We'll Be A Dream

Chapter 10: Parental Advisory

Jeremy

He was almost out the door. Almost.

"And where do you think you're going, Jeremy?" Jenna asks from her place in the hallway as his hand grasps the handle of the large door in front of him.

"Damn," he thinks to himself. "Almost made it."

He lets out an annoyed sigh, just loud enough to get his point across to his aunt. Figures. She apparently had a sixth sense when it came to him now. When he really didn't want her to.

Parental units... so damn annoying.

"Just," he turns to face her and shrugs, "out."

"Out?" she questions. "Did you forget about the new rules?"

Jeremy rolls his eyes in continued annoyance. She doesn't need to know about the countless of times he's snuck out before this. She should be glad he's actually using the front door; she'd probably freak about him hurting himself from launching off from his bedroom window. He really doesn't have the time to be playing twenty questions with his aunt at the moment. No time at all.

"No, Jenna. I just - I have somewhere to be."

"Where are you going?" she asks. "What will you be doing?"

"I - " he struggled for the words, not wanting to reveal just where he was going and with whom he was going to be doing it with. "I'd rather not say just yet."

Her raised eyebrows, pursed lips and incredulous look clarify her annoyance and confusion with his vague answer to her question.

"And why not?" she asks. Her crossed arms show her impatience.

He'd rather not tell her what he was planning on doing the rest of his evening, but he figured it would be best not to completely lie to his aunt Jenna. Whom has done the best she can in taking care of him and his sister after his parents' passing. He would rather not spoil what little freedom he already has.

She starts again softly, "Jeremy, if this is about dru -."

"It's not about drugs or hurting myself again, Jenna." he cuts her off. "I promise. Please believe me."

"I'd like to, Jeremy. I really would," she says through an exasperated sigh and a sullen look across her pretty features. "I can't - Jeremy, I just can't go through that again. And neither can your sister." her eyes are tearing up by the time she breaths the final words.

A rush of guilt passes through Jeremy and he's suddenly regretful for the party a few weeks back. The one where a lot of things changed. The one he won't soon forget.

Jeremy closes the distance between his aunt and him, grabbing hold of her hands in his and says to her, "I promise. I won't ever do any of those things again."

He only hoped that he sounded as sincere as he felt. Because he meant it. He really did.

It was then, at that moment as he held his aunt in arms, keeping her from crumbling under her own emotions at his own doing that he was going to have to tell her the truth. Well, a half truth.

He couldn't very well tell her with whom he was doing it with, without her ranting on about my his past abuser. It just wouldn't do.

"I'm going on a date," he says breathlessly. And he instantly felt a small amount of relief. A little more relaxed.

A part of him felt restricted, tight at keeping everything inside. At keeping himself and his thoughts hidden from the world. And now a smaller part of him felt better.

He'd have to have a talk with Tyler about this, if he was serious about the two of them. Secrets and hidden emotions poison the soul.

The look on her face would have been funny if it wasn't directed at the thought of him actually going on a date.

"A date?" she asks. "Like a date date?" Her face is unreadable at this point, but still shocked.

He smiles then, "yes, Jenna. A date date."

And nows he's feeling a little embarrassed and ashamed because he hasn't told her the whole truth. But still, embarrassed, because snow she's showering him with compliments and congratulatory thumbs up. It seems she's proud of him for such a small little thing, he doesn't really get it. But he's so not going to ruin this for her.

In that moment, though, he feels alive, more human than he has in a while. And he thinks that that's probably why his aunt is so excited for him.

That he's doing something so normal for a young man his age, like he's finally becoming a normal person. Becoming a normal person again.

And he can't exactly argue with that interpretation, because thats sort of how he's feeling and it feels good.

And he decides then, that no matter how his date with Tyler goes, good or bad, that he wasn't going to let it destroy him. He was going to be strong and not let the poison of depression and drugs get the better of him. He was going to do it Jenna and Elena, for his parents. But mostly for himself. And maybe for Tyler.

Maybe.

"Who's the lucky girl?" she asks after she calms down. "What will you be doing?"

He hesitates. "U - um," he stutters, "you don't know her. And I don't know - it's kind of complicated. Please, don't ask."

"Jere," her tone is warning and skeptic and he understands, he really does but he's not completely ready to come out to his aunt just yet. Let alone tell her that the guy he's currently going out on a date with, is his ex bully.

"I - I just don't want to jinx it, aunt Jenna." he finally thinks to say, hoping it would calm her suspicions. He can tell it doesn't help much.

And now he's shivering with anxiety, trying to divert her questioning stare away from himself.

"I'll be home by curfew, I promise. And if I'm even a minute late you can search me and submit me to a drug test. Whatever you want." he says.

She sighs, "Fine."

He hugs her then, embraces his aunt, grateful for her

P understanding. "Thank you so much! And it's just dinner and a movie and I'll be home a little after that. I promise."

"Look at you, Jeremy, all excited." shes smiling as she says it, too.

And he tries desperately not to blush a deep shade of pink.

Jenna's grinning wide, in a playful and teasing manner, and he's now totally embarrassed. He shifts under her peering gaze and finds that the floor beneath him is a more enjoyable piece of scenery than his aunts pretty face.

If only for the time being because shes being an insufferable teaser and he wishes that she would just stop because now she's making him nervous.

Jeremy was nervous before, but now for some reason, he was even more nervous about his date with Tyler.

"Thanks a lot, aunt Jenna!" he thinks to himself. "Thanks a lot!"

Tyler

He was almost out the door. Almost.

"And just where do you think you're going, Tyler Lockwood?" his mother questions as his fingers brush against the handle of the front door.

The front door currently leading to his exit - his much needed escape.

Parental units... so damn annoying.

He releases the door knob reluctantly and turns to face his mother with an unamused look. And he doesn't know how to answer her because nobody knows about this but Matt. And he definitely doesn't want anyone else to know. Not his mother, not other people and especially not his father. Anyone but his father.

He gives her a half-hearted shrug before saying, "Just - out."

Like its the most obvious thing in the world. And it is. Well, it should be, because if he's halfway out of their house, it should be painfully obvious. Even to his alcoholic of a mother. That he wants to be anywhere but in the lonely house (or mansion as everybody else likes to call it) they all call home.

And it's what he does every night. Goes out. Hangs out. Gets drunk. Gets high. Orgasms - usually. They haven't cared before - but, of course, on the nights of all nights his mother decides she cares. He just doesn't know if its the liquor she's consumed already and she's just fucking around or if her conscious mind is actually there and actually cares.

He doesn't really care either way.

He's got more important things to worry about. To think about.

"Out?" she asks with a slight slur and a confused look on her face. Then she starts giggling like a little schoolgirl as if Tyler had just said the funniest thing ever. "Out to...?"

Tyler rolls his eyes.

"Yeah..." he drawls, "you're definitely drunk. What was it this time?"

He goes to her then as she's not completely balanced and holds her to keep her from falling on her face.

"Tequila," she says, "and lots of it!" She giggles at her own joke. Though he doesn't know what it is, nor does he care. "You never answered me, Tyler."

Her tone begins a little threatening, but its masked by her drunken stupor.

"Just out..." he answers.

"With a girl?"

And he freezes then, unsure of how to answer. On one hand, he could tell her as she's drunk and most likely won't remember it and him saying it out loud again would likely relieve some of his stress and anxiety. But on the off-chance that she does remember - highly unlikely that it would bode well for him.

So he answers, "Out." And the irony of that word is almost funny enough to warrant a deep humorous laugh from himself if not for the situation at hand.

She's giggling again, like she knows all of his secrets and it scares him but he dare not question it.

He helps her to her room, puts her on the bed, pulls the covers over her as she's mumbling into the pillow, and finds one of the maids to tell them to keep an eye on his mother because she's been in the liquor cabinet again.

And he's out the door, in his car driving away from his so-called home, away from his drunken mother faster than he means to.

A/N: I'm not exactly happy with this, but whatever. It's been way too long, and I couldn't see myself doing anything more with this chapter. It's probably going to be a while before chapter 11 comes out. I'll try my best for those of you who are still with me.

peace and love:

-passion