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I knew I had fell asleep when my parents came in, telling me that they were going to get pizza with my two youngest siblings, while my other two went to the households of their significant others. They offered for me to go, but I declined; An evening listening to two little kids argue over what pizza they should actually get just wasn't too fun.
I sighed to myself as I noticed that the sky had know grown dark with big grey clouds that sent out a warning of snow storms all over our town. The snow from the previous nights had melted by morning since it was mostly only flurries.
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Once the sun had completely set and the sky was now a black abyss, I donned a thick, black hoodie and toboggan, grabbed a flashlight and my camera and exited my house. I walked to the spot Ted had shown me in the middle of that vacant lot and sat down with my back against a tall tree.
I hummed to myself as I gazed up at the big black sky, hoping that maybe the moon would give me something to look at. It started to snow lightly just as I was about to give up and head back inside.
I heard him clear his throat from where he was cautiously standing a few feet away. I looked to see that he was standing there in his new Converse sneakers, with a blanket in hand.
I turned back to where I was watching the snow.
"So I thought.. maybe you'd be just a little cold out here." He said carefully. "And so.. I brought you this. Um.. " He began walking slowly towards me and sat down, wrapping the blanket around both of us.
I sighed quietly as the snow continued to fall slowly to the ground, where it stuck. My phone began to ring. "Hello?"
"Hey. It's Mom. I was just calling to tell you that we're staying at your grandparents' tonight. We decided to go visit them for a few minutes, and while we were there, the snow started coming down. Is it snowing there?" She asked curiously. My grandparents lived about forty-five minutes away, so it was possible for them all to get stuck there.
"Just a little."
"You're outside aren't you?" She asked, knowing me too well.
"Yeah." I smiled.
"Well don't stay out there too much longer. You'll get sick again."
"Ok. Bye Mom."
"Bye."
"Tu madre?" He laughed and I nodded.
"They're stuck at my grandparents' house."
"And why aren't you there?" He asked curiously.
"I wasn't in the mood for pizza."
"But they're at your grandparents'?" He scrunched up his eybrows in confusion.
"They were originally going for pizza and decided to stop by for a visit when they got done." I told him and laughed.
He laughed at himself before becoming very quiet. "So.. you found Jerome?" He asked curiously, to which I didn't reply. "Because that's cool I guess."
"How is Julianne?" I asked curiously.
"She's.. " He paused. "She's.. I really don't know. What about Jerome?"
"He's good I guess. I don't really talk to him except at school or if I see him out.. like I did the other night."
"Oh! So you're not? Oh ok. Wow I feel really stupid now." He laughed at himself.
I shook my head. "Nah. I'm not really looking for a guy. I gave up on that a
long time ago." I laughed. "Not that I'm you know.. yeah. I'm just not looking for anything.."
He nodded. "It's getting really cold out here." He stated. "Let's go to my house."
I didn't even answer, I just stood and followed like it was already programmed into me that I was to follow him.
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His parents were doing last minute shopping, while his two younger siblings had retreated to their bedrooms a few hours before.
"Come on up here." He said, leading me up the stairs to his room.
He took a seat on his bed, resting against the headboard with one knee bent up and the other lying out flat. The only light in the room came from a lamp on the computer desk.
"So I see you like the shoes?" I asked, feeling somewhat awkward.
He nodded as he sat them on the floor. "Yeah. They're super rad." He said goofily.
I rolled my eyes. "What about the card? I've been meaning to get those pictures to you.. The original copies are on my little bulletin board thingie.. on my wall."
He nodded. "Yeah. They're.. not what I expected, but in one of those refreshing ways, ya know? See, I hate to get all these typical Christmas gifts, and shoes is one of those, but it was different from you. My parents would've gotten me something like Birkenstocks or something. And the pictures.. they made me.. sorta sad, but in a good way. Like when you realize that you're all grown up and have to move out, but you're proud of how far you've come.." He rambled on and I laid down next to him on his bed. "Oh! I got you something."
"You did? Because you really didn't have to.. I mean, you know. I wasn't expecting you to. It's not that important."
He handed me a shiny gold bag, that I just sat and looked at for a minute before actually digging into it. I dug into all the tissue paper to find a necklace that was actually several necklaces all joined together. One of the strings had turquoise colored beads, and then the next had little, brown ones, followed by one with tiny light blue beads, and then finally a brown leather string that had a metal heart attached. The heart was made to look sort of worn out, but the necklace was very.. me. It wasn't too flashy; It was just right.
"Does it totally suck? Because I know you don't wear too much jewelry and everything, but I thought maybe you'd like this." He explained. "Oh, yeah. Flip it over."
I flipped it over to see that he had had it engraved to say 'Never Say Goodbye.'
I gave him a hug as I placed it back in the bad for safe keeping. "I really didn't expect this." I told him. "I mean.. it's.. great." I said as I looked at the clock to see that it had gotten late pretty quickly and Teddy's parents were pulling into the driveway.
"I should probably go." I said quietly. "I guess I'll see you.. sometime."
"June.. come on." He said. "Why can't you stay? I mean, my parents will be fine with you being here.. and I want to talk to you some more."
"I can't Ted.. I.. have to go." I told him as I made my way down the stairs to the front door of his house. I paused just outside the door after I had closed it and sighed as I felt tears starting to form. I was so afraid to show any emotion to him. I wanted to be with him, but he had Julianne. That's what made things so much more complicated. "Bye Ted." I whispered as I quickly ran down the short set of stairs and down the street to my house.
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Six days, and several gift cards, Christmas cards filled with money, and two sweaters later, I was more than likely the most depressed person on earth.
Ashlyn, Jason, and I had gone to The Basement for this annual New Year's Eve party they always had. It closed two hours before it was actually the new year, but it was still fun to go and hang out with your friends.
It was open mic - slash - karaoke night again. I sat in my blue hooded sweater I had gotten from my parents and played with the end of the sleeve nervously like I always had.
I noted Teddy walking in the door with Julianne in tow a few minutes after we had arrived.
"June, can you just forget about all the personal issues you have and let loose?" Jason asked me as I played with the necklace I had received a few days ago. I knew he didn't mean it in a bad way, he was just looking out for me.
"I'm going to sing." I told him quietly as I stood up to tell the sound guy.
I stepped up to the microphone and began talking. "Hey everybody. So you probably won't know this song, being that I'm not only a Hanson fan, I like classic country music also. So.. it's kind of sad.. but it's very beautiful. It was sung by the lovely Patsy Cline. So.. I hope you like.." I had told "Mark" the sound guy I didn't need music, so knowing I had, at one time, been a regular, he let me do what I wished.
I knew Teddy was expecting 'Crazy', but if he thought he knew me that well, he was wrong.
I tapped out the slow beat of the song with my foot as I hummed out the music in my head and then began to sing.
"I fall to pieces, Each time I see you again, I fall to pieces, How can I be just your friend?
You want me to act like we've never kissed, You want me to forget, pretend we've never met, And I've tried and I've tried but I haven't yet, You walk by, and I fall to pieces
I fall to pieces, Each time someone speaks your name, I fall to pieces, Time only adds to the flame
You tell me to find someone else to love, Someone who'll love me, too, the way you used to do, But each time I go out with someone new, You walk by and I fall to pieces
I fall to pieces, Each time someone speaks your name, I fall to pieces, Time only adds to the flame
You tell me to find someone else to love, Someone who'll love me too, the way you used to do, But each time I go out with someone new, You walk by and I fall to pieces."
Everyone clapped loudly, signaling that I had done a not so shabby job. "Thank you." I said shyly into the microphone before leaving the stage and returning to my table.
"I think that now, half the chicks in here are going to go home and download that song, thanks to you," Jason laughed. "You were really good. Best performance yet. Why
do you like country music anyway?"
I shrugged. "I'm not sure, exactly. I think that once when we were at my other set of grandparents' house.. you know the ones who live in Alabama, my grandpa gave me this old record of Patsy Cline.. and it was really the first music I ever actually listened to. Like took the time to listen to the words.." I shrugged again as he nodded and Ashlyn and Shawn joined us.
"You were really good, June." Shawn spoke. I think that it was possibly one of the first times I had ever heard him say anything.
I smiled. "Thanks."
"You were better than really good," Ash told me. "You were...
amazing."
"Thanks." I said as the sound guy announced that we all had to leave now.
Teddy and Julianne walked over to us. "Hey guys." Teddy greeted us and I waved. "Awesome job, June." He said in a sort of sad tone. "I've never heard that one from you."
"Yeah. It was really good."
"Jules" spoke in her annoying voice. "I like old country too."
"Oh really?" I asked. "So what's your favorite?"
"Patsy Cline."
"Oh? What song?" I asked curiously.
"Stand By Your Man."
"That's not Patsy Cline." I heard Ashlyn snort and start to laugh. "That's actually Tammy Wynette."
I looked to Teddy. "I'll see you later Ted," Jason, Shawn, Ashlyn, and I left to head to Ashlyn's house, where we were all going to watch the ball drop. Jason had invited one of his friends, Carrie, who was a Junior that was in one of his classes. She was really sweet and seemed to honestly like Jason a lot.
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So I was totally the odd person out. I hated being a fifth wheel. It totally sucked.
"So I'm just going to go into the kitchen and get me something with a high alcohol content.." I joked. Anything was better than sitting there watching them stare at each other with those googly eyes.
"June!" Ashlyn called and followed me into the kitchen. "I thought you were being serious." She said when she saw that I was only getting a glass of water.
"Come on, Ashlyn Jones.. you know me
way better than that." I laughed as we laughed and began walking back towards the den, where we had resided when we realized her parents were having their own little party with a few of their friends as well, when the doorbell rang.
"Wow, your parents know a lot of people." I commented as we passed the front door.
"Actually it's not for them. I invited someone else."
"Oh?" I asked and she nodded. I knew who it was going to be, the look on her face gave it all away. "Go answer the door." I sighed as she ran to the door to open it to let Teddy in.
"Hello Ted." I said as I walked down the stairs to the den.
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No Julianne equals good times for June Taylor.
"So.. that was.. quite a song." He told me. I wondered if he realized it was directed to him. "It was the best you've ever sang. Your voice was so powerful without all the music. It was great." He rambled out his compliments.
"Thanks." I felt myself blushing as I sat back on the couch and draped my feet over his legs like I always used to.
"I'm glad to know that you still think I'm your own personal ottoman." He laughed.
"Just think. If I'm ever famous, I'll pay you to sit there and be my personal ottoman," I laughed as he smiled and rested his hands on my ankles.
I silently wondered what would happen at midnight.
lol idk how i remember these things... im good at remembering things i dont need to know, but when i need to know them... haha thats why i fail so many tests..haha. but i cant wait for the next chapter. 
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![[.j.a.i.m.i.e.] Avatar](http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g82/jaimie37/marching.jpg)
