Take It All Away (sequel to Numb the Pain), chapter 2
*THE NEXT DAY*
*Andrea's POV*
I hit the alarm clock when I heard it ring at 8:00 the next morning. I dragged myself out of bed and went into the bathroom to get take a shower. I got out and went back into my room and dressed in black dress pants and a v-neck blouse. I pulled my hair straight down my back, hanging over my shoulders and I scrubbed on white eyeshadow, mascara, and black eyeliner. I dropped a black-silver necklace around my neck, grabbed a pair of black boots and walked down the hall.
I crept into Nicki's room and turned on the light, I lightly shook her shoulder. "Nicki. Honey. Time to wake up," I said. Her eyes fluttered open and she yawned. She didn't say anything but lifted her arms up in an indication to pick her up. I picked her up and went across the room and got some clothes out of the closet.
We we're finally ready to leave. I dropped Nicki off at her babysitter's, Tasha Reed, and then drove to work.
I got to my office on the top floor and turned on the computer. My screen popped up and I stared at the wallpaper I have. A picture of Mike that I had gotten off greendayauthority.com, a website I had found dedicated to them.
I sat back and stared at the picture, my thoughts only of him.
*7:00 THAT NIGHT*
*Still Andrea's POV*
I walked into the diner and sat at the bar and waited for Mike to show up. I had spent all day thinking about him, not really getting any work done like I wanted to. Tony had wanted to go out, but I told him I was going to be busy and I couldn't. I didn't like the look in his eyes when I told him that, but he said he understood. I had gotten Tyler to watch Nicki until about midnight, then she says she's going home no matter what.
I sighed and smoothed down my old AC/DC shirt, the exact same one I was wearing when I met Mike. I had changed from my work clothes into my usual weekend and after-work clothes. Tight black jeans with a studded belt, ratty old black converse, a band t-shirt, my hair into a messy bun, and I took off the white eyeshadow and put a light coat of black on. People here where giving me weird looks as I sat there, sipping on a diet Pepsi. I definitely didn't look like I belonged in Long Island. But did I care? No fucking way.
I took a sip of the diet Pepsi and crossed my legs over each other. I picked up a french fry and looked at the clock. 7:15. He's late. I sighed again. Maybe he really didn't want to met me here. He probably just said that to make me get away from him. I reached for my coat that was draped over the stool next to me and put some money on the counter. "Bye Jeff," I called to him. He waved and I nodded at the money. I turned around, heading for the door, and stopped because someone was blocking my way. Not just someone either. Him. Mike.
'God, he looks so good,' was my first thought when I looked at him. He was wearing a sleeveless shirt under a black leather jacket. He had a pair of blank pants with a red stripe up the side on, black converse like mine, and his hair was spiked up and the ends blonde, just like yesterday, but it also looked sweaty, probably from the concert. His expression was an uncertain one, as though he didn't know what to do. I felt this weird feeling in the pit of my stomach as I studied him closer, but pushed it down, as though I was afraid of what it was.
"Hi," I was the first to speak. The words came out funny, kind of high pitched.
"Hey," he said, shifting from one foot to the other. "Look. I know of a better place we can go. More quieter. How about it?" he said, motioning out the door.
I hesitated, but then looked up into his blue eyes. And I remembered something from long ago. I could never say no to this man.
So, I nodded. "Okay," I said, putting on my coat. He opened the door and held it open as I walked out. He lead me to a new black Dodge Ram truck, and I knew perfectly well he could afford something better. He opened the passenger door and I slid up onto the seat. He closed the door and walked around to his side and got in. I shivered a little and put my arms around myself, hoping to block out the cold. He seemed to sense the coldness of the truck through his heavy leather jacket and turned the heater on full blast.
"It's cold in here," he muttered, buckling up and turning the admission on. I buckled up too and laid my head back against the seat and closed my eyes, just thinking about everything that had changed in less than 24 hours. I felt his eyes on me, but I didn't open mine or take my head off the seat.
Before I knew it, we had stopped and my eyes opened and I looked at the restaurant before us. In the window, a sign flashed El Restaurante, which is Spanish for The Restaurant. I squinted at it and noticed it was a really nice restaurant at that. I shook my head. "What?" Mike asked. I looked over at him.
"This looks like an expensive restaurant. I'll pay for myself, if you weren't already planning on making me do that," I said, looking at the people coming and going from there. He shook his head.
"No, I wasn't gonna make you do that," he said. "I was the one who brought you here, I'll pay." I gave him a look.
"Oh please. You know perfectly well that I'm not gonna let you pay for me. I'm perfectly capable of paying for myself," I said, waving my hand. He gave me a skeptical look.
"I'm paying, and that's it," he murmured. I sighed in defeat.
"Fine. I give. You can pay," I said. He nodded. "I'll pay you back later." He rolled his eyes.
"Lets not talk about it right now. Let's go eat," he said, opening the door. The cool air rushed in and I started to shiver and I pulled my jacket tighter. Before I knew what happened, my door was opening from the outside. I looked at Mike, surprised, and got out. I didn't think he'd do that. He shrugged. "Habit," he said, looking at the ground.
I nodded. "Right." I looked at the ground too.
He cleared his throat. "Anyway. Let's go in. It's cold," he said, noticing me shivering. I nodded and followed him into the restaurant.
We walked in and Mike told the host guy that we had a reservation for Pritchard. He's using his real name. I thought. We where shown to a table out on the balcony. "Thank you," I said to the host. He nodded and walked back over to the front. "Did you plan on coming here before tonight?" I asked, picking up the menu.
He nodded sheepishly. "Yeah. I haven't seen you in 14 years. I didn't want to have the first meal with you in a cheap diner. Not when I can afford this place," he said. I nodded. He's really changed over the years, I thought, looking at him concentrating on the menu.
I looked at my own menu and decided on having a steak and salad with some red wine. He decided on filet minon and a salad with, yes, a beer. When our food came, we fell into an uncomfortable silence that seemed to fill the whole restaurant. I cleared my throat and felt Mike's gaze on me. I looked at him. "Yes?" I said. He shook his head.
"Nothing. It's just, you've changed. That's all," he said, studying my face. I felt my cheeks burn red.
"You have too. I mean, you're a rock star now. And you have a daughter," I sighed and looked at my hands. "It's just weird, that's all," I muttered.
He gave me a funny look. "A) You have a daughter too. And B) How's it weird?"
I sighed kinda shakingly and told him what I've been thinking about since I first saw him yesterday. "It's weird because when we where younger, you know, 14 years ago, when we where together, I always thought we'd have a kid together, instead of two separate ones." I glanced at him, to see his facial expression, which was very astonished, and looked back at my hands.
"I thought so too," he sighed and put his fork down. "But then, something happened and I knew that that could never happen." I bristled when I thought of Tre. He's the cause of me and Mike breaking up. He lied to Mike and made him believe that I kissed Tre first when it really was the other way around. When I left, I forgave him for the time being. Now, I'm back to being pissed at him.
I sighed. "If you still believe him, then fine. Believe him," I muttered, taking more of my wine.
"I do believe him. Why would my best friend do that?" he asked, his voice raising a tiny bit.
"I don't know. I really don't. Do you really think that I would do that? I mean, c'mon. I was in love with you. I don't hurt the people I love and if you cared for me at all, knew me at all, you would've realized that he came on to me, told me I was beautiful, and then told me he loved me. Sure, I did do some of it I'll admit, but I've never had that happen to me before you guys. I've never had two guys look at me without flinching, let alone saying I love you, so I got confused. And see, I told you my part, although 14 years too late, and he's been with you this whole time and he hasn't told you anything about that day at all. So don't tell me it's all my fault," I hissed. I knew enough that if I yelled, we would've gotten kicked out.
Mike just gawked at me. Then, his face went cold. "Liar," was the only thing he said. I stared at him a moment longer before standing up throwing my napkin on my plate. I grabbed my coat and my purse.
"Fine. Believe him still." I pushed in the chair. "This was a mistake. I knew in my gut it was a mistake, and now I'm sure. Goodbye Mike," I said, coldly, turning and walking out of his life.
*AT HOME*
I slammed through the front door, then slammed it again behind me. I was fuming as I took off my coat and threw it in the closet by the door. I put my purse on the wooden table and shook my hair from the hair tie and bun and let it fall delicately around my shoulders. I looked in the mirror and ran my hand through the blackness of it. I saw some lighter colors in it. Shit I thought. Gray. God, that's what happened as a result of tonight. Luckily, though, you couldn't tell they were there and I pulled them. "Tyler! Nicki! Where are you guys?" I yelled through the house. I walked into the kitchen and saw a paper on the counter. It said Tyler took Nicki back to her house with her cause Nicki wanted to hang out with Tyler's daughter Caiti. I sighed. Yes. House to myself.
I walked into my bedroom and walked into the closet. I pulled off my clothes and put on pajamas. I climbed onto the bed and turned on the plasma tv that I had put in here last month. I turned it to Friends and watched Joey and Chandler lose Ross's son Ben on the bus and have to chose between two look alike babies in the station. I finally fell asleep, dreaming about Mike the whole night.
*AT THE HOTEL*
*Mike's POV*
I threw open my room door, then slammed it shut. I heard voices from the living room, knowing it was Billie, Adie and Tre.
I was steamed. Sure, I brought up the past, but she was still stuck on her idea that Tre came on to her. I know he would never do that. I thought for a minute. Would he? I shook my head. No, he would never hurt me like that. I know he wouldn't.
I walked into the livingroom and saw Billie and Tre watching an old Three Stooges movie. Adie was just shaking her head at their stupidness. They all looked up when they heard me walk in. They're faces feel when they saw me.
"What's wrong?" Tre asked, jumping over to me. I sighed.
"You know how I said I was gonna meet an old friend tonight?" they all nodded. "Well, it was Andrea." Their eyes went wide.
"Andrea? As in you ex-girlfriend. Andrea?" Billie asked, him standing up too. I nodded.
"Yeah. And we were talking about her daughter and Stella and what's going on in her life now and our past came up and I brought up that...day...and we got in a fight and she left saying she thought it was a bad idea that she came there tonight. Which, I now know, that it was true." I felt like punching something. I looked at Tre and his face was red and he was looking at his feet. "What's wrong with you?" I asked. He sighed.
"Okay. If I tell you, you gotta promise not to punch me," he warned.
I shrugged. "Okay...what is it?"
He sighed again. "I-uh-I was the one who came onto Andrea. Then I lied about it to you."
*Andrea's POV*
I hit the alarm clock when I heard it ring at 8:00 the next morning. I dragged myself out of bed and went into the bathroom to get take a shower. I got out and went back into my room and dressed in black dress pants and a v-neck blouse. I pulled my hair straight down my back, hanging over my shoulders and I scrubbed on white eyeshadow, mascara, and black eyeliner. I dropped a black-silver necklace around my neck, grabbed a pair of black boots and walked down the hall.
I crept into Nicki's room and turned on the light, I lightly shook her shoulder. "Nicki. Honey. Time to wake up," I said. Her eyes fluttered open and she yawned. She didn't say anything but lifted her arms up in an indication to pick her up. I picked her up and went across the room and got some clothes out of the closet.
We we're finally ready to leave. I dropped Nicki off at her babysitter's, Tasha Reed, and then drove to work.
I got to my office on the top floor and turned on the computer. My screen popped up and I stared at the wallpaper I have. A picture of Mike that I had gotten off greendayauthority.com, a website I had found dedicated to them.
I sat back and stared at the picture, my thoughts only of him.
*7:00 THAT NIGHT*
*Still Andrea's POV*
I walked into the diner and sat at the bar and waited for Mike to show up. I had spent all day thinking about him, not really getting any work done like I wanted to. Tony had wanted to go out, but I told him I was going to be busy and I couldn't. I didn't like the look in his eyes when I told him that, but he said he understood. I had gotten Tyler to watch Nicki until about midnight, then she says she's going home no matter what.
I sighed and smoothed down my old AC/DC shirt, the exact same one I was wearing when I met Mike. I had changed from my work clothes into my usual weekend and after-work clothes. Tight black jeans with a studded belt, ratty old black converse, a band t-shirt, my hair into a messy bun, and I took off the white eyeshadow and put a light coat of black on. People here where giving me weird looks as I sat there, sipping on a diet Pepsi. I definitely didn't look like I belonged in Long Island. But did I care? No fucking way.
I took a sip of the diet Pepsi and crossed my legs over each other. I picked up a french fry and looked at the clock. 7:15. He's late. I sighed again. Maybe he really didn't want to met me here. He probably just said that to make me get away from him. I reached for my coat that was draped over the stool next to me and put some money on the counter. "Bye Jeff," I called to him. He waved and I nodded at the money. I turned around, heading for the door, and stopped because someone was blocking my way. Not just someone either. Him. Mike.
'God, he looks so good,' was my first thought when I looked at him. He was wearing a sleeveless shirt under a black leather jacket. He had a pair of blank pants with a red stripe up the side on, black converse like mine, and his hair was spiked up and the ends blonde, just like yesterday, but it also looked sweaty, probably from the concert. His expression was an uncertain one, as though he didn't know what to do. I felt this weird feeling in the pit of my stomach as I studied him closer, but pushed it down, as though I was afraid of what it was.
"Hi," I was the first to speak. The words came out funny, kind of high pitched.
"Hey," he said, shifting from one foot to the other. "Look. I know of a better place we can go. More quieter. How about it?" he said, motioning out the door.
I hesitated, but then looked up into his blue eyes. And I remembered something from long ago. I could never say no to this man.
So, I nodded. "Okay," I said, putting on my coat. He opened the door and held it open as I walked out. He lead me to a new black Dodge Ram truck, and I knew perfectly well he could afford something better. He opened the passenger door and I slid up onto the seat. He closed the door and walked around to his side and got in. I shivered a little and put my arms around myself, hoping to block out the cold. He seemed to sense the coldness of the truck through his heavy leather jacket and turned the heater on full blast.
"It's cold in here," he muttered, buckling up and turning the admission on. I buckled up too and laid my head back against the seat and closed my eyes, just thinking about everything that had changed in less than 24 hours. I felt his eyes on me, but I didn't open mine or take my head off the seat.
Before I knew it, we had stopped and my eyes opened and I looked at the restaurant before us. In the window, a sign flashed El Restaurante, which is Spanish for The Restaurant. I squinted at it and noticed it was a really nice restaurant at that. I shook my head. "What?" Mike asked. I looked over at him.
"This looks like an expensive restaurant. I'll pay for myself, if you weren't already planning on making me do that," I said, looking at the people coming and going from there. He shook his head.
"No, I wasn't gonna make you do that," he said. "I was the one who brought you here, I'll pay." I gave him a look.
"Oh please. You know perfectly well that I'm not gonna let you pay for me. I'm perfectly capable of paying for myself," I said, waving my hand. He gave me a skeptical look.
"I'm paying, and that's it," he murmured. I sighed in defeat.
"Fine. I give. You can pay," I said. He nodded. "I'll pay you back later." He rolled his eyes.
"Lets not talk about it right now. Let's go eat," he said, opening the door. The cool air rushed in and I started to shiver and I pulled my jacket tighter. Before I knew what happened, my door was opening from the outside. I looked at Mike, surprised, and got out. I didn't think he'd do that. He shrugged. "Habit," he said, looking at the ground.
I nodded. "Right." I looked at the ground too.
He cleared his throat. "Anyway. Let's go in. It's cold," he said, noticing me shivering. I nodded and followed him into the restaurant.
We walked in and Mike told the host guy that we had a reservation for Pritchard. He's using his real name. I thought. We where shown to a table out on the balcony. "Thank you," I said to the host. He nodded and walked back over to the front. "Did you plan on coming here before tonight?" I asked, picking up the menu.
He nodded sheepishly. "Yeah. I haven't seen you in 14 years. I didn't want to have the first meal with you in a cheap diner. Not when I can afford this place," he said. I nodded. He's really changed over the years, I thought, looking at him concentrating on the menu.
I looked at my own menu and decided on having a steak and salad with some red wine. He decided on filet minon and a salad with, yes, a beer. When our food came, we fell into an uncomfortable silence that seemed to fill the whole restaurant. I cleared my throat and felt Mike's gaze on me. I looked at him. "Yes?" I said. He shook his head.
"Nothing. It's just, you've changed. That's all," he said, studying my face. I felt my cheeks burn red.
"You have too. I mean, you're a rock star now. And you have a daughter," I sighed and looked at my hands. "It's just weird, that's all," I muttered.
He gave me a funny look. "A) You have a daughter too. And B) How's it weird?"
I sighed kinda shakingly and told him what I've been thinking about since I first saw him yesterday. "It's weird because when we where younger, you know, 14 years ago, when we where together, I always thought we'd have a kid together, instead of two separate ones." I glanced at him, to see his facial expression, which was very astonished, and looked back at my hands.
"I thought so too," he sighed and put his fork down. "But then, something happened and I knew that that could never happen." I bristled when I thought of Tre. He's the cause of me and Mike breaking up. He lied to Mike and made him believe that I kissed Tre first when it really was the other way around. When I left, I forgave him for the time being. Now, I'm back to being pissed at him.
I sighed. "If you still believe him, then fine. Believe him," I muttered, taking more of my wine.
"I do believe him. Why would my best friend do that?" he asked, his voice raising a tiny bit.
"I don't know. I really don't. Do you really think that I would do that? I mean, c'mon. I was in love with you. I don't hurt the people I love and if you cared for me at all, knew me at all, you would've realized that he came on to me, told me I was beautiful, and then told me he loved me. Sure, I did do some of it I'll admit, but I've never had that happen to me before you guys. I've never had two guys look at me without flinching, let alone saying I love you, so I got confused. And see, I told you my part, although 14 years too late, and he's been with you this whole time and he hasn't told you anything about that day at all. So don't tell me it's all my fault," I hissed. I knew enough that if I yelled, we would've gotten kicked out.
Mike just gawked at me. Then, his face went cold. "Liar," was the only thing he said. I stared at him a moment longer before standing up throwing my napkin on my plate. I grabbed my coat and my purse.
"Fine. Believe him still." I pushed in the chair. "This was a mistake. I knew in my gut it was a mistake, and now I'm sure. Goodbye Mike," I said, coldly, turning and walking out of his life.
*AT HOME*
I slammed through the front door, then slammed it again behind me. I was fuming as I took off my coat and threw it in the closet by the door. I put my purse on the wooden table and shook my hair from the hair tie and bun and let it fall delicately around my shoulders. I looked in the mirror and ran my hand through the blackness of it. I saw some lighter colors in it. Shit I thought. Gray. God, that's what happened as a result of tonight. Luckily, though, you couldn't tell they were there and I pulled them. "Tyler! Nicki! Where are you guys?" I yelled through the house. I walked into the kitchen and saw a paper on the counter. It said Tyler took Nicki back to her house with her cause Nicki wanted to hang out with Tyler's daughter Caiti. I sighed. Yes. House to myself.
I walked into my bedroom and walked into the closet. I pulled off my clothes and put on pajamas. I climbed onto the bed and turned on the plasma tv that I had put in here last month. I turned it to Friends and watched Joey and Chandler lose Ross's son Ben on the bus and have to chose between two look alike babies in the station. I finally fell asleep, dreaming about Mike the whole night.
*AT THE HOTEL*
*Mike's POV*
I threw open my room door, then slammed it shut. I heard voices from the living room, knowing it was Billie, Adie and Tre.
I was steamed. Sure, I brought up the past, but she was still stuck on her idea that Tre came on to her. I know he would never do that. I thought for a minute. Would he? I shook my head. No, he would never hurt me like that. I know he wouldn't.
I walked into the livingroom and saw Billie and Tre watching an old Three Stooges movie. Adie was just shaking her head at their stupidness. They all looked up when they heard me walk in. They're faces feel when they saw me.
"What's wrong?" Tre asked, jumping over to me. I sighed.
"You know how I said I was gonna meet an old friend tonight?" they all nodded. "Well, it was Andrea." Their eyes went wide.
"Andrea? As in you ex-girlfriend. Andrea?" Billie asked, him standing up too. I nodded.
"Yeah. And we were talking about her daughter and Stella and what's going on in her life now and our past came up and I brought up that...day...and we got in a fight and she left saying she thought it was a bad idea that she came there tonight. Which, I now know, that it was true." I felt like punching something. I looked at Tre and his face was red and he was looking at his feet. "What's wrong with you?" I asked. He sighed.
"Okay. If I tell you, you gotta promise not to punch me," he warned.
I shrugged. "Okay...what is it?"
He sighed again. "I-uh-I was the one who came onto Andrea. Then I lied about it to you."
