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| To Live is to Die | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: March 5, 2008, 12:49 am (59,961 Views) | |
| neonguitarstrings | September 26, 2008, 7:09 pm Post #256 |
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Bad Seed
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sorry if i sound retarded; but what band Pepper in? I kind of lost it at the beginning of the story. |
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| Taimi | September 27, 2008, 1:02 am Post #257 |
Junior OSA Council member
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Pepper Keenan is in the band Corrosion Of Conformity. I tried replying to this before, to say how awesome it is, and I can totally appreciate Charlie's feelings and what Charlie has experinced, I've went through something simlar, though not to that extreme. |
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| Metalicious | September 29, 2008, 12:48 pm Post #258 |
Blackened
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I love that y'all know who Keenan is. Okay, a little bit more. Just a little. **************************************** The house felt cold and lonely after James left with the kids. I dropped to the landing of the stairwell in the front hall and the dogs came loping over, their short nails clicking on the hardwood floor. Sensing my melancholy mood, Duke nuzzled my hand, pressing his cool nose into my palm. "Hi, baby," I sighed. I followed them into the kitchen and started a pot of coffee, using the caffeinated blend that I hadn't had in months. Standing in the middle of the kitchen, I closed my eyes, listening to the few sounds that were present. The dogs breathing beside me, the coffee percolating, and the wind whistling around the house. Any other day, the sounds would have soothed me. Tonight they seemed too quiet, the silence of the house overwhelming. I went upstairs, changing into a pair of ancient jeans, and pulled on one of James' black sweaters, the sleeves hanging down well past my wrists. Shoving my hair under a ball cap, I dug out a pair of boots and poured the coffee into a thermos. The dogs followed me outside and down to the beach, their butts wiggling as they made their way down the steps to the sand. I sat on the beach with my arms around my knees, holding the coffee that was still too hot to drink, and closed my eyes. The waves crashed against the cliffs, loud and unrelenting, and the dogs whined softly beside me. Fire shoved his nose into my armpit, signalling his request that I hold up my arm for him to wriggle in beside me, so I did. I looked up when the dogs barked, and saw Trish approaching, wrapping her jacket tighter around her. "Hey." "Thought I'd find you here," she smiled. "Am I interrupting?" "Not at all. Pull up some sand." She sat beside me, making a loud 'oof' when Duke collapsed on top of her, and swiped the hair off her face. "James called Pep." "I figured as much." I stared out at the sea, watching the endless barrage of waves beat the shore. "House too cosy for you? Felt like getting some frigid sea air?" I shrugged. "I like the ocean. Makes me feel all small and insignificant. Like I don't matter." "You matter," she said softly, her voice almost drowned out by the wind and sea. "I know. But once in a while, I wish I didn't. I wish I could do things, and they would have zero effect on anyone else. That I could screw up, and nobody would get hurt. That I could fail miserably at something, and nobody would notice." "Oh, I am interrupting," she said slowly. "I busted right in on your pity party. I'm sorry," she grinned at me. I was not amused. "Caitlin's dead and James is going back to rehab. I'm entitled to some self-pity. I'm not asking you to feel sorry for me." She shook her head, leaning back on her hands. "Could be worse, y'know." "How?" I shot back. "How could it possibly be worse?" She looked up, thinking for a moment. "You could be really, really ugly." "Shut up." "You could have no toenails. Some people have no toenails, Charlie, and they never get to experience the joy of a truly excellent pedicure." "You're a riot." "You could have syphillis. Or the clap. Remember Debbie Lucas at my old job? She had, like, every STD going." She sounded awed. The dogs bolted suddenly and we both looked up to see James standing at the top of the steps. He gestured for us to come up, and Trish stood, wiping the sand from her butt. "Come on, sweet pea, let's see what your boy wants." I followed her up the wooden steps, letting James take my hand when I stepped onto the grass, and then stared in confusion at the person he'd brought with him. "Hi, Kirk." "Hi, sweetie," he smiled. Trish looked from me to Kirk to James, and then nodded over her shoulder. "I'm gonna take the dogs inside." I watched her leave, still unsure what Kirk was doing there. I looked at James, the unspoken question in my eyes. "I had an idea," he said softly. "I'm listening." "I just thought, with the weather being what it is lately, and the house being so isolated, you might not feel comfortable staying here alone," he began. "And I don't like the idea of you being here on your own." "I thought you were only going to be gone for a week." I started to pull my hand away and he tightened his hold. "That's the plan. But I won't really know how long I need until I get there. I don't wanna rush it." "So you want me to stay with Kirk?" As much as I enjoyed spending time with the Hammetts, I wasn't sure this was the best plan ever. Kirk stepped forward, brushing a hand over my hair. "James thought you might want time to recover, and relax. And that you might feel better about doing that somewhere warm, instead of in this fricken frigid environment," he grinned, shivering in the cold. "I'm heading to Hawaii tomorrow. We thought you might wanna come along." I tried to clamp down on the burst of temper I could feel flaring inside me. "Would you give us a minute, please?" I tried to smile. He nodded, heading inside to join Trish. I turned to face James. "If I didn't know better, Hetfield, I'd say you're punishing me. Sending me away like I'm some errant school kid? I've got an entire house to myself, with friends in reach - 'isolated', my ass, by the way - and you want me to go to Hawaii?" I hadn't raised my voice, but I was practically hissing at James. "What is this? You're afraid I'll leave, so you're making me do it before I come up with the idea myself?" I could feel tears burning my eyes. "I don't want to go anywhere. I want to stay here. I wanna be here when you get back. I want to sleep in our bed, not some spare bedroom in Kirk's house. I already feel like there's too much distance between us. And now you want more?" He traced a fingertip over my cheek. "No. But I do want you safe. And comfortable. And warm," he smiled, taking my small hand in his large ones. "I'm scared..." he trailed off and I stepped closer. I knew how hard it was for him to begin any statement that way. "I'm scared I won't be able to focus on the next week or two if I'm worried about you being here all alone." I tilted my head to one side. "James, is there something you're not telling me about Kirk's place in Hawaii? Is it, like, full of people? Is it a non-stop party? Am I gonna be surrounded by masses of bodies? Because you keep talking about me not being alone ..." He sighed. "It's not that. It's just that our house is almost desolate compared to where his place is. He's got tons of really nice neighbours, and you can actually swim at his beach," he added. "I just feel like having you stay here, all alone, is asking too much of you." He shrugged. "Hawaii's nice." "Yeah. Sure. Isn't that the slogan on their licence plates? 'Come to Hawaii. It's nice'," I rolled my eyes. "I'm sure it's beautiful." "Please, Charlie? I wouldn't ask if I didn't think it was really the best thing for you. And for me." I dropped my gaze. He so rarely asked anything of me. Who was I to deny him this one request? Especially if it was going to help him. "You really think this'll help? Help you focus, I mean?" He nodded. "I'd just feel so much better about leaving you if I knew you were with someone." "Someone who could keep an eye on me?" I said quietly. "You know that's not what this is." The tone of his voice was serious and hurt, and I knew that he wasn't suggesting Kirk babysit me. "Sorry." I leaned into him, relishing the warmth from his body. "Are there sharks?" I mumbled against his chest. "No. I promise." I leaned back, cupping his cheek. "Okay. If this is what you need, I'll go. But I'm coming back the minute you're home." "Deal." "I guess...I should pack? Kirk said he's leaving tomorrow, right?" We turned to go inside, and I smiled when I saw Trish and Kirk standing in the kitchen, chatting. Wishing things could stay the way they were, James and I in the same place, I gave a little sigh. "You okay?" He held the door for me and ushered me inside. " "Yeah. I'll be fine." |
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| maisy blue | September 29, 2008, 1:26 pm Post #259 |
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Some Kind Of Monster
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I'm so psyched to read an update. Hell, I'll take three or four words!! So Charlie's going to Hawaii, huh? It might do her good. Kirk seems very serene, and Hawaii is DEFINITELY serene. Hope she can do some healing... |
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| elena | September 29, 2008, 1:26 pm Post #260 |
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Outlaw Torn
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You make my day postin again! I don't know why but I'm a little afraid of Charlie going in Hawaii.I hope Charlie will miss James very much so she will not start to be in love with Kirk.But I don't think Charlie will do a such a mistake. ![]() It's so sweet that James wants all the best for her and he trusts her so much,of course she deserves this but since she did what she did in the past... .Anyway the chapter was great(as story herself) :horns2 .Write more,but soon if you can!
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| Broken, Beat & Scarred | September 29, 2008, 2:58 pm Post #261 |
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Heeeeeee! You updated! How awesome. ![]() I was thinking what Charlie was, that James needs more distance between them. He better not have been lying to her. And I hope that everything goes smoothly in Hawaii. And I hope that James doesn't spend too long in rehab. He and Charlie need to be together more. :< Now that you've started with the updating, you could update more often, right? ;)
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| Mina | September 29, 2008, 3:11 pm Post #262 |
Morgenstern
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Aaah, an update, finally! ![]() It's great, well written and it's gotten me curious. Wonder what'll happen next. Well done
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| Fade_To_Black | September 29, 2008, 4:15 pm Post #263 |
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Bad Seed
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Lovely update chick! Hope Charlie will be ok with Kirk in Hawaii Great stuff hun!
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| Taimi | September 30, 2008, 10:57 am Post #264 |
Junior OSA Council member
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hope everything goes good in Hawaii, hope she doesn't run into MY mom... |
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| Metalicious | September 30, 2008, 1:57 pm Post #265 |
Blackened
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Thanks for all the lovely responses. Another little installment... ****************************************************** James left within the hour, followed by Kirk, with instructions to be ready the next morning so he could pick me up on his way to the airport. Trish stuck around a little longer, helping me pack. "So, you'll need all your bikinis," she noted, standing on a chair to retrieve baskets from the top shelves in the huge walk-in closet. "Why do you insist on storing your summer crap way up here?" "So it's out of the way. Don't fall. And put those back, I'm hardly ready to wear a bikini," I scolded her, rubbing a hand over my stomach. She stepped down, nudging me out of the way to toss the bikinis in my suitcase. "Take them just in case. You know what? Go make us some tea. I'm gonna pack for you. You're supposed to be recovering. Stay off your feet. Except for the whole getting me tea thing," she grinned. "I'll finish up here." She bumped my hip with hers. "What kinda sweet nothings was Hetfield whispering in your ear when he left?" I stared at her. "What?" "When he was leaving. He looked all serious when he hugged you goodbye." I felt my stomach churn slightly. "He just... we haven't had much of a chance to discuss Caitlin. And the funeral. He said he'd arranged to have her, um, stay at the hospital until we're ready to deal with everything. Neither of us is in a clear mental state at the moment, so we're putting off the funeral at the moment." I twisted the hem of my shirt, not looking at her. She wrapped her arms around me. "I'm sorry, Charles. Is there anything I can do? This is such a weird situation. You know, Keenan and I could take care of a memorial service or something if you like. I mean, arrange it and everything. Just say the word. We could have it all ready for when you guys get back." I shook my head. "No. That's okay. It's something we need to deal with. Just not yet." I left her upstairs and went down to boil the kettle. Brewing a pot of herbal tea, I saw my cell phone flashing and opened it to see I'd received a text from James, saying he'd arrived safely and would call me tomorrow. I texted back to say goodnight. Stepping out to the back porch, I breathed in the cold night air, closing my eyes. Duke sniffed at my hand, licking me gently, and I opened my eyes, smiling down at him. "Hi pup. Ready to go on a trip?" I crouched down, nuzzling his soft fur. "It's only a six hour flight. I'll give you something so you can sleep the whole way, okay?" He whined softly and licked my face bottom to top. "Okay then. I'll take that as a yes." ********************************************************* Trish wound up staying the night, and I woke the next morning to find her placing a tray next to my bed. "Coffee," she smiled. "And bacon. You wanna start the day off right." "Do you do this for Pepper every morning?" I grinned at her, arranging the pillows behind me as I sat up. "Sometimes," she winked. "Of course, normally I wouldn't be wearing pants," she added, handing me the steaming mug. "I'm gonna go let the dogs in. You stay put." I glanced over to my two suitcases, smiling at the way Trish had ensured I'd easily be able to spot my luggage on the carousel. Nobody else would have hot pink satin ribbon embroidered with the scary guy logo wrapped around the handle of their case. The wonders of having access to Metallica graphics. Trish came back upstairs. "Kirk's coming over in about half an hour. If you want to shower before your flight, I'd suggest getting up." I threw back the covers and headed for the bathroom. "Could you-" "Yeah, I'm on it," she called over her shoulder from inside the closet, where she was already hauling out something for me to wear on the plane. Thirty minutes later, I was seated beside Kirk in the hummer he'd borrowed to drive us to the airport. The dogs were in their travel crates in the back, and the radio was tuned to a classical station. Kirk was rattling off some beaches that he wanted me to visit, and trying to figure out what kind of surfboard I'd need. "I don't think I'll be surfing, buddy," I smiled at him. "You say that now, but give it a few days," he grinned. I slept for most of the flight, waking only upon descent, the noise of the landing gear announcing to my subconscious that we were almost there. Pulling off my sweater, I peered out the window, taking in the turquoise water below, now that we'd dropped out of the clouds. "It's beautiful," I smiled at Kirk. He squeezed my hand. "It's even better when we're actually down there." We collected our luggage and picked up the dogs with no trouble. They were both drowsy from the light tranq I'd given them, and seemed content to lounge in the back of the jeep that picked us up. I sat in back with them, taking in the gorgeous surroundings as the jeep wound its way up a narrow drive. Stopping in front of a large estate, the driver killed the engine and Kirk hopped out, holding out his hand to help me down. I looked up at the enormous house and glanced at Kirk, letting out a long whistle. "Nice." He shot me a grin, shrugging. "We like it. I guess it used to be part of a sugar plantation. Now it's just my surf shack." I laughed. The wraparound porch alone must have had a larger square footage than most houses I'd seen. "It's a shame Hawaii isn't a little closer to the mainland. I'd visit more." He took my shoulders, gently turning me to face the ocean, and a smaller house several yards away. "That's the guest house. There are plenty of spare bedrooms in the main house, but if you want more privacy, you can stay there. It's totally up to you. Either way, I'll be waking you around 5 a.m. to go surfing." "Uh huh. What did James say?" "He said you should stay in with me, but that you'd probably want the guest house." "Man knows me pretty well," I sighed. "I'll take that one for now, and if I get lonely, I'll move my stuff into the main house. So, um, speaking of lunch..." "Were we?" "No, but we should. I'm starving. What do you guys eat around here, anyway? Coconuts? Fresh fish that you catch yourselves?" I teased, linking my arm through his as we headed through the courtyard. "Something like that." We had salads on the deck overlooking the ocean, Kirk assuring me that I'd get to experience traditional Hawaiian fare at a party later in the week. Insisting that I relax for the rest of the afternoon, he booted me out of the kitchen when I tried to help him clean up after lunch. "Go explore the house or walk on the beach or something," he said in mock frustration, snapping a dishtowel at me. "And let me know if you need anything. There should be plenty of towels and linen for you, but let me know if there aren't." I wandered around the house, going room to room, marvelling at the way he and Lani had managed to blend their own ecclectic style with the light airy feel of a beach house. The gleaming teak floors fit pefectly with the furnishings. Every room had huge windows, with views of either the ocean, the pool, or the palm tree-filled courtyard. The infiniti pool faced west, and I made a mental note to go for a swim at sunset. I was admiring the garden in the courtyard when Kirk found me. "You've got a mango tree in your yard," I said, delighted. "And papayas, avacado trees, and pomegranate shrubs. The guy next door has pineapples and bananas. What?" he looked concerned when I shuddered. "Spiders. Big ones." "Where?" he whirled around, looking behind him and down at our feet in a panic. I giggled. "Probably at your neighbour's place, with all the bananas. Isn't that where they hang out? Big ol' tarantulas just relaxing among the banana bunches?" He glared at me. "No. Not that I've ever seen, anyway. Jeez." I left him in the courtyard, hilariously looking over his shoulder repeatedly, and headed for the guest house. Fire and Duke were napping in the drive, so I assumed they'd settled in just fine, or were still having doggie hangovers from the flight. Pushing the front door open, I sighed contentedly. "Good decision," I told myself. The guest house was definitely my kind of place. Spacious and clutter free, it was similar to the main house in the materials used, but devoid of anything that could be construed as extra. Three of the walls were primarily windows, with double french doors leading to the beach. The main floor housed a simply outfitted kitchen and a living space with a couch and a few lounge chairs, and one bookcase stocked with tons of paperbacks. A wide winding staircase led to the bedroom, loft-style, which overlooked the beach from its huge windows as well. Everything was either white or cream or beige. "You finding everything okay in here?" Kirk called up to me from the living room. I leaned over the three foot wall of the loft. "This is so not you," I said in awe, gesturing at the sparse furnishings and light colour palette. He chuckled. "We only bought the place six months ago. I haven't exactly had a chance to put my stamp on everything yet. Come on over to the house later, a couple of my buddies are coming by." I nodded, saying I'd see him in a couple of hours. Seeing what seemed to be a door just past the closet by the bed, I pushed the small silver button beside it, and burst out laughing when it opened to reveal an elevator. So much for carting my luggage up the stairs. Stepping inside, I pressed the only button available, and the door slid shut, opening seconds later at the lower level. Fast, but still too clausterphobic for my liking. I put my suitcases in the lift and pressed the button before hopping out, taking the stairs to meet my bags at the top. Unpacking everything, I put the bags back in the elevator. I figured I wouldn't be using it while I was there, so it worked perfectly well as storage since I didn't want to mess up the total zen atmosphere that came with the lack of clutter in the bright house. Pushing open one of the windows, I sank onto the large queen-sized bed and stretched out, leaning back into the soft duvet and mountain of pillows. The afternoon sun was pouring through the windows, and I felt like a cat curling up for a nap. Turning onto my side, I pulled my phone from my pocket and sent a quick message to James. "You were right. Hawaii is nice. Miss you. C." Closing my eyes, I listened to the sound of the surf, the sun warm on my skin, and promptly fell asleep. ************************ I awoke to find Kirk standing over me, the dogs on either side of him. "Hey," he said quietly. "You're alive." I rubbed my eyes, sitting up in bed, noting how dark it was outside. "Time is it?" "Five thirty," he smiled. "Are your friends still here? I'm sorry, I only meant to nap for like half an hour-" "Five thirty in the morning, Charlie." "What? Jesus! Seriously? Kirk, I'm so sorry, I really did plan to come over and meet them, but I was so comfy and I honestly didn't mean to sleep for, um..." I tried to figure out how long I'd been sleeping. "Fourteen hours?" he suggested. "Yeah. Damn. You should have woken me up." He shook his head quickly. "You're here to relax. I thought it'd be harder to get you to unwind, but James did mention you're awfully fond of sleeping. Did you wanna rest some more or get up?" "Up," I said firmly, letting him pull me into a standing position. "Are we surfing? Cause I have this little shark phobia," I grinned at him. "Not surfing. Put your gym stuff on. Something comfy. Meet me out front when you're ready." I washed my face quickly and pulled on a pair of black capri yoga pants and an orange sports bra, with a black tank top overtop. "Where are we going?" I asked when I joined him on the patio. "You'll see." I trailed behind him down the beach. The air was warm, but the sand was cool and damp beneath my feet. Kirk was just a shadow in front of me, turning around every few minutes to ensure I was still behind him. Eventually we rounded a bend in the beach, and Kirk stopped, giggling when I ran right into him. "Are we here?" "We're here." Following him up the few stones steps to the grass, I looked around the yard, which was lit up with tiki torches and strings of fairy lights. On one side of the garden there was a large wooden platform, open on all sides, with wooden beams instead of a roof, draped with white billowing sheets. I wandered over to look inside and saw half a dozen yoga mats laid out. "You brought me to a yoga class?" I smiled at him. "I thought you might like it. We'll get an awesome view of the sunrise from here in about forty-five minutes. C'mon inside, you can meet Ava." We walked up the cobblestone path to the house, and were greeted by a short blonde, who hugged Kirk tightly and then turned to greet me. "Hi Charlie. I'm Ava." Taking my hand to lead me into the kitchen, she shot me a grin. "Kirk was pretty excited when he told me he was bringing a friend. I think he's been wanting to show off how high he can get his foot in dancer's pose." We chatted while she brewed some coffee, and then took our mugs out to the garden, where a few more people were coming along the beach. Everyone was friendly and surprisingly awake, I thought, given the time of day. Kirk introduced me around and we sat on two of the mats closest to the back of the platform, stretching out in savasana pose. Ava said a few words about having a quiet practice, and to try to focus on breathing and keeping our minds clear, so I murmured a quick thanks to Kirk for bringing me along, and attempted to quiet my mind. Breathing deeply through my nose and exhaling slowly, I felt my muscles start to relax, sinking deeper into the mat. James doesn't love you, you know. My eyes flew open. Fuck. Sighing, I tried to ignored the small, annoying voice inside my head. He sent you away. You killed his baby, Charlie. He doesn't want you around. You're Kirk's problem now. "Oh for... c'mon. Be quiet!" I hissed at myself. Kirk reached a hand over to cover mine. "You okay?" he whispered. "Fine," I assured him, closing my eyes again and rolling over into child's pose at Ava's instruction. Stretching my arms out in front of me, I splayed my fingers, pressinig my fingertips into the mat, and tried to lengthen my spine. The man went back to REHAB because of you. He's been clean for how many years, now, and you just tried to throw him off the wagon. How many thousands of miles away did he ask you to go? Do you think next time he'll ask you to go further? Maybe Australia. You always wanted to go there... Just breathe, I told myself. Breathe, and stop thinking. Ava's soothing voice, soft and low, carried as she moved around the class, prompting us to reach further forward, and press our hips down. "Just try to focus on your breath. In and out, nice full, deep breaths. Acknowledge the thoughts that come into your mind, and then let them go. You don't have anywhere else you need to be. Listen to the ocean, and just let everything else go. Whatever stresses you brought with you this morning, whatever's causing you pain or even just distraction, try to clear your mind... " she paused, pressing her hands to the small of my back and pushing down, drawing me more fully into the pose as I inhaled and exhaled slowly. "Just let it all go." And with that, the little voice shut up. |
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| elena | September 30, 2008, 2:18 pm Post #266 |
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Outlaw Torn
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You wrote a great chapter as always! I hope Charlie and Kirk will have a good time there,in special Charlie who needs this.Poor she! She thinks that James doesn't love her and he didn't do this for her best,but just to put her away from him. He loves her very much,I'm sure abou this! Kirk is so kind with her! He will help her to be happy since she will come back to James. The house sounds realy cool! .Kirk has taste! Write more soon,please!
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| Taimi | September 30, 2008, 4:25 pm Post #267 |
Junior OSA Council member
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wow... i would kill for 14 hours of sleep right about now. |
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| maisy blue | October 1, 2008, 12:09 am Post #268 |
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Some Kind Of Monster
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THANK YOU for the update. The Hawaii vacation sounds heavenly. Hopefully, Charlie can get even more rest and recover both emotionally and physically... |
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| neonguitarstrings | October 1, 2008, 10:37 pm Post #269 |
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Bad Seed
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great update ![]() cant wait for the next chapter.
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| Metalicious | October 2, 2008, 7:36 am Post #270 |
Blackened
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Slipping into a pair of faded jeans, I rolled up the bottoms and pulled on a beat up t-shirt. Annoyed at how tangled my hair was from the shower, I yanked it into a half-hearted ponytail and left it at that. Secure in the knowledge that Kirk could give a rat’s ass whether or not I looked presentable, I skipped makeup altogether and settled for my La Mer SPF 15 moisturizer. Kirk was waiting outside when I closed the French doors behind me. “Alright. I’m starving. Please tell me there’s bacon where we’re going.” He chuckled. “I can’t recall the exact menu, but I’m sure we’ll be able to find something you’ll like. Trust me.” Several minutes later, we were at a corner booth, and I was pelting accusations across the table. “You knew this place was vegetarian! I am shocked, Hammett, just shocked! I can’t believe you dragged me here under the pretence of bacon, and waffles, and ham, and sausage, and…and…” Laughing too hard to respond, he held up his hands in surrender. Finally catching his breath, he apologized. “Far be it for me to impose my own dietary regime on anyone, but I swear if you just order what I suggested, you’ll be happy. I promise. Didn’t I tell you to trust me?” Sighing heavily, I slumped down in the booth, dejected at the thought of bacon-free breakfast. “Do they at least have coffee?” I pouted. He leaned across the table, taking my hand. “Would I do that to you? Of course they have coffee.” Settling back in his seat, he picked up the menu and said softly, “Organic, fair-trade coffee with soy milk and cane sugar.” I tossed my menu at him. When the waitress brought me my coffee, though, it was delicious, and I didn’t bother with the milk (though she assured me there was regular dairy stuff available) or sugar. Asking her if the brand was available for purchase, I bought two bags, earning a look of approval from Kirk. “’Just Us’, hmm?” I ran a fingertip over the lettering on the package. “It’s good. Really good. There’s a coffee maker in the guest house, right?” Kirk shook his head, as if I were beyond hope. “Bacon, sausage, coffee… child, you have some serious addictions,” he said in a mock southern accent. I grinned. “Think there’s a twelve-step program for bacon addicts?” He nodded. “It’s called ‘staying at Kirk’s house’. Stick with me, kid. You’ll never go back to the pig.” “Are you talking about James? Or pork?” I raised an eyebrow over my coffee cup and he choked a little on his tea. “Pork,” he managed to spit out. The serious lack of meat products aside, breakfast was fabulous. An elaborate fruit salad and greek yogurt with honey topped with homemade granola had me admitting to Kirk that his taste in restaurants didn’t suck so much after all. We lingered over our coffee and tea, until we realized the place was full and we should probably give up our table. “Don’t be silly,” he chided softly when I tried to pay. “You’re my guest.” Putting a hand on the small of my back, he guided me through the throng of people. “Hi, Kirk!” A perky redhead thrust herself in front of us, glancing at me briefly and then gracing Kirk with a huge smile. “Hi, Mel.” There was a pause. “How’s it going?” “Great! Really, really great. Dave and I are having a barbecue this weekend. We thought you and Lani might like to come. Is she, um, not around?” Giving me a longer look this time, the girl stepped back, shooting me what was clearly a fake smile, not anywhere as friendly as the one she’d given Kirk. “She flies in on Thursday. Our weekend’s looking pretty busy, though. Can I get back to you about the barbecue?” “Absolutely! For sure!” She said it in such a manner that I expected her to follow up with some sort of cheer and maybe a high kick. “Oooh, but it’s really a couples’ thing, so…” she trailed off and gave Kirk a meaningful look, nodding her head at me. Laughing, he muttered something unintelligible and nudged me forward. “Bye, Mel. Nice to see you.” Whispering, “Go, go!” in my ear once we were past her, he practically shoved me out the door. “Wow, Kirk! Who’s your friend? She’s super – s-u-p-e-r!” I grinned, cocking my head at him and clapping my hands. “Oh my God. That girl doesn’t give up. She’s been trying to have us over for dinner for months. Seriously. We have like, one mutual friend, and Lani’s pretty sure that Mel thinks we’re swingers and is trying to get us in on some kinda naughty party.” He had to pause while I doubled over in a fit of laughter. “Sorry, I'm sorry! It’s just the ‘naughty party’ thing that killed me. I know you guys were rumoured to have quite the love life at one time – or now,” I held up my hands when he glared at me. “But swinging with the neighbours? And she doesn’t really strike me as your type.” “She’s not,” he rolled his eyes. “But she’s so freaking persistent, and both Lani and I feel really rude turning down her invitations – to dinner,” he added when I giggled. “I wonder if we should just go and then run away if things get…awkward.” “She’s watching us.” “What?” He started to look over his shoulder and I grabbed his hand. “She’s watching us? Like, through the window?” “Yeah. It’s creepy.” A slow smile came over his face. Pulling me close, he planted a big, wet kiss directly on my mouth. “There,” he said gleefully. “That oughta discourage her!” He thought for a moment. “Or, it’ll be all over the island in about five seconds that I’m having an affair.” Shaking with mirth, I linked my arm through his as we headed up the street. “How come you and Lani never invite me to naughty parties?” I took my leave of him when we reached the gate house, curling up with a book on one of the deck chairs, both dogs at my feet. I could hear the sound of Kirk’s acoustic guitar from the courtyard, with intermittent silences, and I wondered if he was writing. A phone call from James an hour later woke me from the impromptu nap I was having, and I flipped open my phone. “Hi.” There was a long sigh, followed by a quiet hello, and I could actually hear the smile in his voice. “How’s Hawaii?” “Well, the weather’s amazing, Kirk’s house is gorgeous, I seem to have come down with narcolepsy and I miss you lots. How are you?” “I’m just fine. I miss you, too.” “How’s…” “The program?” He finished for me. “Yeah.” “It’s going well. Lots of talking. Lots of thinking. And then more talking. Similar to stuff I did last time.” He took another deep breath and exhaled. “How are you feeling? You said you’re sleeping a lot? In a good way?” “In a great way. I slept half of yesterday away and I was napping when you called-” “Oh…I’m sorry I woke you, sweetie.” I smiled. No matter what other stuff we might be going through, it was so nice to hear him call me that. If I closed my eyes and ignored the slight buzzing of our cell phones, I could imagine he was right beside me. “Charlie?” “Sorry. I was just, um, wishing you were here.” “Well, if we’re wishing for stuff, I wish we were at the cabin. Then I wouldn’t have to share you with Kirk,” he said, giving a quiet chuckle. I laughed, telling him about Mel and her supposed naughty parties. We hung up a few minutes later and it didn’t occur to me until that evening that we’d signed off with I miss you instead of I love you. |
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.Anyway the chapter was great(as story herself) :horns2 .



Great stuff hun!
She thinks that James doesn't love her and he didn't do this for her best,but just to put her away from him.
.Kirk has taste!

8:39 PM Jul 10