I Hate To Say This But I'm Stuck On Loving You, John O'Callaghan
PART 16
John looked at his watch.
“Well, it is only 6:30 and you don’t have to be home until 10:30…”
He sat there thinking and a suddenly his face brightened up. He obviously had a good idea.
“What is it?” I asked.
He grinned. “It’s a surprise.”
He knew how much I hated surprises so I glared at him.
“Why can’t you just tell me?”
“Because you look so cute when you get that mad.”
I blushed and looked down at my feet. I didn’t like showing emotions. “Okay, well let’s go now. The sooner we leave, the sooner I find out what the surprise is.”
He grabbed my hand and we walked to the car together. We drove for about 15 minutes before we pulled up next to the beach.
“How did you know I loved the beach so much?” I asked.
“You said something about it earlier this year.”
I sat there staring out at the beach taking this all in. I was at the beach with John. Everything was fine. I took off my socks and shoes and walked out of the car onto the sand. I loved that feeling of the sand in between my toes and I loved the smell of the ocean. I had already decided that I was going to buy a house on a beach at some point in my life. It was my sanctuary. I felt genuinely happy, and that didn’t happy much.
I didn’t hear John walking behind me so when I felt his arm go around my shoulder I jumped a bit.
“Oh, it’s just you.” I sighed in relief.
He laughed. “It’s just me. Do you want to go for a walk?”
I nodded my head and grabbed his hand and started walking. Surprisingly, the beach was pretty much empty so it was like he had the whole thing to ourselves. It felt like something out of a movie.
“So how was band practice today?”
“It was good. We worked out some tour stuff. We found out we’re touring with some relatively local bands.”
“That’s good, which ones?”
“The Summer Set, A Rocket To The Moon, and This Century.”
I nodded my head. Getting so close to John was making them leaving for tour even worse. I sniffled.
“What are we going to do when you have to leave?” I asked quietly.
John let out a long breath. “Honestly? I haven’t thought all of that through. I think we should just take advantage of every second we have together and just not think about it. As of right now I am here with you and that is what matters.”
He always knew the right things to say. I had no clue how he did that. I wish I could.
“You know what, you’re right? Let’s just not talk about it anymore.”
We then changed the subject and talked about random stuff. Talking with John was just so easy. There was never not something to talk to him about. Everything I said seemed to interest him and vice versa. After about an hour we decided to drive back. I was finally happy. Things were getting better. As we all know, happiness is only temporary. Unfortunately, this time it was too temporary. Instead of pulling into the Kirch’s driveway, we pulled into my brother’s driveway. I knew it was odd that he was dropping me off so early.
“What are we doing here?” I said with a blank expression staring straight ahead of me.
“If you won’t patch things up with her, then I will.”
“John, really, don’t do that. It’s not worth it. She already doesn’t like you. Don’t make it worse.”
“This is obviously tearing you up. I’m not just going to sit back and watch her do this to you. It’s just not right. You don’t have to come in with me, but nothing you say can stop me.”
I sighed in defeat and unbuckled my seatbelt.
“I’m coming with you.”
He kissed my forehead and murmured “You can do this. I will do all of the talking.”
We both got out of the car and started walking to the front door. John stood there tall with his head held high and I was there behind him…trying to hide. I saw his hand reach the doorbell and I knew there was no going back now. I gulped and waiting for someone to open the door. Hopefully it would be Jared. With my luck, it was Joyce.
“Oh, it’s you…Jared is upstairs.” She used so much venom in her voice.
“Actually, Mrs. Monaco, I’m here to talk to you…about Caitlin.”
I heard my name and slowly emerged from behind John. She gave me daggers noticing I was there.
“What are you doing here?”
I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could say anything John spoke up.
“I think what you are doing is completely irresponsible and actually somewhat illegal. Caitlin is still 17. It is still your job to take care of her. What you did was inconsiderate and bitter. The fact that you would do that to your only daughter disgusts me. She is a beautiful person on the outside and inside because you raised her that way. You are her mother. She should be able to go to you for everything, but you have made it so she can’t.”
My mom looked stunned. “How dare you speak to me that way! I bet you’re only defending her because you are fucking my whore of a ‘daughter.’ I don’t want to hear it. My mind is made up.”
I felt my eyes start to burn up and soon enough tears started to fall freely. I still stood there quietly. I didn’t know what to say.
“Look, I apologize if you took offence to what I just said, but how can you expect me to talk to you respectfully if you can’t do the same for me? Caitlin is not a whore. She is a lady and has her priorities set straight. I would never do anything to hurt her.”
“She is not that great. You are obviously only doing this because you are sleeping with her.”
I finally decided to jump into this conversation.
“Just because I hang out with a lot of guys doesn’t make me a slut. Just for the record, I am a virgin! I have never slept with anyone. John is my boyfriend. He is here because he cares about me, unlike you.”
My mom rolled her eyes and a familiar male figure showed up next to her.
“What is going on?” My dad asked.
“She is back and she brought another one of her fuck buddies to help defend her.”
“Joyce, she is a good kid. You need to get over yourself. She is our daughter and I may not be home often, but she knows what she is doing. I heard everything. They are telling the truth. If you don’t forgive our daughter and let her come back home, then don’t expect to see me ever again.”
“Well, it is only 6:30 and you don’t have to be home until 10:30…”
He sat there thinking and a suddenly his face brightened up. He obviously had a good idea.
“What is it?” I asked.
He grinned. “It’s a surprise.”
He knew how much I hated surprises so I glared at him.
“Why can’t you just tell me?”
“Because you look so cute when you get that mad.”
I blushed and looked down at my feet. I didn’t like showing emotions. “Okay, well let’s go now. The sooner we leave, the sooner I find out what the surprise is.”
He grabbed my hand and we walked to the car together. We drove for about 15 minutes before we pulled up next to the beach.
“How did you know I loved the beach so much?” I asked.
“You said something about it earlier this year.”
I sat there staring out at the beach taking this all in. I was at the beach with John. Everything was fine. I took off my socks and shoes and walked out of the car onto the sand. I loved that feeling of the sand in between my toes and I loved the smell of the ocean. I had already decided that I was going to buy a house on a beach at some point in my life. It was my sanctuary. I felt genuinely happy, and that didn’t happy much.
I didn’t hear John walking behind me so when I felt his arm go around my shoulder I jumped a bit.
“Oh, it’s just you.” I sighed in relief.
He laughed. “It’s just me. Do you want to go for a walk?”
I nodded my head and grabbed his hand and started walking. Surprisingly, the beach was pretty much empty so it was like he had the whole thing to ourselves. It felt like something out of a movie.
“So how was band practice today?”
“It was good. We worked out some tour stuff. We found out we’re touring with some relatively local bands.”
“That’s good, which ones?”
“The Summer Set, A Rocket To The Moon, and This Century.”
I nodded my head. Getting so close to John was making them leaving for tour even worse. I sniffled.
“What are we going to do when you have to leave?” I asked quietly.
John let out a long breath. “Honestly? I haven’t thought all of that through. I think we should just take advantage of every second we have together and just not think about it. As of right now I am here with you and that is what matters.”
He always knew the right things to say. I had no clue how he did that. I wish I could.
“You know what, you’re right? Let’s just not talk about it anymore.”
We then changed the subject and talked about random stuff. Talking with John was just so easy. There was never not something to talk to him about. Everything I said seemed to interest him and vice versa. After about an hour we decided to drive back. I was finally happy. Things were getting better. As we all know, happiness is only temporary. Unfortunately, this time it was too temporary. Instead of pulling into the Kirch’s driveway, we pulled into my brother’s driveway. I knew it was odd that he was dropping me off so early.
“What are we doing here?” I said with a blank expression staring straight ahead of me.
“If you won’t patch things up with her, then I will.”
“John, really, don’t do that. It’s not worth it. She already doesn’t like you. Don’t make it worse.”
“This is obviously tearing you up. I’m not just going to sit back and watch her do this to you. It’s just not right. You don’t have to come in with me, but nothing you say can stop me.”
I sighed in defeat and unbuckled my seatbelt.
“I’m coming with you.”
He kissed my forehead and murmured “You can do this. I will do all of the talking.”
We both got out of the car and started walking to the front door. John stood there tall with his head held high and I was there behind him…trying to hide. I saw his hand reach the doorbell and I knew there was no going back now. I gulped and waiting for someone to open the door. Hopefully it would be Jared. With my luck, it was Joyce.
“Oh, it’s you…Jared is upstairs.” She used so much venom in her voice.
“Actually, Mrs. Monaco, I’m here to talk to you…about Caitlin.”
I heard my name and slowly emerged from behind John. She gave me daggers noticing I was there.
“What are you doing here?”
I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could say anything John spoke up.
“I think what you are doing is completely irresponsible and actually somewhat illegal. Caitlin is still 17. It is still your job to take care of her. What you did was inconsiderate and bitter. The fact that you would do that to your only daughter disgusts me. She is a beautiful person on the outside and inside because you raised her that way. You are her mother. She should be able to go to you for everything, but you have made it so she can’t.”
My mom looked stunned. “How dare you speak to me that way! I bet you’re only defending her because you are fucking my whore of a ‘daughter.’ I don’t want to hear it. My mind is made up.”
I felt my eyes start to burn up and soon enough tears started to fall freely. I still stood there quietly. I didn’t know what to say.
“Look, I apologize if you took offence to what I just said, but how can you expect me to talk to you respectfully if you can’t do the same for me? Caitlin is not a whore. She is a lady and has her priorities set straight. I would never do anything to hurt her.”
“She is not that great. You are obviously only doing this because you are sleeping with her.”
I finally decided to jump into this conversation.
“Just because I hang out with a lot of guys doesn’t make me a slut. Just for the record, I am a virgin! I have never slept with anyone. John is my boyfriend. He is here because he cares about me, unlike you.”
My mom rolled her eyes and a familiar male figure showed up next to her.
“What is going on?” My dad asked.
“She is back and she brought another one of her fuck buddies to help defend her.”
“Joyce, she is a good kid. You need to get over yourself. She is our daughter and I may not be home often, but she knows what she is doing. I heard everything. They are telling the truth. If you don’t forgive our daughter and let her come back home, then don’t expect to see me ever again.”