Chapter 3

Zac asked me to go with him, and I invited Taylor. I'm sure that he won't mind. I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I guess I look ok, I mean I did shower today and I have a faux hawk hairstyle, so I look cool. I had on a pair of blue jeans, blue low top converse sneakers, a t-shirt that says "Rock on wit your bad self " and a khaki colored blazer. I sprayed some cologne on my next and in my armpits and I was off to meet Zac.

He was way too excited to see me. "Long time no see. I was starting to think you we're becoming a hermit," Isaac said.

He was like a kid in the candy store. "No, I'm not becoming a hermit, you're just too dramatic," I said.

I scanned the room once more when a very familiar voice made my skin crawl. "Hey guys," Taylor said.

It was the pig I spent years despising. "What's he doing here?" I asked quietly as I leaned over towards Isaac.

"I invited him. I figured you two hadn't talked in a long time. I didn't think you minded," Isaac said.

In all honesty it wasn't Isaac's fault. He had no idea that I hated Taylor at all. All the anxiety I had been feeling about seeing Joy was put into overdrive, especially now that Taylor was here. I couldn't have them here together. What would she think if she saw me with Taylor today? Will she even recognize me? What if she does and just doesn't want to talk to me? I had a million thoughts running through my mind. "So Zac how the hell are you?" Taylor asked me.

I wanted to rip his heart out. He was a sick, sick bastard. If only they knew the truth. But then again the world would never believe Taylor could do the things he's done. "I'm fine," I forced out through clenched teeth.

I didn't want Isaac to know what was really going on. "Officer DuMont drove Taylor home to tell mom and dad how great he is. He saved an old woman from a burning building," Isaac said.

My insides were on fire. I was raging inside. Taylor is the lowest possible life form I can think of. "It was an amazing experience to save someone's life. I looked into her eyes and she knew at that moment I was all she had in the world. Her life depended on me. " Taylor said.

My chest was getting heavy now. I have never been able to cope that's why I avoid Taylor. "Hi Taylor," one of the neighborhood friends said in their passing by our table.

Taylor flashed that million dollar smile and waved. I was the only one who could see right through it. "So I was going to play a song tonight," Isaac said.

He stared at us like he was awaiting out approval. "That's great Isaac. Go for it," I said offering my brother whatever support I could.

"Hi Taylor," a girl from my school named Michele said.

"Hi Michele," Taylor said flashing that smile again.

It really sickened me to know that people really flocked to him and loved him. He isn't who they think he is. "Welcome to open mic night. My name is Jeff. I'll be your host for the evening," a man said as he took the stage. "Our first performer tonight, is a girl from Tulsa. She is 20 years old she moved away at the age of thirteen after a terrible ordeal, but she is back and she has a poem for us tonight called Insanity, Please welcome Joy Bryant," he said.

I could feel my heart rate increase and my chest tighten. She walked onto the stage and my heart stopped. She wasn't the same Joy I knew. She died her beautiful honey- colored hair a dark black and she wore all black as well. I could see that her eye brow, nose and lip were pierced I couldn't even imagine what else was pierced. She had black fingernails and a skull necklace. She walked up to the mic and I could feel small pieces of my heart begin to crack.

I was in my own world and I didn't even realize that Isaac was talking to me. "What is it?" I asked as more tears fell from my eyes.

"Isn't that your friend from when you were a kid?" Isaac asked.

"Yeah that's little Joy Bryant," I said as I wiped tears from my eyes.

"She looks terrible. I know what happened to her was terrible, but that was seven years ago. You'd think that she'd moved on from this by now," Taylor said.

I was seething. I wanted to claw his eyes out. How dare he say something like that after everything that she and I went through? I took a deep breath to keep from exploding. "I'm going to mingle," Isaac said as he left me and the pig alone.

I looked around again and tried to find Joy. Her memory always made me feel warm inside and serene. I scanned the room, but she appeared to be gone.

She stared at me for a moment. "Hi," she said.

This isn't going well. "Can I buy you something to drink?" I asked her.

"No, thanks," she said.

"Well what's your name? I'm Isaac," I said.

"Ashlee," she said.

I didn't know how to read her signals. "So would you like to go out sometime?" I asked even though my insides were shaking.

I wasn't good at picking up girls, not like Taylor was. "No, I'm actually going to go back and sit with my friends now," she said as she walked away leaving me lonely and disappointed.

"Taylor you're disgusting. You're a pig," Zac said to me.

"You know what Zac we both know that all I did was help you. I did something good for you and you've hated me for it and I really don't appreciate it," I said.

I was sick to death of Zac acting like such a baby. He treats me like a criminal and that isn't possible because people love me. Isaac joined us at the table and gave me a chance to make a graceful exit. "I got rejected," Isaac said.

"Listen don't give up or get discouraged. She is just probably weird about it because she doesn't know you," Zac said trying to offer him some comfort.

"I'm going to get a soda," I said as I headed over to the counter where Isaac's dark-haired beauty was.

I could see that he was watching someone or something intently and I turned to see what was it was, but I immediately regretted it. I could see Taylor handing Ashlee a soda and the two of them were laughing. She looked at Taylor with such interest in her eyes. Then, he leaned in very close to her and whispered something in her ear and she smiled. My heart sank. I could never compete with Taylor. I gave up right then. "He is un-fucking believable," Zac said.

"Oh no it's not his fault, people just love him," I said.

"Not his fault. He went directly over to the girl you just tried to pick up and blatantly flirted with her and charmed her just to know that he could. He doesn't want her. He just wants to know that he could have her if he did want her," Zac said.

"Zac I think you're taking it out of context. Taylor would never do something like that," I said.

"I need to go," Zac said.

"You'll miss my song," I yelled after him.

"I'm sorry but I just need to get out of here," Zac said.

She turned around and stared into my eyes. But it wasn't just any stare. It made me hold my breath in. It was so intense I was afraid to look away. In her eyes I could see pain, depression, anger, loneliness, and although very little, there was love. That made me a little relieved to know that there was still hope for her and I. That little boy and little girl we were came into site again. We might have a chance at rebuilding our former selves. Joy began to run away. "Please wait," I called as I chased her a few yards.

She never looked back and finally I gave up on her. I went back into the lounge and I saw Isaac on the stage and everyone was booing him. "Just pick up the phone and call me," he sang out loud.

"You suck," someone yelled as a cup of soda went sailing towards Isaac and smacked him right in the chest.

"So if you wake up today, forgetting what you have, and find that you feel lost, I'll be your ticket back," he sang.

Don't get me wrong he's talented, but this is such lame song. I made my way back to my seat so that Isaac could see me. Just then a water bottle went sailing past me. "Get off the stage faggot," a guy in the back yelled out.

The bottle smashed right into Isaac's head. "Oww," he cried in the middle of his song.

Isaac gave up. I never felt worse for him. He looked at me for a moment and just walked out the back door. I know he needed this time to be alone.