll survive.” She tried to hide the disappointment in her voice, but she had been looking forward to seeing him tonight.
Picking up her disappointment, he hurriedly assured he, “We can make it another night, whenever it suits you.”
“Sure, no problem.”
“Okay then, I’ll call you.”
“Sure, Bye.”
“Bye.”
He hung up, she stood staring at the phone for a while.
She hadn’t realised she was still staring dejectedly at the phone, willing it to ring and have Max say he’d changed his mind, till Mimi asked her, “Let me guess, guy problems?”
“Am I that obvious?”
Mimi patted the area next to her on the sofa, indicating she should take a seat and let it all out. “No, every woman goes through them, you learn to pick up on the signs. You want to talk about it, it’s the least I can do given all you’ve done for me.”
She sat down next to Mimi, Shawn was on the phone, it must’ve rung while she’d been talking to Max. Dropping her head against the back of the sofa, she sighed, “No, he said he’d call.”
“And he usually does?”
“Yeah, like clockwork.”
Mimi patted her leg, “Well the, you have nothing to worry about. It’s when they say they’ll call and never do that you should worry. Maybe he’s just not in the mood.”
“That was my dad, he wants me to meet him at the station. I wouldn’t go, only it sounded urgent and he’d already tried to reach me at the garage but I’d already left. I won’t go if you want me to stay.”
Mimi, who had been praying that Shawn forgave his dad, didn’t mind one bit if he went off. Perhaps this would be one step closer to them sorting things out, “Not a problem. I’ve got Victoria here, she’ll keep me company. Go see what your dad wants.”
Shawn picked up his jacket and slipping it on, asked Mimi one more time, just to be certain, “Are you sure?”
“Of course she’s sure, she’s a grown woman. She knows her own mind, she wouldn’t tell you to go if she wanted you to stay now would she?”
He eyed the two of them and could see they were well on the way to becoming friends. Shawn might’ve found it strange leaving his wife in the care of a stranger, but there was something familiar about her, something he couldn’t quite grasp. She reminded him of someone but he couldn’t think who. He pushed the thoughts out of his mind, he’d have time to dwell on that later. Grabbing his keys he left the loft.
