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All Grown Up
Live Your Life
Chapter 17
Live Your Life
A month later
Everyone, except Matt, were in the studio when Sam came crashing in. “Guys look what I got,” she said holding up a package, they all looked at her a little annoyed a little excited.
“What’s that?” Jimmy asked taking a drink out of his beer.
“It just came to the house,” Sam said flopping down Buddha style on the floor, with the box on her legs.
“That still doesn’t answer what it is,” Johnny said.
“Is Matt around?” Sam asked making sure.
“No,” Brian answered as he came into the main room, he placed his guitar on the rack and went to give Sam a kiss.
“Good, it’s from Jo,” that caught everyone’s attention. She tore it open and saw 6 letter on the top with everyone’s name then another one with an everyone label. Sam handed them each their letters then opened the one with everyone. Sam started to read.
Hey!
Tell everyone to stop reading their letters right now, they have time to do it later.
It‘s been a while since I wrote a letter but I thought this was the best way to do it. I miss you guys, Windsor sucks or is the fact that I have midterms coming up, how about one of you comes here and shoots me? Do we have a deal? No, I didn‘t think so it was a long shot.
Anyway in this box there is one of the most important things that you guys will ever get from me, no it‘s not my heart, or my ear, I‘m not that crazy yet. It‘s the script to the movie, I know you guys will get to read it later on but I wanted you to read it first, before anyone else has a chance to change things.
Another offer is the acting one, you guys each play a part and I want you to think about taking that part.
Johnny you would make an amazing Christian, and you love the character.
Brian, you‘re perfect for the Gates role, think about it who can be evil without being evil?
Zacky, you‘re my fricking hero thanks for keeping this a secret but since I already have you on board everyone else doesn’t matter either.
Stop planning his death.
Jimmy, your role is the hardest and I‘m not sure if you‘re even thinking about it, if you say no I understand, but I really think this might be fun and something different for you guys.
SAMMYY I hate the fact that I love you, I‘m not offering you an acting job because you wouldn‘t want to do it. Besides I won‘t want people to know it‘s me, I‘m not ready for that yet.
Now I have something else in the box, it‘s a manuscript, it‘s the only copy I have. I want each and everyone of you to read it. It‘s a book I have been thinking about every since I drove away from you guys a month ago. It took me a while to write it but there it is.
I miss you guys lots, hope you‘re all good.
XOXO
Jo
Sam was almost in tears, “Dude, why are you crying this is good news?” Johnny asked.
“Maybe, she’s crying cause she didn’t get offered a part?” Jimmy said, flipping the letter in his hand.
“No that’s not it,” Sam said as she took a napkin from Brian.
“What is it babes?” He asked sitting next to her.
“This is…just….” She took a deep breath before she continued, “This is the Jo I knew before the book, this is the Jo that I haven’t seen or heard from in so long.”
“What do you mean?” Zacky asked.
Sam took a deep breath and controlled her breathing, “The book ruined her, well it didn’t ruin her, it killed her. Along with Liddy died a part of her, a part that is coming back. Jo doesn’t feel, not after she lost so many people in her life. Liddy was her in some ways, they did the same things only Liddy went back to her life, but Jo didn’t. Jo went back a shell, part of her was stuck in that world. She smiled she laughed but it was so automatic it hurt me to see it. When she started things with Matt I was glad she was ready to move on. But when he hurt her, I was so afraid she would go back,” Sam said.
“That’s why that night you freaked out,” Jimmy said, Sam nodded.
“Yes, when she wouldn’t wake up I thought it was that night all over again. I found her in the room with the bottle of pills next to her. As she says the book is fiction, but not all of it. I took her to the hospital and I was the one calling her name over and over again. Which is why she couldn’t’ ask me to act. It’s not because she doesn’t want people to know who she is, it’s because she doesn’t want me to go through that again loosing her even if it’s just a movie.” Sam turned into Brian’s arms.
“We should go see her,” Johnny said, everyone turned and looked at him. “What? We’re all missing her, we should go and tell her in person if we want to be in the movie or not.”
“What about Matt, he still doesn’t know,” Zacky said, they all hated keeping a secret from Matt, but they owed Jo and they had to keep their promise.
“Damn it,” Johnny said.
“It’s alright,” Jimmy said, “I think I’m going to go home, I’m tired as fuck.”
They all agreed to go, leaving the script with Sam and the manuscript they gave to Jimmy and they would switch with each other as soon as possible. Zacky was the only one left behind with his letter. He opened it slowly.
Hey Zacky,
It seems weird that I’m writing you a letter instead of calling or texting, I was hoping to brighten your day, did it work? I’m almost done fixing the house you should come see it before I sell it, honestly I had so many things to say to you but I just lost all of them.
I miss you, you know that right? But, I don’t want you to miss out on life. I’m broken you can’t hang on to me, I think the world of you, but you need to go out and date.
Sam’s told me you haven’t been seeing anyone in so long. Dude it’s been a month since I’ve seen you. I’m fine stop worrying about me. So say hi to the girl you like next time you see her, and stop thinking that you’re cheating on me. I’ll still love you in the morning.
I love you like a fat kid loves cake,
XOXO
Jo
Zacky smiled as he folded the letter back up, he cared about her. In a different way then she did about him, but he still thought about her at odd moments, maybe she was right maybe he did need to move on. He picked up his phone and dialed Dana’s number. She picked up on the first ring.
“Hey, want to go out to dinner?” He said.
Live Your Life
A month later
Everyone, except Matt, were in the studio when Sam came crashing in. “Guys look what I got,” she said holding up a package, they all looked at her a little annoyed a little excited.
“What’s that?” Jimmy asked taking a drink out of his beer.
“It just came to the house,” Sam said flopping down Buddha style on the floor, with the box on her legs.
“That still doesn’t answer what it is,” Johnny said.
“Is Matt around?” Sam asked making sure.
“No,” Brian answered as he came into the main room, he placed his guitar on the rack and went to give Sam a kiss.
“Good, it’s from Jo,” that caught everyone’s attention. She tore it open and saw 6 letter on the top with everyone’s name then another one with an everyone label. Sam handed them each their letters then opened the one with everyone. Sam started to read.
Hey!
Tell everyone to stop reading their letters right now, they have time to do it later.
It‘s been a while since I wrote a letter but I thought this was the best way to do it. I miss you guys, Windsor sucks or is the fact that I have midterms coming up, how about one of you comes here and shoots me? Do we have a deal? No, I didn‘t think so it was a long shot.
Anyway in this box there is one of the most important things that you guys will ever get from me, no it‘s not my heart, or my ear, I‘m not that crazy yet. It‘s the script to the movie, I know you guys will get to read it later on but I wanted you to read it first, before anyone else has a chance to change things.
Another offer is the acting one, you guys each play a part and I want you to think about taking that part.
Johnny you would make an amazing Christian, and you love the character.
Brian, you‘re perfect for the Gates role, think about it who can be evil without being evil?
Zacky, you‘re my fricking hero thanks for keeping this a secret but since I already have you on board everyone else doesn’t matter either.
Stop planning his death.
Jimmy, your role is the hardest and I‘m not sure if you‘re even thinking about it, if you say no I understand, but I really think this might be fun and something different for you guys.
SAMMYY I hate the fact that I love you, I‘m not offering you an acting job because you wouldn‘t want to do it. Besides I won‘t want people to know it‘s me, I‘m not ready for that yet.
Now I have something else in the box, it‘s a manuscript, it‘s the only copy I have. I want each and everyone of you to read it. It‘s a book I have been thinking about every since I drove away from you guys a month ago. It took me a while to write it but there it is.
I miss you guys lots, hope you‘re all good.
XOXO
Jo
Sam was almost in tears, “Dude, why are you crying this is good news?” Johnny asked.
“Maybe, she’s crying cause she didn’t get offered a part?” Jimmy said, flipping the letter in his hand.
“No that’s not it,” Sam said as she took a napkin from Brian.
“What is it babes?” He asked sitting next to her.
“This is…just….” She took a deep breath before she continued, “This is the Jo I knew before the book, this is the Jo that I haven’t seen or heard from in so long.”
“What do you mean?” Zacky asked.
Sam took a deep breath and controlled her breathing, “The book ruined her, well it didn’t ruin her, it killed her. Along with Liddy died a part of her, a part that is coming back. Jo doesn’t feel, not after she lost so many people in her life. Liddy was her in some ways, they did the same things only Liddy went back to her life, but Jo didn’t. Jo went back a shell, part of her was stuck in that world. She smiled she laughed but it was so automatic it hurt me to see it. When she started things with Matt I was glad she was ready to move on. But when he hurt her, I was so afraid she would go back,” Sam said.
“That’s why that night you freaked out,” Jimmy said, Sam nodded.
“Yes, when she wouldn’t wake up I thought it was that night all over again. I found her in the room with the bottle of pills next to her. As she says the book is fiction, but not all of it. I took her to the hospital and I was the one calling her name over and over again. Which is why she couldn’t’ ask me to act. It’s not because she doesn’t want people to know who she is, it’s because she doesn’t want me to go through that again loosing her even if it’s just a movie.” Sam turned into Brian’s arms.
“We should go see her,” Johnny said, everyone turned and looked at him. “What? We’re all missing her, we should go and tell her in person if we want to be in the movie or not.”
“What about Matt, he still doesn’t know,” Zacky said, they all hated keeping a secret from Matt, but they owed Jo and they had to keep their promise.
“Damn it,” Johnny said.
“It’s alright,” Jimmy said, “I think I’m going to go home, I’m tired as fuck.”
They all agreed to go, leaving the script with Sam and the manuscript they gave to Jimmy and they would switch with each other as soon as possible. Zacky was the only one left behind with his letter. He opened it slowly.
Hey Zacky,
It seems weird that I’m writing you a letter instead of calling or texting, I was hoping to brighten your day, did it work? I’m almost done fixing the house you should come see it before I sell it, honestly I had so many things to say to you but I just lost all of them.
I miss you, you know that right? But, I don’t want you to miss out on life. I’m broken you can’t hang on to me, I think the world of you, but you need to go out and date.
Sam’s told me you haven’t been seeing anyone in so long. Dude it’s been a month since I’ve seen you. I’m fine stop worrying about me. So say hi to the girl you like next time you see her, and stop thinking that you’re cheating on me. I’ll still love you in the morning.
I love you like a fat kid loves cake,
XOXO
Jo
Zacky smiled as he folded the letter back up, he cared about her. In a different way then she did about him, but he still thought about her at odd moments, maybe she was right maybe he did need to move on. He picked up his phone and dialed Dana’s number. She picked up on the first ring.
“Hey, want to go out to dinner?” He said.
♠ ♠ ♠
Another update.