Falling Apart©
By
Meg Galganowicz
(Four
months later)
Aly let out a shriek of delight when two strong
hands grabbed her waist and lifted her high up in the air. Her hair tumbled about her face and her lips
twisted at the edges. “Put me down – now!”
He laughed and gently set her down. “You aren’t glad to see me?”
“Of course, but I would rather not lost my lunch.”
“Let’s go find all those bags and boxes of
yours. How many did you say there
were?”
Aly giggled as they went toward the baggage claim
area of the huge Florida airport. She
still couldn’t believe that she had been able to transfer to FSU and move in
with Jake. “Too many probably. You didn’t bring the coupe did you?”
“No.” He reached for her hand easily and swung their arms back and
forth. “I may be male but I’m not that stupid Aly.”
“Good. I was
just making sure.”
“Yeah right.”
Aly reached up and in a quick motion squeezed the
back of his neck where she knew he was sensitive. She took off at a run down the terminal as he ran after her,
skillfully avoiding other people walking around. In a matter of seconds he had gotten a hold of her and swiftly
swung her around in a circle several times before setting her down in front of
him. She was about to add in a
sarcastic comment when he tenderly pulled her close to him in an intimate
embrace. His left hand cradled her head
against his chest, a few fingers grazing her forehead. Slowly, she relaxed and returned the
sentiment, letting her inhibitions go.
A small, shy smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she played with
the hair on the back of his neck.
“Missed you, too, Riley, but I’m gonna be okay. I’ll figure something out.”
* * *
Joey watched the scene unfold and his teeth began to
grind silently. He hadn’t spoken to his
former best friend in over two months.
She seemed to have disappeared.
Neither Chris nor Chris were saying anything if they did know what she
was up to. And now Justin and Lance
were consoling one of his group mates.
All the guys were on the bus on the way to their next venue, listening
to a local radio station. A song
floated over the confined space and JC melted.
His legs literally seemed to give out from under him gradually. Over the past four months he had seemed to
pull himself together and seemed stronger than ever to Joey.
A damn had broken and Justin cast a pained look at
Lance who nodded in agreement. Joey
reached over and turned off the stereo, hoping to accordingly turn off the
pain. The words, however, continued to
roll over in JC’s heart like a broken record, refusing to dim away.
And when the light in my eyes is fading
When running water becomes too deep
Finally angels turn my fire to dust
And when my soul’s no longer mine to keep
I want to lay down on your shoulder, just inside you arm
I want to listen to your heartbeat, and your breathing
go on and on
I want to lay down on your shoulder, surrender to
your peace
**Melissa Etheridge ‘Sleep**
JC sat on the floor, knees up toward his chest and
head buried in his hands. The words
struck a chord in him ad he mistakenly let his mind wonder if Aly would ever
come back into his life, wonder if she wanted to. Justin and Lance were on either side of him, Justin keeping a
promise he would guard for life. A few
tears escaped the eyes of the 20-year-old as his shoulders shuddered. It didn’t seem like he would ever escape the
heartache that went with his mistake.
The bus continued to roll along
the freeway to the next city where they would all stumble out and find their
hotel rooms. One by one, each of the
guys left his huddled form to climb into their bunks as the early-morning hour
caught up with them. All but
Justin. He kept his hand rubbing gently
over his friend’s back much like he remembered his mother doing when he was a
little boy. Then again, they were all
still little boys in some sense. All
children at heart.
Now there was a child among them with a broken
heart. Something only smiles and laughter
could mend.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Once they were back at the house, Aly changed into
one of her favorite tops to wear during the warm weather and wandered out onto
the patio. It had been called a
‘lunchroom tank’ in the catalogue where she’d found it, but it was only a
simple tank top with spaghetti straps that had a hint of darkness to the
burgundy color. Her hair was loose
around her face and she abruptly put twisted it together to stay on the back of
her neck. “I should just cut it all
off,” she muttered, walking into the backyard.
“That’d be a shame.”
“Oh, hey, I didn’t know you were back from
work!” Aly leapt over to him, catching
him by surprise in a big hug. “When’d
you sneak in?”
“While you were taking a shower and then drying your
hair. It’s gorgeous, by the way, I
don’t know why you’d want to cut it off.”
Aly chuckled.
“Moment of frustration. So…how’s
Kaylie?”
Jake’s grin grew almost ten times and she laughed at
him happily. “She’s coming over for
dinner. I hope that’s okay?”
“Hey, it’s your house.”
“No. You’re
living here now so it’s yours, too.”
Aly cringed.
“Do I have to pay mortgage?”
“Nah, I wouldn’t worry about that. Get through college and then we’ll look at
getting you an apartment, k?”
“Damn, I was hoping you and Kaylie were gonna be
married before then.”
“Alison!”
Aly yelped and turned around, “Hey you.”
“Something I should know about?”
“Nope, nothing at all,” she replied, innocently
batting her lashes as the older woman walked toward them.
“Come here you conniving little thing,” Kaylie
teased, her curly hair tumbling about her perfectly shaped face. Aly obliged and the two hugged for a moment
before Jake’s girlfriend continued. “I
heard voices and figured you two were back here. Riley get here yet?”
Aly’s eyebrows shot up in surprise while coach’s
twinkled. “Nope, not yet. He had a few more lessons than I did after
this one got in.”
“If you are setting me up your are so gonna get it,” Aly put forward, her
expression falling. “I do not need another guy in my life right
now, Jake.” She brushed past Kaylie and
wandered into the house, making herself comfortable in the little chair by the
computer. For lack of anything else to
do she signed on to distract herself.
The screen name that showed up on her buddy list was anything but a
distraction. It was Justin.
Slingshot33: hey
Aly sighed, there was no way she was going to get
out of this life in one piece and gave into the conversation.
Daisy77: hi
Slingshot33: how are you
Daisy77: um, ok I guess
Slingshot33: ok, how about where are you
She scrunched up her nose. This wasn’t sounding like the typical, energetic Justin that signed on.
Daisy77: everything ok over there?
Slingshot33: um, why do you ask?
Daisy77: coz it’s obvious something is. you sound weird
Slingshot33: gee, thanks. haven’t
talked to you in forever and I’m the weird one
Daisy77: ??
Daisy77: wonderboy just spill it
Slingshot33: wonderboy?
Aly stared at the computer in confusion, “Yes, Wonderboy, your nickname. Are you high, what’s the deal.”
Slingshot33: this isn’t justin.
“Oh shit.” It was the only thing she could think of to say and the next words were typed out and sent before she even had the chance to take them back.
Daisy77: then
who is it?
Another pause in the bewildering conversation.
Slingshot33: al, it’s me.
Aly let her head fall onto the keyboard and a low
moan escaped her lips. “How did I get
myself into this situation? What the hell am I thinking? Seriously, Al, you are setting yourself up
for doomsday if you continue this conversation.”
Slingshot33: are you still there
Daisy77: yea, just…surprised is all
Slingshot33: sorry, I said hey before
I could stop myself
Daisy77: I understand
JC sighed, his lips cracking as the breath past over them. “No, hun, you don’t.” His eyes were red and puffy while his nose remained congested.
Slingshot33: Justin’ll be back in a
few minutes I think if you wanna talk to him
Daisy77: whatever, I was just trying to get away from Jake
Slingshot33: get away from him?
what’d he do?
Daisy77: I just think he’s trying to set me up with someone
JC’s heart stopped.
She couldn’t. Jake couldn’t.
Slingshot33: and you don’t want to
be?
Aly hesitated before answering the question. Her eyes began to tear up as she saw his face in her mind’s eye yet again. He was smiling at her this time though, like he used to when he hadn’t seen her in awhile. As if he were soaking in every inch of her face to memorize it.
Daisy77: not really, no.
riley’s sweet and I love him as a friend, but it just wouldn’t work I
don’t think
Slingshot33: oh
Daisy77: he’s 24 and I’m barely 20, ya know? I’m just not
ready for that
Slingshot33: that’s ok, nobody’s asking you to be
Daisy77: Jake just wants me to stop moping
Aly cringed as soon as she
said that.
Daisy77: agh, disregard that comment
Slingshot33: sorry, no can do.
You shouldn’t be moping
Daisy77: and you shouldn’t be crying
Daisy77: damn it, Jez, why did we get into this conversation?
I don’t want you to cry anymore
Slingshot33: you always have been far too concerned about me. worrying about yourself yet?
Daisy77: in fact I am.
Slingshot33: good. Mind if I ask
how?
Daisy77: only if you don’t tell chris and justin
Slingshot33: ::curious:: yea, if you don’t want me to.
Daisy77: I transferred to FSU.
JC choked on his breath and
coughed a few times before attempting to reply.
Slingshot33: FSU?? Wow
Daisy77: yeah, it should be really good for me tho, and I
moved in w/Jake
Slingshot33: permanently?
Daisy77: for awhile, yea. at some point I’ll get an
apartment, but who knows when
Daisy77: no offense, but this is just too weird for me right
now
Daisy77: I’ll talk to you…um..i duno when. tell wonderboy I
said hi, dad too
Slingshot33: yea, ok
Daisy77: take care Jez, please…
JC sighed as he watched her sign off hurriedly, running away from him. He didn’t blame her though, he would be running away, too. “You really screwed yourself this time,” he mumbled, leaning back and staring with closed eyes at the ceiling.
“Were you just talking to Aly?”
“Mhm.”
Justin let out a frustrated groan. “Why?”
“Coz she was on and you weren’t here…”
“You okay?”
“I dunno.
She…she sounds okay. Jake is
trying to set her up with Riley, at least that’s what she thinks.”
“Great, just great.
Don’t worry ‘C, we’ll figure something out.” Justin patted his friend on the back as he walked past on his way
to his suitcase.
Aly, on the other hand, walked away from the
computer with her hands visibly trembling.
She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn’t hear someone
talking to her.
“Aly?”
“Hm, what?
Oh, hi Riley.”
“Ok, what gives?”
“Pardon?”
“You haven’t been hearing a word I said,” he added,
leaning against a doorframe, as he looked her over. “And you’re shaking.” The
tone in his voice changed from mildly teasing to low and concerned in a few
seconds. A gentle hand took one of hers
and his eyes narrowed. “Al, what’s
wrong? What happened?”
Aly stared at him blankly before sighing and letting
her former façade of a smile disappear.
“I talked to JC.”
“Why?”
“It was an accident. He was under Justin’s screen name.”
“Why would you have been talking to Justin? I don’t get it, I thought you were going to
stop talking to them for awhile.”
“Why are you being so assertive on that? I love all five of those guys and I can’t
just forget about them overnight!
Justin is the brother I never had and I would have loved to be able to
talk to him. So I replied to the
Instant Message and it ended up being JC.
Why did I continue talking to him and tell him where I was, I don’t know!” she exclaimed, backing
away from her friend, her hands shaking.
“Don’t get all defensive, I was only asking. I worry about you, Al.” He reached out to touch her face but she
recoiled.
“Do me a favor right now and don’t worry. I don’t need
any more worries than I’ve already got.”
“Then don’t start talking to him again! Geez, I don’t understand why you would walk
right back into the lion’s den like that Aly!
I don’t want to see you get hurt again.
Look at you, you’re practically shaking all over.” Again he attempted to move forward and take
her close to him. Aly backed away until
she felt the wall behind her, where she let out a whimper and tried to slip
away. “I’m only trying to be there for
you,” he added softly, his face full of compassion. She knew he meant no harm but she felt trapped; trapped like a
rat.
“Okay, Al, why don’t you come help me get some stuff
from my car that I brought,” came a different voice as a hand grasped
hers. She nodded faintly and followed
behind Kaylie as they walked toward the front of the house. Once outside she let go of the breath she
had been holding and felt her muscles tight.
“Okay, calm down.” Kaylie
carefully hugged her, rocking slowly from side to side in a soothing manner.
“He…he’s miserable, Kay…”
“Who’s miserable?
Riley?”
“N-no…Jez…”
Kaylie’s eyebrows shot up in surprise and she pulled
back, brushing the hair off the face of the younger woman. “How do you know that?”
“I…I talked to him online.” Aly’s breathing was regular finally.
Kaylie smiled softly, “And what did he have to say?”
“Um…just little stuff. Asking what I was up to, where I was, told me to worry about
myself.”
She chuckled, “Sounds like he always did.”
“But he’s been crying. At least last time I talked to the guys. And I can tell he still does. Not to mention he now knows where I am but
he also knows that I’ve been moping.”
“Well you have been! Maybe he’ll make you stop moping.”
Aly eyed the older woman curiously, “What are you
on? We broke up, he doesn’t love me-“
“Like shit he doesn’t love you, the guy is head over
heels. He made a stupid mistake.”
“That I pushed him into. I did this, Kay, and
there’s really nothing I can do to fix it.”
“Except show him you still love him.”
Aly groaned and glanced inside through a window to
find Riley and Jake talking avidly about something and motioning occasionally
to the two women. “Looks like those two
are headed for an escalating argument.
I need to get out of here.” She
ran a hand through her hair; thankful it had stopped shaking.
“Take my car and be back by one, okay? I’ll see what I can do about those two. I can’t believe I’m letting you leave me
with all that testosterone.”
“You’ll get used to it, it isn’t all that bad.”
Kaylie laughed and pushed her toward the Jeep that
was parked in the drive. “Go, I don’t
want to see you back here before nine.”
Aly saluted her and skipped down to her vehicle of
choice. “Thanks Kay!”
Kaylie shook her head. “I have so got to get
that girl dancing before she gets herself in trouble.”