| Chapter Eight |
| "...Like strawberry wine at seventeen, the hot July moon saw everything...." Shaye walked home, torn to pieces, she couldn't have Justin, she didn't want anything. All she wanted to do now, was run away, anywhere, anywhere but there. She ran past her house to the barn, the only place she really wanted to be. She sighed and hid behind the feed barrels, she closed her eyes and cried, she cried herself to sleep. It had been three days, Justin hadn't heard from Shaye, and was really starting to miss her. He got up his courage to go and face her parents, he sighed hard and walked to her house, cop cars and search dogs swarmed the place, "Oh my gosh, SHAYE!" Justin ran to her house, through the crowds and into the house, "Isabella! Where is Shaye?!" "Oh God, Justin, we haven't seen her in over three days," "WHAT?!" "This is all my fault, if I would have just left ya'll alone," Johnny said, cradling his head in his hands, "She couldn't be that far! I'll go look around!" Justin was terrified. He walked around, he finally thought to look in the barn, something told him to, "SHAYE!" He yelled, he heard a weak cough, he turned and saw her laying in a fetal possition, "What the hell are you doing!" He said, scooping her up, carring her in a cradle to the door, "Oh, Justin, I'm so sorry," She said, her arms around his neck, her face buried in the crook of his neck, "Sh, it's okay," "Oh my gosh! Shaye!" Johnny yelled, grabbing her from Justin, laying her on the couch. "Shaye! Where have you been?!" "She was in the barn," "I'll call an ambulance and get her checked out," "I'm coming too," Justin said, no caring what was going on. "Whatever ya want Son," Johnny said with no argument. "Justin, I wanna talk to you Son," "Can't it wait?" "No, no it can't wait," "I'm sorry Sir, but Shaye is sick, I gotta be with her." "I just wanted to tell ya, I was sorry, both of ya," "It's all forgiven Sir, just don't take Shaye away from me, I beg you," "I won't," "Thank you," Before long, the Doctor came to check her out. Everyone waited downstairs, finally the doctor came downstairs, Justin jumped up, "Doc is she okay?" "She's a little dehydrated, and very weak, all I say is to keep water by her bed, and make sure she eats," "She's not sick or anything?" "Not from what I can see, but that don't mean that she won't get a small cold, or a cough." "Thanks Doc," Justin ran upstairs to Shaye's side. He knocked lightly, and walked in, "Shaye?" "Hey," She said weakly. Justin reached down and kissed her forehead, "What were you doing in the barn?" "Oh, I just," "Tell me," "I didn't wanna be around my Dad, all I wanted to do was stay with you," "Why didn't you?" "Because I knew I blew it," "No you really didn't, I figured you were just saying what your Dad said to say," "My Momma always told me, if your gonna break-up with a guy, don't do it over homemade pie," Shaye laughed weakly. "Why's that?" "Because, the pie will make them beg ya to stay," "This isn't about your homemade pie, which was great by the way, it's about you scaring us like that, all of us," "I'm sorry," "I want you to do something," "What," "Go home with me, to Florida," "Oh Justin, I dunno if I should," "C'mon, please," "Well, what about my parents, Benjamin, the new baby?" "Everything will be okay, it's just me and you," "Okay, I'll ask Momma and Daddy," "NO! No, like I said, it's just me and you now," "You don't want me to tell them?" "Not now, you can soon enough, just not now," "Okay," "Good," Justin smiled, bending to kiss her. "I gotta go, I'll be back later to check on you," "Okay," Shaye said with a weak smile. She laid there, something told her, to stay put... |