College Life.

It's not as bad as I thought it would be, honestly. I'm not scared to death of anything, except maybe my Biology class. Science and I don't get along very well. Same with math, unfortunately I'm not taking a math class this semmester, because my ACT score wasn't high enought to get into a class.... I'm going to have to fix that. Working on it. And in between classes I was writing this chapter. And partly in Institute... I know, I'm a sinner. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and Jody, I got your issue from Nikki, and I'll work on making my characters not so bipolar. I didn't realize it was that bad. If you don't understand the lingo in the dream sequence, I can tell you its 1920s speak....
Enjoy chapter twenty four.

Chapter twenty-four

“Come on baby,” I whined, tugging on his arm, my red silk glove sliding against his shirt. “You promised me we'd go out tonight!”

I took a long drag on my cigarette, blowing the smoke into his face. I knew it infuriated when I smoked, and even more so if I blew the smoke at him, and maybe if I could get him angry, I could move him toward the door. I could hear the sax music from the street below the apartment flooding through the window, and it made me itch for dancing, but not only that, I wanted to have fun.

“Everard, you promised!” I pouted as he glared through the smoke.

“You gotta call me Everett babe, someone might hear and think we're gangsters or something, and we don't need trouble.” he chided. Always so uptight. “I just don't feel right about going out tonight.”

“You always say that when I bring up the speakeasies.” I walked over to the window, playing with my string of pearls while looking out at the band of black men below, wailing away on their instruments making beautiful jazz music. “I know you're worried about him and all, but I can't spend my life hiding from him. We don't even know if he's in New York yet.”

“We'll only run as long as we can't fight him. You're not powerful enough yet, Laelais.” he replied.

“So you can call me Laelais, but I can't call you Everard?” I was changing the subject purposefully. He knew it.

“I know you're angry. I want to go out too, but remember all the raids last week? Bootleggers are getting caught left and right, doll.”

I tapped my foot against the wooden floor, taking another long drag. “ Oh, applesauce! So we can magic ourselves out of there. What good is our power if you're too afraid to use it? The Everard I know wouldn't worry about something so small as that.”

There was a knock on the door. I hurried to get it, the tassels on the bottom of my dress bouncing up and down as I shuffled across the floor. I threw open the door. Standing outside were Daisy and John from the apartment across the hall. He was dressed in his black zoot suit, and she wore a black tasseled flapper dress to match. He was a gangster, and a real powerful one to boot—and Daisy was head over heels for him.

She was all smiles, “Hey Lila, Everett. John an' I were gonna go out dancin'. Wanna come?” her voice was shrill and nasally.

Before he had a chance to reply I spoke up. “Sure thing!” I turned and grabbed Everett and dragged him out the door.

We followed the two down the stairs and out onto the street. Music roared around us, and many people crowded the streets, dancing to the music, and bustling around to get to one of the many night clubs. I knew our plans for dancing would involve the speakeasy that John's gang ran, and sure enough as we entered the morgue, I knew exactly where we were going. John approached the receptionist, looked her straight in the eye and said,

“We're here for Mr. Lovegood's funeral.”

She smiled. “Mr. Lovegood's family will be so happy to see you.” She said, pointing down the hall.

We walked down the hall, and as we reached the last room, a door slid away on the wall, and I could smell the smoke and alcohol. We quickly made our way down the steps and into the commotion below. The gang and their girls were all over the place. I smiled as Daisy pulled me to the dance floor. Together the two of us danced while our boys watched from the bar. Soon enough they joined us, and we danced for hours before everything fell to pieces.

I had excused myself to use the ladies room, but as I was turning the corner, a tall blonde man approached me. My stomach turned icy cold, and a chill ran over my skin. He smiled at me, putting his arm around my waist, pulling me into his body.

“Hey doll, what say you and me get a wiggle on?” He winked.

I glared at him. “Sorry, but you're all wet, and the bank's closed.” My voice was venomous.

He leaned in, kissing my neck as I tried to push away from him. “Laelais, don't be this way.”

“Scram, Phoenix.”

His blue eyes sparkled under his blonde mop. “One day you'll be mine forever.”

My body felt like it was on fire in his grip. I pushed away from him, and fell into the wall, crying out as my back struck the corner and I fell to the ground.

I sat up, gasping for air, and covered in a cold sweat. My sheets stuck to my body, which was odd. I lifted the covers and looked at myself. I was in my bikini. Furrowing my brow, I stared at my exposed flesh, trying to remember what had happened last night. It was all a haze, a smoky blur of colorless memories. I remembered coming home from the hospital with Stitch, and going to my room. What had I done next? I paused to ponder, and then there was a warm feeling on my lips and a flutter in my chest.

I had kissed Stitch last night. It was like the stars tilting, gravity shifting, and all I could think was “Hello Sexy,” and then everything had gone dark. I couldn't remember anything else, but somehow I felt different. I couldn't explain the feeling, but I felt stronger, more—I don't know—powerful. I slid out of my bed and walked across the room, staring at myself in the mirror on my dresser. Taking a deep breath, I stopped at the dresser, putting my hands on the surface and staring sternly at myself.

“You will have a good day today, Laela. You're going to take your friends to your favorite places, and you will not think about Tony.” I told myself. “You're going to move forward. Last night was amazing, and you need to talk to Stitch about it. Ask what it means. But don't be clingy. Only stupid girls are clingy. Explore other options. It's been years since you were single, don't jump into something you aren't ready for.”

“Morning pep talk?” Asked Kitty from my doorway, hiding a giggle.

I jumped, surprised by her voice. “Goodness, Kitty, you scared me.” I gasped, then started laughing. “It's not a usual occurrence—the pep talk.”

She stepped into my room and sat on my bed. “If I heard correctly, you said that Stitch kissed you. Um, details girl! Did you snog, or was it just a polite good night kiss?”

I stared at her. “Snog? That sounds disgusting.”

She laughed. “You Americans are funny. It's a Brit's term for making out. Sooo, did you?” she waggled her thin brows with a smile.

“No, just a kiss. To tell you the truth, I don't really remember what happened. I remember he kissed me, and then I think...” I blushed. “I think I passed out.”

“Talk about swooning over a gentleman!” Kitty started laughing. “Did you really pass out?”

“I think so. I don't remember anything after he kissed me. My memories go from the kiss to waking up this morning, sadly. I wish I could remember what happened. But I was out in the hot tub, trying to force myself to forget about all the crap that happened yesterday, when he showed up and asked if he could join me. I let him, and went to watching the stars. I complained that I couldn't see very many, when suddenly the stars I swear got brighter and I could see all of them. It was like magic, Kitty! And then...” I remembered the shooting star, and the scar on his chest lighting up. “There was this shooting star, and this scar on Stitch's chest lit up when the star fell. I'm not crazy, I know I saw it.”

She was staring at me, one eyebrow raised, a scowl on his lips. “Are you sure that's what you saw?”

“Positive, Kitty. He denied it of course, and then I put my hand on his chest, the scar made my hand tingle, and he shivered when I touched him, then.... then he told me he was falling for me. And we kissed.”

“Do you feel... different?”

“Different? Like I could take on the world? Sure. But I don't think that has anything to do with Stitch. Maybe just a little bit.”

“Take on the world in what way?” She pressed.

“I don't know. I can't explain it but I just feel... powerful.”

“Laelais—Laela, you are powerful. Heck, you're amazing, don't you remember?”

“What did you just call me?”

“Laela,”

“No, you said Laelais. Where did you hear that name?” I stepped toward the bed, and she looked uncomfortable.

“Hey, girls, it's time for breakfast.” Jay's voice floated through the door. “Laela, are you in a swimming suit?”

I turned around, looked down at myself and blushed. “Um... yes. I'll be down in a minute. And Kitty, we are not done with this conversation.”

Without saying a word, Kitty slipped through the door with Jay and went downstairs. I still needed to shower, so I threw on a sun dress over my suit and went downstairs to join the others. My family was still home, which meant one of two things: One, it was before seven thirty, or Two, my brother was skipping school and Dad had quit his job. I went with the first option. Cautiously, I approached my dad, who was brooding over the morning paper, and said good morning. As usual, he glanced up over the top of the pages and mumbled a hello, and went straight back to reading without a word. My mom on the other hand was much more enthusiastic despite the long shift she worked last night.

“Good morning Laela, how are you feeling? How's the finger?” she glanced down at my immobilized finger and smiled. “It should heal fairly quickly since we didn't have to break it again.”

I sighed. Nurses. She was a little too enthusiastic about things like broken fingers. “It didn't hurt before, and it doesn't hurt now.” I said. “What's for breakfast?”

“Pancakes!” she shouted, causing all my friends to laugh. “I haven't had a reason to really cook a meal in the mornings before now, so I figured with your friends here that I should make something.”

“And we appreciate it,” Cam said politely, flashing the smile that I knew my mom couldn't resist. She, like me, was a sucker for a good smile. “So Laela, what are we doing today? You did say that while we were here, we would be visiting your favorite places.”

I sighed, remembering how most of those places had been wiped off the grid after what happened with Tony. There were a few places I could take them, but there was no way I could come up with four places if only one and a half remained. One of them wasn't even a place. It was my car. But a car could be a place if I decided it was.

“Well, I can tell you that I didn't forget that I was supposed to take you to my favorite places,” I said, taking a bite of my chocolate chip pancake. “but I have to tell you that most of those places have now quickly become my least favorite because of Tony. I have one and a half places that I can take you, and we'll just have to go explore for the rest of them.”

“One and a half? Care to explain how that one works, love?”

“Well, I'll have to take you to the first place before I can really explain why the other only counts as a half of a place. But for not, just eat and we'll go as soon as everyone is ready. It's not like we have to go very far.”

My mom smiled, knowing exactly what I was referring to. She still told me that she remembered the day I got that car as a gift from my grandfather. I had coveted that car since the day I was old enough to truly appreciate a good looking car, and this car was hard to come by. When my grandpa had brought it over to the house on my sixteenth birthday with a gaudy ribbon on the top, I passed out in the doorway upon the announcement that it was mine. I came to hours later and nearly hyperventilated when they told me again that it was mine now. Though I was a girl—and if I was playing gender stereotypes, I shouldn't like cars—I was in love. It was my first love, and would probably be my last. I would love it until the day it died, but I wouldn't let that happen for a long time. My car would take me far, and I took good care of it.

Everyone finished their breakfast by the time a horn started honking incessantly in the driveway. Panic took hold as I looked at myself still in my “sleepwear” and I nearly fell off the stool until I remembered that I wasn't going to school here anymore. Thank goodness for that. I don't think I would be able to face the public again after the fiasco with Tony. It would have been tent times worse had I still been here while they were secretly dating. Tony wouldn't be alive, I can tell you that much. I growled, I wasn't a murderer, but he had really pissed me off. I wondered vaguely how he was doing, and how Victoria was handling the whole situation now that everyone knew she was a home-wrecker. I wondered if her friends even cared, with the crowd she associated with outside of my circle, probably not. They'd probably congratulate her for ruining my life, and if she kept Tony, she scored brownie points with them. I bit my lip in anger thinking about Victoria, and what she had done to me, but remembered what I had told myself when I got up. I wouldn't let this ruin me. The boys left for the guest house after they finished eating, and since Kitty was already dressed, she followed them. I excused myself to shower, not that anyone was really listening, and went back upstairs. When I reached my room, I stopped at the linen closet outside the door, and grabbed myself a towel, and proceeded straight to the bathroom. The cool water on my skin made it easy for me to think of exactly what I wanted to do with the others, even if it meant exploring, I could easily make a few new favorite places.

Stepping out of the shower, I dried off, and then rigorously ran the towel through my hair, watching it curl up with the water. Rubbing away the fog on the mirror with the side of my hand, I cleared enough space away that I could see my face. I always had to get my hair combed and parted before it started to really take hold or my hair would be a wild mess all day long. As I stared at myself, moving unruly pieces of hair, I saw something move behind me. I turned around, but nothing was there, and the door was closed. Without thinking too much on it, I turned around again and continued with my hair. A flash of teal caught my eye behind me, and it wasn't my hair, I knew as much. Staring in the mirror, I saw a bright teal butterfly perched on the wall behind me, its wings beating lightly as it rested. I had never seen a butterfly that color in Florida before, and how had it gotten into the bathroom? There weren't any windows. I turned to look at it, but as soon as I had turned, it was gone. I shook my head, dismissing the absurdity of the whole thing, and stepped out of the bathroom, right into Stitch.

In the moment of surprise, I almost dropped my towel, but kept it in place. He was smiling down at me, almost smugly it seemed, that smile that screamed 'I know something you don't know.' I felt my cheeks flare up, and my body felt warm, remembering the kiss from last night. I wondered if he could tell what I was thinking, and by the smile on his face, I guessed he knew as much.

“Hello, Laela.” he said, his voice was soft and gentle. It made me shiver. “Sorry to catch you jumping out of the shower, I really didn't mean to, but I.... I really wanted to see you.” There was something in his voice that suggested that wasn't all he wanted to do, or all he needed to say.

“I... I wanted to see you too, Stitch.” His face fell when I said his name. “But I'd like to get dressed first.”

I stepped around him, adjusting my towel so it was tight around my back, and went into my room. Quickly I picked a pair of brown shorts, an olive colored shirt, and threw them on, ran the towel through my hair again, and went to the door. As my fingers brushed the cool metal of the doorknob, I heard voices outside the door.

“I don't think she remembers,” it was Kitty's voice.

“What did she tell you?” Stitch asked.

“That she remembered you kissed her, and she said something about a scar on your chest lighting up? What's that about?”

“It's nothing, I don't think she was thinking straight. I know I wasn't, watching her stare up at the stars like that. I wished I had my sketchbook.”

“That's not the point, Stitch. She doesn't remember. Something's wrong.”

I opened the door, plastering a clueless face on, and greeted the two in surprise.

“Oh Kitty! I didn't know you were up here. I thought it was just Stitch.” I said, smiling and doing my best to give the impression I had no idea what was going on.

“Oh—I uh, just came to find you and tell you we were ready when you are.”

“Okay, well I just have to do my hair and make up and then we can be out and exploring. I'll meet you in the guest house, okay?” I was looking at Kitty, hoping that Stitch would get the hint that I wanted him to stay.

She looked at Stitch, understanding exactly what I wanted. “Okay, see you in a sec.” She turned around and walked down the stairs.

Stitch made a movement to follow him, but I put my hand out to stop him. Surprised, he looked down at my hand and then at me. I grabbed the front of his shirt and dragged him into my room, closing the door behind us. He stood in the middle of the room, looking anywhere but at me.

“So, last night...” I started, not knowing where I wanted to go with this conversation. “Did I really pass out?”

Stitch smiled. “Yes, you did.” he chuckled. “It was a tad strange, but I managed to get you up here.”

I blushed. “Thanks, um, for getting me here. And sorry I passed out, that really must have killed the moment.”

I had looked down at the floor, and hardly noticed that he had moved closer—that is until his finger was under my chin, lifting it so I was looking at him. There was a shine in his eyes, brighter than usual, that made me shiver. The way he looked at me felt so familiar, as if I had looked into those eyes for thousands of years. You have, a voice whispered to me. I jumped, startled at the voice; it wasn't mine.

So many ideas!

Lately I've been entertaining many a new story lines in my head, laugh at me now because I actually role play as my characters when I'm alone, and these new ones are pretty interesting. Thanks to Erin I've become attatched to two in particular. Georgia, a spunky con artist, and her best friend Brittain, a blind informant/hacker. For being blind, the guy sees more than I do. I might put the story up here if I ever really figure out where it's going, because right now, these two are just plauging the streets of New York City while dodging the FBI. Maybe I'll do a doodle of them and put it up here for you guys, but we'll see.

I'm also still very obsessed with The Vampire Diaries, and want to read the books, so if any of you have them, let me know and I will gladly take them off your hands for a while.


Anyway, I'm sure you've all been itching to find out what Stitch does to Cam after last chapter, so here, have chapter twenty three. I must warn you, the beginning was rewritten so that it is the way you read it now. When I first wrote it, I was just getting home after getting my wisdom teeth taken out, and when I reread it after sobering up, I died. I swear I'd have to be on crack to write something so messed up. If I get enough people telling me they want to read it, I'll post it, but for now, just enjoy the sober version.

Chapter Twenty-three

My face turned three shades of red in an instant. I backed myself into the corner of the couch as far away from Cam as I could get. I wished for nothing more than to be able to melt into the couch and disappear to somewhere no one would find me.

“You sure recover quickly,” Stitch said, his voice was bitter, though a hint of amusement crept into it. He looked at Cam. “You could do so much better than him.”

Cam was off the couch in an instant, squaring his shoulders while he clenched his teeth together. “Jealous you didn't get to her first?” Cam asked, cocking his head to the side in an awkward twitching motion.

I stared at him in shock. Was I a plaything? Something to be “claimed” by the first guy who walked along? I stood up off the couch, marching up behind Cam and shoving him forward. He stumbled a few steps and then righted himself, turning to face me. He looked confused, staring down at me with those blue eyes, but something about them had changed. They weren't bright and sparkling anymore, they were dark as if they had changed shades completely and devoid of life. He glared at me, and my hand suddenly started to ache. I hadn't done anything for the swelling, and it was starting to catch up to me. Grimacing, I ignored the pain and kept looking at Cam, but the longer I looked at him, the more my hand hurt; it felt as if someone were applying pressure to it.

“I am not a plaything, Cam.” I said, giving him the crustiest look I could manage. Before going back up to the kitchen.

I pulled an ice pack out of the freezer and wrapped it in a towel. I looked at the clock. It was nearly nine thirty. I needed to call my mom. Moving slowly across the tile, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialed her number. She wasn't supposed to answer her phone while she was working, but she did.

“Laela, honey, are you okay?” she asked.

“Mom, you aren't supposed to be on your phone at work.” I reminded her. I didn't want her to lose her job. “I'm fine, I just found out some shocking news today, though I'm sure Rush has already filled you in on that.” She sighed, and I knew I was right. “Listen, when I punched Tony earlier, I think I might have broken my finger.”

“What does it look like?”

I pulled the ice off my finger. “The knuckle joint is bruised, and the middle joint is swollen. I can't move it without wanting to scream, and when I punched him I heard a crack and a rocket of pain shot up my arm. I've been asleep or I would have called sooner about it.”

“Sounds like it's broken. Why don't you come down here to the hospital and I'll fix it up. Bring your friends if you'd like.”

“I don't know where they are, but I'll invite them.” I sighed. “See you soon.”

“Love you, drive carefully.” She hung up.

I turned around, finding Stitch sitting at the bar, watching me.

“I'm sorry about what I said down there, it was uncalled for.” He apologized. “Forgive me?”

I sighed., I couldn't be mad at him, not when his apology was so sincere. “I forgive you. Hey, listen, my finger is broken and my mom wants me to come down to the hospital so she can fix it up, come with me?” I asked, speaking altogether too quickly for him to understand me. I took a deep breath and started again. “My finger is broken, my mom wants me to come get it fixed, come with me?”

A slow smile broke on his lips. “Sure,”

“Where is everyone else?”

“Bed, we played an exhausting game of chicken in the pool, and they haven't quite caught up to Florida time.” He chuckled. “How are we getting there?”

It was my turn to smile. “My pride and joy. You should feel privileged, Stitch. You'll be the first to see one of my favorite places.”

I lead him into the garage, where only my car sat under its tarp. I walked across the garage and pulled the tarp off the car and watched his jaw drop. He walked toward my car, his hands out in front of him, eyes wide.

“This is yours?” he asked in awe, gawking at the car. Gently he put his hand on the hood, trailing it slowly toward the window-shield with reverent respect. “Where did you get a hold of one of these? This is a 1969 Dodge Charger. These are so hard to come by!”

I smiled. He was so in awe of my car it was cute. A pang of sadness struck me again, realizing now that I could think that Stitch was cute without having to feel guilty about it. It was a relief, but an agonizing feeling none the less.

“Do you want to drive?” I offered, jingling the keys in front of me.

He smiled. “Can I?” The excitement was obvious in his voice.

I tossed the keys to him. “Just be careful with my baby.”

We slid into my car; sitting on the passenger side was an odd thing for me, but strangely comfortable with Stitch as the driver. The garage opened, and he turned the key, listening to the engine roar to life. The smile never left his face as we rolled out of the driveway and headed down the street. I directed him to the hospital, but that was the only speaking done in the car. Occasionally he would glance over and look at my hand, but never said anything. When we pulled into the parking lot, he was sure to park away from any other cars, which is exactly what I would have done. I went to open my door, and Stitch tutted at me, shaking his head and stepping out of his side and quickly coming around to mine, opening the door. I blushed as he offered his hand to me, helping me out of the car. I sent a quick text to my mom telling her we were here, and walked inside. The nurse at the desk looked up when we came in, waving at me, and paged my mom. We waited in the lobby until she came out the elevator, smiling tiredly.

“Come on back,” she said, “Thanks for coming, Stitch. I'm glad she hasn't shunned the world.”

I glared at her back as we walked.

“She hasn't shunned the world yet, just most of it.” Stitch said, winking at me when I turned to look at him. “She's coping well.”

“I'm right here, thank you.” I growled, raising my hand to hit Stitch, but he tutted at me, reminding me my hand was injured. Why had I punched Tony with my good hand? Right, because I wanted it to hurt.

My mom took us to a small room for an x-ray. I hadn't been back here since I had been in the accident at the beginning of my junior year. I ended up with a few broken ribs and a concussion, but those were the least of my problems. The accident was the day my mom found out about my addiction.

My finger was indeed broken, but there wasn't much that could be done about it. She gave me a finger cast, kissed me on the head and sent me away with Stitch. When we got back to my house, all the lights had been turned off; my dad must have turned them all off on his way through. I walked Stitch to the guest house. We lingered at the door, standing in awkward silence, just staring at each other. I shifted my weight from foot to foot, twisting my hair in my hand.

“I'm going to go to bed now,” I said, looking up at him. “Thanks for taking me tonight.”

He smiled, “You're welcome. Love” He suddenly embraced me, tucking me in against his chest, his arms locked around me. “Sweet dreams, Laela.”

He released me and stepped through the door. My face was on fire, and my head was spinning. I walked back to the house in a sort of daze, climbing up the stairs to my room. I wasn't tired, so I went to my drawer and pulled out my favorite black bikini. I looked out the window, the lights were off in the guest house, so I changed quickly and grabbed a towel and crept back downstairs. I disarmed the security system and slipped out the door. I turned on the lights in the hot tub and dropped my towel at the side of the steps. The water was hot, but it was comfortable. I sunk into the water, basking in the feeling of the warm water against my skin. Before I moved, coming out to the hot tub at night to clear my head was something I did quite often. It had been a long day, and I was ready to just forget about it and move on.

Tipping my head back I gazed up into the starry night sky—well, what should have been a starry night. Instead of seeing the blazing pinpoints of lights in the heavens I was forced to imagine them as I always had been. That was the downfall of living in a big city, with bigger cities surrounding you. You never really could see the stars. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath and letting my imagination paint the sky for me. Millions of tiny stars dotted the inky black sky, swirling together to create a masterpiece worthy of the gods. I smiled to myself, giggling a little as I slid slowly under the water, imagining the stars. There was only one place I had ever been where I could see the stars without having to imagine them. And it wasn't like I could just hop in my car and go there. Not if I didn't want to drive for hours beforehand. Keltie had once taken me with her to her family's cabin in Virginia, which had been by far one of her favorite vacations because I was with them. I enjoyed it there. Being in the forest felt right, like I had grown up there, although I knew I hadn't. Keltie and I sat on the balcony outside her room one night and watched the stars, talking about if there was life on other planets, and if they watched the stars too. We hadn't really come to a decision since our conversation quickly turned from aliens to serial killers—even we didn't know how that had happened—and we stopped talking.

I wished she were here right now, sitting in the water with me. I wouldn't have to hide how hurt I was, how broken I felt. But I felt as if I owed it to the world to put on a strong face, to not be one of those girls who hulled themselves up in their rooms for ages because their significant other cheated on them, broke their heart in to pieces and stepped on it. I had the potential to be one of those girls, I knew as much, but I refused to let that happen to me. If I did, I don't think I would ever recover from the blow.

“Out for a midnight swim?” Asked a dark familiar voice.

My eyes snapped open so quickly my head started spinning. When I could finally see straight, I found Stitch standing above me at the edge of the hot tub. “Uhm... yes?” I said, sinking under the water, suddenly self conscious of my attire.

“Mind if I join you?” he waited for a moment before saying, “I couldn't sleep.”

I stared up at him. “Oh, um, sure.”

I moved across the small circle to the other side, staring at him. He took a deep breath and lifted his tight black t-shirt over his head. I shivered watching him step slowly into the water. He was smiling at me, but I turned away, staring back up at the sky. Daring a glance back at him, I noticed a splash of pale white across his tan chest. I didn't linger on the mark too long before looking back at the sky.

“Enjoying the stars?” he asked.

I laughed. “Of the few I can actually see, yes.” I replied. “I wish I could see more of them.”

I sighed; in time with my exhaling, the sky seemed to clear and the stars were shining brightly overhead. I gasped. What had just happened? Without remembering that Stitch was sitting across the pool from me, I stood up in the center, staring up at the sky. The stars were sparkling brightly above me unlike any other night before. Even up at the cabin the light didn't seem so bright.

I looked at him, and if looks could be breathless, mine was. “Did you see that?” I asked. He shook his head. “The stars, they were suddenly really bright! It was almost like—”

“Magic.” He finished, sounding breathless himself.

I was still watching him, and out of the corner of my eye I saw a bright star fall out of the heavens, but the light seemed to be amplified ten fold. Blinking, I noticed the light wasn't coming from the sky, it was coming from Stitch. The scar on his chest suddenly flared up, but in an instant it was gone just as fast as the star had fallen from the sky.

“What just happened?” I asked, staring at his chest, and not caring to hide it.

He fidgeted uncomfortably. “What do you mean?”

“That scar on your chest, it lit up with the star.”

He looked down at the scar that branched out like a snowflake, small wispy lines branching out from thicker stalks in the center of his chest. “No it didn't. I think you're imagining things Laela.”

I waded through the water, stopping when my knees touched his. I leaned forward and put my hand on the mark, feeling my fingertips tingle when they made contact. I felt him shiver under my touch and immediately drew my hand away, but he caught it, and put it back on his chest so my palm covered the scar entirely.

He breathed deeply for a time before he opened his eyes, and even in the dark his eyes sparkled like emeralds. “I know this is hardly the time to say this after everything that's happened to you today, but it needs to be said.” He whispered. “Laela, I'm falling for you, I have been since the first day I met you.”

I felt my heart begin to race in my chest, my cheeks flushed with blood and my whole body felt warm. Something inside of me screamed out in joy that those words had finally been said, and that there were no more questions about what he felt, those stares he gave me, the way he watched me. It was all for a reason now, and it seemed like an immense weight had been lifted off my chest though I didn't know why. He stood up, the two of us moving backward together into the center of the small pool, my hand still on his chest, our bodies only inches apart. He stared down at me with those beautiful eyes, as if he expected me to say something, but my thoughts were racing through my head at a million miles a minute I hardly had time to compose a complete thought before something new took its place. Then, just as I was about to give up on it entirely, instinct took over.

“Kiss me.” I whispered breathlessly, moving so our bodies touched, my skin against his.

He put his hand on my cheek, caressing it softly with his thumb, and leaned in. When his lips met mine it was as if a firework had gone off in my head, and my world went dark. The last thing I remember was his voice calling my name and the warm water engulfing my body.

Obsession

I've got a new found obsession, and it's all thanks to Jody. I'm obsessed with the show The Vampire Diaries. It's definitely one of the shows that I'll have to buy the dvds for. That and Castle. Speaking of which, the new season comes out on the 19th of September for my fellow Castle fans! We can finally stop hating them because of what they did to Beckett. Anyway, I'm also in love. Completely and totally in love with Ian Somerhaulder AKA Damon Salvatore. I have cried frequently for him in the last few episodes I have watched. I'm that kind of girl, yes. I watch television and feel awful for the characters. I cry for fictional characters quite often. Especially in books. Now, Damon may seem evil, and at times I will admit, his diabolical plotting gets the better of him. But I like him better than I like Stefan. Much better. He's got this amazing smile, and his eyes oh! his eyes!! They're gorgeous! When Elana *wink wink* kissed him, I got butterflies!! I was jealous. Strangely. Anyway, I'm gonna put my plug in here. I hope that Elana comes to terms with the fact that she really does have feelings for Damon and she won't admit it. I'm only on episode 6 of season two. Tracking them down on the internet is a pain in the butt.

Anyway, this next chapter of Perfect Strangers pulls a lot of emotion from Damon. I would write sections in between episodes, and I really felt bad for Damon. He's just so misunderstood. :(

Enjoy while I get back to my show.

Chapter twenty-two

Through the blur of unshed tears clouding my eyes I managed to make it home safely, pulling my car into the garage and placing the tarp lovingly over the top once more before running inside, paying no mind to anyone or anything in my way. I bit my lip so hard as I ran it began to bleed, dribbling scarlet liquid down my chin. I heard my mom call to me as I barreled past her as she came in the door, making my way up the stairs. When I made it to my room I slammed the door, causing a few pictures hanging on my wall to crash to the floor. Some of the glass frames shattered, but I didn't care. I threw myself onto my bed and sobbed. How could he do that to me? Why? I had been so good to him, and he had saved my life. We were perfect for each other, but it seemed apparent at that moment that I had been living in some fantasy world I had created for the two of us to live together in. The world it seemed had been sewn together with the thinnest threads and paper landscapes as I watched it get shredded to pieces and trampled carelessly. I hated him. Loathed him beyond the human capacity to loathe someone.

I could feel my makeup running down my face, black rivers of mascara and eyeliner coating my cheeks, but I didn't care. Someone knocked at the door, a muffled voice came from behind it. Without looking at the door I shouted at them to leave me alone, and of course that did nothing. The door opened and I heard my mom gasp. She carefully stepped across the room, and sat on my bed. She put her hand on my shoulder which I quickly shrunk away from, growling through my sobbing hiccups for her to go away.

“What's wrong, Laela?” She asked quietly.

“I told you to go away. I need to be alone right now.” I sobbed, turning my head into my pillow, smudging makeup across it.

My mom was never one to push, so with a sigh she stood up and left, reminding me that the glass was still on the floor and that I should be careful when exiting. Through my tears I snorted a laugh. She always knew what to say, but somehow the laugh did little for my mood; the anger and despair quickly set back in as a whole new wave of tears hit me full force. My body rocked with sobs, heaving breaths and loud cries. I didn't care who heard me, I needed to let it all out. No, I needed to destroy something. Rolling over I sat up on my bed and stared out the window to the backyard. My eyes settled on the glass picnic table, and I had the sudden urge to smash it to bits. I looked at the shattered glass that littered my floor and for a moment considered smashing them against the wall, but the obsessive neat freak that was dying to be let out won that battle, and I left them where they were. Instead, I sat on my bed, staring at the door, hugging a pillow to my chest and sobbing.

It didn't make sense to me that he had been cheating for that long and I hadn't noticed any signs of unfaithfulness. My mind wandered back to the party Tony had mentioned. It had been the only party that I had ever had way too much to drink at. Normally I was the designated driver, so I hardly drank at all, but that night I let myself go. It had been the last party of the summer, and I had been all over Tony, doing things I knew I wouldn't if I were sober. He hadn't seemed to mind my advances that night, but of course he was completely wasted too. At some point between one and three in the morning, I began to drift in and out of consciousness on the couch in the living room of Rush's brother's apartment, but I remembered clearly hearing bits and pieces of conversation. Rush was hitting up some college girl, flirting like I had never seen him do before. Keltie was dancing and singing to the music with Burt, Rush's brother, and Tony was in the kitchen talking to someone. I couldn't remember who it was, the voice was quiet, hissing something in a low voice. Tony agreed, to what I couldn't remember, but with what was said today I knew now that it was Victoria's voice and he had agreed to go skinny dipping. That was what started it all.

Six months they had said. As I thought about it, the signs became clearer. There had been times I would call him and invite him over for dinner or just to hang out and he would tell me he was busy with his family. At the time I didn't think much about it, big Italian family and all—they had always been close—but it seemed a little odd since Bambi usually invited me to family outings. She considered me a part of their family. Then came the new cologne. I thought it was just something he was trying, and I liked it. He said he was doing something different, trying on different smells just to see which ones I liked better. I growled, strangling my pillow in my hands. That jerk! He was going to pay for this one way or another. A stab of pain rocketed up my arm and I cried out, looking down at my hand. It was still bloody, and my joint was swelling up where I had most likely broken it punching Tony in the jaw. I needed to get some ice on it but I didn't want to leave my room. Stepping off of my bed, I went to my desk, looking at the items on the desk. All of them were from Tony. I clenched my jaw, glaring at the objects. Pictures, cds, notes, tiny glass figurines, and more. With a shout, I shoved everything off the desk, sending papers flying, and things sprawling across the room. I slammed my hands onto the desk, crying out again in pain as my hand throbbed. The others were downstairs. I didn't want to face them. I dropped to my knees, running my hands through my hair. Just ignore everyone downstairs and get some ice. I thought to myself.

With a sigh, I stood up, avoiding the glass on the floor, crunching on the things Tony had given me, and stepping into the hallway. I didn't care to fix my makeup, or even hide the fact that I had been crying. I was still crying, the tears leaking down my cheeks. I doubted my eyes would be dry for days. Some trip back home this had turned out to be. I moped down the stairs, leaning against the wall as I went, dragging my shoulder against it. When I reached the kitchen, my skin went cold, and my heart became icy.

Tony was standing in my kitchen, talking to my friends as if nothing were wrong.

I bit my bottom lip, holding back the growl I could feel coming, and took off my shoe. I glared daggers at the back of his head as I launched my shoe at him. It hit the back of his head, throwing him off balance. He stumbled forward as I took off my other shoe and prepared to throw it. Everyone was watching me now, and as Tony turned to face me, I launched my other shoe, hitting him square in the nose. He stared at me in shock as blood dripped from his nose. My body became rigid, I hoped my eyes were burning and he could see the rage within them.

“Get the hell out of my house,” I hissed, searching for something else I could throw at him.

“Laela, babe, can we talk about this?” he asked, holding his hand below his chin to catch the dripping blood.

My lip twitched. “Talk about this?!” I screeched, taking the last four steps and walking into the kitchen. I wanted to punch him again. “What is there to talk about! And don't you dare call me babe.”

He fidgeted uncomfortably. “I'm sorry, Laela. Truly.”

“Bullshit,” I thumped him as hard as I could in the chest with my good fist. “I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING MORE TO SAY TO YOU THAN HAS ALREADY BEEN SAID!!” I didn't care that everyone in the room was staring at us in complete and utter shock. I hit him again. “You could get down on your knees and lick the dust off every inch of floor in this house, grovel and beg, and I would never forgive you.” I drew my fist back to hit him again, and fear flickered across his eyes.

He flinched back a step, running into Cam, who suddenly seemed rather angry, glaring down at him as if he knew exactly what was going on. Jay and Kitty kept glancing back and forth between him and I as if they were watching a tennis match, but Stitch's eyes were glued to me. A rage, powerful and almost tangible, like nothing I had felt before surged through me. I spotted my mom's knife rack out of the corner of my eye and made quick move, grabbing the first knife I could. It turned out to be the largest butcher knife we owned. Tony's eyes grew wide as I jabbed the knife forward.

“Get out of my house!” I shrieked, jabbing it forward again, “I never want to see your face around here again! Don't call, don't even think about me! You are dead to me!”

He swallowed a lump in his throat and stepped around the knife, backing himself into the entrance hall, taking slow steps toward the door. When he opened it, he backed straight into Rush, who loomed over him like a Reaper ready to bring its last soul to the afterlife.

“You've got guts showing your face here after what you did to her.” Rush growled, grabbing him by the shirt collar and yanking him out of the door. He tossed him, not all too gently, to the sidewalk. “You'll stay away from her if you know what's good for you.”

Rush stepped inside and slammed the door behind him. He turned to me, a look of concern in his eyes. I was still holding the knife in front of me, my hands shaking. Behind me there was a small puddle of blood on the tile; Rush eyed it curiously.

“I never really took you for the dangerous knife-wielding type, Laela.” he said, laughing. I didn't see it as funny. “Okay, so the humor is lost on you at this point. How's the hand?”

“What happened to your hand?” Cam asked, stepping in front of me, looking at my hands. “Laela, your hands are all bloody! What happened?!”

I bit my lip, my tooth falling into the groove of the wound I had made earlier, drawing blood once more. In the pit of my stomach I could feel the anguish building, the despair, the emptiness. It was like a void, a black hole, forming in my body. I started to shake again, swallowing huge gulps of air in an attempt to keep myself from breaking down again. I felt lost, knowing that the one I loved never loved me. Never. None of it was real. I could hear my friends asking questions, but their voices sounded miles away. My head started to pound, my cheeks were moist again, tears rolling off my chin and splashing onto my chest, black makeup trails slithering down my skin. I put the knife down on the counter, the metal clinging against it as my tremors continued. Everyone had stopped talking and waited, watching me, hoping for an answer.

“I'm sorry,” I sobbed, “Sorry you have to see this, sorry to ruin our trip only two days in.” I felt guilty, like I was ruining their lives because they weren't having fun.

Stitch put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me into his chest. “Shh,” he crooned, stroking the back of my head slowly. “You're not ruining our trip, Laela. We're your friends, and we are concerned. Please, tell us what happened so we can make it better.”

“Laela, I've seen that anger before.” Kitty said, sounding as if there were tears in her voice. “I know what it comes from.”

I turned my head, still pressed against Stitch, so I could look at her. Her eyes were glistening with moisture, her bottom lip quivering.

“I saw it in my mum, the day she discovered my dad's affair.”

My heart broke again, but this time not for myself. It broke for Kitty. She understood my pain, and suddenly I wished I could take hers away. She never talked about her father, and now I knew why. Standing there in my kitchen, she looked as if her world were going to end. I pushed away from Stitch and ran to embrace her. We stood crying in the center of the room, holding each other tightly for what seemed like a solid ten minutes. Finally she pulled back and looked me in the eye.

“Can you tell us what happened?” she asked, her makeup now running down her face.

“It's Tony.” I said, hiccuping. “I went to surprise him today, and I kissed him. He seemed tense at first, and I thought it was just surprise, but then my friend, one of my best friends, Victoria shows up. She asks what I'm doing kissing my boy—Tony, and then it all came spilling out.” I glanced at Rush, who was hovering in the back corner away from everyone else. “I guess Tony had told everyone that he and I were broken up, and he went public with Victoria. Tony lied and told them that I knew. I never knew.” Sobs broke out again and Kitty hugged me against her. “I loved him! I would never lie to him, and I thought... I thought he would be... the one I would spend the rest of my life with! But now I don't know what to do with myself!”

They let me sob without interruption for a few minutes before Kitty pulled away, and with a giggle through her tears she said,

“I could tell you what my mum did, but I doubt you would agree with her methods.” She raised her eyebrow at me, waiting for a signal. I just stared, waiting for her to continue. “She spent a month with male prostitutes in Amsterdam.” She offered a weak smile before laughing again.

I couldn't help but to smile. “I'll pass on that one.” I laughed.

Rush cleared his throat from the back of the room. I glanced up at him; he nodded his head toward the door and I excused myself, following him. We stepped out onto the porch, the sub blazing down in afternoon heat. Rush was missing his last class to be here with me. He gathered me into a hug, holding me against his chest, and I began to cry again.

“I feel so pathetic Rush.” I said, nuzzling my face into his chest. His hand was moving in a large circle across my back. “I hate crying, I hate this feeling. It's my fault, all of this. I ruined our relationship.”

Rush kissed the top of my head, “You didn't ruin it. He's a dick, and he ruined it.” He said. “He couldn't see what he had, and his hormones got the better of him. He lost the greatest treasure in the world, and he's going to wake up tomorrow and regret it.” His voice had become dark and angry. “How are you feeling?” I stared up at him with a look that screamed 'Does-it-look-like-I'm-okay?' and waited for him to say something. “Right, that was a stupid question. I don't want to leave, but I need to be at practice today. Want me to swing by later with some of your best friends Ben and Jerry?”

I smiled. “I would like that. Just call before you come, okay?”

“I will, promise.” He kissed my forehead and my stomach tightened. “I'll be back later.”

He hugged me tightly before stepping off the porch again. I went inside, wiping my tears away from my cheeks and taking a deep breath. Everyone waited and watched, Kitty and Jay smiling sympathetically, but Cam and Stitch looked like they were going to kill someone, someone named Tony. I excused myself to wash my face, and then left. As I made my way up the stairs I remembered why we were here. I was supposed to show them my favorite places. But now they were all poisoned. All but two. My car, and the graveyard. But there were mixed feelings about that place. I chuckled to myself realizing how bizzare it sounded that one of my favorite places was a graveyard, but so many things had happened there.

Things that at times I didn't want to remember.

Splashing cold water over my face one last time I grabbed the towel off the wall and dried it. I stared at myself in the mirror. I never liked the way I looked without makeup. I wasn't pretty. Victoria was beautiful even when she didn't have makeup on. Yet another thing that Victoria had that I didn't. I sent a text to Kitty telling her I was going to take a nap, cool down, and they were welcome to the pool and movies, anything they could find, and went back to my room. Kay, love you Laela. We'll just chill till you get up. And don't worry about anything. I'll keep everyone in check. Was her reply. I looked at the disaster my room had become, and sighed. Carefully I began picking up the pieces of glass from the shattered frames, throwing them into my trash can. A half hour later my room was glass free and Tony's things were piled next to the trash. I slumped onto my bed and fell asleep in an instant.

****

Stitch had slipped away from the others while they had been watching a movie, they had hardly noticed him leave. He didn't know where Tony would be, but he would find him. Suddenly a ginger tabby rubbed itself against his legs. He glanced down as he walked, the cat twisting through his legs.

“Aren't you supposed to be in England, Leo?” he asked the cat, continuing down the street.

'Aren't you supposed to be back at Laela's?' A deep voice spoke to his mind. 'You're going to do something stupid.'

He rolled his eyes. “I'm not going to do something stupid. I'm going to... make a point, that's all.”

The cat clawed at his pant leg. 'You don't make a point without someone getting hurt, I know you. Don't sink to his level.'

Stitch glared down at him. “Leo, go home. Watch Laela. That's an order.”

The cat hissed and turned around, stalking down the street back to Laela's. Stitch continued down the block, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. Reveal he whispered. Opening his eyes again, there was a path of purple gas lingering on the sidewalk that only he could see. He followed it, walking quickly. When he reached its end, he found Tony leaning against a tree, nursing his wounds. His face was bloody and bruised, his cheek swollen. Stitch moved quietly across the grass to where he stood. Tony heard him coming, spinning on his heels so quickly to face Stitch that he nearly fell over.

“Who are you? What do you want?” he asked, glaring through a swollen eye.

“Who I am doesn't matter, but as for what I want, I'll tell you.” Stitch said, his voice uncharacteristically low. “I want you to stay away from Laela, You hurt her, and that's not okay with me.” A breeze started to blow around them, lifting fallen leaves and trash off the ground. “If you so much as think about Laela, you'll regret it. Something bad will happen, and you can't stop it.” The breeze turned into a gust of sudden wind, knocking Tony to the ground. “And I'll be sure to thank Rush for beating you up, I would have hated to have to do it myself.”

Stitch turned to leave, when Tony suddenly started screaming in pain. A dark smile crossed Stitch's face as Tony's scream escalated. He clutched his head in pain, rolling and thrashing in the grass. The smile only became wider as he left, Tony still screaming in agony behind him.

“I told you that you would regret it.”

****

When I woke up it was getting dark, the sun was splashed with oranges and pinks. I changed out of my clothes and into a pair of sweats and a jacket and went downstairs. I could hear the others out in the pool. There was a note on my counter from my mom. She was at work and wanted me to call her when I got the chance. I didn't want to call her just yet, so I went to the basement and started browsing the shelves for a movie. I wanted something filled with explosions. I moved to our collection of James Bond films and extracted Die Another Day. When I turned around to put the disk in, I gasped, startled, and clutched my chest.

Cam was standing inches away from me. How had I not heard him?

“You feeling better?” he asked, putting his hand on my cheek.

Part of me wanted to push his hand away instantly, but a bigger part of me liked the feel of his hand against my face. “Yes, thank you.”

“Anything I can do to make it better?” He stepped forward, our bodies were nearly touching now.

My breath caught in my throat. Blinking a few times I suddenly felt dizzy, like the room had suddenly been filled with some sort of gas, but in an instant it was gone. I stared up at Cam, his blue eyes sparkling even in the low light. He put an arm around my waist and took the movie from my hand, setting it down on the DVD player. He lead me to the couch, and we sat down.

“I'm here to listen.” He said, his voice sincere. “Talk.”

“I don't want to talk,” I said, the sudden desire to kiss him overwhelmed me, and in my state, I gave in.

He didn't seem surprised as he pulled me into him, his arm snaking around my waist. He pulled me onto his lap, kissing me deeply, our breathing was heavy and labored between kisses. He moved, pinning me under him on the couch, his lips trailing kisses down my jaw and neck where he nibbled at my collar bone. I moaned, our bodies moving against each other felt good, but not right. I didn't care, I needed a distraction. He wasn't wearing a shirt, having come in from the pool, and when his hands grabbed the bottom of my shirt, I didn't think twice before sitting up enough that he could pull it off of me. My pants were low on my hips, my body exposed, our skin touching, setting my insides on fire. He moved back to my lips, and my head started to spin. His hands trailed down my bare flesh, softly, but hungrily. I wrapped my legs around him, pulling him close.

The lights suddenly flipped on, and we jumped apart.

In the doorway was Stitch.