Home Chapter Three
Soon it was 6:30 and the girls tried frantically to make themselves look halfway decient. Their eyes were red, and swollen wich matched their slightly pink noses. All of the crying had caused them to talk softly, and keep their heads hung low. Jessy and Chele split apart for only moments to change. They thought that changing their clothes would be the easiest part of the day, but what they didn't know was that too would even bring memories back. Jessy closed her door softly and walked across her hardwood floor to her closet opening it slowly. She shifted through many of the hanging clothes looking for something comfortable to wear. As she came across the soft blue fleece which Johnny had bought her for Christmas last year, tears and pain seemed to shatter what she had thought to be the easiest thing to do. "Oh, Johnny," she cried pulling it from its hanging spot and burrying her face into it. "Why'd you have to go? I wanna know," she added sobbingly. After picking out her darkest blue jeans, and a white mini t-shirt, she dressed. Jessy walked to Chele's door hearing whimpers, and questions being asked just like she had done only moments before. "God, where'd he go? Why'd you have to take him? Why Johnny? You could have taken anyone else but Johnny," Chele cried softly into the same red fleece Johnny had bought her last Christmas. She stood pulling up her darkest bell bottomed jeans, and zipped them before turning and pulling the fleece over her head as she walked towards the door. "Sis," Jessy said opening it slightly. "Yeah," she answered wiping the tears from her rosey red cheeks. "I think they're hear," Jessy refered to the car door she had heard just moments earlier. "Ok. Ready," she asked softly. Jessy nodded her head and they headed down the stairs to the kitchen. "Yeah. They're taking it pretty bad. Especially Chele, her and Johnny were best friends, they never did one thing without the other. Its hard on her, definately hard. Oh, here they come now," Barbara said as the girls came down the stairs. Chele and Jessy stopped when they saw the saddened faces that they had recognized so many times on MTV and magazine covers. "Hi," they both seemed to get out before Chele made her way down with Jessy behind her shaking each of their hands. "I remember meeting you guys quite a few times with..umm...Johnny," Chele said softly trailing off when it came to his name. "Yeah, we remembered you two whenever we heard about him. We hated to hear something so horrible happen to someone at such a young age, ya know? Johnny was like a brother to all three of us," Isaac said sullenly. "Yeah," Taylor and Zac nodded their heads. The five stood and talked for an hour, until dinner was ready. They ate dinner in silence with nothing but the sounds of the silverware hitting the ceramic plates. The silence and saddness in the room was almost too erie for one to stand alone, and having people there to understand what you're going through was the best thing that could have happened to them. "Girls, after we finish dinner, why don't you take Isaac, Taylor, and Zac downstairs to the family room and show them the photo albums. I'm quite sure they'll get a kick out of them," Barbara broke the chain of silence. "Ok," Jessy said softly dropping her fork on her plate and resting her other hand on her lap. Zac, who was sitting to the left of Jessy, sighed looking at her saddened face. He could relate to her much better than Chele, Tay, and even Ike. They were the same age, and knew how hard their lives were, and how much worse it could be. His heart only felt closer to hers as he reached under the table and took her hand into his. "It'll be ok," he whispered softly. Chele glanced at Jessy then to Zac, and let a smile break her face. Tears fell free when she realized that was how her and Johnny were at their ages. The memories only seemed to make everything worse, and what Barbara had said seemed so untrue to her at this moment. "Momma, I'm not very hungry. May I be excused," Chele asked wiping a falling tear. Barbara nodded which sent Chele with her plate to the kitchen then down the stairs to the basement. She dug through the closet finding the photo albums since they had known eachother, and sat on the couch. She pulled her feet up and rested an album on her lap. Chele was lost in the pictures and the memories, letting all of the grieving take over while each picture told a story and memories overwhelmed her. "Johnny," she whispered when she came across the picture she had taken just two weeks ago, "I miss you so much." Chele pulled it free from the clear plastic cover and place it to her heart saying a prayer for everyone close to him. She then brought the picture to her lips, kissed it and then placed it in the pocket of her red fleece. "Chele," someone said from behind. "Huh? Oh, Taylor. You scared me," she replied wipping her face, and looking up at him. "I'm sorry. Barbara thought it would be better if I came down here with you," Taylor said walking around the couch and sitting next to her. He looked at the two page spread of pictures, and then looked up at Chele. "I bet he misses you just as much as you miss him," he said obviously overcome by emotions. "I don't think that's possible," she replied handing him the photo album. Taylor looked over each page closely, smiling at every silly picture, frowing at every sad, and gazing at every romantic. When he came across the picture of the two at the prom he stopped and looked at her. "You look just like Cinderella, here," Taylor complemented, "Were you two, like a couple?" "Me and Johnny? No, I mean, yeah, well, he was my best friend and I loved him a lot. He was like the only guy I could really confide in, show my fears to, and let the tears fall in front of. He was sorta my companion. We had a weird relationship, but never moved it up to a 'couple' level," she replied with tears in her eyes. "He talked about you all the time, and I remember he used to bring the latest pictures of you and Jessy. Zac would go gaga over her, and me, Ike, and Johnny would always talk about you. I mean Jessy's beautiful, and everything, but I mean she's 14. But Johnny would always have something new to say about you or Jessy whenever he came to see us," Taylor remembered. He covered his face, as the tears welled up. "It's ok to remember, Tay. I know, me of all people, knows just how bad it does hurt," she whispered rubbing his back softly and kissing the top of his head. Isaac, Jessy, and Zac came down the stairs and went through the photo albums together. They laughed, sighed, and even shead a few tears. Chele sat in the chair, staring off into another world. Taylor stood behind her watching his brothers and Jessy remembering and wondering why it didn't hurt them like it did him and Chele. 'Maybe its just because we were the closest to him,' Tay thought to himself before his mother came down the stairs. "Guys, we need to head home. The funeral is in two days, and the wake is day after tomorrow. We'll see them soon," Mrs. Hanson said softly. Evidentially she was upset just like the rest of them were, it must have been hard for her to stay strong in front of the boys. "I'll see you later," Taylor said as Chele stood and smiled slightly. "Yah." "I'll call you Jessy," Zac said hugging her tight before moving to Chele and doing the same. "Thanks Zac," she replied. "For what," he asked. "For helping Jessy with everything. You've helped alot," she whispered kissing his cheek and sending him to his mother. Isaac hugged both of them and kissed the tops of their heads. "If you two need anything just call. Mom left the number with Barbara, keep in touch," he smiled heading up the stairs. "Bye Jessy," Taylor said hugging her tight. "Bye Tay. Thanks for helping sis," she replied before turning and heading close behind Isaac. "Bye Tay," Chele said softly. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and she wrapped hers around his neck. "If you need anything. I mean it just call," Tay whispered kissing her cheek. "Thanks Tay. I will. I...you're the only one who really understands what I'm going through, so, thanks for bein here for me," she said softly still embracing him. "No problem. I plan to stick around for a long time," Taylor replied. "Bye," she said softly as he let get and headed to the stairs. When he reached the bottom of the stiars, he looked back seeing Chele sitting on the chair crying in her knees. "I'll be here for ever," Tay whispered to himself before leaving her alone to grieve.
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