JACK AND ROSE PRESENT TIME 2: JUNIOR YEAR
Chapter Fifteen
"Are you sure you're ready for
this?" Rose asked, squeezing Tonya's hand as they were walking into
school.
Tonya nodded. "I'm sure."
Christmas break had just ended, and Tonya had
enrolled back in school. She had been home schooled when she had been with her
dad, so she was excited about going back to Santa Monica High School.
"This is going to be great, Tonya,"
Jack said, who was walking on the other side of her. "You get the
opportunity to shock a bunch of people."
Rose rolled her eyes and then kicked a rock
his way. Tonya just laughed. "Yeah...I'm sure there are people who don't
know about me yet." She sighed. "I'm scared to think about what they
will think."
"Everyone's gonna be so happy that
you're back." Rose squeezed her hand again.
After they entered the school, they walked
over to Tommy's locker, where Fabrizio and Dominique were already at.
"Hey, girl!" Dominique said
excitedly, hugging Tonya.
"Hey," she said, smiling at
Dominique, and then giving Tommy a sad sigh. Tommy stared at her and didn't
know what to think. The whole group seemed to get quiet, so Fabrizio said
something about letting Tommy and Tonya have some time alone, and they all
split.
"I'll walk you to class," Tommy
said, with Tonya smiling as a reply.
They walked for a few minutes in silence,
until Tommy finally mentioned something about the weather, making Tonya laugh.
"What?" Tommy asked cluelessly.
"Tommy...you're talking about the
weather. Don't you have anything to say about New Year’s?"
Tommy thought back to that night...
*****
Rose and Jack had held a party at their house
to bring in the new year. It had been days since Tonya had turned up alive. No
one thought she would be up for having a party, but she simply replied, "I
was never really dead." Enough said.
At about 11:30, Tommy and Tonya decided to go
out on the patio next to the pool, where no one else was. Tommy had demanded to
talk to her alone when he noticed tears in her eyes when their song, Honey,
by Mariah Carey, came on.
"What was that in there?" Tommy
asked, holding her hand gently as they sat on two dark green patio chairs.
Fabrizio had been appointed DJ of the night, so no doubt it was his plan to
play their song.
"I'm sorry, Tommy," she said,
beginning to cry again.
"No...no...no. Don't cry anymore."
He wiped away one of her tears with his thumb. "Everything's gonna be all
right. We're together." His words seemed to make things worse, because
Tonya continued to let her emotions out with her tears. Tommy paused. "We
are together, aren't we?"
Tonya's expression showed that Tommy had hit
it right on the spot. "I don't know." She sobbed. "I just don't
know."
Although Tommy knew the right thing to do
would have been to stay there and comfort her, he just couldn't. He got up,
without saying a word, and went back inside, leaving Tonya there with her
guilty tears.
Tommy then went upstairs, to Jack's room,
where he knew nobody would be. The party was downstairs...or so he thought. He
walked in on Jack and Rose making out on Jack's bed. "Oh...I'm
sorry."
"Tommy," Rose said, getting up from
the bed, knowing something was wrong. "What happened?"
Jack seemed as concerned as Rose. "Why
aren't you downstairs with Tonya? I heard you guys' song playing."
"She doesn't want to be with me."
"What?" Jack asked in disbelief.
Tommy sighed and then sat down on the edge of
Jack's bed. Rose sat next to him and put her arm around him. "What
happened?"
"She doesn't love me anymore,"
Tommy said, trying his best not to cry. "I guess I can't blame her...it's
been almost two years." He sighed. "I just thought that the love we
had was more special than that."
A slight breeze came blowing in through the
window, making Tommy shiver.
"I think I know what this is all
about," Rose said, getting up from Jack's bed and slowly walking in
circles around the room. "She talked to me briefly about it."
"What?" Tommy asked, with pleading
eyes.
"She lost her baby, Tommy. Your
baby." Rose took Tommy's cigarette out of his mouth that he had just
lighted and began smoking it, causing Jack to laugh slightly, despite the
situation.
"I know. You'd think she'd need
me..." Tommy replied.
"She does need you, Tommy. That's the
thing! But...you haven't even discussed it with her. She thinks you don't care
about your baby that was killed."
"I thought if I mentioned it, it would
only upset her!"
"Tommy..." Rose kneeled down next
to him. "Talk to her!"
And, with that Tommy raced out of the room to
find Tonya.
Rose put her cigarette out and then sat next
to Jack. He put his arm around her. "You thought you were pretty cool
smoking, huh?"
Rose laughed. "I though it would add
effect." She then put on a serious face. "I hope they're going to be
all right..."
"They will," Jack cut in. "I
know they will."
*****
Tommy ran back to the patio, where he thought
Tonya would still be...but she wasn't. Was it too late? He began to search
frantically for her. "Have you seen Tonya?" he asked partiers, as he
passed them by. They either shrugged their shoulders or shook their heads. Just
when Tommy was about to give up, he found her in the front yard, staring up at
the sky.
He approached her. "Tonya."
She turned around.
"I'm sorry...I'm sorry about not having a
heart-to-heart talk about our baby...I just didn't want to upset you. But, now
I can see that we do need to talk about it, and sort out all of these crazy
feelings."
Tonya smiled slightly.
"I love you, Tonya." He looked like
he was about ready to cry. "I will never love anyone as much as I love
you...this may sound stupid...but we're meant for each other. Look at all we've
been through." She looked into his eyes, taking it all in.
They could still hear the music from inside.
A moment like this
Some people wait a lifetime
For a moment like this
Some people search forever
For that one special kiss
Oh, I can't believe it's happening to me
Some people wait a lifetime
For a moment like this.
"I just want you to know that I love
you," Tommy finished. "And that no matter what you decide...I'll
always be there for you."
Tonya's smile grew bigger, and she flung
herself into Tommy's arms and they shared a passionate kiss. Who knew what the
future might bring?
*****
Tommy smiled. "Of course I remember New
Year’s...that was a great night."
"Of course it was." Tonya giggled.
"It caused the best thing in the whole
world to happen," Tommy said, smiling at her again.
"What is that?" she asked.
"This." He took her hand in his and
together they walked. Hand in hand.