Roots Beneath Ideals
Roses part 2
In a few hours we were at Vic’s school in San Diego where the guys were practicing tonight. I was really excited to see Vic and the guys play, but mostly to see Vic and thank him for the flowers if they were from him. It would definitely be a nice surprise for the guys to see me in the middle of the school week.
“I want to transfer here.” Ashley said as we walked to the band room.
“You want to transfer anywhere that Vic is so you can hit on him nonstop.”
“Guilty.”
I shook my head and opened the door. The first thing I saw was Vic standing with Emma.
“He wouldn’t.”
I put my hand over Ashley’s mouth then walked so we were in ear shot but hidden.
“I just don’t understand, everything was going so well, besides the fact that you were cheating on me but I forgave you for that Vic.” Emma said sobbing.
I heard Vic sigh, “I wasn’t cheating on you I was cheating on Keri and it was wrong of me to do that to both of you. I’m really sorry Emma, I don’t know how many more times I can say it, but I love Keri, not you.”
“But, but you told me you loved me.” She began crying harder.
“And I was wrong to tell you that too. It was a mistake. I love Keri, she completes my world. Without her I feel too empty.”
“What about me? I’ve fallen so hard for you.”
“I know.”
“You know, then why? Why can’t I have you instead? If you were seeing me behind her back then what we had must have meant something.”
“She is trying so hard right now,” Ashley whispered.
I put my finger to my lip and turned my attention back to Vic and Emma’s conversation.
“Emma I’m sorry, really, but this is over.”
“NO, I won’t let it be.”
Alright there goes the psycho in this chick, now it’s time to cue in Keri. I walked up behind Vic and hugged his waist.
“Hello best friend!”
He barely turned, but I could see his smile, “Hey, what are you doing here?”
“I thought I’d visit since my classes were over for the day and Ashley wanted to take advantage of you.”
“Oh that’s nice of you. Oh Emma-.”
She was gone. Oh well.
“So what were you two talking about?
“Um how about we not worry about that right now. Hey Ash long time.”
“Yes I know, we can begin reacquainting now if you like.” Ashley said with a wink.
Vic laughed and took my hand and walked us to the practice room where the rest of the guys were. “Hey guys look whose home for the next few hours!”
“KERI!”
Mike and Mitch ran over and hugged me.
“Hey Ashley, what’s with the flowers?” Mitch asked after greeting her.
“Oh yeah that’s right, so Vic did you send those?” I questioned.
“Um no?”
“Mike?” I asked.
“You wish. But I’ll take the credit.” He replied.
“Joe?”
We all looked at him.
“Why would I send a person like you flowers?” he asked with a glare.
“Because you’re in love with Keri. Eep.” Ashley put her hands over her mouth.
All was quite. We all just stared at Joe for an explanation.
“Yeah and?” Was all he let out.
“And…And?” Vic asked angrily. “And maybe she was my girlfriend and we were working on our relationship. You can’t just do these things Joe.”
“Well too bad Vic. I may have been a jerk to Keri all these years, but that was because I wasn’t sure how to approach her and then you just swept her away. And one of the last things I would do is hurt her like you did. I needed her to see that.”
“I already told you Joe this would never work ever.” I said.
“Wait.” Vic turned me, “You knew he liked you?”
“Yes?”
“You might want to tell him about the kiss too while we’re at this.” Joe said with a smirk.
“Keri you did what?”
“It wasn’t even like that-.”
“Then what was it like? When did this happen?”
“It was three years ago when we first started dating, but it was me that kissed Joe. He kissed me. He’s always been an ass to me so why would I want to kiss him?”
“I don’t know Keri, you tell me. When did you plan on telling me?”
“Never.”
“Why?”
“Because it didn’t mean anything, it came out of the blue and because I didn’t want this to happen. Why are you getting mad with me for, he’s the cause of all of this.” I said pointing an accusing finger at Joe.
“You never told me that’s why. I’m mad at him too, but you’re supposed to tell me these things.”
“I tell you everything though!”
“You didn’t tell me this!”
“Fuck this, I’m going home. Ash let’s go.”
I turned to walk away, but Vic grabbed my arm and pulled me to a side room. Before we walked in, I heard Mitch tell Joe that his done it now. Vic grabbed two seats and had them face each other. We both sat with anger.
“Why didn’t you just tell me?” he asked again.
“Again, because it didn’t mean anything to me.” I replied.
“If you had just told me we could have resolved this.”
“No we couldn’t, because Joe is your best friend and band mate. I wouldn’t want to be the reason for some shit happening in the band and your friendship.”
“Well things certainly aren’t any better now.”
“I can see that.”
“I wish you would have just told me.”
“Since this is like a freaking interrogation, what about you and Emma?”
“What about us?”
“What were the both of you talking about before?”
“It was nothing important.”
“But for the simple fact that she’s fallen so hard for you, you think that’s nothing important.”
“Why is everything I do for you not good enough?”
“Alright Victor stop right there. I have never said anything like that.”
“You sure like to imply it.”
“I have never once implied it either. You know that everything you have done for me I have appreciated till no end. This isn’t about me anymore. Tell me the truth did you sleep with her.”
“This is so off topic.”
“Like hell it is. You want to know what happened between Joe and I, I want to know about you and Emma.”
“Yes and? It was over a year ago.”
“Great, now this is really over.”
Vic sighed loudly into his hands, “Can we please not do this again.”
“Sure.”
I got up from my seat, yet Vic pulled me back down.
“Keri I’m so serious right now. You’re not leaving me again before we even fix things.”
“Yeah, watch me.” I got up again to be pulled down once again.
“Will you just stay seated so we can talk.”
“No I’m done talking. As long as Emma is slightly involved and you want to get mad at me for something Joe did, I don’t think so. Nope not dealing with it, not even a little bit.”
I got up this time dodging Vic’s grip.
“Calm down already.”
“NO! I really and truly hate you at this very moment.”
“Keri please, I am sorry for everything.”
“I don’t care.”
“Yes you do.”
I moved my hair to the side and took off my locket throwing it at Vic. It was the last thing I had that he had given to me.
“Do you still think I care now?” I walked out the room and took Ashley’s hand, “Come on Ash let’s go to my place. Mitch, Mike you guys are more than welcomed to come over later.”
“Oh okay. Bye guys nice seeing you.” Ashley said waving.
“Keri, stop.” Vic called.
“Do me a favor, go fuck Emma again. Kay?”
“Keri Chrisette Thompson, if you walk out of that door I’m never going to try with you again.”
“Is that a promise?”
I pushed the venue door open to reveal the San Diego bright sun.
“Well that was epic.” Ashley said with a laugh.
“Girl you haven’t seen epic yet.” I spotted Emma sitting on a bench still crying. “Hey Emma! You can go back and have my sloppy seconds again if you want.”
“Keri, you are one of the meanest girls I have ever met. I love it.”
“I want to transfer here.” Ashley said as we walked to the band room.
“You want to transfer anywhere that Vic is so you can hit on him nonstop.”
“Guilty.”
I shook my head and opened the door. The first thing I saw was Vic standing with Emma.
“He wouldn’t.”
I put my hand over Ashley’s mouth then walked so we were in ear shot but hidden.
“I just don’t understand, everything was going so well, besides the fact that you were cheating on me but I forgave you for that Vic.” Emma said sobbing.
I heard Vic sigh, “I wasn’t cheating on you I was cheating on Keri and it was wrong of me to do that to both of you. I’m really sorry Emma, I don’t know how many more times I can say it, but I love Keri, not you.”
“But, but you told me you loved me.” She began crying harder.
“And I was wrong to tell you that too. It was a mistake. I love Keri, she completes my world. Without her I feel too empty.”
“What about me? I’ve fallen so hard for you.”
“I know.”
“You know, then why? Why can’t I have you instead? If you were seeing me behind her back then what we had must have meant something.”
“She is trying so hard right now,” Ashley whispered.
I put my finger to my lip and turned my attention back to Vic and Emma’s conversation.
“Emma I’m sorry, really, but this is over.”
“NO, I won’t let it be.”
Alright there goes the psycho in this chick, now it’s time to cue in Keri. I walked up behind Vic and hugged his waist.
“Hello best friend!”
He barely turned, but I could see his smile, “Hey, what are you doing here?”
“I thought I’d visit since my classes were over for the day and Ashley wanted to take advantage of you.”
“Oh that’s nice of you. Oh Emma-.”
She was gone. Oh well.
“So what were you two talking about?
“Um how about we not worry about that right now. Hey Ash long time.”
“Yes I know, we can begin reacquainting now if you like.” Ashley said with a wink.
Vic laughed and took my hand and walked us to the practice room where the rest of the guys were. “Hey guys look whose home for the next few hours!”
“KERI!”
Mike and Mitch ran over and hugged me.
“Hey Ashley, what’s with the flowers?” Mitch asked after greeting her.
“Oh yeah that’s right, so Vic did you send those?” I questioned.
“Um no?”
“Mike?” I asked.
“You wish. But I’ll take the credit.” He replied.
“Joe?”
We all looked at him.
“Why would I send a person like you flowers?” he asked with a glare.
“Because you’re in love with Keri. Eep.” Ashley put her hands over her mouth.
All was quite. We all just stared at Joe for an explanation.
“Yeah and?” Was all he let out.
“And…And?” Vic asked angrily. “And maybe she was my girlfriend and we were working on our relationship. You can’t just do these things Joe.”
“Well too bad Vic. I may have been a jerk to Keri all these years, but that was because I wasn’t sure how to approach her and then you just swept her away. And one of the last things I would do is hurt her like you did. I needed her to see that.”
“I already told you Joe this would never work ever.” I said.
“Wait.” Vic turned me, “You knew he liked you?”
“Yes?”
“You might want to tell him about the kiss too while we’re at this.” Joe said with a smirk.
“Keri you did what?”
“It wasn’t even like that-.”
“Then what was it like? When did this happen?”
“It was three years ago when we first started dating, but it was me that kissed Joe. He kissed me. He’s always been an ass to me so why would I want to kiss him?”
“I don’t know Keri, you tell me. When did you plan on telling me?”
“Never.”
“Why?”
“Because it didn’t mean anything, it came out of the blue and because I didn’t want this to happen. Why are you getting mad with me for, he’s the cause of all of this.” I said pointing an accusing finger at Joe.
“You never told me that’s why. I’m mad at him too, but you’re supposed to tell me these things.”
“I tell you everything though!”
“You didn’t tell me this!”
“Fuck this, I’m going home. Ash let’s go.”
I turned to walk away, but Vic grabbed my arm and pulled me to a side room. Before we walked in, I heard Mitch tell Joe that his done it now. Vic grabbed two seats and had them face each other. We both sat with anger.
“Why didn’t you just tell me?” he asked again.
“Again, because it didn’t mean anything to me.” I replied.
“If you had just told me we could have resolved this.”
“No we couldn’t, because Joe is your best friend and band mate. I wouldn’t want to be the reason for some shit happening in the band and your friendship.”
“Well things certainly aren’t any better now.”
“I can see that.”
“I wish you would have just told me.”
“Since this is like a freaking interrogation, what about you and Emma?”
“What about us?”
“What were the both of you talking about before?”
“It was nothing important.”
“But for the simple fact that she’s fallen so hard for you, you think that’s nothing important.”
“Why is everything I do for you not good enough?”
“Alright Victor stop right there. I have never said anything like that.”
“You sure like to imply it.”
“I have never once implied it either. You know that everything you have done for me I have appreciated till no end. This isn’t about me anymore. Tell me the truth did you sleep with her.”
“This is so off topic.”
“Like hell it is. You want to know what happened between Joe and I, I want to know about you and Emma.”
“Yes and? It was over a year ago.”
“Great, now this is really over.”
Vic sighed loudly into his hands, “Can we please not do this again.”
“Sure.”
I got up from my seat, yet Vic pulled me back down.
“Keri I’m so serious right now. You’re not leaving me again before we even fix things.”
“Yeah, watch me.” I got up again to be pulled down once again.
“Will you just stay seated so we can talk.”
“No I’m done talking. As long as Emma is slightly involved and you want to get mad at me for something Joe did, I don’t think so. Nope not dealing with it, not even a little bit.”
I got up this time dodging Vic’s grip.
“Calm down already.”
“NO! I really and truly hate you at this very moment.”
“Keri please, I am sorry for everything.”
“I don’t care.”
“Yes you do.”
I moved my hair to the side and took off my locket throwing it at Vic. It was the last thing I had that he had given to me.
“Do you still think I care now?” I walked out the room and took Ashley’s hand, “Come on Ash let’s go to my place. Mitch, Mike you guys are more than welcomed to come over later.”
“Oh okay. Bye guys nice seeing you.” Ashley said waving.
“Keri, stop.” Vic called.
“Do me a favor, go fuck Emma again. Kay?”
“Keri Chrisette Thompson, if you walk out of that door I’m never going to try with you again.”
“Is that a promise?”
I pushed the venue door open to reveal the San Diego bright sun.
“Well that was epic.” Ashley said with a laugh.
“Girl you haven’t seen epic yet.” I spotted Emma sitting on a bench still crying. “Hey Emma! You can go back and have my sloppy seconds again if you want.”
“Keri, you are one of the meanest girls I have ever met. I love it.”
5/28/13