Hello guys!
So, I know it's been a while but I am very busy with school and other stuff so I'm not writing as much and as fast as I used to. Well, enough blahblah Hope you like it and you know I'd appreciate a comment. Big or small =)
Love Liz
CHAPTER NINE:
DAVID
David felt horrible. He knew Amanda was right. He knew he should tell Evelyn everything and take the consequences. Of course, he also knew – now – that he should never have kissed Amanda in the first place, even if he wasn’t dating Evelyn. Amanda was – Amanda is - his best friend and he did not want to lose her. He felt like kicking himself for persuading her inside. He should’ve said he was sorry after he’d kissed her and leave it at that.
“Wow, I think I have a talent for coming up with plans waaay after I need them!” he said out loud to himself as he collapsed on the couch.
It was past midnight and Evelyn had gone to bed early after a long day of travelling. David had planned to join her, but had been eaten up by his conscience so far, and spent the last three hours sitting up and lying down on the sofa.
He sat up again and bent forward and reached for his phone that he had put on the table five minutes before, and checked it for any messages or missed calls that he somehow would have missed.
Nothing. There was only Evelyn’s face smiling back at him. He sighed again and threw it back on the table. He had tried calling her for hours, but all he got was voicemail. And he knew what that meant. Amanda always carried her cell with her, so clearly she was ignoring him. He sighed again and got up. He walked towards the big window that faced the Thames, but turned around before he reached it. He pulled his hands through his hair and went to the fridge and got himself a beer.
“Ahh,” he said after taking a sip and leaning himself on the counter. Then he snorted. “Get a bloody grip, David! You know you messed up. You deserve nothing less!”
He gave the can of beer an angry look. “Like that’ll make things better!” he threw it in the sink and walked angrily over to the phone. “You are gonna pick up this time. I’m not giving up!” He dialed Amanda’s number.
“Come on, Mandy-mush. Pick up, pick up, pick…”
It went to voicemail.
“Mandy! Look, I know I messed up. Can’t you please pick up? Come on, pick up!!”
He waited. “Alright, look - ” he sat down defeated on one of the chairs around the table. “ – I’m going to bed now, but if you haven’t called me in the morning or even texted me, then I’ll come over! You’ve got to let me apologize and explain. Come on Mandy – Mushroom…” he pleaded.
Still no answer. He hung up and shuffled over to the couch, pulled a blanket slowly over himself and fell asleep tossing and turning.
David was running. He was chasing something in the woods. It was damp and the sun was just about to rise, the fog lying thick on the ground, making it impossible to see more than five feet ahead. He had no idea why he was running; it was an instinct of his that told him to continue running as fast as he could.
As he ran he sensed that the trees seemed to become further apart and the fog seemed to lift a little and he could see who he was chasing. He felt his heart warm and suddenly felt brave and protective of her.
He saw Amanda running with a terrified look upon her face. She turned and looked past David a couple of times. David tried to call her name to get her to stop, but she didn’t seem to hear him.
He saw Amanda coming to a clearing in the woods. It was a circle surrounded by the massive trees. He saw her turn around to look behind, and she was still wearing that look of horror. He screamed her name again. This time it seemed that she heard him, because she stopped. Then she screamed and started running again.
“AMANDA, PLEASE STOP!”
Amanda looked behind again, and tripped on a rock and fell over. David sprinted over to her.
“Mandy, are you ok?” he panted.
Amanda didn’t say much, she just held her ankle and rocketed back and forth. It was clear that she was in pain.
“Mandy?” he tried again, feeling his breath come slowly back to him.
Amanda looked up at him and a look of relief flashed over her face.
“Dave...” she said tenderly. Then she suddenly looked up and the fear was back in her face. She screamed. David turned around too, and saw what she had been running from.
A gigantic monster was crouched down ten feet behind them. It was big and clearly the thick forest had been too narrow for it to get through, because the trees behind it was broken and make a trail that was as big as a four-field motorway.
David started panting again and got up and tried to cover Amanda. The monster growled.
“Whatever you are, you do not harm Amanda!” He thought his voice bore more confidence than he felt. He raised his chest and felt taller instantly.
The monster only growled again.
“Now, I would muchly appreciate it if you left us alone.”
The monster suddenly gave a loud howl, and David could hear Amanda whimper behind him. He knew that he had to protect her. It wasn’t a choice; it was instinctive, like he was some sort of animal.
He turned around to tell Amanda that it would be alright. “Mandy…”
Amada screamed again. The monster had moved forward and grabbed David around his waist. He managed to squint around and looked the monster in the face for the first time.
It was a blonde monster, with two small braids. Even though the monsters face was covered in blood and scars there was something familiar with its face. It looked just like –
“David. David! Wake up, Davy-baby, you’re only dreaming!”
He woke up and rubbed his eyes. “Um… Mandy?”
“No, silly. It’s E!” Evelyn answered cheerfully.
He sat up. “Oh, morning…” He got spooked when he saw her. She was wearing her pink, satin robe, and warmed her hands on a coffee-cup. But he focused on her hair. It was split in two very cute braids.
“Honey, what’s wrong?”
He rubbed his eyes again and blinked. “Oh, nothing.” He remembered his dream. “Just bad nightmare.”
He got up and checked his phone automatically and then remembered that Amanda was still mad at him and what he had done. He sighed. It was still Evelyn’s face smiling back at him, no messages or missed calls.
“Honey, are you OK? First I find you sleeping on the couch with all your clothes on, and then I see a full can of beer in the sink. What happened?”
David walked over to the kitchen part of the apartment and Evelyn turned her back to the couch and leaned on it, still holding on to her cup.
He picked up the can and poured it out slowly while sighing loudly. Evelyn didn’t say anything, she just kept watching him. When the can was empty he threw it in the bin.
Evelyn walked towards him. “Um, David. You know that needs to be recycled right?”
He turned around. “Whatever.” He tried to walk past his fiancée, but she stopped him by sticking her arm out in front of him.
David looked down at Evelyn. She put her cup on the counter and wrapped her hands around his neck.
David did not put his arms around her waist in return, but merely stared down at her like she was some sort of stranger he didn’t know.
Evelyn didn’t seem to take notice; she gazed up into his sad eyes. “You know, I do know you, Davy-baby. I can tell something is off.” she said matter-of-factly. “Come on tell me.”
She ruffled her fingers through his untamed, curly hair.
David’s eyes went from hers to looking out the window. Tell you huh? He thought. Ok. “I’m not my smily, cheery self because Amanda is pissed off at me! You see, darling, even though I am engaged to marry you in good four months time; I kissed and had sex with my very best friend. Oh, you think that is crossing the line? No-no, I yelled at her and blamed her when I know it’s my entire fault. She never led me on; she actually tried to talk me out of it. But I told her that I was gonna call off the wedding anyway, so it wouldn’t technically be cheating, per-say. But I never wanted to really call it off; I was just mad at you for ditching me and had way too much alcohol.
So, now that you know, would you mind if I go take a shower, honey-pie?”
Yeah that’d be good, he snorted silently.
“Hello?” Evelyn snapped her fingers in front of him. “Earth to David.”
He looked down at her again. “Oh, sorry.”
“Ok?” She put her arms back around his neck. “You know, Dave. You gotta tell me now; I’m getting a bit worried here!”
David could see that the smile she used to hide in her eyes was gone. She was serious. He raised his left hand and ran his fingers through her thin, straight blonde hair. It was nothing compared to Amanda’s long, thick, brown, wavy locks…
He sighed as he put his arms around her waist. “I had a row with Amanda…” He did not tell her about what.
“Awh, poor baby!” Evelyn said, pouting her lower lip at him.
But David could see the wash of relief that crossed her face as the serious look went away. Clearly this wasn’t much to worry about.
David sighed again and looked over on his cell like he expected it to suddenly start vibrating and Amanda’s forgiving words would be on the other line.
“I’ve tried calling her all night, but she doesn’t answer or reply my texts,” he said, sadly.
Evelyn was beaming at him. “Don’t worry, she’s probably left her phone somewhere and is asleep.”
“But Mandy never leaves her phone!” David argued.
Evelyn didn’t reply. She just raised herself to her toes, and she kissed David. David bent down to kiss her back, glad that something was still normal. But as he closed his eyes Amanda’s face popped up in his head, and he felt her lips on his.
He kissed Evelyn harder and with raw passion as he lifted her up on the counter. David pressed her against himself and he felt Evelyn’s hands running up and down his back. Amanda’s face was still glued to the inside of his eyelids as he let Evelyn take off his shirt.
Evelyn threw her arms around his neck again and kissed him deeply. David started panting as he felt Evelyn’s hands grabbing his butt. He kissed her on the neck in response, and she leant her head back and moaned it satisfaction.
“David! What has gotten into you?” she said, panting as well.
David bit her earlobe playfully instead of answering. Evelyn giggled as she wrapped her legs around his waist and started sucking his fingers. This time it was David that moaned.
“Aaah, you’re such a tease, Mandy!”
Evelyn stopped and threw David’s hand away as he gave him a stern look. David didn’t realize what he’d just said so his eyes remained closed.
“Why did you stop?” he asked cheekily.
Evelyn slapped him.
David instinctively put his own hand on his cheek. Then he smiled. “Naughty!”
Evelyn slapped him again and removed her legs from his waist as she got down from the counter and pushed him away so she could get past him.
“Hey! That one hurt.” He opened his eyes and saw that she was no longer on the counter. “Hey, E?”
He heard sobbing behind the bar and walked over to it to find Evelyn sitting in the corner. He crouched down and looked at her.
“Hey, what’s up? I thought we were having a good time.” He tried a smile.
She snorted. “Yeah, clearly. I thought so too until you clearly thought I was someone else!!” she pushed away David’s hand that was trying to stroke her cheek.
David’s face turned white in an instant. “W-w-what?!” he stuttered. His memory came back to him slowly. He closed his eyes and groaned as he put his head in his hands. “God! Oh, E, sweetie. I’m so, so sorry!!” He looked at her pleadingly. “Oh, can you forgive me? I did not at all mean to!” He knocked on his head several times.
“You called me Mandy, David! Do you expect me to forgive you? Just like that?” she shook her head. “If you do, you are stupider than I thought”
David didn’t know what to say. He just sat crouched down in silence with his head in his hands as he listened to Evelyn’s sobs.
“Honey…” he tried.
She looked up at him with an angry look. “Don’t you honey me! I want you out. I can’t look at you right now.”
They both got up and Evelyn pointed at the door.
“But…” he said pleadingly as he moved closer to her and tried to wrap her in his arms, which usually worked.
She pushed him away. “OUT! Just go, David.”
David could see tears running down her cheek, for the first time since they started dating. He felt hopeless; like he knew he had to do something, but didn’t know what. And to top it all off, Amanda was mad at him as well.
“Fine,” he said. He put on his shirt again and headed for the door grabbing his car keys on the way. As he shut the door he felt a tear run down his own cheek. Only he didn’t know why he was crying. Was it because he’d upset Evelyn or because he’d upset Amanda?
He exhaled heavily as he got in his Mini and pulled out of the parking lot under the big, tall building.
“Oh, wow, David. Who died?”
Matt had opened the door and saw a very depressed looking David on the doorstep. He was soaking as the rain had started pouring down as he was driving to Amanda’s house. The short walk from the driveway and up to the door had drenched him.
David gave him a look that showed that he was not amused. “Everything!”
“Oh, ok then, come in, Dave.” Matt gave way for David to pass and shut the door after him.
“Who is it, Matt?” Marcus called from the living room.
David walked in with Matt in his heels. “Me…”
“Oh, hey Dave.” Marcus smiled at him, as he closed his book, which David could see was a copy of “Alice in Wonderland”.
It seemed that the house was completely empty except for the Twins. “Um, hi,” he said back. “Do you think I could go up to Amanda’s room?” he felt his cheek blush a little, but ignored it.
“Yeah, sure,” Matt said as he fell back on the couch facing the TV, “but she’s not there so there’s no point.” He grinned at him.
David didn’t laugh. “Where is she?”
“I don’t know, Katie just said she came home and stomped off to her room and twenty minutes later she left with a suitcase and that pink, starry bag of hers, without saying a word.” Matt said and hurried his eyes back to the football match that he apparently was watching before David had arrived.
“You let her drive off angry? And she didn’t say anything?” he paced the floor and stopped in front of the TV. “What if something has happened to her?”
“Mate, you’re so not transparent.” Matt said, nodding at the TV.
David removed himself and sat down on the sofa, next to Marcus.
“David? What’s going on?” Marcus said taking off his black framed reading glasses, and put them on the table, on top of the book.
“Oh, nothing. I’ve just messed up big time!” he put his head in his hands for the zillionth time this morning.
“What did you do?” Marcus asked him.
Matt was completely lost in the soccer match.
“Well, Amanda is pissed at me, and now I magically managed to piss off Evelyn as well. Ah, I’m such an arse!”
Marcus looked at him. David could tell he was trying not to be too curious and give him the time to tell them in his own time.
David sighed and let his hands fall down on his legs, which he had crossed. He looked up at Marcus and confessed. “I sorta slept with Amanda.”
“WHAT?!” Matt sounded shocked and turned off the TV.
David looked down at his hands as he told them.
“Yeah, I did. I got so drunk at the party and I was so mad at Evelyn for not showing up like she promised, so I climbed up in our tree-hut when I knew Amanda was there, and we started talking and one thing lead to another. And dun-dun-dun, I woke up naked beside her in her bed…”
Matt laughed. “I’m sorry, David.” He added when he saw the stern faces of Marcus and David. “It’s just that, well, I don’t know about the others, but I’ve kinda been waiting for it.”
“Sorry?” David said.
Marcus shook his head silently to Matt, but he didn’t see it.
“Well, you two are so close and well, it’s clear that Amanda –”
“- and you are very fond of each other” Marcus interrupted Matt.
Matt just realized what he had been about to say, sat up straight and nodded in agreement.
David didn’t question them. He was used to them finishing each other’s sentences. “Yeah, we are. But you don’t just sleep with you best friend do you?”
“Well, I hope not.” Matt said, with a cheeky grin.
David smiled a little. “You’re not my type, Matt, so don’t worry.”
“But why is Amanda mad at you? It sounds like it wasn’t rape.” Marcus asked.
“Because when she came over last night I sort of got surprised by Evelyn’s fast return – Oh, yes, she’s back,” he added when he saw the questions in the Twins’ faces. “And I sort of yelled at her and blamed her for it all, when it was clearly all my fault.”
“Well, that’s not fair. You both had the sex. She knows you are engaged.” Matt added, wise as ever.
“Well, I kind of said I’d call of the wedding…”
“David…!” Marcus said.
“I know. I told you I’m an arse.”
“So, Evelyn knows, since she’s mad at you too?” Matt concluded.
“No, not exactly, I don’t want her to know. That’s another reason Amanda is mad at me.”
“But what did you do to Evelyn then?” Marcus asked.
“I said the wrong name, when we were… ehm, getting it on, this morning...”
“Oh, you really messed up, Dave!” Matt smiled a little.
“Whose name did you say, David?” Marcus asked him, seriously.
David looked shyly at them both. “Mandy’s.”
“Oh, no. You didn’t?”
“Yup! And then she slapped me -” he pointed at his red cheek. “And told me to get the hell out of her apartment.”
“Wow. Well, you’re welcome to stay here as long as you want.” Marcus said.
“Yeah, and then you could tell us more about that hilarious story of yours!” Matt added with a grin. He bobbed David’s shoulder, to show that he was joking.
David smiled at him. “Thanks guys, but I really need to talk to Amanda. You don’t have any clue where she is?”
Matt shook his head in sync with his brother.
They heard the front door open, and David’s face showed a sign of hope and he smiled as he ran for the door.
It wasn’t Amanda that had arrived. It was Katie and Lucas.
Katie was giggling and wore a smile that reached across her entire face. Lucas was holding her hand smiling just as broadly.
“Oh, hey mate.” Lucas said, when David came running in to the hall.
“Oh, hi…” David sounded a little disappointed.
“Nice to see you too.” Katie said, as she let go of Lucas’ hand and pulled off her red rain coat. Lucas hung it up for her. “Thanks honey.” She kissed Lucas lightly. “So, David, what are you doing here?”
“I – um – was looking for Amanda actually.”
“Oh,” Katie got all serious, “well, I don’t know where she is.” She shrugged “She took off last night.”
David sighed. “Yes, I know. The Twins already told me.” He looked beat. “And she didn’t say anything?”
Katie shook her head. “No, I tried talking to her, but she didn’t answer. She was crying, I think. And before you ask, she doesn’t answer when I call her. I am a bit worried. Do you know why she took off like that?”
“Yes…” his face lit up, “hang on did you tell the Twins that she brought a pink bag?”
“Yes,” her face looked like a question mark, “she brought that pink, starry bag that she’s had forever.”
David smiled. “I know where she is!”
Comma after "come on".