"Baby why'd you leave me? Why'd you have to go?... This can't be happening to me, This is just a dream." -- Carrie Underwood 'Just A Dream'
3
Teddy had crashed the night before. As soon as his feet crossed into his bedroom, he hastily pulled off his shoes and pants and then fell - no flopped - onto his bed. He was out of it before he even hit the mattress.
But today, he felt better. Refreshed. Happier. He ate a quick bowl of stale cereal - it had been sitting there for a while - before showering and then eventually heading out the door. He pushed the button to unlock the doors on his new car. It was an SUV - a Ford - in the color they called cinnamon, but he called dark red. He had decided he didn't really care for the Civic he had bought, and he liked the feel of an SUV. It was kind of powerful.
It was really the first time he had drove it. Not even two days after buying it, he got the call from his people, and he was off. He had told Marshall and the guys they could take it for a spin or two... or ten, if they wanted, but it was so clean that he doubted they had even looked at the vehicle.
He started it up with no problem. Maybe they had drove it. He made a mental note to ask them later as he pulled out of the carport and made his way to Marshall's.
"Hey man!" Marshall said excitedly as he gave Ted a "man hug" before pulling him inside the house and escorting him down to the basement where the rest of the guys apparently were.
Marshall hoped Teddy didn't ask about Tess. He wasn't exactly prepared for this day, and he had hoped that by the time Teddy came back, Tessa would have caved and told him herself. But he doubted that had happened so soon.
"Hey, just wondering, did you guys drive my car?" Teddy asked as they descended the steps.
"You said it was ok, right?"
"Yeah, no, I was just wondering. Its totally fine. It was just so clean," Teddy laughed.
"Oh, yeah. Coop got bored the other day, so he was over there keeping his mind off things." By things, Marshall meant the slight pull the drugs still had over their friend. Sure, it had been a long time, and he had recovered for the most part, but addicts always have that need, they just learn how to deal with it better over time.
"Oh ok. I'll have to thank him for that," Teddy chuckled.
"So how come you're home so early?"
"Oh, well," Teddy started as he found himself a seat on a bar stool. "I had two shows left, and the first place had burned to the ground, like, a year ago and someone just didn't realize it. And then the second place is closed for renovations."
"Well," Ty chuckled as he tossed a tennis ball up and down as he laid in the floor. "That sucks."
"Yeah, but I was ready to get some time off. I was so exhausted. I swear, I crashed last night as soon as I got home. And that was at, like, noon."
Everyone chuckled nervously, because they were all thinking the same thing: Had he seen Tessa and Jason leaving with Hailey and Brady?
"So how are things here? I heard about you guys' record deal," he congratulated the guys as they all nodded.
"Yeah, but we're going to have to get a new drummer I think," Marshall said sadly. "But nothing is set in stone. Coop's still making up his mind about whether he wants to go to Paris with Lauren or tour with us. Lauren's already said she wants him to tour."
"She says that she would hate for me to waist the experience on her." Cooper added as he readjusted his body so that his head was hanging backwards over the seat of the couch and his legs were up in the air, resting against the back of the couch and the wall. "She says that I should give it a shot, and if I get to the point where I can't take it anymore, I can join her in Europe."
Everyone nodded as Teddy looked around, realizing for the first time that Brady was absent. "Where's Brady?"
"Oh, he uh... He's not here." Ty stumbled over his words. "He's busy at home with Hailey."
"He's helping Tessa and Jason move," Cooper blurted out, which caused death glares from Marshall and Ty.
"Move?" Teddy asked curiously.
"She moved, and wouldn't tell anyone where except for Brady and Hailey," Marshall lied. Of course, everyone knew where she was going, but they were under strict orders not to give her location away.
"You guys know, don't you?" Teddy asked, knowing the answer before he even asked it. They all stared at their feet in shame, wishing they could tell him, because they knew deep down that it just wasn't right. He should know. Even Cooper knew the relationship between Tess and Ted, and he had been doped up half the time he had even known Teddy. "Well, I'm just going to go next door for a minute, if you don't mind."
He felt bitter. He wanted to punch someone... Or something. Why wouldn't she tell him? He had just spoke with her a few days ago. He had talked about her on the radio and sang a song about her because he knew she would be listening.
He knocked on the door, and her mom let him in. She went to the kitchen, and then returned not two seconds later with an envelope. "She left this for you. I'm sorry she's like this Teddy."
He noticed her dad, who he had had a nice conversation with at her graduation party, sitting on the couch. "Hey Ted, its nice to see you again."
"You too, sir," he wasn't exactly sure what to call the father of the person he felt so strongly for.
"Luke," he corrected him and Teddy nodded silently.
"I'm sorry, I'm just going to go." He said quietly and he was sure they understood, so he hauled butt out of there.
He tossed the envelope into the passenger seat angrily and nearly spun out as he left the street and headed back to his own home. This day had been going so well. But now he wasn't sure if it was real. Surely he was still asleep and he had dreamed up that stale bowl of cereal and the conversation with the guys and the envelope that was now burning a hole in his passenger seat.
He let out a ragged breath that hurt like hell. No... This was not a dream.
