Meant to Be

I woke up in the morning to David kissing my forehead. He smiled as I opened my eyes. He sat me up and pointed to the table in front of us. There was breakfast every kind of food you could think of. Pancakes, waffles, cereal, eggs, toast, fruit cups, biscuits, sausage, ham. I was impressed.

“We cooked it ourselves for you and tabby.” David said. I looked over at tabby that seemed just as shocked as me. Pierre had his arm around her and she had her head resting on his shoulder. Chuck grabbed a cup and poured pineapple juice in it before handing it to me.

“David said it was your favorite.” Seb said. They handed tabby apple juice.

“What is all this for?” I finally was able to speak.

“For helping us with the band. If it wasn’t for you we would of quit a long time ago.” Jeff said as he put cake frosting with sprinkles on a pancake and handing me the plate it was on.

“We haven’t done anything.” I said refusing the plate.

“It’s your favorite.” David said, “I remembered. Cuz I used to like chocolate on mine but you only like vanilla. So your mom would put vanilla on mine too.”

“Thanks guys.”

“Are you going to cry or something?” Pierre asked. Tabby and I both shook our heads.

“Seriously we haven’t done that much for the band.”

“You told us we had a chance at the battle that is a lot.”

“I guess.”

“Just eat. Do you realize how much of a bad idea it is to have 5 teenage boys in the kitchen trying to make 2 girls’ favorite breakfast dishes? When the only ones who know what that food might be is Pierre and David. David couldn’t remember until we were almost done with every bit of food in the kitchen and Pierre guessed. Majorly guessed. He decided her favorite food was cereal when it really turned out to be…”

“ Waffles and toast.” Tabby said. “ But he’s cute for trying.”

“At least I’m cute.” Pierre said.

“Chuck is sweet though.” I said.

“Sweet is better then cute.” Tabby said.

“Depending on who you are.” Pierre grumbled. I kissed David on the cheek and we started to eat.

“What time does your mom get back?” Jeff asked.

“Why have you guys been caring about my mom so much?”

“What time?”

“10:30.”

“This morning.”

“Yeah in the morning.”

“Good it’s only 9:30 so we can meet her at your house and see if David can stay if not we have to find him a place.” Seb said.

“I see you only love me for my house.”

“It’s not like that we wouldn’t do the same for anyone.”

“ You’d let anyone crash at my house.”

“Anyone of us.” Chuck said. They practiced a little more before it became 10:15 and we headed to my house being sure to enter through the back door.

“Do you guys want something to drink, I think we might have soda in the fridge. I think we might have lemonade I know we have water.” I said trying to think of all their favorite drinks. They ran to the kitchen and got their drinks failing to bring Tabby and me one.

“Sorry.” David said as he handed over his pop. I laughed at him and went to get my own. When I came back into the living room they had made themselves at home. Feet on the table, TV on loud, candies were flying around.

“Guys what are you doing. Mom won’t let David stay if she comes home to you guys trashing her living room.”

“Sorry.” they said and started picking up the candy on the floor. Mom walked in as they finished.

“Mommy how was your trip?” I ran and gave her a hug.

“Fine. What are you all doing here? Why aren’t you at David’s?”

“These guys have something to ask you.”

“What should I be afraid?”

“David got his arm broken by ways that WILL not be named. And we finally got our big
shot as a band by getting a gig at the battle of the bands on Wednesday. We are afraid that if he goes home before then his mom will ground him and then he won’t be able to do the battle. So we were wondering if he could stay here for tonight?” Chuck asked.

“Tell me how he broke his arm.”

“Boarding I fell on a rail slide.” David said quickly. Too quickly my mom knows David too well to know that if he is saying something quickly he was lying.

“Ok yeah sure he can stay for tonight. Only tonight.”

“Thanks that’s great.”

“Here’s a question if you’re not going home how are you going to get clothes. There is no way I’m letting you wear the same clothes two days in a row.”

“I can get them when I go get my stuff.” I said.

“Fine and what are you going to tell her? She isn’t going to let you stay over here.”

“He’s staying at my house.” Jeff said. Mom looked at them. “We know we shouldn’t be asking this of you but we have to mom won’t actually let him stay over because they have their bosses coming over.”

“I already said he could stay. No need to go in to grave details. I know what I need to know.”

“ Then that’s all you need to know.”

“You’re the coolest mom ever how are you so cool?” Pierre said.

“You know maybe it’s because I’m younger then all your moms.”

“True you are. We got to go we have to practice.” Chuck said.

“Bye guys.” I said they started to go out the back.

“David wait!” mom said. David stopped and the rest waited outside. “How did you really break your arm?”

“Boarding I fell on a wall plant.”

“Rail slide.”

“Oops.”

“Now for the truth. What kind of trouble are you in. why can’t you really go home.”

“Mom it’s my fault. I broke up with Will then me and David started dating. Will saw us
kissing so he and David got into fight and broke his arm.” I said coming into the kitchen.

“You guys are dating?” we nodded our heads. “And Will broke your arm?”

“Yeah are you mad?” David asked.

“No not at all, umm how is your mom handling it?”

“What do you mean?”

“How is your mom dealing with you two dating?”

“She called me a slut.” I said.

“Why?”

“We were sleeping in the same bed with all our clothes on?”

“If your clothes are on why are you a slut?”

“I don’t know.”

“Can I go?” David asked.

“Go.” Mom said. David ran out to meet up with the guys. “Why’d you break up with Will?”

“Didn’t you want me to?”

“That is not the point. Why did you? Before I left you were worried about not being able
to go out with him then you broke up with him. Explain.”

“He took me to a party. And slipped me roofies. And tried to rape me.”

“And David is thrown in how?”

“He and Pierre stopped Will. That was the first night I slept in David’s bed. I was passed out so I have no idea how they got me into the house with out his mom finding out.”

“You were passed out.”

“And wearing David’s shirt. He walked 15 blocks shirtless. I wore it all night. He kissed me when we woke up in the morning after I kissed him as he slept.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“No not really. And I continued to sleep in his bed.”

“You guys didn’t do anything though.”

“No we didn’t even mean to sleep together that first night what happened was he fell asleep watching me sleep. He was going to sleep on the couch. He would of put me on the couch but he was afraid that his mom would wake me up in the morning and he wasn’t sure how the roofies would affect me.”

“I can’t believe this. Where are we going to put David tonight?”

“I have a big bed.”

“Fine you do realize that the battle is on the same day as your birthday.”

“Yeah I realize that. I don’t care I just hope they do good.”

“Go clean your room. David is staying over.”

“Thanks mom.” I kissed her cheek and went to clean my room. The guys knocked on the back door after I left.

“What do you guys want?”

“Can we kidnap your daughter Monday night?” Seb asked.

“Why?”

“We want to celebrate her birthday. Since the battle is on the same day as her birthday and all she wanted was to have a fun day with her friends at an amusement park. We thought we could do it on Tuesday but if we were to leave when she was awake she’d just tell us no. But if she’s asleep she can’t complain.” David said.

“But we though we should get your permission to kidnap her.” Chuck said, “we’ll hang out a the amusement park all Tuesday sleep in a motel until Wednesday. Then go hang somewhere else, before we would have to leave to get back in time for the battle.”

“Why are you staying in a motel the park closes at 7 that gives you plenty of time to get back.” mom said.

“We bought tickets to the Green day show it starts at 8.” Pierre said.

“I tried to get her tickets to that. They sold out.”

“We got the last ones.”

“Of course you can kidnap my daughter. But one thing. I know I should have told all of you sooner but she still has nightmares.”

“Nightmares?” Jeff asked.

“Of when her dad tried to kill her. She relives that night every once in a while. Last time she did was a few months ago she almost killed herself. She quit breathing, fell off the bed and hit her head on her dresser. It was bad.”

“What do we do?”

“If she has one you have to wake her up that’s all. You have to do all within your power to wake her up. As soon as you realize wake her up.”

“How will we know?” Seb asked.

“She talks during these ones. She will tell you what is going on.”

“Ok deal we’ll keep her safe.” Chuck said. He was kind of looking at Jeff uneasily. Jeff seemed uncomfortable with the subject of the night also. David was fine with it maybe because we always talked about it afterwards and even now we talk about it. Pierre was also fine. Tabby had no idea that my mom was talking about no one ever told the students what had happened. Seb was not cool with it but wasn’t uneasy either.

“Thanks. Who is all going?”

“Us. Everyone you see here plus Lexie.” David said.

“Lexie?”

“New name she asked me not to call her Alex anymore.”

“Fine with me. And sleeping arrangements?”

“2 rooms. Chuck and Jeff and me in one. Pierre, David, Alex, and Tabby in the other.” Seb said.

“You are going to stick three guys in one room? Will that work?”

“We are out of money once we pay for all of us to get in food gas and the rooms.” Chuck said.

“If you need money you can ask.”

“Can we borrow some money so we can get another room?”

“Here are 80.”

“Thanks.” Chuck said taking the money from Seb.

“What time will you kidnap her?”

“Around 1:30- 12 o’clock.”

“How are you getting in without David’s mom seeing?”

“Back door.” David said.

“Alex is the one who locks the doors. I work at 4:30 I’m not waking up in the middle of the night to make sure the door is unlocked.”

“What if I stay the night?”

“That would be a way to make sure she is in bed at the right time.”

“Deal then.”

“You guys need to go practice. All she really wants is for you to win.”

“Bye.” They said and left.

“Her dad tried to kill her?” tabby asked as they walked to Pierre’s house. The guys looked at each other, debating on whether or not they should tell her the thing that only David had talked about since that year.

“Back when she was six. One night her mom was out at a business meeting. She was doing her homework at the kitchen table her dad got a phone call and snapped. He started hitting her and just wailing on her. She took it what else do you do when a 23 year old one time body builder is beating on you? It ended with her being tied to a gate. He beat her as she was tied to the gate. If I knew where he was now I’d go after him. He beat her bad locked the door and turned on music so he didn’t have to hear her. He shut off the porch light so no one would see her. It started raining so she yelled a little for him to let her in. then it started to hail and she yelled more. Lightening was going off. Thunder roaring. She was scared. She couldn’t go anywhere though she was tied. She yelled and yelled when the hail started. The hail was the size of golf balls I think. About 15 minutes after the hail started I went down stairs and asked mom if Alex was over because I thought I heard her. Mom told me no that she thought they were out because the porch light was off. I went back upstairs. But I kept hearing her. I ignored it for a little while longer. Then about half an hour after it started I quit hearing her. So I thought I was going crazy. I looked out my window and at that moment lightening struck a little ways away. She was freaking out I saw her look around heard her scream then saw her curl up into a little ball. I ran down stairs and told mom to go get her. Mom didn’t believe me still so I pointed out the window another flash of lightening this time is hit the tree in her front yard. She screamed again and mom ran to go get her.

“ Everyone knew there was a storm to come that night. I’m mad he left her out there. When mom brought her in she laid her on the couch she had bruises covering her body her clothes were soaked and ripped. She was barley breathing. Where the rope was tied to her wrists was just purple they had rope burns really bad from her pulling on it. He had another piece of rope around her neck loosely. That piece had rubbed up against it every time she moved. Her neck had rope burns on it too. She was missing clumps of hair. It took mom forever to get her to stop shaking.” David said.

“Are you lying to me?”

“I wish. She was bleeding from a few places. She was six and she was doing homework. She didn’t deserve it at all.”

“Her dad did that to her?”

“Yeah mom said it was because they had her when they were 16-17. That the person who called was one of his old friends telling about the… the… the” David looked over at Pierre.

“Getting signed to play pro hockey. He called to tell him about the contract. Her dad was a better hockey player then his friend.” Pierre said.

“You’ve got to be kidding Me.” Tabby said again.

“No she got pneumonia then a month later they found out she had a brain tumor. She missed my birthday because she was stuck in the hospital almost missed hers too. Mom wouldn’t even tell me what was going on. I thought she was dying.” David said.

“When she was six?”

“Don’t you remember?” Seb said, “She missed a month and a half of school. That was when you were supposed to do that Indian project together but then you ended up stuck with me.”

“I don’t remember. She almost died?”

“Oh well lets quit talking about it.” Chuck said. They all went into Pierre’s house. Jeff stopped Chuck really fast.

“What’s wrong with you?” Jeff asked.

“Why did we have to be such assholes when we were younger? She asked us to help her and we laughed at her. We threw rocks at her. Maybe if we would of just untied her.”

“Don’t beat yourself up.”

“We beat her up. She told us the lightening scared her and we laughed and we laughed and we ended up leaving her tied to that god damn gate. Why? Why would we do that?”

“We were dumb kids if she was 6 we would of only been 7 or 8.”

“We threw rocks at her. No wonder she didn’t like us. Probably remembered we were the ones who helped her almost die. If we would of untied her. I’m not saying did anything past untying her she might not of been so bad off.”

“Dumb kids how were we supposed to know she was so bad off.”

“Are you guys coming?” David asked from the front door.

“Yeah we’re coming.” Chuck said.

“What are you talking about?”

“Nothing important. Just how proud we are of you.”

“Why? I haven’t done anything.”

“You really stepped up a notch with your singing. And with everything really.”

“You’re weird. I haven’t done anything.”

“You ran away last year.”

“How did you find out?”

“Alex told us. You went to Quebec? Why didn’t you just talk to us.”?

“I failed two midterms. You were celebrating about getting A’s. I talked to Lexie.”

“Once you were in Quebec.”

“Did you even know I was gone?”

“Yeah we did your mom said you were sick.”

“I’m fine. Don’t worry. It was a year ago. No sense living in the past. Why didn’t you care last year?”

“I don’t know. Probably since as soon as you got back you were trying to get off your meds and you were spacing badly. And when you weren’t spacing you were not there you were hyped. How am I supposed to talk to you when you wouldn’t pay attention to me.”

“Let’s go inside Pierre is ordering pizza.”

“Even now you don’t pay attention to me.”

“NO! I do pay attention I do I swear I do. Why does everyone say I don’t?” he went back inside.

“Why do you do that to him?” Jeff asked.

“Do what?” Chuck asked.

“Make him mad. He can’t help half the stuff he does. You do it so he’ll never find out don’t you.”

“Find out what?” David asked coming back out.

“Nothing.” Chuck said.

“Pierre said you need to come in now. Come on.”

“We’ll be in in a minute.”

“At least tell me what you’re talking about.”

“Go back inside.”

“Why can’t I know.”

“Just go back inside.” David went back in.

“Why not just tell him?” Jeff asked.

“He just said he wants to hunt down her dad. I can’ t tell him we threw rocks at her.”

“Threw rocks at who?” David asked this time Pierre with him.

“No one.”

“What the hell do you want on your pizza?” Pierre yelled.

“Pepperoni. Canadian bacon picks something.”

“Who did you throw rocks at?” David asked again.

“No one!”

“Why won’t you tell me? You never tell me anything.”

“Fucking Alex. We threw rocks at her once.”

“Why?”

“Because we could.”

“When?”

“When she was six and we thought girls had cooties.”

“When?”

“I just told you when.”

“When like..”

“When she was tied to the god damn gate. There are you happy when it was raining and she was tied to the god damn gate.”

“Really?”

“Yeah really we did.”

“Oh… so when is the pizza going to be here?”

“You’re not mad?”

“About what?”

“Thanks.” they all went inside.