If you haven't read Chelsea's 18th Birthday, I suggest you read it first to better understand the characters in this series.
Thanks to all for your wonderful comments. Please continue to leave them. Any suggestions or critics are welcome! Also, I'd like to invite you to make suggestions for chapter 3.
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*
Their precious moment was interrupted again by another intrusion.
Clay again
, Brent thought as he looked into Chelsea's disappointed eyes. But when he looked up he could only wish it was Clay.
"Who the hell is this?" A female voice filled the quiet room and startled Chelsea.
"None of your business. What the hell are you doing here and what makes you think you have the right to barge into my apartment and start asking
me
questions?!" Brent stood to his feet and walked past Chelsea, fists balled up and his face turning red.
"Oh, come on! You're just embarrassed that you got caught with this re-bound girl. I thought you wouldn't be able to make it through the weekend without me so I thought I'd come to check on you. But it looks like you got your fix last night even without me."
Chelsea was stunned but she wouldn't turn around. She always tried desperately to avoid confrontation, especially with irate lunatics. However, she knew she had to get out of there fast if she wanted to minimize her involvement.
"Danica, you crazy bitch, get out of my apartment. I told you I don't want you anymore and what I do in my own home is not your business."
"Oh. Well, is it
her
business? Did you have to get a
hooker
to replace me?" She was annoyingly loud and obnoxious at this point.
Chelsea finally stood up and turned around and found herself face to face with the notorious Danica. But what she didn't expect was for it to be
that
Danica! Her face was scarlet from embarrassment.
"Her?" Danica shouted mockingly and Chelsea dashed past her for the door. Brent could hear the breath catching in her throat and could tell she was forcing back her sobs. "You've got that girl from school in your apartment?" She giggled loudly into her hand, doubling over as she laughed.
"What is your problem, Danica?" Brent chased after Chelsea and Danica followed joyfully, almost skipping.
Out in the hallway Danica found Brent with his hand on Chelsea's doorknob. She'd gone inside to get away from that crazy girl and Brent didn't blame her.
"Brent, she's your neighbor?!" Danica erupted into hysterical laughter that carried down the halls and reverberated through the walls of Chelsea's apartment where she sat crying on the floor by the door. "You lazy bastard! You don't know where she's been!"
"That's enough! Get the fuck out of here!" Brent yelled. He would never in a million years hit a girl but he was really wanting to do something to shut her up. "I don't want you anymore. I never want to see you again. I like Chelsea. A lot. She's a sweet girl. She's not fake and she's a hell of a lot better person than you'll ever be!"
Clay came running up when he heard all the commotion. Danica scoffed at Brent and rolled her eyes. "Hey, Clay," Danica flirted and looked back at Brent for his reaction.
"Danica, you should go," Clay said neutrally.
"Are you coming with me, Clay?" she teased.
"I don't think that's a good idea."
"Fuck you. Both of you," she said defeated and walked toward the stairs. "Oh," she started, looking back at the pair of them, "and you can tell your little peeping tom girlfriend I said 'good luck'! You two freaks deserve each other."
Brent just glared at Clay with his hands clamped onto his hips, obviously trying very hard to bite his tongue. Then he stepped in front of Chelsea's door and stared at the ground searching for something to say that would actually mean something to her in her emotional state. "Maybe she wants to be left alone," he finally said.
"Dude. I'm sorry for all the crap I've been giving you about Chelsea, man. She's a cool girl, I guess. And if you really like her... You know. I'm happy for you or whatever. But you shouldn't leave her in there by herself for sure." Brent looked over his shoulder at his best friend. This is why Clay was his friend. For the few but important times when he knocked some sense into him.
"Shit, you're right. But I don't know what to say. Danica was so horrible to her."
"Just go inside. You'll think of something," he urged.
"I already tried. The door's locked." He gently knocked on the door with one knuckle. "Chelsea. Please let me in."
"What'd she mean by 'peeping tom'?" Clay asked.
"I don't know. Probably just more psychobabble," Brent replied without giving it a second thought.
Chelsea didn't open the door. She now stood inside, leaning against it, fighting with her shame.
"Open the door, Chelsea, please." His voice got a few notches louder.
"I can't," she cried softly through the door.
"Baby, please. You gotta let me come in, Chelse." A moment passed and still no sounds from the other side of the door. "Chelsea. You're my girl. I need to talk to you about this." Brent rested his head against the door wearily. "You're still my girl, right?"
He heard the door unlock. "Call me," Clay whispered and headed back to his own apartment.
Brent pushed open the door gingerly and saw Chelsea leaning her left shoulder against the wall facing away from him.
She must be so torn up inside
, he thought to himself remembering how just last night she talked as though she wasn't good enough for a guy like him.
After closing the door he wrapped his arms around her from behind, holding her tightly around the chest in a big hug. "I'm so sorry," he whispered in her ear. "She's just..." Anger and hurt was returning to his voice now.
"It's not your fault," Chelsea interrupted.
"I'll make sure she'll never bother us again. She can't just talk about you like that and..."