"Hey Charlie, where’s Tea?" Jacob asked walking into Remy’s garage, a cigarette poised in his hands. He only smoked when he was nervous and right now…he was beyond nervous. Alisa was on the sidelines looking at him like some lost angel looking at Jesus Christ himself. Jacob didn’t know how things had gotten so out of hand so fast, but they had.

"No fucking clue man," Charlie stated running a hand through his dark brown hair as he lifted the strap to his bass up and plucked it, testing out each string. "It’s not like Tea to be this late and not call," Charlie replied his eyes looking up at Jacob, stabbing him with guilt. "I’m sure she’ll show up though," Charlie shrugged.

Remy’s ears had picked up the conversation and he stated without really thinking, "She had better show up. She didn’t seem all here when we went out for our usual drinks at that Hawaiian bar. She seemed floaty and if it wasn’t Tea…I’d swear the girl was tripping on something."

‘Yeah…me’ Jacob wanted to say, but bit his lip and looked down at his guitar. Fuck, fuck, fuck! Why the hell had he done that? He should have at least shown up. He should have called. Something. But did he? No he was an assclown and did the shithole thing to do. He’d have to pay; he’d have to pay dearly. Probably with roses and romance and all that fun stuff, but would it be that easy? He doubted it. Nothing was ever that easy.

The noise of Remy’s garage opening sounded through the room and Jacob saw that Tea had come in. She looked extra beautiful with her curls clustered in a loose bun and a pair of thick rimmed glasses perched on her nose. Suddenly he felt scared. She didn’t even take a passing glance at him. It was as if nothing had happened and he was nothing.

"Hello lovelies," She stated and then grabbed a white piece of paper from her jeans pocket and waved it around. "I’ve got a new song. Someone just follow my lead and we’ll see how it goes, eh?" She smiled and grabbed for her guitar, still not looking at Jacob. Jacob felt something like anger running through him along with melancholic ice. She left him cold.

Tea thumbed her fingers on the chords and a beautiful shifting of the chords vibrated through the room making everyone immediately go silent. The melody was simple and somewhat fairytale like. "What’s the song called Tea?" Remy asked walking to his stool as Jacob found his place in the melody letting the music slide off in licks.

Tea looked at Jacob for the first time and her eyes were a startling dark green behind the glasses. Her eyes were only there for a second, but for that second, he felt like holes were driven through him. Like pieces of him were…. "Gone," She stated simply and then stepped up to the microphone leading to a small sound system, turning it on. It took a few minutes, but the words started coming out of her mouth like warm sticky caramel.

"Tears slip down my cheeks

In warm salty beads

It’s been so many weeks

Since you’ve been gone…

I need you

I want you

I breathe you

I need to

You were a feast for my muse

You pushed me too far

I felt the neglect and abuse

Since you’ve been gone

I need you

I want you

I breathe you

I need to"

"Catchy chorus," Remy commented over his soft percussion’s. Tea looked over at Remy and threw her head up in a sort of nod and then returned to the song speaking a little raspier and sexier.

"Why someone wishes for pain

It’s something that you’re used to

Like your life going down the drain

So gone

So much…like you…"

The end of the song was played like a bittersweet kiss. So haunting yet so passionate. It was enough to make Jacob’s stomach churn and wish that he had gone to that other job. Whatever made him think that this was a good idea? What a wad of shit he was in. There was no way that he was going to dive in now and smell like roses. He was screwed. He was so screwed.

"I like it," Charlie announced after a few minutes of silence.

"Yeah, we ought to add that to our line up for tonight. Maybe one of those songs to wind a crowd down after one of the really loud ones?" Remy suggested.

Tea nodded, "Yeah…I like the song. It’s got a lot of my heart in it. What did you think of it Jacob?" She asked snidely, her head tilting up to look at him. By the way she was chewing on the side of her mouth, he knew that she was pissed off. Then something caught his eye. It was the string to the necklace that he had given her the night they had made love. What luck! If she was still wearing his belongings there was still chance for salvation. She just couldn’t find out about Alisa. He just wasn’t there that night. Maybe one of his friends got plowed and he needed to be a designated driver? No that would never work.

"That sounds good with me," He replied nonchalantly, his blue eyes silently asking for forgiveness from her, but only receiving the cold dark shields of her eyes.

"Good," Tea stated without any feeling in her voice as she turned to Remy. That action made Jacob’s blood boil. Anger bubbled in his hand and he just wanted to whip her around and make her face him. Make her listen to him…but what would he say to her? That he had sex with Alisa last night knowing full well that it was wrong? That his dick seemed to think for his brain? Real smooth. This would have to work itself out. He would have to wait until he could talk to her alone.

Tea looked at Remy fighting the urge to look at Jacob. She just felt numb and an emotion washed over her. An emotion which she hadn’t felt for the longest time. She wanted to cry, but there was no chance in hell she would allow Jacob see her that weak. She would never allow him to know that he had impacted her life even more than her bestfriend. "Do you have a cigarette?" Tea asked running a hand through her tangles of curls.

"Tea," Remy stated very cautiously looking at Tea. Something was definitely the wrong with her. He was going to tread on her boarders very slowly because if Tea got angry, she could easily fall off the edge and Remy had seen her at her edge. It wasn’t very pretty. "You don’t smoke," He stated simply, his eyes searching his friend’s.

"Just give me a fucking cigarette Rem," She stated, her green eyes looking from behind the thick framed glasses.

"Alright," Remy stated throwing up his hands and shoving his hands in his pocket presenting a Marlboro unfiltered menthol cigarette.

"Thanks," Tea stated grabbing it quickly with her ringed fingers and putting it between her two full lips that were painted in a beautiful violet hue that only certain people could wear. Remy produced his lighter and held it up to the tip of the cigarette. His thumbed flicked the button and the flame sparked up as Tea inhaled letting the cigarette burn. A cough hacked up her lungs, but she surpressed it and frowned at the taste. No wonder she didn’t smoke, this thing was awful. It made her feel like she was drowning in the ocean and dying inch by inch. She threw the cigarette down on the concrete garage floor and stomped on it with her Birkenstocks.

"So very strange Green Tea," Remy commented shaking his head and lighting up his own cigarette repeating, "So very strange…"

Jacob had been standing in the cornor brooding. His blue eyes had changed to an icy hue as he watched Remy and Tea. What the fuck did she think she was doing? Jacob couldn’t help but wallow in his jealousy as his eyes followed her as she walked out of the garage. Jacob knew that this was his chance. He took off his guitar and set it down, following her to the side of the house. She was leaning against the white paneling of the garage as some loose ringlets fell in soft spirals to her chin. Her head was tipped down to the ground and the sun was reflecting off her glasses. She didn’t say one word, but there seemed to be a million things said between them.

He fumbled for something to say. Something that wouldn’t make him seem like a complete ass. Instead he heard her voice; "You’re showing up for the gig tonight, right?"

Jacob felt his hope shove itself into a corner as she took the less personal approach to a conversation. It was obvious that the subject was gnawing on both of their minds. "Yeah," He stated pulling down his shirt as a nervous habit and looking to the ground. His eyes drifted to her light brown Birkenstocks and to where they were scuffed up from her constant wearing of them.

"Good," She announced taking her weight off of the wall and looking at him directly in his face. She certainly had balls of steel; Jacob mused, as her green eyes flashed even brighter from behind her glasses at him. They were so inhuman, like beauty staring back at him. "I don’t want this to change the band," Tea added turning to go back to where the other’s were practicing.

Jacob didn’t know what possessed him, but he grabbed her arm. His touch had disarmed her and thrown her stomach into a thousand loops. Jacob’s hand slipped around her waist, pulling her close, as his lips tasted how sweet she was. He could feel her reluctance at first as she gathered her senses that had been thrown uselessly on the floor, but then felt her body loosen and relax. Her hand curled around his tan neck as she leaned into him, remembering the way his body felt with hers, and God, did it feel so right.

When the kiss was broken, it left Tea breathless and a little dizzy. Every part of her felt disconnected as she tried to grapple the fact that she was still mad at him, but she couldn’t. "Umm…" Tea replied tilting her head as a smile spread on her face. She didn’t know what to say.

Jacob rested his finger softly on her grape colored lips quieting her as he kissed her softly on each cheek. Tea felt like there were a million turquoise and blue colored mermaids swimming around in her stomach wanting her to fall in the arms of her prince charming, but she had to get control of herself. After all, if she went walking into the garage with a stupid smile spread across her face, they would know for sure what was happening and that would be a very very bad thing.

"You didn’t show last night," She whispered, looking at him like a child, her face full of hopes and promises that he would try his hardest to fulfill.

"I can’t even tell you how sorry I am," He stated softly, tracing his finger over her jawline. She seemed to bloom against his touch, brilliant colors burning his memory of her. "I swear to you that I won’t ever do that again," He replied like the wind, "I love you."

Tea felt like the pieces of a rainbow were flowing in her veins just bursting to get out. She closed her eyes and placed her head on his shoulder, her hand trailing itself under his shirt and to his stomach where his skin was warm and inviting. She could have curled up like that forever as she listened to the way his heart beat. "I love you too," She whispered as she detached herself from him and floated back to where the music was.

Authors Note: This is the chapter that I changed, and from here on out it will be changed (in case you read the original version of DUID). I have also come to the conclusion that "Sympathy" from the Goo Goo Dolls is so Tea & Jacob’s song. Anyway, comment with nice things to say, and tell me what you think. Thanks!