Broadway Baby

Chapter 5

//Eden//

In a moment of weakness I had let her win. Maybe it was time for me to come home, or maybe I was being stupid. Megan came into my room, and sat a box down.

"Here's this for the extra stuff you can't fit in your bag." I nodded without looking at her, I was going to miss living with Aunt C. "You know you can talk to me. I would love it if you would just talk to me." It had been 2 days since the big confession had come out, and since then I hadn't said a word, or even left my room.

Megan went to my closet and pulled out my clothes from the hangers. She took my shoes, each pair one at a time and settled them down deep in the box.

"Megan. I need you to give me a couple minutes." The familiar feeling came back to the pit of my stomach. As she left, I pulled open my dresser drawer, and found my closest friend. The blade felt cold in my hands, I hadn't touched it in a couple weeks. I pulled down my pants, to get to my hip. There were scars on each side, I always hid them. The cut was my relief, it was something I could control. Bleeding meant I was alive, and sometimes that's something you've got to remember. There was a knock at my door, the knob was slowly turning.

"Just a second!" I quickly pulled back on my pants and wiped the blade on a tissue.

"Eden, the taxi is out waiting, how long will you be?"

"I'm almost done!" I called, nervous sweat started to form on my forehead. There was still stuff that needed to be packed, but I grabbed most of what I could and stuffed it into the box. I grabbed the tin container from under my bed, which contained all of my past and put it into my bag. I didn't want anyone else seeing it.

I yanked the bag over my shoulder and walked out. "The box is on the bed, it's too heavy for me to carry." Christa rolled her eyes with a smile and went in to grab it. I sat my bag in the back seat of the taxi, and waited for my Aunt to come outside.

"I'm going to miss you more than you know!" She pulled me into a huge hug, I felt a pang in my hip and pulled away. "What? Am I contaminated or something?" She gave me a half grin. I gave a little laugh, and went back Ito her arms.

"I'm going to miss you too. And I'm going to visit you so much! It will be like I never left." I smiled at her, "Please don't forget to call."

"I won't." She squeezed my arm, "I love you."

"I love you too." I said as I ducked my head into the taxi. Outside, Megan gave Aunt C a hug, and then opened the door and sat beside me. The pain in my hip was getting worse, I hadn't cut that deep this time. I hadn't bandaged my cut, crap.

"How long is this ride going to take." I looked at Megan, the panicky feeling didn't leave my stomach.

"Only about 20 minutes. I didn't know you didn't like taxi rides." She touched my hair. Twenty minutes? I couldn't have the blood show through my pants, no one could find out about this. I pulled my shirt down over my side that way it wouldn't be noticeable if I bled through.

"Brian is going to be there," She but her lip, "And he is really looking forward to you coming home. I know you don't like it, but I think it could really work." What could work? This family?

"Are you guys getting married, or just fornicating?" Her face got red.

"Eden! That's really inappropriate. It's my decision what happens!"

"Use protection because there doesn't need to be another me running around." I looked out the window and put my headphones in. She was pissed, I could sense it. What I said was horrible, but I wasn't in the best mood and now she understands my feelings about this.

The taxi stopped in front of the apartment complex that Megan and Brian lived in. I guess it was my home now too. Megan grabbed the large box and started up the stairs, she didn't wait for me to follow, so I picked up the pace.

The familiar smell of the apartment made me want to go back, but I continued. Brian looked up from his book, a big smile reflected from his face.

"It's great to see you back, squirt!" Squirt? I'm not 5.

"Yeah, you too." I said walking towards my old room. "I can hear you guys whispering!" I looked back at them, Megan walked into the kitchen and Brian followed her.

My room felt so strange being completely empty, except for my bed and a dresser. The thought vanished when I remembered my hip, and ran into the bathroom. The cut was deeper than I normal, I grabbed a washcloth and cleaned it. There wasn't as much blood flowing from the wound mainly because it had soaked into my underwear and pants. I found some band aids under the sink and carefully placed them over the area.

"Brian, you should talk to her. I want you guys to get along." Crap, they were getting closer to my room, which I'm not in. Quickly, I pulled on the stained pants, and pulled my shirt down farther.

"Eden?" Brian was knocking on my bedroom door, so I stepped out of the bathroom.

"Yes?"

"Want to go to dinner? Just me and you?"

"Sure. Megan wants nothing to do with me now, so it's probably best to avoid all the tension and leave." I nodded towards Megan. Brian smiled a bit, and nodded.

"I just need to get changed real quick, these clothes aren't that comfortable."

"Yeah, sure. I have to call a cab anyways." Why didn't I think this through better?

~~~~~~~~~

//Megan//

"Yes, I am angry. It's pretty damn embarrassing to have your 14 year old daughter tell you about fornication!" Shoshona, my best friend and former Wicked co-star, started laughing hysterically.

"Fornication?! Oh my God! This made my day. Can I meet her? I think I'm going to like her!"

"Sho, you are no help, you know that?"

"I'm an actress, not a psychiatrist. But I know one thing and that is you need to get out and have a drink or two. C'mon. Bottoms up?" How could I resist?

"Fine." I smiled. "Where?"

~~~~~~~~~

//Eden//

The restaurant Brian chose had the slowest service ever, and we were both starting to get impatient.

"This is where I took your mom on our first date, after one of the Jekl performances."

"Lovely, we aren't sitting in the same seats, are we?" I wrinkled my nose.

"Funny. They have great food though, if the waitress would ever bring it to us!"

"It must be good if it takes this long." I said, pulling my glass of water to my mouth.

"Eden, if you ever need anyone to talk to, I'll be here. I know you've been through some crap lately and-"

"Wait?! Megan told you what happened? You've got to be kidding me." I stood up and grabbed my bag, "I have to go." I ran out of the booth and outside as fast as I could. Trying to signal a taxi wasn't working so I started running home, hopefully Megan was there so we could have a little chat.