Date: Mon, 23 Oct 2000 04:19:51 -0400 (EDT) From: Secret Dreamer Subject: Fall Down and Smile : 3 Hey! Yeop, here's Chapter 3! I hope you like it. Please lemme know what you think. Thanks again to everyone who e-mailed me. :) I appreciate it to no end. If you wanna contact me by Aol IM, my s/n is : Cheschire Diva Note: I know NOTHING about clubbing so just bare with me hehe. Chapter 3 "The autumn days swung soft around me, like cotton on my skin." By: Secret Dreamer "Hurry up! My arms are about to fall off," I groaned as Dawn fumbled with her keys to open the apartment door. "Found'em!" she stuck in the key and opened the door. I stumbled in and dropped the bags with a sigh of relief. Shaking out my numb arms, I looked at the surrounding room. It wasn't bad. Nice place for two people. I was standing in the living room, to my left was the kitchen and to the right were three doors. "Are those the bedrooms?" I inquired. Dawn nodded and opened up both of the doors. There wasn't much different in the two. One had pale blue paint on the walls and the other had plain white; that was about it. "Which one do you want?" she asked. I shrugged. "It doesn't really matter." "Come on! Pick one." "Which one do you like?" She thought for a second. "The blue." "Than I'll take the blue," I grinned. She smiled, knowing I had figured out her ploy. By picking the blue one, I picked the one she didn't want. "How'd you know I wanted the white?" she asked. I just smiled at her and picked up my bags. "We need to do some shopping," I called, sitting on the bed that was set up. The box spring was old and didn't offer any support for the mattress. Unfortunately, that would cost $300, possibly more depending on which company made it. "Yeah I know. I'm too exhausted to do it today, though," was her reply. I nodded and walked into the kitchen. It was a good size. There was enough space for one person to move around freely, and two without to much difficulty. "We have a dishwasher!" I shouted with glee. Dawn came out of her room and looked at me. "I never had a dishwasher growing up. I WAS the dishwasher," I chuckled and fingered the little black buttons. "Come on. I'm starving," Dawn said, grabbing her purse. I picked up my bag and followed her out the door. "Why do you always carry that bag around?" I opened it up and showed it to her. Inside was a notebook, manila folder, tiny tape recorder, and a lap top. "I still don't follow." "Writing supplies. You never know when an urge might arise and sometimes, it's something so good you have to drop everything," I explained. She nodded and locked the door. "So where do you wanna eat?" ******* We found a nice little restaurant not far from the apartment. Our first meal as New York residents was a pizza and coke. Both grinning with our new found freedom. "When do rehearsals start?" I asked, sipping my coke. "Tomorrow, actually." "What's the play called?" "Storm Front. It's new so I'm throwing myself on a limb. If it does good, my career could sky-rocket, if it doesn't work out, my career is most liking going to be shattered." "Wow," I breathed. "Well, I have every confidence in you and you're fellow thespians," I smiled. She beamed back. "Thanks. We're gonna need it." Both of us chuckled as we finished our meal and started back to the apartment. ****** The first couple weeks ran like clockwork. Dawn woke up around 8: 30 and left for rehearsals at 9 o'clock. She wouldn't come home until 3 in the afternoon. I would rise at 9: 20, shower, and lock myself in my room. Furiously writing as I tried to come up with something to add to my novel. At 2: 30, I would take a break to grab a bite to eat and walk to the park and take pictures of the scenery. When 5 rolled around, I'd re-enter the apartment and make dinner while Dawn worked on her part. Dinner would be done around 6 and we would eat together at the tiny table. Both famished and we made small talk about our days. After, she would do the dishes and I would lock myself up in my room and continue writing. Around 10, Dawn would come in and say good-night. I would return the sentiment and go back to writing until the late hours of the night. I came in from taking pictures of a brother playing with his little sister to find Dawn running around in a tight little black dress, hoping on one foot trying to put on her other heel. "Hey," I said and raised an eyebrow. "Hey Muffin! Have you seen my earrings?" I chuckled and pointed to the counter. She laughed and snatched them up. She stabbed her ear to put in her earring. "Ouch!" "Let me help," I set down my camera and slipped in the two diamond studs. They made her look even more beautiful. "Thanks," she breathed as the doorbell rang. "That's my date," she grinned and opened the door. A strikingly gorgeous man stood on the doorstep. He was wearing a suit and held a bouquet of flowers. "Hey Dawn," he smiled. "Hey Jared. This is Iya." "Nice to meet you," I grinned and shook his hand. "Likewise. These are for you," he handed Dawn the bouquet. She smiled and said she was going to put them in water. I stood in a nervous silence with Jared as we waited for Dawn to reappear. I bit my lip to keep the sob from breaking through my lips. "Ready," Dawn beamed and took Jared's arm. "Don't wait up, Iya." I smiled weakly. "I won't." I watched them board the elevator before closing the apartment door. My back stuck to it as I sniffled. No. I wouldn't do this. Not again. I wouldn't let her win. Sure, I knew she wasn't doing this to spite me but it still felt like a knife had plunged into my heart. I wiped away a few stray tears and began on dinner. For one. I ate my linguini in silence and slowly drank a glass of milk. I had pulled my long jet-black hair into a high ponytail and my glasses were perched on my nose. They were thin frames and brought out my cheekbones. I cleaned up the kitchen and decided to enjoy a bit of the nightlife that New York City was so famous for. I took out two jars of hair dye and descended into the bathroom. This stuff was a gem. It showed up in any hair color. Blue and red. The procedure was fast and soon I had streaks of the two colors in strategically placed areas. I found a pair of tight flared jeans and a red tank top. It was bright enough to grab your attention but not so bright that it made you want to hurl at its mere sight. I slipped on my boots and applied a thin layer of make-up. I had been clubbing in Florida last summer so I knew the way to dress. I slipped my house key into my pocket and left the apartment. ******* I was soon in a crowd of kids, trying desperately to get into a club. I pushed through to the front. "You!" The bouncer pointed at me and I slipped through the velvet rope. It was almost like being a celebrity. Only the most beautiful and stunning could enter such a facility. Immediately, the bass hit me. It sent vibrating shivers up my spine as I took a deep breath and walked onto the floor. "Wanna dance?!" a guy screamed at me. I nodded and followed him to the middle of the floor. I let the music take hold of my body as I gyrated and grinded to the beat. Dawn wasn't the only one who could have a good time. The song ended and I went to the bar. "What can I get ya?" the bartender yelled. "Strawberry daiquiri," I yelled back. He nodded and took my 2. 50. I sat at the bar and sipped my drink. "Hey," a slim girl said, sitting next to me. She had long red hair and piercing green eyes. "Hi," I smiled and ate the cherry that sat at the bottom of the glass. "Can I buy you a drink?" she asked. I shook my head. "One is my limit." She nodded as if to understand. "Can I buy you one?" "No. I just used that to break the ice," she chuckled. I laughed and grinned. "Do you wanna dance?" "Sure." She took my hand and led me back onto the floor. It was Madonna's "Music". She slipped her arms around my neck as I felt my body being pressed against hers. I blushed at the feeling. She was the first girl I had come this close to, physically, since Gretchen. I let myself enjoy the experience and moved with her body. For awhile, it felt like we were the same person. In tune to the music and moving like it was who we were. I hadn't noticed, but we danced through six songs before going back to the bar. "Water," I called to the bartender. "Make that two," the girl added. He nodded and walked away. "What's you're name?" she yelled. "Iya. What's yours?" "Olivia. Can I have you're number?" I nodded and wrote it down on a bar napkin as our water arrived. I drank a good half of it before taking a breath. "Thanks," Olivia smiled, looking at the number. "How often do you come here?" "This is my first time," I yelled back. The noise was becoming deafening. "Really? You dress like a natural." "I went clubbing in Florida last summer." She nodded. Clubs down in Florida were more vicious because of the constantly hot weather. If you weren't careful, it was easy to pass out and get killed on the floor. Olivia and I continued to talk at the bar. I learned she was a student at NYU who was studying to become a 3rd grade teacher and looking for someone to spend the rest of her life with. I told her about being a writer and going to school at Penn State. "You're a writer?" she seemed surprised. I nodded. "I thought you were a model!" I almost choked laughing. "Me? A model?" It was her turn to nod. "Parden me for saying so, but you have an amazing body! You could totally make it in the fashion world." I blushed and ordered another water. "I'll stick to writing but you just gave me a major ego boost." "You're welcome. Hey, do you know what time it is?" I looked at my watch and almost screamed. "It's 4: 30! Oh my god! I gotta go," I paid my tab and started to walk to the exit. "I'll call you!" Olivia yelled as I slipped into the cold air. I shivered slightly and began the walk back to the apartment. ******* I took out my key and unlocked the door. The apartment was dark when I got inside. I found Dawn asleep on the couch with a book in her lap. I pulled a blanket over her and tiptoed to my room. I stripped out of my clothes and took a shower. Most of the sweat on my body, wasn't even mine. I washed off the party euphoria and yawned as I came off my adrenaline high. I pulled on a long t-shirt and a pair of underwear before slipping under the covers and falling into a beautiful slumber. ******* "Get up!" I heard Dawn yell early the next morning. I groaned and turned over. "Get up!" she ordered again, pulling the blankets from my body. I pulled myself into the fetal position, feeling the cold. "Go away," I grumbled and attempted to go back to sleep, which was proving quite hard without my comforter. "Where were you last night?" she demanded. "I went clubbing," I yawned. I thanked the Gods for only drinking one drink. "You could've left a note!" "I didn't think I'd be out until 5." "FIVE! You were out until 5?!" I nodded and yawned again. I looked at my watch, it was only 8 in the morning. 2 and a half hours. I had taken half an hour to take a shower. "Let me go back to sleep," I was getting tired of her motherly attitude. "No! I can't believe you were out so late! And to a club of all places." "Dawn," I yelled. "Lay off." "Why should I?" "Cause I just went out to have some fun, like you. We live in New York City and I thought I would enjoy it. I'm only here until fall semester starts." "So you're moving back to the dorm at the end of the summer?" "Well, I have to finish and graduate. I made it this far." This seemed to piss her off and she stormed from the room. I lay my head back down and fell back to sleep. What had crawled up her ass and died? ******* I was sitting at the dining table eating a sandwich when the phone rang. "Hello?" "Is Iya there?" "This is she." "Hi! It's Olivia." "Oh Hey. Wassup?" "Nothing. Just thought I'd see if you were awake yet. I called earlier but your roommate said you were still asleep." "Yeah I didn't get in until 5 and she got the funny idea I would want to be woken up at 8." "Oouch! That must've been a disaster." "You could say that." "Well, I wanted to know if you wanted to go out on Saturday?" I swallowed hard. A-A date? "With a few other people." I let out a silent sigh. "Sure!" "Great! We're gonna meet at the club we were at last night." "What time?" "Around 6. I thought we'd get dinner, catch a flick, and do a little club hopping." "Sounds great!" "Awesome. See you Saturday!" "Great! Later." I disconnected the call and smiled before finishing my sandwich and going back to my room to add some more to my novel. It was growing slowly but had a nice size file. Dawn came in around 4 and collapsed onto the couch. I had moved my laptop to the little balcony that was connected to the living room. I waved behind my glasses and continued to write. She joined me after a few moments. "Iya?" I looked up. "I'm sorry." "For what?" I asked. "For going parental on you this morning. It was out of line. I guess I was just worried about you." "It's okay. I'll leave a note next time I feel the urge to run out to the city." "Thanks," she smiled. "I appreciate it. And I'll let you know when I have a date." "Deal." "So do you wanna go do something on Saturday? Catch a movie or something?" "I'd love to but I've already got plans." "Oh," she looked down at the ground. "With who?" "Olivia. She's a girl I met at the club last night. She and a few other people invited me to spend the evening with them. I bet she'd be thrilled to have you come along, too." "No," she smiled. "That's okay. I'll just call up Jared and see if he wants to go out again." I felt a sharp pain in my chest but chose to ignore it. "How was your date?" I inquired. I knew I was digging the whole deeper but I had to do it. I had to show her that there were no hard feelings. That I wasn't pining after her. "It was nice. We went to a nice little restaurant and went dancing. Very intimate." "That's awesome," I grinned. "Yeah. He's a really nice guy. He's the leading man in the play. He thought it would be a good idea if we got to know each other on a more personal level since we're going to be working so close together anyway." "Sounds reasonable," I nodded in agreement. "I'm gonna go call him." She disappeared back inside. I sighed and leaned my hand against my cheek. The sun was drooping in the sky and colors were strewn across its canvas. Why did this all have to be so hard? The only way to get my mind off Dawn was to go out with other people but it looked like it was hurting her. I just needed a night out with a bunch of people. That was all. ******* I was getting myself ready when the doorbell rang. I heard Dawn answer. I looked out and saw it was Jared. "Have fun you two!" I called, fixing my eyeliner. Dawn waved and Jared nodded as they closed the door. I had on another pair of tight pants and a black tank top. My hair had red chunks in it. It flowed down my back. I looked at myself in the mirror with a satisfied smile. The eyeliner I was wearing made my blue eyes look more intense against the red in my hair. Again, I grabbed my key and left the apartment. I spotted Olivia and waved. She shouted and ran up to me. "You made it!" she gave me a hug before leading me over to the rest of the group. "Iya, this is Love, Damien, and Jack." "Nice to meet you." "You too," they said in unison. It was awkward as we walked to a near by McDonald's. We ordered and found a booth to fit all five of us. The conversation was almost non-existence. There were a few pleasantries exchanged between a few of them. "So, Iya," Jack cleared his throat. "Do you have a boyfriend?" I choked slightly and shook my head. "A fox like you?" I couldn't help but laugh. "Thanks. I think." "What he means," Damien sent a glare in Jack's direction. "is that it's surprising. You're a beautiful girl." "Thanks. I just got out of a relationship about a month ago." "Not Mr. Right, huh?" Love asked. "I totally know what that's like." "Um. You could say that," I smiled and bit my lip. Now, it was getting really awkward. "How long were you two together?" Olivia asked, joining in the conversation. "Four years." They all whistled in amazement. "That's a long time to be attached to someone!" Jack exclaimed. "Yeah but you do that when you're in love," I told him. Love nodded and smiled at me. "Right on, sister." I smiled back and finished my food. ******* We decided to skip the movie and just go straight to a club. I felt the urge to get really, really plastered. Upon entering, I went straight to the bar and ordered a daiquiri. I downed it quickly. The bartender handed me a round of shots. Much quicker this way. I put them down one after the other, barely leaving any time to swallow. I coughed as it burned the back of my throat. I'd never done hard liquor before. I felt my throat dry out and I felt slightly light-headed. I ordered a bottle of water and sipped it slowly. This wasn't my night. "Hey Iya! Come dance with me!" Damien said, coming up to me. I nodded and took his hand. In my slightly drunken state, it was easier for the music to hold me. And hold me it did. I don't remember much of what happened in that hour and a half but when I walked back to the bar, I had won Jack, Damien, and Love's affections. I ordered another daiquiri but took this one slower. "You were great out there!" Olivia exclaimed, sitting next to me. I just smiled at her and finished nursing my drink. "Are you okay? You seem kind of down." "I'm just adjusting, I guess," I told her. It was true. I was adjusting to living with the girl of my dreams and instead of spending the evening with her, I was out getting drunk at a club while she was having dinner with, whom I presume, was Mr. Right but I hoped he was just Mr. Right-Now. "You're in love," Olivia said as if it were a natural thing. I blinked and stared at her. "Excuse me?" "I can see it in your eyes. You're in love but they don't love you back." "No, they love me back they just don't know I love them. She's out with her new boyfriend and I'm getting drunk." Olivia rubbed my back as I finished the drink. "I'm gonna take a stab and guess that you haven't told her because of you're last relationship." I nodded. "Gretchen was the love of my life for four years. Four years. And then Dawn walks into my life and everything is a jumble on the floor." "Tell Dawn how you feel." "I can't. She's out with Jared and probably laughing over a glass of wine and filet min yon. This guy could be the one for her." "Is she gay?" "Bi-sexual." "Does she know about you?" I nodded. "Did she tell you she loved you?" I nodded again. "Than I really doubt she just stopped for this Jared guy." I shrugged. "I don't know. The problem is, I don't know Dawn very well. Our schedules have been so messed up. We only see each other at dinner, really." "What does she do during the day?" Olivia inquired. "She's rehearsing for a play on Broadway called Storm Front." "Oh yeah. I heard about that. It's supposed to be a smash." "I hope so," I sighed. "It's just, every time I see her, I feel like I could spend the rest of my life with her. Or just staring at her. To me, she's perfect." "You got it bad," Olivia chuckled. "Tell me about it," I rolled my eyes and ordered another drink. "After this one, you're going back home and straightening things out with her." "She probably won't be home yet." "You never know," she said with a wink as my pager vibrated. I looked at the number and recognized it. "I'll be right back," I pushed past the crowd and found the telephone. It was down a hallway, away from the noise. I dialed the number. "Hello?" Dawn's voice was shaky. "Doll, what's wrong?" "I need you to come home." "Is everything okay?" "No," Dawn sobbed. "Please. Come home." "I'm on my way," I slammed down the phone, fear ripped through my body. I ran back to the bar. "I have to go. Dawn is in trouble." "I'll get your tab. Go!" I nodded and ran out the exit. My feet pounded against the pavement as I ran the 15 blocks to the apartment. My breath was ragged by the time I made it to the elevator. Impatiently, I pressed the up button 10 times. I stepped in and hit the 3rd floor. "Come on! Come on!" I urged. The doors opened and I ran down the hallway. I fumbled with the key but the door opened. Dawn stood in the doorway, tears pouring down her cheeks. Her dress was torn and she had a large bruise forming on the side of her face. "Sweetie, what happened?" Dawn didn't say anything, she just started sobbing. Muhahahah! I know, I'm evil. :) I hope you liked this installment. Please lemme know what you think. Good and bad. I have a feeling I'll be getting yelled at for this chapter. *laughs* Oohh well. Don't forget to smile, Secret Dreamer