Concrete Castle

-Baylee-

The door opened, and Devon and John stood in the doorway. “Dev!” I shouted, jumping up from the couch. I was glad to see her.

Kennedy called me a couple days ago, telling my that John and Devon had kissed, and John had won half the bet. They didn't seem to be a couple. Especially when Devon went off into her room, closing the door firmly behind her.

“What's with her? She didn't even say hello.” I pouted, sitting back down next to Kennedy.

“I told her I knew what had happened with her father.” John sighed, collapsing on the couch, hand rubbing his eyes. “

“Are you for real? I told you she'd be furious!” I exclaimed, punching his arm softly.

“Yeah.” John scoffed, looking tired.

“Do you want me to drive you back to your place, man. You look exhausted.” Kennedy offered.

“But, my car...” John yawned.

“I'll drive it and have Baylee follow me in my car.” Kennedy explained, even though John didn't usually like people driving his car, he complied easily since he was so tired. “I have to talk to you anyway when we get back to your apartment.”

We met in his dorm, Halvo was there playing some kind of video game. When John stumbled in, he paused his game and attacked John the a bro-hug. “Dude, I thought you died!”

“You have so much faith in me.” John gave him a tired smile.

“You could have called!”

“Now you just sound like my girlfriend.”

“I've had my suspicions about you two.” Kennedy teased making himself comfortable on the couch, resuming Eric's game.

“Man!” Halvo complained, huffing and sitting next to Kenny.

“So, did you really make out with Devon?” Kennedy started bluntly.

“WHAT?” Eric shouted, “Why am I left out of the loop?” He asked while looking around at us frantically.

“Yeah. But then we got into a fight in the car.”

“I won't believe it until I see it.” Halvo piped up and said. “So, you haven't won the bet, yet, Johno.”

“Yeah, I honestly can't believe that. I'm sorry, John. But no one is that good.” I agreed with Halvo.

“I'm telling you...she was...different.” John defended, running his hands through his hair. “She...was actually smiling and happy and...” He tilted his head back to look at the ceiling, muttering curses. “She was even vulnerable.”

“Devon?” Kennedy asked incredulously. I peered at John, cocking my head to the side. There was something different about him. “How about this, John. Get her to kiss you around one of us, or take one of those stupid pictures and we'll believe you.”

“Hey!” I protested, “I like taking those 'stupid pictures', thank you very much!”

“Doesn't make them any less annoying, sorry, babe.” Kennedy apologized, giving Baylee a puppy dog look. “When we're kissing, I want you to only focus on me, not photos.”

“Okay, seriously, if you're going to start talking about your sex life, you can leave.” Halvo said, probably only using it as an excuse to get his game back.

“Come on, Ken. We have plans to make.” I wagged my eyebrows mysteriously. Kennedy just smiled and followed me.

Walking back to his car, I spoke up, “So...what do you think?”

“About what?”

“John...doesn't he seem a little...different to you?”

Kennedy thought for a moment before shaking his head, “No, same old John.”

“You just don't drive someone to California on a whim.” I argued.

“He's really determined on winning this bet. I don't know why since it's only a lousy fifty bucks.” Kennedy reasoned. “I guess when his pride is at stake, he'll fight.”

“Makes me wonder how Devon is doing...” I wondered out loud.

“She probably still thinks he's a player. God, how many girls were in that hot tub with him at his senior graduation party?”

“I don't know. I couldn't even count.” I laughed, remembering all the shenanigans that Devon missed out on. She wasn't really the partying type. And because of that, she missed out on a lot of fun stuff.

“Anyway, do you want to go get some ice cream?”

“Yeah.” I nodded.

-Devon-

Opening up my laptop, I checked my emails. Nothing much but a missed assignment from Friday, the only day we had classes the last few days due to the rain. It was Sunday, getting to be Monday.

I still didn't want to go to sleep. I knew I should try, at least get a few minutes. I was feeling the same as before the trip to California, as if it had never happened. I hate Arizona. Hate, hate, hate it.

Frustrated, I slammed my head on my arms which were folding across my desk. “What am I supposed to do now?” I asked myself aloud. I told myself I was going to see my father, but it would take time before I'm ready. But, I had no idea how to prepare.

….

I jerked up straight, a cold sweat covering my face, chest, and lower back. I looked around helplessly for a clock. It was five in the morning. I fell asleep and, of course, had terrible dreams.

I want to go back to California. With John.

I heard rain heavily pound down on the ceiling to the apartment, another monsoon. Hopefully classes would be canceled again. I went outside, still in my bed clothes, and laid in the grass. The blissfully wet and icy rain drops washed away the sweat.

As I closed my eyes, tears started down my face. I needed to get over myself, my mom's death, my father's insanity, all of it. I was tired of all the pain, the isolation. My hurricane of emotions was too much, it was destroying too much of me.

I wanted to be with John, I didn't want to be with John. I wanted to talk to my father and sort everything out, but I was afraid. The contradictions inside me kept piling up as the sky got brighter. But, due to the rain and heavy clouds, it didn't get much brighter.

I heard monstrous thunder and a second later lighting flashed followed my more thunder. The storm was right on top of me, both in the literal and figurative sense.

I don't know how long I was lying by the pool area in the rain, hoping to drown, when suddenly the rain stopped hitting my face. But, it was only my face that was no longer getting wet. I opened my eyes slowly.

“John?” The man I did, and didn't, want to see at the moment. “What are you doing here?”

“You missed class today.” John's face was directly above mine, “You're getting to be worse than me, Daisy.” He smiled. So, we did have classes. And I missed all of them, stuck in a trance of mixed emotions.

“Oh.” Was all I could say.

“And, you're soaked. You're going to get sick if you stay out here any longer.”

“I've already been out here all day.” I answered, still in a monotone voice.

“Are you okay, Daisy?” He asked, concerned. All I thought when I looked at him was his voice saying to me I love you. I couldn't look at him.

“I'm fine.” I lied outright.

“No, you're not. Nobody just lays out in the rain for twelve hours.”

“I slept without nightmares out here.”

“Look at me, Devon.” John whispered, placing his hand on the side of my face. “Are we pretending what happened in California didn't happen?” He asked. I didn't answer, and I looked anywhere but at him. “That means yes, doesn't it?”

“There are a lot of things I need to get straight before I can get involved any further with you.” I stated in a professional voice.

“So, that's all I get?” John asked, “If I had known it would go back to this, Devon, I wouldn't have taken you back here. I would have kept you there, we would have started over in California. No insane fathers, no school, no old life. We would have started all over.”

“Don't lie to me, John.” I lowered my voice to a whisper, turning my face out of his hands.

“I'm not. You have no idea what I'm willing to give up for you, Devon.”

“As I am now, John, you don't deserve me. I need to fix myself before I give myself to you.” I admitted, “You have no idea what I'm willing to give up for you, either.” I told him.

“I think you're just fine now, I don't want you any other way than you are now.”

“That's a lie. You want what I was in California, you just said so.” I finally sat up in the grass, shivering as I began to realize the cold, “Please, let me give that to you. I just need time.”

“How much?” John asked quietly.

“I don't know.” I sighed, turning my head to the rain once more. “You don't even have to wait for me, John. Because, I'm telling you, this won't be easy.”

“I'll wait forever if I have to.” John vowed.

And, as crazy as his promise was, I believed him.