The Only Exception

Book 1 Part 2

We both fell asleep on my bed, and I dreamt of Noah again. Although I wasn’t screaming for him this time. When everyone was up in the morning, I made pancakes for breakfast, telling the girls to keep the little mishap on the DL. We ate in silence, with the exception of our favorite band, Paramore. Their raw, hardcore, Alternative Rock sound effected us in different ways. In example, Khloe and Kira’s favorite song is ‘Fences’, Mallory’s is ‘For A Pessimist, I’m Pretty Optimistic’, Leah’s favorite is ‘Brighter’ while my favorite, well, I can’t really say because all their songs are incredible. But I think right now it would be ‘The Only Exception’.

My mom walked in the front door, crying and tired. She sunk down to the floor and her head fell into her gentle hands.

I got up and sat next to her, “What’s wrong, Mom? Is everything alright?

“No, Celeste, your father is in a coma. We are going to have to cut down on some things to get by. Celeste, I don’t want to ask this from you but-”

“Mom, it’s okay, you can keep my paychecks. You wouldn’t have to pay me back until Dad comes out of his coma.”

“Celeste, I’m so glad I have a daughter like you. Leah would do the same, but Mallory wouldn’t. But the problem is, when I have the baby in a few weeks, who is going to pay the bills? I want to go back to work, but I have to be on maternity leave for at least six weeks.” She cried some more. “Oh, Celeste, I don’t know what to do. It’s so hard have to take care of five children without your spouse around to help. Especially since there’s one more on the way.”

“Mom, it’s okay, we’ll make it somehow. Just come sit with us and eat some of your favorite, my homemade pancakes. Maybe that’ll help cheer you up a little, and maybe after that, we’ll all take a Girl’s Day Out and go get our nails done. How does that sound, Mom?”

I help wipe away a few tears, and she nods. I help her up and we walk to the kitchen. Leah, Mallory, Khloe and Kira all give Mom a big group hug. While I prepare I fresh batch of my chocolate banana pancakes for Mom, we all chat together, like a perfect family. It’s the poster picture of the perfect family, smiling and laughing together.

After breakfast was over, we all took showers and got ready to go to the salon to get our nails done, although I really didn’t want to personally. I just said it so my mom would cheer up. I hate it when she is sad, it makes me and Leah feel so much worse. But Mallory says that we have guilty consciouses. Maybe we do, but she is shallow.

After we got our nails done, we went back to the hospital to visit Josh and Dad. I visited Josh first because he was a good friend to me. Desiree was there in his room, while his brother was outside of the room crying. Josh didn’t even remember Dylan.

“Hi Desiree. How has Josh been for the past couple days?”

Desiree had a grave look on her face and said, “I’m the only one that he remembers. It’s weird because we’ve only known each other for a few months. He doesn’t remember Dylan, his parents, nobody. But me.”

My face probably looked like I had been smacked across the face but I knew that she was going to say that. I stayed there for a while and went to my dad’s room. So far, there has been no change in his status, but when I was about to leave, he woke up from his coma and my mom wept and showered him with kisses, knowing that he would now be able to see his family.

After the ‘reunion’, I went back to Josh’s room and sat there with Desiree. We talked to each other, sharing memories and enjoying each others company. Once visiting hours were over, Mom, Leah, Mallory, Khloe, Kira, Mr. and Mrs. Neiman, Dylan, and Desiree all went out to eat at the local IHOP.

After we left IHOP, it was about two in the morning, and we didn’t want to drive home, so we all rented a couple hotel rooms and crashed there. I dreamt about him again that night. When I woke up in the morning, I checked my fake FaceBook account and there was a message from Noah. He was even ON! OMG! I talked to him for a while and told him that I had to go. But really I had to visit Dad and Josh, again. On the car ride to the hospital, I took a picture of myself and edited it on my laptop. I changed everything from my hair color, eye color, skin tone, and certain shapes of my face so he doesn’t get suspicious that it is actually me. Oh yeah, I changed my name from Celeste to Vivienne, so he doesn’t get any suspicions. Afterwards, I posted it as my FaceBook picture and about fifteen-seconds later, he posted a comment on my page saying,

OMG! Thats wat u look lyk! Ur gorgeous! :D

I was surprised that he reacted that way.

I posted this on his wall,

Thnx! I get that a lot. LOL

We visited Josh and Daddy, but I left earlier than usual. I needed to go home and clean. My room and bathroom haven’t been cleaned in a while, and it looks like a pig ran through it. So I had to take care of that if Desiree planned to stay at our house and sleep in my room. I don’t mind that she sleeps over, but I don’t want people to think that I’m a slob or anything. My room is usually clean, but lately I’ve been letting it go.

I cleaned my bathroom and bedroom for an immense amount of hours and when I was done, I was ready to crash and burn. Scratch that. I was ready to crash and burn in dreams of Noah.

I fell asleep and didn’t dream of him. I woke up feeling very sleep deprived and depressed. I didn’t bother even going up to the hospital. It wasn’t worth even seeing Josh if he didn’t even remember who I was. What was the point? I took a shower and got dressed in my exercising clothes and cleaned the refrigerator out. Ew...there was rotting food from two weeks ago. When I was finished, there was so much room in it, I could make Thanksgiving, Easter, and Christmas dinners and still have room.

I checked my FaceBook page, and Noah and I talked to each other until I got a text from my mom saying that the whole family was coming home and to make Dad’s favorite dinner, Shepherd’s Pie. I told him that I had to go, and I went into the kitchen and made a huge batch of Shepherd’s Pie and Chocolate Banana Brownies.

When they got home, Mr. and Mrs. Neiman, Dylan, and Desiree also walked in with them. I served everyone their portion of the meat pie, and we ate and talked with Dad and told him what he missed.

Months later, Noah and I get closer and closer together and eventually become really good friends. He still didn’t know that I was the one he was talking to. He still didn’t know that she was Celeste Thomas. One lonely, gloomy Saturday afternoon, he asks me the unexpected,

Hey, would u want 2 officially meet 4 the 1st time? Maybe next Saturday, @ the Rave, 6 p.m. Be dressed up in a gown in purple. Hope 2 c u there.