Sudden Hope (17 page)

“It's about time. Jesus
, CC, I was about to call the police.” She let out a sigh and began again. “What is wrong with you? You don’t answer your texts, I called your house and you weren’t there. I have called and texted everyone, no one has seen you. You better be telling me in a second that you were kidnapped and held for ransom.” she pauses for a second. And I take the opportunity to cut in.

“I’m wearing Danny's class ring.” I figure I would start with a shocker.

“WHAT?” I had to pull the phone away from my ear.

“Yea and I got a complete makeover.” I was giggling.

“I'm coming over right now and I'm picking up Lea, we will be there in thirty and don’t even try to say no, you have a lot of explaining to do.”

“I'll be here
, girl.” What else can I say? About twenty-five minutes later Jenny pulls up. She and Lea jump out of the car and come running up. Lea of course is the first to comment on my new look.

“You
, my dear, are absolutely divine.” She was gawking at me.

“Umm
, Lea your kind of freaking me out.”

“Sorry CC, but dang girl did you look at yourself?”

“Now what?” I answered sarcastically.

“Smart ass
,” she answers back.

“Yep my ass goes to school with me every day
,” I say.

“Wow, new look and a new attitude, huh?”
Jenny pipes in.

“I needed a change, anyway I like the new look too.” Now I am just really being a smart ass. We all laugh and go to my room. I go through everything that had happened.
The envelope from Ms. Gina, the letter from my dad, the visit to Ms. Gina's house, the makeover and of course the diner and Danny. I spoke and the two girls sat there and listened without saying a word. Even if they knew what to say, which I doubted, I don’t think they wanted to interrupt. It was more like telling about a movie I had just watched than what I had been through in the last day. I finished and waited for one of them to speak.

“Wow. So it is official, you’re Danny's girl?” Lea finally spoke.

“Yea I guess you can say that. So how was prom?” I answer.

“Yea right, you’re not changing the subject that fast
,” Jenny retorted.

“What? There is nothing more to say. So now it is your turn.” I raise my eyebrows and look at Jenny.

“Prom was good.” She looks down. “I wish you would have stayed. We all tried calling you.”

“I'm sorry
, Jenny, you knew why I couldn't stay, but was it fun.”

Lea jumped up and pointed to Jenny, “Guess who won prom queen?” Jenny’s face turns as red as her hair.

“Really? I'm sorry I missed that.” I truly was! I would have loved to see the look on her face when they announced her as the winner.

“
Don’t worry, Lea has it all on video.” Jenny nudged Lea's arm.

“Awesome can I see?”

“It is at home but I'll bring it to school tomorrow.”

“Thank you! I can’t wait to see it.” I wink at Jenny and she waves her hand in the air.

“It was no big deal, CC. Really.”

“No, the big deal was Anthony winning prom king and Jenny having to dance with my man.” I bust out laughing. Now I really wish I had seen that.

“Anthony must have died when he heard his name,” I say with a laugh.

“Truth girl the only thing that was missing was you were nominated and so was Danny neither one was th
ere to stand with us.” Jenny is sad but I know she understands why I was not there.

“What do you mean Da
nny was not there?” I question.

“He left when you did. He never even came in to say good-bye.”

“Oh.” It is all I can say. “Well listen it is getting late why don't you guys go and I'm going to wash this stuff off my face and hit the sheets.”

“Okay!” T
hey agree quicker than I think they would. “Catch you tomorrow, Hun.” It is late and I am due for some much-needed rest. One last look at my cell and I know I will have the best sleep ever. 'Sweet dreams darling' it reads. I simply reply ‘I love you Doll.’

Chapter Nineteen

Danny and I walk into school hand and hand. Looks are coming from everyone. I don’t know if it is Danny and I together, or my new look. Just in case it is not Danny and me, I want everyone to know exactly where we stand with our relationship. I stand in the middle of the hallway, reach upon my tiptoes, and kiss him hard and heavy. It is a little too hot for school but I think everyone got the point.

As
I let go of him, everyone in the hall starts cheering. Guys are high fiving him and girls are whispering to each other. So just because I am in the mood I yell out “Start crying now girls cause Danny is officially taken.”

All I hear is Anthony's laugh. “It's about damned time.” He put his arm around me and looks at Danny. “CC
, for years all I've heard is this guy talk about you. I didn’t think you two would ever figure it out.” I stood there in awe and mouthed the words “Really” to Danny. All he could do was nod.

I must of turned as red as my cherry lipstick. I smiled, kissed Danny on the cheek and walked to class. These are the days that school was made for. The kind of things that make you want to be there, only my life has never been that easy.

It is the middle of fifth period when my phone vibrated in my pocket. Great, I think. Who would call me at school? I wait for the bell to ring and check my voice mail. Danny was waiting at my locker and caught me as I dropped to the floor. “CC, what’s wrong?”

I do not even look at him. I just say, “We have to go, now.”

He does not argue or ask why he just takes my hand and leads me to the door. I drove in silence until we pull into the hospital parking lot. “I got a call from the hospital. Ms. Gina is here and they’re saying it doesn't look good, Danny.” I start to tear up. Danny does not say anything he just rests his hand on mine.

We walk into the hospital and head straight to the administration desk. “I’m here to see Gina
Cabrolosia. I received a phone call that she was brought here.” The young dark haired woman at the desk looks down at the computer. I know it only takes her a minute to answer me but it feels like forever. Danny is holding me tightly as I lay my head on his chest. It is so firm but has a softness to it only he can have. The young nurse lifts her head slowly to me. “Can you please take a seat? The doctor will be with you in a moment,” her voice had become so soft and subtle that I know something is terribly wrong.

Danny holds me the entire time we wait. A short, gray haired doctor comes walking into the room looking at a clipboard
. I know he was looking for me before he even said my name. “Celeste Brooks.” Danny and I are already standing before he could finish.

“Yes
,” I say trying not to let my voice crack.

“I regret to inform you Ms.
Cabrolosia did not make it.” I know he continued talking but I can not tell you one thing he said after those words. I sit on the hard plastic chair and cry the tears that I never wanted to see again. I really thought I could just be happy.

I sit there while Danny talk
s to the doctor. How could I have lost her? She was the only thing I had left in the world. I know she was sick but I never imagined she was that sick. It was all too quick.

Danny once again is there for me through my tears. I wonder if he ever just gets tired of holding me when I fall. I fall more then I stand.

When we leave the hospital we go to Danny's house. I don’t want to be alone and there is no real reason to be. I had the one person in my life that will truly be there for me. I glance his way and wanted to smile. He is everything I want, and now I have him, but I couldn’t enjoy him for one full day before the curse that must be hanging over me unleashes itself once again.

We walk through the door and
go straight to his room. Going to Danny's room was usually a normal thing but today it felt different. I am now his girlfriend and it almost seems wrong. His room is a normal teenage boy’s room. Trophies and medals line the far back wall. There is a large entertainment center with the best stereo system I have ever seen against the other wall. Danny has the same love for music as I do. There is a plush chair in the corner but I don’t know if he ever sits in it. The pile of cloths tell me no. I sit on his bed where I normally always sit and curl up against his pillows.

Danny pulls up a blanket and kisses me on my forehead. He is being swee
t but at the same time, I want him to lay next to me and hold me. “I'm going to go get you something to eat, CC, I'm worried, you haven’t eaten all day.” He really is admirable, but I am not hungry.

“I'm fine
, Danny. Can you just sit with me?” I give him puppy eyes and scoot over to give him some room.

“No, CC. You need to eat. I will be right back.
I promise.” He leans over, kisses me again on the forehead, and traces his finger under my chin. I frown but know he is right.

Danny c
omes back with a tray of food and sits down next to me. The second I see the ham and cheese sandwich I know he is right. My stomach growls with delight at the sight. We eat quickly without talking. Occasionally I catch him staring at me, grinning. Even though I’m incredibly mournful, I feel at peace. He is my rock just as he has been so many times before.

After eating, Danny lies down and holds his arms out to me.
Curling into him I drifted off to sleep. How easily it has come to me. For the first time I am not afraid to dream.

The next few days were hard. I decided that since no one
else was in Ms. Gina’s house, I would just stay there until the day I could have my house back. Ms. Gina would have wanted that and I didn’t want to be anywhere near my mother. I figure the will and lawyers will take a couple months anyway to take care of the details of everything and by that time, I will be eighteen any way.

Ms. Gina’s funeral was small but respectful. Ms. Gina ha
d no family but my friends all came and a few of Ms. Gina’s friends and neighbors were there too. She was laid out in a blue floral dress and the mortician did a wonderful job making her look beautiful. It was truly a nice service. Ms. Gina had paid for and planned everything before her passing.

We left the cemetery and went back to Ms. Gina’s, well my house now, for hors d'oeuvres and coffee. Danny's mom had set that up and took care of all the preparations. It was nice to see everything working out. I wanted everything perfect and it was. Ms. Gina deserved it.

I thought about just staying but I needed to get my things from my house. I figured soon enough everything would be right but until then I at least wanted my guitar. Danny went home and I grabbed my keys. Thinking to myself I say, I will just fly through the door grab it and leave. I didn’t want to go there but the last thing I wanted was something to happen to one of the last pieces of my dad I had left.

I pul
l up and again no one is home. This is perfect. I walk through the door and straight to my room. All I need to do is get it and leave.

That is when I hear the car door slam and a billowing voice that would make Satan himself cringe
, “Bitch, get back here!” Ryan screams. My mother is crying and running for the house. I move away from the door just in time before she flings it open with such force it puts a hole in the wall behind it. Great, I think, I really do not need this right now. Ryan tramples through the door two seconds later. “Donna, you better get back here. Do not make me come after you!” he screams. “You'll only make it worse.”

I try to look for a different way out. Through the kitchen window even sounds appealing. Then he sees me. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing,” I say looking down and in a very hushed voice.

“Going out with your bitch friend again?” I hate how he
talks about Jenny. She is the nicest person I have ever known.

“No, Danny.” I snap
. Just then, I see the look in his eyes. Huge, almost completely black, he was on something. There is an evil in his eyes I have not seen before. Just then, his hand blows through the air right into the side of my face. My head snaps back as far as it can without snapping my neck and I drop to the floor.

“Slut
!” he calls out. “Just like your idiot mother.” He grabs a hold of my hair and yanks me up to my feet. He throws me up against the wall and rips at my shirt. “I'll teach you what happens to slutty little bitches in this house.” Just then, he flips me around. My face slams against the door jam. He growls in my ear. “I've wanted to do this since the day we moved in this house.” I feel my pants start to rip as he tears at the button on the front. I cannot move while being pinned up against the wall by a giant of a person. I close my eyes and think back to a happier place just wishing this would end. It is a nightmare. My nightmares have now become reality. Please Lord, do not let this happen!

Then something more horrible did happen. I lo
ok down at his pinkie. It is there, my dad’s ring. I can’t think. I can only react. Grabbing his hand I rip at the ring. “How did you get this? Why do you have it?” I already know the answer but I cannot process the thought. He rips his hand away from me and laughs, that sinister laugh like this is some joke.