Chapter nine::
The girls emerged from a cab and found themselves in front of a large mall.
“Wait a second, let’s stay out here for a minute.” Christy stopped to light a cigarette.
“I thought you were quitting,” Becky sat next to Jenna on a bench.
Christy drew in a deep drag. “I am… slowly. I’m cutting back.”
Jenna laughed. “You aren’t quitting, are you?”
“Yes, I am. It will just take some time.”
“Don’t you think that you should just try and quit entirely all at once? That way the cravings would probably be less.” Jenna began.
“Whatever. What do you know, anyway? You’re just a teenybopper. I’m almost twenty… We all have our faults. So don’t hound me about smoking. I’ll do what I want.”
“But I thought you loved Ike.”
“I do.” Christy answered swatting at Becky who was making kissing noises.
“Then quit.”
“I am.” Christy flicked her half used cigarette away.
“Hey! I could have smoked that!” Jenna cried.
“Look, if you two are going to bug me about this, I’ll get out of here. I don’t feel like hanging around with two spoiled teenagers anyway.” She rolled her eyes.
“Fine. Then go. Run away from us like You run away from everything else in your life!” Jenna spat.
“Fine.” Christy stormed away.
Jenna got up and led the way into the mall.
“That was harsh.” Becky said after a few minutes of silence. “So what? Every word was true. She needs to hear it, it might as well be from me.” Jenna shrugged, still somewhat angry. “Come on. We don’t have all day.”
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Isaac sat down next Zac backstage.
“What’s going on?”
“Huh?” Zac looked up from his video game.
“You were off today, in sound check.”
“Oh.”
“What is it? Are you feeling okay? Normally you’re the one who’s most on his game.”
“I don’t know…” Zac paused. “I kissed Becky.”
“You did? Good job!” He clapped his brother on the back.
“Yeah… I guess... I like her. She’s sweet and pretty… But like… can it work? I mean, she’s a fan and everything.”
“Dude, if she didn’t try to jump you when you first met, she probably won’t. Becky is a nice girl, and if you like her, than go for it.”
“I don’t know. It’s just weird. I mean, now I’m going to see this girl every day….”
“Well, think about it.”
Zac nodded. Taylor came into the room and flopped down on the sofa. “Do you think we should call those girls? It’s getting late, they’re taking dinner orders.”
“Yeah, good idea.” Isaac nodded lifting his feet up onto the coffee table. Taylor removed his cell phone from his backpack and dialed the number Becky had scribbled on a piece of paper.
It rang twice and Jenna answered. “Hello?”
“Hey, where are you guys? It’s five thirty. You guys were supposed to be back an hour ago.”
“Really? Sorry.” She laughed. “Becky is trying on dresses.”
He heard yelling something in the background.
“What was that?”
“Nothing.” Jenna laughed. “You want us to meet you there?”
“Yeah, jump in a cab and we’ll pay for it.”
“Alright… But Christy isn’t here. She left a while ago. She was pretty pissed.”
“Okay, just a sec.” He covered the phone with his hand. “Christy isn’t with them.”
“She isn’t? Where is she?” Isaac questioned.
“She got mad and went off somewhere.”
Isaac nodded, “I’ll find her.”
Taylor nodded and lifted the phone back to his ear. “Yeah, okay. Just get here soon and go to the back entrance.”
“Alright. We’re in the car.” Jenna said. “See you soon.”
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At midnight, Christy snuck in the front entrance to the Hanson house.
Without calling to tell anyone where she had been, she had taken the time to be by herself and blow off steam.
She removed her shoes and left them in the closet. When she turned back around she bumped into a body.
“Where were you?” Isaac demanded.
“You startled me.” She said simply.
“Christy, where were you?” He took some of the shopping bags she was holding and followed her up the stairs.
“Shopping. Then I just walked around for a little while. It’s just this thing I do.” She sighed heavily. “Jen was right. I do run from everything.” She disappeared in to the dark bedroom she shared with Jen and Becky and returned a minute later in a pair of pajama pants and a tank top.
“I wish you would have called me, and let me know. We were worried… I was worried.” He said, leading the way down the stairs to the living room. “You were all alone in a strange city at night.”
“I lived on the streets for four years… I can handle myself.”
“Still.” He sat next to her on the sofa. “Do you feel like talking about it?” “I'm sorry. I’m just not used to… this. You know? For a large part of my life I haven’t had anyone near me who gave a damn, and now… I don’t know. I’m not used to depending on people or having anyone else care.” She curled up near him. “I guess.” She pulled her hair into a ponytail. “I spend so much time with Jen and Becky lately, and I’m not used to it. I mean, Jen is like my step cousin, and we know nothing about each other and… I don’t know. It’ll take some getting used to. They’re like fifteen.”
“Well, tomorrow we have the day off… maybe we can do some older stuff… like you could meet some of my friends, maybe. Would that be better?”
“Okay…” She smiled.
“Great. You should get some sleep though. It’s late. Do you want to sleep in my bed? I can take the sofa.”
“No way. You come too.” She pulled him to his feet.
"Alright..." He took her hand to lead her to the stairs.
She stopped, "Wait." She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him very slowly. "Thanks for listening to me."
"No big deal." He smiled.
"Yes it is. No one ever listens to me. Everyone usually just stares at my boobs." "Oh? Was I not supposed to do that?" He teased.
She laughed and playfully hit him. "I don't mind if you do it..."
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