Cotton Candy

17. Coming Home

Friday June 1

Janae's P.O.V.

            It's 2 A.M. and I can't sleep.  I'm so excited to go home!  I haven't been home in a while and I can't wait to catch up with Chelsea and say hello to mom and dad.  Also, I'd be really nice to get away from Tanner.  Oh wait, he's my neighbor!  Isn't it bad enough that we go to the same college and have every class together and now I have to see him when I go home too? 

            I miss him.  I love him.  Tanner Collin used to be my everything, he still is, but he doesn't need to know that.  As much as I want to forget about my feelings for him, I can't.  He was my first and only love.  I guess that's why it's so hard for me to stop caring about him.

            On the other hand, I despise him.  We were happily dating, at least I thought so, and then out of the nowhere I find out he's cheating on me!  How could he?  Wasn't I good enough for him?  I guess not because he had to go sneaking around with another girl.  Or maybe that was his plan all along, to break my heart or to use me to get to someone else.

            Boys.  I never liked them.  Well, I suppose I can't say that, but they drive me nuts!  You don't just tell someone you love them and then cheat on them!  It's unfair, it's wrong.  And now...

            I just recently heard news that he has a girlfriend named Rachel.  I actually know who Rachel is.  She's, well, what's the nicest way to put this?  She's mean, conceited, and incredibly fake.  Yeah, that's right, I said it.  How could Tanner date someone like HER?  Whatever happened to the girl he was cheating on me with?

            Well, I hope he's happy.  When she breaks his heart, he'll see how it feels.  How it feels to have someone you want to spend the rest of your life with, and then they just rip your heart out all of a sudden with no warning at all. 

            I slowly drift off to sleep with HIS face behind my eyelids. 

            I wake up and glance at the clock again.  It's now 4:25 A.M.  Well at least I'm making progress.  I sigh.  Only a couple more hours until home sweet home.  The only thing that I'm not looking forward to is leaving my roommate, Kelsey, behind. 

            You see, Kelsey has become my best friend.  I can tell her anything and everything and I love it.  It's so nice to be able to have someone to pour your heart out to and listens to your venting.  So why am I worried about leaving her here?  Because she's not all that much of an independent person.  She gets really lonely easily and she isn't going home until tomorrow. 

            I just hope she can cope without me.  It won't be that long that she'll be alone.  She can go hang out with some of the other college students who will still be behind after I leave. 

            There's a I tingling in my stomach.  Butterflies they call them.  I normally get them when I'm nervous, but I guess it happens when you're anxious too.  I look over at the figure laying in the bed across from me.  Kelsey is sound asleep.  Well I guess more like to her she's sound asleep, but to me she's not because she's snoring like a bear.

            I turn over in my bed and close my eyes.  Luckily, I'm so tired that I can still fall asleep, despite the butterflies and Kelsey's obnoxious snoring.

            I feel something fall on me and immediately start screaming. 

            "Shoot!  Sorry!"  Kelsey says as she gets up off my bed.

            Opening my eyes and looking at her, I glare over at her silhouette.  "Why did you just fall on me?"

            "I said I was sorry!   I'm trying to put my jeans on in the dark because you were still asleep."

            That's a pretty logical reason.  We both know that Kelsey isn't exactly what you would call coordinated.  It's a good thing she never wanted to be a ballerina, gymnast, or anything that requires good balance.

            "You know, I'd rather you turn on the light instead of falling on me again."

            Kelsey clumsily walks over to the wall and finds the switch after a few seconds of searching.  She turns and looks at me, "Better?"

            "Hmm..  Almost.  Put your jeans on and I'll be perfectly happy," I reply while laughing.

            Her face turns red.  "Well, don't be watching!"

            "I wasn't trying to!"  I slowly crawl out of my bed and gather my clothes for today.

            We both finish getting ready and finish packing our bags.  Since I'm going home for the summer, I won't be back until the end of August, so I have to make sure I've got everything. 

            Everything is packed, so I take another look around the room.  Yep, I've got all my stuff.  Now it's time to say goodbye to Kelsey.

            She stands up so I can hug her.  I'm really going to miss her.  "Bye, Kels.  I'm going to miss you!"

            She starts to sob.  "I'm going to miss you too Janae!  You have to call me every night and let me know what's happening in that small town of yours!"

            I laugh.  "Every night?  Really?  Won't you have enough to deal with your family and everything?"  Kelsey and her family don't get along the greatest.  "How about at least three times a week?"

            She frowns at my comment about her family.  It's a touchy subject with her.  "Yeah, I guess that'll work."  She smiles slowly at first and then it widens.  "If Tanner hurts you again, be sure to call me and I'll teach him a lesson!"

            I smile at her.  She always knows what to say to make me feel better.  "Will do!"  I can just see her coming into town and screaming at Tanner and him looking completely scared.  Kelsey can be very scary when she wants to. 

            We stop hugging and I wave goodbye to her as I leave the room with my bags.  The bigger stuff has already been taken care of so I just have my clothes and other small objects to take with me. 

            I head outsides to the front parking lot where I meet my mom and dad standing there both grinning.  I walk over quickly and give them both a big hug.  Dad loads my luggage into the car and the three of us pile in for the long drive home.  Too bad Chelsea couldn't be here right now to greet me, but she's currently at school right now.  That stinks for her!

            We're going to have to have some long sisterly bonding.  I can't wait to hear what she's been up to since our last phone call and can't wait to see her!  I haven't actually seen her in person since before the stabbing.  The stabbing...  If I ever meet that man, he better be sure to watch out!  He's in jail right now though, so it doesn't matter.  Anyway, I hope Chelsea has listen to my wise wisdom about staying away from Jake.  I know it sounds mean and all for me to tell her who to hang out with, but I just couldn't bare to see her get hurt like I did.