('Allo All! How's it going? Going good here for me. Well, good-ish. I'm having a bit of a crisis of faith. I'm thinking about changing my major in university. Kinda freaking me out, but it feels right, you know? I think I wanna be an English teacher. I have to get the opinions of my friends and French teacher, Madame, she's the best friend I have that isn't my age. Anyway, I wanna dedicate this to her. Madame Parker, I dunno if you read this, but you're amazing. She's one of the few people keeping me from being Amy in this chapter. And the next, in fact. Also, the song is "All Alright" by Fun. It's rather sad, but it goes along with the nd bit of the chapter.)
~Manuel P.O.V. (I'm gonna switch between his life and Jen's ok?)~
"Bye, Jared. I'll see you soon, I just have to go see Amy. I'll be back in a few days." I said to him. Then I hugged him and turned toward the door. "Oh, and make up with Jenny. Please? She misses you..."
"See you soon brother. And if she comes and apologises, I will. But I won't go to her." He replied stubbornly. I sighed and rolled my eyes at hime good-naturedly. I walked out to my car, waving as I went. I put my bag in the back seat and pulled out, off to say goodbye to Jenny.
"Hey, Manuel. How are you? I was just getting ready to come talk to you. I need some help with English. This research paper is killing me. Maybe I'm just procratinating though." Se laughed and hugged me. I smiled down at her.
"Sorry, sweetie. But I'm going on a quick trip to Ohio. There's an old friend I need to see there...." I looked down at her disappoined face. "Sorry, Jared could help you though. He's more than qualified to teach in America. He even has a degree saying he can be a substitute. Mine, in fact." I heard a sharp intake of breath and I looked down at her. Her face went very white, then very red. I knew she was going to be angry when I told her. That's why I decided to do it before she walked into school Monday morning and murdered my brother.
"Um. Ok. I will not freak out. How long? How long will I have to pretend like I don't know him?" She asked, sounding both determined and desperate for reassurance at the same time.
"Just a school week. Nothing longer. But if it all goes well with my friend in Ohio probably more often than that..." I answered kind of quickly. She looked at me closely and I kind of blushed.
"It's a GIRL friend isn't it? You're really going 200 miles to see a girl? She must be special. She also has no idea you're coming does she? Good for her. And you, maybe she can make you happy Manuel. I hate to see the sadess in your eyes." She gave me a sweet smile and kissed my cheek. "Good luck with her. I hope it goes well." She hugged me and followed me to my car and waved as I pulled out.
I saw my happy goodbyes as a good omen. I got onto the motorway and then the turnpike. I hoped it would go well for me....
~Jenny P.O.V. (Monday after Manuel left)
"Hello, class. I'm your substitute English teacher while Mr. Ortiz is out for a few days. Nasty flu, or so I heard. I see you were supposed to take a test today. I wil give you an extra day to study and tel me all about the book you are reading. "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. That's about racism correct? Or were you discussing a deeper meaning in the text?" Jared bean talking with the class about racism and classic American literature.
He asked the class to call him Jared. No Mr. Whatever.Just Jared. I could see everybody thought it was cool for him to do that. It just made my life harder though. I didn't want people to use his first name. It felt too personal, like it was undermining my right to know his first name. I knew I was jealous, though. And I really tried to let it go.
"What do you think Miss. M? You haven't said much in the discussion today does this topic bore you?" Jared's honey voice washed over me, but he sounded irritated and petty. "Maybe you should tell us what's going through your head instead of listening to the class discussion." I could tell he was still angry with me for the punches. I could still see the slight bruises on his face.
I smiled sweetly at him. "No, sir. Just thinking about how dull of a teacher you are. I guess that's why you're sill a sub. Not a REAL teacher." I said right to his face. I was still angry too. I don't like it when people abandon me. Obviously. The whole class did that collective "Oohhh" thing students do. Like somebody hadn't realised I insulted our new, cool, sub.
Jared's face went red. "This afternoon. Detention. Actually, scratch that, ALL WEEK. Do not push me into giving you more. I can make sure they get enforced." His tone was dangerous and triumphant. He had caught me. For now.
I smiled sweetly again. "Yes, sir. I'm sure I can pencil in your tedious detentions all week. Most times are good for you right? You probably haven't got much of a life." My voice was sugar sweet. His smile dropped off of his face like a ton of bricks. It was replaced by a scowl that lasted for the rest of the day. It was gonna be a great week....
~Manuel P.O.V. (He just arrived in Ohio)~
I drove on the main road I thought would take me somewhere near my hotel. It was a state route that went the senic way. I saw I was appoaching Elyria, my destination. It was a small city right near where Amy lived. I pulled into the parking lot of the hotel. I walked into the lobby and checked in. But I wasn't really very tired so I dcided to go driving. I remembered Amy's address and I thought it would be a good idea to go see her. I got directions form the girl at the front desk and I got into my car. I followed the directions to her road and I looked for her house number.
When I found it, I pulled into the diveway. I hoped she was there, but I didn't see any cars in the drive. I walked up the driveway and onto the porch to the front door. I rang the bell twice and knocked once loudly, our code if either one of us came to visit unexpectedly.
I heard a barking and a loud "THUMP". Then I hear the door unlocking and she peeked out. Her beautiful face was almost unknown to me. Her hair was dank and a dull, mousey brown instead of the usual bouncy, shiny chestnut brown. Her eyes, once a vibrant green, were now a flat dark brown. They looked sad and empty, like her soul ahd been replaced with sadness and pain. Her face was clouded over with confusion and some other expression.
"Well, there must be a God after all. Hey, maybe the Christians were right. Hell is the worst place imaginable.... Pain I can do, but now you're just fucking with my emotions Satan!" She mumbled some more random nonsense and swayed where she stood.
Then, she bent over and vomited all over herself and my shoes. She stood up straight and leaned closer to me, like she was going to tell me something. Suddenly, she pitched forward and fainted right in my arms.
I gathered her up and took her inside to a couch. Her head lolled to the side dangerously as I pulled out my cell and called an ambulance. I picked her back up and took her outside. I set her down on a chair on her porch and closed and locked the door. The ambulance pulled into her driveway about a minute after I called. I took her right up to one of the paramedics and showed her to him.
I was holding her bridal style and the paramedics looked at her once and immediately pulled out the gurney and had me put her on it. The male paramedic looked white, but calm.
"We need to get her to hospital! STAT! Start a saline drip and get her prepped for a stomach pump. Shes going downhill, fast. Sir, are you coming? We need to leave. NOW!" He yelled at me and the woman behind him. I nodded at his question and got quickly into the back of the ambulance. We started driving as soon as I got in.
"Sir, how long had you been here when you called? And how long has she been unconsious?" The woman asked me.
"It has been about five minues since I got here. And only about two minutes. Will she be alright?" I answered anxiously. Her frown got deeer and she didn't answer me.
"Sir, before we can tell you, we need to know your relashonship with her. Friend?Teacher? What?" She asked quickly.
"Fiancee. I'm her fiancee, I just asked her yesterday. What has happened to her?" I demanded.
She sighed and pushed her dark red hair out of her face. "Sir, she's been poisoned. Possibly a suicide attempt."
(Heavy chapter. It won't get better for a couple of chapters either. Sorry it's been so long in the update. My mum broke her arm and I've been playing nursemaid for a couple of days. But, I'm writing my chapters differently now. I'm writing them in a little book instead of just sitting down and writing them all at once(or over a period of days lol) so that should make me faster in updates. That's all for now. See you all soon!
<3 Jackie)