Part Twelve: Sick Lullabies, Choking On Your Alibis

"She blinked her eyes just a few times, wondering where the world had gone. She couldn't breathe for a while now. Thinking she had gone too deep" Dueller sang, strumming the guitar softly. Kathleen was sprawled out on the bed, hearing the guitar softly strumming. Her brown curls speared across the bulky pillow. She blinked her a few times, staring out at the frosted window. She rise from the bed, and walked towards the window. The pressed her hand against it and stared out at the perfect view of the lake water, she pushed the window a bit to get some air even though the smell from the lake lifted the atmosphere. She turned around, and Dueller looked up from his guitar his blue eyes shining. It wasn't cold or mean, it was soft and seem to be blurry. He beamed at Kathleen, "Good morning Kathleen, I brought some hot chocolate down from the bar. I knew you weren't like Connor and I, always drinking beers and things like that. We didn't want to destroy your mind or your body, like what we did, mostly me actually" Dueller said, blushing and smiling.

His teeth were pearly white and it didn't seem as if even smoke or even drink. "Thanks. How old are you?" Kathleen asked, sitting across from him at the small dining table. Kathleen didn't took her hot chocolate right away, she couldn't since it was too cold to drink so they went down to the bar and 2 more cups, they sat by the window. "Fifteen years old. I forged my driver licenses, everyone thinks I'm sixteen. My parents died on my birthday, I felt as if I had nothing to live for anymore. What could I do for myself? I turn into the world of alcohol and smoking, I still do all these things. But somehow, I turned back to my guitar and began to writing lyrics" Dueller explained, his cupped his hands around the mug of hot chocolate took a sip. "So who is your guardian?" Kathleen asked. "My grandparents, they treat me like their own son. They welcome with warm hands even though I had my problems" He smiled. Kathleen smiled back and took a sip of hot chocolate, letting the hot substance go slowly down her dry throat. It was gauche silence, when a drunken Connor came in. He was tottering as he walked towards them, his black t-shirt had crisp white stain, it look like a lighting sign. His black hair was messy and his jeans were slacking.

"You guys, that party was awesome. It was the biggest blow-out ever! It was being the 1970s again, with these gigantic lava lamps. Then the waitress had these neon lights things, on the hair and one of them let me had it! Let me, let me show you! Oh,oh well I lost it but forget about that. It was an awesome party, dude you should have gone there" Connor said, laughing and pointing his finger in their faces. "I think we should take him upstairs" Dueller suggested. When they got to the room, Connor was still carrying away. "Kat, come on lets go to the party, it's going to be fun we can kiss and watch other couples kiss too, maybe even watch the gay couples to do it!" Connor shouted, leaning in to kiss her. "Connor, no, you're drunk!" Kathleen shouted, slapping him in his face. It felt as if the slap Kathleen gave him echoed in the room like a trap that caught a rat.

He turned his face slowly, and anger was drawn onto his face. "Don't you ever slap me!" He shouted, spit splurging out of his mouth. He shook Kathleen violently, and Kathleen was screaming. Dueller heard the screaming as he came up the stairs after getting some pills to put Connor to sleep. Dueller barged into the room, and saw Connor shaking Kathleen trying to force himself on top of her. She had a bloody handkerchief in her mouth, her wrist were cut. Dueller tackled Connor down at threw a slew of punches at him. Connor tried to fight back but he couldn't, Dueller grabbed up Kathleen and ran towards the car. Connor followed behind them, then Dueller put the car in drive and drove off. Leaving Connor stranded in the motel.

It was silent for a while as they drove along the road, towards New York, "You okay?" Dueller asked, looking at Kathleen who had her hand on her head. "Yeah, I-I guess my friends were right after all" She looked at Dueller, biting her lower lip. She felt something come over her, but she wasn't sure what it was. Dueller smiled back at her and took her hand. "There is no need to thank me" Dueller said, smiling. They stopped at the gas station parking lot, to take a break. Kathleen climbed into the backseat, "Come on Dueller" She said, biting her lower lip and tugging on Dueller's plaid shirt. "No, it's okay I'm find here" He said. She gave a puppy dog look, he climbed into the backseat with her. she pulled his neck down, and scratched the nape of his neck. She stared into his eyes and her stared back into hers. He leaned in and kissed her, and she pulled his body down further into his. Then, she slowly lifted up his shirt.

Stephanie was gnawing on down her index finger nail, watching another SNL skit. Yogurt, popcorn bags, candy wrappers, half bottles of water and soda and bowls was sprawled across the bedroom, in the middle of the dump was Stephanie. Ellie and Jacob walked into the room pinching their nose because of the smell, the quickly walked back out, since Stephanie still looked gloomy. "Come on Ellie, stop worrying about her" Jacob said, pulling Ellie. "Jacob I can't, so stop bothering me" Ellie said, pulling away. Jacob sighed "I'm really fed up with this relationship" He said. Ellie turned around quickly "What do you mean fed up?" "Ellie, we barely do anything anymore. Every time when I try to get your mind off of it, you won't let me do anything. Not even kiss me whether it is on the cheek or lip to lip" "Is that all you can really think about, huh? Then, why don't we just break up! We weren't meant to be Jacob, it's clear to see that you didn't like me for who I really was" Ellie said, she ran out of the bedroom down the stairs and the front door suddenly opened.

Kathleen come through the door with a boy following behind her, "Kat, you're back" Ellie said, rushing to hug her. "Yeah, and this is my friend, Dueller" Kathleen said, looking upset. She didn't realize what she had done with Dueller, she wasn't really planning for that, she was just planning that he would just protect her as she slept. She wished she had left in the front of the car, luckily it only lasted for a minuted before anything else came off. "Are you still taken?" Dueller joked. "I'm single now, but I'm not ready yet, Dueller. Just hang on there" Ellie said, winking. "I can't believe that you and Jacob already broke up" Kathleen said. Ellie took Dueller hand and lead him up the stair, Dueller kissed Ellie and Ellie pulled him down onto her.

They quickly shut the door, then Jacob walked in and saw Ellie with another guy kissing him. "Ellie, what are you doing?" Jacon asked, pulling the guy off of her. "I'm getting back at you Jacob, you said that you were fed up with this relationship, so could you live with me" Ellie said. "I could because I'm in love with you Ellie, I didn't really mean what I said. But I wasn't expecting you to move on this fast" Jacob looked at Dueller who was already getting ready to go back downstairs to Kathleen. Jacob kissed Ellie, "I'm sorry, I really am" He whispered. She straed into his eyes and then she kissed him back. "I'm so unluckly" Dueller whispered. As he walked towards the staircase, Stephanie came out and he stopped staring at her and she staring back at him.