That's Where You Take Me

Val woke up a few days after spending the night with Matt to pounding on her door. She sighed and moved from the bed clad in her pajamas and went to answer it. He hadn’t called her and she had a feeling that he wouldn’t just by the simple fact that he had slipped out before she had woken up. When Val opened the door she found herself staring at her twin sister.

“Michelle, what are you doing here?”

“How the hell could you Valary? Thanks to you no one knows where Rowan is. No one has heard from her in almost a week! All because you can’t get over Matt. You need to fucking grow up and stop ruining peoples lives!” And that was all it took for Michelle to loose what little control she had left and shove her sister back against the wall.

“What the hell Michelle!” And Val hit her sister back slapping her across the face. Michelle didn’t take too kindly to that and slammed her fist into Val’s jaw. Val glared at her sister and went to swing again only for Michelle to slam her other fist into her face as well. After that Val couldn’t even get a hit in as Michelle beat the holy hell out of her sister. By the time she left she knew her sister would have a black eye as well as a few more bruises on her face and possibly one on her side where she had kicked her.

Frankee was sitting on a plane to New York, Brian Sr. and Lacey with her. She sighed as the three of them waited for the plane to land. Once it did they all walked off stretching their duffel bags over their shoulders and it was Brian Sr. that spotted Rowan first who was waiting for them.

“PAPA GATES!” Rowan cried and hugged him when he got to her. She clung to him and then when they pulled back Frankee and Lacey got her in a three way hug. Rowan pulled back crying and the four of them made their way from the airport to Rowan’s SUV.

“Where are you staying Ro?” Papa Gates asked.

“At a hotel for now…” Rowan said as she pulled out into traffic.

“What do you mean for now? You’re not planning on staying are you?” Lacey demanded.

“I don’t know yet Lace.”

“You can’t stay, you have to come back, it’s not the same without you!” Frankee exclaimed. Rowan rolled her eyes as she drove. When she came to a stop she glanced back at her friend.

“I don’t think I can go back Frankee.”

“But… what about your brother?” Lacey asked.

“He can come visit me.” Papa Gates rolled his eyes and looked at her.

“We’re here for a few days lets just relax and let Rowan tell us whats going on. And see what she wants to do.”

“Thanks Papa Gates.” Rowan said smiling as they finally turned into a parking lot. She got out and the others followed suit grabbing their bags. They followed Rowan up to her room and dumped their things and looked at her.

“So what’re we gonna do the rest of the day?” Lacey asked.

“I was kind of hoping you’d all help me look for an apartment. I’m not going back to California and I mean it.” Rowan said in a finalizing voice. The others sighed.

“If that’s what you want Ro.” Frankee said sighing. “But I’m totally against it.” Rowan laughed and hugged her friend. She sighed as she placed a hand to her stomach.

“If it helps, he’s miserable too.” Lacey commented. Rowan glared at her.

“He should be miserable…and I don’t want to hear about him again.”

“Sorry.” Lacey muttered. She grabbed clothes and walked to the bathroom to shower and change before Frankee could and all Brian Sr. could do was shake his head.

“So Papa Gates, you going with us?”

“Yes Ro, I’ll go but I don’t like this any more than the girls do. But it’s what you want. I’m on your side. He’s a dumbass throwing you away like that.”

“Aww thanks” But the tears were starting to fall as he pulled her into a hug.

“Shh, it’ll be alright. You’ve still got your friends.” Frankke just watched and they all jumped when a cell phone went off. They all looked around and Rowan grabbed Frankee’s phone. She had a text from Matt. Rowan glared at it and read it over a few times.

Is she okay? When’s she coming back?

Matt was sitting out back on the patio a half a bottle of Jack beside him and his phone in his hand waiting for her to text him back. He sighed as he took a drink from the bottle and his phone went off. He picked it up and looked at it opening the text from Frankee.

She’s fine, she’s still pissed off at you and wants you to know that you can go to hell and stay there. She’s not coming back to California. EVER!

Matt stared at the phone in his hands and grabbed the bottle beside him and started to tip it to his mouth when it was ripped from his hands and thrown against the side of his house. He looked up and found himself looking up at Median and Brian.

“What the fuck was that for?” Matt demanded “I was drinking that.”

“We noticed. Get up go inside and take a fucking shower and go to New York. Your not gonna fix shit this way.”

“She hates me.”

“From what Dad tells me she’s just as miserable.” Brian said staring at Matt.

“Yeah not from the text I got from Frankee. She says I can burn in hell.”

“How do you know it was Frankee that sent that. She’s still mad at you. She could’ve sent it back from Frankee’s phone just as easily. Dad said she looked ready to cry when you were mentioned. Sober the fuck up Matt. Rowan needs you just as much as you need her.”

“Did you really have to ruin a perfectly good bottle of booze?” Matt asked as he stood glaring at Median.

“Yes and I don’t feel bad about it this time either.”