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Post by laura. on Feb 25, 2005 19:11:14 GMT
Chapter 15
"Joel, wake up. The nurse is kicking us out." Lisa said, gently placing her hand on the side of his face. She tenderly kissed his forehead. He woke up and looked around the room. Drew was sleeping and Amelia was gone.
"Where's Amelia?" He groggily asked. "Paul took her home a couple hours ago." She replied. "Do you want me to take you home if you're too tired to drive?" "I'll be OK." He said, getting up and stretching. He bent down and kissed the top of Drew's head. "I'll be back tomorrow." "Bye Drew." Lisa whispered. They walked to their cars in silence. He could tell she had something to say, but he didn't want to pry. He walked her over to her car and opened the door for her. "Thanks for sitting with him earlier." He said, hugging her. "No problem." She replied, burying her face in the side of his neck. She inhaled to take in his scent. The smell of his cologne seemed intoxicating. She wanted to take their relationship to another level. "What are you doing on Friday night?" "I don't know. Are you busy?" He asked in reply. "No. Your kids won't be at your house, so maybe we could have some time to ourselves." She said seductively. She kissed his neck and trailed her lips up to his ear and whispered. "All alone." "Ummm." He felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He took a step away from her. "Don't you think we're taking this a bit too fast?" "No." She replied as she grabbed hands and pulled him closer. She gently placed his hands on her hips. She began to rub his chest. "There's nothing wrong with giving in to pleasure." "Lisa, I-" He started to say, but she interrupted him by putting her finger on his lips. She lightly grazed her lips against his as a tease. "I'll see you on Friday." She whispered and got into her car and drove off. He wished he had someone to ask for their advice about what he should do. If he slept with her he'd feel like he was cheating on his wife, but if he didn't he could upset Lisa and she wouldn't want to see him anymore. It was a damned if you do, damned if you don't kind of thing. He figured he could ask Benji since he would be visiting him the next day. He needed to ask him to scare Ryan for him.
When he got home he found Amelia asleep on the couch. He got a blanket for her and gently covered her with it. He bent down and kissed her cheek. He started to go upstairs. "Dad?" Amelia asked, rubbing her eyes. He turned and looked at her. "I'm sorry." "For what?" He asked, walking back over to the couch. She moved her legs so he could sit down. "The way I've been acting lately." She said, sitting up and hugging her knees close to her. "It's so frustrating to not have any friends. You and Drew are great and everything, but I need a girl I can talk to about things." "Maybe one day you can confide in Lisa." He hoped she wouldn't get upset at that comment. "I'm really hoping she stays around for awhile." "I think I could confide in her one of these days. It's just going to take me some time to get used to it." She said, picking at her nail polish. "I don't know if this will help, but Billy has a 14 year old daughter. Maybe you could hang out with her." He suggested. "I could try it." She shrugged. "How about before you go to the dance on Friday you go visit your dad." He changed the subject. "Can I?" She asked, excitedly. "If you want. I can go to the prison tomorrow and make sure you can visit him again." He said. "I would love to show him my dress and for him to meet Ryan!" She smiled. "I'd like him to meet Ryan too." He smiled back.
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Post by laura. on Feb 25, 2005 19:11:58 GMT
Chapter 16
The next day while Amelia was at school, Joel went over to the prison to ask Benji a favor. He stood and waited for a guard to tell him it would be OK to talk to his brother. After a few minutes a guard gestured for him to sit. He sat down across from Benji and picked up the phone.
"Sorry if I bothered you, but I have a huge favor to ask you." He said, not even bothering to say hello or ask how he is. "Bear in mind I can't do much because of the whole prison thing." Benji replied. "Tomorrow Amelia's going to a school dance with this guy Ryan. I don't like this kid at all. Drew got beaten up at school and four of this kid's friends did it. I think Ryan had something to do with it. I can't be all that sure, but, I think he's hurt Amelia too-" He started. "What?!" Benji interrupted. "She's got a bump on the back of her head. She says it's from gym class, but I think she's lying." He told him. "I told her she should visit you before they go to the dance, so do you think you could scare the kid?" "Definitly." Benji nodded. "So is Drew OK?" "He'll be fine." Joel said, looking down. He didn't like talking about it. "He's got a broken arm, jaw, and a sprained neck. He's got so many cuts and bruises on his face I didn't think it was him at first." "I'm sorry. I wish I could see him." Benji said, quietly. "I wish I could see everybody. I hate being in here." "Maybe you can get out one day." Joel said, trying to be optimistic. "The only way I'll get out of here is if I die." He looked up at him. "I'm so sorry." "Benj, you apologize every time I visit you, and every time I tell you I've forgiven you." Joel tried to comfort him. Benji looked away and nodded in response. "I need your advice on something." "What?" Benji asked, looking back at him. "Last night Lisa basically told me she wants to have sex. Do you think I should?" He asked. Benji hit his forehead on the glass a few times. "Worst. Question. Ever." He joked. "Sorry, but I'm a bit confused about it. It's been such a long time I'd be afraid that-" He said, blushing. "Whoa, stop. If you're going to say you're impotent I do not want you to finish that sentence." Benji said, putting his hand up to interrupt his brother. Joel sighed and rolled his eyes. "No, that's not what I meant. I don't know if I'd.....well.....remember how to pleasure somebody." He blushed again. "I really can't help you. I don't remember what sex feels like." Benji shrugged. "If you like her, and you want to have a physical relationship with her, then I say go for it. I'm sure she'd understand that you hadn't done it in awhile." "You can be wise when you want to be." Joel teased him. "Time's up." A guard said from behind Joel. "I'll see you next month. Take care of yourself." Joel said. "Think of me when you're doing it tomorrow." Benji joked. "Shut up." Joel rolled his eyes and walked away. He found the same guard he talked to last time about Amelia visiting her dad. He bribed him again to let her see him. He went home with a smug grin on his face. He couldn't wait to hear what happens to Ryan.
"Hey, can I give you a ride home?" Ryan asked, tapping Amelia on the shoulder. She was standing at her locker grabbing a few things. "Sure." She smiled. They went to his car and he took her home. When he pulled up in the driveway he put the car in park. Joel peered out the window. "I guess I'll just see you tomorrow." He said. He leaned over and started kissing her. Joel saw this and glared. Ryan slowly moved his hand up her side and started fondling one of her breasts. Joel quietly went outside and tapped on the tinted window of the car. Ryan pushed the button and the window went down, slowly revealing Joel's scowling face. "Both of you. In the house. Now." He commanded in quiet anger. Ryan turned the engine off and followed Joel and Amelia into the house. "Dad." Amelia said, sounding scared. "Sit." He said to her, pointing at the couch. She sat down and almost started to cry. "And you, come with me." "Yes, sir." Ryan said timidly and followed Joel into another room. He closed to door and rubbed his forehead. He didn't even know where to begin. "I know you're young, and your hormones are raging, but that's my little girl. I don't want to see, or hear, about you doing anything like that to her ever again!" He angrily said. "How old are you?" "18, sir." Ryan said, looking down at the floor. "You're in what grade?" He asked. "11th, sir." He replied. "Aha. Well, if you decide you want to go all the way with my daughter I want you to know that I would have no problem having you arrested for statutory rape." He threatened. "I wouldn't do that, sir." Ryan said, lying. "I respect your daughter." "Damn right you respect her." Joel said. "You're already on my bad side and it'll be very hard for you to earn my trust. I'm only letting her go with you tomorrow because it'll make her happy. You better be a gentleman." "I will, sir." He said, still looking at his shoes. "Get out." Joel harshly said. Ryan walked out of the house without saying a word to Amelia. He went into the living room to deal with her next. "Dad! What did you do?!" Amelia yelled. "Had a little talk." He replied. She groaned and buried her face in a pillow. "I was going to tell him to stop doing that." She said. "It was making me uncomfortable." "Good. Because you're only 16." He sat down next to her. "I know." She said. "I want to wait to have sex until I'm married." "That makes me feel better." He smiled. "By the way, I got everything set for you to visit your dad tomorrow." "Great! Thank you!" She grinned. "What are you doing after the dance is over?" He asked, offhand. "Ryan's having a party at his house." She replied. "Oh. Because Paul bought a lot of food and movies because Drew was going to spend the night, but Drew won't make it. He asked me if you'd want to stay there instead." He told her. "That sounds fun! Could I go to the party for a little bit and then go to Paul's?" She asked. "Sure." He nodded. "Don't stay at Ryan's too long." "OK." She smiled. She was excited about everything now. She couldn't wait to go to Ryan's. It would be her first party.
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Post by laura. on Feb 25, 2005 19:12:32 GMT
Chapter 17
The next evening after Amelia got ready, she stood in front of a full length mirror making sure she looked perfect. For once she liked what she saw. She smoothed out her dress and smiled. She looked out her window and saw Ryan pull up in the driveway.
"Amelia!" Joel called up the stairs several moments later. "I can't wait to see her." Ryan said to Joel. He didn't respond. Amelia came down the stairs smiling at both of them. "You look gorgeous." Joel said, grinning. "Thank you." She replied, hugging him. "Yeah. You look good." Ryan told her. "Thanks." She hugged him too. "This is for you." He handed her a corsage. "That's so sweet." She smiled. She put it on and gave him another hug. "Alright. I want to get a picture." Joel said, interrupting their hug. They posed and he snapped a picture. "You better hurry if you want to see your dad." "OK. Bye dad!" She gave him a hug and left the house with Ryan. "I thought your dad was dead." Ryan said. "I lied." She admitted. "He's in jail." "And we're visiting him or something?" He asked. "If you don't mind." She replied. "No. Not at all." He lied. They got in his car and she gave him directions to the prison. When they got there they had to go through the usual routine of going through a metal detector. She asked somebody about seeing her dad and a guard led her to a door.
"He's in there." The guard informed her. "Thank you." She smiled. She went into the room and saw him standing near the door. "You look...............beautiful." He smiled and hugged her. "Is this your first dance?" "Yep." She nodded. "I'm kind of nervous." "Why?" He asked. "Because I have a date and I don't know what to do." She answered. "I'm sure you'll be fine." He told her. "Is your date here?" "He's out in the hallway." She said. "Would I be able to meet him?" He asked. She nodded. "Good. I wouldn't just send my little girl out with anybody." "I'll go get him. I want him to take a picture of us." She said, smiling. She opened the door and told Ryan to come in. He walked in the room and looked shocked at how Benji looked. "Dad, this is Ryan." "Hi Ryan. Nice to meet you." He said, extending his hand. "Nice to meet you too, sir." He replied, shaking his hand. "Can you take a picture of us?" She asked, handing Ryan her camera. "Sure." He said. He took a picture and handed her camera back. Benji was staring at him and it was making him uncomfortable. He looked at his watch. "We should probably get going." "OK." She sounded kind of disappointed. She didn't want to have to leave so soon. They both started to leave. "Ryan, can I talk to you for a second?" Benji asked him. "Sure." He replied. He wanted to run away. "Amelia, I'd rather talk to him alone if that's OK with you." He said to her. "That's fine." She smiled. She gave him a hug. "Bye dad. I love you." "I love you too, sweetheart." He smiled back. She left the room and closed the door. "You have a very nice daughter." Ryan said, trying to suck up. "You listen to me. That girl is my world. I know what your friends did to my nephew and I'm not happy. I also know about the bump on the back of her head. We think it's your fault. If it is, and you get arrested, you know what'll happen?" He asked, walking toward Ryan. "No." He said, backing away. "You'll come here. We'd become good friends." He continued, still walking towards him. "Wh-What are you in here for anyway?" Ryan asked, scared. He backed up to a wall and Benji got close to his face. "Murder." He said, flatly. "Don't touch her. Understand me?" "Yes, sir." He nodded, wide eyed. "Get out of my sight." He angrily said. Ryan left the room as fast as he could. A guard came in and put handcuffs back on him. "What happened in here?" The guard asked. "That was my daughter's date to a school dance." He replied. "Trying to scare the kid?" He asked, leading him out of the room. "Yeah." He smiled. "I think you did a good job." The guard laughed.
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Post by laura. on Feb 25, 2005 19:14:11 GMT
Chapter 17
Joel looked over at the clock. It was 11:00. He worried about whether or not Amelia had made it to Paul's house. He felt like kicking himself for letting her go anywhere with Ryan. He didn't trust him at all. Someone knocked on the door, interrupting his thoughts.
"Hi." Lisa smiled after he opened the door. "Hi." He quietly said. She came into the house and gave him a kiss. "Are you alright?" She asked, a bit concerned. "I'm fine." He replied. "You seem.........nervous." She smiled. She knew what he was nervous about. "I am a little bit." He lied. He was a nervous wreck. "How about you give me a tour of the rest of your house? I've only seen the first floor." She said, trying to change the subject. "Oh. Sure." He said and smiled nervously. They went upstairs and he opened his bedroom door. "This is the master bedroom." "It's nice and clean." She said, walking in and looking around. "I'm impressed." "Thanks." He replied. She walked past him and closed the door. She sat on his bed and motioned for him to sit next to her. He hesitated, but joined her. "We don't have to do anything if you don't want to. I can tell you're nervous about it. I don't want you to feel that way. We can wait until you're ready." She told him. "I can understand how difficult it would be. We can just talk if you want." "I've been meaning to ask you something." He said. He paused. "What did you wind up giving Amelia on her paper about domestic abuse?" "That's it?" She asked, getting a bit upset. He smiled and laughed at her. She playfully hit his arm. "You had me worried that's all you cared about!" "Nah, I care about you too." He leaned over and gave her a kiss. "Now I have something I've been meaning to ask you about that paper." She said. "You told me she was there when it happened. Do you think she thinks about it a lot? It must've been traumatic for her." "She doesn't really remember it. Until I told her what happened it was just a recurring dream for her." He replied. "I couldn't imagine having a recurring dream like that, or any recurring dream at all for that matter." She said, sympathetically. "It's not bad. I have one too." He looked over at her. "What is it?" She asked, very interested. "It's boring. You don't want to hear about it." He shook his head. "No. I want to know." She said, putting her head on his shoulder. "Alright." He started. "I dream that I drive up to my old house and when I walk through the door I can see myself in a mirror, and I'm always young. Then I walk in the kitchen and my wife is standing in front of the stove. She looks like she did the day she died; same clothes, same way she did her hair, and she's still pregnant. We always have the same conversation. She tells me I should be happy. Then she'll walk toward me and I always wake up before I get to hug her. Then I wake up and realize I'm alone. The dream is so real. I want to run downstairs to see her, but, she's gone." "I'm sorry." She said, rubbing his back. "I always find ways to depress you." "You're good at that." He smiled and kissed her forehead. "How often do you have that dream?" She asked. "Not very. It's usually when I miss her the most." He replied, kneading his hands. "Let's talk about something happy. How did Amelia look before she went to the dance?" She asked, trying to ligthen the mood. "Gorgeous." He smiled and looked over at her. "You should've seen her." "I wish I could've." She smiled back. "She went to see her dad too. I went to visit him yesterday and asked him to scare the shit out of Ryan for me. I figured he'd be the best person for the job." He told her. "I'm sure he intimidated him. I'd be intimidated by anybody in prison." She laughed. "I wouldn't mind going with you next time you visit him." "Really? Why?" He asked. "Because he's your brother." She replied, sounding like she was making it up. "You can come along next time. I don't see why not." He shrugged. "What time is Amelia coming home?" She asked, changing the subject. "She's not. She's going over to Paul's for the night." He replied. "It's a shame we're wasting some alone time." She flirted and ran her hand down his chest and played with his belt buckle. She stradled his lap and started sucking on his neck. "I want you, Joel." "I.......I don't know. I don't think we should-" He started. She interrupted him by kissing him. She kissed him again and slowly leaned farther in as her tongue gently massaged his. He layed back and guided her with him. He started breathing heavier and his heart pounded. He pulled her shirt off and threw it on the floor. She sat up and slowly unbuttoned his shirt. He sat up and she finished taking his shirt off and tossed it to the other side of the room. She stood up and slowly took her pants off. "Come here. It's your turn." She said, seductively. He stood up and she undid his pants and let them fall to his ankles. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. His hands went up her back and he unhooked her bra. He gently took it off of her and dropped it by his feet. He got behind her and lightly kissed her neck and shoulders. His hands trailed down to her hips and he pushed her underwear down and it fell around her ankles. She turned around pulled his boxers down. She led him back to the bed and layed down. He climbed on top of her. "Are you sure you want to do this?" "Yeah." He quietly said and nodded. She smiled and kissed him. He entered her and began thrusting. Which each thrust she moaned louder and louder. They both remembered how good sex can feel. After changing positions a few times they came together. He slowly exhaled and layed on his back. "You are a lot better than your brother." She said nonchalantly and pulling a sheet over them. "What?!" He asked, sitting up. She covered her mouth and looked completely shocked at what she said. "You slept with Benji?!" "A long time ago." She said with tears in her eyes. "It was the night I went to the concert." "Oh God." He said, rubbing his temples. "Did you know he was married?!" "It was only a rumor at that point!" She replied, sitting up. "When I met him we started flirting and then we kissed for a little while. He asked me to go back to his hotel room, and for some reason I went. We wound up having sex, and afterwards I felt so ashamed of myself I got up and looked at myself in the mirror. Then he came up behind me and put his arms around me. That's when I saw his wedding ring. I slapped him and then I left." "He cheated on her too." He said in quiet disbelief. "Amelia was probably about a year old then too." "I didn't know!" She started crying. "It's OK." He put his arm around her and kissed her cheek. "No it isn't!" She shook her head. "It was a long time ago. Don't worry about it." He tried to comfort her. "Why don't you get some sleep?" "You're not angry?" She asked. "No. I'm a little angry at him for cheating on his wife, but not at you." He said, lying down and getting comfortable. She layed down next to him and they put their arms around each other. "I love you." She said. "I love you too."
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Post by laura. on Feb 25, 2005 19:14:36 GMT
Chapter 18
Joel pulled up into the driveway of his house. After looking around he got out of his car and went in. He saw himself in the mirror and he looked like himself. Old. He stared at himself and touched his face. 'That's strange,' he thought. He started to walk toward the kitchen, but stopped when he heard babies crying. He went upstairs and followed the sound of the crying into one of the extra bedrooms. There was a long crib with two crying babies in it. He stared in amazement at the infants. He knew they were his twins. He picked one up to comfort it. He wondered if it really was a dream because it felt so real. Once the baby stopped crying he gently set it down and picked up the other one. Once he had pacified the other and he set it down he turned the mobile on to keep them happy.
"Sleep." He whispered to them. He kissed them both and went downstairs and into the kitchen. His wife was at the stove stirring something. "Laura." "Oh! You're home!" She said, smiling and turning around. "Yeah. I am." He said, smiling back. All he could do was look at her. This time she wasn't pregnant. She was different. "Did you get to see the twins?" She asked. "They're beautiful." He replied. "You are too." "What's wrong?" She asked, leaning on the island in the middle of the room. "You haven't been yourself lately. What's bothering you?" "I don't know what to do. Amelia is giving me problems and I'm confused about Lisa." He replied. The conversation was different too. It was making him uncomfortable. "Joel, you shouldn't worry so much." She told him. "When you worry, I worry." "You shouldn't have to worry about anything. You're in paradise." He replied. "I can't be until you're happy." She said. "I'm trying. It's hard for me to be happy. I miss you too much." He said, leaning onto the island across from her. "You have someone else to take care of you now. Don't hold back because of me." She said. "I'm afraid that if I marry someone else I won't get to spend all of eternity with you." He said, getting choked up. "Paradise is what you want it to be." She smiled, and started walking toward him. "We'll see each other again." "I miss you so much." He said. "I miss you too." She replied. "Please be happy." "I will. I promise." He told her. "Keep taking care of Amelia and Drew." She said, walking closer to him. "I will." He nodded. "I want you to know that I forgive Benji. Take care of him too." She said. "I will." He said, getting choked up again. "Lisa is a great person and I'm glad you found her." She smiled. "She is, but, she's not you." He replied. "I don't want to replace you." "You're not." She stood right in front of him. "You have her to take care of you now." "I want you to take care of me!" He started to cry. "I can't rest if I have to take care of you." She wiped his tears away and hugged him. He wrapped his arms around her tightly. "You don't need me anymore." "I love you." He said, still crying. "I love you too."
He woke up and looked over at Lisa. She woke up when she felt him move.
"What's wrong?" She asked. "I got to hug her." He smiled and wiped tears off his cheeks. She kissed his cheek, layed back down, and went to sleep. He turned and faced his nightstand where there was a picture of him and his wife. He took his wedding ring off and gently placed it in front of the picture.
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Post by laura. on Feb 25, 2005 19:15:31 GMT
Chapter 19
The next morning Joel woke up alone. He saw a note on his nightstand and it was from Lisa. It simply said that she had something to take care of and she didn't want to wake him up. He sighed and set the note back down. He took a quick shower and went into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. He heard someone come in the door. He hoped it was Lisa.
"Lisa?" He called, walking into the living room. It was Amelia. His mood brightened when he saw her. "How was the dance?" "It was OK." She shrugged. "Everything was fine until it was over and then Ryan and I got into a fight." "I'm sorry. Did you at least have fun with Paul?" He asked. "Yeah, but I couldn't stop thinking about Ryan. I feel really bad." She replied, quietly. "Maybe it'll blow over and you'll be friends again." He told her. He hoped it wouldn't be true. She nodded. "So what did you do last night?" She asked. "I spent some time with Lisa." He shrugged. "Were you just going to leave me in the car without giving me a hug?" Paul asked, barging into the house. "Sorry, Uncle Paul." Amelia smiled and hugged him. "I forgive you. This time." He joked. "Hey Joel. How's it going?" "Meh." He replied, not looking at him. "Is everything OK?" He asked, being serious for once. Joel shook his head. "I'm here to listen if you need me." "I don't want to talk about it here." He said, quietly. "I guess that's my cue to leave." Amelia said, walking up the stairs. "So what's up?" Paul asked. "I slept with Lisa last night." Joel said, flat out. "And this is a problem?" Paul asked. "No. Well, kind of." He replied. "I really didn't want to, but one thing lead to another, you know? I feel like I've cheated on Laura." "You didn't." Paul assured him. "You had a great marriage with her, but, I think you should let her go. She's not here, so what are you holding on to?" "I don't know." He shook his head. "Then this morning I wake up and she's gone." "Ooo. That's rough." He replied. "Maybe she had a good reason." "I have no idea, but that's not what really bothered me." Joel told him. "She fucked Benji." "What? When?" Paul asked in complete shock. "A year after Amelia was born." He said, flatly. "Holy shit." Paul was still shocked. "As good looking and as smart as she is, I'd hate to say this, but, you're dating a slut." "She said she didn't know he was married until after they slept together." He said. "Uh huh. So that shiny thing on his left hand was imaginary? Come on." Paul rolled his eyes. "I don't know what to do." He shook his head. "I feel like I made a mistake, but on the other hand I love her. I took my ring off and everything." "I guess if you love her then it wasn't a mistake. Give her the benefit of the doubt. You have to do that kind of thing in relationships. Trust me, I should know." Paul tried to comfort him. "Paul, you're divorced." Joel shook his head and laughed. "Be that as it may, I still know what I'm talking about. I've watched a lot of movies." Paul shrugged. "I guess I'll call her later and see what happens." He said. "Glad I could help." Paul said, patting Joel's shoulder. "Now if you'll excuse me, my spider senses are tingling and I must go save the city." "Get out." Joel laughed. "Next time you visit Drew tell him I've been praying for him and shit." Paul said, waving as he left. Joel sat on the couch and sighed heavily. "Dad!" Amelia said, going down the stairs. "Can I go over to Ryan's?" "Sure." He said, not even paying attention to what she said. Within minutes Ryan pulled up in the driveway. "Bye dad!" Amelia said, leaving the house.
"Hey. I'm really sorry about last night." Ryan said as she got into the car. "It's OK. It was my fault too." She said, kissing him on the cheek. They went to his house and they were the only ones there. "Are your parents still gone?" "Yeah. My brother's gone too. It's just us." He smiled. He put his arms around her waist. "Do you remember earlier this week you said you'd make something up to me?" "Yeah." She said, blushing. "You can right now." He smiled flirtatiously and kissed her. "I'm not ready for that kind of thing." She told him. "That's fine." He said, sounding a bit annoyed. He decided he'd change the subject to try to get her up in his room."I got something cool up in my room you might like." "OK." She said, smiling. He led her up into his bedroom and he closed the door and locked it. "Nobody ever tells me no!" He yelled and backhanded her. She dropped onto her knees and started to cry. He violently grabbed her arms and dragged her to her feet. He took her shirt off and felt up her breasts. She shoved him away, but he backhanded her again. He violently took her pants and underwear off. He shoved her onto his bed and forced himself into her. After he finished he left her in his house all alone. She sat on his bedroom floor and cried. She put her clothes back on and started to walk home. All she wanted to do was hug her dad. She should've listened to him.
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Post by laura. on Feb 25, 2005 19:16:15 GMT
Chapter 20
Amelia ran up the driveway and into the house. She saw her dad typing on his laptop in the kitchen. He looked up at her and smiled.
"You're home early." He said. "Yeah." She nodded. "We decided not to see each other anymore." "I'm sorry." He walked over to her and hugged her. He noticed something was very wrong. "Why are you shaking?" "I don't want to talk about it." She said, buryng her face into his chest and sobbing. "Please tell me." He pleaded. He hugged her tighter and rested his cheek on the top of her head. "Ryan hit me." She sobbed even harder. Joel slowly let go of her and took a step back. "What?" He said in quiet anger. "When I tried to fight back he got really mad and he raped me!" She kept sobbing and she dropped to her knees. He slammed his fist on the table as hard as he could. "We're going to the police station." He said, trying to be calm. "Are we going to report it?" She asked, wiping tears off her face. He nodded. "They can run tests and we can take those results to court. He's going to jail." He told her, grabbing his keys. He gently helped her up off the floor. He shook his head in disbelief as tears welled up in his eyes. "Why my baby girl?" "After we go to the police station can we go see my dad?" She asked. "I don't know, sweetheart. I don't know how he'd take that kind of thing." He said. "I also want to go see Drew before visiting hours are over. I don't know how long this thing is going to take." "If we have time can we go see my dad?" She asked. He nodded. They got into his car and went to the police station. She had to go through tests that she found to be extremely embarrassing. They swabbed her and poked and prodded around. They said they found enough evidence there that they could probably convict him. A warrant was issued for his arrest an hour after they tested her. After they were allowed to leave Amelia sat in the car in complete silence.
"Do you want something to eat or anything?" Joel asked. She shook her head. "I just want to go home." She quietly said. "I don't want to leave you alone while I go to visit Drew." He replied. "Maybe Paul can-" "I don't need a babysitter!" She yelled. "I had a really horrible day and I just want to be left alone!" "OK." He nodded. On the way home they sat in silence. Amelia had her head against the window. Her mind was completely blank. She didn't want to think about anything. When they finally got the house she went in and locked herself in her room. She didn't ever want to leave.
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Post by laura. on Feb 25, 2005 19:17:21 GMT
Chapter 21
A week had passed since the incident with Ryan. Amelia rarely left her bedroom. All she did was lie on her bed and cry. She had been violated in the worst possible way and she wouldn't ever forget it.
"Meelers?" Joel asked, opening her door a crack. "Can I come in?" "Yeah." She quietly said. He gently sat on her bed. "How are you feeling?" He asked. "Scared." She buried her face in her pillow. "Why?" He asked, rubbing her back. "I don't want to go to court on Monday. I just want this to be over with." She started to cry. "Don't be scared. You won't have to worry about him. He's going to jail. He's there right now." He tried to comfort her. "Do you think my dad found him?" She asked, smiling for the first time in a week. "We can only hope." He smiled back. "Do you want to come downstairs for dinner?" "Yeah." She nodded and followed her dad downstairs. Drew was lying on the couch. He had been home for a few days. "Hey Drew!" "Hey." He said through his teeth and waved. Amelia sat down at the table and began to eat. There was a knock at the door and Joel got up to answer it.
"Hi." Lisa said, smiling. She hadn't talked to Joel all week. "Hi." He said back, letting her in. "I need to talk to you." She said, giving him a hug. He nodded and they went into another room. "I'm so sorry I haven't called all week, but I have a reason." "It better be a good one." He replied. "I was really embarrassed after what happened on Friday. I said something I shouldn't have and I thought you hated me." She said with tears in her eyes. "I don't hate you for that." He gave her a hug. "I have another reason why I'm here." She said, getting nervous. She took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "There's someone else." "What?" He asked, trying to comprehend what she just said. "I've been seeing somebody else." She said, looking down. "He's an old boyfriend from college." "Oh God." He said, rubbing his forehead. He laughed at his own stupidity. "You did a good job of making an asshole out of me." "Joel, please don't do this. I'm breaking it off with the other guy. I love you." She said very sincerely. "This is my fault." He shook his head. "I shouldn't have reached out to anybody. I should've just stayed here with my kids and wished my wife would somehow come back. I went out on a limb for you. You were the only person I felt something for in 12 years and you betrayed my trust." "Forgive me. I want to work this out." She started to cry. "How do I know you won't fool around again?" He asked. "Because I told you the truth. If I didn't love you why would I have told you?" She replied. "I don't know. Maybe you think I'm stupid." He said, shrugging. He left the room and she followed him to the front door. "You know what? You're pathetic! You could be having a relationship with me, but, no, you want to love a rotting corpse! She's dead! She has been for 12 years and I'm sorry you're too scared to love somebody else!" She sobbed and left the house. "Are you OK?" Amelia asked him. "She's right." He quietly said. He needed to talk to someone about what happened, but the only person that would understand him would be Benji. "Do you want to go see your dad?" "Yeah." She nodded. "Alright. I'll call Paul and have him come over to take care of Drew." He said.
A half an hour later they were at the prison and asked to see Benji. A guard said he was out in the courtyard and would go get him since he had to escort a new inmate there anyway. They watched the guard walk away and take a prisoner out of a room. It was Ryan. Amelia wanted to start crying, but she didn't. As soon as the guard let Ryan out into the courtyard he went to find Benji. Ryan rounded a corner and a few moments later a basketball hit his face. He fell onto his back and checked if his nose was bleeding.
"Sorry!" He heard someone yell. He heard someone jog over to him. The person bent down and grabbed his hand to help him up. "Thanks." Ryan said and finally looked at who was helping him. "Oh shit." "I don't want to know why you're here, but, I'm going to ask you anyway." Benji said, harshly, squeezing Ryan's hand as hard as he could. "I'm being charged with rape because your little girl doesn't want to admit she's a slut." He said, trying to get Benji mad. "When I get out of here I'll probably fuck her again." "You won't make it out of here." Benji threatened. "I've killed once and I would have no problem doing it again." "Benji, your brother and daughter are here to see you." A guard said, walking over to him. Benji helped Ryan up. "Watch yourself." He warned Ryan as he walked away with the guard. "Isn't that the same kid you scared last week?" The guard asked. "Yeah." Benji smiled and nodded. "As long as you don't hit him I don't care what you do to the kid." The guard shrugged. Benji had befriended a lot of the guards over the years. They really didn't care what he did, as long as it was legal. He was escorted into the room with the phones. He sat down across from Joel and picked the phone up.
"You're visiting me more than usual. You're spoiling me." He joked. The smile faded from his face. "I ran into Ryan outside. What happened to Amelia?" "He hit her a couple times and he......violated her." Joel said, trying to choose his words carefully. "We're going to court on Monday." "Is she OK?" He asked. "As OK as she can be right now. She's here, so you can ask her yourself when my time's up." He told him. "I need to talk to you about something else." "Alright." He said, flatly. "You remember Lisa, right? I slept with her last weekend and she told me she slept with you once while we were out on tour." He didn't want to bring it up, but he had to. "Why did you cheat on Laura, Benj?" "I never did." He shook his head. "I was dumb, but not that dumb." "OK." Joel nodded. He had no idea what to believe. "Well, anyway, we broke up because she was seeing someone else. She says she'll never cheat again and that she wants to still be with me, and I don't know what to do." "What a slut." Benji shook his head. "I don't know what to tell you. You shouldn't come to me for relationship advice." "Who else am I going to ask? Paul?" He asked. "Maybe you should give her another chance." Benji shrugged. "She might be sincere." "I'll think about it." Joel replied. "Time's up." One of the guards said. "Promise me you won't hurt Ryan." Joel said. "I promise. I'm just going to see if I can scare him so much he pisses his pants." Benji smiled. Joel shook his head. "What? I don't have many goals I can set for myself. I need some kind of hobby!" "I'll see you later, Benj." Joel smiled. He got up and Amelia sat down in his place. She picked up the phone. "Hi dad." She said. "Hi sweetheart." He smiled tenderly. "How are you?" "I'm OK." She replied. "I have something for you. I'll give it to one of the guards and he'll bring it over there." He said. He got up for a few seconds and then sat back down. "I wish you weren't in here." She said, starting to cry. "I need my real dad right now." "I can still be here for you, just not as much as I'd like to be." He told her. A guard handed her something. She held it up and it was a rosary. "You can't give me this." She said, looking at it. "I have another one." He assured her. "You brought that picture to me, so I figured I should give something to you." "Thank you." She smiled. "I love you." "I love you too." He smiled back. "If you see Ryan can you kick his ass?" She asked. "I already saw him and I threw a basketball at his face." He told her. She laughed. "I have to make things look like an accident. I'm trying to really behave myself so I might be eligible for parole in 20 years or so." "I hope you can get out sooner." She said. He knew he'd never be able to leave, but he didn't want to tell her that. He didn't want to break her heart. "Time's up." The same guard said. "Hopefully I'll see you soon." She smiled. "Bye daddy." "Bye Meelers." He smiled. Her and Joel left the prison. She held her new rosary in her hand and grinned. She had something else to remind her of her dad.
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Post by laura. on Feb 25, 2005 19:17:58 GMT
Chapter 22
"Oh. Hi." Lisa said, opening her front door. "Sorry I didn't call beforehand or anything, but I need to talk to you." Joel said. "OK." She said, letting him in. She sat down on the couch and he sat next to her. "I'm really sorry about earlier." He told her. "You have nothing to be sorry about. I'm the one that needs to apologize." She said, putting her hand on his arm. "I'm really sorry for what I said. You're not pathetic, and I feel horrible about the rotting corpse thing. That was very insensitive of me." "I forgive you." He smiled and hugged her. "Would you be willing to give this whole relationship thing another try?" "Anything for you." She smiled back. "I also came here to ask a favor." He said. "I would like you to go with me somewhere on Monday. You'd have to take the day off, and I don't know if that would be a problem." "No. I still have a few sick days left. Where are you going?" She asked. "Court." He said quietly. "What for?" She asked, getting concerned. "Ryan.......violated Amelia." He said, choking on the word "violated." He hated using it, but it sounded better than "raped." "What?!" She asked in horror. "Last Saturday he took her to his house and he-" He trailed off. "He's been in jail all week and after Monday he better be there for a long time." "I wondered why she hadn't been at school all week. The poor thing." She said being very sympathetic. "How is she?" "She's doing a bit better." He nodded. "She's at least coming out of her room." "Well that's good." She tried being optimistic. "How about Drew?" "He's also doing a bit better." He told her. "I've never been so stressed out in my life." "I can imagine." She rubbed his back. "Is there anything I can do?" "I'd appreciate it if you could make it on Monday." He replied. "Anything else?" She asked seductively, stradling his lap. She kissed him. "You know, sex is a great stress reliever." "Right now isn't a good time." He said. "Sorry." "Are you sure?" She asked as she started to grind her hips on him. He closed his eyes momentarily to enjoy it. He suddenly remembered he had something to ask her. He gently moved her off of him. "I talked with Benji earlier and he said he never slept with you. I just need to know the truth." He said. "Trust me. We slept together." She replied. "Do you have any proof?" He asked. "I don't mean to doubt you or anything." "Actually I do." She said, getting up and leaving the room. She came back in and showed a picture to him. "That's my son." "Son?" He asked, taking the picture. The baby looked just like Benji. "Holy shit." "I never got a chance to tell him." She said. "Where is he?" Joel asked. "He died when he was three months old." She replied. "What happened?" He asked. "SIDS." She said quietly. She paused. "That's why I wanted to go with you next time you saw him. I need to tell him." "I'll call you next time before I visit him." He promised. "He probably won't even remember me." She shook her head. "Why did he cheat on her? She loved him." He said with tears in his eyes. "He had a beautiful wife and a beautiful baby girl at home." "I didn't know, I swear." She started to cry. He hugged her and tried to comfort her. "Don't worry about it. It wasn't your fault." He told her. "I love you." She said. "I love you too." He replied.
On Monday everybody went to the courthouse. Paul, Billy, and Chris were sitting next to Joel. It reminded him of when Benji was on trial. Only this time Amelia wasn't in his lap, she was telling the story of her rape. Lisa held his hand the entire time and tried to keep him calm. While Ryan was giving his side of the story he said Amelia consented and he didn't do anything wrong. He told the story of how Amelia said she'd make something up to him, and the jury shook their heads. Joel wanted to kill him. It didn't take long for the jury to decide their verdict. When they all filed back in and took their seats they said Ryan was not guilty. The courtroom erupted as Ryan's parents hugged him and congratulated him, and with Joel screaming at Ryan. Paul had to restrain him and then a police officer escorted him out. Amelia just sat there and didn't show any emotion. She knew the verdict was wrong. Time moved in slow motion. She saw Ryan looking over at her and when her gaze caught his he smirked. Paul walked with her out to the parking lot. She saw her dad leaning against his car. She had never seen him look so angry. She ran to him and hugged him. She couldn't control her emotions anymore and she started to sob.
"This isn't over, sweetheart." He told her. "He's going to jail." "How?!" She asked in between sobs. "Statutory rape." He replied. "He's not getting away with it." "I swear I didn't consent!" She sobbed. "I swear it!" "I know." He rubbed her back. Ryan's parents walked over to where everybody was standing. "Look what you did! You ruined our Ryan's reputation!" His mom said. "Your Ryan didn't have a good reputation to begin with." Lisa stepped in. "Who do you think you are?" His dad asked. "His English teacher." Lisa replied. "By the way, your Ryan is failing." "Is this some kind of plan to ruin my son's life?" His dad asked her. "With all due respect, actually, no, I take that back, I really do mean this, your son probably won't have much of a life outside of a McDonald's." Paul chimed in. "How dare you!" His mom exclaimed. "I'm not even going to bother with you! You probably didn't even make anything of yourself!" "You're right. I never made any money." Paul shrugged and then rolled his eyes. "And you are a horrible person." Mrs. Braden said, pointing at Joel. "What kind of daughter are you raising?!" "Why don't you keep this at an adult level?" Chris said. "No wonder your kid's so fucked up." "Don't worry about it, Chris. He'll get his time in prison." Paul said. "He will not be going to prison!" Mrs. Braden huffed. "You'll see." Paul smirked and looked at Joel. "Now if you'll excuse us, we're going to leave. Why don't you and your son go fuck yourselves?" "How rude!" Mrs. Braden exclaimed, walking away. "Can we go home now?" Amelia quietly asked. "Yeah. I'm so sorry." Joel said, hugging her even tighter. They got into his car and drove off.
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Post by laura. on Feb 25, 2005 19:19:04 GMT
Chapter 23
A few days passed and Joel was getting ready to go to another court date. He was sure this time Ryan would be put away for statutory rape.
"Dad?" Amelia asked, opening his bedroom door. "Yeah?" He replied, straightening his tie. "I just got sick to my stomach. Do we have any crackers I could eat to settle it?" She asked quietly. "We should." He told her. "Are you scared or something?" "Mmmhmm." She nodded. He walked over to her and hugged her. "Everything's going to be fine. I promise." He kissed her forehead. "I don't want to go back to school. The other kids will know about this and they'll tease me. I've been gone for over a week and I'm really behind in my classes." She said. "Drew will be privately tutored when he gets better, so I don't see why you can't be either." He said, trying to cheer her up. "Is Lisa coming today?" She asked. "No. She didn't want to take another day off, but she wished she could've." He replied. "Oh." She said and smirked. She didn't want Lisa there. She had no business being there. She watched her dad fix his hair and she noticed something was missing. "Where's your ring?" "I took it off." He replied. "Why?" She asked. "Because it's been 12 years." He answered. "You don't love mom anymore?" Tears welled up in her eyes. "Amelia, I will never stop loving your mother. Nothing will change that. I just decided that I needed to move on." He told her, putting his shoes on. "Not even Lisa?" She asked. "Not even Lisa." He shook his head. "I wish I never met Ryan." She sighed. "There's a reason for everything. Maybe something good will come out of this." He smiled at her. "Like what?" She asked. "Well, he could've done what he did to someone else, and they might've been to scared to come forward and tell someone what happened." He told her. "You're very brave." "Really?" She asked. That made her feel better. "Yeah." He nodded. "You know, I think I said the same thing to your mother once. She told my mom that she was being abused. She kept it a secret for a long time. I'm really glad you didn't. I'm very proud of you." "Thanks." She hugged him. Someone rang the doorbell. "I'll go get it." "I'll be down in a minute." He said as she walked out of his room. She went downstairs and opened the door.
"Paul!" She exclaimed and hugged him. "Meelers! You ready to kick some ass today?" He asked. "You know it!" She said, smiling. Paul always knew how to make her smile. "Drew, not those shoes with that cast. It doesn't match." He said. Drew had been on the couch for over a week, but he was going to the courthouse with them today. He felt well enough to walk. Joel came downstairs. "Dude, time has not made you any less hot." "Thanks, babe." He winked. He looked at his watch. "We should get going." "Right on." Paul said. Joel helped Drew up from the couch. They got into his car and on the way there Amelia held her dad's rosary. "Where did you get that?" Paul asked. "My dad gave it to me." She said and smiled. "Which one?" He asked. "Benji." She replied. Joel smiled to himself because she didn't say her "real" dad. He often wondered if she even thought of him as her dad, or just her uncle. He didn't want to ask her, just in case she said what he didn't want to hear.
They finally arrived at the courthouse and Amelia's stomach was in knots. She felt like she was going to be sick again. They sat down and the trial began. This time it was going the way they planned. Ryan was found guilty and sentenced to 12 months in prison. The reactions for each side were the exact polar opposite then they were before. This time, Ryan's family and friends were crying while Amelia finally got what she wanted. They went out in the hallway and Amelia saw someone familiar walking away from them with two police officers.
"Dad!" She yelled.
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Post by laura. on Feb 25, 2005 19:19:36 GMT
Chapter 24
"Dad!" She yelled again. He turned around and smiled. She ran down the hall and hugged him. He couldn't hug her back because he was in handcuffs. "Hi sweetheart." He kissed her forehead. "He's going to jail!" She exclaimed. "He got away with it on Monday, but this time he didn't!" "I think me and him are going to be really good friends." He joked. "What are you doing here?" She asked. "I had a hearing to see whether or not I'd ever be eligible for parole." He replied. "Are you?" She quickly asked. "I will be in three years." He nodded and smiled. "I hope you can get out." She hugged him. "I hope I can too." He said. Joel, Paul, and Drew finally got over to them. "Benj!" Paul said and hugged him. "I haven't gotten to actually see you in so long I forgot how short you were. Awwwwwww my little man." "And it's been so long since I've gotten to see you and you're.................still really fucking fat." Benji replied, smiling. "Time hasn't dulled you." Paul said. "Hey Benj. How are you?" Joel asked, hugging his brother. "Great. I'm eligible for parole in three years." He told him. "That's the best news I've gotten in a long time." He smiled. He gently pulled Drew next to him. "Drew, this is your Uncle Benji." "Hi." He muttered through his teeth. He still couldn't open his mouth. "If I could be I'd smile right now." "He's smiling on the inside." Paul said. "It's nice to see you again, Drew." Benji smiled. "If I could I'd hug you right now." "If I could I'd do a cartwheel right now." Paul said. "Sorry. I'll shut up." "I've longed to hear you say that." Benji teased. Drew slowly stepped up to Benji and hugged him with his arm that isn't broken. "I'm really sorry I haven't been able to be an uncle to you." "You can make up for it in three years when you're on parole." Drew said as he walked back by his dad. "We should be getting back now, Benji." One of the guards said. It was the guard that takes Amelia to see her dad. "Alright." He nodded. Everybody hugged him again and they walked away. "Do you think he'll get out in three years?" Paul asked. "I hope so." Joel replied. "Well, Meelers, you want to go out and celebrate?" Paul asked her. "Are you buying?" She asked in reply. "Pfft. You're not my kid." He teased. They got in the car and went back to their house. When they pulled up in the driveway Lisa's car was there and she was standing outside the front door.
"I didn't think that would've taken as long." She said, smiling. "I came here as soon as I could. How did it go?" "Great. He'll be in jail for a year." Joel replied and gave her a kiss. "Congratulations, Amelia." She said, hugging her. She was in a good mood, so she hugged her back. She carefully hugged Drew next. "I'm so happy to see you up and about!" "Thanks." Drew muttered. Paul opened his arms and grinned at her. She gave him a quick hug and then followed Joel into the house. "Bitch didn't even want to hug me. Whatever. I don't need her." Paul whispered to Amelia. "I know. Did you see the look on her face? I think she secretly wants you, but doesn't want my dad to know." She whispered back. He laughed and hugged her. "I have a great idea." He announced. "Why don't we call Billy and Chris and have them over and we'll order pizzas or something?" "Yeah! Can we, dad?" Amelia asked. "Sure." He shrugged. "Sweet. I'll get a keg too." Paul said. "You ever have beer, Amelia?" "No." She shook her head. "You will tonight, my dear." He said, putting his arm around her. "No booze." Joel said, shaking his head. "Your dad sucks." Paul said to Amelia. "Which one?" She asked. "They both do." He joked.
A few hours later Billy and his wife Linzi arrived with their three children. Then Chris and his wife Andrea and their two kids arrived moments later. After everybody hugged each other Joel started the introductions.
"Amelia, this is Billy's wife, Linzi. This is his daughter Lillian, his son Mike, and his other daughter Olivia. Then this is Chris' wife Andrea and their daughter Audrey and their son Cameran." He said. Everybody said hi to her and the kids started running around and playing. Amelia sat on the couch with Drew. "Everybody here, except Lillian, are the same age and they all know each other. I feel kind of left out." She said, slouching. She heard all the adults were in the kitchen talking and laughing. "Usually I hang out with Mike, but I really can't right now." Drew said through his teeth. She didn't reply. She noticed Lillian sitting in a corner by herself and drawing. She looked just like her dad. She was tall and very skinny. Amelia got up and sat by her. "Hi." She said, being very friendly. "What are you drawing?" "I have to do a self portrait for my art class." She replied quietly. She even acted like her dad. "Are you a freshman?" She asked. "Unfortunately." Lillian answered. "I've never seen you at school before." She said, trying to make conversation. "I don't usually hang out in the hallways. I'm in the art classroom a lot. I even eat lunch in there." She replied. "I eat lunch with my English teacher. I hate being in the cafeteria." Amelia said. "But I'm going to be home school soon instead." "You're lucky. I hate being at school. I don't have any friends." Lillian told her. Paul came in through the front door with some beer. He looked over at the girls and mouthed "booze" and gave them a thumbs up. "My dad is going to kill you." Amelia joked. "I could easily kick his ass. He can try all he wants." He replied. "You girls want to have a drink with your Uncle Paul?" "I'll keep you company, but I won't drink anything." Amelia replied. "No thanks. I'll just stay here and draw." Lillian answered. "Are you sure you don't want to at least sit with us?" Amelia asked. "I'm sure. I have to have this finished by tomorrow and I just started it." She replied and went back to her drawing. Amelia got up and followed Paul into another room. She sat by him as he opened a bottle of beer.
"I have a question." She said. "Do you ever get to see your kids?" "No." He shook his head. "I call them every once in awhile, but they never want to talk to me." "I'm sorry." She said. "Sorry I brought it up. I just wanted to know." "That's alright." He said, taking a sip. "I hope you don't mind, but I think of you and Drew like my actual niece and nephew. You've been calling me Uncle Paul ever since you could talk, but you've called everybody else uncle just because they're friends with your dad. Don't tell anybody, but out of all of our kids, besides mine of course, you two are my favorites." "Why us?" She asked, smiling that she knew a secret. "You were the first one to come along. All of us were there when your mom was in labor. You were the first baby I've really gotten to hold, and that was the day after you were born. We went to visit your mom in the hospital and she let me hold you. Then Drew was the first boy. After your mom died I'd babysit him a lot. Then after my wife left he was the one I saw the most. I rarely get to see Lillian, Mike, Olivia, Audrey, and Cameran. I always saw Drew the most, so he was like my son. I'm really glad you're back, Meelers." "I'm glad I'm back too." She smiled. She couldn't believe that Paul could be serious. "One of these days you should come over to my house. I have tons of pictures of me and you from when you lived in Hawaii. We used to visit every couple of months and we had a blast." He told her. "I can still hear your mom yell 'Paul don't you dare throw her into the pool!'" "I wish I could remember her. Everybody tells me how great she was." She said, looking at her hands. "She was a really great person. We all really miss her a lot." He said. "I'm sure you could ask your dad about her, and when you come over I can show you videotapes of her. It won't be the same, but you can at least see what she was like." "I'd like that very much." She said. "The only memory I have of her is seeing her die." "I'm sure you have other memories of her. Just because you can't remember offhand doesn't mean they're not there." He said, trying to comfort her. He paused for a little bit to drink more of his beer. He started to laugh a little bit. "I remember one time while we were visiting you guys and Billy, Chris, and I were knocking on the door for about five minutes and no one answered it. So we just decided to walk in. You were sitting on the couch watching TV and your mom and dad were nowhere to be found. I picked you up and we went upstairs and burst through your parent's bedroom and walked in on them having sex. Then we closed the door really fast and you said 'They're playing leapfrog!' I almost pissed my pants." "How old was I?" She asked, laughing. "It was your 4th birthday." He told her. "I thought it was amazing they were still doing it even though she was pregnant." "Ew!" She said, laughing. "Since that day I have never burst into another bedroom." He joked. "I'm glad I don't remember that." She smiled. "I'm glad I do. I saw your mom naked." He teased her. "You should call your ex-wife and have her send your kids over here." She said, changing the subject. "I'm supposed to see them every other month, but she doesn't bother with it. One of these days I should just go out there and see them. I miss my kids." He replied.
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Post by laura. on Feb 25, 2005 19:19:59 GMT
(Chapter 24 cont.)
"I can imagine you would." She said. "In the meantime you have Drew and I!" "This is true." He said, giving her a hug. "If it makes you feel any better you're my favorite out of all my uncles!" She smiled. "Well duh. I'm hot." He joked. "Let's go back out there and enjoy the party." "OK, but I have one more question." She said. "Do you think my dad will ever get remarried?" "I don't know. It's possible, but I don't think he'd marry Lisa." He shook his head. "Really? Good. I hope he doesn't marry her." She agreed. "He'll realize she's a slut. Trust me." He smiled. They got up and joined the party again. She enjoyed her little talk with Paul. She was happy she found someone she could confide in, even though he isn't female.
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Post by laura. on Feb 25, 2005 19:20:50 GMT
Chapter 25
Amelia woke up the next morning and felt like she was going to be sick again. She ran into the bathroom and threw up. She wasn't sure why she felt so sick. She wasn't nervous or anything. She went into her dad's room and saw that Lisa had stayed the night.
"Dad." She whispered, shaking his shoulder. "Dad, wake up." "What?" He groggily asked. "I got sick again." She told him. He sat up and she internally sighed with relief that he was clothed. "Are you feeling OK?" He asked. "I feel better now that I threw up." She replied. "Go and lie down in your room and I'll get the thermometer." He said, standing up. "OK." She nodded and left. Lisa woke up and got dressed. "I should get going if I want to make it to work on time." She said, putting her shoes on. She stood up and wrapped her arms around him. "I'd really hate to suggest this, but maybe you should consider giving Amelia a pregnancy test just to be on the safe side." "I don't think that's why she's sick." He said. "You never know. Don't just dismiss the idea because you'd be afraid of the result." She told him. She smiled and kissed him. "I'll see you later." "Yeah." He said quietly, not even looking at her. She left the room and he sat down on his bed and thought about what she said. The more he thought about it the more it made sense. He got the thermometer and went into her room.
"Amelia, I'm sorry to even ask this, but, did you have your period yet this month?" He asked. "No. Why?" She asked in reply. "When are you supposed to start?" He asked her. "I was supposed to last week." She answered. He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Why?" "Could you do a favor for me?" He asked. "Sure." She said, getting suspicious. "Would you take a pregnancy test for me?" He asked. "I don't want to." She shook her head and started crying. "I'd be too scared." "I know, but we have to be sure." He said, hugging her. "I didn't mean to upset you." "I already thought about it." She said, crying even harder. "I'm so scared." "Don't be. You'll be OK." He tried to comfort her. "I'll go buy one right now, and we'll know for sure, OK?" "Mmhmm." She nodded, wiping tears from her cheeks. He got dressed and went to a drug store. He picked up a prengnacy test and walked to the checkout. He never dreamed he'd be picking one up for his 16 year old daughter. He walked up to the checkout and set it on the counter. After he paid for it he drove back to his house. The entire way home he prayed that she wouldn't be pregnant. She was way too young.
"I'm so scared." She said, crying. She had just taken the test and Joel set a timer for five minutes. "I'm scared too." He admitted. "I'm going to go check on Drew. I should be back before the timer goes off." "OK." She said, kneading her hands. She sat on the edge of the bathtub and started to cry. She had never been so scared in her entire life. Two minutes passed and Joel came back in the bathroom. He sat by her and put his arm around her shoulders. She could tell he was scared too. Her mind was racing and it seemed like the longest five minutes of her entire life. The timer finally went off, interrupting her thoughts. "I can't look. You do it." "Alright." He said, getting up. He picked up the test and stared at it. He stood there, emotionless, for a few seconds before tears welled up in his eyes. He looked over at her. He slowly handed the test to her. "I'm so sorry, baby." "Oh God!" She screamed and began to sob. She fell to the floor and she was crying so hard she couldn't move. Joel helped her off the floor and hugged her. "I don't want to have a baby!" "I know you don't." He said, quietly. "I hate him!" She sobbed. "I don't want this baby!" "What other choice do you have?" He asked. She looked up at him. "I could give it up for adoption." She replied. "You know what it's like to grow up not knowing your parents. Would you want to put your child through the same thing?" He asked. She shook her head. "There's no way in hell I'm letting you get an abortion." "I don't want an abortion." She said. "Good." He said, quietly. "I guess I really don't have a choice." She said, trying to stop herself from crying. "You won't be going through this alone. Your family is here for you and we'll help you in any way we can." He assured her. He kissed her forehead. "I'll go make something for you to eat." "Thanks." She said. "I love you dad." "I love you too." He smiled.
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Post by laura. on Feb 25, 2005 19:22:03 GMT
Chapter 26
Amelia slowly went downstairs and she heard her dad in the kitchen making her breakfast. She stood in the doorway and watched him for a few minutes. She felt really bad for him. She knew everything hadn't been easy for him. She wished she could do something to help.
"Dad." She finally said. He turned around and looked at her. "Do you think I could go see my dad?" "I'm not in the mood to be driving around right now." He replied, going back to what he was doing. "Are you mad at me?" She asked. "No." He shook his head. "Then what are you mad about?" She asked. "Ryan, the justice system, and myself." He said, chopping an apple. "I don't know why I let you out with that little son of a bitch." "This isn't your fault. It's my fault for not telling you he was hurting me." She said, starting to cry. "I feel like I'm going to embarrass you once I start to show." "I would never be embarrassed of you." He assured her. "Unless you started dating Drew." "Well he is kind of cute." She joked. He smiled at her and hugged her. "Oh God, I'm going to be a grandparent." He jokingly sighed. "If it makes you feel any better you don't look like you would be. It just means you're really old." She teased. "I'm not that old." He smiled. He got some plates and put some food on them and set them on the table. They both sat and started eating. "Do you remember when my mom got pregnant with me?" She asked. "Yep." He nodded. "She was scared." "I figured it out, and they weren't married when I was born were they?" She asked. "No." He replied. "They got married six months after you were born." "As much as I love my dad, sometimes I wish my mom didn't marry him." She admitted. "Maybe she'd still be here." "I don't know." He shrugged. She could tell he didn't want to talk about her. "If you're feeling up to it later can we please go visit my dad?" She pleaded. He looked up at her and sighed. "Fine." He quietly replied.
A few hours later they were walking up to the familiar building. She was scared to find out what her dad was going to do. She knew he wouldn't do anything to her, but she feared for Ryan. They were led into the room with the phones and she sat down across from her dad. Before either of them could say anything she started to cry.
"What's wrong?" He asked. "I don't know how to tell you." She sobbed. "Tell me what?" He asked, getting very concerned. "Just tell me." "I'm pregnant." She quietly said. She looked up at her dad and he sat there emotionless. "Dad?" "I'm going to fucking kill him." He said, angrily. "Don't do anything to him!" She said, crying. "If you do something to him you won't be out in three years." "You're right." He nodded, calming down. He drew in a long, slow breath and exhaled slowly. "My baby's having a baby." "I decided if it's a boy I'm naming him after you." She smiled and tried to cheer him up. "What's your middle name?" "Levi." He said. She laughed. "Are you making fun of my name?" "Yes." She laughed again. "You think that's bad? Joel's middle name is Rueben." He smiled. "What??" She laughed even harder. "Can you do a favor for me?" He asked, getting serious. She nodded. "Don't let Ryan near the baby after it's born." "That was the plan." She told him. "Then when you're out on parole you can see the baby whenever you want." "That would be nice." He said. "Time's up." A guard informed her. She always hated hearing that. "I'll let you know how everything's going every month OK?" She said. He nodded. "I love you, Meelers." He smiled. "I love you too." She smiled back and walked away. While they walked to the car she felt afraid for Ryan and for her dad. She didn't want him to hurt Ryan. She didn't want him killing anybody again.
sorry it's short, but i'm not in a very good mood..
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Post by laura. on Feb 25, 2005 19:22:52 GMT
Chapter 27
"Hey Paul." Joel said, answering his phone. "Amelia told me everything that's going on right now, and that you visited Benj this morning. How did he take it?" He asked. "I didn't talk to him. I don't know." Joel shrugged. "How are you holding up, champ?" He asked. "I need a drink." Joel replied, sighing. "I'll come get you and we'll go and have a few beers. We'll laugh, cry, go back to my place, put on some romantic music, and see what happens from there." Paul jokingly flirted. "I can't wait." Joel said, being very sarcastic. "I'll see you in a little bit. Bye, sweetpea." Paul said and hung up. Joel went upstairs and knocked on Amelia's bedroom door.
"Come in." She said. She was sitting at her computer desk writing something in a notebook. "I'm going to be out with Paul for a while, so could you take care of Drew for me?" He asked. "Sure." She nodded and went back to her writing. "What are you doing?" He asked. "I'm writing a letter to my dad." She replied. "Oh." He said, quietly. "I'm really glad you get along with him." "Am I not supposed to?" She asked, not looking up from her writing. He wanted to ask her if she thought of him as just her uncle, but he didn't. "Why wouldn't you? He's your dad." He replied. He paused. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow." "Goodnight." She said. "Goodnight." He smiled slightly. He was still in shock that she was pregnant. The last thing he thought he'd have to do is take care of a grandchild when he was about to turn 40. Paul parked in the driveway and honked the horn. Joel got into his car.
"Sorry about the honking, but I didn't feel like getting up." Paul said. "I know you're lazy." Joel said, buckling his seatbelt. "I'll take you to my favorite bar. A lot of singles our age hang out there. Maybe I can pick up a chick tonight." He said, backing out of the driveway. "Oh, so that's why you're actually wearing pants." Joel teased him. "Hopefully they won't be on long if you know what I mean!" Paul laughed. "You haven't gotten any since your wife left, have you?" He asked. "Not at all." He replied. They parked across the street from the bar and they went in. Joel looked around and saw somebody he recognized. Lisa was sitting at the bar kissing another man. He walked up to her and cleared his throat to make himself known.
"Joel! What are you doing here?" She asked, looking horrified and guilty. "At least I know what you mean when you say you won't cheat on me again." He replied. "Let me explain-" She started to say. "Don't bother. I don't want to hear it. In fact, I don't want to see you again." He interrupted her. He looked at the guy she was with. "Just so you know, she's horrible in bed." "HA!" Paul exclaimed, pointing at Lisa. Joel walked out of the bar and Paul followed. "Are you alright?" "I'm fine." He quietly said. "I'm just fan-fucking-tastic. My girlfriend cheated on me again, my 16 year old daughter is pregnant, and my son can hardly walk because he was beaten up. So, yes, I'm just great!" "Do you want to go somewhere else?" He asked, changing the subject. "I just want to be alone if that's OK." He replied. "How are you going to get home?" He asked. "I'll take a cab. Please, just leave me alone." Joel said as he started to walk away. "I'll call you tomorrow or something to see if you got home safely." Paul yelled after him. Joel kept walking. He made a mistake by dating Lisa and he felt stupid. She took advantage of him. He saw a bar and went in. He sat down and ordered a drink. He wasn't paying attention to anybody else in there. All he wanted to do was get drunk and forget about everything going on.
"Excuse me? Excuse me?" A voice asked from behind him. He turned and looked at them. "Sorry to bother you, but I was just wondering if this seat was taken." A woman asked. "No, go ahead." He quietly said. "Thanks." She said, getting on the stool. She ordered a drink and then looked over at Joel. "You look depressed. Is everything OK?" "Not really. Recently every single one of my worst nightmares has been happening." He told her. "The same thing has been happening to me." She said. "By the way, I'm Emily." "I'm Joel." He said, shaking her hand. "I've always liked that name." She said, smiling shyly. "If you don't mind telling me, what's been going wrong for you?" "Well, I just found out my girlfriend's been cheating on me." He told her. "That's horrible!" She said, sympathetically. "I'm so sorry!" "I wasn't seeing her for very long, so I'm glad she did this now instead of months from now or something." He said, shrugging. "What's been going wrong for you?" "My boyfriend just dumped me for another woman. A much younger woman. I'm not sure if she was even 18." She replied. "Then I found out I'll be working somewhere else now. I'm being transferred. I'm a teacher, and someone got fired, so I have to replace them." "What school are you being transferred to?" He asked. "Kennedy High School." She replied. "My daughter and son go there. Well, at least they used to." He said. "Sorry if this sounds weird, but, you don't look old enough to have kids in high school." She said, blushing. "Thanks. I've been feeling pretty old lately." He said, giving her a charming smile. "I've got to get going, but do you think we could get together some time?" "That would be great!" She smiled. She wrote down her phone number and gave it to him. "It was nice meeting you." He said. "It was nice meeting you too." She blushed. "I'll call you sometime." He said. She nodded and he left. He hailed a cab and on the way home he thought about Emily. He had a good feeling about her.
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