Part Fourteen: I'll Use That Voice You Find Annoying

Dueller blue eyes sparkled in the dim sunlight as it bleed through the blinds. He combed his small fingers through Stephanie's dark wispy curls, that sprawled across the pillow. She turned around and faced him, smiling like telepathically speaking, through their brains. He ran his finger across her tender fingers, she quickly pulled back. "Why is it so hard?" He asked. "Guitar practice, my Dad use to teach me. He stopped giving me guitar lessons, after the fight and all. That is why my Mom was hauled away from police, the doctors forced the truth out of me. Wringing me like I was some kind of wash rag. I bet your parents give you lots of freedom" Stephanie explained, turning her back towards him. "My parents died, Stephanie. I just have my grandparents, my only family" Dueller said, his blue eyes turned dead. Stephanie rested her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

Her eyes caught a glimpse of their Converse shoes, the four pairs made a heart. She felt a hand laid flatly on her clothed stomach, it was Dueller's but he was slowly falling back to sleep.

"Oh, wow . . . ." Jacob said, staring at Kathleen who was smiling. They were playing another game of poker, with Oreos and cans of ginger ale. Kathleen was dealing out the cards, as she recalled a story they learned in sixth grade they never understand. "Well, I still believe that 30 years from now I wouldn't care about how dress. Now, enough of the lectures Kat, give me my darn Oreos. Where is Stephanie and Dueller anyway? They've been upstairs in that room too long. . . ." Ellie said, her lips curling up mischievously and her eyebrows slowly rising making creases on her forehead. Her brown eyes looked at both Jacob and Kathleen who giggling at the hypothesis Ellie made.

Dueller came down the stair holding hands with Stephanie who looking a bit cherry herself. They join the rest of them laughing, when everything went silent. "Kathleen, what happened between you and Connor?" Jacob asked, studying his cards and picking another card from the pack.

Stephanie was sitting at the piano, playing it, with Dueller strumming the guitar. She was playing "Foundations" by Kate Nash, she stared at him and repeated the words:

My fingertips are holding onto the
Cracks in our foundations,and I know that I should let go,but I can't.
And every time we fight,I know its not right
,every time that your upset and I smile,
I know I should forget,but I can't.

Dueller looked at her in awe, "You can sing, Stephanie". Stephanie began blushing, she knew that she wasn't in love with Dueller at all, they were just friends. They didn't do anything last night, but slept together and on the same bed, but why was she blushing so much? "I never really sung to anyone before, I just took piano lessons and things like that" Stephanie said. Kathleen saw that Dueller was falling hard for Stephanie "She isn't worth it, Dueller" Kathleen stated. Everyone stared up at her, Stephanie redness flushed away quickly as she looked up at Kathleen. "What are you talking about Kathleen?" "Dueller, she just isn't worth it, you drooling over her. She isn't falling for you, she just want to be your friend" Kathleen said, swallowing. Dueller looked back at Stephanie, who was touch the piano keys without making a sound.


"Dueller, she is right, if we were able to rewind back to the first day we met. I didn't like you then, I didn't barely knew you. But after I got to know you more, you've made me realize things I've been missing out all my life" Stephanie was tugging on Dueller's sleeve. They were upstairs, by where Stephanie had fallen. Dueller tried to pull away, but she held on tightly. She let go of him and sat down on the bed,watching him silently venting, trying not to touch his cigarette packet. Stephanie held onto his sleeve again and he stopped, "I know what your problem is," Stephanie said, looking up at him. "You're the type of person who doesn't listen to their heart, and is more likely to listen to others, aren't you?" Stpehanie continued, stadning up and facing him. "What are you--" Dueller's sentence was cut short, when Stephanie's lips met his. A rush of warmness swept through their blood vains, as Stephanie wrapped her arms around his neck and his hands around her waist. He wasn't angry anymore after that.