Chapter Twenty Four
Montana
I set my alarm clock for 6am the next morning, because I wanted to sneak in a visit to Maya before I went to school. I hadn’t seen her in quite a long time, so I was really eager to go and see her. Skyler had gone to see her the previous day, and she said Maya was growing stronger every day. Since the accident, she’d grown really weak, with the added fact that she was stuck in her hospital bed all day long.
The next morning, I managed to get up quite quickly. I threw on a black and white striped Wildfox sweater and some leggings, before quickly throwing my hair into a really messy fishtail braid that barely passed as a braid. I quickly applied some concealer, mascara, eyeliner, lip gloss and eyeshadow before dashing downstairs.
No one was up, so the kitchen was really dark and quiet.
I quickly grabbed a banana and a breakfast bar and then ran back upstairs to grab my rose pink old Nintendo DS that I’d ditched ages. Once I’d thrown that into my bag, I quickly dashed back downstairs and headed out of the house.
The reason why I didn’t drive was truthfully because I didn’t have my license. I had taken all my classes, but I chickened out on the day of the test, because I’d passed a car crash on the way to the place of the test. Yeah, I know it’s bad.
I took a bus to the hospital, and ate my on-the-go breakfast along the way.
I checked into the hospital, and took the lift up to Maya’s room. By that time, it was around 7am, so hopefully Maya would be up.
I knocked on the door, and breathed a sigh of relief when I heard her squeal “Come iiiiin!”
I pushed open the door, and grinned at the sight of Maya sitting upright in her bed, eating breakfast while watching Dora the Explorer.
Her face lit up when she saw me. “MONTANA!”
I grinned, and shut the door after me. “Hey Maya! How’ve you been?”
She nodded her head, enthusiastically. “Really, really good! Sky visited me yesterday, and she gave me Pinky!”
I tilted my head to the side. “Pinky?”
She nodded, eagerly, and grabbed a white and pink polka dot giant bear that was seated right next to her on the bed. “Yep! Pinky, meet Montana. She’s my other new big sister!”
I grinned, and grabbed wheelie chair and scooted it over to her bedside.
“Hey Pinky, it’s nice to meet you,” I said, shaking Pinky’s arm gently.
Maya was beaming at our little exchange, and she seemed to be really excited that we were finally meeting.
“So, what are you having for breakfast?” I questioned.
Maya peered down at her breakfast. “Ummmm, I have a grilled cheese toast, a hashbrown and orange juice!”
I nodded, and ducked my head at the TV. “Watching Dora the Explorer?”
Maya nodded her head, vigorously. “I love Dora!”
I smirked. “Do you wanna play with Dora?”
Maya nodded, but looked puzzled. “Yeah but…how?”
I grabbed my pastel pink Nintendo DS out of my bag, and gave it to her.
Maya’s eyes widened, and her jaw dropped wide open.
“NO WAY!” she squealed.
I nodded, grinning at her. “Yep Maya. I found this when I was clearing my room last night, and I immediately though of you. I used this quite a long time ago so I don’t if it still works, but check and see. I have Dora the Explorer game on it.”
Maya examined the DS with awe, like it was heaven. Then she switched it on, and bounced up and down with anticipation. “This is so, so cool!”
I grinned. “I’m glad you like it. You know how to work it?”
Maya nodded, enthusiastically. “I had a room buddy ages ago, and she had a DS and I watched her play it all the time.”
She sure displayed her immense knowledge of the DS, and pretty soon she was jabbing at the buttons really excitedly. Her eyes looked like they were going to pop out, and her tongue was literally poking out of her mouth.
We talked for a bit more, before I grabbed my phone and decided it was time to leave.
“Hey sorry kid, but I got to head to school,” I announced, standing up and pushing the chair back to its original place.
Maya glanced up, and jutted her bottom lip out. “Now?”
I nodded, sympathetically. “Sorry Maya. But I promise to visit you soon-okay?”
Maya nodded and stuck her pinky out. “Pinky promise?”
I hooked my pinky with hers. “Pinky promise.”
She smiled, and then remorsely shut off the DS and then thrust it to me. “Here’s your DS.”
I grinned. She looked devestated.
“Maya, it’s yours now,” I chuckled. “I’m definitely not gonna use it anymore. So I hardly think that I’m gonna need it.”
Her eyes lit up, and the biggest smile spread across her face. “REALLY?”
I laughed, nodding. “Really.”
She threw her arms around me, and squeezed me really tight. “THANK YOU SO MUCH MONTY!”
I grinned, and headed towards the door. “It’s fine. Oh, and here’s the charger for it, otherwise it’ll be dead and you won’t be able to play it.”
I handed it to her, and she bounced up and down excitedly.
I said goodbye to her, before dashing out. I was really behind time, and I was going to miss period one if I didn’t hurry out of the hospital.
I quickly made my way to the elevator, ducking around people in wheelchairs and people lying on wheeler beds. The elevator was starting to close, and I speeded towards it.
“WAIT! HOLD THE DOOR!” I yelled, nearly running into a little girl and her Mum.
I reached there just in time to catch the face of the person in the elevator, who was jabbing at the ‘close doors’ button. My eyes widened, and I froze.
What was Sam doing in the elevator?
The doors shut, and I stood there, frozen to the ground.
Then I remembered that time when I visited Maya previously, and Sam was in the same elevator. A surge of déjà vu washed over me, and I struggled to catch my breath while waiting for the next elevator to come up.
Why would Sam be in this exact hospital?
Sam
I leant my head against the wall of the elevator, sucking in a deep breath.
Thank god the elevator doors closed in just in time. Otherwise it would’ve been a harassing elevator ride down, and she would pester me about why I’m at a children’s hospital. And she would probably be the last person I’d tell.
It wasn’t because the reason I was here, was embarrassing or anything, but I just didn’t really want anyone to know. It was my own little secret.
But on the other hand, what was she doing here?
She didn’t seem like the type to hang around children’s hospitals. She seemed like the type who hung out with all those rich snobby guys she surrounds herself with, and her weird friends, who’d spend her precious time sunbaking or shopping or whatever she does.
The elevator dinged as it hit the bottom, and I stepped out of it quickly. I didn’t want Montana to catch up to me, so I hurried out of the children’s hospital.
I said goodbye to my favourite receptionist, Monica and then I dashed to my car. I started driving to school, and quickly picked up some Starbucks along the way.
I reached school, and jumped out of the car. I started walking to class, when I was suddenly stopped by Montana’s weird friend, Aaron.
“Dude, get out of my way,” I snapped.
“Not until you tell me where’s Montana,” Aaron shot back.
I wrinkled my nose. “What makes you think that I know where she is?”
Aaron glowered at me. “You’re neighbours.”
I rolled my eyes. “Wow, and that immediately makes me aware of every single location Montana is at?”
Aaron glared at me some more. Argggh.
I gritted my teeth, and clenched my fists. “Dude, move!”
He leant in close to me, trying to look menacing but failing miserably. “Listen Taylor, I don’t care who you think you are or whatever, but I swear, if you dare hurt or do ANYTHING to Montana, I will hurt YOU… badly. Got it?”
I only just managed to restrain from bursting in laughter. He thought he was being intimidating and threatening, but truthfully, he was making a fool out of himself.
I nodded. “Yeah sure, now move.”
He stepped aside, and I marched past him, clamping down on my teeth to stop from collapsing onto the ground and burstung into laughter.
Rochelle
“So Rochelle, your next movie that’s coming out is called Jasmine Sky,’ the interviewer boomed. “Could you give a little background information about it?”
I giggled. “Of course! Well basically, Jasmine Sky is about this teenage girl, aka me, and her name’s Jasmine, and she’s rich and popular and all that jazz. And then suddenly, this teenage girl called Sky coems out, and says that she and Jasmine are long lost siblings. Sky’s really poor, and she’s played by Cheryl Yates. So anyway, the movie follows the two girls adapting to each other’s lives and stuff. I think the plot is really interesting and original!”
Gag.
The plotline sucked so badly, and it was far from being original. It was just another long-lost sibling movie. What was new? But obviously I couln’t say that.
“Aaah Cheryl Yates,” nodded the interviewer. “A new face in the movie industry. Is she the same age as you?”
I shook my head. “Actually, she’s one year younger. But it hardly feels like that. We’re so close, it almost feels like we’ve known each other since we were born!”
Gag again.
Cheryl Yates was annoying as HELL. She had followed me around EVERYWHERE when we were filming, and she wanted to know everything that had happened in my life. And she didn’t have any talent whatsoever and whoever talent scouted her must have been deaf and blind.
“So, are there any loves in your life, huh?” the interviewer raised an eyebrow.
I plastered on a sparkling smile. This was the moment. I hadn’t talked to Sam about making our relationship public, but he wouldn’t mind…actually he would be pleased that I was doing this. He would think that I wasn’t trying to hide him away or anything from the paparazzi.
“Actually there is,” I grinned.
“Ooooooooh,” the interviewer crooned. “Who is it? Is it Nathan Bucks from when you did The Last Time together? Or is it your rumoured boyfriend, Isaac Lawley?”
I restrained myself from barfing. Nathan Bucks had ugly teeth, and chewed with his mouth open. He tried to ask me out during the filming of The Last Time, and I pushed him in the pool in response. And don’t even get me STARTED on Isaac Lawley. He was just USING me for fame. He was tagging along with me whenever he got the chance. Creepy perv.
I shook my head, and laughed. “No, no, no! It’s actually someone I’ve known for the longest time actually. His name’s Sam Taylor. He and I were best friends, before I left for Hollywood. Now I’ve returned to my home town, and we’re together now. It’s really fantastic. He’s someone real, someone who won’t use me for my fame. You know?”
The interviewer nodded. “Definitely. Well there you have it folks! This is where you heard it first! Rochelle Waters’ childhood and new boyfriend, Sam Taylor! Well thanks for being on the show, Rochelle!”
I grinned back. “Thank you so incredibly much for having me!”
We grinned at the camera, until the guy yelled “AND THAT’S A WRAP!”
I leapt off the stool, and strutted off the set towards Goldie. The show was live, meaning that Tawni was probably watching from home. Haha take THAT, Tawni. She would probably call in a very short time.
Goldie nodded. “Good job Rochelle.”
I tossed my hair over my shoulder. “Whatever. Have I gotten any messages or calls from Sam?”
She shook her head. “Zilch.”
I curled my lip in disgust. “Zilch? Are you living in the freakin’ ‘80s Goldie? God, grow up would you!”
I marched away, angry that Sam hadn’t contacted me. I’d expected him to have left at least 20 by now!
Then I remembered him getting all mad at me for spilling Coke over Montana. God, why was he standing up for Montana? Unless they had some sort of history while I was gone…surely not.
I gritted my teeth. But either way, I was back here in my hometown for another reason aside from Sam. Montana. I wanted to get back at her. Not for any reason really…just to make sure she steered CLEAR of me.
And the only connection of that was through Sam.
Montana
I stood in front of Sam’s house, hand poised in front of the door bell.
Then I sighed. This was silly. I’d been to his house MILLIONS of times. It wasn’t any different. The only differences was that it was going to be just me and him. In the house alone. No biggie.
“No biggie,” I reassured myself.
I was about to ring the doorbell (I was, I promise), when the door flung open. I leapt back, surprised.
There stood Sam, leaning against the door, in skinny jeans and a tight grey shirt. His hair was mussed up, and he had that irritating smirk that now seemed cute. Cute???????????? Oh hell.
“You can stand there for another four hours, that’s fine,” he shrugged.
I felt my cheeks burn a deep scarlet red. “Shut up.”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “It’s like you’ve never come to my house.”
It was so weird. We were pretending like we hadn’t seen each at the children’s hospital. I knew that he had seen me.
I entered his house. It seemed so different now.
I followed him to the kitchen, where he got two glasses, a bottle of apple juice (he knew that I hated any type of fizzy drink or alcohol…smart boy) and some Doritos.
“You eat Doritos?” he questioned.
I rolled my eyes. “Yes Sam, I’m not ancient.”
He cracked a smile, and I felt a surge of warmth wash over me. He should smile more…it was attractive.
Attractive??? Okay, I was going delusional.
“Is it okay if we go to my room?” asked Sam, kinda nervously.
I shrugged, casually. “Yeah sure.”
I followed him to his bedroom, where he flung open the door.
I scanned the room. I’d never really taken much notice of Sam’s room through our windows, but now standing in it, it seemed a hell lot neater than I thought it’d be
Of course some clothes were on the ground, and some books had toppled onto his desk, but it was pretty okay. Well, it was better than my brother’s at least.
“Do you approve?”
Sam’s voice knocked me out of my thoughts, and I realised he was now lying on his bed, lazily eating the Doritos and tossing a soccer ball in the air.
I grabbed his desk chair, and wheeled it over closer to him. I sank down on it. “Okay, let’s get to work.”
It felt so incredibly unreal. We were having a normal conversation, almost like we were friends. We were acting like we hadn’t hated each other for our 16-17 years of existence on Earth. And the weirdness of this was really getting to me.
‘Okay, so I did some research last night,” Sam said, briskly, sitting upright.
I raised an eyebrow. “Whoa, research? The Earth has officially come to an end.”
He ducked his head, blushing. “Haha. Funny.”
“Okay, okay, so what did you find?” I questioned, snatching a Dorito from the bag.
“Well I found this inflatable ball pit that we can get from a nearby warehouse,” Sam told me. “I can easily pick it up on the way back from school. And it’s only $20, so the price is pretty good.”
I nodded. “That’s great. We can each pay 10, 10.”
“And then I found this place that sells a whole bunch of those colourful balls,” Sam continued. “I think the price is 800 balls for $100.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Wow…that’s an amazing price.”
Sam nodded. “I know.
“Well, I think we’ve pretty much got that covered,” I nodded. “So, let’s do this brithday party in my backyard. I’m pretty sure my parents won’t mind at all. Come to my house at 10am, with all the stuff, so we can start assembling. We can start the party at…12? We’ll invite all of Marcus’ class.”
“What about his parents?” Sam questioned.
I chewed my lip. I didn’t think about that one.
“I’ll talk to them tomorrow,” I said.
Sam grinned. “Alright. So I know this catering company that did Dana’s party. I’ll hire a clown, Marcus loves them.”
I grinned. This was really great. Everything was going so smoothly. Sam was really showing some maturity, in terms of organising, but I could tell it was because of the soft spot he had for Marcus. If it was for anyone else, he wouldn’t even bother.
“You know…I’m surprised,” I admitted.
Sam raised an eyebrow. “Surprised?”
I nodded, “You’ve organised, researched and planned everything. We said we’d plan it together, but here you are, spouting out all the research you’ve done. I haven’t even DONE any research. And we gotta admit, I have more of the chance to be the one who’s more organised.”
Sam smirked. “Well I guess I’m proving you wrong now, huh?”
I chuckled. “I guess so.”
I leant in to grab another Dorito. At the exact same time as Sam.
I gulped, and I raised my eyes to see that his face was approximately a couple inches away from my face.
Great.
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This was a really long chapter....hopefully?
Sorry I missed last update, I was out literally every day. And yeah....I know. But this is a really short author's note, coz I gotta go sleep now hhaahaha.
So, I was just wondering, if your reading, do you prefer longer chapters that take a long time to upload, or short chapters that are quicker to upload?
peaceanddisaster xx