And You Can't Tell Anyone (Track Twelve: III) 2, chapter 41
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It's strange how I've been away for a while, and everything looks the same.
The length of time that had passed had not been completely her fault. She had needed some space to heal and ready herself. Then, after that--Wren shook her head to block out the memory.
Money had been the next problem. It had taken forever for her to save up enough money to get things arranged. A little voice insisted that she could have done it faster if she had not spent it all, like a coward, every time she got close to her required amount. Wren tried to rationalize her delay some other way.
I had to get stuff in order, make arrangements to get here alone. It didn't help that I had to wait until this tour ended. Then, I had to find him. God, that'd been just luck seeing him.
Wren paced back and forth in the tiny motel room. Today was the last day before her flight left for England again. It was now or never. Abruptly, she snatched up her jacket and threw it on. Shoving her hand into a pocket, she assured herself that a piece of paper was still in there before leaving the motel. Wren slid into the seat of her decrepit rental car and turned it on.
Not giving herself time to think, she snatched the map off of the dashboard and began to inspect it. She blindly pulled out the paper from her pocket. Glancing at the address upon it, she then turned her gaze to the map. Her lips moved silently as her finger traced the lines of the road. When she was convinced she had the order of streets memorized, Wren folded up the paper and placed it down on the passenger seat. Her fingers became suddenly slick as she wrapped them around the steering wheel. She set her jaw in a determined manner.
I'm going to do this. I have to. I deserve to know. He deserves to know.
On impulse, she chose the shuffle play option on the CD player of the car before heading into the city. Various tracks from her old friends' latest album set the speakers to throbbing.
In the interest of keeping herself distracted she sang along. The spastic pulsations, coupled with the wind from a rolled-down window, served to keep her head clear. She even had a laugh as she stopped at a cross-walk for a pedestrian mother and child.
"...now I'm just another shitty old man."
The mother glared at Wren in a most ferocious manner.
"I don't have fun and I hate everything. The world owes me so fuck you."
Covering her child's ears, the woman bustled away down the sidewalk.
Still laughing, Wren drove on into the residential area. Her smile faded as she tried to imagine what Tré would have done in such a case. Very rarely could she think of just one of them without thinking of all three. Subconsciously, she slowed down as she came closer to the house. Years did nothing to erase her ingrained caution.
After first arriving, she had taken to going for jogs on the off chance she might see him. The lack of foresight in the plan had become evident once she recognized the man outside one house in particular. Overcome with instinct, she had burst into a sprint before anything could happen.
As she parked across the street, Wren paused to inspect the building more thoroughly. It was certainly a step up or three from the old home of their high school days. She raised an eyebrow as she took in the BMW sitting in the driveway. Obviously Mike was taking to the rocker lifestyle like a fish to water.
Wren chewed on her lip as she watched late-autumn leaves skitter across the street. Even here, she could turn back and remain in hopeful obscurity. She fidgeted, tapping her fingers on the wheel.
I shouldn't be here should I? It's not like I feel anything for him. We've nothing in common. Nothing. Well, okay, there's some stuff. But it's not like I've forgotten about all that shit we went through.
Involuntarily, she crouched deeper in her seat as the house door opened. Her mouth opened slightly as a woman rushed out with her hair tangling around her face. A heartbeat later, Mike followed. He dashed and caught the woman by the shoulder.
Feeling like she was a spy, but unable to resist, Wren watched as the two started to argue. The woman tried to pull away, but he tugged her close. Wren suddenly felt a tightening in her throat as Mike said something to the woman. After a moment, the woman relaxed and sagged into his arms. Looking a bit stressed, Mike rested his chin gingerly upon her head.
Wren's gut tightened as she felt his gaze slide over her car. Nervously, she pretended to be looking for something on the floor. Not daring to look full on across the street, she put the car in gear and watched out of the corner of her eye. Instead of seeing Mike come running over, she caught a glimpse of him and his girl sharing a soft moment.
Unbidden tears started burning Wren's eyes. Mike had moved on; it was time she did the same. She had no right to come barging back into his life unannounced. This was no longer a place for her. There was no longer a place in his life for her. With painful clarity she came to understand that it had not been since the day she left. Before she broke down completely, she drove off. Wren focused with monastic concentration on the road. Her thoughts, she slammed into a mental dungeon. It did not work, fragments slipped out like hands through bars of a cell.
I wanted that. Why couldn't it be me? How come I'm the loser out of all this? Am I jealous? No. Maybe. Yes! Damn it, I don't care! I don't--
She gritted her teeth as an all too familiar song started on the disc.
"Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road. Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go."
Oh God. Billie, Wren thought as the picking continued, you and your lyrics. Always right on.
Afraid that she would actually cry over a guy that should be nothing more than a memory, Wren shut off the CD. It was to no avail. The song began to play in her mind.
"So make the best of this test and don't ask why. It's not a question but a lesson learned in time."
Wren bit her lip as the car rolled to a stop at a red light. Luckily, it was a long one so she had an extended amount of time to get herself under control. One solitary tear leaked out of her eye, but no others followed. It was time to get over it and walk away. Taking a deep breath, she started crossing the intersection.
"It something unpredictable, but in the end it's right--"
With a horrific scream of smashing steel and a spray of sparks, eight thousand tons of red-light-racing semi tractor truck ploughed mercilessly into the car.
"I hope you had the time of your life."
THE END
The length of time that had passed had not been completely her fault. She had needed some space to heal and ready herself. Then, after that--Wren shook her head to block out the memory.
Money had been the next problem. It had taken forever for her to save up enough money to get things arranged. A little voice insisted that she could have done it faster if she had not spent it all, like a coward, every time she got close to her required amount. Wren tried to rationalize her delay some other way.
I had to get stuff in order, make arrangements to get here alone. It didn't help that I had to wait until this tour ended. Then, I had to find him. God, that'd been just luck seeing him.
Wren paced back and forth in the tiny motel room. Today was the last day before her flight left for England again. It was now or never. Abruptly, she snatched up her jacket and threw it on. Shoving her hand into a pocket, she assured herself that a piece of paper was still in there before leaving the motel. Wren slid into the seat of her decrepit rental car and turned it on.
Not giving herself time to think, she snatched the map off of the dashboard and began to inspect it. She blindly pulled out the paper from her pocket. Glancing at the address upon it, she then turned her gaze to the map. Her lips moved silently as her finger traced the lines of the road. When she was convinced she had the order of streets memorized, Wren folded up the paper and placed it down on the passenger seat. Her fingers became suddenly slick as she wrapped them around the steering wheel. She set her jaw in a determined manner.
I'm going to do this. I have to. I deserve to know. He deserves to know.
On impulse, she chose the shuffle play option on the CD player of the car before heading into the city. Various tracks from her old friends' latest album set the speakers to throbbing.
In the interest of keeping herself distracted she sang along. The spastic pulsations, coupled with the wind from a rolled-down window, served to keep her head clear. She even had a laugh as she stopped at a cross-walk for a pedestrian mother and child.
"...now I'm just another shitty old man."
The mother glared at Wren in a most ferocious manner.
"I don't have fun and I hate everything. The world owes me so fuck you."
Covering her child's ears, the woman bustled away down the sidewalk.
Still laughing, Wren drove on into the residential area. Her smile faded as she tried to imagine what Tré would have done in such a case. Very rarely could she think of just one of them without thinking of all three. Subconsciously, she slowed down as she came closer to the house. Years did nothing to erase her ingrained caution.
After first arriving, she had taken to going for jogs on the off chance she might see him. The lack of foresight in the plan had become evident once she recognized the man outside one house in particular. Overcome with instinct, she had burst into a sprint before anything could happen.
As she parked across the street, Wren paused to inspect the building more thoroughly. It was certainly a step up or three from the old home of their high school days. She raised an eyebrow as she took in the BMW sitting in the driveway. Obviously Mike was taking to the rocker lifestyle like a fish to water.
Wren chewed on her lip as she watched late-autumn leaves skitter across the street. Even here, she could turn back and remain in hopeful obscurity. She fidgeted, tapping her fingers on the wheel.
I shouldn't be here should I? It's not like I feel anything for him. We've nothing in common. Nothing. Well, okay, there's some stuff. But it's not like I've forgotten about all that shit we went through.
Involuntarily, she crouched deeper in her seat as the house door opened. Her mouth opened slightly as a woman rushed out with her hair tangling around her face. A heartbeat later, Mike followed. He dashed and caught the woman by the shoulder.
Feeling like she was a spy, but unable to resist, Wren watched as the two started to argue. The woman tried to pull away, but he tugged her close. Wren suddenly felt a tightening in her throat as Mike said something to the woman. After a moment, the woman relaxed and sagged into his arms. Looking a bit stressed, Mike rested his chin gingerly upon her head.
Wren's gut tightened as she felt his gaze slide over her car. Nervously, she pretended to be looking for something on the floor. Not daring to look full on across the street, she put the car in gear and watched out of the corner of her eye. Instead of seeing Mike come running over, she caught a glimpse of him and his girl sharing a soft moment.
Unbidden tears started burning Wren's eyes. Mike had moved on; it was time she did the same. She had no right to come barging back into his life unannounced. This was no longer a place for her. There was no longer a place in his life for her. With painful clarity she came to understand that it had not been since the day she left. Before she broke down completely, she drove off. Wren focused with monastic concentration on the road. Her thoughts, she slammed into a mental dungeon. It did not work, fragments slipped out like hands through bars of a cell.
I wanted that. Why couldn't it be me? How come I'm the loser out of all this? Am I jealous? No. Maybe. Yes! Damn it, I don't care! I don't--
She gritted her teeth as an all too familiar song started on the disc.
"Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road. Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go."
Oh God. Billie, Wren thought as the picking continued, you and your lyrics. Always right on.
Afraid that she would actually cry over a guy that should be nothing more than a memory, Wren shut off the CD. It was to no avail. The song began to play in her mind.
"So make the best of this test and don't ask why. It's not a question but a lesson learned in time."
Wren bit her lip as the car rolled to a stop at a red light. Luckily, it was a long one so she had an extended amount of time to get herself under control. One solitary tear leaked out of her eye, but no others followed. It was time to get over it and walk away. Taking a deep breath, she started crossing the intersection.
"It something unpredictable, but in the end it's right--"
With a horrific scream of smashing steel and a spray of sparks, eight thousand tons of red-light-racing semi tractor truck ploughed mercilessly into the car.
"I hope you had the time of your life."
THE END
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