Kris smiled to herself in the mirror. Everything in her life was so perfect now. She had Brian back (and now he had learned to be more affectionate in public). Her family was in order about the whole situation, and they accepted it. Taylor was gone, nowhere near Chicago, and she hadn�t heard from him since they broke up. Her wounds were healing nicely. She still experienced a few sharp pains when she tried to exercise, but otherwise the ribs in there were pretty much healed. The stitches had been taken out already, and the scar wasn�t as bad, thanks to the aid of Vitamin E.
But hidden in a shoe box in the corner of her closet was everything she still loved. Pictures, letters, small momentos of her and Taylor hidden away in the closet. It sat there, forgotten, like the memory of him in the back of her mind. There was no doubt that she still had feelings for him, but she just pushed it away. Everything that she ever felt for him, everything she still wanted in that small niche in the back of her head was put inside that shoe box to be forgotten.
She knew it wasn�t that easy.
�Kris! Brian�s here!� Cynthia yelled up the stairs. Why doesn�t that woman just use the intercom? Why do you think we installed it? Kris looked in her mirror. Something was wrong. Lipstick, she forgot her lipstick.
�Now where did I put it?� she asked herself, looking around the rather clean room. She didn�t want to keep Brian waiting�oh well. He could talk to her mother until she came downstairs. She looked over the floor and in all of her drawers. She looked under the bed, in hope that it rolled under there somehow. �There it is.�
She pulled out the tube of lipstick and with it came a picture. She let the lipstick drop as she looked over the picture. Her and Taylor, it was taken one of the first days she�d met him. They were so happy back then. She looked in the background and bit her lip. They took it in front of Brian�s house. It was always that complicated. It always involved the two of them. Frustrated, she pushed the picture back under the bed and grabbed the lipstick.
�Damn boy,� she muttered to herself and stood in front of the mirror. She hastily put the lipstick on and then threw it in her purse. She ran out of the room and down the stairs. Brian and Cynthia were talking about something or another, like they always seemed to do. �Sorry, I couldn�t find my lipstick.�
�Well, you look beautiful anyway,� Brian commented.
�I found it and I put it on, Brian.�
�Shut up.�
�I still love you, though.� That night they were celebrating their one-month anniversary of being together again, and she just ruined it with one photograph. �Come on, let�s go.�
�Curfew at 3, remember that,� Cynthia reminded.
�I�ll have her back by then,� Brian said, and gave Cynthia a kiss on the cheek. �See you later.�
�Bye guys, have fun!� Kris walked out the front door and shut it behind her.
�Your mother has to be the coolest woman I have ever met.�
�Well she knows you, Brian. I don�t think she�d trust me out past 10 with anyone else.�
�Well hey, I get to 3. That kinda blows the evening, I should be done by at least one. We have two extra hours to do absolutely nothing.�
�So, where are we starting out?�
�Well, I have reservations at the most exquisite restaurant in town, Johnny�s.� Kris started to laugh. �Well it�s still a nice place.�
�It�s Johnny�s! We haven�t been there since forever ago. The last time we went out.� Brian gave her a look. �Well we still haven�t been there in forever.�
�That�s why there�s no better place to go.� She smiled and climbed into his car. There wasn�t a worse place to start out a supposed wonderful evening. After her and Brian broke up Johnny�s had been proclaimed her and Taylor�s place to go. Everyone there hated Brian, and supported her relationship 110%.
As Brian drove the familiar route, Kris couldn�t help but think about Taylor. First the picture, now Johnny�s�it was a good thing winter ended or he might have wanted to go ice skating at the lake behind her house. That was another thing her and Taylor did.
�Guys, look who just walked in,� one of the clerks said to the others behind the counter. �Hey! We haven�t seen you two here in a long time!�
�Well it�s been a busy few months,� Kris said, hoping they wouldn�t talk about the fact that they were together. She knew the minute Brian stepped out (and she knew he would at some point in the time they were there he would) they�d yell at her.
�And it�s been even longer since the two of you walked in so chummy. What�s up?�
�We�ve been back together for a month now,� Brian answered, looking back at Kris. She smiled sweetly at him. The minute his back was turned the smile faded and she shook her head. Instead of sitting at the counter, Brian took a seat at one of the tables, so he could sit across from her. It�d be a while before they ordered, because they had a few things to talk about before they ate.
�We�ll eat in a little bit, we just feel like taking up your space before eating your food,� Kris said. �And I�m sure no one else would mind.� She looked around and, as usual, the place was completely deserted.
�Fine, I�ll be talking to they guys. Holler when you�re ready.� He disappeared into the back room. Kris took the seat across from Brian.
�Why are we here?� she asked. �You know that this is probably the last place we should be while celebrating an anniversary.�
�I just wanted to be in familiar territory. Why is it so bad?�
�I hate to break it to you, but you�re not exactly the most liked person around here. After we broke up I started coming here with Taylor�and they�re bigger fans of my relationship with him than my relationship with you.�
�You did not take him here.�
�I�m just stating the truth. You said you wanted me to be completely honest with you.� Well, there is a difference between being honest and not mentioning a few things�
�I thought this was our place.�
�At that time I didn�t want to have anything to do with you, Brian. Taylor took me here once or twice and after a while it just became routine. But I don�t think we should be talking about this right now; it�ll only ruin the evening.�
�There�s not much more for you to ruin.�
�Don�t start, Brian. Not tonight.�
�Why? So you can continue to think about Taylor all night? I know you are. I know you still have feelings for him.�
�So what if I do? It doesn�t matter to me, Brian. He doesn�t matter to me. Right now all that matters to me is you.�
�That�s why you still have the shoe box of mementos stuffed away in the corner of your closet.�
�What are you doing looking through my closet?!�
�Hey guys, they�re fighting again,� the clerk said to the other guys in the back room. �I can hear them even through the thick walls.�
�What�s this one about?�
�Taylor.�
�Ooh, that�s gotta hurt.�
�What is she even thinking being with this dude again? She knows that we all like Taylor better than Brian.�
�I don�t know. I think her and Taylor must of had a nasty break up if she stooped to Brian again.�
�I actually kinda liked her with Brian all along,� the chef said from the table in the corner, playing Solitaire with an old deck of cards. The rest of the guys turned to him. He looked up. �What?�
�Brian treated her like shit.�
�Well when I saw them walk in he was looking at her with a love that he hadn�t beforehand. Maybe he�s changed.�
�You sound like a chick.�
�Still, I think he�s changed.� The clerk opened up the door.
�YOU STUPID BITCH WHY DON�T YOU JUST GO BACK TO HIM THEN?!!!�
�Okay then, maybe he hasn�t. But leave them alone. This is her decision and I think we should support her in every way.�
�Are you gay?�
�For the millionth time, no!!!�
�Brian, for the month that I�ve been back together with you, I thought you�d changed,� Kris said, grabbing her purse and standing. �I can�t believe it took me this long to figure out that I was wrong.�
�Don�t go back to walking out on me every time we have a fight. I don�t want to go through that shit again.�
�Well then don�t follow me like you always do. Let me leave.� She gave him a look and walked out of Johnny�s. As usual, Brian ran out a few minutes later after her, in a slow attempt to try and stop her from being so mad. When he appeared in front of her, it only made her temper flare. �I thought I told you to let me leave! There�s nothing you can do or say to get me back in there, so let me walk home. It�s not like I haven�t done it before.�
�I don�t want you to leave. I want you to stay with me.�
�You should of pointed that out before you called me a stupid bitch.�
�You know you deserve everything I say to you.� Kris bit her lip, and thrust her hands behind her back. She didn�t want to say anything, and she didn�t want to risk hitting him. �I know what you�re thinking, but you have to understand that you�re mine now, and there�s not much you can do about it.�
�I can leave.�
�I don�t think so.�
�Whatever�� she rolled her eyes and began to walk away. He grabbed her arm and forcefully yanked her back. �Brian? What are you doing? Let me go!�
�No, you�re going to stay here with me. We�re going to finish this date and we�re going to have a good time, whether you want to or not.�
�You have no control over me, Brian. Why are you all of a sudden being rude to me? A minute ago you just wanted me to stay with you and now you�re making me?�
�Well you�re being a bad girl now. Come back inside before I have to drag you in there.�
�Let me go, Brian! You can�t make me do anything I don�t want to do.� He slapped her across the face. �What the hell are you doing?�
�Get inside!� He smacked her again. Dazed and confused, she walked back into Johnny�s.
Brian pulled up to Kris�s house around 2:30. He opened the door and she nearly fell out. As he walked her to the door, he noticed her slightly limping. It must have been from her falling out of the car. �Now what are you going to tell Cynthia?�
�I�m clumsy and I ran into a door.�
�Good. Now make it sound believable.�
�Mom, I�m so stupid. There must have been something in that water cause I ran straight into the door.�
�That�s better,� he said, opening the door. He lowered his voice in case Cynthia was around. �Now remember, no one knows what went on tonight.�
�I won�t say anything, Brian.�
�Can I trust you on that?�
�Yes, you can.� He let go of her and she stumbled inside. He shut the door and walked off, as she made her way upstairs. She looked much worse at that point than just running into a door, but if she made it into her room she�d look a lot better in the morning.
Cynthia must have been asleep already because she made it into her room without any problem. She stumbled over to the phone and dialed a set of numbers. She didn�t expect to ever call her, but she just needed to talk to someone right now. The phone rang a few times before a groggy voice picked up.
�Hello?�
�Misty? It�s Kris.� She fell into her chair and her eyes began to fill with tears.
�Kris? Hey! Long time no speak, what�s up?�
�Well it�s been a really long time since we�ve talked so I figured I should call you,� she said, trying her best not to stumble over her words and let up that she was crying.
�At two thirty in the morning? What�s wrong?�
�I just got back from a date with Brian��
�What the hell are you doing back with Brian?� Misty asked. Kris smiled. At least she was still direct. After the accident they talked the entire time Kris was in the hospital but broke contact a few days after she got out. �I�m sorry but you and Brian were just one big mistake.�
�No, we weren�t.�
�Okay�getting defensive. I take it this wasn�t your first date?�
�No, it�s our one-month today. We had a rather nice time,� Kris said, then sniffed. That proved a lot.
�Considering you�re crying, I take it that you didn�t have the great time that you�re letting on. And the fact that you have no problem with calling me at two thirty in the morning. I would have gotten off a while ago if you didn�t sound like you were in a heap of trouble.�
�No, there�s nothing wrong, I just needed to talk to someone.�
�About what? Oh wait, hold on just a sec.� Kris waited as she heard muffled talking the background.
�Who�s on the phone?�
�It�s no one, just go back to sleep.�
�Oh, alright.� The voice in the background sounded very familiar, which made Kris think. Misty and Zac were very much together the last time she talked to her, it could be him there. Spending the night, though? Kris would have to inquire.
�Okay, I�m back.�
�Who�s there with you?�
�No one important.�
�Well Misty, it�s the middle of the night and I know I woke the both of you up. That means it has to be someone important if he�s staying the night. Is it Zac?�
�Yes, it�s Zac.�
�Oh.�
�Do you want to talk to him?�
�No! No, that won�t be necessary. Listen, I�m really sorry I bothered you. I guess I should go to sleep right now.�
�Kris, you don�t have to go because you�re uncomfortable. Now he was your best friend at some point in your life, you might as well talk to him right now.�
�No, I don�t really want to talk to him��
�Hello?� Zac�s voice came over the phone.
�Zac, put Misty back on.�
�Kris? Is that you?�
�No.�
�It�s been a really long time, Kris.�
�I never said I wanted to talk to you, Zac. Now put Misty back on the phone. You know what, just nevermind, I�m going to bed.�
�What are you doing up anyway? I know you and you�re not one to stay up past midnight.�
�That was the old me. Remember it�s been a few months since you�ve talked to me.�
�Yeah cause my brother wouldn�t let me talk to you. But then again I didn�t really want to talk to you anymore.�
�Why?�
�Well hello, you sent him into a pit of depression. God, it was like Gwen all over again. He wasn�t expecting anything and all of a sudden you don�t want to see him anymore.�
�Zac I don�t want to re-live this right now. Goodbye.�
�Nice talking to you too. I�ll tell him you called.�
�You do that.� She hung up the phone and climbed into her bed.
On the other end of the line, Zac put the phone down. He rolled over and faced Misty. �She�s got a lot of problems.�
�She sounded horrible when I picked up the phone. She got better before she talked to you, but at the beginning she was crying.�
�I wonder why.�
�She went on a date with Brian tonight. Their one-month anniversary.� Zac�s head hit the pillow and he groaned. �Goes to show you what a desperate person will do.�
�I doubt she had any problem getting a date, it was just that she wanted to get Brian back to show herself that she didn�t need Taylor. I know her well enough, that�s exactly what she did.�
�But what do you think went wrong?�
�Brian�s a bastard. Everybody knows that. They probably got into a big fight or whatever and it upset her.� He grabbed the phone. �I�m gonna tell Taylor.�
�Why?�
�He�s in town. He may want to pay her a visit.� He dialed and waited for Taylor to pick up. Zac knew Taylor would be up, cause lately Taylor went to sleep around three. It was just if he was going to answer the phone or not.
�Hello?�
�Guess what.�