Chapter 10

When I got home I had to pay for the apartment myself,
so I got a job as a waitress at a nearby restaurant. The first thing I
did when I had enough money was get movers to move all of Krystal's
stuff to a storage space until she returned. Wait till I get to the best part.

"I can't believe Krystal did that Maranda!" Krystal's mother
said as I held in my laughter.

"I had to tell you, I mean you are a grandmother
after all!" I said as she sighed.

"I'll talk to you later, thanks Maranda," she said hanging up as I
laughed. I looked at my list of things to piss Krystal off and
scratched off 'pregnancy.'

2 months passed and I had made new friends at the restaurant
and forgotten all about the guys and Krystal, I had normal friends
with normal lives, no singers…well one has-been Las Vegas lounge
singer but that was a long time ago Frank says!

"Hey guys," I said putting tying the rest of my uniform.

"Hey Maranda! Got a table of singers over there on your side,
good luck!" Tammy said as I sighed. I looked over and saw
them…there they were all over again.

"Maranda!" A.J. said hugging me tight as I stood there, I was
still mad at him in a way, and seeing them again wasn't something
I wanted.

"Hi A.J.," I said with a sigh. I walked over to the table seeing
Nick on one side of the table and Krystal at the
other. I shrugged and pulled out my pad.

"Hi, I'm…you know who I am, what do you want to drink?" I asked.

"Coke, Tea, Water, Coffee…decaf, and Dr. Pepper," Kevin
said as I nodded.

"Be right back," I said. I walked away as I knew
all there eyes were on me.

"Is that them Maranda?" Frank asked.

"Yeah, that's them," I said pouring their drinks. I put them on a
tray and walked over to them. I passed them around
and looked at Krystal.

"So you're that poor and pathetic you had to work here at this
dump?" She said with a laugh. I took her water with
a grin and poured it in her lap.

"I will never be as pathetic as you," I said throwing the cup in her
lap with a smile. "Can I take your orders gentlemen?"

They held in their laughter as Krystal ran to the bathroom.

"It's about time someone did that!" Brian said laughing as Nick smacked him.

"What are you guys doing here?" I asked sitting aside A.J.

"We have a charity thing here we couldn't get out of,
how are you?" Brian asked.

"Great, I start college in 2 weeks and I really couldn't be better,
I got new friends here and everything is going my
way lately," I said with a nod.

"New friends?" A.J. pouted.

"Well you can't expect me to wait for you for 4 months A.J.," I said with a grin.

"So what are you going to do about
Krystal?" Brian asked, knowing I did something.

"I put all her stuff in storage so it's my own apartment now, I told all
her ex-boyfriends she has AIDS, and I told her mom she was
pregnant," I said with a smile.

"HA!" A.J. said as everyone laughed.

"Excuse me beast, you're in my seat," Krystal said
from behind me as I got up.

"By the way Krys, have you gotten a phone call from your
mom recently?" I said as the guys cleared their throats,
Nick not so amused.

"No why?" She asked in a snobby tone.

"No reason, my shift is over, Frank will serve you
guys," I said taking off my nametag.

"Wait Maranda!" A.J. said leaping over Krystal.

"No A.J. don't," Nick said with a sigh.

"To late bro," he said turning back to me, "can I talk to you real quick?"

"Yeah, come on with me to the back," I said as we walked to the
chairs. I was changing my shoes as I waited for him to start
talking. "Hello? What is it you wanted?"

"Oh yeah!" A.J. said with a grin. "I have a poem for you,
for you to read," he said handing me the envelope.

"Why is it in an envelope?" I asked tying the laces of my keds.

"Just read it when you get home okay?" A.J. said as I nodded.

"Okay, I've missed you buddy," I said hugging him.

"Me too, all I hear now is Nick and Krystal
fighting like every 5 minutes," he said with a sigh.

"I'm sorry, look I gotta go, call me?" I asked putting on my coat.

"Yeah okay," he said kissing my cheek, "remember to read it okay?"

"I will."

~*~*~*~

I got home and threw the envelope on my bed, turning
on my radio and the shower water. I jumped up and down as
Robert Palmer's "Addicted To Love" came on the radio.
I took my hairbrush and began dancing:

"You heart sweats, you body shakes,
Another kiss, is all it takes;
You can't sleep, you can't eat,
There's no doubt; you're in deep;
You like to think that you're immune to the stuff OH yeah!
Closer to the truth, can't get enough and you're gonna have to face it you're addicted to love!"


I looked at Boomer and giggled. I hopped into the shower as I heard the
doorbell ring.

"Just a minute!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. I took out a towel
and covered myself, running on my toes to the door. "Who is it?"

"Me," Nick mumbled.

"Hold on," I said opening the door. He looked down at me
in awe, "What are you doing here?" I asked as he walked in.

"I wondered if you read that poem A.J. told you to read."

"I was going to after I…wait what business is it of yours
anyways?" I asked with a shrug. "I haven't."

"Well okay," he said clasping his hands together.
"Then do you think I could have it back?"

"What? It's A.J.'s no way!" I yelled.

"It's mine Maranda," he said as I looked at him confused.

"You've never written a poem in your life," I said as he nodded.

"I know, can I have it back though?"

"You know what? NO," I said with a sly grin.
I ran to my room as Nick chased after me.

"Caisse please!" He begged as I sat down on my bed and opened the envelope:


I never thought the day would come when I told you I loved you;
When I wanted to hold you, kiss you, and want you too.
Your body is amazing, curved and shaped in all the best places,
Your green emerald eyes illuminate my day by just a look at my face.
Your hair shines like the sun, blinding me with beauty and life;
Your courage makes me do things, it makes me strive.
The sweet smell of you, the things you do make me love you more;
Make me love you like never before.
I love your smile, it brightens anything in its path;
Your tanned skin makes me quiver, wanting to touch it, wanting you in my grasp.
I am intrigued by your beauty, it makes me crazy,
You remind me of a particular flower, a beautiful white daisy.
I love you, I love you more every day;
I hope you'll forgive me, in every possible way.

Tears drenched down my face as I looked up at him, his nervous face.
"I'm not good at writing, it was just the only possible way I
could tell you," he said nervously as I put the paper down on the bed.

"Do you mean what you said?" I asked wiping my eyes.

He cleared his throat and looked down at the ground, "Um…every word."

"What happened to Krystal?" I asked getting up.

"She's moved in with her mom…I pretty much dumped her though
she knew it was coming."

"For me?" I asked. He nodded as I sighed.

"Let me get changed, dinner my treat?" I asked as he nodded.
He walked out the door as I shut it, grinning and hoping,
praying that my dream had come true.

I put on my white silk spaghetti-strap dress that came down to my
ankles and my white platforms. I put my hair up with butterfly
clips and sat down on the bed, rereading quickly what he wrote.

"Oh my God," he said looking at me.

"Are we ready to go?" I asked grabbing my purse.

"Yep," he said opening the door for me.

~*~*~*~

After an ultra quiet dinner, we took a stroll on the docks, hand in hand.

"I've never been out here at night," I said leaning on rail.

"Me either, it's beautiful," Nick said as I looked at his eyes.
Whenever we were in the dark, his eyes would glow, beautiful and bright blue.

"I love you," I blurted. It wasn't intended to come out, but the moment I guess set it off.

He looked at me with all seriousness in his face; "I love you too."

I grinned and leaped onto him with happiness, "You don't know
how long I've waited for you to say that to me," I
whispered as he spinned me.

"Ever since I kissed you, I couldn't stop thinking of you, how much
I wanted you again," he said holding me, "I kept trying to tell myself I didn't
love you, but I know now I can't stop loving you, you're the best thing
that's ever happened to me."

I looked in his eyes, he cupped my face with his hands and
kissed me softly. Our foreheads touched as I smiled
bright, "Where did you learn to write poetry like that?"

"I don't know, I've always sucked at poetry, but when I was writing
about you, it was so clear," he said as I grinned. "I want to read those
poems about me."

"No!" I said walking away.

"Aw come on, they're about me why not!?!" He whined following after
me.

"They're too…too mushy!" I said with a giggle.

"And you don't think what I wrote wasn't?"

"Good point, but yours was making me realize something,
my poems have no meaning. Nick my poem book is like my journal
just in poem form!" I explained. He wrapped his arms
around me from behind as I stopped.

"Please?" He asked as I sighed. "I love you," he pouted.

"Oh okay, just because you love me I should let you
read it? Fine okay! FINE!" I giggled.

"Thank you," he said kissing my forehead. "Did I ever tell
you how much I love you?"

"Nope, why don't you refresh my memory," I said with a smile.
I turned to face him as he wrapped his arms around me,
pulling me close to him.

"This much," he said kissing me passionately as
I got lost in my dream, my one wish.

Index

Epilogue