*********************************************************************** I originally promised this finale about two weeks after the last chapter. Then that two weeks turned into two months and then turned into over a year. Well, I've STILL been getting e-mails about this story so that means I have something special going on here. This was originally intended to be the series finale but since I had MOST of it already done and ready to go I decided to break it up into some small chapters and put them out every day or so to give you guys and gals a little suspense considering the formidable delay I have created.
It was not my plan to even, EVER finish this story up. I lost my fire for it. During the weeks following chapter 14 I had a massive case of writers block. After that I started to lose faith in my ideals and dreams that were the basis of this story. For one who does not believe in himself will never convince the reader of something equally as poignant. This was my problem.
But after reading some of those e-mails that trickled in over the last year and four months I found a little bit on inspiration to continue. And I will try very much to finish this up and give you all the closure you're probably looking for. I know what that means for me. I just broke up with the first boyfriend I've had in three years just two weeks ago. Although the hurt and disdain that accompanied that break-up is still very much inside me, I never got any closure from him. So I'm getting my closure by taking that energy out here, in my writing. I know I promised it would be worth the wait and I still hope that holds true. As always, send your comments, complaints, death threats, etc. to levanelle@yahoo.com or look for me on AIM. My screen name is DleVanelle. I'm always willing to chat and I always respond to e-mails! (Or at least I will again. All of you who have sent me e- mails in the past few months, it was nothing personal. My life was just getting to crazy even for an insane person like me!) So sit back and enjoy the last few curves of this ride. I hope you've all had fun. I did, maybe not this past year and a half, but this story meant something to me and you always need to finish what you started. Hugz and kisses to all of you!
-Darren ***********************************************************************
EVERYTHING I SAID
- Chapter 15 -- Written by Darren LeVanelle
LAST CHAPTER ********************
Joey stood right outside the doors in the hallway, right next to room 323. He was wearing a really nice outfit, black slacks and a nice white casual shirt. He looked kinda...well, cute! He was holding a beautiful bouquet of a dozen red roses too. He took notice of me and looked my way, shock showing very apparently on his face.
"JEREMY???" He screamed out.
"JOEY???"
CHAPTER 15 **********************
"What are you doing here?" Joey practically was yelling at me.
"Well I could ask you the same question!" Don't get me started mister! I'm a nervous wreck as it is. Was this...him???
"Actually...I'm here to meet somebody." He had an impish grin plastered on his face. Oh my. I couldn't believe that Joey could be such a romantic. This was gonna be interesting. But I should have reminded myself not to jump to conclusions. I always set myself up for these overdramatic plot sequences.
Just as I was about to comment on how weird it was to find out this was my mystery man, a door opened...from room 324. A somewhat short and elegant looking woman appeared from the doorway wearing a strikingly beautiful black evening gown. She smiled over at Joey and then looked my way. Oh. It was that girl I saw his talking to earlier today in the mall.
"You look beautiful." Joey said to her, his eyes aglow at the way she looked.
"You're pretty good looking yourself. I like the suit." She had a strong voice. The she looked over my way. "So are you going to introduce me to your sexy friend here?" Yeah. This couldn't have been him. Jay had manners.
"I'm sorry. Jeremy," he looked over at me and then over towards his 'date' I take it, "This is Amber. Jeremy is our audio technician."
"Sounds like fun. Working with the rest of the guys all the time." She giggled a little bit as she looked over at me.
"It has its moments." I couldn't believe this. Joey going out! With a woman!!!
"So. Joey where are we going tonight?"
"I was gonna take you out to this nice restaurant and then I was thinking we could go see the ballet."
"Sounds great!" Joey into ballet? No wonder he was a pinch hitter.
"So are you meeting the lucky girl here Jere?" Well I must not have been that obvious of a gay man! Joey still thought I was straight. I think I need to get a more fashionable wardrobe to drop the hint.
"Yeah. You could say that."
"Well have a good time!" I hope so. Joey acted like a real man and offered his arm to Amber who took it willingly. Then they walked down the hall together, disappearing around the corner. I hadn't even knocked on the door and this evening already had plenty of surprises.
I thought the butterflies in my stomach would be gone by now. In fact, I was surprised that I was still feeling so anxious. It was probably due to the little run in with Joey that had me all worked up. Yeah. Like Jay was really a guy I already knew and to top it all off, a member of a band that is popular worldwide!
I hesitated still as I brought my fist to the door, unsure if I really wanted to go through with this. I mean, what if this guy breaks my heart? What if I'm a disappointment? What if we have no chemistry? With that still running through my head I rapped on the door and waited nervously for Jay to answer it.
And I thought seeing Joey just a minute ago gave me a heart attack! Someone PLEASE send me to a hospital now.
The door slowly crept open and I came face to face with...
"JUSTIN!" I gasped out shockingly, to his equally as surprised look to be staring at me. "YOU'RE JAY?!?"
"YOU'RE HAL?!?" He screamed over at me. A thousand things started running through me head. Oh my lord!
"I can't believe you!" I started out, laying into the little bitch with every last ounce of bitterness I had stored up in my tiny little frame. "All of those foul-mouthed things you said about Lance! And...and...and constantly proclaiming 'I'm not gay!' to everyone and you've been chatting and e-mailing away on your computer this entire time to me and talking about how much you love me! You are such a bitch Justin! Why can't you just grow up for two seconds and be a man for once in your damn life instead of acting like a little kid!"
"Jeremy..." He whispered out to me but I was still too mad to listen to him.
"And furthermore, how dare you tell me about how much you love me for who I am and not what I look like when you can't even stand to be in the same room with me for more than two hours at a time!"
"Jeremy..."
"NO. I'm not done yet! This is fucking CRAZY!"
"JEREMY!" He grabbed a hold of me firmly on the shoulders and shook me slightly. I was silenced very quickly then. He let out a small sigh as he finally spoke what he wanted to say. "I'm not Jay."
Now I'll be the first to admit that I don't budge that easily, but this was an entirely different scenario. "You're not?" I said sounding all too confused. He shook his head at me and stepped aside. >From behind the door HE appeared and looked at me, his blue eyes staring right into mine. I felt this overwhelming flood of relief surge through my body...since Jay ended up not being the Bitch formerly known as Justin.
"Could you leave us alone now?" He asked Justin, as I still hadn't moved an inch the entire time.
"Yeah." He looked at me. What was that I saw in his eyes? Another surprise happened as Justin carefully pushed me into the room and closed the door behind him. "You two have fun." And then it was just the two of us. Oh my!
I looked up at him. His eyes were still glued to mine. I couldn't believe this. No way! THIS was Jay??? I was shell-shocked, almost unable to speak. But he took that decision out of my hands. (As have all the men in this story!)
"Is you being speechless a bad thing...'Hal'?" His voice rolled out, with a hint of nervousness in it as well. It looks like I wasn't alone in that department.
"You CAN call me Jeremy y'know? And no. I'm just...surprised, to say the least." I looked down to the floor as I spoke, finally raising my gaze to his as I finished. "Know what I mean?"
His response to that was a slow move across the floor, taking his time and judging my response. He was acting so much like the perfect gentleman. He let his hand drift through the air and brushed his fingers slowly down my cheek. He smiled and I returned the gesture. Then he leaned in and our lips met in a sweet, passionate embrace.
I couldn't fully comprehend it. Here I was kissing...
JC.
*********************************************************************** TO BE CONTINUED??? ***********************************************************************