‹ Prequel: Burning Maps
Who Knew
Chapter 5
(Penny’s POV)
There was so much hope and then sadness in his eyes. And I was the cause of that. I wish I could tell him everything was going to be alright. But I knew nothing. Yet he knew everything. All the intimate details we shared together. All I knew was I was attracted to him. This was all overwhelming to me.
Joe opened his mouth as if he were to say something, but nothing came out, but a sigh. He ran his hand through his hair, “Penny... I...Uh-”
“can we just talk?”
“Talk?” Joe asked.
“Yeah..”
“About what?! Penny how my life is going? Or your’s.....Why am I here...I have no clue..What is this helping me with.....and You don’t even remember this was all just a bad idea...” Joe started to ramble on about how much pain this was causing and that he needed to leave and that he should have come in the first place...
“Then leave!” I yelled.
“What?” he asked shocked at my outburst.
“If this is such a pain to see me then go home Joe.” I sighed.
“Penny..”
“No You complain about how much I’ve done and why this isn’t helping. Well lets see all of this from my point of view shall we?” I paused, he said nothing, “I don’t remember anything! Atleast you do! I’ve been awake for 5 months and Kevin the only one I know about or knew visited me. I want my life back ! At least you have something to feel pain about....I don’t know you.... yet you know so much about me.” I started to cry, “So I’m terrible, sorry Joe that I caused you so much pain just to come see me. And that I’m a ghost to you. But if I cause all that then leave..stop complaining to me. It means nothing!” I stood up walking to my room and slamming the door.
10 minutes later there was a knock at the door.
“Penny can I come in?” Joe’s voice came from the other end. I got up and walked over to the door. Not opening it yet.
“I thought you were leaving”
“I didn’t say I was leaving..but if you want me to” His voice and foot steps faded away. I slowly opened the door to see if he was gone. But when I opened it he was right there with a smug smile on his face.
“I’m sorry Penny...”
I opened to door fully for him to come in. He sat on the edge of my bed.
“I’m sorry that I have to put you through so much....” I was standing in front of him.
“No! Penny... I’m just... I was being a baby about this...” Joe tried to laugh.
“I uh..well...um.” I was trying to think of something to say but nothing came to my mind. As I stood there thinking his phone went off.
“Excuse me” he walked out of my room.
I slowly followed to listen.
“Hey babe.....No I’m fine.....I couldn’t sleep....yeah I went for a jog....don’t worry ....no go back to sleep.....I’ll be home soon...yeah you to...bye” I heard his phone shut so I ran back over to the bed. Slowly he reappeared in the room.
“Look Penny..” Joe started to mumbled
“Joe I think you should leave...”I asked, looking at the ground.
“I just..want to..What?”
“I want you to leave” I lied.
“I don’t want to” Joe protested.
“But you know you should”I looked up at him.
“I can’t”He whispered.
“Why not?”
“I can’t loose you again” He yelled, as he began to cry. All I could think of at the time was to hold him, and that exactly what I did. I slowly walked over to him wrapping my arms around his waist. I felt him tense up when I first touched him, but only after a second his arms were wrapped around my small frame, as he cried into my shoulder.
There was so much hope and then sadness in his eyes. And I was the cause of that. I wish I could tell him everything was going to be alright. But I knew nothing. Yet he knew everything. All the intimate details we shared together. All I knew was I was attracted to him. This was all overwhelming to me.
Joe opened his mouth as if he were to say something, but nothing came out, but a sigh. He ran his hand through his hair, “Penny... I...Uh-”
“can we just talk?”
“Talk?” Joe asked.
“Yeah..”
“About what?! Penny how my life is going? Or your’s.....Why am I here...I have no clue..What is this helping me with.....and You don’t even remember this was all just a bad idea...” Joe started to ramble on about how much pain this was causing and that he needed to leave and that he should have come in the first place...
“Then leave!” I yelled.
“What?” he asked shocked at my outburst.
“If this is such a pain to see me then go home Joe.” I sighed.
“Penny..”
“No You complain about how much I’ve done and why this isn’t helping. Well lets see all of this from my point of view shall we?” I paused, he said nothing, “I don’t remember anything! Atleast you do! I’ve been awake for 5 months and Kevin the only one I know about or knew visited me. I want my life back ! At least you have something to feel pain about....I don’t know you.... yet you know so much about me.” I started to cry, “So I’m terrible, sorry Joe that I caused you so much pain just to come see me. And that I’m a ghost to you. But if I cause all that then leave..stop complaining to me. It means nothing!” I stood up walking to my room and slamming the door.
10 minutes later there was a knock at the door.
“Penny can I come in?” Joe’s voice came from the other end. I got up and walked over to the door. Not opening it yet.
“I thought you were leaving”
“I didn’t say I was leaving..but if you want me to” His voice and foot steps faded away. I slowly opened the door to see if he was gone. But when I opened it he was right there with a smug smile on his face.
“I’m sorry Penny...”
I opened to door fully for him to come in. He sat on the edge of my bed.
“I’m sorry that I have to put you through so much....” I was standing in front of him.
“No! Penny... I’m just... I was being a baby about this...” Joe tried to laugh.
“I uh..well...um.” I was trying to think of something to say but nothing came to my mind. As I stood there thinking his phone went off.
“Excuse me” he walked out of my room.
I slowly followed to listen.
“Hey babe.....No I’m fine.....I couldn’t sleep....yeah I went for a jog....don’t worry ....no go back to sleep.....I’ll be home soon...yeah you to...bye” I heard his phone shut so I ran back over to the bed. Slowly he reappeared in the room.
“Look Penny..” Joe started to mumbled
“Joe I think you should leave...”I asked, looking at the ground.
“I just..want to..What?”
“I want you to leave” I lied.
“I don’t want to” Joe protested.
“But you know you should”I looked up at him.
“I can’t”He whispered.
“Why not?”
“I can’t loose you again” He yelled, as he began to cry. All I could think of at the time was to hold him, and that exactly what I did. I slowly walked over to him wrapping my arms around his waist. I felt him tense up when I first touched him, but only after a second his arms were wrapped around my small frame, as he cried into my shoulder.