The next three chapters are going to be new. For the newcomers of course AND for you all that are here a second time, to bring this story to the big 200!
1 week later......
~
"Ten!"
"Nine!"
"Eight!"
"Seven!"
"Six!"
"Five!"
"Four!"
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
"IT'S THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!" All of the students in the school all exclaim out loudly when the bell rings, everyone going to run out of the classroom and make their way out of the school.
Amir puts his backpack straps over his shoulders, him looking over at Stephanie who immediately turns off from looking at him and quickly going to put her things away. "Steph." He tries while making his way to her, her frantically putting her stuff in her backpack before putting it over her back and going to leave out of the classroom. "Steph wait!" Amir tries, him going to run after her. "Stephanie!" He calls out.
"Okay seriously stop!" Amir puts his hands out when he makes it in front of her.
"No you stop Amir!" Stephanie states firmly.
"Can we just talk please?"
"No!" Stephanie yells, her looking around and lightly hugging herself when she sees some of the students look at her and Amir. "Just....stop Amir."
"I feel terrible." Amir says while clasping his hands together in a praying manner. "Please just...try and understand. We both did something out of impulse Steph but I'm not that type of guy okay? That is not how I view you."
"Yeah I'm not here to be your little guilt trip system Amir." Stephanie holds her hand out in a stopping manner. "I really just don't give a damn anymore Amir! I really don't!" She shakes her head. "I'm tired of it all so how about this. Don't talk to me, don't apologize to me, hell don't even look at me Amir because I want nothing to do with you." She sneers while looking at him with a hard glare.
Amir blinks a little more. "I'm sorry." His voice lightly cracks, Stephanie swallowing a little while she blinks a little more as well. "I never meant for this to happen and no I'm not trying to use you as a guilt trip Steph. I promise you okay?" He says, him taking a step closer to her, him taking a little breath. "I realize on how much I wasn't thinking that night and I wished that I just put an end to it to avoid this...big freaking explosion that I caused. I know what you think that you are understood to think it but Steph I promise you that is not who I am—"
"Yes it is." Stephanie interrupts, her just shrugging her shoulders in response. "But it's fine, because a guy like you could never like a girl like me, so do us both a favor and stop this whole chasing act to apologize to me and leave me the hell alone. Just leave me alone. If you really want to think about my feelings then you will just stop, just stop."
Amir swallows a little in response, him taking a step back and going to dig his hands in his pockets. "If...that's what you want. I'll be respectful of your wants."
Stephanie only just nods simply, her going to brush pass him and walk away, Amir just closing his eyes while hanging his head back and gritting his teeth in frustration.
Amberlee opens her locker, her going to put her things in her backpack, her going to close her eyes and her lightly jumping when she sees Ryder leaning his shoulder on the locker next to her, his hands being in his pockets.
"The fuck is wrong with you?" Amberlee questions.
"Just wishin you a happy summer." Ryder smiles.
"Yeah you really shouldn't be talking to me right now." Amberlee says while slamming her locker shut.
"Oh yeah cause of the big bad wolf." Ryder replies sarcastically. "Man...what ever will I do?"
"You joke Ranger—"
"That's the thing why everybody think I'm jokin?" Ryder questions. "I don't give a damn."
"Well you should." Amberlee states. "Ryder my father can make your life a living hell, you know who he is and I don't think you understand the power he holds in this town, you really want to thread carefully."
Ryder just chuckles while shaking his head. "So what I'm pose to be afraid of em? I'm pose to be intimidated?" He questions, him shaking his head. "Nah I ain't build that way."
"I don't care." Amberlee shakes her head. "I don't care what happened between us last week but it won't happen ever again and you need to accept that! Nothing is between us Ranger and as soon as you get that through your thick little head the better!" She states firmly.
"Well at least you came to me real." Ryder says. "I'll respect yo wishes, not pushin you up against the wall or kissin you or anything unless you want me to, but flirtin is just to good to pass up."
"You're embarking on the wrong person Ryder." Amberlee warns while shaking her head.
"Again....am I suppose to be scared?" He questions again while stepping closer to her, both of them holding eye contact for a long minute before he leans back a little. "Still got three years of high school left Am, can't wait for the amazin times we gone have."
"We won't." Amberlee grits out.
"We'll see." He says before leaning off the locker. "Until next time Am." He says in her ear before walking off.
Amberlee closes her eyes while she releases a little breath, her going to run her hand through her hair to bring it away from her face.
"Angel."
"Jesus!" Amberlee jumps while looking behind her, seeing Lucas standing there.
"You alright?" He questions.
"Yeah." Amberlee lightly laughs. "Yeah I'm good you just snuck up on me."
Lucas nods, him going to look around. "We're just waiting on Amir." He comments. "Oh here he is." He says while seeing him make his way over to him, Lucas face scrunching up in concern when he sees the expression on Amir's face. "Amir you okay?"
"Can we go now?" Amir dismisses, him going to brush pass the both of them.
Amberlee and Lucas both look at Amir in confusion, both of them looking at each other before they follow Amir, Lucas getting in the drivers seat of the car while Amnerlee is in the passenger seat and Amir gets in the backseat, Lucas beginning to drive.
Lucas looks at Amir through his rearview mirror. "Amir what's going on man?"
"You already know." Amir shakes his head.
"No I don't actually." Lucas responds. "We don't go around sharing business even though we are family Amir, there are just some things that is left to be told by the person."
"Yeah well I really don't feel like talking so...." Amir dismisses, him looking out of the window.
Lucas looks over at Amberlee. "And you?"
Amberlee looks over at him. "Hmm?"
"You alright?"
Amnerlee sends a small smile. "Mhm. Yeah good."
Lucas looks at her for a moment, her sending him another forced smile before she goes to look out of the window.
Lucas sighs a little bit, him looking back ahead of him at the road.
~
Amir has one of his arms under his head while the other one rest on his stomach, him just looking aimlessly up at his ceiling in his room. It has been the most boring week ever without his TV and video games and phone, but at least he feels better than what he was feeling before Nancy and Steve found out about him and Stephanie. Even though it was a big falling out he is honestly relieved that the truth is now known.
That is something he doesn't want to be, a liar. Alone in a room without anything to do but take a long shower and lay in the bed only leaves for someone to think, and Amir has been doing a lot of that. At least he is as content as he can be, him and Nancy talked and she forgave him, Steve was more than understanding in the first place so there is no said...
Tension he guesses.
So he doesn't know why he is still feeling this...feeling inside of him.
Yes he might feel a tad bit irritated that he is grounded and is bored out of his mind but that isn't the main reason, and the main reason he honestly cannot figure out for himself, and even though he has all of the time in the world it seems like now to think...
He doesn't know why it is so hard.
"WOOOHOOOO!"
Amir jumps up when his door slams open, revealing Robin and Vicki dancing their way into his room. "Aunties?"
"Rise and shine boy!" Robin says in a deep tone.
"Guys I'm really not in the mood right now." Amir says.
"Well get in a good mood because you are coming with us." Vicki states.
"Where?" Amir questions.
"To work." Robin nods. "Don't worry since Ma d Vicki are managers and they practically want the whole archive of employees there on Friday nights we can just sit in the office eat all of the popcorn and hot dogs and candy we want while watching movies."
"Yeah really not in the mood." Amir says, him going to lay back down.
"Nope you're coming with us." Vicki shakes her head. "Robin get him."
"What no—"
"AHHHHHH!" Robin screams out loudly with wide eyes before running full fledge to his bed.
"AHH!" Amir screams when Robin jumps on his bed and going to grab ahold of him. "No! Auntie Robin!"
"Come on!"
"Oh god!" Amir says when she gets him over her shoulder, her going to leave out of his room. "Auntie let me down! Get off of me!"
"He's getting free!"
"Tackle him!"
Nancy and Summer laugh as they make their way inside of the house, Nancy's expression immediately turning confused when she sees Robin and Vicki tackling down Amir while he tries to fight free, her slowly closing the door while throwing her keys in the bowl.
"Woah!" Summer laughs.
"What's going on?" Nancy questions.
Robin breaths while she gets up, Amir roughly fixing his shirt while Vicki gets up as well. "We need to kidnap your son."
"My son is grounded." Nancy states.
"Yeah but....you know..." Vicki trails off a little. "He might need the...nature of going out."
"No I don't." Amir states, him going to fix his shirt more. "I am perfectly fine sitting alone in my dark room." He says, him going back to the stairs.
"Amir." Nancy calls, Amir slowly going to look at her. She notices the expression on his face, the expression of both irritation and tiredness. "Any other time you would be begging me to go."
"This time is different." Amir says back, him shrugging. "I'm abiding by rules am I going to get in trouble for that?"
"No." Nancy shakes her head. "But I think you should go so...go on get dressed."
"I really don't want to." Amir states.
"Amir it would be good, come on it will be your pick all night." Vicki suggests.
Amir just looks at Robin and Vicki both before looking over at Nancy, her raising her eyebrows a little at him with a soft expression being on her face. "Guess I have no other choice." He says before going upstairs, going to close his room door.
Summer looks up at Nancy. "Is Amir okay?"
"Yeah sweetie he is, go on and get cleaned up okay then I'll make you something." Nancy says.
"Okay." Summer says before she goes upstairs.
Nancy sighs a little bit, her looking over at Robin and Vicki. "He's been like this."
"Yeah." Robin nods. "It's okay we'll talk to him."
Nancy nods, her looking towards the stairs when Amir makes his way down the stairs. "Well have fun."
Amir gives a tight smile in response, him going over to the door with Robin and Vicki, all of them leaving out of the door.
~
Amberlee looks at her canvas while she paints on it, her being in the playroom by herself, her trying to him along to the music on the radio that she has no idea what it is. She rather listen to her own selection, her own style and it makes her irritated that she cannot drown out her thoughts with her music, blasting it in her ears.
She goes over to the radio to turn it off irritably, her going to sit back down and look at the painting she paints, it being a little under half way done with a half drawn face.
Amberlee looks towards the door when a knock is heard on it, her seeing Cassandra smiling softly at her. "Can I come in?"
"Sure." Amberlee responds, her going to put her canvas down on the floor. "Oh wait don't look at these." Amberlee says while getting up and turning all of the paintings leaning on the wall the other way. "It's just that I'm working on something and I want it to be a surprise when I'm done."
"Okay I won't look." Cassandra responds, her going to sit by Amberlee when she goes to sit down.
"So how are wedding plans going?" Amberlee questions.
"We tried some good cakes." Cassandra smiles. "I don't know me and Jonathan agreed we didn't want anything big. You know the wedding is supposed to be the girls special moment but...god I'm way to awkward to have so much attention on me, I would be a nervous wreck."
"Okay then have a small wedding, imitate one." Amberlee suggests.
"Yeah." Cassandra smiles. "We agreed we wanted something different, not the typical wedding you know? Something where....you know all of us have a part."
Amberlee nods her head in understanding. "Wait wait wait can I plan it?" Amberlee questions. "Please I don't have anything better to do. Well when did you all plan on doing it?"
Cassandra shrugs a little with a smile. "As soon as possible." She laughs.
"Okay then let me do it, well actually me and Amir since we're both grounded and bored out of our minds. Please." Amberlee says.
"Yeah okay." Cassandra smiles.
"Yes!" Amberlee smiles. "Okay so obviously it would be here, it could be outside in the evening time! We could get lights whatever color you want oh and maybe instead of you wearing white you wear a different color."
"Well Jonathan does say I'm a hotter Cinderella." Cassandra lightly jokes.
Amberlee laughs. "Well then...light blue?"
Cassandra nods. "Light blue sounds good."
Amberlee smiles, her looking back ahead of her at her easel. "I'm happy for you both."
Cassandra nods a little while looking at her. "Wanna talk about it?"
"I assume you already know."
"No I don't actually." Cassandra responds. "Your mom and dad haven't said, with reason because it's your business."
Amberlee looks over at her. "Well...I kissed a guy at a party Friday night last week and the Monday after in a janitors closet."
Cassandra scrunches up her face in confusion. "Wait so...you're grounded for kissing a guy?"
"Well he's three years older than me he's also a arrogant prick he has tattoos and he is still a freshman and he dropped out middle school for three years." Amberlee nods simply, Cassandra's eyes widening. "And he drives a goddamn motorcycle and he wears leather jackets he dresses like he is in the freaking military and he's....I guess it's complicated."
"Oh wow...okay." Cassandra says, her sighing a little bit. "So that's why Lucas was yelling that night."
Amberlee nods her head. "Yeah he was...livid." She admits. "And I can tell he is still mad, still upset. I mean we talked and we agreed to move forward but...I just feel like in a way we are....standing still."
"Because more has to be said?" Cassandra questions.
Amberlee looks back ahead of her, her releasing a little sigh. "He said....he was disappointed in me." She says while shaking her head, her closing her eyes. "And I umm....never thought those words would leave him. I really didn't."
Cassandra nods her head in understanding. "My Dad told me he was disappointed in me too, but my relationship with my Dad is completely different from yours, my Dad is an asshole." Cassandra says making Amberlee smile lightly. "Lucas he's just....very protective."
Amberlee closes her eyes. "Yeah I...I know."
"But there's something else." Cassandra states.
Amberlee opens her mouth, but her closing it when she hears a knock on the door, seeing Jonathan making his way inside of the playroom. "Hey."
"Hey." Jonathan smiles. "Since you have been in here for the past week let's go, we can go to our usual spot, you can paint I'll take pictures."
"And I will sit there and probably dance and run around." Cassandra smiles.
"Well I'm grounded." Amberlee states.
"Don't worry I'll ask Lucas, pretty sure they won't mind. Come on." He motions.
Amberlee looks between them before they go to get up, them making their way out of the room.
"I think I saw him the workout room." Jonathan says before he looks through the cracked door, seeing Lucas laying down on the bench while he pushes the heavy weight up and down, him being in just green basketball shorts with his body all sweaty. "Yeah on second thought let's just ask Max."
"He's working out like crazy isn't he?" Amberlee questions, her looking through the cracked door and seeing him pushing the weight up and down.
Amberlee Cassandra and Jonathan make their way downstairs, all of them seeing Max make her way inside of the house, her tossing her keys in the bowl.
"Hey." Max smiles.
"Hey Max, we wanted to take Ambie out on the hill for a little bit. That okay?" Cassandra questions.
"Yeah go for it." Max responds.
"But....you know Dad said I can only go to school and come back." Amberlee says.
"You've been cooped up in this house without barely going outside Ambie it'll do you good, I'll talk to your Dad." Max says while taking off her blazer.
"Umm...." Amberlee plays a little with the charm bracelet around her wrist, her looking back up the stairs before looking back at them. "Actually I think should just stay here. I don't want to make him mad and—"
"Ambie." Max says softly. "I'll talk to him, it's okay."
"I just think—"
"Ambie. You're okay." Jonathan assures.
Amberlee takes a little breath, her going to nod her head after a minute. "Okay."
"Go on." Max motions, Amberlee nodding before taking a canvas and her easel, going to leave with Jonathan and Cassandra. Max goes to make her way up the stairs, her opening the door more to the workout room.
Max sighs when she sees Lucas, him pulling himself up and down on the railing while the music plays in the room. "How long have you been working out Lucas?"
"Not long." He responds simply, him going back to do bench presses with the heavy weight.
Max rolls her eyes. "I assume that means like...four hours." She shrugs, Lucas only continuing to use the weight. Max goes over to him, going to straddle him and guide for him to put the weight back on the holders. "When are you going to come back to the room?"
"Whenever I get done Max." He responds.
"I miss your attention." Max admits. "You've been all in here for a week straight."
Lucas sighs a little, him going to sit up to look at her. He goes to give her a soft kiss on her lips, her returning the kiss softly. "Just give me another hour okay? I just need to...work it off."
Max sends him a small smile, her nodding her head and giving him a kiss on his cheek before she gets off of him, him returning back to using the weight, her going over to the door.
Max goes to look behind her at him for a moment, her releasing a little sigh before leaving out of the room.
~
Amir puts a handful of popcorn in his mouth while he looks at the TV hanging on the wall, him being in the office room along with Robin and Vicki, his feet being propped up on the desk while he sits in the swivel chair, Robin being laid out on the desk and Vicki sitting in another chair.
Amir puts down the popcorn, him taking a long sip of his soda. "So are you both going to tell me the real reason why you all brought me here? Because I know you all know."
Vicki goes to pause the movie. "We do but it was because we were ease-dropping when Steve was talking to Nance on the phone, they didn't tell us."
"Doesn't really make a difference even if they did, still doesn't change what I did." Amir states.
"Amir." Robin starts while rolling over on the desk, her going to lay on her side while looking at him. "You did what you did and you can't change the past, you can't beat yourself up for it."
"Still doesn't make it any better." Amir says.
Vicki goes to pull up her chair besides Amir. "How about you just tell us how you are really feeling Amir."
"Because we see some anger." Robin says. "And it is okay to just...unleash."
Amir looks between them before he lets out a little sigh, him leaning back in his chair. "I just....she now thinks I'm this guy that screws girls and throws them away, which is not true!" Amir states firmly. "Just...why is everything I do defined by someone?! I play basketball oh look you're like your Dad! Oh look I score a good grade on my essays oh look you're the next Nancy Harrington! I have sex with a girl which I deeply regret and now look! I'm a older version of my father."
"Why can't I just freaking be myself for once?!" Amir questions, him looking between Robin and Vicki. "Don't get me wrong I love each and everyone of you dearly but everything that I do gets defined by one of you and I'm sick of it." He says, him beginning to blink a little bit more. "I just want to be my own person."
Robin and Vicki nod their heads in understanding. "So....Steve and Nancy were.....probably saying how they don't want you to be like how Steve was in High School?"
"Yeah but I'm not like that!" Amir says back. "God I know it was a mistake and I feel horrible about it! This girl now thinks that I used her which is not the case I am not that guy! I'm not! I'm not—"
"Amir calm down okay." Vicki says while coming closer to him, going to rub his back a little bit.
Amir closes his eyes while he runs his hand through his hair in stress, him releasing a breath. "People keep defining me, they automatically assume. I saw it in my mothers face that night I told her what happened she....she thought I was turning into some man whore or whatever, she wouldn't listen and..."
"It's okay to cry Amir." Robin says.
Amir nods his head, tears beginning to roll down his eyes, Robin and Vicki each taking one of his hands while rubbing his back. "I just....why do I feel so trapped? Why do I feel like I am being pushed and pulled and tugged around? Why do I feel like this? I'm angry I'm upset I'm sad I'm....I just want to be good and I want to be my own person, so why do I feel like....I don't even know who I am?"
"Because you are letting other people's words get to you Amir." Vicki says back. "It sounds like to me this girl had a lot of things to say but Amir you know who you are. You have to show everyone that no matter what they say, you are your own person which means you write your destiny and you can choose who you want to be, that doesn't have to be your mother, your father or any of us."
"It can be you." Robin says while poking him. "Because Amir Harrington is pretty awesome."
Amir lightly laughs. "It umm...it angered me when all they saw was my Dad's old self with what I did." He admits. "Don't get me wrong I know they were trying to teach me but.....they just automatically assumed, even with mom she always just...thought that."
"Then you have to talk to them about that, talk to Nance." Robin says.
Amir laughs a little while shaking his head. "No I could never say that to my mom I would get slapped."
"Amir in order for them to understand you have to tell them, just...pick a calm time and setting and sit them down and talk with them." Vicki suggests. "That's the only way this...feeling is going to go away."
"And with the girl?" Amir questions.
"If she won't hear what you have to say then it's best to move on Amir, because in the end you know who you are." Robin says while poking him.
Amir nods his head, smiling softly at the both of them.
~
Cassandra lets her hair blow in the wind while her Jonathan and Amberlee stand on the hill overlooking the city, him smiling while he takes pictures of her, Amberlee contently painting on her canvas.
"Hey Am want to join for some pictures?" Cassandra questions.
Amberlee immediately looks up at her. "What?" She questions confused.
"I said do you want to join for—"
"No I know what you said what did you just call me?" Amberlee questions. "Don't call me that. Kindly..."
Cassandra scrunches her face up in confusion. "Okay."
"Sorry I'm....Danget I messed up!" Amberlee grits out in irritation, her looking at the canvas. "Ughh!" She yells out.
"Okay okay calm down." Jonathan says while going over to her, going to take the brushes from her hands. "Ambie talk to us, what's going on?"
Amberlee shakes her head while she tries to fight back tears. "I'm fine!" She says, trying to cover her shaky voice with a firm one. "I'm fine why does everyone think I'm not? Why is it the constant checking up on me I'm fine!" She yells. "I'm okay."
Jonathan smiles softly at her. "It's okay to be not okay."
Amberlee begins to blink more while her bottom lip quivers, Jonathan and Cassandra immediately going over to her and going to hug her while she lets her tears escape, her just hugging them both while she cries it all out. She stands there for some long minutes with them, thankful that they don't try to talk to her while she cries, thankful that they are just keeping silent while she lets it all out, because at the moment that is what she needs.
After some long minutes she sniffles lightly while pulling away, her going to wipe the tears from her eyes. "I umm...sorry about that."
"No reason to apologize Ambie." Cassandra shakes her head.
"Just rant." Jonathan says. "And yell as loud as you want not like no one can hear you, but just vent rant do it all, because it's obvious you need to get some stuff off of your chest."
"Okay good because I really need to!" Amberlee says, her taking a deep breath. "I made one little mistake and it causes this whole thing! And...don't get me wrong I get where my Dad is coming from it's just...." She trails off, her going to just shake her head a little bit. "He told he was disappointed in me." She softly cries. "But...how can I explain that type of thing to him? How can I explain to him that I kissed a guy without him going on a rampage?!"
"I love my Dad, and that will never change, but...it's hard to talk to him about some things because I love him so much, but at the same time it frightens me, he frightens me." She admits, her going to shrug her shoulders a little. "I'm just scared to talk to him about some things, and how can I explain that?"
"And the boy?" Jonathan questions.
Amberlee sighs for a moment. "He's a prick."
"But...." Cassandra trails off.
"He umm....has his moments." Amberlee nods. "And I know that sounds crazy but he does, I'm not justifying what I did I'm just saying...it's just hard to talk to him about that type of stuff, it's hard to be bluntly honest with him. Sometimes he's like....a time bomb honestly...." She admits, her eyes widening as soon as she says it. "Crap please don't tell him I said that."
"We won't but you have to Ambie." Cassandra says. "That's the only way that you both will be able to move forward. Right now you guys are standing still because it is feelings both of you are keeping away, why do you think he's in that workout room working himself off to exhaustion?" She questions.
"You both need to have a serious conversation Ambie, for the both of you alls sakes." Jonathan says.
Amberlee sighs a little bit, her knowing that they are right and she is going to have to talk to Lucas sooner or later. "Yeah you both are right."
"So just use this day to just enjoy the outdoors and get your thoughts together. And when we get back if he doesn't come to you you go to him." Jonathan says. "He can get a little stubborn."
"Yeah." Amberlee lightly laughs. "Okay, I'll do it."
"Good, now both of you stand over there that way I can get a picture." Jonathan motions.
Amberlee and Cassandra stand overlooking the city, both of them smiling as Jonathan begins to take pictures.