Chapter 8 - Mom is Dating

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P.S. Meet the infamous Lissa!! I'm sorry this chapter doesn't have any Adam in it, I promise he is coming. So is Jesse ;) You guys will love Jesse.

"So he did what now?" Lissa questioned, a look of confusion crossing her face.

Demi threw a pillow at her and Lissa ducked behind my closet door, throwing her a glare.

"He did drugs Liss!" Demi whisper yelled.

"Yeah, but..." Lissa shook her head in disbelief. "I mean, golden boy Jared Dessen? And what was it? Heroine? Weed?"

She crossed her arms and stared at the ground. Demi scoffed in disbelief.

"That is so sad, he couldn't handle the heartbreak of losing his father and resorted to," she glanced around her and hushed her tone. "Drugs."

"Demi, tone your crush down for a second," Lissa grumbled and plopped onto the ground, tapping her fingers against the carpet. "This is a serious issue, he isn't who he used to be."

"You guys, I've never seen that look on his face before," I recalled. I laid back on my bed and stared at the ceiling. "It was terrifying, it wasn't the Jared I grew up with."

"Well, of course not Alice," Lissa shot back. "He's probably done hard time in prison or something." She stood up and came into my line of vision and pointed at me. "Do not provoke him anymore," she scolded.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes Mom."

"Speaking of, what happened after you came up here?" Demi asked.

I sat up and crossed my legs. "I have no idea, I haven't been back down," I replied.

"You didn't check on your mom?" Lissa asked, shocked.

"Well," I paused. "No..." I trailed off, embarrassed that I didn't.

"You need to go see what's going on," Lissa said. I sighed and stared at her. Her expression was hard, but you could tell she cared. Demi was still staring at the ground, probably wanting to figure out what was wrong with Jared. Not that I didn't want to, but I'd rather just avoid him for the time being.

"Just go," Lissa nudged me. "We will be up here."

I heaved myself off the bed reluctantly, knowing she was right. I opened the door and tiptoed to my mom's bedroom where I could hear her sniffling.

I was about to knock on the door when I heard her voice carry over to me. I pressed my ear to the wooden door and listened. She must be on the phone.

"It was awful Gerald," she sniffed more. "My own children hate each other. Jared just got out of rehab, Alice resists the entire healing process, I can't do this on my own."

I looked at my feet, ashamed that I was part of the problem.

"No, you can't come over," I perked up. What? "I know, I wish you were too, but you can't meet them yet," she said. My heart sank, my breathing stopped.

Mom has a boyfriend? The thought itself is...is...I don't know! Before I could think, my default reaction took me running down the stairs and into the living room where I found Jared laying on the couch flipping through the channels.

I stood in front of the TV.

"Hey," Jared protested and looked up at me with a frown.

"Jared," I said, my breath not quite back yet. "Mom is seeing someone!" I shrieked.

Jared sat up. "Calm down, what are you talking about?" He set the remote on the couch.

My eyes bugged out. "Mom is seeing someone!" I annunciated the words.

Jared stared at me. "I'm pretty sure Mom can't even talk to the grocers, let alone another man."

"That's what I thought," I said pacing the floor before stopping. "Wait, how do you know that?"

"I talked to mom," he dismissed.

"Wait you talked to mom while you were gone and not me?" I crossed my arms, hurt and annoyed.

"Someone had to bail me out," he muttered. "Get back to the point," he said, forcing me to ignore his comment. I wouldn't of course, I'm saving that for a later time.

"I was going to go check on her and overheard her talking to Gerald and how she wishes he could come over here!" I began pacing the floor again and threw my hands up into the air. "I mean, what kind of name is Gerald? Sure, there's Gerald Butler or whatever his name is, but eww," I shook my head in disbelief. "I mean it sounds like some creepy overweight investment banker from New Jersey."

Jared stood up and stopped me mid pace and held my shoulders gently. "Alice, calm down," he started, looking like he wasn't worried.

"Jared," I grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "Mom is replacing Dad!"

He rolled his eyes. "Quit being so dramatic," he walked back to the couch.

I heard footsteps rush down the stairs before seeing Lissa and Demi rush into the room.

"What's going on?" Lissa asked, glancing between Jared and I. Lissa made it a point to stand between me and my brother, as if to protect me. Jared rolled his eyes.

"I don't bite Lizzy," Jared grumbled.

"It's Lissa," she stated.

"Whatever," Jared murmured before turning back to me. He caught Demi staring at him and turned to where his back was now facing her.

"Mom is dating!" I exclaimed to Lissa.

"Oh my gosh," Lissa breathed and went bug eyed. "Your mom spoke to someone?!"

Jared snorted. "That's what I said Lisa."

She scowled. "It's Lissa!"

"It's the same thing!" Jared shot back at her. They held each other's angry scowls for a few moments before huffing and turning away and looking in the opposite direction.

I shook my head and refocused. "Guys, how do you not see the problem with this?"

"Alice, I mean it has been two years," Demi said quietly. Lissa glanced at her and then Jared before nodding at me.

"It's not a bad thing," Lissa said softly before resting her hand on my shoulder. Deflated I sat on the loveseat and stared at Jared.

Jared's jaw clenched and unclenched. "Alice," he finally said. "We had to know this would eventually come."

I stared at my hands. "I just didn't expect it so soon," I mumbled. Jared reached out his hand to mine and I took it.

"It's okay," he said.

It's weird to think about when you lose someone. There is no one in this world that can replace them, no one who could even come close to said person. I never imagined having to live in a world without my Dad. I never imagined having to see Mom be happy with someone else than the person she was supposed to be married to forever. I never imagined having to meet my Mom's dates.

I cringed at the thought. Would I have to stay up late and wait for her to get back home? Oh my gosh, what if I hear them having sex. The thought made my skin crawl. There is something just so wrong about that scenario.

"Alice," Jared's voice brought me out of my thoughts. "She deserves to be happy."

I sighed and nodded. "I don't want to meet him...not yet."

"No one will make you," Demi said, taking a seat in between Jared and me. Jared eyed her wearily. Demi smiled at him and he widened his eyes a little bit before turning away real quick.

After thinking it through, it really wasn't that bad of a situation. I mean they're right. Mom deserves to be happy and I don't have to meet him, not technically at least. I can take my time absorbing all of this. Ugh, what a day.

"Well, ladies," Jared stood and stretched. I rolled my eyes at Demi's awestruck face when his shirt lifted up a little bit. I don't know why she's so excited. he certainly isn't in the shape he used to be. "I'm going to bed."

"Goodnight," I said.

"Goodnight!" Demi beamed. Jared narrowed his eyes at her before giving her a curt nod and scrambling away from the living room and taking the stairs two at a time.

I rolled my eyes. He was always so weird about my friends' crushes on him. He should be flattered.

"I am officially exhausted, what more could happen today?" I fell back onto the couch.

"Don't ask that!" Lissa slapped me.

"Yeah, that's like asking for more drama," Demi confirmed.

I just wanted to go to bed at this point and sleep in tomorrow.

I sucked in a breath and sat up in a rush.

"Oh my gosh, I start work tomorrow!" I slapped my forehead.

Demi and Lissa both groaned. "Why did you get a job?" Lissa moaned.

"I want extra money during the school year," I explained as I stood up to go the laundry room to check if my shack shirt was in there. I tossed it into the summer and made my way back to the living room.

"You're going to be stuck with Jesse all summer," Demi grimaced.

I shrugged. "He's not so bad," I defended.

Lissa gave me a look.

"Okay fine, he's a little annoying," I admitted. "He did gain some serious muscle though, Lissa, I know how much you like that," I grinned at her.

She gave me a bored look. "He needs to get rid of that mop head hair before I'll ever consider him."

My face fell. "C'mon, you guys have to at least come by and keep me company sometimes," I begged.

"Count me out," Demi said as she stood up.

"Same," Lissa followed Demi's example.

"You are both horrible friends."

They both looked at me, amused.

"Seriously, can you and Jared survive the night without killing each other or hugging each other to death?" Lissa asked.

"Well, yeah," I replied.

"Good, because this girl needs her bed and I'm Demi's ride."

"Hey, I told you I could have picked you up," Demi frowned.

"And have you drive us into a stop sign? No thank you," Lissa joked and grabbed her purse off of the couch. Demi truly was an awful driver. She seemed to always get distracted easily...very easily.

Demi scowled as she followed Demi out the door. The two of them waved as they argued about Demi's driving skills until it was finally silent. With a sigh I clicked off the TV and the lamps and headed to bed.





*****

I'm sorry, this was a filler chapter, but I had to place in some background and give some more detail on their lives. Otherwise it wouldn't be that good. Just wait, Jesse and Adam are coming in full force soon!

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