Nice job. Nelson Eddie and Jeaneatte McDonald had beautiful voices so I enjoyed the clips.
I'm very curious to see what happens next.
I had a feeling at least you would enjoy the clips if no one else.
As Dorothy and Tom were supposed to be singing, I imagined a slightly less mature yet similar-sounding voices compared to Jeaneatte McDonald and Nelson Eddie.
I've hinted at what's next vaguely. I have a few pics I need to get in order to not make it AWFUL.
(Disclaimer: Sensitive situations and it's incredibly long)
I'm sitting on the front porch a few days after opening night for the musical when I see Darren walk up towards me with a sour look on his face.
"What's eatin' you?" I ask.
He jumps a little. He obviously didn't see me at first, and he immediately tries to hide the expression on his face by turning away.
"Nothing." he says at first, but then continues, "I had forgotten what a mean world it is. That was dumb of me."
"Lord, this is a mean old world.
Lord, this is a mean old world.
Folk don't care how they treat you.
Lord, this is a mean old world."
Afraid I know what he means, I stand up and ask, "What did the mean old world do now?"
He exhales roughly and turns to me. "You said that just now and you sounded just like Mama."
"Thank you for the compliment." I say simply.
Words start flying out of Darren's mouth. I've never seen him like this. "I don't know what I did to him to make him hate me so! I mean, so I want to date his daughter and she might be a tad young for me, but I've never felt like this for anyone!"
"Whoa there!" I say. "Back up a minute. What's going on?"
"I thought it would be obvious to you. I mean, you practically introduced us. Though how it is I've not met her before now with her living just the next house over, I don't know."
"Level with me, this is about Dorothy, right?" I ask with my arms folded. I can't stand Dorothy, and knowing my brother has been carrying a torch for her irritates me.
"Of course it is!" he almost snaps, then places his head in his hands.
I let his rude tone slide off of me because I can see he's really hurting.
"Want to tell me what happened?" I ask after he's had a chance to recover.
He hugs himself in an unconscious effort to ward off hurt. He shakes his head 'no' mutely.
"It might help. And I promise not to be judgmental even thought I don't really like Dorothy." I say soothingly.
He shakes his head 'no' again.
"C'mon. Maybe you just need a change of scenery for a minute. Let's head up to the lake."
"Couldn't hurt I guess." he finally says, and we pile into the car.
There's an old lodge up here that has since closed down. It has a hot springs pool that people hope cures all sorts of things. The management for the place was corrupt, and when they stole money from it, the owner had no choice but to close.
Darren and I sit down on the deck floorboards.
"So you have a crush on Dorothy." I say, trying to get the ball rolling.
"More than that." he says sadly.
"Okay. When did this happen? Why not you just start at the beginning." I say before he sighs angrily. "We've got time, and you've got sympathetic ears in me."
"Well, you know we met that night at Waylon's when all your school friends came." he begins and looks up at me. I nod and he continues, "Well, at the time I thought she was cute and I wanted to flirt. I assume you remember she slapped me across the face?" I nod again. He sighs. "Well, I just couldn't help but find that funny. The way her face gets all pinched and red when she gets mad is just adorable."
I guess everyone is entitled to their opinion. I think to myself.
He continues more, not knowing my thoughts, "Then one day a few weeks ago I was at the park next to the school and I saw her on one of the swings. I thought I'd have some fun..."
(Switching to present tense, 3rd person for a flashback.)
Darren sees Dorothy sitting on the swings, obviously lost in thought. A sudden gust of wind blows some tendrils of her hair around her face.
"Hello, again, Dorothy." he says as he playfully jumps up and stands on the swing next to her.
She looks up at him, clearly annoyed and asks, "What are you doing here, Darren?"
She remembered my name! Darren thinks.
"I'm playing on the swings, what's it look like I'm doing?" he grins back down at her frowning face.
"Go away." she says with a sad sigh.
Darren's grin changes to a look of concern as he sits himself down on the seat of the swing next to her.
"I'm sorry. I guess I lost my invitation to your pity party in the mail." he says while looking straight ahead.
"It's a party of one. You didn't get sent an invitation." she says sourly. She sits there and waits for him to get up and leave, and gets even more angry when he doesn't.
"Doesn't sound like a very 'swinging' party then." he says and grins over at her again.
(btw- I'm not positive the terms "pity party" and "swinging" were used then, but I couldn't resist.)
She rolls her eyes and brushes the errant strands of hair out of her face. "Well, it's not, so don't bother coming."
"Maybe you should leave too. Surely you've got better things to do."
"That's just the problem! Being a party of one, it follows me wherever I go." she sighs dejectedly.
"Well, maybe if you talk about it you can break it up."
She throws him a look of disbelief, "Like you'd be interested in my problems."
He shrugs, "Maybe. You don't know unless you try me."
She sighs in a heavy and irritated fashion before she finally says, "My father wants to sent me to a boarding school for the arts."
"Ouch!" he responds sympathetically. "And I guess you don't wanna go?"
Encouraged by his response, she quickly fills him in on how her father thinks public school is holding back her natural talent and she'd get more out of this other school. She knows he's probably right, but she doesn't want to leave.
"Not that I have any friends here anyway." she says angrily.
He turns to her in surprise. "Of course you do! I'm your friend, aren't I?" He turns to her and sees her roll her eyes again.
"Oh yeah right. I'm guessing friends don't slap each other across the face though, do they?" she says as she turns to him to see his reaction.
"Only when they deserve it."
"Humph." she says quickly. "I guess you get slapped across the face alot then."
He leans back in the swing and uproariously laughs up to the clouds. She looks over at him and fails at hiding a small smile.
When he recovers, he asks, "Have you told him how you feel about this?"
"He won't listen even if I do."
"You mean you haven't tried!" he exclaims in shock. When he sees her shake her head no he says, "You need to! Surely he wouldn't send you away if he just knew you'd hate it."
"My father doesn't work like that." she says simply. "Once he's made up his mind about something, he sees it through to the end no matter what."
"You mean he's stubborn." he says blandly.
"Yes, of course I do." she looks up when a car honks while pulled up and stopped at the curb. "That's him now. I've got to go. See you later, Darren."
Darren's heart skips a beat when she says his name.
(Back to the present)
"So then I didn't see her for a while. I worried about her. But then, when I heard that she'd gotten the lead for the musical, I knew her father wouldn't send her away now because of that." Darren continues.
So, while I was broken up about it, you were secretly happy. Traitor. I think and then feel guilty.
"Well, one morning about a week or so ago, I was down at the beach when lo and behold! There she is." he says and goes into a description of another day....
(flashback again *does the little doodley doot doodley doot* from Waynes's World)
"Well well well." Darren says as he walks up to Dorothy. She jumps and he continues as she remains looking forward, "You're up early. What's got you out of the house at the crack of dawn?"
She sighs, "My father is sending me to boarding school. He sent the application off yesterday." Her shoulders droop.
He reaches up and puts his hands on her shoulders. He notices her skin is cold to the touch due to the early morning temperature as he says, "But I thought he'd be happy with you getting the lead for the musical!"
She brushes his hands off her shoulders and turns to face him. "Oh, he is. He said me getting the lead was further proof that I need to go. I'm leaving when the musical is done. There's no doubt I'll get accepted." She looks like she's fighting off tears.
A sinking feeling settles in his chest as he says, "Oh no. Doesn't he care that you don't want to go?"
"Hah!" she says sarcastically. "He says I'm just being a silly child and that I'll be grateful once I get there." She pauses for a moment before she continues, "I don't want to leave Bridgeport! EVERYTHING happens here! Why would I want to go where nothing ever happens?!?"
She looks at the ground, obviously embarrassed about her outburst. Darren stands there, not quite knowing what to do. He'd love to comfort her in his arms, but she obviously doesn't want him to touch her. So, he stands there in mute sympathy.
"There's nothing you can do?" he asks quietly.
"No." she responds and sniffs quietly. "It's hopeless. I'm being sent away."
"I'm sorry." he says lamely.
Her face snaps up to look at him and her voice is sharp as she asks, "Why are you sorry?"
"I mean I'm sorry for you." he explains.
"Don't feel sorry for me! I'll handle it just fine, thank you!" she snaps.
Darren can't understand what made her attitude change so fast. He follows after her when she stomps off to sit at a picnic table.
He sits on the table and puts his feet on the seat while leaning forward.
"Sorry I snapped at you. It's not your fault so I shouldn't take it out on you." she says quietly while staring straight ahead.
He turns to her and says, "I understand. You're mad and you're ready to lash out at anyone."
"Nobody knows the trouble I see.
Trouble! Trouble!
Nobody knows the trouble I see.
Said nobody knows the trouble I see.
Ooo! nobody knows the trouble I see.
Trouble! Trouble!"
"Doesn't make it right." she looks back up at him then smiles in response to his smile.
He looks down at his hands for a second before looking out over the water. "So, what are you gonna do?"
She shrugs, "I reckon I'm going to boarding school."
He plops down on the seat next to her. "You're just giving up?" he asks with surprise in his voice.
She leans forward and stifles a sob. "What choice do I have? He won't listen. What he says goes."
"There has to be something."
"I've no idea what."
Agitated, she gets up and paces in front of the picnic table. She'd stop and stare at him for a while a couple of times before pacing again. He just sits there watching her, not knowing what to say or do.
The only sound is the crunching of her shoes against the sand. Darren is mesmerized by watching her skirt swish every time she spins around to walk the opposite direction. The rising sun plays with her features, making her eyes flash with her pent up rage.
"Dorothy, sit down you're making me dizzy." Darren says when he can't take it anymore. He refuses to admit to himself that watching her walking back and forth in front of him affects him in a way that isn't helpful for the situation.
Dorothy growls a little and plops herself down on the sand in front of the picnic table. Confused as to why she chose to sit in the dirt, Darren nonetheless moves to sit next to her. He doesn't want to feel like he's 'lording over her' by sitting higher up at the table.
"I just can't sit still for long. That's why I had to get out of the house." she explains animatedly. "He just makes me so mad I could scream!" she says loudly up to the clouds before shivering and rubbing her arms. She doesn't brush off the arm Darren puts around her in order to help her warm up. A cold breeze blows by them and she rubs her arms some more.
"You'd think with the sun being so bright this morning it would warm us up faster." she says as she tries to block the sun with her hand.
Darren can no longer ignore what having her this close is doing to him. His eyes drink in the pert little features of her face. She's just like a doll. he thinks.
He watches as she turns her head questioningly in his direction. Her blue eyes widen when she sees the expression on his face. He's not quite sure what his expression is, but he couldn't change it even if he wanted to.
Drawn in like a moth to the flame, his lips find hers. She acts startled, but doesn't pull away. He's very careful as he gently places light kisses on her lips. Finding no resistance, his fervor escalates, and he puts more emotion into the kiss.
(back to present)
"Wait a minute, you KISSED her?" I ask incredulously.
He grins at me a little before his face gets deadly serious and he says, "Don't you dare tell anyone. I shouldn't have told you anyway, but I got caught up in the story."
I nod. "I'm not telling nobody. Don't worry."
He sighs and continues with the story....
(flashback again)
Dorothy makes a little noise as Darren deepens the kiss. She must've had french toast with syrup for breakfast this morning. A small shudder escapes her as he eagerly explores her mouth.
He brings his hand up to her shoulder to further hold her to him. Then it slides up her shoulder to her neck and face.
That's when Dorothy starts resisting him. He tries desperately to bring her back to taking equal part in the kiss, but she's not having it apparently.
She suddenly stands up. "What was that!?!" she nearly screeches down at him.
Mildly rebuking himself for forgetting how young she is, he answers, "That's called a kiss." He couldn't help but add in a touch of sarcasm. How could I have done that? I bet I just ruined everything by being too eager... just like a kid.
She kicks his foot angrily. "I know what it was! You know what I mean!"
"I just kissed you." he looks up at her and his thumb and forefinger play with his lip for a moment while he considers her irate expression. "I got caught up in the moment. I'd tell you I like you, but I think you've figured that out already." He grins roguishly up at her.
She stands there opening and closing her mouth over and over again, not knowing what to say. He sits there and waits patiently, leaning back against the picnic table.
"You! You can't!" she finally exclaims.
She turns away and walks a few paces before he quickly stands and turns her around to face him. To her glare, he says, "And why not?"
"I'm too young for you!"
"Is that it?"
She looks at him with a confused expression. "Yes. What else?" Realization of what he means comes to her eyes before she says, "Oh. No, that doesn't matter." she says angrily. "I'm too young for you! That's enough!"
"And what do you mean by saying that to me?!?" she screeches at him, her voice getting higher and higher. "How dare you! How dare you assume anything like that!"
He leans back and is shocked at her outburst. "Okay, okay!" he says. His attempt at calming her down seems to only get her more incensed.
"How could you do that to me, Darren? I thought for once I had a friend! One that gets on my everlasting nerves, but a friend nonetheless! But then you had to go and kiss me!"
"Do I need to remind you that you kissed me back?" he says, lashing back out at her.
For only a split second, her face displays the realization that she knows he's right, but it's quickly replaced by her original scowl.
"I... You... I was caught off guard!" she raises an eyebrow to dare him to contradict her.
He can't help but laugh silently as he says, "I was too."
"Don't you stand there laughing at me!" she hisses.
He brings his hand up to cover his smile. She growls and kicks dirt on his shoe. When she attempts to walk past him angrily, he reaches out and stops her, his expression now stern.
"No, you're not going to just storm away. Admit it. You kissed me back." he growls at her.
"I did not." she says with a toss of her head like a high-spirited filly.
"You did."
Her face blanches a little. "No, I didn't." she says with less conviction.
"You know you did. You're just desperately trying not to admit it. Not even to yourself."
"It must've been automatic." she says quickly.
"Now you know that's not true. Don't insult yourself."
She throws her hands up to ward him off since he'd started closing in on her again. "No, Darren! This just can't be happening! This can't happen!"
"But it is."
"No." she says as she inhales quickly. She glances at him once before skirting around him and running up the hill to hail a taxi.
(present day)
"It was at this point I knew I loved her." Darren says when he finishes with the last part of the story to me.
"You.... love her?" I ask with shock in my voice.
"How can I not?" he asks me, looking me full in the face.
I take a deep breath as that information processes.
"So then, what were you two talking about opening night?" I ask now that my curiosity gets reborn.
"I can't believe she was civil to me. She apologized. I asked her if her father had changed his mind. She told me no. I asked if I could come talk to him for her. That's when she started looking worried. After what happened today, I know why." he says, growling at the last sentence.
"What happened?" I ask.
"Well, let me start with yesterday at the park."
(flashback to yesterday)
Darren sees Dorothy on the swings, and walks right up and catches her swing before it moves down again.
"Darren!" Dorothy gasps in shock.
Darren smiles and says, "Well, now that I have you... we need to talk."
"Let me go!" she says and he doesn't miss the double meaning.
"Are you going to talk to me?"
"No." she says stubbornly.
"Then I guess I'll just have to hold you here all day then."
Dorothy decides to sacrifice some of her modesty and slides off the swing. Once her feet hit the dirt she's off and running.
"Hey!" Darren exclaims like a child who's not getting his way. He doesn't let it bother him long, and it doesn't take long before his longer strides overtake her shorter ones. He avoids grabbing hold of her but instead passes her and forces her to stop and turn around.
After zig-zagging all around the park, he finally traps her up against the slide. She takes one step up backwards on the ladder when he says, "Dorothy, just talk to me."
Panting for air, she responds, "Why, Darren? It won't do any good. I'm leaving after Christmas."
"But you just can't!"
"But I am."
"Let me talk to him. Maybe I can make him understand how silly it is for you to spend your last semester at that place." he says.
"He wants me to graduate from there. He must've pulled a few strings to get that to happen."
"I have to try." He says, continuing with his idea to talk to her father.
"Fine. You can see for yourself how stubborn he is. Don't forget I warned you. Come by tomorrow at lunch."
Darren smiles, confident in his plan.
"Now, please, let me go." she begs.
He stands aside and watches her run away.
(present)
"So, now I'll take you to earlier today. When I met her rotten father." he says with clenched teeth.
I wait patiently for the part of the story I have a feeling I'm really not going to like.
(earlier today, at lunch)
Dorothy meets him outside her gate. "Darren, I need to warn you. My dad... he's not going to like you. Please, don't do this."
"Dorothy, give him benefit of the doubt. And I've gotta try." he says with a shrug.
Her father is standing in their foyer when the two of them walk in.
"Daddy, that friend I told you about is here." Dorothy says somewhat quietly.
Her father turns around and his eyes narrow infinitesimally when he sees Darren.
"Hello." Darren says with a smile.
"Darren, this is my father, Edward Russell. I believe he's your dad's boss. Dad, this is Darren Love. He's a musician." Dorothy nervously introduces the two men.
"Oh? What instrument do you play?" he asks Darren, his eyebrows raised a little.
"The double bass." Darren answers, then adds more. "I have also been toying with the piano and guitar as well.
"The piano? I've always thought that was a very dignified instrument. I've never understood the necessity for the bass." Edward challenges Darren.
"But that's because you haven't seen Darren play it, dad." Dorothy comes to Darren's rescue.
"Is that so?" her father runs his thumb and forefinger across his mustache.
Dorothy's mother walks into the room at about that time.
"Well, hello! You must be Darren! Dorothy's told me so much about you!" her mother gushes when she sees Darren.
"Really?" Edward questions his wife, but looks at his daughter. "She never mentioned him to me until today."
Dorothy suddenly acts very interested in her shoes.
Her mother glances at Edward for a second before she asks Darren, "Won't you stay for lunch? I was just about to go fix something."
"Thank you very much. I'd love to!" Darren says with a smile.
Dorothy clears her throat. "So, let's um, go sit in the living room while we wait." she says and leads the way.
Dorothy takes a seat on the large sofa, and her father sits at the other end. Wanting to be as far away from the negativity radiating from Dorothy's father, Darren sits as far away as possible.
Darren decides to cut right to the chase. "Dorothy tells me you're sending her to the academy for the arts after Christmas." He watches as her father shoots her an irritated look.
Edward's eyes raise as he says in clipped tones, "Yes I am. It's a wonderful opportunity for her."
"For her final semester only?" Darren asks.
"I've tried for years to get her to attend there, but something has always happened to keep it from happening. This way her diploma will be from there, and that's what's important." he says in angry defiance.
"But she doesn't want to go." Darren says and the room gets deathly quiet.
"I don't believe that's any of your business, young man." he says with a slight inflection on the words 'young man'.
Darren sits there quietly as the animosity from the older man washes over him. He does his best to let it roll off of him.
"As a friend, I only want her to be happy, and I'm worried that she'll be miserable." Darren steadily defends his position.
"Well, as a 'friend' I would hope you would want what's best for her, and this is an extraordinary opportunity."
"At the cost of her happiness?" Darren challenges the older man now.
Dorothy's mother walks in about that time and announces that lunch is ready. The four of them relocate to the dining room. Dorothy shoots Darren a pleading look as she passes him. He shakes his head in the tiniest way to her unspoken request.
Dorothy's mother arranges it so that Darren and Dorothy sit down next to one another.
"I'd like to just exclaim that I think Dorothy did an absolute spectacular job when I was there opening night. That theatre was packed! All sorts of influential people that live right here in Bridgeport were there." Darren says happily to the Russells.
Take that Mr. Stubborn!
"Yes, she did marvelously." her father chimes in. "And many of those influential people graduated from the school of the arts. Won't it be nice if Dorothy could follow in their footsteps?" Edward adds a comment on top of Darren's.
Dorothy acts like she's having difficulty swallowing her last bite. She chokes it down and reaches for a glass of iced tea.
"Of course she will!" Kay Russell chimes in happily before she gets up, having finished with her lunch.
It's quiet for a moment before Edward makes another comment, "That kiss on stage after the love song was really something, wasn't it?" He looks right at Darren to gauge his reaction.
Darren blinks once. "Fabulous acting skills." he comments dryly. He hadn't particularly liked the scene when Tom kissed Dorothy on stage. He thought it looked just a little too real for his taste.
Edward nods and takes a sip of his tea. He runs his forefinger and thumb out and around his mouth to smooth his mustache before he says, "It will be so nice to have that talent improved upon at the academy."
"Stop it!" Dorothy finally exclaims. She's had enough of the barbs the two men have been throwing at each other. She looks embarrassed by the actions of her sire.
"Darren, I appreciate what you're trying to do for me." she tells him kindly.
"But it doesn't matter one bit. She's going to spend the last semester of her high school career at the academy." her father tags onto her statement.
"I've told you, daddy, that doesn't matter to me." she says while looking at her plate.
"It's not up to you now, is it?" he answers her. "Furthermore, I can't believe you brought this young man into MY HOUSE to try and go against my wishes."
"I asked to come. I wanted to help. She asked me not to." Darren quickly defends her. He stands up, ready to leave.
"And you should've acquiesced to her request." Edward sneers. "This is a family matter. You don't belong in this discussion." His eyes stare into Darren's as he makes sure Darren grasps the other meaning.
Darren nods stiffly, understanding completely. "Right. Well, I suppose I've overstayed my welcome, and I'll see myself out."
"Darren, wait!" Dorothy runs after him as he makes his way to the front door.
(Stupid broken adult/teen hug!)
"Thank you for trying." she whispers to him as she hugs him.
"Thank you for trying to warn me." he whispers back.
Darren looks Mr. Russell right in the eye as he kisses Dorothy's forehead.
"You need to leave right now, boy." Mr. Russell says with venom dripping from his voice.
"Lord, I been 'buked. I been scorned.
Scorned! Scorned!
Lord, I been 'buked. I been scorned!
Oh! Lord! I been 'buked. No! I been scorned!
Well, I been talked about, talked about since I been born."
"I'm so sorry, Darren." Dorothy whispers to him.
"Don't be." he says to her while returning Mr. Russell's glare.
(back to present)
I angrily come to my feet. "I thought Dorothy was a snot-nosed little dumb dora, but her father has her beat by a long shot!" I pace around the deck agitatedly. "How can people be so .... so.... SO!" I say as I throw my arms up in the air.
Darren stands there and rubs the back of his neck. "Well, long story short, or.. well I guess it's too late for that, but at any rate she's going to boarding school after Christmas. Where she can work on her stage-kissing skill." His voice betrays his pain.
"Oh, Darren!" I walk up to him and squeeze my arms around him. I feel him squeeze me back and feel him shake up and down a few times.
I'm proud of Darren being "Darren the Annoying" today. I'm happy he used his skill against Dorothy's father.
"Let's just... let's just go home." he says wearily.
I nod.
"Lord, this is a mean old world.
Yes it is.
I tell ya Lord! This is a mean old world.
You know that folk, they don't care how they treat you.
Oh! Lord, this is a mean old world!"
This version of Mean Old World I honestly have no idea who wrote it. I found it on youtube and thought it was perfect. Sung by Marion Williams and others.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEpo4R76A4k
The next part is more of an epilogue to this. I can't believe how long this update is, so that's why I've broken it into 3 parts.
I did almost the same thing with the update to Queen of Denial yesterday. It just gets out of control and I think Hey! I need to put this part! And before you know it, I've written 40 pages of dialogue.
(I'm going to tell this directly from Darren's perspective.)
After Gloria and I went home, I couldn't sit still. So, here I am at the top of the small hill that separates my house from Dorothy's.
This is pathetic, Darren. Standing here staring at her house?
How could someone so beautiful come from someone with such an ugly heart?
I'd caught a glimpse of her for a second up in her bedroom, but I haven't seen her for a few minutes now. I stare mindlessly some more, lost in thought.
That is, until I notice a shuffling noise approaching me.
I see her hair before I see the rest of her as she walks out from between the trees like some wood sprite.
"Dorothy? What are you doing here?" I ask, my heart leaping in my chest at the sight of her.
"I could say the same thing about you." I hear the teasing in her voice.
I'm happy for the darkness because I feel myself blush with the slight embarrassment at being caught.
"I saw your shirt almost glowing in the dark. I just happened to be um... staring out my window in the direction of your house... and..." her sentence cuts off.
(Ugh! These pictures are awful, sorry.)
She crashes into me, crying. It's a little awkward because she's standing downhill from me.
"I'm so sorry for my horrible father!" she cries into my jacket.
I chuckle a little to ease the tension and pet the back of her head. "Hey, it's alright. As long as you don't turn out like him, then it'll be fine."
She turns us so that she's not so downhill from me, and buries her face into my shoulder. "That's nice." she says as she sniffs my neck, "What is it?"
I shrug. "I don't know. Something Marcus got me last Christmas. I'll have to pay attention to what it is now and stock up on it. Maybe buy stock in the company..."
She laughs a little, and I'm glad.
"Daddy went into a rage after you left. I won't even go into it but the general gist of it is I'm not allowed to even acknowledge your existence. Like that'll ever happen." she says the last part with sarcastic conviction.
"You're still going to wind up going, aren't you?" I ask, unable to keep the sadness from my voice.
She takes a deep breath before she answers, "Yes."
I can't stand looking at her and knowing she'll be gone in a few weeks, so I have to turn around away from her. I also don't want her to see how much her leaving hurts me. I don't even know if she feels the same way for me like I do for her. It's not like I've told her how I feel either.
"It won't be for forever." she offers helpfully.
I exhale loudly and nod in the dark.
I turn back around, berating myself for turning away when this could be the last time I get to see her for ages.
"So... you snuck out of your house to tell me this?" I ask, hoping to open the conversation in a way so that I can steer it in a direction I need it to go.
"Well, um, well like I said, I saw you up here and I just couldn't leave what happened this afternoon at that. So I decided to take this opportunity, such as it is." she stammers.
"Do you have ANY idea how desperately I'm going to miss you? I mean, it's not fair. You've been living next door for ages, but only lately ..."
"Oh, Darren. You'll be fine. You have lots of friends." she interrupts with a wave of her hand.
"But surely you know you're more than just a friend to me." I say and watch her reaction in the moonlight.
She shyly looks down. Why won't she look me in the eye?
"Well do you?" I ask. This is uncharted ground for me. Usually everything I say to women I have no sincerity behind it, just well-practiced lines. Pity I can't seem to get myself to use that to help me, but I want the sincerity.
She looks to be on the verge of tears. "Yes." Then why do you look so tragic? "But Daddy told me..."
"And you're going to listen to him on this?" I ask before she can say what I know she's going to say and I don't want to hear.
"I have to. For a little while anyway." she says quietly.
I work very hard to keep myself from doubling over from the pain of her rejection. Unfortunately, I'm unable to control the way my breathing betrays me. My exhales come out roughly like my body is rejecting the feeling and trying to expel it.
"Darren! Please don't think that I want things to be like this!" she says quickly and steps closer.
I take a step back, protecting myself from further hurt.
"Oh, I get it. Mhm. You don't want things to be like this, but they are. How convenient. Sure does make it easy for you." I say and my voice sounds snippy.
"What are you talking about? Convenient? How on earth is this convenient?"
"Convenient your father told you to stay away from me. Convenient that going to school makes it easier for you. That way you can use them as an excuse to drop me and not blame yourself." I say and watch her mouth open in shock.
She gasps. "What?! Darren, what on EARTH are you talking about? Do I LOOK like I'm trying to stay away from you? You think I WANT to go off to school?"
"I don't know! How can I know?! I don't know a thing!" How did I let myself get out of control like this? I think as I try in vain to calm down.
She tentatively closes the distance between us. "What don't you know?" she asks quietly.
"I don't know.... for sure... how you feel. How can I? All I have is what I see in front of me. You're leaving. Your father hates me for no good reason. And then you stand there in front of me and tell me how you going off to school won't be so bad. That must mean that you..." Her fingers, which had been previously playing with her lower lip, press against my mouth in a wordless gesture to shut me up.
"What's your full name?" she asks apparently at random. She removes her fingers so that I may talk.
"Darren Nathaniel Love, why?"
"Well then, Darren Nathaniel Love, don't you dare finish that statement! All that that you just said isn't what you should judge me on. Don't judge me for leaving. Don't judge me for my father. I said it won't be so bad because I'm desperately trying to make the best of it."
"Then tell me how you feel." I practically demand.
She won't look me in the eye still. It's like she's afraid to.
"I.. I'm not sure." she finally says.
My bad attitude returns. "Oh. Great. So before you can figure it out you'll go off to school and meet some great guy that'll steal your heart and your father will adore him and everything will be happy ever after. Oh wait. Except for Darren, but who cares about him anyway?"
"Lord have mercy would you shut up!" she suddenly says just a little too loud.
I stand there in quiet shock. Then I can't help but smile. She looks so irritated it's funny. It's not long and I'm laughing. She looks at me like I've lost my mind. That makes me laugh harder, and I have to place my hand over my mouth to keep everything quiet.
She folds her arms and taps her foot, waiting for me to get it out of my system. I miraculously manage to do it, and then I close the gap my bent-over laughing frame made. She still won't look me in the eye.
"Are you finished?" she asks.
"I make no promises if you're going to keep being in a tiff." I say and smile.
Her eyes finally dart up to mine for a second before they return to my shoulder.
She takes a deep breath and says, "I'm sorry I don't know exactly how I feel, but I will tell you this." I hold my breath as she continues, "I know I more than like you, Darren. I've never felt like this before. It scares me. This right now scares me, but I'm here anyway because I may not get another chance."
My hands fly up to her face as I almost whisper to her, "Do you know what scares me, Dorothy?" I don't wait for her to answer, but go ahead telling her, "I'm afraid I'm going to go insane until you graduate. I'm scared that you're so much younger than me, not to mention underage. I AM scared that you'll find someone at that school you'll like more than me. I'm scared of living the rest of my life without you."
"I won't find someone at that school I'll like more than you. That would be impossible." she snaps. "How is it that you make me SO ANGRY yet I keep wanting more?"
My voice has laughter in it as I say, "Well as far as the angry part, I really have no idea, but it sure is entertaining."
She looks up and glares at me for a moment. Only a moment. After that I FINALLY have her eyes locked with mine. I realize that there are SOME skills I've picked up that could help me now. I may not know what to say, but I sure do know what to DO. Not to mention I can see it in her eyes as they shine in the moonlight. She's begging me to kiss her.
Far be it from me to deny my lady's request.
Her slender arms throw themselves around me and squeeze me with all the strength they must possess. In the meantime, I hungrily take what I so desperately need from her mouth. Then, bless her, she kisses me back. She learns fast. I think as she quickly matches me in the intensity of the kiss.
It's not long until I feel like I'm begging for mercy as she far outstrips me. I have to work hard on backing off before this gets out of control.
A sad sound comes out of her throat. She pulls back from me slowly.
"I should go." she says quietly.
"I know. But." My heart races faster. "Before you do... I have to tell you..."
"I know." she says while looking up at me.
"I love you." I say simply.
Her eyes widen. "I should go."
"Graduation cannot possibly come fast enough." I say and lightly kiss her one last time.
"Until graduation then, Darren. Don't forget about me while I'm away." she says with worry etched in her voice.
"Never." I say.
I stand on the hill and watch her sneak back into her house.
Reading back over this again, I think my favorite part of the last update was when Darren kissed Dorothy's forehead right in front of her father. Belligerent, but I love it.
N'aww. They're cute together. Her father is.. A jerk.
When I made Dorothy I hadn't originally selected her for this scene. It just sort of happened. And I'm glad! They are extremely cute together.
Her father is a representative of some petty people out there.
I worry that some will take offense at the teen/adult relationship. It's not uncommon, and not too long before that in history it was quite common for girls to even get married at 17. But, that's not today's standards. (Darren is 25)
At any rate, what happened on the hilltop is the last bit for them until Dorothy is an adult.
It's me again! The last chapter I read was 11, I did a lot of catching up recently! With that said Gloria and Ricky seem to really like each other (in Ricky's case he loves her, no doubt.) but they seem to want a different future. So drastically so that there doesn't seem to be a way to compromise, love always finds a way right?
I must admit I am interested in seeing where Mr.Doctor man fits. He tried his best! I guess I can't blame her though for making hims synonymous with the tragic loss of her mother...
It's me again! The last chapter I read was 11, I did a lot of catching up recently! With that said Gloria and Ricky seem to really like each other (in Ricky's case he loves her, no doubt.) but they seem to want a different future. So drastically so that there doesn't seem to be a way to compromise, love always finds a way right?
I must admit I am interested in seeing where Mr.Doctor man fits. He tried his best! I guess I can't blame her though for making hims synonymous with the tragic loss of her mother...
any ways I'll be all caught up soon!
Yes, she and Rick love each other, but they want different things. It's only a matter of time before this situation comes to a head and then explodes. I cringe when I think about having to write that. I stink at writing arguments, imho.
/happy sigh. I love Mr. Doctor-man. He has such a sweet soul. It just kills him when he thinks about how he let the whole Love family down. (that's how he thinks of it anyway)
Okay caught up! I enjoyed it and on the past/recent chapters the flashbacks were really well done. I kinda thought of Dorothy as a rude teenage girl who just decided to take out her minor frustrations on her classmates, but she definitely is not that. I feel for Darren, I guess everyone has had that friend back in any period of grade school or highschool you had to say goodbye to because they were moving or going to another school.
Also though that Dorotyh and Gloria did have one thing in common. That their dads tried to control their relationships, obviously Gloria's dad became more accepting and Dorothy's well he seems so stubborn I doubt that would happen.
I was watching another clip of Maytime to post Sweetheart as song of the day on fb, and I found a clip with the end of the musical in it. It bothered me I couldn't include it to start cuz I didn't find it at first.
Okay caught up! I enjoyed it and on the past/recent chapters the flashbacks were really well done. I kinda thought of Dorothy as a rude teenage girl who just decided to take out her minor frustrations on her classmates, but she definitely is not that. I feel for Darren, I guess everyone has had that friend back in any period of grade school or highschool you had to say goodbye to because they were moving or going to another school.
Also though that Dorotyh and Gloria did have one thing in common. That their dads tried to control their relationships, obviously Gloria's dad became more accepting and Dorothy's well he seems so stubborn I doubt that would happen.
You know, not until you said that did I think of the fact that both their dads tried to control their relationships, but you're right! Hm. No, I refuse to do psychoanalysis on myself with that. haha!
Mhm, I didn't want to just leave Dorothy as the stereotypical prima dona b*tch that had to have her way. Her frustration starts right at home.
I'm a little stuck. I can't decide if I want to do Christmas or just skip right to baseball season. I had the football players throw a party since they won the championship (for some reason I'm not sure that's the right word, oh well, I'll edit if I need to), but the party was a little lame. I ended up laughing my head off at the team all exercising at the same time. I wish I could figure out why that is so dad-gum funny, but it is. I'm laughing here just thinking about it, but I also believe I have a serious case of the sillies.
(Okay, for the update after this one, I need to pick another musical. I'd like to actually do it right this time and pick one from the 20s (not redone in a different way in the 30s and use that one--still miffed about that hehe). I will gladly take suggestions!!!)
Love Me Or Leave Me
Rick
It's Christmas Eve, and Gloria is going to finally meet my parents. My dad isn't drinking much tonight, and that's good.
Gloria shows up in red and green. Great, she'll match the whole dam* living room. My mom can get a little carried away when it comes to decorating for Christmas. This is something my dad and I actually see eye-to-eye on: chuckling over Mom and her overenthusiastic decorating.
"Hey, Doll." I say to her. "You ready for this?"
She laughs nervously, "They couldn't possibly be worse than my brothers."
I silently agree with her.
"Oh," she says, "I forgot to tell you. You actually have an ally. Not all of my brothers don't like you anymore. Darren is on our side. Who woulda thunk it?" She grins up at me.
I laugh a little, "How did that come about?"
She looks down and says, "I can't really tell you that."
My hands make a motion as if to push the thought away. "Don't worry about it then."
She smiles a small smile at me, and for a moment I'm lost in her eyes. She has eyes like an elf.
My mind wanders over what I have planned this evening. Part of me just wants to rush through the entire evening to get to that moment. I hope I don't send her running from the building. She knows how I feel. She knows what I want, and she's still with me. Still, the butterflies in my stomach start to take over.
"Are you going to invite me inside?" she asks with her eyebrows raised.
"Yes." I say with my voice just a little too high. I clear my throat and say, "Yes, sorry. C'mon."
I introduce Gloria to my mom and dad. She holds my hand the whole time until they come to shake hers. Then it's right back in mine. I start to mildly worry that my father is going to be a jerk anyway. He just flat doesn't look happy.
That bad attitude changes the moment Gloria mentions her brothers.
"Your brothers are Unintentional Poetry?" he asks with stars in his eyes. "They're great!"
Gloria nods. I stifle a laugh. My mom actually looks concerned when Gloria mentions that she frequently sings with them since they lack a singer otherwise.
"But not all the time?" my mom asks.
"No. Not until I'm finished with school that is." Gloria answers.
I work very hard not to glower. I'm happy Dad is happy, but I'm still not keen on the idea of Gloria being a singer. I still harbor the hope that I can talk her out of it. We'll never see each other if she's out every night and I'm at work all day! I notice my mom looks grave. She looks over at me with a sad expression on her face. Gloria acts like she's floundering, so I step up and rescue her. Mom heads over to the kitchen. Dad grabs a day-old paper that he never finished reading.
My voice takes on a silliness to it as I say, "So.... this is my room."
Gloria giggles and sits down on my loveseat with a relieved sigh. Then she looks up at me worriedly and says, "Do you think they liked me? I kept getting mixed signals. I know they just met me, but do you think they liked me?"
It must be really really important to her that my parents like her. That's wonderful.
I bound over in one step, flop myself down on the cushions, and put my arm reassuringly around her. "Of course they did!" I say and then think about the look on my mom's face.
"Your daddy acts thrilled about me being my brothers' baby sister." she says. "How come you never mentioned that to him before?"
"My dad and I don't really 'talk', and it just never occurred to me to tell him." I say and squeeze her arm with my other hand. Is this the right moment? "Gloria?"
"Yeah?" she asks and turns to look at me.
My breath catches in my throat. No, not the right time. I'm nervous as hell. She smiles a quirky smile up at me while I do nothing but stare at her, at a complete loss for words.
"Cat got your tongue?" she asks playfully.
I laugh nervously while she looks at, I think, the collar of my sweater. Then she looks up at me and sees the, I guess, dumbfoundedly lost expression I have. Her shoulder nudges me, trying to get me to wake up. Have mercy but you're beautiful.
"I reckon it has." I say, and my voice sounds lower than normal.
"This suspense is killing me
I can't stand uncertainty
Tell me now, I've got to know
Whether you want me to stay or go"
"What is it?" she asks.
I let out my breath, I'd had no idea I'd been holding it. I say, "I love you." real simply and kiss her.
She lets out a happy little laugh while I kiss her. It's not like she's laughing at me, more like she's laughing from just being happy.
I had originally intended for the kiss to be real quick, but once my lips meet hers I can't seem to back off.
Once I finally do, I don't back off far. Say it, Rick. Just let your mouth form the words. Then she puts her hand on my knee. So simple, yet I feel like I'm going to explode.
I keep getting distracted! 🐸🐸🐸🐸, Gloria, I'm trying to ask...
"Dinner's ready!" I hear through my bedroom door. Gloria and I separate quickly, worried my mother is about to walk in on us. She doesn't, thank God.
I'm so glad my dad isn't complaining about anything and is on his best behavior.
We all sit and have dinner, and my dad gets Gloria to talk about her brothers for most of the meal. My mom is quiet, but that's nothing new.
After dinner, I help Mom with the dishes. I'm honestly surprised my dad has taken to Gloria like he has. He doesn't like anybody. Well, I guess I can't say that anymore.
We exchange some gifts. She got me a watch. A watch? It's nothing fancy, but I've never worn a watch in my life. She told me it's so we don't show up at the movies and have the movie half way over already again. I laugh as I remember.
Alright, now I feel utterly ridiculous holding his bear. However, I don't feel so bad when I see her face light up when I tell her it's hers. Mom was right. She told me she'd like it.
Dad actually chuckles a little at the two of us as he makes some drinks. ... Drinks that he said he wouldn't make.
Dad and Gloria all talk about stuff, mostly music. Mom even joins in enthusiastically. They laugh about something. I don't pay much attention to them. I just sit and stare at Gloria.
"Love me or leave me
Or let me be lonely
You won't believe me
I love you only
I'd rather be lonely
Than happy with somebody else.
There'll be no one unless that someone is you."
Gloria looks over at me with a suspicious smile. I smile back and mumble, "You wanna go back to my room for a little while?"
She nods and my parents try to act like they're not nosy and wondering what we're up to.
We get back into my room and I don't feel so nervous now. I know what I want to do and I'm going to do it.
I take the bear from her and toss it over to the loveseat. Then I reach down and grab her hands. She looks at me, confused. I smile back at her.
"I intend to be independently blue
I want your love
But I don't want to borrow
To have it today to give it back tomorrow
For your love is my love
There's no love for nobody else"
"Oh no." Gloria says. I assume she's even more nervous now than I am.
I stare at her hand, the other one has gotten away, and say, "Gloria Grace Love..."
"Rick, don't." she says quietly.
I look up at her eyes now and I'll be dam*ed if she's going to stop me from doing this. "Will you marry me?"
She snatches her hand away, closes her eyes and smiles. Smiling is good. Why did she snatch her hand away? I stay on the floor because I don't think I trust my knees to support me right now. My heart is racing.
"S---." she says and my mouth drops open.
"Well that's not very ladylike." I say admonishingly.
"And how." she says back to me, her eyes now open and looking down at me. I don't like her expression now. My heart drops into my stomach.
"Rick, you know I'm not ready to take that step." she says, nervously rubbing the back of her neck.
There's a painful rending in my chest.
"Rick, stand up." she says while waving her hands like she's a choir director getting the choir to stand. When I don't, she starts pacing back and forth. "Please?" she asks and turns to me again.
She looks frustrated. Normally, I'd try to make her feel better, but right now I'm just too hurt to even want to touch her.
"It's not like it's a 'not ever'. I just don't want that... right now. It's too soon! Can't we at least graduate first? At least?" she eyes me desperately. I stand there quietly staring at her. "Rick?" she asks because I've been quiet for so long.
Her beautiful eyes cut over to me as I finally find my voice. "What are you saying Gloria?"
"I'm saying..." she rings her hands while I wait somewhat patiently for her to continue. "I'm saying not now."
"I don't see anything wrong with now. I'm not saying let's go out and get married next week. We could wait a few years even, if that's what you want. What's wrong with making the commitment now?" I ask, knowing my logic is sound.
She looks like she wants to panic. I worried this might happen. I'm glad I thought through several points to argue beforehand.
"Rick, please don't do this to me!" she pleads.
I have to look away from those eyes. Right now it just hurts too much. 'Don't do this to me.'? What the hell does she mean by that? She must not love me as strongly as I love her. I know we've only been together for a few months now, but I'd hoped...
"Rick?" I hear her ask. I close my eyes, wanting to block out the sound of her voice saying my name.
Why does she have to keep saying my name?
"This doesn't mean I don't love you. I do." 'I do.' Hah! I think as she continues, "I'm just not ready to take this step!"
I feel the mounting anger in me melt away, but the hurt in my chest is still there. Merry Christmas, Rick. You got a 'no'.
"Okay. You're not ready." I say mechanically. She sighs with evident relief.
"I'm sorry." she says and looks like she's about to cry. I can't stand it.
"Shh! Doll Baby, don't cry." I wrap my arms around her. Amazingly, this helps ease my hurt as well. I squeeze her as tight as I can without hurting her. Oh! I may have actually hurt her a bit from that noise she just made. "Sorry." I say in response to the noise.
She laughs with a little hiccup. "Squeeze as hard as you want."
I laugh too. "Alright. So we'll just talk about this later." I say as she lets out a huff of air.
I guess I just have to be patient. Not an easy task.
Love Me or Leave Me by Walter Donaldson lyrics by Gus Kahn. This link sung by Billie Holliday.
Merry Christmas indeed. I have to admit, I dislike Rick a bit for being selfish and not wanting Gloria to be a a singer just because she wouldn't be able to spend time with him.
I'm surprised but not kinda...I mean Rick has been rushing things with her all this time. The first day he wanted a kiss, and he's ready to jump into a rather large commitment. I don't blame Grace for putting the brakes on that. At least she knows that he has strong feelings for her.
Merry Christmas indeed. I have to admit, I dislike Rick a bit for being selfish and not wanting Gloria to be a a singer just because she wouldn't be able to spend time with him.
All Rick can think about is wanting to be with Gloria and starting a life with her. He sees her singing as more of a hobby whereas Gloria sees it as a career, a lifestyle almost. It makes him worried that it will drive them apart - the last thing he wants. He needs to decide who's needs/wants are more important.
No, he doesn't, does he? This is quite common, you know. You date someone and you have this mental image of them and they're a certain way in that mental picture that they aren't in real life. Sometimes a person doesn't see the person they're dating for who they really are.
I'm surprised but not kinda...I mean Rick has been rushing things with her all this time. The first day he wanted a kiss, and he's ready to jump into a rather large commitment. I don't blame Grace for putting the brakes on that. At least she knows that he has strong feelings for her.
Yeah, Gloria should've seen this coming. Maybe she did, but didn't want to admit that she saw it coming.
Rick's had other girlfriends before, but he was just messing around with them. He's known Gloria has liked him for a long time, but he held off on dating her. In her, he saw the kind of girl you don't mess around with, but marry. So, that's what he's been thinking all along. Then, when he heard her singing in the dome that night, he decided to get the ball rolling so to speak. (esp. since his dad was reminding him why he couldn't wait to get out) Of course, he was used to being with easier girls hence the whole park bench kiss that wasn't thing.
Now he's starting to wonder if she isn't the person he thought she was.
Gloria is thrilled he loves her so much, but he's starting to scare her.
Comments
I had a feeling at least you would enjoy the clips if no one else.
As Dorothy and Tom were supposed to be singing, I imagined a slightly less mature yet similar-sounding voices compared to Jeaneatte McDonald and Nelson Eddie.
I've hinted at what's next vaguely. I have a few pics I need to get in order to not make it AWFUL.
Chain Reaction Legacy|After the End|Alicekai'd
Chain Reaction Legacy|After the End|Alicekai'd
(Disclaimer: Sensitive situations and it's incredibly long)
I'm sitting on the front porch a few days after opening night for the musical when I see Darren walk up towards me with a sour look on his face.
"What's eatin' you?" I ask.
He jumps a little. He obviously didn't see me at first, and he immediately tries to hide the expression on his face by turning away.
"Nothing." he says at first, but then continues, "I had forgotten what a mean world it is. That was dumb of me."
"Lord, this is a mean old world.
Lord, this is a mean old world.
Folk don't care how they treat you.
Lord, this is a mean old world."
Afraid I know what he means, I stand up and ask, "What did the mean old world do now?"
He exhales roughly and turns to me. "You said that just now and you sounded just like Mama."
"Thank you for the compliment." I say simply.
Words start flying out of Darren's mouth. I've never seen him like this. "I don't know what I did to him to make him hate me so! I mean, so I want to date his daughter and she might be a tad young for me, but I've never felt like this for anyone!"
"Whoa there!" I say. "Back up a minute. What's going on?"
"I thought it would be obvious to you. I mean, you practically introduced us. Though how it is I've not met her before now with her living just the next house over, I don't know."
"Level with me, this is about Dorothy, right?" I ask with my arms folded. I can't stand Dorothy, and knowing my brother has been carrying a torch for her irritates me.
"Of course it is!" he almost snaps, then places his head in his hands.
I let his rude tone slide off of me because I can see he's really hurting.
"Want to tell me what happened?" I ask after he's had a chance to recover.
He hugs himself in an unconscious effort to ward off hurt. He shakes his head 'no' mutely.
"It might help. And I promise not to be judgmental even thought I don't really like Dorothy." I say soothingly.
He shakes his head 'no' again.
"C'mon. Maybe you just need a change of scenery for a minute. Let's head up to the lake."
"Couldn't hurt I guess." he finally says, and we pile into the car.
There's an old lodge up here that has since closed down. It has a hot springs pool that people hope cures all sorts of things. The management for the place was corrupt, and when they stole money from it, the owner had no choice but to close.
Darren and I sit down on the deck floorboards.
"So you have a crush on Dorothy." I say, trying to get the ball rolling.
"More than that." he says sadly.
"Okay. When did this happen? Why not you just start at the beginning." I say before he sighs angrily. "We've got time, and you've got sympathetic ears in me."
"Well, you know we met that night at Waylon's when all your school friends came." he begins and looks up at me. I nod and he continues, "Well, at the time I thought she was cute and I wanted to flirt. I assume you remember she slapped me across the face?" I nod again. He sighs. "Well, I just couldn't help but find that funny. The way her face gets all pinched and red when she gets mad is just adorable."
I guess everyone is entitled to their opinion. I think to myself.
He continues more, not knowing my thoughts, "Then one day a few weeks ago I was at the park next to the school and I saw her on one of the swings. I thought I'd have some fun..."
(Switching to present tense, 3rd person for a flashback.)
Darren sees Dorothy sitting on the swings, obviously lost in thought. A sudden gust of wind blows some tendrils of her hair around her face.
"Hello, again, Dorothy." he says as he playfully jumps up and stands on the swing next to her.
She looks up at him, clearly annoyed and asks, "What are you doing here, Darren?"
She remembered my name! Darren thinks.
"I'm playing on the swings, what's it look like I'm doing?" he grins back down at her frowning face.
"Go away." she says with a sad sigh.
Darren's grin changes to a look of concern as he sits himself down on the seat of the swing next to her.
"I'm sorry. I guess I lost my invitation to your pity party in the mail." he says while looking straight ahead.
"It's a party of one. You didn't get sent an invitation." she says sourly. She sits there and waits for him to get up and leave, and gets even more angry when he doesn't.
"Doesn't sound like a very 'swinging' party then." he says and grins over at her again.
(btw- I'm not positive the terms "pity party" and "swinging" were used then, but I couldn't resist.)
She rolls her eyes and brushes the errant strands of hair out of her face. "Well, it's not, so don't bother coming."
"Maybe you should leave too. Surely you've got better things to do."
"That's just the problem! Being a party of one, it follows me wherever I go." she sighs dejectedly.
"Well, maybe if you talk about it you can break it up."
She throws him a look of disbelief, "Like you'd be interested in my problems."
He shrugs, "Maybe. You don't know unless you try me."
She sighs in a heavy and irritated fashion before she finally says, "My father wants to sent me to a boarding school for the arts."
"Ouch!" he responds sympathetically. "And I guess you don't wanna go?"
Encouraged by his response, she quickly fills him in on how her father thinks public school is holding back her natural talent and she'd get more out of this other school. She knows he's probably right, but she doesn't want to leave.
"Not that I have any friends here anyway." she says angrily.
He turns to her in surprise. "Of course you do! I'm your friend, aren't I?" He turns to her and sees her roll her eyes again.
"Oh yeah right. I'm guessing friends don't slap each other across the face though, do they?" she says as she turns to him to see his reaction.
"Only when they deserve it."
"Humph." she says quickly. "I guess you get slapped across the face alot then."
He leans back in the swing and uproariously laughs up to the clouds. She looks over at him and fails at hiding a small smile.
When he recovers, he asks, "Have you told him how you feel about this?"
"He won't listen even if I do."
"You mean you haven't tried!" he exclaims in shock. When he sees her shake her head no he says, "You need to! Surely he wouldn't send you away if he just knew you'd hate it."
"My father doesn't work like that." she says simply. "Once he's made up his mind about something, he sees it through to the end no matter what."
"You mean he's stubborn." he says blandly.
"Yes, of course I do." she looks up when a car honks while pulled up and stopped at the curb. "That's him now. I've got to go. See you later, Darren."
Darren's heart skips a beat when she says his name.
(Back to the present)
"So then I didn't see her for a while. I worried about her. But then, when I heard that she'd gotten the lead for the musical, I knew her father wouldn't send her away now because of that." Darren continues.
So, while I was broken up about it, you were secretly happy. Traitor. I think and then feel guilty.
"Well, one morning about a week or so ago, I was down at the beach when lo and behold! There she is." he says and goes into a description of another day....
(flashback again *does the little doodley doot doodley doot* from Waynes's World)
"Well well well." Darren says as he walks up to Dorothy. She jumps and he continues as she remains looking forward, "You're up early. What's got you out of the house at the crack of dawn?"
She sighs, "My father is sending me to boarding school. He sent the application off yesterday." Her shoulders droop.
He reaches up and puts his hands on her shoulders. He notices her skin is cold to the touch due to the early morning temperature as he says, "But I thought he'd be happy with you getting the lead for the musical!"
She brushes his hands off her shoulders and turns to face him. "Oh, he is. He said me getting the lead was further proof that I need to go. I'm leaving when the musical is done. There's no doubt I'll get accepted." She looks like she's fighting off tears.
A sinking feeling settles in his chest as he says, "Oh no. Doesn't he care that you don't want to go?"
"Hah!" she says sarcastically. "He says I'm just being a silly child and that I'll be grateful once I get there." She pauses for a moment before she continues, "I don't want to leave Bridgeport! EVERYTHING happens here! Why would I want to go where nothing ever happens?!?"
She looks at the ground, obviously embarrassed about her outburst. Darren stands there, not quite knowing what to do. He'd love to comfort her in his arms, but she obviously doesn't want him to touch her. So, he stands there in mute sympathy.
"There's nothing you can do?" he asks quietly.
"No." she responds and sniffs quietly. "It's hopeless. I'm being sent away."
"I'm sorry." he says lamely.
Her face snaps up to look at him and her voice is sharp as she asks, "Why are you sorry?"
"I mean I'm sorry for you." he explains.
"Don't feel sorry for me! I'll handle it just fine, thank you!" she snaps.
Darren can't understand what made her attitude change so fast. He follows after her when she stomps off to sit at a picnic table.
He sits on the table and puts his feet on the seat while leaning forward.
"Sorry I snapped at you. It's not your fault so I shouldn't take it out on you." she says quietly while staring straight ahead.
He turns to her and says, "I understand. You're mad and you're ready to lash out at anyone."
"Nobody knows the trouble I see.
Trouble! Trouble!
Nobody knows the trouble I see.
Said nobody knows the trouble I see.
Ooo! nobody knows the trouble I see.
Trouble! Trouble!"
"Doesn't make it right." she looks back up at him then smiles in response to his smile.
He looks down at his hands for a second before looking out over the water. "So, what are you gonna do?"
She shrugs, "I reckon I'm going to boarding school."
He plops down on the seat next to her. "You're just giving up?" he asks with surprise in his voice.
She leans forward and stifles a sob. "What choice do I have? He won't listen. What he says goes."
"There has to be something."
"I've no idea what."
Agitated, she gets up and paces in front of the picnic table. She'd stop and stare at him for a while a couple of times before pacing again. He just sits there watching her, not knowing what to say or do.
The only sound is the crunching of her shoes against the sand. Darren is mesmerized by watching her skirt swish every time she spins around to walk the opposite direction. The rising sun plays with her features, making her eyes flash with her pent up rage.
"Dorothy, sit down you're making me dizzy." Darren says when he can't take it anymore. He refuses to admit to himself that watching her walking back and forth in front of him affects him in a way that isn't helpful for the situation.
Dorothy growls a little and plops herself down on the sand in front of the picnic table. Confused as to why she chose to sit in the dirt, Darren nonetheless moves to sit next to her. He doesn't want to feel like he's 'lording over her' by sitting higher up at the table.
"I just can't sit still for long. That's why I had to get out of the house." she explains animatedly. "He just makes me so mad I could scream!" she says loudly up to the clouds before shivering and rubbing her arms. She doesn't brush off the arm Darren puts around her in order to help her warm up. A cold breeze blows by them and she rubs her arms some more.
"You'd think with the sun being so bright this morning it would warm us up faster." she says as she tries to block the sun with her hand.
Darren can no longer ignore what having her this close is doing to him. His eyes drink in the pert little features of her face. She's just like a doll. he thinks.
He watches as she turns her head questioningly in his direction. Her blue eyes widen when she sees the expression on his face. He's not quite sure what his expression is, but he couldn't change it even if he wanted to.
Drawn in like a moth to the flame, his lips find hers. She acts startled, but doesn't pull away. He's very careful as he gently places light kisses on her lips. Finding no resistance, his fervor escalates, and he puts more emotion into the kiss.
(back to present)
"Wait a minute, you KISSED her?" I ask incredulously.
He grins at me a little before his face gets deadly serious and he says, "Don't you dare tell anyone. I shouldn't have told you anyway, but I got caught up in the story."
I nod. "I'm not telling nobody. Don't worry."
He sighs and continues with the story....
(flashback again)
Dorothy makes a little noise as Darren deepens the kiss. She must've had french toast with syrup for breakfast this morning. A small shudder escapes her as he eagerly explores her mouth.
He brings his hand up to her shoulder to further hold her to him. Then it slides up her shoulder to her neck and face.
That's when Dorothy starts resisting him. He tries desperately to bring her back to taking equal part in the kiss, but she's not having it apparently.
She suddenly stands up. "What was that!?!" she nearly screeches down at him.
Mildly rebuking himself for forgetting how young she is, he answers, "That's called a kiss." He couldn't help but add in a touch of sarcasm. How could I have done that? I bet I just ruined everything by being too eager... just like a kid.
She kicks his foot angrily. "I know what it was! You know what I mean!"
"I just kissed you." he looks up at her and his thumb and forefinger play with his lip for a moment while he considers her irate expression. "I got caught up in the moment. I'd tell you I like you, but I think you've figured that out already." He grins roguishly up at her.
She stands there opening and closing her mouth over and over again, not knowing what to say. He sits there and waits patiently, leaning back against the picnic table.
"You! You can't!" she finally exclaims.
She turns away and walks a few paces before he quickly stands and turns her around to face him. To her glare, he says, "And why not?"
"I'm too young for you!"
"Is that it?"
She looks at him with a confused expression. "Yes. What else?" Realization of what he means comes to her eyes before she says, "Oh. No, that doesn't matter." she says angrily. "I'm too young for you! That's enough!"
"And what do you mean by saying that to me?!?" she screeches at him, her voice getting higher and higher. "How dare you! How dare you assume anything like that!"
He leans back and is shocked at her outburst. "Okay, okay!" he says. His attempt at calming her down seems to only get her more incensed.
"How could you do that to me, Darren? I thought for once I had a friend! One that gets on my everlasting nerves, but a friend nonetheless! But then you had to go and kiss me!"
"Do I need to remind you that you kissed me back?" he says, lashing back out at her.
For only a split second, her face displays the realization that she knows he's right, but it's quickly replaced by her original scowl.
"I... You... I was caught off guard!" she raises an eyebrow to dare him to contradict her.
He can't help but laugh silently as he says, "I was too."
"Don't you stand there laughing at me!" she hisses.
He brings his hand up to cover his smile. She growls and kicks dirt on his shoe. When she attempts to walk past him angrily, he reaches out and stops her, his expression now stern.
"No, you're not going to just storm away. Admit it. You kissed me back." he growls at her.
"I did not." she says with a toss of her head like a high-spirited filly.
"You did."
Her face blanches a little. "No, I didn't." she says with less conviction.
"You know you did. You're just desperately trying not to admit it. Not even to yourself."
"It must've been automatic." she says quickly.
"Now you know that's not true. Don't insult yourself."
She throws her hands up to ward him off since he'd started closing in on her again. "No, Darren! This just can't be happening! This can't happen!"
"But it is."
"No." she says as she inhales quickly. She glances at him once before skirting around him and running up the hill to hail a taxi.
He just stands there and lets her escape.
She's leaving anyway. What's the point?
Chain Reaction Legacy|After the End|Alicekai'd
(present day)
"It was at this point I knew I loved her." Darren says when he finishes with the last part of the story to me.
"You.... love her?" I ask with shock in my voice.
"How can I not?" he asks me, looking me full in the face.
I take a deep breath as that information processes.
"So then, what were you two talking about opening night?" I ask now that my curiosity gets reborn.
"I can't believe she was civil to me. She apologized. I asked her if her father had changed his mind. She told me no. I asked if I could come talk to him for her. That's when she started looking worried. After what happened today, I know why." he says, growling at the last sentence.
"What happened?" I ask.
"Well, let me start with yesterday at the park."
(flashback to yesterday)
Darren sees Dorothy on the swings, and walks right up and catches her swing before it moves down again.
"Darren!" Dorothy gasps in shock.
Darren smiles and says, "Well, now that I have you... we need to talk."
"Let me go!" she says and he doesn't miss the double meaning.
"Are you going to talk to me?"
"No." she says stubbornly.
"Then I guess I'll just have to hold you here all day then."
Dorothy decides to sacrifice some of her modesty and slides off the swing. Once her feet hit the dirt she's off and running.
"Hey!" Darren exclaims like a child who's not getting his way. He doesn't let it bother him long, and it doesn't take long before his longer strides overtake her shorter ones. He avoids grabbing hold of her but instead passes her and forces her to stop and turn around.
After zig-zagging all around the park, he finally traps her up against the slide. She takes one step up backwards on the ladder when he says, "Dorothy, just talk to me."
Panting for air, she responds, "Why, Darren? It won't do any good. I'm leaving after Christmas."
"But you just can't!"
"But I am."
"Let me talk to him. Maybe I can make him understand how silly it is for you to spend your last semester at that place." he says.
"He wants me to graduate from there. He must've pulled a few strings to get that to happen."
"I have to try." He says, continuing with his idea to talk to her father.
"Fine. You can see for yourself how stubborn he is. Don't forget I warned you. Come by tomorrow at lunch."
Darren smiles, confident in his plan.
"Now, please, let me go." she begs.
He stands aside and watches her run away.
(present)
"So, now I'll take you to earlier today. When I met her rotten father." he says with clenched teeth.
I wait patiently for the part of the story I have a feeling I'm really not going to like.
(earlier today, at lunch)
Dorothy meets him outside her gate. "Darren, I need to warn you. My dad... he's not going to like you. Please, don't do this."
"Dorothy, give him benefit of the doubt. And I've gotta try." he says with a shrug.
Her father is standing in their foyer when the two of them walk in.
"Daddy, that friend I told you about is here." Dorothy says somewhat quietly.
Her father turns around and his eyes narrow infinitesimally when he sees Darren.
"Hello." Darren says with a smile.
"Darren, this is my father, Edward Russell. I believe he's your dad's boss. Dad, this is Darren Love. He's a musician." Dorothy nervously introduces the two men.
"Oh? What instrument do you play?" he asks Darren, his eyebrows raised a little.
"The double bass." Darren answers, then adds more. "I have also been toying with the piano and guitar as well.
"The piano? I've always thought that was a very dignified instrument. I've never understood the necessity for the bass." Edward challenges Darren.
"But that's because you haven't seen Darren play it, dad." Dorothy comes to Darren's rescue.
"Is that so?" her father runs his thumb and forefinger across his mustache.
Dorothy's mother walks into the room at about that time.
"Well, hello! You must be Darren! Dorothy's told me so much about you!" her mother gushes when she sees Darren.
"Really?" Edward questions his wife, but looks at his daughter. "She never mentioned him to me until today."
Dorothy suddenly acts very interested in her shoes.
Her mother glances at Edward for a second before she asks Darren, "Won't you stay for lunch? I was just about to go fix something."
"Thank you very much. I'd love to!" Darren says with a smile.
Dorothy clears her throat. "So, let's um, go sit in the living room while we wait." she says and leads the way.
Dorothy takes a seat on the large sofa, and her father sits at the other end. Wanting to be as far away from the negativity radiating from Dorothy's father, Darren sits as far away as possible.
Darren decides to cut right to the chase. "Dorothy tells me you're sending her to the academy for the arts after Christmas." He watches as her father shoots her an irritated look.
Edward's eyes raise as he says in clipped tones, "Yes I am. It's a wonderful opportunity for her."
"For her final semester only?" Darren asks.
"I've tried for years to get her to attend there, but something has always happened to keep it from happening. This way her diploma will be from there, and that's what's important." he says in angry defiance.
"But she doesn't want to go." Darren says and the room gets deathly quiet.
"I don't believe that's any of your business, young man." he says with a slight inflection on the words 'young man'.
Darren sits there quietly as the animosity from the older man washes over him. He does his best to let it roll off of him.
"As a friend, I only want her to be happy, and I'm worried that she'll be miserable." Darren steadily defends his position.
"Well, as a 'friend' I would hope you would want what's best for her, and this is an extraordinary opportunity."
"At the cost of her happiness?" Darren challenges the older man now.
Dorothy's mother walks in about that time and announces that lunch is ready. The four of them relocate to the dining room. Dorothy shoots Darren a pleading look as she passes him. He shakes his head in the tiniest way to her unspoken request.
Dorothy's mother arranges it so that Darren and Dorothy sit down next to one another.
"I'd like to just exclaim that I think Dorothy did an absolute spectacular job when I was there opening night. That theatre was packed! All sorts of influential people that live right here in Bridgeport were there." Darren says happily to the Russells.
Take that Mr. Stubborn!
"Yes, she did marvelously." her father chimes in. "And many of those influential people graduated from the school of the arts. Won't it be nice if Dorothy could follow in their footsteps?" Edward adds a comment on top of Darren's.
Dorothy acts like she's having difficulty swallowing her last bite. She chokes it down and reaches for a glass of iced tea.
"Of course she will!" Kay Russell chimes in happily before she gets up, having finished with her lunch.
It's quiet for a moment before Edward makes another comment, "That kiss on stage after the love song was really something, wasn't it?" He looks right at Darren to gauge his reaction.
Darren blinks once. "Fabulous acting skills." he comments dryly. He hadn't particularly liked the scene when Tom kissed Dorothy on stage. He thought it looked just a little too real for his taste.
Edward nods and takes a sip of his tea. He runs his forefinger and thumb out and around his mouth to smooth his mustache before he says, "It will be so nice to have that talent improved upon at the academy."
"Stop it!" Dorothy finally exclaims. She's had enough of the barbs the two men have been throwing at each other. She looks embarrassed by the actions of her sire.
"Darren, I appreciate what you're trying to do for me." she tells him kindly.
"But it doesn't matter one bit. She's going to spend the last semester of her high school career at the academy." her father tags onto her statement.
"I've told you, daddy, that doesn't matter to me." she says while looking at her plate.
"It's not up to you now, is it?" he answers her. "Furthermore, I can't believe you brought this young man into MY HOUSE to try and go against my wishes."
"I asked to come. I wanted to help. She asked me not to." Darren quickly defends her. He stands up, ready to leave.
"And you should've acquiesced to her request." Edward sneers. "This is a family matter. You don't belong in this discussion." His eyes stare into Darren's as he makes sure Darren grasps the other meaning.
Darren nods stiffly, understanding completely. "Right. Well, I suppose I've overstayed my welcome, and I'll see myself out."
"Darren, wait!" Dorothy runs after him as he makes his way to the front door.
(Stupid broken adult/teen hug!)
"Thank you for trying." she whispers to him as she hugs him.
"Thank you for trying to warn me." he whispers back.
Darren looks Mr. Russell right in the eye as he kisses Dorothy's forehead.
"You need to leave right now, boy." Mr. Russell says with venom dripping from his voice.
"Lord, I been 'buked. I been scorned.
Scorned! Scorned!
Lord, I been 'buked. I been scorned!
Oh! Lord! I been 'buked. No! I been scorned!
Well, I been talked about, talked about since I been born."
"I'm so sorry, Darren." Dorothy whispers to him.
"Don't be." he says to her while returning Mr. Russell's glare.
(back to present)
I angrily come to my feet. "I thought Dorothy was a snot-nosed little dumb dora, but her father has her beat by a long shot!" I pace around the deck agitatedly. "How can people be so .... so.... SO!" I say as I throw my arms up in the air.
Darren stands there and rubs the back of his neck. "Well, long story short, or.. well I guess it's too late for that, but at any rate she's going to boarding school after Christmas. Where she can work on her stage-kissing skill." His voice betrays his pain.
"Oh, Darren!" I walk up to him and squeeze my arms around him. I feel him squeeze me back and feel him shake up and down a few times.
I'm proud of Darren being "Darren the Annoying" today. I'm happy he used his skill against Dorothy's father.
"Let's just... let's just go home." he says wearily.
I nod.
"Lord, this is a mean old world.
Yes it is.
I tell ya Lord! This is a mean old world.
You know that folk, they don't care how they treat you.
Oh! Lord, this is a mean old world!"
This version of Mean Old World I honestly have no idea who wrote it. I found it on youtube and thought it was perfect. Sung by Marion Williams and others.
The next part is more of an epilogue to this. I can't believe how long this update is, so that's why I've broken it into 3 parts.
I did almost the same thing with the update to Queen of Denial yesterday. It just gets out of control and I think Hey! I need to put this part! And before you know it, I've written 40 pages of dialogue.
Chain Reaction Legacy|After the End|Alicekai'd
(I'm going to tell this directly from Darren's perspective.)
After Gloria and I went home, I couldn't sit still. So, here I am at the top of the small hill that separates my house from Dorothy's.
This is pathetic, Darren. Standing here staring at her house?
How could someone so beautiful come from someone with such an ugly heart?
I'd caught a glimpse of her for a second up in her bedroom, but I haven't seen her for a few minutes now. I stare mindlessly some more, lost in thought.
That is, until I notice a shuffling noise approaching me.
I see her hair before I see the rest of her as she walks out from between the trees like some wood sprite.
"Dorothy? What are you doing here?" I ask, my heart leaping in my chest at the sight of her.
"I could say the same thing about you." I hear the teasing in her voice.
I'm happy for the darkness because I feel myself blush with the slight embarrassment at being caught.
"I saw your shirt almost glowing in the dark. I just happened to be um... staring out my window in the direction of your house... and..." her sentence cuts off.
(Ugh! These pictures are awful, sorry.)
She crashes into me, crying. It's a little awkward because she's standing downhill from me.
"I'm so sorry for my horrible father!" she cries into my jacket.
I chuckle a little to ease the tension and pet the back of her head. "Hey, it's alright. As long as you don't turn out like him, then it'll be fine."
She turns us so that she's not so downhill from me, and buries her face into my shoulder. "That's nice." she says as she sniffs my neck, "What is it?"
I shrug. "I don't know. Something Marcus got me last Christmas. I'll have to pay attention to what it is now and stock up on it. Maybe buy stock in the company..."
She laughs a little, and I'm glad.
"Daddy went into a rage after you left. I won't even go into it but the general gist of it is I'm not allowed to even acknowledge your existence. Like that'll ever happen." she says the last part with sarcastic conviction.
"You're still going to wind up going, aren't you?" I ask, unable to keep the sadness from my voice.
She takes a deep breath before she answers, "Yes."
I can't stand looking at her and knowing she'll be gone in a few weeks, so I have to turn around away from her. I also don't want her to see how much her leaving hurts me. I don't even know if she feels the same way for me like I do for her. It's not like I've told her how I feel either.
"It won't be for forever." she offers helpfully.
I exhale loudly and nod in the dark.
I turn back around, berating myself for turning away when this could be the last time I get to see her for ages.
"So... you snuck out of your house to tell me this?" I ask, hoping to open the conversation in a way so that I can steer it in a direction I need it to go.
"Well, um, well like I said, I saw you up here and I just couldn't leave what happened this afternoon at that. So I decided to take this opportunity, such as it is." she stammers.
"Do you have ANY idea how desperately I'm going to miss you? I mean, it's not fair. You've been living next door for ages, but only lately ..."
"Oh, Darren. You'll be fine. You have lots of friends." she interrupts with a wave of her hand.
"But surely you know you're more than just a friend to me." I say and watch her reaction in the moonlight.
She shyly looks down. Why won't she look me in the eye?
"Well do you?" I ask. This is uncharted ground for me. Usually everything I say to women I have no sincerity behind it, just well-practiced lines. Pity I can't seem to get myself to use that to help me, but I want the sincerity.
She looks to be on the verge of tears. "Yes." Then why do you look so tragic? "But Daddy told me..."
"And you're going to listen to him on this?" I ask before she can say what I know she's going to say and I don't want to hear.
"I have to. For a little while anyway." she says quietly.
I work very hard to keep myself from doubling over from the pain of her rejection. Unfortunately, I'm unable to control the way my breathing betrays me. My exhales come out roughly like my body is rejecting the feeling and trying to expel it.
"Darren! Please don't think that I want things to be like this!" she says quickly and steps closer.
I take a step back, protecting myself from further hurt.
"Oh, I get it. Mhm. You don't want things to be like this, but they are. How convenient. Sure does make it easy for you." I say and my voice sounds snippy.
"What are you talking about? Convenient? How on earth is this convenient?"
"Convenient your father told you to stay away from me. Convenient that going to school makes it easier for you. That way you can use them as an excuse to drop me and not blame yourself." I say and watch her mouth open in shock.
She gasps. "What?! Darren, what on EARTH are you talking about? Do I LOOK like I'm trying to stay away from you? You think I WANT to go off to school?"
"I don't know! How can I know?! I don't know a thing!" How did I let myself get out of control like this? I think as I try in vain to calm down.
She tentatively closes the distance between us. "What don't you know?" she asks quietly.
"I don't know.... for sure... how you feel. How can I? All I have is what I see in front of me. You're leaving. Your father hates me for no good reason. And then you stand there in front of me and tell me how you going off to school won't be so bad. That must mean that you..." Her fingers, which had been previously playing with her lower lip, press against my mouth in a wordless gesture to shut me up.
"What's your full name?" she asks apparently at random. She removes her fingers so that I may talk.
"Darren Nathaniel Love, why?"
"Well then, Darren Nathaniel Love, don't you dare finish that statement! All that that you just said isn't what you should judge me on. Don't judge me for leaving. Don't judge me for my father. I said it won't be so bad because I'm desperately trying to make the best of it."
"Then tell me how you feel." I practically demand.
She won't look me in the eye still. It's like she's afraid to.
"I.. I'm not sure." she finally says.
My bad attitude returns. "Oh. Great. So before you can figure it out you'll go off to school and meet some great guy that'll steal your heart and your father will adore him and everything will be happy ever after. Oh wait. Except for Darren, but who cares about him anyway?"
"Lord have mercy would you shut up!" she suddenly says just a little too loud.
I stand there in quiet shock. Then I can't help but smile. She looks so irritated it's funny. It's not long and I'm laughing. She looks at me like I've lost my mind. That makes me laugh harder, and I have to place my hand over my mouth to keep everything quiet.
She folds her arms and taps her foot, waiting for me to get it out of my system. I miraculously manage to do it, and then I close the gap my bent-over laughing frame made. She still won't look me in the eye.
"Are you finished?" she asks.
"I make no promises if you're going to keep being in a tiff." I say and smile.
Her eyes finally dart up to mine for a second before they return to my shoulder.
She takes a deep breath and says, "I'm sorry I don't know exactly how I feel, but I will tell you this." I hold my breath as she continues, "I know I more than like you, Darren. I've never felt like this before. It scares me. This right now scares me, but I'm here anyway because I may not get another chance."
My hands fly up to her face as I almost whisper to her, "Do you know what scares me, Dorothy?" I don't wait for her to answer, but go ahead telling her, "I'm afraid I'm going to go insane until you graduate. I'm scared that you're so much younger than me, not to mention underage. I AM scared that you'll find someone at that school you'll like more than me. I'm scared of living the rest of my life without you."
"I won't find someone at that school I'll like more than you. That would be impossible." she snaps. "How is it that you make me SO ANGRY yet I keep wanting more?"
My voice has laughter in it as I say, "Well as far as the angry part, I really have no idea, but it sure is entertaining."
She looks up and glares at me for a moment. Only a moment. After that I FINALLY have her eyes locked with mine. I realize that there are SOME skills I've picked up that could help me now. I may not know what to say, but I sure do know what to DO. Not to mention I can see it in her eyes as they shine in the moonlight. She's begging me to kiss her.
Far be it from me to deny my lady's request.
Her slender arms throw themselves around me and squeeze me with all the strength they must possess. In the meantime, I hungrily take what I so desperately need from her mouth. Then, bless her, she kisses me back. She learns fast. I think as she quickly matches me in the intensity of the kiss.
It's not long until I feel like I'm begging for mercy as she far outstrips me. I have to work hard on backing off before this gets out of control.
A sad sound comes out of her throat. She pulls back from me slowly.
"I should go." she says quietly.
"I know. But." My heart races faster. "Before you do... I have to tell you..."
"I know." she says while looking up at me.
"I love you." I say simply.
Her eyes widen. "I should go."
"Graduation cannot possibly come fast enough." I say and lightly kiss her one last time.
"Until graduation then, Darren. Don't forget about me while I'm away." she says with worry etched in her voice.
"Never." I say.
I stand on the hill and watch her sneak back into her house.
Chain Reaction Legacy|After the End|Alicekai'd
Chain Reaction Legacy|After the End|Alicekai'd
When I made Dorothy I hadn't originally selected her for this scene. It just sort of happened. And I'm glad! They are extremely cute together.
Her father is a representative of some petty people out there.
I worry that some will take offense at the teen/adult relationship. It's not uncommon, and not too long before that in history it was quite common for girls to even get married at 17. But, that's not today's standards. (Darren is 25)
At any rate, what happened on the hilltop is the last bit for them until Dorothy is an adult.
Chain Reaction Legacy|After the End|Alicekai'd
Chain Reaction Legacy|After the End|Alicekai'd
I must admit I am interested in seeing where Mr.Doctor man fits. He tried his best! I guess I can't blame her though for making hims synonymous with the tragic loss of her mother...
any ways I'll be all caught up soon!
Yes, she and Rick love each other, but they want different things. It's only a matter of time before this situation comes to a head and then explodes. I cringe when I think about having to write that. I stink at writing arguments, imho.
/happy sigh. I love Mr. Doctor-man. He has such a sweet soul. It just kills him when he thinks about how he let the whole Love family down. (that's how he thinks of it anyway)
Thanks for reading!
Chain Reaction Legacy|After the End|Alicekai'd
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
I loved writing the combination of womanizer v/s high-strung lady.
Chain Reaction Legacy|After the End|Alicekai'd
Prologue
Chain Reaction Legacy|After the End|Alicekai'd
Also though that Dorotyh and Gloria did have one thing in common. That their dads tried to control their relationships, obviously Gloria's dad became more accepting and Dorothy's well he seems so stubborn I doubt that would happen.
The ending starts at 4:45 into it.
Maytime clip
Chain Reaction Legacy|After the End|Alicekai'd
You know, not until you said that did I think of the fact that both their dads tried to control their relationships, but you're right! Hm. No, I refuse to do psychoanalysis on myself with that. haha!
Mhm, I didn't want to just leave Dorothy as the stereotypical prima dona b*tch that had to have her way. Her frustration starts right at home.
Thanks for catching up!
Chain Reaction Legacy|After the End|Alicekai'd
I'm a little stuck. I can't decide if I want to do Christmas or just skip right to baseball season. I had the football players throw a party since they won the championship (for some reason I'm not sure that's the right word, oh well, I'll edit if I need to), but the party was a little lame. I ended up laughing my head off at the team all exercising at the same time. I wish I could figure out why that is so dad-gum funny, but it is. I'm laughing here just thinking about it, but I also believe I have a serious case of the sillies.
Edit: Oh, and the first two chapters of A Moment In Time are up. Here's the link to the forum thread for this blog so that I don't post every time I finish a new chapter on this thread.
Chain Reaction Legacy|After the End|Alicekai'd
Chain Reaction Legacy|After the End|Alicekai'd
Love Me Or Leave Me
Rick
It's Christmas Eve, and Gloria is going to finally meet my parents. My dad isn't drinking much tonight, and that's good.
Gloria shows up in red and green. Great, she'll match the whole dam* living room. My mom can get a little carried away when it comes to decorating for Christmas. This is something my dad and I actually see eye-to-eye on: chuckling over Mom and her overenthusiastic decorating.
"Hey, Doll." I say to her. "You ready for this?"
She laughs nervously, "They couldn't possibly be worse than my brothers."
I silently agree with her.
"Oh," she says, "I forgot to tell you. You actually have an ally. Not all of my brothers don't like you anymore. Darren is on our side. Who woulda thunk it?" She grins up at me.
I laugh a little, "How did that come about?"
She looks down and says, "I can't really tell you that."
My hands make a motion as if to push the thought away. "Don't worry about it then."
She smiles a small smile at me, and for a moment I'm lost in her eyes. She has eyes like an elf.
My mind wanders over what I have planned this evening. Part of me just wants to rush through the entire evening to get to that moment. I hope I don't send her running from the building. She knows how I feel. She knows what I want, and she's still with me. Still, the butterflies in my stomach start to take over.
"Are you going to invite me inside?" she asks with her eyebrows raised.
"Yes." I say with my voice just a little too high. I clear my throat and say, "Yes, sorry. C'mon."
I introduce Gloria to my mom and dad. She holds my hand the whole time until they come to shake hers. Then it's right back in mine. I start to mildly worry that my father is going to be a jerk anyway. He just flat doesn't look happy.
That bad attitude changes the moment Gloria mentions her brothers.
"Your brothers are Unintentional Poetry?" he asks with stars in his eyes. "They're great!"
Gloria nods. I stifle a laugh. My mom actually looks concerned when Gloria mentions that she frequently sings with them since they lack a singer otherwise.
"But not all the time?" my mom asks.
"No. Not until I'm finished with school that is." Gloria answers.
I work very hard not to glower. I'm happy Dad is happy, but I'm still not keen on the idea of Gloria being a singer. I still harbor the hope that I can talk her out of it. We'll never see each other if she's out every night and I'm at work all day! I notice my mom looks grave. She looks over at me with a sad expression on her face. Gloria acts like she's floundering, so I step up and rescue her. Mom heads over to the kitchen. Dad grabs a day-old paper that he never finished reading.
My voice takes on a silliness to it as I say, "So.... this is my room."
Gloria giggles and sits down on my loveseat with a relieved sigh. Then she looks up at me worriedly and says, "Do you think they liked me? I kept getting mixed signals. I know they just met me, but do you think they liked me?"
It must be really really important to her that my parents like her. That's wonderful.
I bound over in one step, flop myself down on the cushions, and put my arm reassuringly around her. "Of course they did!" I say and then think about the look on my mom's face.
"Your daddy acts thrilled about me being my brothers' baby sister." she says. "How come you never mentioned that to him before?"
"My dad and I don't really 'talk', and it just never occurred to me to tell him." I say and squeeze her arm with my other hand. Is this the right moment? "Gloria?"
"Yeah?" she asks and turns to look at me.
My breath catches in my throat. No, not the right time. I'm nervous as hell. She smiles a quirky smile up at me while I do nothing but stare at her, at a complete loss for words.
"Cat got your tongue?" she asks playfully.
I laugh nervously while she looks at, I think, the collar of my sweater. Then she looks up at me and sees the, I guess, dumbfoundedly lost expression I have. Her shoulder nudges me, trying to get me to wake up. Have mercy but you're beautiful.
"I reckon it has." I say, and my voice sounds lower than normal.
"This suspense is killing me
I can't stand uncertainty
Tell me now, I've got to know
Whether you want me to stay or go"
"What is it?" she asks.
I let out my breath, I'd had no idea I'd been holding it. I say, "I love you." real simply and kiss her.
She lets out a happy little laugh while I kiss her. It's not like she's laughing at me, more like she's laughing from just being happy.
I had originally intended for the kiss to be real quick, but once my lips meet hers I can't seem to back off.
Once I finally do, I don't back off far. Say it, Rick. Just let your mouth form the words. Then she puts her hand on my knee. So simple, yet I feel like I'm going to explode.
I keep getting distracted! 🐸🐸🐸🐸, Gloria, I'm trying to ask...
"Dinner's ready!" I hear through my bedroom door. Gloria and I separate quickly, worried my mother is about to walk in on us. She doesn't, thank God.
I'm so glad my dad isn't complaining about anything and is on his best behavior.
We all sit and have dinner, and my dad gets Gloria to talk about her brothers for most of the meal. My mom is quiet, but that's nothing new.
After dinner, I help Mom with the dishes. I'm honestly surprised my dad has taken to Gloria like he has. He doesn't like anybody. Well, I guess I can't say that anymore.
We exchange some gifts. She got me a watch. A watch? It's nothing fancy, but I've never worn a watch in my life. She told me it's so we don't show up at the movies and have the movie half way over already again. I laugh as I remember.
Alright, now I feel utterly ridiculous holding his bear. However, I don't feel so bad when I see her face light up when I tell her it's hers. Mom was right. She told me she'd like it.
Dad actually chuckles a little at the two of us as he makes some drinks. ... Drinks that he said he wouldn't make.
Dad and Gloria all talk about stuff, mostly music. Mom even joins in enthusiastically. They laugh about something. I don't pay much attention to them. I just sit and stare at Gloria.
"Love me or leave me
Or let me be lonely
You won't believe me
I love you only
I'd rather be lonely
Than happy with somebody else.
There'll be no one unless that someone is you."
Gloria looks over at me with a suspicious smile. I smile back and mumble, "You wanna go back to my room for a little while?"
She nods and my parents try to act like they're not nosy and wondering what we're up to.
We get back into my room and I don't feel so nervous now. I know what I want to do and I'm going to do it.
I take the bear from her and toss it over to the loveseat. Then I reach down and grab her hands. She looks at me, confused. I smile back at her.
"I intend to be independently blue
I want your love
But I don't want to borrow
To have it today to give it back tomorrow
For your love is my love
There's no love for nobody else"
"Oh no." Gloria says. I assume she's even more nervous now than I am.
I stare at her hand, the other one has gotten away, and say, "Gloria Grace Love..."
"Rick, don't." she says quietly.
I look up at her eyes now and I'll be dam*ed if she's going to stop me from doing this. "Will you marry me?"
She snatches her hand away, closes her eyes and smiles. Smiling is good. Why did she snatch her hand away? I stay on the floor because I don't think I trust my knees to support me right now. My heart is racing.
"S---." she says and my mouth drops open.
"Well that's not very ladylike." I say admonishingly.
"And how." she says back to me, her eyes now open and looking down at me. I don't like her expression now. My heart drops into my stomach.
"Rick, you know I'm not ready to take that step." she says, nervously rubbing the back of her neck.
There's a painful rending in my chest.
"Rick, stand up." she says while waving her hands like she's a choir director getting the choir to stand. When I don't, she starts pacing back and forth. "Please?" she asks and turns to me again.
She looks frustrated. Normally, I'd try to make her feel better, but right now I'm just too hurt to even want to touch her.
"It's not like it's a 'not ever'. I just don't want that... right now. It's too soon! Can't we at least graduate first? At least?" she eyes me desperately. I stand there quietly staring at her. "Rick?" she asks because I've been quiet for so long.
Her beautiful eyes cut over to me as I finally find my voice. "What are you saying Gloria?"
"I'm saying..." she rings her hands while I wait somewhat patiently for her to continue. "I'm saying not now."
"I don't see anything wrong with now. I'm not saying let's go out and get married next week. We could wait a few years even, if that's what you want. What's wrong with making the commitment now?" I ask, knowing my logic is sound.
She looks like she wants to panic. I worried this might happen. I'm glad I thought through several points to argue beforehand.
"Rick, please don't do this to me!" she pleads.
I have to look away from those eyes. Right now it just hurts too much. 'Don't do this to me.'? What the hell does she mean by that? She must not love me as strongly as I love her. I know we've only been together for a few months now, but I'd hoped...
"Rick?" I hear her ask. I close my eyes, wanting to block out the sound of her voice saying my name.
Why does she have to keep saying my name?
"This doesn't mean I don't love you. I do." 'I do.' Hah! I think as she continues, "I'm just not ready to take this step!"
I feel the mounting anger in me melt away, but the hurt in my chest is still there. Merry Christmas, Rick. You got a 'no'.
"Okay. You're not ready." I say mechanically. She sighs with evident relief.
"I'm sorry." she says and looks like she's about to cry. I can't stand it.
"Shh! Doll Baby, don't cry." I wrap my arms around her. Amazingly, this helps ease my hurt as well. I squeeze her as tight as I can without hurting her. Oh! I may have actually hurt her a bit from that noise she just made. "Sorry." I say in response to the noise.
She laughs with a little hiccup. "Squeeze as hard as you want."
I laugh too. "Alright. So we'll just talk about this later." I say as she lets out a huff of air.
I guess I just have to be patient. Not an easy task.
Love Me or Leave Me by Walter Donaldson lyrics by Gus Kahn. This link sung by Billie Holliday.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbKXuluS1HM&feature=player_embedded
Chain Reaction Legacy|After the End|Alicekai'd
Chain Reaction Legacy|After the End|Alicekai'd
All Rick can think about is wanting to be with Gloria and starting a life with her. He sees her singing as more of a hobby whereas Gloria sees it as a career, a lifestyle almost. It makes him worried that it will drive them apart - the last thing he wants. He needs to decide who's needs/wants are more important.
No, he doesn't, does he?
Yeah, Gloria should've seen this coming. Maybe she did, but didn't want to admit that she saw it coming.
Rick's had other girlfriends before, but he was just messing around with them. He's known Gloria has liked him for a long time, but he held off on dating her. In her, he saw the kind of girl you don't mess around with, but marry. So, that's what he's been thinking all along. Then, when he heard her singing in the dome that night, he decided to get the ball rolling so to speak. (esp. since his dad was reminding him why he couldn't wait to get out) Of course, he was used to being with easier girls hence the whole park bench kiss that wasn't thing.
Now he's starting to wonder if she isn't the person he thought she was.
Gloria is thrilled he loves her so much, but he's starting to scare her.
Chain Reaction Legacy|After the End|Alicekai'd