Joey sat heavily on his green plush chair, disappointed. He dropped his head in his hands. How could he let her slip away right through his fingers? He should have held her tighter to him. His soul disappeared with Tabitha.
Joey felt like somebody had his heart in the palm of their hand and they were slowly crushing it. Tabitha was only a little distance away, yet she was so far. How could he let her do this to him? It pained him to see her hurt like she did. It was his fault, his own fault.
Joey looked over the balcony the second time. The sun was almost set. Yellows, reds, pinks, golds, and blues set off the clouds in brilliant colors. White swans swam in the reflective pond. He watched Tabitha intently as she got up from the grass. His heart ached from his love burning deeply. Joey knew she would go to her room. He wanted to be there before she did or he would lose her forever. He moved quickly to her room.
Tabitha rounded the corner and stopped short when she saw Joey standing in front of her doorway. She moved past him to her other doorway.
“Tabitha I’m sorry, it wasn’t really me. I would never say such things, Tabitha, please. Will you stop? Tabitha, stop, let me explain please stop,” Joey begged.
She turned and stopped in front of Joey. Her eyes were red and puffy, obviously from crying earlier. Joey felt helpless. “Ok, Joey, what’s your excuse? Explain why you called me a slut.”
“It wasn’t really me…”
“Oh really? Who was it then? Your evil twin?”
“No it wasn’t me…”
“You already said that,” Tabitha reminded him.
“Will you let me explain?” Tabitha shifted her weight to her other foot, impatiently. “Now, like I was saying it wasn’t me.” Tabitha nodded agreeing. “I think it was a ghost. Telepathic communication.”
“Now, you’re blaming other tings for your mistakes?” Tabitha accused.
“What? No,” Joey shook his head vigorously, “no that’s not what I meant…”
“Then what did you mean, Joey?”
“What is your problem? Why won’t you believe me?” Joey partially yelled at her.
She looked at him amazed. “My problem? My problem? My problem is the choice of your words! You called me a name I didn’t need and you’re asking me what my problem is?” Tabitha yelled at him. “I live in a real haunted house with real ghosts. I already have that kind of stress, I defiantly don’t need yours.”
Joey shook his head, “Darling, you don’t even know what the word stress means.”
“Oh,” Tabitha looked at him amazed, “Well, then, you wouldn’t mind telling me, would you?”
“Try living in a world that everywhere you go people actually could kill you from trampling on you. Not seeing your family in months on end. Being pressured to get your dance moves perfect. Getting on time for photo shoots, dance rehearsals, sound check, magazine interviews, and concerts, and still have to make time for eat and sleep. Making an album that you hope will sell at least half a million copies. Try to live in a world like that and I just might be impressed.”
Tabitha couldn’t hold in her laughter in anymore. She held her stomach.
“Are you laughing at me?” Joey asked making sure. She shook her head still laughing. “I can’t believe you’re laughing at me.” Tabitha gasped her breath for composure but didn’t succeed.
After a minute she regained her composure and looked at Joey smiling. “You think that’s stress? Well, ok, try living in a real haunted house. With dark shadowy figures unexpectedly jumping out at you. Footsteps, music, voices, and screams coming from all around you. Sharp rasps on the walls just by your head. Unusual smells at various times at night smelling like rotten flesh. Unexpected fog and various cold spots where there is no window open,” Tabitha kept calm still smiling. “Oh, don’t forget things moved when you didn’t move them yourself. When you live with that much stress for 18 years… I will be impressed.” Tabitha moved past Joey and shut her bedroom door in his face.
“What do you want from me?” Joey yelled at the door.
Tabitha opened her door eyes flaring with anger. “What I want from you? What I want from you is respect!” she yelled taking a step forward causing Joey to step backwards. “Why can’t you give me that? Why can’t you respect me like the way I should be respected?” Tabitha took another step forward. Joey looked behind him looking for the wall. “Why can’t you understand my feelings? Why won’t you understand?” Joey felt the wall behind him, as Tabitha got closer. Tabitha calmed down a bit and her jade eyes changed from anger to sadness. “Why won’t you love me? Why can’t you see that I love you? Why are you so difficult to love? What I really want from you is your need to love me. I want you to need me. Like I need you,” Joey blinked totally caught off guard by her emotional change. Tabitha turned to leave but turned around suddenly, unfinished. “Apparently, you can’t love me the way I want to be loved.”
Tabitha threw something at him Joey looked down to see a silver ring roll in front of him and fall on its side.
“Wait,” Joey lunged forward to stop her, but Tabitha shut her door before he could stop the door. Joey stared at the wooden door before he picked up the ring and left for his room.
copyright © 2001 AngelH